University of the Philippines – Visayas Statistics alumnus, Shan Rencis R. Fernandez, secured third place in the Best Student Paper Competition during the 2026 Philippine Statistical Association Inc. (PSAI) Annual Conference held from October 19-21, 2026 at the UP School of Statistics, University of the Philippines- Diliman.
The award-winning paper, titled “Modeling Municipal Fisheries in the Philippines: A Comparative Time-Series Analysis of Traditional, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning Models,” is co-authored by Mary Arnelyn E. Andres and Kristian M. Tribiana, both graduates of UPV Statistics Class of 2025. The study was conducted and completed as part of the course requirements in Stat 145 (Introduction to Time Series and Analysis Forecasting) handled by Mr. Glenn Ivan Macitas.
The study developed and compared traditional statistical, machine learning, and deep learning models to forecast quarterly municipal fisheries production in the Philippines from 2022 to 2025.
The Best Student Paper session featured three research presentations, including studies on air quality forecasting and household consumption patterns.
With the theme “Breaking the Mold: Beyond the Current Growth Paradigm Through Innovation, Institutional Reform and Economic Transformation,” the three-day conference provided a platform for discussing the evolving role of statistics in addressing the country’s challenges and opportunities. It brought together statisticians, researchers, educators, students, and practitioners for presentations and discussions on statistical research and its applications.
Written by Cyan Alemania
