Two graduating Biology students majoring in Biodiversity and Conservation from Caraga State University (CSU) showcased excellence, bringing home impressive awards from the APCORE Innovation Congress (ICON) and the International Research Conference on Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences 3.0 (IRCPAS 3.0) held at UCSI University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from March 26 to 28, 2026. The international event brought together researchers and innovators worldwide under the theme “Technological Disruption, Innovation Ethics, and the Future of Human-AI Co-Evolution.”
Under the mentorship of Dr. Eve Fernandez-Gamalinda, Kyla Marie U. Calinaya emerged as one of the most decorated presenters of the congress. Her study “Population Status with Notes on Daily Activities of Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Butuan City, Northeastern Mindanao” received the Best Research Paper Award for the On-Site Category and the Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences 2 and Multidisciplinary 2 Categories. She also received the Best Oral Presentation Award during the Innovation Congress (ICON) & International Research Conference on Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (IRCPAS 3.0)
Lian Joy B. Diama, on the other hand, presented her compelling research titled “Life in Deadwood: Saproxylic Beetles (Coleoptera) of Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Philippines,” which is a collaborative project with Hokkaido University. Diama worked under the guidance of Dr. Ian Niel B. dela Cruz.
The participation of Calinaya and Diama underscores Caraga State University’s commitment to high-impact environmental research and its growing reputation in the international scientific community.
Both students serve as Undergraduate Thesis Student Assistants (UTSA) of CSU.
Photo via APCORE/Diama/Calinaya
