Sylvatrop Editorial Board, in coordination with DENR Region V and Land Management Agroforestry and Upland Farming Technolgy Research Center (LAUFTeRC), hosted the third seminar for publishing in Sylvatrop last June 6 in Legazpi City.    

     Seventy-six representatives from different offices of DENR Region V (e.g., PENRO and CENRO offices, LAUFTeRC) and state universities (i.e. Bicol State University) participated in the said seminar.

     This seminar series aims to encourage the participants to publish their research outputs in Sylvatrop, the official technical journal of DENR. Dr. Bighani Manipula, Chair of Sylvatrop Editorial Board, gave a brief background of the said journal. He also discussed the guidelines in and benefits of publishing for the said journal.

     Ms. Adreana Santos-Remo, Managing Editor of Sylvatrop, gave advices on how to turn research outputs into journal articles. She also talked about the thorough process, and encouraged the participants to be open to comments and suggestions from the reviewers and editors.

     She also gave examples of possible topics; those which are not yet explored, and those believed to be a major concern in the said region (e.g., climate change). She talked about how these research outputs, if published, can guide other policy makers in distant areas.

     Moreover, Alejo Balaguer, Senior Science Research Specialist in LAUFTeRC, and the only Sylvatrop contributor in the Bicol region, shared his experience in writing for the said journal. He believes that publishing is inherent to their job as researchers, and narrates how being able to publish for Sylvatrop also brought pride not only to him as a researcher but also to his lead agency.

     Oscar Dominguez, Chief of LAUFTeRC and Roberto Sheen, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services in DENR Region 5, who represented DENR Region 5 Director Ma. Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez commenced the said seminar. They talked about the importance of seminar aiming to orient and encourage the participants about scientific publishing especially in Sylvatrop.

     An open forum at the end of the lectures served as a way for the participants to clarify certain issues (e.g., monetary incentive, authorship), consult for possible articles, and give suggestions. Moreover, copies of around 30 Sylvatrop issues and other ERDB-DENR publications, which are in exhibit during the seminar, have been given to the participants who wish to have a copy.