AN environmental engineering student from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology won the best paper presentation award at the 2023 International Conference on Environmental Quality Concern, Control and Conservation held in Thailand.

Viatto Leonard Palangan was recognized for his presentation titled “Development of Reinforced Polyvinyl Acetate Wood Adhesive using Bacterial Cellulose.”

The paper is a collaborative effort by Palangan and his fellow researchers Maria Sheila Ramos, Ralf Ruffel Abarca, Judy Ann Hambre and Roger Dologuin Jr.

The conference was conducted to exchange professional as well as academic experiences on the environmental issues of concern such as water, solid waste, hazardous waste, air pollution and environmental quality.

It was organized by universities in Taiwan — the National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, the National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology and The Chinese Institute of Environmental Engineering.

The gathering was co-organized by Seoul National University, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, University of the Philippine-Diliman, Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology, Mapua University, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Vietnam University and Arizona State University.