As an initial step of a series of capability building activities of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development (CAFSD), in collaboration with the Extension Directorate, 30 faculty and researchers of the University joined the mentoring workshop in Building Successful Research Program conducted at the University Training Center on October 3, 2018. 

Dr. Bernardo Z. Predicala, a visiting scientist under the Balik Scientist Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) led the mentoring workshop. He was invited by the University through the Office of External Linkages and Partnership headed by Dr. Mee Jay Domingo to help in its efforts to enhance growth of a sustainable and environment-friendly swine production project in the University which can be showcased to local swine producers in the community for adoption. He is a research assistant at Prairie Swine Center and an adjunct professor at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

The activity was conducted as a result of the planning meetings conducted by the project team towards capacitating faculty, researchers, and stakeholders with the knowledge and skills from scientists who have proven themselves in their respective field and in increasing the interest of faculty in RDE activities.

The workshop utilized small group discussions in identifying salient areas such as research niche, possible funding agencies and partners, infrastructures needed, time frame, and others.

Succeeding activities include seminars and workshops dedicated in enhancing the competency of MMSU personnel in crafting successful research and extension initiatives. These capability building activities are set to create a sound, inclusive, and credible research and extension program to be proposed to really address real-world problems.

 Planned actions include:

• Journal Writing Workshop enjoining faculty and staff researchers to hone their skills to write and publish their researchers in refereed journals;
• Research Proposal Preparation Workshop  
• Part 1: Conceptualizing and Writing a Research Proposal enjoining faculty and staff involved in the Balik-Scientist Program to guide and mentor them in identifying and conceptualizing a research topic on swine production and related fields to be developed into full blown proposals, and
• Part 2: Review and Submission of Research Proposal to assess draft applications and provide feedback to ensure that the final proposal is complete and ready for submission;
• Technical Seminar on
• 1) Mitigating Hazardous Emissions from Pig Production targeting more than a hundred stakeholders form the MMSU community, Municipal Agriculture Officers and Sanitary Inspectors from the LGUs, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and PVT, and SUCs in Region 1 to educate them on the principles and processes affecting generation and mitigation of hazardous emissions, and to enhance individual and institutional capability to better manage emissions from pig production sites, and 
• 2) Innovative Swine Manure Handling System to inform them on innovative manure handling systems and to augment their capability to reduce environmental impact on pig production.
• Community-based information drive as a completing activity is also included that will provide community residents insights on swine waste management, hence, they will be helped in reducing the drawbacks of swine production.

Benefitting much from his stay in the country, he was specifically requested by the University to share his knowledge and expertise with MMSU researchers to establish a research program focused on developing practical technologies to address odor emissions from small scale pig production operations as well as manure management techniques to enhance its use as fertilizer. Likewise, he was requested to assist the University in the re-development of its own pig facility to ensure that it will meet international standards for animal housing and welfare. (KSM/MRG)

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