"Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food." Hippocrates could well be referring to herbs when he said this in 400 BC. The quest for plants as the largest source of medicine and health-promoting products, without a doubt, will go on for generations.

Despite this back-to-basics global trend though, most Filipino farmers and entrepreneurs still have not shown anything more than limited appreciation for the economic and medical-tourism potential of Philippine medicinal and culinary plants.

Looking for some productive things to do this summer? Why not attend short courses or training programs? UPLB has this to offer – summer short courses and training programs that will enrich one's knowledge or enhance one's skills to earn extra cash and more. The short courses and training programs are designed to provide practical knowledge and skills in various subject matters. They cater to individuals who are already into business or those interested to start enterprising activities, also to professionals and practitioners who need to enrich their knowledge in certain fields.

The UPLB Committee on Sustainable and Equitable Rural Development in collaboration with the College of Economics and Management and College of Public Affairs will sponsor a seminar on “A New Paradigm for Sustainable Rural Development” on November 29, 2007 (The seminar was moved from November 22nd to the 29th) at 4:00 PM at the ACCI Auditorium.

The seminar's speaker will be Congressman Edgar R.

Far from being mere cultural fanfare, the UPLB Centennial launch featured exhibits, seminars and a symposium, plus the introduction of a new RDE framework that drew attention to the vigor of the University’s RDE.

The UPLB Committees on Natural Products RDE and Alternative Energy RDE organized these activities as their contribution to the festivities this October.

Natural Products RDE: beauty meets wellness

Three UPLB research papers bested 111 others from all over the country and won awards during the 19th National Research Symposium sponsored by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research.

The plaques and citations for the awards were presented by DA Secretary Arthur C. Yap and DA-BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar during ceremonies held at the Manila Hotel on Oct. 6.

Dr. Kevin F. Yaptengco of the Crop Science Cluster of CA received the AFMA Best R and D Paper Award in the applied research in agriculture category for his paper, Respiration Modelling of Cherry Tomato at Different Temperatures for Modified Atmosphere Packaging Applications. Sharing the recognition are co-authors Ji Gang Kim and Hye Eun Lee of the Rural Development Administration of South Korea.