Northwest Samar State University’s Office of Research, Innovation, Extension, and External Affairs (RIEEA) secured 3rd Place in the Applied Research Category at the ViCARP Level 2, Cluster 2 Research, Development, and Extension (RDE) Review, held September 16–17, 2026, at the University of Eastern Philippines, Catarman, Northern Samar.
The team, composed of Vice President for RIEEA Teodoro A. Amatosa, Jr., together with RIEEA research staff Apollo L. Frivaldo and Aliah Zimone S. Luistro, was recognized for their paper titled “Valorization of Lead- and Copper-Contaminated Giant Bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper) into Solid Fuel Briquettes: Structural and Thermal Performance.” The study explores turning bamboo contaminated with heavy metals like lead and copper into solid fuel briquettes, offering a potential approach to sustainable energy production while addressing environmental contamination.
The RDE Review was conducted under the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Program (ViCARP), the regional arm of the National Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Network under the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), which evaluates research outputs from institutions across Eastern Visayas.
As RIEEA continues to expand its research portfolio, this recognition adds another marker of the office’s role in advancing science-driven solutions to real-world environmental challenges in the region.