CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines—A ₱16-million partnership between Samar State University (SSU) and the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) was officially launched today, August 5, marking the implementation of the Inclusive Livelihood in Agri-Aqua (ISLA) in Small Islands: Livelihood Empowerment through Sustainable Climate-Resilient Agri-Aqua and Natural Resources Enhancement (LEtS CARE) Program.
The trailblazing initiative will focus on advancing sustainable agri-aqua development in small island communities. SSU, DOST-PCAARRD, and key collaborators including the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), LGU-Daram, and other partner entities, all convened today for an inception meeting held at the Convention Center, SSU Main Campus, Catbalogan City, Samar.
During the meeting, ISLA Program Manager Dr. Engelbert R. Lalican provided an overview of the ISLA-LEtS CARE Program. The initiative is built on four interconnected projects that address key aspects of agri-aqua development, food security, and sustainability.
- Project 1: KATHA – Social Transformations and Conditioning in Agri-Fishery Technology and Environmental Resources Engagement
- Project 2: AGHAM – Advanced and Geared Honing Agri-Fishery Management
- Project 3: BUHAY – Building Understanding for Habitat and Ecosystem Advancement Yield
- Project 4: YAMAN – Agri-Fishery Practices through Product Resource Value Addition and Commercialization
The inception meeting was joined by Dr. Redentor S. Palencia, SSU President, Dr. Engelbert R. Lalican, DOST-PCAARRD’s Senior Research Specialist and Project Manager of ISLA & SAFE Program, Prof. Marife Mustacisa-Lacaba, ISLA-LEtS CARE Program Leader, Engr. Meilou C. Macabarre, DTI Samar Provincial Director, Bella Donna Aubrey Torrechiva of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist Samar, and representatives from LGU Daram, Brgy. Astorga Civil Society Organization (CSO), DENR PENRO Samar, BFAR Samar, and BBCS. Also present were the ISLA-LEtS CARE Project Leaders, namely Dr. Evelyn Tablante of DOST-PSTO Samar, Ms. Ariza Joy T. Evardone and Ms. Coleen Tibar of SSU Center for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Research and Development (CFARRD), and Dr. Jose Marlon J. Refuncion, Jr. of SSU College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
The ISLA-LEtS CARE Program is led by Program Leader Prof. Marife Mustacisa-Lacaba, Director for SSU’s Center for Lifelong Learning (CeLL). It is one of the first two ISLA programs approved for implementation with a total funding of Php 16,257,462.00. The ISLA-LEtS CARE will serve as a pioneering model for future initiatives with the aim to drive innovation and resilience in small island communities across the Philippines.
In the next two days, the ISLA-LEtS CARE team will drop by Brgy. Marupangdan and Brgy. Astorga of Daram, Samar for the scheduled site visits following the program’s launch.