As Isabela State University (ISU) debuted its pioneering R&D Program titled “Sediment Evaluation and Development of Intervention (SEDI): S&T-Based Approach for Sustainable Management of Reservoirs and River Basins”, it swiftly garnered support from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and earned endorsement from Bulacan State University (BulSU). Consequently, BulSU top executives and R&D team visited ISU on December 19, 2023, for a benchmarking activity and Memorandum of Agreement signing for the implementation of the aforementioned groundbreaking R&D Program of ISU.
Initially, there was an inception meeting between the SEDI Project teams of ISU and BulSU and DOST-PCIEERRD at the Alba Hall of the University. The delegates of BulSU gratefully conveyed their words of appreciation to ISU for being generous in extending its technical assistance in terms of river basin management. Emphasizing the essential role of collaboration, Mr. Carluz Bautista, DOST-PCIEERRD Program Manager, underscored the importance of partnering with State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and line government agencies to ensure that research project outputs will not only fulfill their respective mandates but also serve as valuable tools for end-users in addressing the community’s needs.
Afterward, Dr. Orlando F. Balderama, Vice President for Research and Development, Extension and Training, introduced the meeting participants and he gave prominence to the strong network of ISU with Kyoto University, Japan Water Agency, Vietnamese-German University, and other ASEAN universities in promoting integrated water resources management.
Furthermore, Dr. Lanie A. Alejo, Director of Water Research and Development Center and SEDI Project Leader, presented the rationale, objectives, project framework and outcomes, implementation schedule, and approved budgetary requirement of the said research endeavor. Specifically, she accentuated the need to have a comprehensive research-based assessment of sedimentation, develop an integrated monitoring system for sediment management, and design interventions to control sediment influx.
In addition, Ms. Alissandra Pauline Mariano, DOST-PCIEERRD Program Manager, oriented the collaborators on the procedures and requirements for project implementation. She guided the SEDI R&D team on DOST-GIA guidelines, including their obligations and implementation timeline. Subsequently, an open forum was convened, centering its discussions on foreign travel funds, international training initiatives, and call for project proposals by the agency.
In the course of the program, a ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between ISU and BulSU was conducted to seal their partnership and strengthen ISU’s SUCs collaboration toward higher education excellence and innovative R&D synergies. Then, the SEDI teams of ISU and BulSU visited the Magat Dam and National Irrigation Administration – Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-MARIIS) to gain a thorough understanding of the dam’s properties and its current situation, serving as a crucial research context. Moreover, Engr. Edwin Viernes of the Forecasting and Instrumentation Center of the MARIIS Dam Reservoir Division (DRD) oriented the teams about NIA operations and sediment countermeasures that the agency implements.
Afterward, Dr. Alejo presented the recently concluded innovative R&D projects of ISU particularly the science-based decision-making tools in Magat Subbasin and Magat Dam adopted by NIA. During her presentation, Undersecretary Teodoro Gatchalian, Undersecretary for Special Concerns of DOST, commended the ISU team for the pioneering efforts in providing scientific and innovative hydrological models that assist the NIA in fulfilling their mandates and responsibilities in responding to the community’s needs. By and large, ISU plays a pivotal role in advancing scientific knowledge and innovation as it continuously provides cutting-edge solutions for integrated water resources management in the ASEAN region. //__ JLR
