The International Biodiversity Conference 2019 kicks off in the City of Mati as several international delegates arrived since Monday for the 3-day event.
IBC 2019 will convene around the theme “Biodiversity for the People: From Ridge to Reefs”.
Attendees are researchers, environmental managers, and other stakeholders who are taking strategic actions in mainstreaming opportunities to capitalize biodiversity from ridge to reef as a toll to safeguard sustainable development for the people.
IBC 2019 will showcase the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the newest Unesco World Heritage Site, as well as Pujada Bay Landscape and Seascape of the City of Mati.
Host Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology said the event will facilitate the exchange of information, lessons learned and catalyze action among the participants to safeguarding global biodiversity that will ultimately benefit the quality of life and economic sustainability of the people.
The venue of IBC 2019 is at Honey’s Hotel where, aside from the conference proper there is also an exhibit.
In a message by City of Mati Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat, duly represented by Vice Mayor Glenda Rabat-Gayta, the city mayor welcomed all the delegates as she expressed hope that the international conference would benefit the city’s ultimate goal of protecting and nurturing the environment so that it can be enjoyed by our future generations.
“Striking a balance between protecting the environment and allowing people to make a living using the natural resources around is somewhat like making a balancing act on a high-wire — dangerous but doable,” Mayor Michelle said.
Among the topics to be discussed in the conference are interconnecting ecosystems, sustainable management of biodiversity, innovations for biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of biodiversity, biodiversity and food security, interconnecting ecosystems, among others.
Among the studies to be presented during parallel sessions are:
- Characteristics and habitat survival preferences of fauna in the Mati protected landscape and its implications to integrated watershed management to be presented by Ruben Amparado of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology
- Breaking the natural steward’s myth: cases of indigenous culture-based conservation of Philippine eagles in the Philippines to be presented by Jimbea Lucino of the Philippine Eagle Foundation
- Three decades of Philippine primate studies: research gaps and opportunities for Philippine primatology to be presented by Lief Erickson Gamalo of the University of the Philippines Mindanao
- Birds feeding on Cebu mistletoe Lepeostegeres cebuensis (Loranthacaeae) in Nug-as Forest, Cebu, Central Philippines to be presented by Geraldine Quinones of the Negros Oriental State University
- Three new species of Metapocyrtus Heller 1912 from Mindanao Island, Philippines to be presented by Analyn Cabras of the University of Mindanao
- Field documentation of Ground Beetles (Carabidae) and Tiger Beetles (Cicindelidae) in Central Cebu Protected Landscape and Alcoy Forested Area, Cebu, Philippines to be presented by Julie Otadoy of the University of San Carlos Talamban Campus
- DNA Barcodes of bamboo-inhabiting beetles (BIB) in live and postharvested bamboos using the mitochondrial CO1 gene to be presented by Jewel Anne Salvador of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology
Lecturers from the other parts of the world would also be speaking before the delegates, among them are Dr. Yoh Yamashita, Dean of the Educational and Research Unit for Studies of CoHHO of Kyoto University in Japan; Dr. Fernando Siringan of the University of the Philippines; and Dr. Maarten Bijleveld Van Lexmond, chairman of Task Force on Systemic Pesticides in Switzerland. (CIO MATI)