JESAM June 2023 Issue tackles tools for natural resources assessment and management

The Journal of Environmental Science and Management (JESAM) featured articles in the fields of biodiversity, water resources, pollution and environmental technology for its 1st Issue under Volume 26. JESAM is an international refereed scientific journal indexed by Web of Science and Scopus produced semi-annually by the University of the Philippines Los Baños School of Environmental Science and Management (UPLB-SESAM).

Water use in various sectors were highlighted in two papers considering the climate variability and socio-economic factors. One paper discussed sectoral water utilization vis-à-vis development pressures in a small island ecotourism municipality in the Philippines whereas another paper expounded on challenges in adopting irrigation practices by farmers in a region in Tanzania. Water is an important resource and a valuable commodity that needs to be sustainably managed.

Tools on biodiversity monitoring and conservation that can be used in determining proper conservation and management strategies in specific species or locality were presented in three papers. Use of MaxEnt in predicting species occurrence of Litsea leytensis Merr in several provinces in the Philippines were highlighted in an article in this issue. Whereas another paper presented how community inclusion plays a vital role in validating threatened species in a coastal wetland ecosystem of Negros Occidental. Species inventory of present riparian vegetation that aids in remediating water quality degraded river was highlighted in one article. 

An article on pollution studies were also included in the recent issue. A study on presence of radionuclides and toxic metals in mining areas of Niger State, Nigeria identified areas needing remedial action and appropriate monitoring to avoid further environmental and health impacts. An article characterizing spatio-temporal soundscape in China’s cultural towns was attributed to the urban functions and crowd activities of the area. This is necessary in development planning of the area while considering cultural preservation.

An article on evaluation of longevity of biological media for stormwater improvement from the United Kingdom was also included in this issue. Different stormwater biofilters were evaluated as sustainable solution for urban runoff management and water quality improvement. The authors stated that use of this technology contributes to sustainable stormwater management practices for environmental protection, pollution reduction and promote well-being of the communities.

JESAM is among the five Philippine-based journals included in the 2021 Clarivate Analytics Journal Citation Report with current Impact Factor of 0.517.  JESAM accepts submission of research articles on environmental topics and issues. Full articles in this issue may be accessed at Journal of Environmental Science and Management (uplb.edu.ph).###  (CBGigantone)

Two SESAM Projects join Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2023

Two ongoing research projects, namely, Project LIGTAS and Project PAMANA, both being implemented by the UPLB School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM) attended and presented papers at the Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU) 2023 in Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan last May 21-26, 2023. 

Outputs from different studies under Projects PAMANA and LIGTAS were presented by the delegates headed by Dr. Decibel V. Faustino-Eslava at this six-day event. Together with Dr. Eslava were Dr. Jenielyn T. Padrones (LIGTAS and PAMANA Project Staff) from the UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources and an Affiliate Faculty of SESAM, Mr. Francis Ian Gonzalvo, PAMANA Research Associate, and Mr. Jonathan T. Macuroy and Mr. Jose Mari C. Lit, both Earth Systems Research Team (EaRT Lab) consultants and current graduate students at Akita University. 

Project LIGTAS (Landslide Investigations on Geohazards for Timely Advisories in the Philippines) aims to improve our understanding of shallow landslides and formulate early warning systems for the country. On the other hand, Project PAMANA (Philippine Mining at the National to Catchment Scale: From Legacy Impacts to Sustainable Futures) aims to devise practices and policies for managing mineralized watersheds in the country. It also hopes to empower government agencies, mining companies, and communities with new technologies and practices to minimize the environmental and ecological impacts of mining. 

Paper presentations from these two research projects include the initial outputs on River Styles in Itogon sub-catchment, sediment erosion and deposition patterns in Itogon sub-catchment using CAESAR-Lisflood (CL) modelling, the use of Landsat 8 and ASTER to map hydrothermally altered rocks in Mankayan Benguet, the fate and transport of metals and metalloids in the mineralized Itogon sub-catchment, resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), and the development of landslide early warning systems (LEWS) in the Philippines.

Some key highlights from Dr. Eslava’s presentation for Project LIGTAS includes the fact that the Philippines is naturally vulnerable to various hazards, particularly rainfall-induced shallow landslides. To address this issue, the project uses Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and remote sensing techniques to identify and rank the areas susceptible to landslides. Additionally, a decision criteria matrix was incorporated to enhance early warning systems. 

From Project PAMANA, a research paper by Dr. Padrones emphasized the importance of adhering to quality standards for assessing surface water in the Agno River Basin. The results showed that the majority of the sampling sites met the standards for metals and metalloids, with the exception of Fe (iron), Cu (copper), Mn (manganese), As (arsenic), and Hg (mercury). Moreover, the results obtained from Portable X-Ray Flourescence (P-XRF) analysis identified specific “hotspot” areas with potentially ecotoxic elements such as Hg, Cu, Zn (zinc), and As. 

JpGU is a supporting organization of IYBSSD (International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development) through the Science Council of Japan, composed of 51 academic councils related to earth and planetary sciences with about 10,000 members. The annual JpGU meetings aim to contribute to the promotion and dissemination of Earth and Planetary Science, as a whole, through international cooperation, information dissemination to society, research activities in related fields, and information exchange.The group’s trip was funded by the Geological Society of the Philippines (full support to Dr. Eslava, and partial support for Dr. Padrones and For. Gonzalvo). (RMAreglado and FPGonzalvo)

Project LIGTAS conducts harmonization workshop with other DOST-funded projects on landslides

A three-day harmonization workshop of landslide – related studies spearheaded by Project LIGTAS or Landslide Investigations on Geohazards for Timely Advisories in the Philippines was conducted last June 13-15, 2023, at the DENR-CAR Training Center in Baguio City. 

Representatives from the National Government Agencies (NGAs) including Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), DOST – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS), Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR – MGB) including the central office and the regional offices of CALABARZON, Bicol, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and partner academe such as University of the Philippines – Diliman, Benguet State University, Cavite State University, Laguna State Polytechnic University, and Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation attended the event.

The three-day activity commenced with welcome remarks by LIGTAS Project Leader, Dr. Decibel V. Faustino – Eslava. Dr. Eslava emphasized that the workshop aimed to discuss possible harmonization of results, tools, knowledge, and practices of the different projects and eventual adoption by the partner and mandated NGAs. 

“We hope that in this workshop, we can share what we know and what we have learned in our project implementation so that we can come up with a plan to propose to our NGAs. We aimed to come up with a common empirical threshold to use for shallow landslides early warning systems”, said Dr. Eslava. 

Dr. Jenielyn T. Padrones, LIGTAS Project Staff from UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR) gave a brief introduction to Project LIGTAS. This was followed by an “expectations and target-setting” led by Dr. Loucel E. Cui, and a networking workshop facilitated by Dr. Juan Miguel R. Guotana.

The workshop continued on the second day with presentations of other DOST-funded projects on landslides including the Project Modeling and Understanding Landslide Events in Baguio City-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (MULAT-BLISTT) by Dr. Dymphna Nolasco-Javier of UP Baguio; CALaMI-T Cordillera Administrative Landslide Monitoring Integrated Toolbox by Engr. Rolette Almuete of UP Baguio,  Dynaslope Project by Dr. Arturo Daag of PHIVOLCS; Simulating Cascading Rainfall-Triggered Landslide Hazards in the Philippines (SCaRP) by Engr. Fibor Tan of Mapua University, and Project LIGTAS by Dr. Eslava of UPLB – SESAM.  Highlighted in their presentations are the project’s objectives, methodologies, and results. Ms. Liza Socorro J. Manzano, Chief of the Lands Geological Survey Division of DENR-MGB was present and made important comments and suggestions. She highlighted the fact that a RILEWS for the country is much needed and the operationalization of one has been postponed for the longest time. She expressed appreciation to UPLB’s Project LIGTAS for organizing the workshop which demonstrates the researchers’ genuine interest in making outputs useful for everyone. Ms. Manzano expressed “Cooperation, not competition” being exemplified by the researchers through the activity. 

After the presentations, a workshop discussing the commonalities and gaps of the projects was conducted. Valuable inputs from the NGAs and ideas from the four different study groups were discussed, evaluated, and documented. An important output from the workshop is that everyone in attendance agreed to form a COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE on the study of Landslides in the Philippines (COP-SLIP) wherein an initial agreement with the Mandated Agencies and Researchers was drafted and discussed on the third day of the workshop. The agreement codified details for the harmonization of research findings, sharing of resources, and collaborating on the development and implementation of effective measures for mitigating the negative impacts of rainfall-induced landslides, and for providing timely advisories to the public.

Project LIGTAS is a DOST-funded project being monitored by DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD). (RMAreglado, MRVRegalado, BMLPPedrezuela, JJRapisura)

Project SARAi joins the 2023 DA-ATI Harvest Festival and Field Day

The project Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines (SARAI) joined Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) Harvest Festival and Field Day, held at ATI Compound, Elliptical Road, Quezon City last May 31, 2023. With the theme “ATIATihan 2023: Pistang Ani ng Bayan,” this activity organized by the DA-ATI aims to intensify the appreciation of the National Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP) as a new banner program of the Department of Agriculture and to promote urban agriculture as a source of healthy, safe, and nutritious food, and as additional income for the communities and basic sectors in the cities.

Project SARAi along with other invited National Government Agencies (NGAs), Government-owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and representatives from private sector installed an exhibit for the first ATI-ATIhan Marketplace and Urban AgriTech Expo to showcase different agricultural technologies, tools, and other support services related to urban and peri-urban agriculture.

Providing solutions for a more productive and proactive farming, SARAi has developed a number of systems and technologies pushing for smarter agriculture. The Project showcased five of these systems and technologies during the exhibit: Automatic Weather Station, Smarter Pest Identification Technology, Bantay SARAi, Coffee Application Harvesting Estimator (CAPHE) and the SARAi Knowledge Portal. Promotional materials such as brochures, toolkits, and videos were also used and presented in the exhibit. 

DA-ATI co-produced the Module on the use of the SPIDTECH or the Smarter Pest Identification Technology which is now being deployed across the country through DA-ATI Regional Offices and partner national government agencies.Among those who visited the AgriTech Expo are students, teachers, and backyard farmers in the area. (RMAreglado and JAMLacson)

Project LIGTAS team meets with MECO-TECO partner for a new proposal development

On April 18, 2023, the Project Landslide Investigations on Geohazards for Timely Advisories in the Philippines (LIGTAS) team led by Dr. Decibel V. Faustino-Eslava, held a meeting with Professor Wei-Yu Chang of National Central University (NCU), Taiwan, to discuss the Phase 3 proposal of the project. The team aims to develop an early warning system for landslides and improve disaster risk reduction and management strategies in the Philippines. Project LIGTAS is a research project funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and is being monitored by Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) under the collaborative researches call by the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) – Taipei Economic and Cultural Office’s (TECO) for Volcanoes, Oceans, Typhoons, and Earthquakes (VOTE) collaborative researches. 

During the meeting, the team discussed the proposed project details and outputs, including the project information, workflow framework, derived landslide thresholds in the study areas, and the updates on the derived Z-R relations for the improvement of radar data interpretation. The team also presented their plans to harmonize all landslide-related projects in the Philippines.

The proposed Phase 3 plans to incorporate the mechanisms for disaster risk reduction and management of onshore landslides. Mainstreaming and communicating landslide information and advisories will also be one of the components of the project. The implementation of this will be in partnership with the different national government agencies, local government units, and some state universities from different regions of the country. This project also aims to improve the accuracy of landslide forecasts and enhance the early warning system in the country with the help of international collaborators. 

The meeting was held at the central office of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and was attended by Dr. Decibel V. Faustino-Eslava (Project Leader), Dr. Juan Miguel R. Guotana (Project Staff), Beth Zaida H. Ugat (Project Technical Assistant V), and Bianca Maria Laureanna P. Pedrezuela (Project Technical Assistant V).

With the proposed Phase 3, the Project LIGTAS team aims to provide timely advisories for landslides in the Philippines, which will greatly benefit communities living in landslide-prone areas. The team is optimistic about the success of the project and looks forward to a productive partnership with its target collaborators. (JJRapisura, BZHUgat, BMLPPedrezuela, MRVRegalado, RMDAreglado)

Malaya Goes to UP Los Baños for the AgiLaya Campaign

Malaya goes to UP Los Baños” is an education campaign that’s made specifically for university students. It is part of the “AgiLaya: Lasting Freedom for the Philippine Eagle” campaign that addresses the threats to critically endangered species such as hunting and trapping, the emergence of infectious diseases, and deforestation. On Philippine Eagle Week 2023, the PEF visits universities in the NCR and Mega Manila area, including UP Los Baños to strengthen PEF’s educational campaigns outside the Davao region to call more people into action in protecting our national bird.

The Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) is the only captive breeding facility for the Philippine eagles in the entire world and is home to 8% of the global population of Philippine eagles. But over the years, changes in the landscape surrounding the center have been causing disturbance to the eagles’ breeding. There’s also the looming threat of Avian flu because of the increasing number of poultry farms near the Center. In March 2023, Philippine eagle Sinabadan was found with several gunshot wounds that had to be surgically removed; she was retrieved and brought to the PEC for rehabilitation. It is evident that threats that can wreak havoc on PEF’s decade-long conservation efforts in saving the Philippine eagles persist and new ones emerge. The breeding eagles must be moved to a safer and less disturbed habitat to address that. Through the AgiLaya campaign, these issues are brought front and center with the goal of urging the public to take action. It could be through donating, volunteering, or helping the PEF raise awareness.

On the afternoon of June 9, 2023, about 80 students, faculty, non-teaching staff, and community members within and outside UPLB Campus came over to the SESAM Academic Quadrangle to take part in the education campaign. Dr. Evaristo Niño Cando III, SESAM Assistant Professor warmly welcomed the guests and participants of the event, and delivered a message on behalf of SESAM Dean, Dr. Rico C. Ancog, emphasizing that “the success of this campaign must not be about the holding of one event after another but on the actual number of Philippine Eagle that are in the wild today and in the future”.

Attendees’ knowledge of the Philippine eagle was tested at the beginning of the program through a game where they were asked 10 questions about our national bird. After which, was a screening of the film “To Save Our Eagle” which is a shortened version of the award-winning documentary “Bird of Prey (2018)”. In closing, the audience was challenged to make a short statement on their social media accounts to call their friends and family to action in saving the Philippine eagle from its threats.

“One of the challenges in addressing the threats to our Philippine eagles is rampant misinformation. This campaign helps equip our audiences with updated and accurate knowledge about what’s happening to bring out a deeper understanding of the conservation mission and how they could take part in conserving the environment and wildlife”, capped Carla Salvacion, PEF Conservation Education Administrator.


“Malaya Goes to UPLB” was organized together with the UPLB Environmental Science Society, and the Continuing Education and Training Division (CETD) of the UPLB School of Environmental Science and Management. 

The AgiLaya Campaign on Philippine Eagle Week was sponsored by FDC Utilities Inc., San Roque Power Corporation, Seda Vertis North, Seda BGC, Seda Nuvali, Seda Residences Makati, and the Provincial Government of Apayao, together with Boysen and Enchanted Kingdom, and with the support of Aguila Auto Glass. (Paul Christian Toyor and Jessa O. Aquino)

SESAM joins global collaboration on natural capital accounting

The School of Environmental Science and Management of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (SESAM-UPLB) joined a global collaboration called the Value Commission, an independent project initiated by the Capitals Coalition.

This important development by the Capitals Coalition advances the creation of database of value factors collected from existing related initiatives from around the world. This 3-year collaborative project will provide an open-access Value Database that will be available for various sectors internationally. This will benefit different stakeholders for informed and science-based decisions and actions crucial for development projects.

For years, SESAM has been guided by the ridge-to-reef approach as manifested in its instruction, research, and extension. This interdisciplinal strategy is necessary in carrying out the School’s tripartite function. Thereby, an efficient knowledge-sharing and communication facilities are important in sharing and obtaining information from different sciences or fields of knowledge. 

With the considerable engagements and accomplishments of SESAM in the interdisciplinary arena, it can significant contribute in realizing the ambition of the Capitals Coalition of attaining “majority of businesses, financial institutions and governments to include the value of natural capital, social capital, and human capital in decision-making to deliver fairer, just, and more sustainable world”. 

In the same way that SESAM can greatly benefit from this collaborative multidisciplinal knowledge management as the database of value factors will be of merit for its different programs and projects with varied clienteles, including students, researchers, teachers, and professionals/individuals, civic workers, local and national government institutions, private organizations. Some of the projects of the School include Environmental Impact Assessment, Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment, Ecosystem Valuation, Biodiversity Assessment, Carrying Capacity Assessment, Forest Land Use Plan, Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Solid Waste Management Plan, Environment Code, and other development plans. By that, the Capitals Approach of the Value Commission will be useful in the execution of theSustainability and Accelerated Innovations in Learning and Solutions (SAILS)- the School’s strategic framework under the deanship of Dr. Rico C. Ancog. 

Dr. Ancog, Dean  was elected as one of the Expert Commissioners of the Value Commission. Per Capital Coalition’s website, “The Value Commission brings together over 30 expert Commissioners from around the world to drive transparency and accountability across the application and use of value factors by organizations. The Commission will co-design and develop a set of clear and transparent global criteria spanning the creation and use of value factors and consolidate existing efforts into an open-access Value Database.”    Just this 8-10 June 2023, the Commissioners held an in-person meeting in Amsterdam, Netherlands where various policy directions has been discussed and agreed.  (Cherry S. Padilla)