In recognition of exemplary contributions to research and institutional excellence, full-time researchers of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) Research Directorate (RD) received awards during the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) awarding ceremony held on January 27, 2025, at the Teatro Ilocandia.
Leading the roster of awardees was Dr. Dionisio S. Bucao, Supervising Education Program Specialist and the director of the Research and the Innovation and Technology directorates, who was named 2024 Most Outstanding Full-Time Researcher. Dr. Bucao was recognized for his unwavering dedication to advancing MMSU’s 7-Point Agenda, particularly in fostering creative, relevant, and innovative research programs. Despite his administrative responsibilities, he remains an active and prolific researcher, securing substantial funding and leading Impactful projects at both regional and national levels.
Meanwhile, Ms. Maingelline B. Vivit, Education Program Specialist I, was awarded 2024 Most Outstanding Support Staff for Research. Her significant contributions to projects under the Tuklas Lunas Development Center have played a crucial role in developing herbal and drug products for health and medicinal applications. Her dedication to analytical services, laboratory management, and mentoring students—including as a thesis panel member—has greatly enriched aspiring researchers' academic and professional growth.
Apart from Dr. Bucao and Ms. Vivit, other full-time researchers were also recipients of the PRAISE Presidential Achieve Awards for their outstanding accomplishments in national and regional research competitions, securing intellectual property and copyright certificates, and attaining career and self-development milestones. Research Publication Awards were also conferred to researchers whose studies were published in reputable journals.
At the national level, Lord Ian R. Galano was named Best Presenter at the 2nd Philippine Salt Congress for the research on documenting salt-making practices in the Philippines and its socio-economic impacts and policy implications. The same research also won Best Research Paper at the event, with a team comprising Nathaniel R. Alibuyog, Rodel T. Utrera, Sherlyn B. Nicolas, Cristina D. Valentin, Floramante C. Pastor, Joemel G. Agreda, Julius Jonar L. Butay, Lea C. Agbigay, Constante B. Julian, Josefa L. Pugat, Ma. Concepcion Birginias, Marinique A. Guerrero, Nelson Junior T. Rodillas, Nadine Sharinette R. Bravo, Augustine B. Quidilla, and Maricone A. Cabansag.
At the regional level, several researchers also achieved top honors. Jimmbeth Zenila Fabia, Ma. Joy Theresa Agcaoili, Ryan James Pascual, Suerte Baranda, Arc Josam Racho, Marvielyn Olivar, Grace Shiela Jalani, Dionisio S. Bucao, Shirley C. Agrupis, and Peter James I. Gann secured First Place in the Oral Research Category at the 24th Regional Convention and Scientific Meeting of the Philippine Society for Microbiology, Northern Luzon Chapter, for their paper on the bioactivity and genome analysis of Lentilactobacillus hilgardii LH500 from Nipa (Nypa fruticans) sap. Similarly, Dr. Bucao, alongside Evangeline Galacgac, Ryan James Pascual, Christian Butch Andrew Balbas, Kyle Cedric Dadoy, and Jilves I. Jimenez, won First Place in the Oral Research Category at the ILAARRDEC 36th Regional Symposium on R&D Highlights for their study on boosting garlic productivity through planting diversity and nutrient management optimization. Another research team, composed of Nathaniel R. Alibuyog and his team, was awarded Best Poster in the Oral Research Category at the same symposium for their study on salt-making practices in the Philippines.
Recognizing academic advancement, PRAISE also honored individuals who completed graduate degrees. Jilves I. Jimenez earned a Master’s in Crop Science from MMSU Graduate School. At the same time, Rodel T. Utrera and Menisa A. Antonio obtained doctoral degrees in Agricultural Engineering and Botany, respectively, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).
Furthermore, several researchers were acknowledged for their contributions to intellectual property development. Shirley C. Agrupis, Eleazer O. Grande, Milen Fileza M. Inocencio, and Jodelyn Querubin were recognized for their innovative work on the composition of black garlic ice cream and the process of making furikake with black cream. Another team, composed of Eleazer O. Grande, Milen Fileza M. Inocencio, Rhoda T. Garcia, Christine B. Quiapo, Lee Zhemyr C. Grande, Jodelyn Querubin, and Jerson S. Coloma, developed a method for producing freeze-dried Ilocos Norte white and pink garlic powder. Similarly, Christine B. Quiapo, Felicitas P. Sanculi, Jerson S. Coloma, Joyce T. Alejo, Lei Frances E. Ribac, Dionisio S. Bucao, and Bryll B. Atienza were credited for their work on tomato-mango ketchup and tomato-mango juice formulations.
For copyright registrations, Ma. Gloann Leizel P. Longboy, Nathaniel R. Alibuyog, and Quennie Rose P. Calaranan were recognized for their material on Hydraulic Modeling in River Basins Using Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System (HEC-RAS 1D). The group of Tristan Janryll A. Mata, Nathaniel R. Alibuyog, and Christine B. Mata were also Presidential awardees for obtaining the copyright of the ‘Training Manual: 2D HEC-RAS Typhoon-Based Flood Simulation.’
The event also highlighted achievements in research publications, with multiple studies published in reputable journals. Among them, Maingelline B. Vivit Ramjee G. Batuyong, Alondra Fae T. Damian, Cecile A.Gaoat, Kristian Gay D. Beltran, Anabelle B. Alejo, Michael A. Calaramo, Franklin
V. Ibana and Mae Ann R. Batuyong published a study on metabolite profiling and antioxidant properties of Timonius ternifolius leaves in the Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity. Other notable publications included research on climate change adaptation strategies for resilient rice-based production systems by Criselda M. Balisacan, Constante B. Julian, Lory B. Rafael, Susan G. Aquino, Erle Stanley G. Damaso, Corazon A. Sabuco, and Lagrimas J. Flojo; land suitability assessment for garlic in Region I authored by Dionisio S. Bucao, Rodel T. Utrera, Evangeline S. Galacgac, and Franklin C. Sagsagat, and the enhancement of the culture of GAC (Momordica cochinchinensis [Lour.] Spreng) by Lagrimas J. Flojo, Menisa A. Antonio, Lucrecia Conchita G. Cocson, all published in the Science and Technology Journal. In addition to these are the research of Susan Aquino and Sherlyn Nicolas on livelihood in selected coastal areas in Ilocos Norte and its socio-economic dimension published in the Indian Journal of Social Science and Literature and studies on planting distances, fertilizer application, and yield performance of shallots authored by Julius Jimenez, Dionisio Bucao, Jocelyn Bernabe, Raymund Julius Rosales, Noralyn Legaspi, and Menisa Antonio in the East African Scholars Journal of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the modified double row spacing and fertilizer rate for improved productivity of glutinous corn in the EAS Journal of Veterinary Medical Science by Dionisio S. Bucao, Jilves I. Jimenez.
The PRAISE Awards, instituted by the Civil Service Commission, provide monetary and non-monetary incentives to recognize and reward employees for their productive, creative, innovative, and ethical behavior. The awarding ceremony was a key highlight of MMSU’s 47th Foundation Anniversary celebration. (LCA)
