PCAARRD-Forestry and Environment Research Division

𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐃 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: Training on Carbon Flux Monitoring for In-depth Analysis of Forests and ecosystems

With the aim of providing an opportunity for researchers to develop competencies in advanced flux analytics and ecosystem modeling, the training on the Fundamentals of Carbon Flux Monitoring and In-depth Analysis of Forests using the Eddy Covariance System for Ecosystem Management Applications was held from May 11-14, 2026 at the Rural Development Education Center (RDEC), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Diliman, Quezon City.

This was spearheaded by DOST PCAARRD, through the Forestry and Environment Research Division and Institution Development Division, in collaboration with the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau-DENR (ERDB).

The training strengthened the capacity of R&D practitioners and leveraged the EC system to support forest conservation, climate action, and science-based governance.

Dr. Dalisay E. Cabral, Director of the Forestry and Environment Research Division (FERD) of DOST-PCAARRD, delivered the closing remarks at the end of the training-workshop.

The in-depth training was participated in by 25 researchers from the DENR bureaus, DENR-ERDB technical divisions, State Universities and College (SUCs) and other government agencies.

𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐱𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬: Applications of Carbon Flux Monitoring for Research and Development

DOST PCAARRD, through the Forestry and Environment Research Division and Institution Development Division, spearheaded the forum on FluxTech Philippines: Applications of Carbon Flux Monitoring for Research and Development with the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau-DENR (ERDB) held on May 11, 2026 at the Agricultural Training Institute, Quezon City and streamed live over the DOST-PCAARRD page.

The event was organized to promote the Eddy Covariance System and share the accomplishments of the Council-funded project “Real-Time Carbon Flux Monitoring in Natural, Plantation, and Mangrove Forests in Mindanao, Philippines: An Eddy Covariance Approach,” which established the country’s first forest-based carbon flux tower.

Executive Director Reynaldo Ebora delivered the welcome remarks while Dr. Leah Buendia, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development, also graced the event and delivered a message of support. ERDB Assistant Director Conrado Marquez represented ERDB Director Lormelyn Claudio also with a message of support.

Resource speakers include Dr. Bai Yang of Campbell Scientific, Dr. Maricar Aguilos of North Carolina State University, and project leader For. Rustum Aguilos of DENR-ERDB. PT Cerna Corporation also supported the event as an exhibitor with Campbell Scientific.
PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director Juanito Batalon delivered the closing remarks where he thanked all attendees and participants working towards strengthening the national research capacity.

The forum also marked the first day of the “Training on the Fundamentals of Carbon Flux Monitoring and In-depth Analysis of Forests using the Eddy Covariance System for Ecosystem Management Applications” provide participants with deeper technical understanding and hands-on experience in flux measurement, data processing, and ecological interpretation.

One day to go before the awaited FluxTech Training and Forum joined by experts, researchers, state colleges and universities, and many more!

View the program here: https://tinyurl.com/May11FluxTech

Register now: https://bit.ly/FluxTechRegistration

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Join the forum, FluxTech Philippines: Applications of Carbon Flux Monitoring for Research and Development, on May 11, 2026 to know more!

Register now: https://bit.ly/FluxTechRegistration

The PhilFLUX project–a Mindanao-based using the Eddy Covariance system–is the first forest-based EC flux tower in the country with the purpose of quantifying the exchange of carbon, water, and energy between forests and the atmosphere.

This breakthrough provides the basis and recommendations on the climate change mitigation potentials of Philippine forests and is a crucial contribution to the country’s goal of achieving targets on the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on Climate action.

Join the forum, FluxTech Philippines: Applications of Carbon Flux Monitoring for Research and Development, on May 11, 2026 to know more!

Register now: https://bit.ly/FluxTechRegistration

Learn about the fundamentals and applications of carbon flux monitoring using the Eddy covariance system for research and development through experts and technical presentations on May 11, 2026 via Facebook Live.

View the program here: https://tinyurl.com/May11FluxTech

Join the forum via Facebook Live here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DtoCe6j8Q/

Register now: https://bit.ly/FluxTechRegistration

𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐃 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: Terminal Review of the DOST PCAARRD and Cebu Technological University (CTU) collaboration on and conservation studies of threatened anurans (frogs and toads) in Cebu watersheds

DOST-PCAARRD through FERD, conducted the terminal review of the project: “𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘯𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘒𝘰𝘵𝘬𝘰𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘴, 𝘊𝘦𝘣𝘶, 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴,” at CTU last April 13-15, 2026. The aim was to discuss project accomplishments, implementation concerns, and ways forward.

The project reported the presence of diverse but threatened anurans (amphibian group of frogs and toads), further highlighting the need to conserve these ecologically important species and their critical habitat.

Significant accomplishments of the project also include the baseline distribution maps for monitoring studies and Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign materials to raise awareness among the local community. The project team is also in close coordination with local government units and other stakeholders to push for the conservation of these threatened species and their habitats through a Municipal Ordinance.

The project terminal review was held at CTU last April 13-15, 2026, to discuss project accomplishments, implementation concerns, and ways forward. The monitoring team from the Forestry and Environment Research Division (FERD) of DOST-PCAARRD was headed by OIC-Director, Dr. Dalisay E. Cabral. She is joined by Dr. Christine D. Santiago (S&T Program Manager for Biodiversity) and Mr. John Benrich M. Zuniga (Head, Program Monitoring and Evaluation Section of FERD). The project team is represented by its project leader, Dr. Archiebald B. Malaki, and project staff, Dr. Esperanza Del Fierro, and Ms. Jemaima Casas.

DOST has funded an R&D project to develop a rapid and non-destructive diagnostic method for detecting heavy metals and trace elements in various high-value agricultural crops such as cacao, coffee, corn, cabbage, lettuce, coconut, mango, and banana.

DOST funds development of portable rapid diagnostic method for heavy metal detection in PH agricultural crops Participants of the inception meeting at DOST-PNRI headquarters (Image credit: FERD, DOST-PCAARRD) The Department of Science and Technology...

𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐃 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: Monitoring and Evaluation of project on carbon flux monitoring with Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau-DENR - Forest and Wetland Research, Development and Extension Center - ERDB

DOST PCAARRD through FERD conducted the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the project “𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭-𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘯 𝘍𝘭𝘶𝘹 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭, 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘰, 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴: 𝘈𝘯 𝘌𝘥𝘥𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩,” last March 24-26, 2026. The project aims to serve as reference points in any carbon-related inventories and monitoring initiatives.

The FERD team headed by Officer-In-Charge, Dr. Dalisay E. Cabral and Mr. John Benrich M. Zuniga, S&T Program Manager for Climate Change, validated the 2nd site of the Eddy Covariance (EC) tower in a plantation site located in Brgy. Sumilihon, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte. This also marks the first installation of an EC tower in a tree plantation area in the Philippines.

The table review of the project accomplishments were also done at the Center for Research in Environmental Management and Eco-Governance at the Caraga State University. The team provided initial results of carbon fluxes in the mangrove forest of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte after a year of deployment. The project team is headed by For. Rustum A. Aguilos, project staff from FWRDEC and CarSU, and evaluators from the ERDB main office in Los Baños, Laguna.

The project aims for a more robust and ecosystem level carbon data for Philippine forests.

𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐃 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: DOST-PCAARRD conducts inception meeting and terminal review of SLSU projects on

DOST PCAARRD, through the Forestry and Environment Research Division, officially launched a new project to explore forest diversity in Infanta Watershed and held the terminal review of the conservation project for Mt. Banahaw’s priority plant species with Southern Luzon State University (SLSU) last March 23, 2026.

Ending its two-year run, the project “𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘵. 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘸 𝘥𝘦 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘣𝘢𝘯” is a sequel project to a previous initiative focusing on flora, fauna, and macrofungi survey in Mt. Banahaw de Lucban. Both led by Dr. Amalia Almazol, this latest project worked to conserve endemic, threatened, and economically important plant species in Mt. Banahaw de Lucban by developing propagation protocols.

As one project concluded, PCAARRD and SLSU also launched a new project on biodiversity, this time in partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture).

Under the leadership of Dr. Kathreena Gutierrez, the new project “𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘻𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦,” aims to identify the impacts of diverse forest ecosystems and tree diversity on their resilience to climate-induced stress.

The monitoring team also paid a courtesy visit to Dr. Frederick Villa, University President of SLSU. He expressed gratitude to DOST-PCAARRD for the continuous support and strengthened partnership in research and development and expressed efforts and continued commitment to the smooth implementation of the projects.

Accompanying FERD OIC-Director Dalisay Cabral in the monitoring team was S&T Program Manager for Biodiversity Dr. Christine Santiago, Ms. Ma. Josette San Luis and Ms. Danica Reyes from the Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development, Ms. Jady Apple Audije from the FAD-Accounting section, and other key personnel from FERD.

Inception meetings are held to ensure alignment on technical and administrative requirements among the implementing agency, monitoring agency, and funding agency. Monitoring and evaluation activities, which include terminal reviews, are continuously conducted to track status of the projects, validate project reports, and address project concerns and challenges.

The establishment of the country’s first forest-based Eddy Covariance (EC) flux tower in Mindanao marks a significant milestone in national research capacity for climate and ecosystem monitoring.
This project is being implemented by the DENR - Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) -Forest and Wetland Research, Development and Extension Center (FWRDEC) and funded by DOST-PCAARRD.

Forests play a vital role in sequestering carbon to mitigate climate change. However, its continuous degradation contributes to climate change through the emission of more Green House Gases (GHG).

To better manage our forests and address the country’s need for ecosystem level carbon data, the project, “Real-Time Carbon Flux Monitoring Monitoring in Natural, Plantation, and Mangrove Forests in Mindanao, Philippines: An Eddy Covariance Approach,” aims to serve as reference points in any carbon-related inventories and monitoring initiatives.

The establishment of the country’s first forest-based Eddy Covariance (EC) flux tower in Mindanao marks a significant milestone in national research capacity for climate and ecosystem monitoring.

This project is being implemented by the DENR - Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) -Forest and Wetland Research, Development and Extension Center (FWRDEC) and funded by DOST-PCAARRD.