The speakers and facilitators of the School of Management's Knowledge Management Initiatives

The UP Mindanao School of Management (SOM) delivered its "Knowledge Management Initiatives," a lecture forum, online on March 18, 2024. The forum discussed cacao farming in Davao, the resources in Mt. Apo Natural Park, and mango production in Samal Island.

Instructor Francis Levi Durano presented their team's research on the "Technical efficiency of cocoa farms at varying elevation levels in Davao City, Philippines: Implications to sustainable upland farming systems." Cocoa is a high-value crop in the Philippines, and their findings showed that increased input costs and the number of trees per hectare are key factors in production efficiency. Also, older and more developed farms and a farmer with a family contribute to farm efficiency. However, farms with higher elevations and older farmers are prone to inefficiency. He stated that the study contributes to Sustainable Development Goal #12, Sustainable Production and Consumption, and SDG #15, Life on Land.

Associate Professor Ligaya Rubas-Leal presented her "Ecological modeling of forest carbon stocks in Mt. Apo Natural Park using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR)." Forests mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration or by removing harmful carbon monoxide from the atmosphere. Mt. Apo, a richly forested zone and UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces threats of forest degradation, deforestation, and land conversion to farming. Using remote sensing technology, Prof. Leal studied Mt. Apo's multiple-use, restoration, and strict protection zones in relation to the landcover, biomass, and carbon maps. She calculated the estimated biomass resources and carbon storage across the management zones from these data. Her study contributes to the monitoring, reporting, and verification of forest ecosystem's carbon storage, in line with the guidelines from the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Assistant Professor Vlademir Shuck presented his study, "Technical and economic evaluation of selected technologies in mango production—A case in Island Garden City of Samal, Philippines." These technologies include the ideal harvest period based on the number of Days After Flower Induction (DAFI), the use of Taiwan Paper Bags (TPB), and the application of hot water treatment (HWT) to the harvested crop. Based on his findings, he recommended using and reusing imported TPB, especially when the expected market price is high, and the mangoes are of good quality. Also, he recommended diligent compliance to proper harvest maturity at 100-115 DAFI and adherence to proper production management. Finally, he recommended HWT for the mango harvest and for local governments to construct shared HWT facilities. He likewise called on concerned agencies to promote these technologies for farmers to adopt.

School of Management Dean Aurelia Luzviminda Gomez welcomed the researchers' contributions to knowledge management in agribusiness and natural resources management and in relation to the upcoming SOM offering of Associate in Arts in Entrepreneurship. Asst. Prof. Thaddeus Acuna facilitated the open forum across the three presentations, while Mr.Kieffer Arben Go served as emcee. Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs Annabelle Novero. for her part, thanked the proponents for their potential contribution to Mindanao's sustainable development.