𝐖𝐌𝐒𝐔-𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐀𝐄𝐃𝐀 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

WMSU-SERDAC researchers secured a prestigious award, bringing honor to the institution at the recent Philippine Agriculture and Economic Development Association (PAEDA) National Conference. The event was held at Visayas State University in Leyte from December 3 to 5, 2024. The conference gathered researchers from across the Philippines—Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao—who presented 40 research papers on various fields in agriculture.

The research paper titled “𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚-𝑺𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 𝑼𝒑𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 (𝑫𝑶𝑺𝑻-𝑺𝑬𝑻𝑼𝑷) 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆/𝑨𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓,” presented by Mr. Dennis R. Marcelino, was recognized as the Second Runner-Up for Best Paper under the category of Policy Analysis and Impact Assessment in Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources (AANR).

The study, funded by DOST Region IX, assessed the effectiveness and relevance of the DOST-SETUP program in enhancing the technological capabilities of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) within the Zamboanga Peninsula’s horticulture and agriculture sectors.

The research findings highlight the significant positive impact of the program in improving products, services, and operations, resulting in increased productivity and competitiveness among MSMEs. The program achieved a Benefit-Cost Ratio of 1.16, indicating that the government’s investment in the DOST-SETUP program is highly beneficial.

The research team comprised Dr. Teresita A. Narvaez, Mr. Dennis R. Marcelino, Dr. Anabel E. Gamorez, Mr. Alvener H. Sakili, Mr. Moh. Shanizee A. Sarabi, and Mr. Claro R. Potenciano Jr., all faculty and staff members of Western Mindanao State University (WMSU). (Dr. Teresita R. Narvaez, VP-Resource Generation)