07/11/2025
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฌ | ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก, ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ-๐ข๐ง-๐๐ข๐ (๐๐๐)
Cagayan State University (CSU) recently hosted a significant collaborative initiative to advance research, innovation, and biodiversity conservation in the Cagayan River Basin. On October 24โ25, 2025, CHED Regional Office 02, in partnership with UP Visayas, brought together key State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the region, including CSU, Isabela State University (ISU), Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU), and Quirino State University (QSU), to collaboratively develop a proposal for the Cagayan River Basin Biodiversity Project under the Research, Innovation, and Extension Grants-in-Aid (GIA). The two-day event took place at the SMART Conference Room, CSU Andrews Campus.
The proposal packaging was spearheaded by Dr. Ricardo P. Babaran, former Vice Chancellor for Research at UP Visayas, alongside his research staff, Mr. El Andro Obar and Mr. Christian James Morales. The initiative aligns with CHEDโs Study PH Edu-Tourism Program, which seeks to promote the Philippines as a premier educational tourism destination, linking scientific research with sustainable tourism, economic development, and community engagement.
Representing CHED Regional Director Julieta Paras, Dr. Jocelyn Carag and Dr. Pillar Acorda, both Education Program Supervisors, attended on her behalf. Aquatic and fisheries researchers from the four SUCs actively participated in discussions, sharing expertise on the impacts of human activitiesโsuch as mining, environmental pollution, and introduction of invasive speciesโon fish biodiversity. The discussions highlighted how these ecological challenges ultimately affect food security, poverty alleviation, and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing the need for research-driven solutions.
As the host institution, CSU, through VP Dr. Junel B. Guzman on behalf of OIC President Dr. Arthur G. Ibaรฑez, welcomed the participants, highlighting the importance of inter-institutional collaboration in addressing regional environmental challenges. He also stressed the link between biodiversity conservation and Edu-Tourism, noting that sustainable tourism can serve as a strategy for community development while preserving the ecological integrity of the river basin.
This initiative is to be supported by Dr. Hiroyuki Motomura of Kagoshima University Museum, leveraging previous and ongoing collaborations. A key contributor to this effort is Ms. Roxanne Cabebe-Barnuevo, a CSU and UPV alumna, who will complete her PhD in taxonomy this coming March. Her expertise will strengthen the projectโs scientific rigor and contribute to sustainable biodiversity management strategies in which she will be actively involved in implementing the project.
This initiative strengthens regional cooperation among SUCs and underscores the vital role of research in conserving the Cagayan River Basin, a key ecological and economic resource. By integrating scientific research with the Edu-Tourism platform, the project seeks to create sustainable solutions that benefit both the environment and the communities that depend on it.
