26 October 2004—The Philippine Embassy in Stockholm reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that several information-sharing activities were undertaken between the Filipino and Swedish experts to further strengthen the Philippines-Sweden relations. Two meaningful information-sharing activities, which include open lectures on shrimp farming and the Philippine mangroves, conducted by top Filipina scientist, Dr. Jurgenne H. Primavera, was held in September, while nine Bulacan local government officials went on an educational tour to Swedish municipality of Botkyrka to study its environmental data base and waste management projects in October.

“People-to-people contact plays a vital role in strengthening the Philippines’ bilateral relations with Sweden. This is the reason why the Embassy gives its one hundred percent support to meaningful information-sharing activities such as the lectures of Dr. Primavera and educational visit of Bulacan local government officials to Botkyrka to further strengthen our ties,” Ambassador Victoria S. Bataclan said.
 

FILIPINA SCIENTIST LECTURES ON SHRIMP FARMING
AND PHILIPPINE MANGROVES AT STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY

During her visit to Stockholm in September, Dr. Primavera gave open lectures entitled, Ecological and Socioeconomic Impacts of Shrimp Farming- Are There Sustainable Alternatives? at Stockholm University and Philippine Mangroves: Uses, Status and Prospects for Rehabilitation at the Department of Botany.  Some one hundred faculty members and  students of the University and Embassy officials headed by Ambassador Bataclan attended the lectures.

Dr. Primavera, who has been collaborating in scientific research and publications with the Department of Systems Ecology of Stockholm University in 1996, was also conferred a Ph.D. in Science honoris causa by Stockholm University. The University also recognized a total of 13 honorary doctors, including six foreign awardees from Finland, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, the United States and the Philippines.

Dr. Primavera is a senior researcher of the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department and was cited for her work on mangroves as key areas for recruitment of fish and shrimp, and on the far reaching negative economic and social implications of conventional shrimp farming.  She is doing  research on more sustainable integrated farming of shrimp, fish, crabs and mangroves as an alternative.
 

BULACAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS VISIT
TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTERS IN BOTKYRKA

In a separate occasion in  October, nine Bulacan officials headed by Guiguinto Mayor and President of the League of Mayors in Bulacan, Ambrosio C. Cruz Jr., and Bulacan Provincial Board member Cesar Ramirez went on an educational tour to study the successful environmental and education programs of the municipality of Botkyrka. The group of local government officials  went to eco-school and technical education center, rode on the eco-bus and studied the environmental data base and waste management projects of Botkyrka and Enkoping.

The visit is part of a sister city agreement between Bulacan and Botkyrka and a twinning project funded by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities International Development Agency (SALA IDA) on the development of environmental and educational issues in Bulacan.   It aims to exchange knowledge and to develop work within the areas of sustainable development and Agenda 21, education and the forms of local autonomy. It also aims to increase environmental awareness among employees and inhabitants of Bulacan and improve waste disposal management and cooperation in the Agenda 21 process.

The Botkyrka-Bulacan on Development of Local Self-governance, Education and Agenda 21 sister-city agreement is one of the six sister-city agreements between Sweden and the Philippines under the SALA IDA twinning program. The other five sister-city agreements include, Staffanstorp-Malitbog on Water and Forest Management, Staffanstorp-Muntinlupa on Water and Solid Waste Management, Enkoping-Sta. Rosa on Pure Water in Sta. Rosa, Tyreso-Binalonan on Environment and Eldercare, and Sigtuna-Tagaytay City on Waste Disposal Issues. END