Some 100 researchers, farmers and processors from Mahaplag, Abuyog, Baybay City, Ormoc City—all in Leyte; Calbayog City, and Southern Leyte, including those from the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office Number 8 and the Visayas State University, convened on August 5, 2014 for the Jackfruit Congress TechnoMart and Market-Matching Event at the VSU Convention Center and experienced Jackfruit World in a day.

Dr. Lawrence M. Liao, associate professor of the Graduate School of Biosphere Science of Hiroshima University (HU) in Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan, conducted a seminar on Ethics in Research and Publication Writing on September 4, 2014 at the PhilRootcrops Training Hall. The seminar was participated in by some faculty, staff and students of the University including the master and doctoral students.

In his paper entitled “Recent Ethical Issues Challenging Academic Research,” Dr. Liao talked about some of the reasons why students plagiarize as cited by Park, 2003. These are: ignorance of academic integrity or digital ethics, emphasis on grades versus learning, poor time management and research skills, personal values or attitudes, peer pressure, temptation and opportunity, and negative student attitudes towards assignments and teachers.

Dr. Liao also mentioned why researchers publish their work and it is because they want to communicate results to peer, advance career, personal prestige, gain funding, and financial reward. Moreover, he revealed some types of scientific misconducts wherein the researcher must be aware of. These include the following: failure to report results accurately, failure to do a proper literature search, failure to ensure data is correct, failure to be honest, failure to assign credit fairly where due, failure to adhere to and work within ethical guidelines, failure to attribute work of others you use.

Likewise, he defined the three types of misconducts based on the Hiroshima University standard, such as fabrication which is making up data or results and recording or reporting them; falsification which is manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the researcher is not accurately represented in the research record; and plagiarism which means the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.

Dr. Liao also presented some tips on how to avoid plagiarism. “Quotation” is one tool in which the writer can have an exact copy of something someone else has said or written and citing the source. “Paraphrasing” is another tool in which the writer rewrites the text in his/her own words but must cite the source. “Citation” is also one by naming the text that identifies the source of a quote or idea.

According to Dr. Liao, authorship must be based on substantial contribution to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; drafting the article or reviewing critically for important intellectual content; and final approval of the revision to be published as cited in the guidelines set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

He also reminded those trained persons who are paid salaries to do routine technical and laboratory tasks that they cannot be authors if they only perform routine experimental tasks. “However, they can be authors if they contribute to the independent establishment of new and non-routine methods used in the projects, and if they participate in experimental design and interpretation,” Dr. Liao said.

The speaker also warned the participants regarding authorship abuse also known as promiscuous authorship. Among these authorship abuses include honorary authorship out of respect and friendship in an attempt to solicit favor; coercive authorship in response to their exertion of seniority or supervisory status over subordinates or junior investigator; mutual support authorship as a result of agreement by two or more investigators to place their names on each other’s papers; duplication authorship by publishing the same work in multiple journals; ghost authorship whose authors’ names appear or disappear from a paper for whatever reasons; and denial of authorship when works of other people are published without providing due credit for their work.

The topic on plagiarism was reinforced with a workshop after some inquiries cropped up which the speaker eloquently responded at the end of the seminar.

The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology and the Visayas State University, conducted the Biotechnology Information, Education and Communication Forum on August 13, 2014 at the VSU Center for Continuing Education.

More than a hundred participants composed of some local government officials of the City of Baybay, the neighboring barangays’ LGU officials, VSU faculty, staff, and students attended the said forum.

The Forum was made possible through the project on Capability Building and Sustainable Biotechnology Information, Education and Communication for DOST and LGU Key Personnel spearheaded by the NAST, Philippines with Professor Emeritus and Academician Evelyn Mae Tecson-Mendoza of the University of the Philippines Los Baños as the Project Leader, and Mr. Dexter L.A. Bautista of NAST, Philippines as Project Manager. The project aims to create awareness of and provide science-based information on modern biotechnology, including issues and concerns and biosafety regulations.

The project beneficiaries included some selected resource persons from private and state universities and colleges, key officials and personnel of LGUs, DOST officials and personnel, and the general public.

Among the different topics discussed by the resource persons include: “Biotechnology for Everyone” by Dr. Edgardo E. Tulin, Biotechnology Focal Person for Region 8 and University Professor and at the same time Vice President for Instruction of VSU;

“Current Applications and Products of Modern Biotechnology” and “Assuring the Safety of Modern Biotechnology” by Dr. Leslie Michelle Dalmacio, Core Trainer of Biotechnoloogy IEC Project and Associate Professor of the College of Medicine of UP Manila; and

“Technological and Social Issues and Concerns” by Dr. Marcos Valdez, Jr., Biotechnology Focal Person for Region 7 and Assistant Professor of UP Visayas-Cebu Campus.

The Forum was concluded with some questions raised from the audience that were readily answered by the resource persons.

The Visayas State University had joined the entire country in celebrating the 114^th Anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service with the theme “Tapat na Serbisyo Alay Ko Dahil Lingkod Bayan Ako.”

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in partnership with the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL), accorded to Prof. Tessie C. Nuñez, scientist of VSU-based National Coconut Research Center-Visayas (NCRC-V), the 2014 Outstanding Technology Commercialization Award known as Gregorio Y. Zara Medal “In recognition of her successful commercialization of the soft-endospermed coconut, commonly known as makapuno, which is being utilized in the export of sweetened dessert and popularly used as ice cream flavoring, cake topping, pastry filling, and as a major ingredient in the production of food wrap being exported to the United States. For her outstanding technological research in developing self-pollinating and early-bearing makapuno hybrids using local dwarf coconut as maternal parents and UPLB (TMAC) makapuno as pollen parent ensuring high makapuno yield. The technology brought tangible benefits to many adopters and local growers, providing significant income generation and increased plantations to the limited makapuno populations in the country.”

DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo and the chairman of the Board of Judges, National Scientist Edgar Garcia, presented the award to Prof. Nuñez during the opening program of the National Science and Technology Week on July 24, 2014 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

The Outstanding Technology Commercialization Award recognizes the efforts of technology generators and developers whose technologies have been commercialized. The award was named after the late National Scientist Gregorio Y. Zara, renowned Filipino engineer and inventor. Prof. Nuñez and the other three Filipino scientists and researchers from the University of Sto. Tomas, University of the Philippines Dilliman, and University of the Philippines Los Baños were awarded for their outstanding achievements in research and development (R&D) and technology commercialization. The awardees each received plaques, medals, and a cash prize of PhP150,000.

This year’s NSTW celebration was anchored on the theme “Philippines: A Science Nation Meeting Global Challenges”. The occasion showcased the current trends, innovations, interventions, and inventions of Filipino scientists, engineers, technologists, and various works by the entire scientific community, such as technologies and programs geared towards strengthening the manufacturing industries, small and medium enterprises, human resources capabilities, e-governance, and disaster preparedness, among others.

Dr. Julie D. Tan and Dr. Daniel Leslie S. Tan, both Professor VI of VSU’s Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops), participated in the 3^rd International Symposium on Processing of Foods, Vegetables and Fruits held on August 11-13, 2014 at the Kuala Lumpur Teaching Centre in Selangor, Malaysia.

The Visayas State University through its President, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, and the Santeh Feeds Corporation through its President, Mr. Phillip L. Ong, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would provide opportunity to both parties to venture in any development initiatives including technologies in relation to aquaculture and swine production. The MOU was signed on August 13, 2014 at the PhilRootcrops Training Hall in the presence of VP for Research and Extension Othello B. Capuno, Director for Research Rosa Ophelia D. Velarde, PhilRootcrops’ Central Analytical Services Laboratory In-charge Cynthia Dolores V. Godoy, and Mr. Fred Yap of Santeh.

Santeh Feeds Corporation, a stock corporation duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines with principal address at 601 West Trade Center, 132 West Avenue, Quezon City, as a progressive and innovative feed miller engaged in the production of aquaculture feeds, livestock feeds and pet feeds is always in the lookout for new technologies and laboratory facilities that can help improve its product lines and services; and promotes sustainable aquaculture and the natural system of swine raising and through its direct contact with the industry has a human resource complement with practical know-how in aquaculture and in the natural system of piggery.

Santeh acknowledges VSU’s expertise in various areas in agriculture, animal science, and food technology; and its strong thrust towards research and development with laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation.

As a result of their mutual covenants, both parties agreed on the following responsibilities:

VSU shall make its analytical and research laboratories available to Santeh for the analysis of feedstuff as well as for product development on a pre-agreed schedule and cost; VSU faculty and staff shall be available to Santeh for consultation and contract research on pre-agreed areas of specialization and study at a pre-agreed timetable and remuneration for services rendered; and shall accept Santeh staff for training in specialized laboratory procedures as maybe useful to Santeh operation.

Santeh, on the other hand, shall provide VSU with the ready to build designs for swine raising facilities for instructional and research purposes using the natural hog raising system as well as the design for a state of the art swine breeding facility with its staff to assist VSU in the construction and initial operation of the said swine raising and breeding facilities; shall assist VSU in establishing a tilapia-hatchery and nursery in its main campus using practical designs it has been exposed to in the industry; and shall arrange for the visits by VSU staff to established piggery using the natural system as well as to commercial swine breeding facilities and to commercial tilapia hatchery-nursery establishments as may be required.

The MOU took effect immediately upon signing and shall remain in full force until terminated by both or either parties with justifiable reasons and 30 day notice to the other party.