The UP Visayas College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (UPV-CFOS) participated in the China-ASEAN seaweed cooperation forum held on November 11-13, 2023 at Xiamen City, Fujian, China.
Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Prof. Dr. Harold M. Monteclaro, CFOS Dean Prof. Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Iris Ann G. Borlongan were among the members of the Philippine delegation representing the academe, which also included representatives from the government, private sector, and seaweed industry stakeholders.
The forum aimed to “jointly build, share and promote the common development of regional seaweed farming technology and industry.” It also emphasized the importance of collaboration and innovation in addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities in the seaweed industry in China and the ASEAN region.
Yap and Borlongan are the chair and co-chair of UPV-CFOS Seaweed Research & Innovation Group, respectively. The UPV-CFOS Seaweed Research & Innovation Group, in partnership with the Seaweed Base International Science and Technology Cooperation (SBIS&TC), a scientific international cooperation unit of the Ocean University of China (OUC) in Qingdao, China, have a joint research project titled “Characterization and Utilization of Some Commercially Available Seaweeds in the Philippines.” This collaborative undertaking seeks to contribute to the development of the seaweed industry in the country.
During the forum, Yap presented the progress and accomplishments of the UP Visayas –SBIS&TC Joint Laboratory.
They also visited the Xiamen University – Xiangan Campus, processing plant of Green Fresh (Fujian) Food Stuff Co., Ltd. – hydrocolloid R&D and production enterprise in China, specializing in the development of food colloids including carrageenan, agar, and konjac gum.
The symposium was attended by seaweed industry stakeholders from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, as well as representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA). (With sources from Dr. Iris Ann G. Borlongan)
