Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban urged Filipino graduate students at the Wageningen University and Research (WUR) to harness their gained knowledge in the service of the Filipino people, particularly in helping raise agricultural productivity and ensuring food security. He said this during his meeting on November 3 with Filipinos taking postgraduate studies in agriculture and related fields at the Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in Wageningen, Gelderland, The Netherlands.
He also conveyed his appreciation to the graduate students on their scholarship and commitment in deepening knowledge and expertise in agriculture with the aim of making positive contributions to Philippine agriculture.
Senior Undersecretary Panganiban and his delegation were in The Netherlands for the ‘National Seed Technology Park – Knowledge Transfer’ project, a two-year collaboration with the Netherlands Government and other Dutch stakeholders in support of the Philippine seed industry through the development of an effective seed quality system.
Joining Undersecretary Panganiban was Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya who said that he had long wanted to visit the Filipino graduate students at Wangeningen and that the Undersecretary’s presence made the visit special. He added that the knowledge they gain could be game changers for Filipino farmers.
The graduate students present were Carl Salazar (PhD Microbiology), Hanna Ross Alipio (MSc Aquaculture and Marine Resource), July Ariñez (European Master in Animal Breeding and Genetics), Arnan Araza (PhD Geo-Information and Remote Sensing), Bryan Baltazar (MSc Biosystems Engineering), Jacus Nacis (PhD Human Nutrition and Health), Terry Velasco (MSc Plant Sciences-Natural Resource Management) , Jayson Fumera (MSc Biosystems Engineering), Paoloregel Samonte (Masters in International Development Studies) and Christopher Galgo (PhD Business Management and Organisation).
The members of the Department of Agriculture (DA) delegation were Dr. Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban, OIC Director of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI); Dr. George Y. Culaste, Executive Director of the National Seed Industry Council; Mr. Ruel C. Gesmundo, Chief of the BPI National Seed Quality Control Services Division; Mr. Jerome Bunyi, Program Director for DA Agriculture and Fisheries Industrialization Development Program; and Mr. Noel A. Padre, Director of DA Policy Research Service (PRS).
With Ambassador Malaya were Consul Nomer B. Ado II, Agriculture Attaché Kristine Jeanne A. Yap and Information Officer Kieren Batiles.
Wageningen University and Research is a university specializing in life sciences with focus on agriculture, technical and engineering subjects. It is a globally important center for life sciences and agricultural research located in the Netherlands’ “Food Valley” region. The university is regarded by the QS World University Rankings as the world's top agricultural research institution for the seventh time.
For more information on the WUR’s programs, please visit https://www.wur.nl/nl/wageningen-university.htm. // END
