14/07/2026
๐ฃ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐-๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฆ
Four student interns from the Philippine Science High School (Pisay)โ Western Visayas Campus (WVC) successfully completed their 2026 Science Immersion Program (SIP) at the Seaweed Laboratory, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS), UP Visayas on July 10, 2026.
The 80-hour training, which began on June 29, was conducted under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Iris Ann G. Borlongan, UPV Seaweed Laboratory team leader.
Throughout the 10-day immersion, the incoming Grade 11 Pisay scholars namely, Eena Michaela J. Luces, Janessa B. Saladar, Archer R. Tan Yau, and Amelia Chreyselle P. Yap, gained advanced and practical skills in seaweed research while exploring the ecological, culinary, and medicinal potentials of seaweeds.
They trained in compound and dissecting microscopy, sterile laboratory techniques, and sample preparation for producing healthy, disease-free propagules vital for sustainable seaweed farming.
The group also extracted semi-refined carrageenan from ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฉ๐บ๐ค๐ถ๐ด ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด and ๐๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ฎ using potassium hydroxide (KOH) treatments, heating, washing, and drying, later computing extraction yields and demonstrating carrageenanโs functional properties through simple culinary products like coffee jelly, cathedral window, and no-steam flan.
Using Pulse-Amplitude Modulated (PAM) fluorometry, the interns conducted chlorophyll fluorescence experiments to evaluate seaweed stress responses under varying environmental conditions.
They identified green seaweeds (๐๐ญ๐ท๐ข and ๐๐ข๐ถ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ข) through morphological and reproductive features, prepared herbarium specimens, and used tools like Google Lens and reference texts for identification.
They also carried out a mini-experiment demonstrating how biomass density influences the growth rate of ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ช๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ข. In addition, the interns helped maintain the laboratory's culture biobanks and assisted in managing the Boracay washed-ashore collections.
During the culminating activity, the students reflected on how the immersion reshaped their understanding of scientific work.
Yap shared that the laboratory techniques she learned will directly support her school projects, emphasizing that seaweed, often seen as a niche topic, holds significant promise for building a more sustainable future for the community.
Tan Yau highlighted the importance of seaweeds in daily life and noted that the internship strengthened his own seaweed-related research direction.
Luces described how mastering meticulous laboratory tasks helped her appreciate the broader impact of research on seaweed and aquaculture industries.
Saladar underscored the role of fisheries and ocean sciences in supporting communities and the environment, expressing her commitment to raising environmental awareness and recognizing that even small research efforts can help address real-world problems in fisheries.
Expressing his gratitude, Pisay-WVC SIP Coordinator Mr. Harold P. Mediodia lauded the invaluable, long-standing commitment of CFOS as a partner agency for their Science Immersion Program, noting that the CFOS Internship Program continues to provide a dynamic learning environment and meaningful real-world experiences that help shape studentsโ future careers in science and technology.
Text and photos: LBGallos
