This article documents the recent hybrid meeting between the SLU-VLIR Short Initiative Food Upcycling Team and the outgoing Belgian Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Michel Parys, held at the Belgian Embassy, Multinational Bancorporation Center 9th Floor, 6805 Ayala Avenue, Makati City on 8 July 2025.
The Flemish Interuniversities Council University Development Co-operation or Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad Universitaire Ontwikkelingssamenwerking (VLIR UOS) Ghent University–Saint Louis University (SLU) Food Upcycling Project Team, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Cordillera Administrative Region, spearheaded a Sensory Analysis Training Workshop on 10 July 2025, at SLU’s Incubator for Research, Innovation & Business (SIRIB) Center, Otto Hahn Building, SLU Main Campus.
In April 2025, the University Research and Innovation Center (UnRIC) of Saint Louis University (SLU), under the leadership of Richel L. Lamadrid, PhD, benchmarked three institutions in Mindanao. The Mindanao State University–General Santos, Sultan Kudarat State University, and the University of Southern Mindanao. This initiative formed part of the VLIR UOS Project titled “From Trash to Treasure: Paving Pathways for Food Upcycling to Curb Post-Harvest Losses in the Vegetable Supply Chain of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the Philippines.” The visit aimed to identify leading institutions and individuals actively engaged in innovative food processing technologies, examine best practices in sustainable resource utilization, and assess the development of community-based research efforts. By understanding where these advancements are taking place, who is driving them, and how they have evolved over time, SLU seeks to strengthen its own research capacity. More importantly, the visit underscored the vital role of collaboration and innovation in addressing post-harvest losses and promoting sustainable food systems—key components in achieving the broader goals of the project and contributing to long-term regional development.
Saint Louis University’s food upcycling booth at Baguio City’s 9th Ecological Solid Waste Management Sustainability Fair highlighted their commitment to eco-friendly food systems, contributing to the city’s broader push for sustainable resource management.
Saint Louis University (SLU), through the University Research and Innovation Center (UnRIC), hosts the “‘Stakeholders’ Consultation Meeting and Workshop” as part of the Flemish Interuniversities Council University Development Co-operation or Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad Universitaire Ontwikkelingssamenwerking (VLIR UOS)-funded project, “From Trash to Treasure: Paving Pathways for Food Upcycling to Curb Post-Harvest Losses in the Vegetable Supply Chain of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the Philippines.” This project is being implemented in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Faculty of Bioscience Engineering of Ghent University in Belgium.