2026 International Sustainability Nexus Conference Exhibits Healthy Food

 

The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) hosted the 2006 International Sustainability Nexus Conference November 11-13 2026 at the Center for Flexible Learning with its partner universities and institutions the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), partner Asian Institute of Technology, Central Luzon State University, Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, University of Eastern Philippines, Isabela State University, University of Abra, Cagayan State University, EPAP, KFI, and Rotary International.

The event with the theme Accelerating Decarbonization towards a Sustainable and Resilient Future focused on climate change technologies, circular economy of the farmaceutical industry, grains and bioproducts, energy efficiency, decarbonizatipn, biofuel, food ecosystem, and signing of agreements. MMSU president Dr. Virgilio Julius Manzano, Jr. welcomed the guests and spearheaded the memorandum of agreement signings including DOST-PCARRDS Hilaga and others. 

Guests examine the food products on display during the sustainability conference.

Officials of MMSU with guest speaker from left: Dr. Bjorn Santos, VP for Resource Generation and Management, Dr. Virgilio Julius Manzano, Jr, University President, Dr. Josefino Comiso, Senior Research Scientist Emeritus from NASA, Dr. Aris Reynold Cajigal, VP for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Nathaniel Alibuyog, VP for Research, Development, and Innovation. (Photo Source: MMSU FB page)

 

The Innovation Exhibit, however, highlighted healthier food products such as Black garlic, which MMSU and University of the Philippines studies have shown to have higher nutritive value as compared to its raw for at 100 grams: 9.43 (vs 7.91 raw) crude protein, 0.37 total fat (vs .24 raw), 19.51 total sugars (vs 9.23 raw), 151.22 sodium (mg, vs 93.58 raw), 15.43 calcium (mg, vs 5.7 raw), 3.31 iron (mg, vs 1.94 raw), 466.03 potassium (mg, 427.88 raw), and 1.54 zinc (mg, vs 1.32 raw). It also contains more S-allyl cysteine that helps fight colon and lung cancer cells, pyroglutamic acid which boosts memory for combatting Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Y-aminobutyric acid or GABA as natural brain relaxant, and high in antioxidants, anti-allergic, and anti-diabetic effects.

Other food products and supplements that were exhibited and also available at MMSU are Black Garlic cookies, Mango cookies, Malunggay Guipang chips, Malunggay polvoron, Makahiya and Dragon Fruit probiotics. Undergoing production are Tomango juice, Tomango ketchup, Black garlic ice cream, and black garlic furikake.

The event hopes to strengthen partnership and cooperation between the academe and various stakeholders towards beating the climate crisis and its devastating economic, social, and health impacts. The innovative food products is one answer towards sustaining good health for all.

New Species Found in Pasuquin and Burgos Mangroves?

Ten (10) new species are found in a study conducted by Resureccion Bernadette Imbat of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development in Mariano Marcos State University that examined variations in plankton diversity in relation to time of day and moon phases in  mangrove areas of Burgos and Pasuquin in Ilocos Norte. 

 

 

The study called Plankton Diversity Across Time of Day and Moon Phases in Mangrove Ecosystems looking at the diversity of planktons in selected coastal and riverine mangrove ecosystems of Ilocos Norte, Philippines, identified diverse phytoplankton and zooplankton communities in both mangrove ecosystems, with diatoms and copepods among the prominent groups observed. It noted that diversity was generally higher during daytime, whereas zooplankton diversity showed more variable patterns between sampling periods. Across moon phases, phytoplankton abundance was relatively higher during the Last Quarter and New Moon, while higher diversity values were observed during the First Quarter and Full Moon. 

Mangrove ecosystems are widely known as productive and ecologically significant coastal habitats. Situated at the interface between land and sea, these intertidal forests are important for environmental stability and human well-being serving in shoreline protection against storm surges and coastal erosion, nutrient cycling that supports primary productivity, and the provision of nursery and feeding grounds for various marine organisms, including fish and crustaceans. Philippine coastal communities depend on marine resources, making mangrove ecosystems essential to local livelihoods. Their complex root systems contribute to sediment stabilization, pollutant retention, and biogeochemicalprocesses that help maintain the ecological condition of adjacent ecosystems such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.

The mangrove ecosystems of Pasuquin and Burgos in Ilocos Norte were the sites in the examination of potential variations in plankton diversity in relation to time of day and moon phases. Pasuquin mangrove is primarily exposed to saline marine conditions and tidal influence, whereas the riverine mangrove ecosystem in Burgos is influenced by freshwater inputs, varying salinity conditions, and terrestrial runoff.

The study that aimed to improve understanding of plankton community dynamics in mangrove ecosystems and provide baseline information useful for ecological assessment and management unintentionally found 10 species that still need to be identified. If confirmed to be new, these species will be partially named after their discoverer.