For October to December 2007, SEARCA awards travel grants to four Filipinos whose scientific papers qualified for presentation in international conferences. The topics of their papers are along the Center’s twin thrusts of natural resource management and promotion of agricultural competitiveness, namely:

• Probiotic and Antimicrobial Properties of Bacteriocinogenic Lactic Acid Bacteria from Philippine Water Buffalo Intestine and Some Fermented Foods by Dr. Francisco B. Elegado, Professor, National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). 4th Asian Conference on Lactic Acid Bacteria and 3rd International Symposium on Lactic Acid Bacteria and Health. Shanghai, China.
• a) Assessment of the Impacts of Oil Spill on Aquaculture and b) Integrating Aquaculture in Coastal River Planning: The Case of Dagupan City, Philippines by Dr. Merlina N. Andalecio, Coordinator for Research, Institute of Fisheries Policy and Development Studies, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, UPV. DELTA 2007 Conference: held on 7-8 November 2007 in Bang Sean, Thailand.
• a) Economic Valuation in Sustainable Marine Resource Management: Demonstration, Appropriation and Utilization of Economic Values of Marine Resources for Sustainability and Conservation and b) Do Off-site Communities Matter in Marine Oil Spill Damage Assessment: A Critical Review and Empirical Results from two Marine Oil Spills in Visayas, Philippines by Dr. Rodelio F. Subade, Associate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, UPV. 8th Asian Fisheries Forum held on 20-23 November 2007 in Kochi, India.
• Bioeconomic Modelling of Philippine Fisheries Policies by Ms. Blanquita R. Pantoja, Chief, Agrarian and Rurban Institutions and Legislation, Institute of Agrarian and Rurban Development Studies, College of Public Affairs, UPLB. Conference on Business, Environment, International Competitiveness and Sustainable Development in the Asia-Pacific Economies to be held in Selangor, Malaysia on 3-4 December 2007.