BEST 2024 Nat'l Con. fast-tracks sustainable development through interdisciplinary collaboration
Estancia, Iloilo, Philippines — Northern Iloilo State University (NISU), in partnership with the Innovative Technology Convergence Society Inc., hosted the 2024 National Conference on Business, Education, Social Sciences, and Technology aiming to synergize innovation for a sustainable future.
The three-day conference, which took place from August 15 to 17, gathered experts, scholars, and practitioners from diverse fields to foster interdisciplinary approaches to achieving the Sustainable Developmental Goals.
Dr. Bobby D. Gerardo, President of NISU and Chair of the conference, remarked that the event was not merely an academic exercise but a strategic effort to position Northern Iloilo as a hub for innovation and sustainable practices.
The program featured plenary talks by distinguished academics such as Dr. Ruji P. Medina, and technical sessions focused on information and communication technology, social sciences, and education.
On the last day of the event, the awardees for the BEST 2024 National Conference were recognized in various technical sessions.
In Technical Session 1 on Information and Communication Technology, Jon Laurence Wenceslao was awarded Best Presenter for his paper titled "Finding Optimal Route for Garbage Collection System Using Graph Traversal Methods," while Jess Masula received the Best Paper award for his work on "Automated Waste Segregator using Image Processing with a Monitoring System for Aklan State University – Ibajay Campus."
Meanwhile, in Technical Session 2 on Information and Communication Technology awarded as Best Presenter Joseph Z. Masula for his paper entitled, "Development of a Water Level Monitoring System for Predicting and Preventing Flooding in the Aklan River Region." Best Papers were awarded for "Time Series Forecasting Technique Based on Optimized Artificial Neural Network using Scouting Firefly Algorithm" by Jolitte A. Villaruz, and for "A Modified Cane for the Blind Using Computer Vision" by William P. Pacardo.
In Technical Session 3 on Social Sciences, Best Presenter was Jimmy F. de Julian Jr. for his paper "Assessing Biodiversity and Tourism Potential in Sampunong Bolo Wildlife Sanctuary: Strategies for Rehabilitation and Sustainable Development." Best Paper was awarded to Maria Ester Excelsis D. Jaymalin for her work titled "From Heartbreak to Empowerment: The Struggles of Separated Filipino Women and Coping Mechanisms in the Context of Contemporary Philippine Society."
Finally, in Technical Session 4 on Education and Learning, Carolyn F. Salazar garnered the Best Presenter award for her paper "Nursing Faculty and Student's Experiences in Using Pedagogical Conversational Agent: Perspective from a Nursing Institution in the Philippines," while Margie A. Magnaye took home the Best Paper award for her research entitled "Comparison on the Teaching of Literature in the Present Times and in the Past Decade: Perceptions of Selected Literature Teachers in a Private HEI in CaLaBaRZon."
