UP Visayas launches uGREAT aquaculture research push

By Yan Esquivel

ILOILO CITY — The University of the Philippines Visayas College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences is pioneering the Undergraduate Research and Education Assistantship for Technology, or uGREAT, Program at the university, providing research support to 15 undergraduate students working on their theses.

The initiative is being implemented through the college’s Institute of Aquaculture with funding support from the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, or DOST-PCAARRD.

The uGREAT Program provides selected undergraduate students with institutional and financial support to pursue research aligned with DOST-PCAARRD’s strategic priorities in agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources research and development.

DOST-PCAARRD introduced uGREAT to help develop young researchers by supporting undergraduate research and providing access to research facilities and mentorship.

Student grantee John Cornelius L. Basco described the program as an opportunity to further develop research skills while contributing to aquaculture research and innovation.

Basco said the program would enable him “to implement my research more effectively, gain valuable experience in conducting R&D, and potentially contribute to the development of a research paper that could eventually be published in a scientific journal.”

The students’ research projects will focus on improving the characterization, performance evaluation, environmental effects, product development, post-harvest potential, and marketability of UPV SpiN YY tilapia.

The research builds on a project implemented by the Institute of Aquaculture and led by Balik Scientist awardee Dr. Sanny David P. Lumayno.

The initiative also marks the first time a Balik Scientist has led a uGREAT Program, strengthening the integration of research mentorship, institutional support, and the government’s Balik Scientist Program.

The DOST Balik Scientist Program encourages Filipino scientists, technologists, and experts based abroad to return to the Philippines and share their expertise to strengthen the country’s science, technology, and innovation capabilities.

Most of the student theses will be conducted at the Institute of Aquaculture, while the Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanology, the Institute of Fish Processing Technology, and the Institute of Fisheries Policy and Development Studies will collaborate on projects within their areas of expertise.

Dr. Iris Ann G. Borlongan, Dr. Rex Ferdinand M. Traifalgar, Dr. Roxanne Cabebe-Barnuevo, and Mary Gold R. David of the Institute of Aquaculture will serve as research advisers, co-advisers, and consultants.

Assistant Professor Christian James Morales of the Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanology and Dr. El Andro A. Obar of the Institute of Fisheries Policy and Development Studies will also serve as advisers, co-advisers, and consultants.

Assistant Professors Lhumen A. Tejano and Gardel Xyza L. Silvederio of the Institute of Fish Processing Technology will likewise support the students’ research.

The proposed theses are under the uGREAT project titled “Enhancing Saline-Tolerant UPV SpiN Tilapia Through YY Supermale Offspring Evaluation: Morphology, Growth, Reproduction, Product Development, Marketability, and Sustainability,” or SpiN-Enhance.

The proposed student thesis topics are:

• Morphometrics and Meristics of Selected Tilapia Breeds — Kyla Lorraine Abello
• Geometric Morphometrics of Selected Tilapia Breeds — Angel Delgado
• Optimizing Transport Protocols for Juvenile and Adult UPV SpiN Tilapia — Rezel Decomotan
• Assessment of Reproductive Performance of Genetically Male Tilapia — Atasha Nice Misterio
• Assessment of Reproductive Performance of YY Supermales under Simulated Photovoltaic Shading System — Paul Ryan Nalaunan
• Assessment of growth performance of UPV SpiN GMT fry using mycofeeds — John Cornelius Basco
• Assessment of growth performance of UPV SpiN GMT in grow-out system — Asher Josh Galang
• Effect of UPV SpiN tilapia effluents during nursery rearing on the growth of Eucheuma sp. — Hikaru Chunai
• Effect of UPV SpiN tilapia effluents during nursery rearing on the growth of Ulva sp. — Jolan Tranca
• Low Temperature Preservation of Whole UPV SpiN — JJ M. Husmalaga
• Determination of Quality Characteristics of UPV SpiN Fillets — Bryan Roy M. Bayot
• Development of Dried UPV SpiN (Tilanggit) — Fiona Alexandra Silverio
• Development of Smoked UPV SpiN — Maria Shaina A. Canieso
• Consumer Perception and Market Acceptability of UPV SpiN Tilapia in Iloilo Province — Andrea Toledo and Claidel Palmes

Details of the research projects were presented during an inception meeting Aug. 26, 2026, at the CFOS audiovisual hall attended by representatives of DOST-PCAARRD, UP Visayas faculty and staff, and student grantees.

The meeting also featured Lumayno’s Balik Scientist exit report following his long-term engagement with DOST-PCAARRD.

Lumayno emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting that developments upstream can affect downstream communities while downstream activities can also create effects that reach back upstream.

“Science is strongest when it streams towards the community, for true sustainability,” Dr. Lumayno said.

Drawing on his experience shifting to the Bachelor of Science in Fisheries program at UP Visayas, Lumayno discussed how his work as a research assistant at the UP Marine Science Institute and other “side quests,” including working as an English tutor, influenced his decision to pursue research.

He said those experiences contributed to his goal of supporting the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry.

Lumayno also discussed his subsequent master’s and doctoral studies in Japan, which further shaped his research career.

Dr. Lumayno ended his presentation with the reminder, “Science should not remain in the ilaya, isolated in laboratories and publications—it must stream to the ilawod, where ordinary people live, work, and dream.”

The College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences said continued support from DOST-PCAARRD through initiatives such as the uGREAT and Balik Scientist programs gives students opportunities to strengthen their research skills through mentorship and institutional support.

The college said the programs also provide young scientists with avenues to build research capacity, strengthen mentorship, and advance academic and scientific excellence.