TWO students from the University of the Philippines-Visayas bagged the first runner-up award at the ASEAN Data Science Explorer National Finals for their project that offers solutions to fisheries overexploitation.

Team Gugma’s Kyle Ann Villariza and Genesis Daquinan, who are taking up BA Political Science and BS in Fisheries, respectively, discussed the effects of overfishing on food security, shelter, jobs, and natural resources in their paper.

“Filipino fisherfolks are among the poorest of the poor. So, with all this, how can we help them develop, safeguard, and ensure sustainability in the fisheries sector?” Daquinan said.

“The paper aimed to combat overexploitation in the fisheries sector by using data-driven technologies. The technological solutions included data analysis and technologies such as food tracking using block-chain technology and Internet of Things, evidence-based policies, digital literacy programs, education reforms, and the cultivation of empathetic problem solving among leaders in the industry,” the students said.

“We will start introducing this to the local government units that the coastal communities are under. Considering that there might be existing programs that the LGUs are doing to ensure support for local fisherfolk, we will simply integrate our recommendations to not only provide a comprehensive solution but to also ensure that solutions are products of collaborative decision-making,” Daquinan said.

Meanwhile, Villariza noted that solutions should always be scientific as well as compassionate.

She said that they expect their paper to fuel mindful decision-making and stir consciousness within the community.

ASEAN Foundation’s Executive Director Dr. Yang Mee Eng said that the event aims to invest and equip the youth with skills that will make them globally-competitive and future-ready.

The ASEAN DSE, in partnership with SAP Analytics Cloud, a software solutions company, seeks to catalyze activism and critical thinking among university students in ASEAN.