Tacloban City—University of the Philippines President Angelo Jimenez on Thursday led the groundbreaking ceremony of the P8-million Mussel Glycogen Production Plant at the UP Tacloban Campus (UPTC).
“We know that the economy of Eastern Visayas is largely affected by green mussel or tahong production. We know that the red tide affects the conditions of our fishermen and, therefore, the economy of the region. This plant finds solutions to the problem in the community,” Jimenez said.
The university official was in the city as guest speaker for the 51st anniversary of UPTC. The plant, set to be the first in the Philippines, “will develop methods for producing glycogen on a scale that can be commercialized and used by large industries.”
“This provides the tahong with a crucial added value as a non-food product. It will address the economic losses of mussel farmers whose harvest has been regularly devastated by the poisonous plankton species that cause red tide,” Jimenez said during the ceremony.
The Mussel Glycogen Production Plant is mainly financed by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD).
During his visit, Jimenez also presented UP’s Strategic Plan for 2023-2029 and the plan for the elevation of UPTC from a college to a constituent university of the UP System “to better serve the needs of the people of Eastern Visayas.”
“We are here to underscore the national university’s commitment for further growth and development in UP Tacloban,” Jimenez said during a press conference at the Leyte Samar Heritage Center in UPTC.
Speaking alongside UPTC Dean, Dr. Patricia Arinto, Jimenez also unveiled to the public the campus vision and accomplishments after it became an autonomous unit on May 23, 2023.
In a separate press statement, UPTC disclosed the roadmap of the college toward becoming the ninth constituent university of the UP System, which include the “expansion of academic, research, and public service programs; and empowerment of local communities through partnerships with Eastern Visayas cities and municipalities.”
According to UPTC, the college is also keen to launch its “intensified efforts to further contribute to cultural preservation and enrichment, and sustainable development in the region.”
“In harmony with the UP System’s thrust to make University admissions more inclusive, UPTC aims to increase its student population by reaching out to potential applicants from underrepresented sectors, and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas,” UPTC said in a news release.