MESSAGES

On behalf of The Department of Agriculture-Livestock Biotechnology Center, I am truly honored and delighted to participate in the 3rd National Sustainability Conference organized by The Kaugmaon sa Lambuang Nasud (KaLambuaN) in collaboration with various agencies. I extend my warmest greetings to all the esteemed participants, eminent experts, academics, and enthusiasts attending this significant event focused on “Sustainable Futures and Innovation for the New Philippines (Bagong Pilipinas).”

In our pursuit of economic growth, technological advancement and, societal development, let us aim at creating sustainable futures through innovation– envisioning a path where progress can transpire without instigating harm to the environment or depleting natural resources. Collective efforts toward sustainable innovation would not only benefit the environment but also the future generations. It is a privilege to share insights into the importance of embedding sustainability principles within innovation practices to guarantee a thriving environment for future generations.

I hope that this conference will serve as a platform to delve into the various possibilities for a sustainable future and innovation in the Philippines, exchange creative concepts, develop new strategies, address sustainability concerns, and collaborate on projects that bolster national sustainability initiatives.

MARVIN A. VILLANUEVA

Center Chief

Department of Agriculture – Livestock Biotechnology Center

On behalf of the Philippine Association of Research Managers, Inc. (PHILARM), I am honored to extend our warmest greetings to the KaLambuan 7 (Kaugmaon sa Lambuang Siyete), the Regional Consortium of Futures Thinking of State Universities and Colleges of Central Visayas, and the Cebu Technological University (CTU). We are privileged to be part of the upcoming 2nd National Sustainability Summits, themed “Sustainability for the Futures“, scheduled to take place from June 26 to July 28, 2023.

As a pioneering advocate of research, development, and extension (RDE) management in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific, PHILARM remains steadfast in its mission to advance research management as a profession, a career, and a mechanism to ensure scientific and technological innovation, productivity, and sustainable development for researchers, leaders, administrators and local executives. We are committed to upholding and empowering our RDE leaders and managers, who are the agents of change and future thinkers.

We fully support the objectives of these summits, as they embody our commitment to furthering the capacitation and empowerment of current and future RDE leaders and managers. These summits don’t only serve as a platform for sharing insights, experiences, and best practices, but also facilitate more collaborations that help us achieve our common goal of sustainable development.

PHILARM is proud to be part of this significant event and is committed to contribute towards the success of the summits. We extend our congratulations to the organizers for their efforts in bringing together leaders, experts, and stakeholders to advance the cause of sustainable development.

We are confident that the 2nd National Sustainability Summits will be a resounding success, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the organizers, the support of allied organizations and the active participation of all the attendees. PHILARM is committed to continuing our efforts in promoting research, development, and extension management systems, and we look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders in achieving our shared vision of sustainable development. 

Thank you, and best wishes for a memorable and fruitful summit!

MELVIN B. CARLOS, Ph.D., CESO IV

PHILARM National President and

DOST-PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director

Foremost, my gratitude to the Kaugmaon sa Lambuang Siyete (KaLambuan 7) for inviting and involving the Department of Agriculture – RFO7 in this event. It is an honor to co- organize with you the 2nd National Sustainability Summits. Without a doubt education starts at home, but it is an undeniable fact as well that the academe is instrumental in molding and honing our skills and capabilities, to be effective in our chosen field. It is for this very reason why I deeply admire and respect personages working in the academe, most especially those serving in State Colleges and Universities who are molding and preparing generations after generations of what the future may be in store for them. Taking point about the future, I am likewise excited that our agency could take part in this conference for various researches and extension endeavors will be unfolded in this event. For who knows, participating researchers in this conference may hit on something valuable enough to shaken and develop further areas under the engineering and technology; agri- fisheries and food systems; and arts, education and sciences. With all, as KaLambuan 7 proceeds with its endeavors, we at DA-RFO7 wish nothing but the best for you and rest assured that we will do everything in our capacity to support you in your present and future endeavors. Thank you and I am looking forward to the fruits of this event!

DIR. ANGEL C. ENRIQUEZ, CESO III

Regional Executive Director

My warmest greetings to the guests and participants in the 2nd National Sustainability Summit!

On behalf of DA Biotechnology Program Office and DA‐Philippine Carabao Center, we are grateful to be part of this gathering of minds where we can all have opportunity to exchange learnings and understanding about sustainability towards our common goal which is to hasten a much more resource‐ efficient and sustainable society. s

With this year’s theme, “Sustainability for the Futures”, we guarantee that the speakers will provide comprehensive knowledge from their research findings, learnings and best practices pertinent to intensifying sustainability for the futures in spite of the escalating demand.

We sincerely hope that this summit will provide platform for understanding and our insights will help us to refine our strategies in the Department of Agriculture for successful implementation of different sustainability programs in the near future.

Thank you and mabuhay!

DR. ALLAN P. POQUITA

Regional Director

I am honored to share this message to the forward-thinking visionaries gathered here today at the Futures Thinkers Summit. As the president of Negros Oriental State University, I am moved by your group’s tremendous intelligence and persistent dedication to creating a better future.

The world we live in is changing at an unprecedented rate, offering us both challenging opportunities and difficult issues. We need bold and creative solutions to the issues we confront, from environmental disasters to technological changes. Universities and young minds like yourselves have a responsibility to lead the way in redesigning our world and creating new routes toward development.

The strength of thinking about the future is in our capacity to rise above the limitations of the present and imagine a future that is not just sustainable and prosperous but also fair and inclusive. We are able to negotiate complex situations and plot a course for a better future because to the convergence of creativity, critical thinking, and foresight.

Each of you possesses unique insights and expertise that, when combined, can unleash a transformative force capable of reshaping entire industries, societies, and even the human experience itself. But let’s not lose sight of the value of preserving the present while we think about the future. Let us stay rooted in our dedication to raising the next generation of thinkers and doers as we engage in intellectual dialogue and investigate ground-breaking concepts. We can guarantee a continual cycle of invention through education, mentoring, and empowerment, in which the baton of future thinking is passed on to people who will influence future generations.

Let’s leave this summit with a clearer sense of direction, new insights, and a redoubled commitment to turning ideas into action. The influence of this meeting will undoubtedly be felt well beyond the walls of this room since our collaborative path towards a better future has only just begun.

JOEL P. LIMSON, Ph.D.

University President

This decade has proven to be one for the books as we grappled the harrowing impact of the pandemic. But now is the season to forge ahead with even more resilient spirit as we now resume to meeting face to face. Our resolve is to continue espouse hope and futures thinking as we collectively bring to the table sustainable innovations that could better shape tomorrow’s generation.

As a believer and advocate of sustainability for the futures, the DA-Philippine Carabao Center propels a research for development program that directly contributes to the growth of the livestock industry. The sector plays a major role in the Philippine food system and an important contributor to empowering vulnerable communities, fostering food security and agricultural development.

DA-PCC’s science-based development approach is focused on improving the breeds of the swamp buffaloes and the overall productivity and profitability of family farm businesses, ancillary entrepreneurs, service providers and cooperative-enterprises.

The ultimate goal is for PCC to be an effective R4D agency that helps the carabao and dairy industries competitive. This time, the emphasis is not only on basic knowledge production, but also on knowledge valorization, which is aimed at addressing the concerns of livestock industry players throughout the value chain, which include making carabao-based production systems economically more efficient and environmentally more sound while responding to the growing demand for carabao-based products.  

New program level directions and strategies based on service excellence and synergy are being developed to ensure effective technology diffusion and practical application at the farmer level.

While these transformations are obtaining, the agency’s stewardship commitment is on moving the carabao sector to more sustainable and more equitable development—creating ripples of positive effect to a myriad of stakeholders it effectively caters to.

Our warmest kudos to the organizers, co-organizers and principals of the 2^nd National Sustainability Summits for laying the groundwork to the aggressive promotion of the call toward sustainable development!