HyDEPP-SATREPS visits laboratories and prospect survey sites
November 21, 2022
Further advancing into the project timeline, Dr. Kensuke Naito (Project Member) from ICHARM initiated the visit to several laboratory facilities in order to find one which can perform the necessary analysis on sediment samples to be obtained from the rivers. He is also in coordination with a private contractor who will conduct the survey (sample collection) in the target sites. After the laboratory visits, the team was joined by the private contractor in visiting several prospect survey sites along Pagsanjan River and Sta. Maria River.
The laboratories visited were the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) laboratory; the Analytical Services Laboratory of the Agricultural Systems Institute (ASI) of the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS) of the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB); and the Department of Science and Technology Region IV-A Regional Standards and Testing Laboratory (DOST IV-A RSTL).
On November 14, during the visit to LLDA as one of the partner agencies of the project, the team was also given the opportunity to be toured around the laboratory facility. This was after Dr. Naito brought up the needs for a laboratory facility while presenting the current activities on the Laguna de Bay sediment group. They were accompanied by Engr. Jocelyn Sta. Ana (Division Chief).
On November 18, upon ICHARM’s arrival in Laguna, the first agenda was to visit two other laboratories with set appointments. The first was the Analytical Services Laboratory in UPLB where the team was welcomed by Prof. Patrick Rocamora (Head, Division of Soil Science) as well as Dr. Pearl Sanchez and Mr. Quincy Ybanez (Program and Project Leaders of Analytical Systems Laboratory). They were then toured to several laboratory rooms and were able to take a look at the instruments in each.
The team then proceeded to DOST RSTL where they met with Ms. Emelita Bagsit (Regional Director) and introduced her to the project. Ms. Bagsit expressed her full support to research endeavors such as the HyDEPP SATREPS project which contributes to the advancement of science and technology in the country. This was followed by a walk-through at the laboratory facilities accompanied by Ms. Ma. Lorelei Dorado (Science Research Specialist) who presented the equipment used at the facility.
From DOST RSTL office in Los Banos, the team then proceeded to Pagsanjan, Laguna to rendezvous with the private contractor, Yachiyo Engineering. They then proceeded with an ocular visit to several bridges along the rivers. On the following day, they also did the same ocular visit to Mabitac and Sta. Maria, Laguna.
Dr. Naito aims to develop the model for Laguna Lake as accurately as possible through these efforts.