The Philippine Society of Parasitology, Inc. (PSP, Inc.) recently held its 4th International Symposium and 94th General Assembly at the NCAS Auditorium in UPLB on July 4-5, 2024.

The event, which was a collaborative effort of UPLB’s Institute of Biological Sciences, the College of Public Health of the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM-CPH), and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), was themed “One Health Parasitology: Bridging Toward Food Safety, Food Security, and Environmental Stewardship.”

A pre-conference workshop, “SILIP: Surveillance and Identification of Local Intestinal Parasites: A One Health Approach to Food Safety,” was organized by PSP, Inc. in partnership with UPM-CPH and the UPLB Zoonoses Center (UPLB-ZC). 

Medical professionals, public health experts, veterinarians, systematists, ecologists, mathematicians, and students from various parts of the Philippines attended the workshop and the symposium. 

Participants engaged in hands-on laboratory procedures and learned about the latest developments in food-borne parasite monitoring methods.

The symposium was officially opened by Dr. Vachel Gay Paller, director of the UPLB Institute of Biological Sciences and president of PSP, Inc. Symposium participants came from local and international institutions, colleges, and universities. 

Chancellor Jose V. Camacho gave a welcome message sharing UPLB’s initiatives in research and extension in various fields including agriculture and One Health. The keynote speaker, Dr. Martha E. Betson of the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, discussed food safety and One Health.

The event featured plenary lectures by UP Manila Professor and former UPM CPH dean Dr. Vicente Y. Belizario, Jr., SEARCA deputy director Dr. Nur Azura Binti Adam, UPM CPH Dean Fernando B. Garcia, Jr., and North Carolina State University Professor and DOST Balik Scientist Dr. Francis Delos Reyes III.

The lectures were followed by parallel sessions on various topics such as zoonoses and veterinary parasitology, food and waterborne diseases, ectoparasites and ecology, and tropical medicine, as well as a display of posters by undergraduate students and professionals in the field.

The symposium also allowed the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute to present scholarship opportunities for professionals and undergraduates in the audience. 

PSP Board of Directors for the Visayas, Raffy Jay Fornillos, and Mindanao, Dr. Aleyla de Cadiz, introduced their respective board members. 

The second day featured plenary sessions by UPLBZC director Dr. Remil L. Galay and SEAOHUN executive director Dr. Tongkorn Meeyam, as well as oral presentations from undergraduate students, presentations from PSP officers, and an awarding ceremony. Participants who made poster submissions and infographics and gave oral presentations were recognized for their participation. (Twilitte Ae Medalle)