CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

Autonomous Status granted by CHED – Sept. 16, 2024 – Sept. 15, 2027
ISO 9001:2015 Cert No.: CIP/5365/18/06/1061 – July 12, 2022 – July 8, 2025

CPU Faculty receives 3rd Best Poster Award at 2025 NRCP Visayas Regional Cluster Assembly

by | Jun 20, 2025 | Centralian Link

By Engr. Christsam Joy S. Jaspe-Santander


Congratulations to Engr. Christsam Joy S. Jaspe-Santander of the CPU Department of Chemical Engineering for winning the 3rd Best Poster Award for her research on macroplastic transport during the 2025 NRCP Visayas Regional Cluster Assembly held on June 13 at the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City. CPU is proud of you!

Engr. Christsam Joy S. Jaspe-Santander, a faculty member of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Central Philippine University and a Doctor of Engineering student at the University of San Carlos, received the 3rd Best Poster Award for her research titled “Highways and Hotspots: Macroplastic Transport from Pasig River into Manila Bay” during the 2025 Annual Scientific Conference and 22nd NRCP Visayas Regional Cluster Assembly held on June 13, 2025, at the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City. The event was organized by the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) with the theme “Empowering a Sustainable Future: Science, Technology, Social Innovation, and Human Capital in Global Challenges.”

The research forms part of Engr. Jaspe-Santander’s ongoing dissertation work and was conducted as part of her internship under the Plastics Research-Intensive Methods Internship and Educational Research Stay Program, jointly organized by the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) and the University of the Philippines Baguio. Her co-authors include Dr. Deo Florence L. Onda (University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute), Paul Samuel P. Ignacio (University of the Philippines Baguio), and Ian Dominic F. Tabañag (University of San Carlos / DOST-PCIEERD).


Engr. Christsam Joy S. Jaspe-Santander of the CPU Department of Chemical Engineering presents her award-winning research on macroplastic transport during the 2025 NRCP Visayas Regional Cluster Assembly. Photo credits to Dr. Sheila Mae B. Pingul-Ong.

The main objective of the study is to investigate the transport behavior of macroplastic debris and to identify key areas of plastic waste accumulation within Manila Bay. The findings aim to contribute to a better understanding of macroplastic pathways, which is essential for developing effective mitigation and management strategies for marine plastic pollution.

Also present at the event were two other NRCP Associate Members from CPU: Dr. Mizpah C. Villalobos of the Department of Chemistry and Dr. Sheila Mae B. Pingul-Ong of the Department of Chemical Engineering.

The conference featured a total of 20 research posters, including 6 competing entries and 14 non-competing posters, showcasing a wide range of scientific studies addressing both regional and global challenges.