“SESAmbag”: SESAM Ambag for a Successful Community Pantry

The School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM) version of community pantry, called “SESAMBag” (SESAM Ambag) was set up for all the School’s Staff last August 24, 2021. SESAM’s Instruction Division, headed by Dr. Loucel E. Cui, Assistant Professor, organized this first-ever SESAM Community Pantry.  

The goods are sourced from all the ‘ambag’ (contributions) of the faculty, REPS, and admin staff of The School. From all these contributions, the pantry consisted of rice, vegetables, fruits, and eggs among other goods and was formally opened at 10 AM until 5:00PM at the SESAM Lecture Hall. Each staff visited the pantry by schedule to avoid crowding and maintain physical distancing while availing the various goods of the pantry. Alternatively, goods were also delivered to the doorsteps of other SESAM staff who were not able to drop by the Pantry, since the announcement of ECQ and MECQ within the Province of Laguna.

The Community Pantry was initiated by Ana Patricia Non along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City, which is rooted towards the Filipino ‘Bayanihan’ spirit, wherein people help others within their capability, anchored on the idea of “give what you can, take what you need”. This was considered by media as one of the first community pantry ever established during this pandemic. From this initiative in Maginhawa, community pantries have started sprouting all over the country and even overseas, to extend help and support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aside from helping those in need, the SESAM Community Pantry also intends to inspire hope and uplift the spirits of its faculty, admin, and researchers, by also serving as an award of appreciation for all the hard work of each and every one from SESAM despite of the challenges and difficulties of these trying times. (RM Areglado and JM Lit)

SESAM Conducts Research Agenda Workshop

The School of Environmental Science and Management-University of the Philippines Los Baños (SESAM-UPLB) conducted its first Research Agenda Seminar for this year on August 20, 2021. The SESAM Research Division invited all faculty and REPS to attend and present updates, plans and accomplishments of their respective laboratories, projects and other endeavors. 

The laboratories and projects presented came from the UPLB Climate and Disaster Risk Studies Center; UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Water; EART Lab; ESEP Lab; Human Dimensions Lab; Water Lab; ECOTOX Lab; Benthos Lab, Landscape Eco Lab; GIS lab and the Journal of Environmental Science and Management. 

Dr. Rico C. Ancog, Dean of SESAM, was happy to see the full participation of SESAM faculty and REPS in the activity. “When we look at the problem, the holistic and integrative lens when we look at the particular problem and making sure that we have more multiplicity in terms of perspective, and then the representation of various stakeholders or interest groups in the way we look at environmental problems and, therefore, that should be at the basis in our research approaches”, said Dr. Ancog, as he urged all to move forward and hope that all SESAM outputs will translate into helping national development. 

All faculty and REPS participated in the workshop to fill-out the “Mind MuP”. The Mind MUP contains different thematic areas such as food security and sovereignty; sustainability and resilience; future cities; and one health. Various issues came out and were suggested by the different laboratories of SESAM, which will be part of the continuity of research and guide for future ventures. 

DAME-CEM Announces the 3rd Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship Conference

The Department of Agribusiness Management & Entrepreneurship (DAME), College of Economics and Management (CEM), UP Los Baños is pleased to invite everyone to the 3rd Global Agribusiness Management & Entrepreneurship (GAME) Conference, which will be held virtually on November 18-19, 2021 via zoom platform. The conference, with the theme BREAKING THE MOLD: Agribusiness & Entrepreneurship Amid Disruptive Forces aims to bring together key stakeholders in the agribusiness and MSME sectors to discuss the disruptive forces influencing the sectors and to exchange ideas on the potential strategies and development entry points which could facilitate growth and sustainability amid these forces. 

This year’s conference is being co-organized with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), one of the oldest among 24 specialist institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). GAME 2021 Conference will be participated by key stakeholders in the agribusiness (from the academe and other government agencies) and MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sectors that foster discussions to address the disruptive forces (i.e. COVID-19) influencing the sectors and to exchange ideas on the potential strategies and development entry points which could facilitate growth and sustainability amid these forces.

For more details, please refer to this conference flyer and program: