The Center is a non-profit research, resource management, and extension unit attached to the Silliman University President’s Office. It was established in 1999 with an endowment grant of the Angelo King Foundation, Inc. to the Silliman University Foundation, Inc. The Center was created in response to the need to conduct forthright studies that deal with biological and natural systems, address prevalent environmental issues and develop protective management of marine and terrestrial environments.
The Center’s program is directed towards application of research findings to problems of conservation and management and to increased sustainable production in marine and terrestrial environments.
Research: Research is conducted on biodiversity in both terrestrial and marine environments. For the terrestrial, it is focused on vertebrates. For the marine, the major thrust is on marine protected areas (no-take reserves).
Training: This part of the Center’s program is focused on manpower training in marine biology and environmental sciences as well as in the conduct of community based resource management in coastal communities.
Services: The Center: (1) promotes environment-friendly technologies to increase fishery production of coastal areas; (2) renders services to teachers and graduate students through lectures, workshops, short term training, and thesis advising; and (3) conducts consultancy services on environmental management and protection.
Vision
To have healthy, productive and ecologically-balanced marine and terrestrial ecosystems in the Philippines.
Mission
To conduct research on marine and terrestrial ecosystems and use the findings for proper management of biological resources using participatory approaches.
Present Program Thrusts
For the marine part of the program, SUAKCREM (1) assists in the management of the marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Bohol Sea, Visayan Sea, and the Sulu Sea that it has assisted or helped establish since the 1970s, (2) pursues work on oceanographic and ecological connectivity of the MPAs in the Bohol Sea, (3) aims to expand the oceanographic component to include deep sea fisheries in the Bohol and Sulu Seas, (4) hopes to extend the activities of MPA establishment, research, and reef monitoring to the Visayan Sea.
The terrestrial program includes terrestrial biodiversity research and consultancy. It also provides wildlife trainings such as (but not limited to) vertebrate field surveys and wildlife identification. The Center also has capability to do geospatial analysis and modeling which can be integrated in the terrestrial biodiversity studies.
For both components, the center strives to establish new and strengthen current partnerships with local government units, NGOs, POs, and local communities for effective management.
SUAKCREM Staff Silliman Emeritus Professor Angel C. Alcala served as SUAKCREM Director from 1999 to 2010. He became Chairman of the Board of Advisers in 2010 and Dr. Ely Alcala became Acting Director. Aside from the director, the office staff consists of an administrative assistant, a computer specialist, a finance specialist, and a researcher. The other researchers affiliated with SUAKCREM come from departments of the university and other Philippine universities. Field research collaborators from various marine protected areas also work with SUAKCREM staff members.