The Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP) Davao Region Chapter held the 2023 MSP Davao Region Research Convention on October 20-21, 2023, at the Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao. The Convention was supported by the University of the Philippines Mindanao's Society of Math Majors (UPMin SMM) and the Ateneo de Davao Mathematics Society (AdDaMS).

Working under the theme "Rekindling Mathematical Minds: Uniting Mathematicians and Research Enthusiasts in the Region," the  Convention's primary objective is to provide an avenue for local mathematics practitioners and researchers to convene and share their studies and specialties to the conference attendees and the local scholar community.

The Research Convention aims to encourage the re-establishment of a mathematical community in the Davao Region following the revival of the MSP Davao Region chapter earlier this year after a decade of recess and after the challenges brought by the pandemic.

The Convention organizing committee is composed of faculty members from prominent high schools and universities across the Davao Region, led by Davao-based mathematicians and math educators. 

The MSP-Davao Research Convention is being organized in cooperation with the Mindanao Center for Disease Watch and Analytics (DiWA) of the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) and the Risk Management and Enhanced Survival Analysis Integrated through Longitudinal Infectious Disease Data and Statistical Epidemiological Model Using Clinical Risk Factors (RESILIEMC) of the Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (MMCM),

The Mathematical Society of the Philippines is the premier professional organization promoting mathematics research and education. Aligning to that mission, the MSP Davao Region chapter aims to promote interest in and awareness of mathematics and its applications, propagate knowledge in mathematics and mathematics education, and promote mathematical research in the region.

The 2023 MSP Davao Board is composed of Dr. May Anne E. Mata (President) and Dr. Rommel Real, PhD (Vice-President) from the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin), Ms. Parlene Iris Aranjuez (Secretary) from Davao del Norte State College (DNSC), Mr. Ronald Gica (Treasurer) from the Philippine Science High School - Southern Mindanao Campus (PSHS - SMC), Dr. Ariel C. Pedrano (Auditor) and Dr. Eveyth P. Deligero from the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), Ms. Cola Jane Baguio from Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (MMCM), Mr. Joseph Belida from Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU), and Ms. Edna A. Cenita from Davao del Sur State College (DSSC).

Previous events held by the MSP Davao members include the planning meeting for the reactivation of the MSP Davao Region chapter (November 26, 2022), the first face-to-face MSP Davao Region board members meeting (January 21, 2023), the election of MSP Davao Region officers (February 15, 2023), and the co-hosting of MSP Lecture Series 1 in Honor of Prof. Severino Gervacio (April 1, 2023).

Project Leader Assoc. Prof. Armacheska M. Satina introduces the project staff

Durian industry leaders and government partners join the project staff on the October 10, 2023, launch

UPMin administrative and academic staff join the project meeting on October 11, 2023*

The UP Mindanao team held a launch for their project, “AI-based Non-Invasive Grading System of Durian,” or AIDurian, at the University Library on 10 October 2023. The AIDurian project will develop durian quality classification applications using Artificial Intelligence (AI). It aims to serve the booming Davao durian export industry, which is expected to earn P14.3 billion in 2023 alone. 

Project leader Assoc. Prof. Armacheska Satina said with an 11 Million Peso grant from the DOST for multispectral and infrared cameras, the team will develop desktop and mobile phone applications for fruit quality classification. 

DuDONG, an acronym for the Durian Desktop-Operated Non-Invasive Grading System, is an app in development that uses computer vision and image processing for fruit classification. Audio technology will disclose fruit quality from the sound of gentle knocking on a durian fruit. 

INDAI, an acronym for Inspection of Durian Using AI, is an app that will generate durian fruit classification on a smartphone. INDAI has farm management tools and data storage and retrieval, as well.

At the launch, industry partners from Belviz Farms, Rosario's Delicacies, and D'Farmers Market discussed some of the challenges to the local durian industry at the launch. The other industry partners are VJT Enterprises and Eng Seng Food Products. 

The AI Durian project is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) under the Accelerated R & D Program for Capacity Building of Research & Development Institutions and Industrial Competitiveness: Industry-Level Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (I-CRADLE). Present during the launch were Supervising Science Research Specialist Maria Teresa De Guzman and Science Research Specialist Kathleen Faith Villarma of the PCAARRD’s Agricultural Resources Management Research Division. 

Also present during the launch were representatives of government partners who pledged policy actions to support the project. These are the Department of Agriculture’s High-Value Crops unit, the Bureau of Plant Industry’s Davao National Crops Research and Development Center, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Science and Technology-XI, and the Mindanao Development Authority.

The UP Mindanao interdisciplinary team is composed of Associate Professors Armacheska Satina, Vicente Calag, and Vladimer Kobayashi from the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science and Adjunct Professor Emma Ruth Bayogan of the Department of Biological Science and Environmental Studies. They will be assisted by Mr. Jenno Fred Villarino, Mr. Marlon Maddara, Ms.  Leizel Secretaria, and Ms. Mary Jean Tuando.

The AIDurian project addresses the Sustainable Development Goals of work and economic growth, innovation, and quality education.   

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* The UP Mindanao AI DURIAN project proponents at the project launch on October 10, 2023, with their project partners. The persons holding the project title are (left-right) DOST-XI Asst. Regional Director Mirasol Domingo, DOST-PCAARRD Science Research Specialist Kathleen Faith Villarma, Supervising Science Research Specialist Maria Teresa De Guzman, UPMin Adjunct Professor Emma Ruth Bayogan, durian grower Mary Grace Belvis, UPMin Assoc. Prof. Armacheska Satina, UPMin Asst. Prof. Vic Calag, DTI-XI Asst. Regional Director Romeo Castañaga, and grower Larry Miculob of D' Farmers Market.

**In the bottom photo, seated left-right are: Assoc. Prof. Armacheska Satina, DOST-PCAARRD Science Research Specialist Kathleen Faith Villarma, Supervising Science Research Specialist Maria Teresa De Guzman, VCAA Annabelle Novero, Vic Calag, Leo Manuel Estaña. Standing behind are project staff members Marlon Maddara, Jenno Fred Villarino, and Mary Jean Tuando, UPMin Chief Accountant Zenaida Calatrava, Assoc. Prof. Vladimer Kobayashi, Adjunct Professor Emma Ruth Bayogan, Budget Officer and BAC representative Jo-An Garcia, Project Technical Specialist Leizel Secretaria, and Michael Angela J. Urquiola.

The University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) held an inauguration of its Infectious Disease Laboratory (IDL) on September 14, 2023. Located in the College of Science and Mathematics, this lab is part of the university's new facilities inaugurated by new University President Angelo A. Jimenez, along with other guests.

The IDL will focus on research, training, and COVID-19 testing and will also aid in detecting infectious diseases in livestock, benefitting the agriculture sector, according to Dr. Joel Tolentino, the officer-in-charge of the Philippine Genome Center- Mindanao. 

Since 2016, UPMin has conducted interdisciplinary research on various infectious diseases. The IDL aims to become the Mindanao Research and Innovation Center for One Health and a center of excellence for health research by 2030, connecting with the proposed Virology Institute of the Department of Science and Technology. This lab is part of UPMin's Mindanao Health Initiative, which includes establishing a College of Medicine and Davao City Public Hospital.

Photos by Noel Larios Jr/SA-UPMin PRO

Text by Alyssa Ilaguison/SA-UPMin PRO

DMPCS department chair Asst. Prof. Cinmayii Manliguez and Prof. Vladimer Kobayashi unveil the BS Data Science program marker, witnessed by Dean Cleto Nañola and VCAA Annabelle Novero.

Chancellor Murao, and the DMPCS constituents and partners at the BS Data Science launching.

Some of the pioneer BS Data Science students

UP Mindanao has launched its Bachelor of Science in Data Science (BSDS) program, marking a significant milestone as the first of its kind within the entire UP system. 

Spearheaded by the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science (DMPCS), the launch held at Lorenzo Hall on September 4, 2023, marks a monumental step towards revolutionizing Mindanao into a data-driven powerhouse.

Dr. May Anne Mata of the College of Science and Mathematics underscored the pivotal role of data science in contributing to the region’s development. 

“Data science holds the key to unlocking the vast potential of Mindanao in improving agriculture, predicting analytics, and enhancing local businesses, to foster sustainable progress, tailored to resonate with Mindanao’s unique fabric,” Mata said during her opening remarks. 

The program’s inception is a response to the region’s economic growth. With Mindanao’s flourishing economy projected to grow by 7-8%, the demand for data science experts is high, currently projected to be at 340,000, according to Associate Professor Vladimer Kobayashi, its program coordinator.

Kobayashi emphasized that BSDS aims to produce competent data science practitioners with entrepreneurial mindsets, and skills in research and development to positively contribute to the region’s socio-economic landscape. 

UP Diliman’s Former Chancellor Professor Fidel Nemenzo, DSc, further addressed the need for an undergraduate data science program. “It’s about time that UP offers Data Science at an undergraduate level to transform Mindanao into a data-driven powerhouse. Its emphasis on advancing communities will shape a future for Mindanao and beyond."

The event was witnessed by its pioneering students, faculty members, and administrative staff.