A graduate student of Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) was named Best Oral Presenter at an international research forum in Serdang, Malaysia, for a study exploring sustainable poultry production and food security.

Julius Pablico, a Master of Science in Animal Science student at the MMSU Graduate School, received the award during the 11th University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) Graduate Forum 2026 held 18 and 19 August.

Pablico represented a research team from MMSU and Dalhousie University in Canada, competing against graduate researchers from international institutions under the subtheme “Innovating Research for Sustainable Food Security.”

His co-researchers were MMSU faculty member Dr. Sean Vidad and Dalhousie University researchers Xujie Li, Natalie Diether, Bruce Rathgeber and Stephanie Collins of the university’s Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture.

Their study, titled “Effects of Brown Seaweed Meal on Blood Glucose, Growth, Meat Quality, and Intestinal Health of Ross 308 Broiler Chickens,” examined the potential of brown seaweed meal as a feed ingredient for broiler chickens.

The research assessed the effects of the feed formulation on the birds’ blood glucose, growth, meat quality and intestinal health, while addressing concerns over nutrition, sustainable feed resources and poultry production.

“As one of the youngest participants who presented at UCGF 2026, the experience was both overwhelming and life-changing,” Pablico said.

He said he joined the forum to learn from researchers across Southeast Asia and present research that could benefit farmers and contribute to the scientific community.

Pablico also thanked MMSU for supporting research initiatives aimed at producing practical and relevant scientific work.

Another MMSU graduate student, Ma. Joy Theresa Agcaoili, presented research at the forum under the subtheme “Nutrition, Food Safety, and Public Health for Future Food Security.”

Agcaoili, an MS in Biology student at the MMSU Graduate School and a science research analyst at the MMSU Research Directorate, presented a study titled “Indigenous Food Plants as Sources of Health-Promoting Microbes.”

The annual forum, themed “Building Research Capacity for Food Security: Innovating Solutions for Sustainable Systems,” brought together 37 graduate students from 13 member institutions of the University Consortium.

Universiti Putra Malaysia hosted the forum, which was co-organized by the UC Secretariat and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).