Friday Night Date with the Hinlo Fam at Jollibee and Dunkin Donuts Mintal

 

Philippine Team Meeting on Korea Research Collaboration

 

Quick recap

The meeting focused on discussing a research project involving Black Soldier Fly (BSF) and its potential integration into a circular economy value chain, particularly in relation to banana production. The participants, including CAEc_Rupert, Jen, and CARS-Dernie, discussed the project's funding structure, which is fully funded by the Korean side through the National Research Foundation, with no direct financial obligations to the university. They addressed questions about honorarium payments, financial arrangements, and the project's scope, which includes field-based data collection and local adoption strategies. The group also touched on the importance of sustainable practices, particularly regarding organic certification and international market requirements for banana sourcing.

Next steps

• CARS-Dernie: Mag-meeting after ng proposal submission para mag-integrate ng output sa in-house back sa University Code.
• Jen: I-update ang proposal at magpadala ng final version by Monday (o bago ang April 30, 2021 deadline).
• CARS-Dernie: Magulat sa status ng proposal sa hapon at mag-meeting after para sa integration sa proposal.

Summary

Informal Team Check-in Meeting

The meeting appears to be an informal check-in with participants joining and greeting each other. The conversation was primarily social in nature, with participants discussing topics like work from home arrangements, LaTeX, and taekwondo. No specific decisions, action items, or next steps were discussed during this portion of the meeting.

Korean Research Funding Discussion

The group discussed a project involving Korean funding through the National Research Foundation of Korea, which has already been approved on the Korean side. Jen clarified that the funding is not restricted to the university and can be used for personal expenses, with transactions to be made through a debit card system for traceability. The discussion also covered the distinction between government-to-government funded projects and private industry funding, with Jen confirming that private industry funding would not be applicable in this case.

BSF Integration in Green Value Chain

The group discussed a proposal related to BSF (Black Soldier Fly) integration into a green value chain, focusing on its potential as a protein source and organic waste processor. They explored existing projects and literature, particularly from Africa and the Philippines, noting the need for further research on economic aspects and adoption strategies. The discussion highlighted the importance of experimental approaches to understand treatment effects and support commercialization efforts within a circular economy framework.

Sustainable Banana Production for Korea

The group discussed sustainable practices in banana production, particularly focusing on Korean market requirements. They noted that Korean markets are increasingly demanding sustainable practices and organic certification for imported bananas, with international requirements becoming more stringent. The discussion touched on how different countries have their own quality standards and certification requirements for banana imports, with Korea specifically requiring organic certification for their market.

Sustainable Proposal Framework Discussion

The team discussed a proposal and its structure, focusing on sustainable sources and a resilience framework. Jen mentioned that specific details about activities would be provided once the activities are approved. The group also talked about templates and the urgency of submitting certain documents, including an RDE.

Foreign-Funded Project Financial Planning

The team discussed converting units to load credits and managing honorarium payments for a foreign-funded project. They clarified that if the Korean side approves the arrangement, there would be no financial obligations for the university, and expenses would be handled separately. The group also talked about structuring the main proposal, identifying micro-papers related to the project, and setting a deadline for submission by April 30, 2021. Jen mentioned that the financial obligations would be minimal, and there would be no need for extensive auditing.

KNU-USeP Collaborative Online Meeting for Korea-PH Research Joint Project last April 17, 2026

Quick recap

This meeting was an initial collaboration discussion for a Philippines-Korea research project focused on banana value chain analysis and climate change impacts. Professor Yoonsuk from KNU presented the proposal, which aims to study how climate change affects banana production in the Philippines, particularly focusing on Cavendish bananas exported to South Korea. The team discussed how climate factors like Panama disease and TR4 fungus have reduced Philippines' banana export share from 80% to 60% in recent years. Dr. Dernie raised concerns about connecting this project to previous BSF (Black Soldier Fly) research, but Professor Yoonsuk confirmed the proposal had been revised to focus on climate change impacts rather than circular economy components. The project is planned as a four-year study starting in September 2026, with funding provided for researcher travel and activities. The team also discussed university requirements for faculty involvement and project approval processes.

Next steps

• Yoonsuk: Send the full proposal to Jen and the Philippine team by next Monday
• Jen/Philippine team: Review the received proposal from Yoonsuk and incorporate suggestions from team members (especially Rupert's suggestions on circular bioeconomy components)
• Jen/Philippine team: Prepare and submit their own internal proposal to the university before the April 30 deadline for faculty credits and load credits
• Jen/Philippine team: Identify specific studies/components of the research that would lead to publishable papers, after receiving the full proposal
• Jen/Philippine team: Prepare detailed work plan and submit to university for internal approval, including roles and responsibilities of involved faculty
• Jen: Follow up with Sir Gilbert regarding the process for handling funds transfer and MOA/MOU requirements
• Philippine team: Wait for Korean proposal approval (expected around September) before finalizing specific research components
• Jen/Philippine team: Identify faculty and students to be involved in the project, considering university project limits
• Jen/Philippine team: Discuss and plan for potential research fellowships in Korea for faculty members (to be coordinated with Korean side)

Summary

Technical Meeting Audio Issues

The meeting experienced significant technical difficulties with audio issues preventing clear communication between participants. Despite multiple attempts to resolve the connection problems, the meeting was unable to proceed effectively. The participants indicated they would need to address the technical issues before continuing the discussion.

Technical Audio and Registration Issues

The meeting focused on resolving technical audio issues between participants, particularly between Jen and Professor Yoonsuk. Jen discussed registering researcher information in IRIS and KRI systems, clarifying that a separate registration number was needed beyond just the researcher ID. Jen also proposed inviting Dr. Importante, who serves as consortium director for agri-fishery in the region and has connections to a banana company, to help with the project and provide valuable connections and access.

Project Team Introduction Meeting

The meeting focused on introducing team members and discussing project participants. Jen explained that an Indonesian group had submitted their profiles and was working on coffee and banana supply chains, noting that 60% of bananas imported to Indonesia come from the Philippines. The team met Dr. Ivy, who researches climate change and risk, and Dr. Bernie Olga, who was referred by Dr. James. Jen mentioned that faculty members have a limit of two projects they can accept, which is also the case in Korea.

Philippines-Korea Climate Change Research

The meeting focused on the initial collaboration discussion for a Philippines-Korea Research project. Professor Yoonsuk explained the project's framework, which involves studying the impact of climate change on banana production in the Philippines, including factors like Panama disease and the use of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) in circular agriculture. The team discussed the potential integration of BSF components and field-based data collection from production areas. Jen asked for comments on the proposal outline and mentioned a delegation on specific studies to be conducted by Indonesia and the Philippines, but the discussion ended before any additional details were shared.

Banana Export Impact Analysis Project

Dernie discussed a new project proposal focused on the impact of climate change on banana quality and market access in South Korea. He highlighted that the Philippines' banana export capacity to South Korea has decreased from 80% to 60% due to factors like TR4 fungus infestation and competition from countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Ecuador. The project aims to conduct a value chain analysis to identify issues in production management and propose solutions, including the use of BSF (Black Soldier Fly) and other sustainable practices. Dernie also mentioned the need to address post-harvest management and compliance with South Korean standards for pesticides and heavy metals.

Banana Value Chain Research Study

The meeting focused on a proposed four-year research study on banana value chains, particularly focusing on climate change impacts and adaptation strategies in the Philippines and Korea. Professor Yoonsuk explained that the project would begin in September 2026, with the first year being 6 months, and would involve studying different types of bananas including Cavendish, Lakatan, and Sabah varieties. The team discussed incorporating circular bioeconomy and bioconversion aspects into the research, with Dr. Rupert suggesting integration of waste valorization approaches. Key next steps included Professor Yoonsuk providing the detailed proposal by the following Monday, and the Philippines team needing to submit their internal university proposal by April 30th to secure faculty credits for the project.

Online Training on Applired Regression Analysis using JASP and JAMOVI last April 11-14, 2026