By Meg Antoniette P Tan, Lex C Zulieta
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, 16 July 2025—Marine Biology students and faculty from Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan represented the institution at the 74th Annual Anniversary and National Convention of the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science & Technology (PhilAAST), held at N Hotel, Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City
The XU delegation included marine biology students Meg Antoniette P Tan (BS MB 2) and Lex C Zulieta (BS MB 3), accompanied by Mr Jesse Jan M Galera of the Biology Department and Ms Anne Sherlyn G Bungcasan of the McKeough Advancement for Environment, Resilience, and Sustainability (MAERS) Center.
This year’s PhilAAST convention for Mindanao focused on the theme “Blue Economy and Food Security, Nutrition, and Industry Outlook: Moving Forward to Pagtanaw 2050,” with the forum bringing together students and faculty from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering marine science programs and related disciplines, together with government officials, and sectoral stakeholders committed to advancing the country’s blue economy.
The event featured a series of plenary sessions on topics related to the blue economy and food security such as the FishCORE Program’s efforts in addressing sustainability and multi-dimensional poverty, prospects on improving human nutrition and health, fisheries trade and outlook, as well as research and development (R&D) directions. These discussions were then followed by an engaging question and answer portion and a comprehensive synthesis of key insights presented by various experts.
Demonstrating their commitment to marine science awareness and advocacy, the XU participants actively engaged in the sessions, drawing inspiration for future research, projects, and initiatives that contribute to "Moving Forward to Pagtanaw 2050."