Conference Poster on Green Care and Permaculture Wins at PHABCon 2026

The project entitled, "Quack Doctors: Ducks & Chickens in a Permaculture Garden Green Care Initiative," won the Best Poster award at the recently concluded Philippine Human-Animal Bond Conference (PHABCon) 2026 held at the Ateneo de Manila University on May 30, 2026. 

The project is led by Dr. Maria Catalina de Luna of the Institute of Animal Sciences, UPLB together with members of the UPOU Perma Team composed of Dr. Jabez Joshua Flores, Ms. Maryjane Reodanga, and Ms. Dona Lyn Piamonte of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies, UPOU. 

Photo credits: Dr. Joyce Flores-Fellizar

#GreenCare #Permaculture #OneHealth #AnimalWelfare

Original posts on Instagram:

- Gallery 1

- Gallery 2 

The research team (view on Instagram)

Photo credit: Deanne Claire Sarmiento, UPOU-FMDS

UPOU and UPRHS Collaborate on Permaculture Activity for Grade 11 STEAM Students

Reflect and Grow: Understanding Planetary Health through Permaculture in the Philippine Context

The UPOU-FMDS Perma team was invited by UPRHS this morning to talk about UPOU's sustainability initiatives. Researcher, Raiza Alfroja, talked about the Sustainability in Action Living Laboratory Campus (SiALLC) while Dr. Jabez Flores and Ms. Maryjane Reodanga talked about the Perma GARDEN. The session was attended by four sections of Grade 11 students.

Special thanks to Asst. Prof. Grechelle Perez for organizing this initiative.

📷 John Albert Casin

After the lectures, we went to the potential perma garden site of UPRHS. The Grade 11 students will have until Friday to accomplish an activity designed to help them observe, document, and list down existing natural and manmade resources found within the site, and also list down personal skills and interests that would help in them in their permaculture design process.

📷 John Albert Casin, DJI Mini 4 Pro

Read related article in UPOU-FMDS website here.

View more photos on Instagram.
View GeoNadir dataset here.

UPOU-FMDS Conducts Data Collection in Barangay Estaca of Compostela, Cebu and Climate Foundation

 

Key informant interviews (KII) with LGU officials of Compostela, Cebu for UPOU-FMDS' research project on women-led permaculture funded by DOST-PCAARRD.

Focus Group Discussion with members of the Barangay Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (BFARMC) of Brgy. Estaca, Compostela, Cebu. We also conducted a baselining survey on permaculture knowledge, attitude, and perception.

The morning activities were facilitated by UPOU-FMDS researchers, Raizza Alforja, Albert Casin, and Dr. Malou Turalde, together with the Municipal Agriculture Office.

Transect walk along the coastline of Brgy. Estaca, where BFARMC members go to fish. View GeoNadir dataset here.

 

KIIs and FGDs with the Climate Foundation and Compostela LGU.

#WomenLed #Permaculture #SustainableDevelopmentGoals 

Read related article in UPOU-FMDS website here.

View more photos on Instagram.

Perma GARDEN Experiments: Vegetation Diversity based on Greenness Index

 

I used the Greenness Index in GeoNadir as a proxy for plant diversity to visualize structural and spectral complexity rather than species richness. I conducted experiments in a 30 sq m sampling area at the UPOU Perma GARDEN.

High Diversity: The wide curve for Mixed Crops indicates a broad range of greenness values within that 30 sqm area. This "spectral heterogeneity" suggests differences in plant height, leaf structure, and phenological stage—traits typical of a polyculture or permaculture system.

Low Diversity: The "Dry Grass" (Blue line) shows a very tall, narrow peak. This indicates spectral homogeneity: almost every pixel reflects the same light quality, characteristic of a monoculture or uniform land cover.

You Can Now Book a Visit to the UPOU Perma Garden for Fieldtrips, Research Projects, and Other Activities

 Original post from UPOU-FMDS Facebook Page:

Step into a living laboratory of sustainability, right here at UPOU!

 Visit the UP Open University (UPOU) Perma G.A.R.D.E.N. (Growing Appreciation towards Resilience, Development, Entrepreneurship, and Nutrition) and experience how sustainable practices come to life through permaculture. Perfect for learning visits, tours, and community engagement activities.

 Reserve your visit now: https://url.upou.edu.ph/PermaGuidelines
 Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/29ihu7SiV4Jwsxpi8
 For inquiries: perma.garden@upou.edu.ph

#UPOpenUniversity #FMDSUPOU #PermaGARDEN #Sustainability #Permaculture #ClimateAction #ExperientialLearning #SDG4 #SDG11 #SDG13

UPOU-FMDS Conducts Data Collection in Barangays of Pitogo, Quezon and Glinoga Integrated Farm

 

Key informant interviews (KII) with LGU officials of Pitogo, Quezon for UPOU-FMDS' research project on women-led permaculture funded by DOST-PCAARRD.

Visiting a community garden led by the Fruits and Vegetables Growers Association of Brgy. Nag-Cruz in Pitogo, Quezon. This is part of the Food Share Program sponsored by Okada Foundation Inc. in partnership with Kabisig ng Kalahi and DSWD. The community gardeners were interviewed by the UPOU-FMDS research team on women-led permaculture funded by DOST-PCAARRD.

Focus Group Discussion on the roles of women and men in HAPAG community gardens with members of the 4K Federation of Brgy. Pinagbayanan, Pitogo, Quezon. We also conducted a baselining survey on permaculture knowledge, attitude, and perception.

The morning activities were facilitated by UPOU-FMDS researchers, Raizza Alforja and Tiffany Catbagan.

Focus Group Discussion on the roles of women and men in HAPAG community gardens with members from Brgy. Amontay, Pitogo, Quezon. We also conducted a baselining survey on permaculture knowledge, attitude, and perception.

The afternoon activities were facilitated by UPOU-FMDS researchers, Raizza Alforja and Tiffany Catbagan with assistance from local coordinator, Madelyn Baltazar.

After a long day in the field, the Fruits and Vegetables Growers Association (FVGA) accompanied UPOU-FMDS research team to Backyard ni Queenbee, one of the farms recommended by the Municipal Tourism Office. The owner/farmer/entrepreneur, Ms. Gayzil Lorica, was a former member of the FVGA. She was also a student of Ms. Weng Glinoga of Glinoga Integrated Farm.

You can follow Backyard ni Queenbee on Facebook and Instagram @zil_lo24. You can also find her products on Shopee: Backyard ni Queenbee (greenhive_24).

Data collection in Glinoga Integrated Farm for our research on women-led permaculture. Key informant interviews, focus group discussion on seasonal calendar, and drone mapping were conducted by the research team from UPOU-FMDS. The permaculture site, led by Ms. Weng Glinoga, represents the agriculture sector for this project funded by DOST-PCAARRD.

#WomenLed #Permaculture #SustainableDevelopmentGoals Read related article in UPOU-FMDS website here. View more photos on Instagram.