Four student-researchers from the MMSU won major prizes at the close of the 2019 Regional Student Research Congress held at MMSU Function Hall on June 27.

The activity was conducted by the Ilocos Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILAARRDEC), a consortium of 18 development agencies in Region 1 involved in agricultural research and extension. 

In the oral presentation, Arianne Joy D. Tabangay won first place under the agriculture category with her research on the "Growth and Yield Performance of Rice (Oriza Sativa L.) Varieties to Varying Rates of Carrageenan Plant Growth Regulator Under Rainfed Lowland Condition."

Also, Mc Harold V. Peña, whose research paper focused on the "Isolation and Characterization of Associated Bacteria in Marine Sponge Spheciospongeavagabunda (Ridley, 1884) with Potential Antagonistic Activity," won second place in the fisheries category.

In the poster pitching, Desiree Tabaco emerged first place with her entry on the "Effectivity of Black Garlic Ilocos White on the Histomorphological and Spermatogenesis of Alloxin-Induced Diabetic ICR Mice." 

On the other hand, Gladys Ann D. Siploc won third place both in paper presentation in the agriculture category and in poster pitching. Her topic was the "Distribution and Characterization of Taro (Colocasia spp.) and its Associated Species in Suyo, Ilocos Sur."

A total of eight research studies and 18 posters from the four universities in Region I competed in the regional congress. Aside from MMSU, other participating schools were the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in La Union, and Urdaneta City University in Pangasinan.

Themed "Young Minds in Research towards World Environment Sustainable Management," the ILAARRDEC Regional Student Research Congress was in collaboration with the Regional Research and Development Group, and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

"This is a good turnout, and I hope that a scientific research initiative, which is in line with education, agriculture, fisheries and environmental management in the Ilocos region will be institutionalized," said Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, MMSU president and concurrently the chairperson of ILAARRDEC's Regional Research and Development Coordinating Council.

First, second and third prize winners have received P3,000; P2,000; and P1,000, respectively.