Young researchers from Davao City high schools and universities convened to give their share of solutions to the city’s environmental problems including pollution in Davao river and crop loss in banana plantations.
Hannah Sheen Lopez of Davao City National High School introduced acommon plant-based organic flocculant made from saluyot leaf extract that she found to have successfully reduced the coliforms and E. coli in the turbid water of Davao river. The solution is cheap and readily accessible to the public, she said, so that water can be treated for household and farm use, especially in a time when water supply can be limited.
Two researchers from Philippine Science High School were concerned about the damage caused by fusarium which affects banana production in Davao City and the rest of Mindanao. Jorrico Suelto II presented two new species of trichoderma as biological-control agents which he recommended to be integrated in fertilizers so it can act as preventive measure against fusarium. On the other hand, Bea Bustamante offered a low-cost alternative by using yellow mangrove bark extract to inhibit the growth of the fusarium.
Harvey Salaga of the University of Southeastern Philippines confirmed the city’s urban biodiversity when he shared that a new locality record for butterflies in the city has been documented. Based on their inventories conducted in 2016-2017, of the 1,027 species of butterflies found in the Philippines, Davao City had 45 species, including 12 endemic species and two new locality records found in Matina riverbank.
Students presented their research results among representatives from key government agencies including EnP. Ivan Cortez and Cresencia de la Victoria of City Planning and Development Office, Councilor Mabel Acosta, and a panel of experts during the first Sustainable Davao Research Symposium held at the Malayan Colleges in October 5, 2018.
The Sustainable Davao Movement (SDM) organized the event to gather researches in Davao City to be used by the network in its advocacy to localize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as by the City Government in the updating of its Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
SDM member Arnold Vandenbroeck encouraged the students to continue doing research, taking off from the recent Noble Peace Prize Awards as an inspiration, seeing that most awardees are usually old when the results of their research have made significant impacts in society. “Serve your country, your city, your community – that should always be in the back of your mind when doing research. Aim for the highest science and persevere,” he said.
Download the abstracts here:
Zero Waste
Reduction of Coliforms and Escherichia Coli Using Saluyot (Corchorus olitorius) Leaf Extract as Flocculant in Turbid Water of Davao River
Hannah Sheen T. Lopez, Davao City National Highschool
Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Characterization of the Antagonistic Activity of
Trichoderma aureoviride Against Fusarium oxysporumf. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 –
Jorrico Suelto, Philippine Science High School
Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Ceriops tagal (Yellow Mangrove) Bark Extract
Against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Fusarium Wilt) in Cavendish
Bananas (Musaacuminata AAA Cultivar Group) under in vitro Conditions
Bea Bustamante, Philippine Science High School
Healthy Watersheds
Inventory of Butterflies in Davao City, Philippines with a new locality record: An Urban biodiversity
Harvey Salaga, University of Southeastern Philippines