PANABO CITY – The University of the Philippines Mindanao’s Applied Biodiversity Research for Holistic Advancements in Mindanao (ABRAHAM) Program, a FishDive Project funded by the Department of Science and Technology, provided a Training on Specimen Photography and Fish DNA Barcoding to faculty members, laboratory staff, and graduate students of Davao del Norte State College.
The activity was conducted at the Ichthyology Laboratory, Science Building, DNSC Compound last April 25 – 29, 2022. Ms. Maybelle A. Fortaleza gave the lecture on specimen photography, while Mr. Kevin L. Labrador provided inputs on Illuminating Biodiversity through DNA Data. The training had a combined lecture and laboratory works format. It was also a capacity-building opportunity for the DNSC personnel to help operationalize the DNSC Molecular Laboratory.
It could be recalled that DNSC and UPMin entered into a Memorandum of Agreement, a supplemental MOA for the Project 2 of the ABRAHAM program, last February 24, 2022, to create a marine biodiversity database system to be hosted by UP Mindanao. This will link the DNSC Biodiversity museum to the database system that will showcase marine species diversity in the Sulu-Celebes Seas biogeographic regions.
Some of the college officials who were also participants in the activity were Vice President for Academic Affairs Girley S. Gumanao, Institute of Aquatic and Applied Sciences Dean Rosie Lynn P. Tejada, and Research Director Mark Ronald S. Manseguiao. College President Joy M. Sorrosa and UPMin professor and ABRAHAM: FishDive Project Leader Cleto L. Nañola, Jr. graced the training’s closing program and led the awarding of certificates to the participants.