Summer-Break, a time for S & T Fora Part II – A.S.B.P.I. Outreach Symposium

Another aggrupation of Filipino plant and animal systematiststaxonomists, who founded the Association of Systematic Biologists of the Philippines, Inc., is hosting yet another outreach S & T conference in Angeles University Foundation, Angeles City on May 23-25, 2001. This year’s theme, on plant, animal, and microorganism biodiversity, will have as resource speakers select Filipino researchers/scientists presenting their contributions in their areas of specialization. Like the O.Y.S.I., this writer once served as ASBPI president and has been invited as paper presentor. He will have a chance to present the results of his recently concluded NRCP-DOST funded project entitled “Biodiversity and Potentials of the Marine Algae of Northeastern Leyte Island, Region 8”. This is Phase I of a three phase project to cover the NW and Southern parts of the Island.

While this year’s venue is far and will be costly for participants from Visayas and Mindanao, this writer shall continue to work for holding the 2013 S & T conference in the Visayas, preferably Region 8! It is important, though, to scout for possible host institution and collaborating agencies to help underwrite the once a year activity.

For an advance information about the paper of this writer, truth is, it will be the first authoritative account involving documentation and assessment on the potentials of the marine algae or seaweed resource of Leyte Province. Aside from the importance of the data on the biodiversity and ecology of the island, inorder to speak ‘authoritatively’ on the marine algae of the Philippines, a good number of edible seaweeds, aptly referred to as Sea Vegetables are found off the 16th coastal towns of NE Leyte Island. Seaweeds are excellent sources of protein, iodine, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins needed to meet man’s daily needs. Sad to say that only the green seaweed “Lato” or Caulerpa racemosa and C. lentillefera are accepted as food by the Waray-Warays! Lately, however, reds “guso” a collective name of Kappaphycus and Eucheuma, “gulaman-dagat” or Gracilaria, and “gulaman” or Gelidiella acerosa have been introduced to Region 8, but have remained unpopular for their food. At one point, the project’s research team collected one edible red seaweed species, Hypnea, trapped with fish using beach-net method or ‘Aghid’, was just left out by the fisherfolks on the beach of MacArthur town! About one-third of three dozen edible seaweed species eaten by the Ilokanos are found in Leyte and Eastern Visayas!

Aside from the food and livelihood (through marifarming) potentials of seaweeds, addressed by the project, is having found a large, thick population of the tall brown seaweed Sargassum simulating “Sea-Forest” in the southern coastal barangays of Abuyog town. The area, part of the historic Leyte Gulf, could later be developed to become an eco-tourist destination, especially for SCUBA- and Skin-diving individuals for them to appreciate a carnival marine life.

In effect, by presenting scientific papers about Region 8 in S & T fora, is one way of selling Eastern Visayas as an area worth visiting by both domestic and foreign visitors.

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By: Dr. Paciente Cordero, Jr.

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