Prof. Glory Dee Romo awarded Gawad Pangulo: Excellence in Public Service.

CONGRATULATIONS to Meryl Williams Fellow Prof. Glory Dee A. Romo and colleagues of the Strengthening Against Vulnerabilities and Externalities (SAVE) of Food Systems from the School of Management for being awarded the Gawad Pangulo: Excellence in Public Service.

The core team is composed of Prof. Romo, Prof. Jon Marx Sarmiento, Mr. Adonis M. Traje, Mr. Francis Levi Durano, and Ms. Geraliza Wahing.

The following initiatives were undertaken by the team to respond to the challenges faced by the food system actors during the COVID-19 pandemic:

1) Provided smallholder farmers in Davao with hygiene kits to ensure safety from exposure to COVID-19 virus;

2) Conducted community tree planting, distribution of vegetable seeds to farmers, and food packs to the farming communities in Barangay Kapatagan in Digos City and Marilog District in Davao City; and

3) Conducted free training on Good Manufacturing Practices to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the food processing sector, government and regulatory personnel from Food and Drug Administration, and faculty members and students in UP and other universities.

The project was funded through the Australia Government’s Australia Alumni COVID 19 Response Grant Scheme. This was made possible through the Australian Aid, Australia Global Alumni, and Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program-Philippines. The activities were also made possible through the collaboration with the University of New England Australia, City Environment and Natural Resources Office of Davao City, Society of Agribusiness Economists, Davao Region Central Experiment Station of the Department of Agriculture Region XI, Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Trade and Industry, Monde Nissin, RDL Pharmaceutical, and Australia Alumni Communities Philippines (AACPh).