By Crisdeniele H. Clemente

The MMSU Indigenous Food Research Consortium (IFRC) conducted its first phase of progress reporting and review activity on the probiotics and indigenous food plants programs on February 21-22 at the Center for Flexible Learning.

Officials and project leaders from Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College (ISPSC) and MMSU IFRC presented their accomplishments, researches, and initiatives related to IFP. 

Dr. Dionisio Bucao, MMSU director for research, highlighted the achievements of the IFRC program. He showed the various initiatives on the new primary research, training, immersions, and capacity-building activities, including the first Probiotics and Functional Foods Asian Summit conducted last year.

Dr. Angelina Gonzales, project staff of IFRC-DMMMSU, and Dr. Annabelle Francisco, project leader of IFRC-ISPSC, also shared the milestones of their respective universities. 

Meanwhile, a planning phase and a roundtable discussion with the officials of Commission on Higher Education - Leading the Advancement of Knowledge in Agriculture and Sciences (CHED-LAKAS) were held. The MMSU IFRC team discussed the potential partnerships with Ilocos farmers, suppliers, and producers for the stability and sustainability of the IFP raw materials supply chain. They also focused on developing industry-based curricula for applied biology and functional food for human health.

MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis acknowledged the IFRC team's commitment to exploring and harnessing the potential of indigenous food crops. “These areas align with the university's vision of becoming a center of excellence in probiotics and indigenous food systems”, she said.

With substantial funding of P289 million from CHED, MMSU launched the IFRC last year. The research program titled "Enhancing Ilocos IFP Food Systems Through Collaborative Research and Innovations for Healthy Food Security" was also supported by CHED. (MYK, StratCom)