Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU- CAFSD students off to Indonesia for agro-eco tilt

By Daniel Tapaoan, Jr., STRATCOM Correspondent

A group of senior students from the MMSU College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) will represent the Philippines in the Young Agro-Eco Visionary (AEV) 2025 to be held on August 2-17 in Bali, Indonesia. 

Organized by the Agro Eco Universum (AEU) Club based in Hong Kong, AEV is an international youth competition-workshop of applied environmental projects between university teams from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Russia. 

The event aims to exchange and disseminate practical scientific knowledge in environmental studies, train students to identify environmental problems, and promote practice-oriented education of participating students. 

Composed of Janzen Lyle Hingpit (BS Environmental Science), Dianne Calantoc (BS Development Communication), Irhea Palubos (BS Forestry), Trinity Meteoro, and Diane Agustin (BS Agriculture), the MMSU Aurelion Team will develop an environmental project focusing on wastewater treatment as its entry in the tilt.  

Some CAFSD faculty members will join the students in the 16-day competition-workshop. For. Charlie Maine Cacactin is the team’s coach, while Dr. Janet Villamor is a member of the Board of Juries. 

Meanwhile, CAFSD Dean Charlie Batin will participate in the meetings and discussions of several projects supported by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He is the representative of the Philippines in the AEU Club.  

MMSU and AEU forged a partnership in 2021 to develop and implement joint projects in agriculture and ecology in communities. Both parties are inclined to renew the pact, which will also be tackled in the meeting. 
Dr. Batin thanked the university administration, headed by MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr, for the unfailing support as they prepare the students for the event. 

In 2023, the Hiraya Team of MMSU won in the same competition after showcasing an innovative solution for the ‘pink-jelly’ color in animal drinking ponds. Dr. Batin served as the coach. 
AEU Club is a community of international experts that formulates and disseminates solutions and best practices in sustainable land use and agriculture worldwide.