19/05/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐จ๐๐ต๐ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ ๐๐จ ๐ฅ&๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐บ
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Under the Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources (AANR) Development Category, Bicol University Chemical Engineering (BUChE) students were awarded the Best Paper for the study, โAssessment of the Effect of Effective Microorganism (EM) Balls on Dissolved Oxygen in the Sagumayon River, Albay: A Pilot Study,โ on May 18, 2026, at the 21st Student Research and Development Forum.
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Along with Engr. Jocelyn R. Balisnomo as the adviser, the team consisting of Princess JD L. Balding, Sherryl B. Camba, Daniela Marie B. Cambaya, and Romy Hampray Pasano were elated as they received the Best Paper award.
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โTraditional river rehabilitation methods often require large funding, advanced equipment, and long-term maintenance, making them difficult for local communities and government units to sustain,โ said Balding, emphasizing the need for an accessible, sustainable, and effective water rehabilitation technique for rivers. EM ballsโ components were locally accessible, cheap, and easy to produce, serving as a sustainable and economically viable solution for river water treatment.
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The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the transport behaviors of EM balls in improving water quality in the Sagumayon River. The initial data recorded from the river sample showed drastically poor quality, as determined by their dissolved oxygen (DO) level, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC). An initial assessment showed severe pollution, with DO levels dropping to between 2.17 and 4.58 mg/L. These figures fall short of the DENRโs Class C requirement of at least 5.0 mg/L.
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Throughout their testing period, the water quality essentially improved. Based on the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index, the water quality increased from a โPoorโ to an โExcellentโ rating during the peak period of the treatment. However, a decline in quality observed on the 10th day suggests a hydrodynamic constraint and the addition of pollutants. Overall, the EM balls served their purpose in improving the river water quality, grounded on the identified physicochemical parameters of water.
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โWhile EM technology has been studied in labs or in other countries, this research proves it can work under local conditions, using locally prepared EM balls,โ Camba shared, explaining how their study also focuses on economic viability rather than just effectiveness. She also emphasized that these EM balls are safe biotechnology that does not pose harm to aquatic life.
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โIt took us a lot of trial and error to get to where we are nowโ2 groups, 3 submitted proposals, and 3 proposal defenses,โ Pasano answered, sharing the challenges that they encountered. Time pressure, academic responsibilities, and testing schedules were some of the limiting factors in the completion of this study, according to Pasano. โWe had to go to school with a change of clothes because we had to wade through a dirty river during our free time at lunch.โ
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Despite the setbacks, the team competed at the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers Regional Convention, where they won 1st Place in the Best Poster Competition for the same study. Now, they brought the same study to another stage, the Bicol University Best Undergraduate Thesis, where they achieved the Best Paper award under the AANR Development Category.
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โI believe all of these challenges had been worth it,โ Pasano expressed on behalf of his team, thanking their adviser and groupmates for accomplishing such a feat.
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Their experience is a testimony to how their encounter with science transcends the boundaries of academic walls. This research does more than just analyze the Sagumayon River. It paves the way for a potential nationwide adoption of EM balls, bringing accessible and viable data to communities that currently lack adequate water treatment technologies.
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via ๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ญ๐, ๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ-๐ช๐ฏ-๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฆ๐ง
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