Balik Scientist Lecture Empowers Youth Pathways in Food Systems through SHGBEE
On December 1, 2025, Quezon City University conducted the Second Professorial Lecture under the DOST–PCAARRD Balik Scientist Program, led by Dr. Manuel R. Reyes, focusing on “Youth Pathways in Food Systems through SHGBEE and Regenerative Agriculture.”
The activity gathered NSTP faculty, ALS teachers, QCU students, and community leaders, highlighting the powerful role of youth in building sustainable and inclusive food systems. Dr. Reyes presented inspiring case studies from Southeast Asia where school children and out-of-school youth became leaders in urban gardening, composting, and food-based micro-enterprises.
The session introduced the SHGBEE Model (School + Home Garden cum Biodiversity Enhancement Enterprise) as a community-based framework that strengthens nutrition, soil health, youth leadership, and local enterprise. Participants discussed how SHGBEE can be integrated into NSTP immersion, ALS learning programs, and barangay youth initiatives. The lecture reinforced QCU’s role as a youth empowerment and community development hub, contributing directly to Quezon City’s goals on food security, education, and climate resilience.
The Balik Scientist Program (BSP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), implemented through the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST–PCAARRD), is a national initiative that encourages Filipino experts based abroad to return to the Philippines—on a short-term or long-term basis—to share their knowledge, mentor local researchers, and strengthen the country’s science, technology, and innovation ecosystem.
Through this program, institutions like QCU gain access to global expertise, advanced research mentorship, and international networks that accelerate the development of high-impact research, technology transfer, and community-based innovations, particularly in priority sectors such as agriculture, food systems, biodiversity, and sustainability.
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