Bontoc, Mountain Province- The Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC) once more spearheaded a multi-sectoral gathering on the prospects of the coffee industry in Mountain Province at the College AVR last 10 January 2019.
The gathering was to forge and strengthen the linkages the College has with regards to the establishment of a coffee center in the College. The affair was participated in by University of California- Davis (UC Davis), and the La Salle University (DLSU).
Prof. William Ristenpart, Director of the UC-Davis Coffee Center presented how the humble beginnings and development of the Center. He talked about the interdisciplinary researches and breakthroughs in improving the quality, efficiency and sustainability of coffee across different scientific fields. He also mentioned the Center’s experiences and triumphs in international collaborations and attracting funding institutions. The visit of Prof. Ristenpart to MPSPC is part of the goal of the University of California’s goals of establishing long-term relationships with coffee producing countries and entities.
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| BUILDING LINKAGES- (Top right) MPSPC College President Dr. Rexton F. Chakas with Professor William Ristenpart of University of California- Davis. (Top left) MPSPC VP for Research Development and Extension Dr. Annie Grail Ekid, MPSPC VP for Resource Generation and Linkages Dr. Venus Grace K. Fagyan, Executive Dean for Bontoc campus Dr. Christie Lynne C.Codod awarded certificate of recognition to Prof. Ristrenpart after the realization of the linkaging activity. (Below) Prof. Ristenpart with De La Salle University Professor Emmanuel V. Garcia scrutinizing coffee beans in a coffee farm. |
De La Salle University Prof. Emmanuel Garcia remained hopeful that the collaboration between DLSU and MPSPC faculty researchers will elicit funding support from agencies and organizations. Last year, the College conducted a research writeshop on coffee proposals with Prof. Garcia as the facilitator.
The conference was the brainchild of Ms. Gemma Apolinar Ngelangel, a passionater advocate of coffee and who sits in the MPSPC Governing Board. It intended to provide a venue for participants to share their best practices which MPSPC may copy or innovate relative to the sustainability of the MPSPC Coffee Center and to the attainment of relevance of the MPSPC Coffee Center projects. Among those who attended the conference were representatives from the TESDA- MP, Provincial Tourism Office- MP, DOST-MP, DTI-MP and OPAG-MP, and some other coffee enthusiasts who shared their projects, programs and activities towards the flourishing of the coffee industry more specifically in the province.
MPSPC, together with the DTI-Mountain Province brought Professors Ristenpart and Garcia in selected coffee farms in Sagada, Bauko and in the Victor S. Dominguez Research Center of MPSPC in Ba-ang, Bauko on January 9. The tour intended to showcase coffee production areas in the province that UC Davis may support or fund as a field station that will accommodate visiting scientists to conduct field researches. //Warden Taltala
