Blue Communities - Philippines

We are delighted to share with you the official launch of the Blue Communities Legacy website!

Blue Communities University of Plymouth: GCRF Blue Communities Research Programme. Building capacity for sustainable interactions with marine ecosystems for the benefit...

Congratulations BS Fisheries students and Blue Communities research mentees for winning First Place on Oral Competition - Student Category of the Western Philippines University RDE Forum 2023. Huge congratulations too to their mentor - John Roderick Madarcos, and their adviser - Dr. Lota Alcantara - Creencia!

Congratulations, Cris Cayetano, for winning the first place during the Poster Presentation Competition of the Western Philippines University RDE Forum 2023.

This poster is entitled: TRADE DYNAMICS OF LEOPARD CORAL GROUPER (Plectropomus leopardus, LACEPÈDE, 1802) IN PALAWAN: A PHILIPPINES’ PERSPECTIVE ASSESSMENT ON THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND COPING STRATEGIES

This article is also under review for publication. Congratulations, Cris and the co-authors!

𝐏𝐂𝐒𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐃𝐆 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐄: 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘

“Who are you?” “What do you live for?” “Where are you going?” ─These are but some of the most critical and crucial existential questions in our process of becoming. For we cannot live on bread alone; we are here for a purpose in our brief and passing journey in the mind-boggling, cascading passage of time.

Western Philippines University (WPU) does not live on bread alone. Guided by its mantra and kismet on excellence, commitment, creativity, and teamwork, as evident in its mission and vision, it has been serving the Palaweño community since its establishment in 1910. As an academic and skills provider, through its program of courses and transnational interlocking partnerships, it has been ubiquitous in the wide scheme and order of the global economy.

WPU's identity, purpose, and direction are Palawan-rooted. Its initial programs were Palawan-centered, and its pioneering students were true-blooded Palaweños: the native cultural minority of Tagbanua community. Notwithstanding the institution’s maturity and transformation through the years; with the inevitable addition of new courses in its menu, as necessitated by the changing times and needs; it has been a stratospheric authority in the field of agriculture and fisheries in Palawan ─ the great Western Philippines University!

So great was WPU, that its energy thoroughly transcends and becomes lived in the outcomes of its humanitarian undertakings here and abroad, in its social advocacies, and projects that are aligned with Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD)’s philosophy of sustainable development in the province of Palawan ─ cementing its reputation as a leader of reinvention, collaboration, and integration, to enhance the lives of every Palaweño.

With these, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS) confers its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Peace and Partnership Champion Award 2022 to Western Philippines University, for their outstanding promotion of peace, transparency, governance, and participatory engagement of various sectors or institutions in Palawan Biosphere Reserves.

Once upon a time, there was a floating landmass by the name of Palawan in the West Philippine Sea. It was an era of gentility and rural living; but it was also a time in need of a progressive formal education. WPU then sprang into existence, disrupting the old ways and paving the way for the Palawan archipelago to thrive and succeed.

Congratulations to WPU for their contribution to the development of Palawan, and may they continue to empower and transform the lives of their students and the community. More power to WPU!

Congratulations to Mr. Cristobal Cayetano for the publication of his paper entitled "Multi-spatiotemporal analysis of changes in mangrove forests in Palawan, Philippines: predicting future trends using a support vector machine algorithm and the Markov chain model". This publication is co-authored by Dr. Lota Creencia (College of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Western Philippines University), Dr. Emma Sullivan, Dr. Daniel Clewey, and Dr. Peter Miller (Remote Sensing Group, Plymouth Marine Laboratory).

Open access at https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000057

The Blue Communities Program study in sensitive coastal sites including Palawan led by Dr Susan Kay of Plymouth Marine Laboratory was published in Frontiers in Marine Science. The results project a sea that is warming by 1.1 to 2.9°C through the 21st century. It can cause damage to coral reefs and alter species distribution, consequently affecting the biodiversity, the livelihoods of small-scale fishers, and the food security of coastal communities.

This study was co-authored by WPU faculty members and researchers Dr Ben Gonzales, Dr Herminie Palla, Ms Arlene Avillanosa, and Mr Joel Sumeldan.

Read the full article here:

Projected effects of climate change on marine ecosystems in Southeast Asian seas The seas of Southeast Asia are home to some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems and resources that support the livelihoods of millions of people. Climate change will bring temperature changes, acidification and other environmental change, with uncertain consequences for human and natural system...

Congratulations to Ms. Lea Janine Gajardo for the publication of her paper entitled "Cultural values of ecosystem services from coastal marine areas: Case of Taytay Bay, Palawan, Philippines" in Environmental Science and Policy (Q1, CiteScore-10, Impact Factor 6.424). Huge congratulations too to her co-authors from Western Philippines University (Joel Sumeldan, Recca Sajorne, John Roderick Madarcos, Lota Creencia), University of Malaya (Hong Ching Goh), University of Plymouth (Fiona Culhane and Olivia Langmead).

Free access for 50 days at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/authShare/S1462901123000126/20230201T224600Z/1?md5=99b43f09dbdc8e0921392ddf8efe476a&dgcid=author.

Congratulations Lut Alcantara and co-authors, Lota Creencia, John Madarcos, Karen Madarcos, Jean Jontila (all from Western Philippines University) and Fiona Culhane (University of Plymouth) for the publication of your paper in University College London Open! Open access here: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000054

Congratulations Dr. Jean Beth Jontila and team for the publication of your paper entitled: 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 (𝗠𝗣𝗔𝘀) 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝘁𝗮𝘆, 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗻, 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀.

You may read the publication here: http://www.palawanscientist.org/tps/gender-awareness-and-perception-on-marine-protected-areas-mpas-in-taytay-palawan-philippines/?fbclid=IwAR18TrtMzE-3c0C_qj3gOX_c63mdtGULY5YpGXLdWEz-eAK4NZIl_diwdr0

Congratulations, John Roderick Madarcos, for being one of the best paper presenters during the 11th MHRDC Health Research Forum and Research Caravan held at Orchid Garden Suites, Malate Manila on November 10 to 11, 2022.

John is working on the human dimension of fisheries with Dr. Lota Creencia and collaborators from the Technical Univerity of Denmark, University of Vienna, and European Center for Environment and Human Health.