Mark Julius R.

Cabasan
GE 10 F
BSME-3
February 22,2011
Reef, Ridge, River
A lecture series on the R3 Project of Xavier University Research and Development Center

The second lecture part of the lecture series held last February 15 of 2011
was headed by Fr. Mars P. Tan SJ who was a environmental researcher of the
Environmental Science for Social Change and was the consultant of the institute of
Social Order in Ateneo de Manila University.
The Lecture focused entirely on the recent developments in the R 3( Reef,
Ridge, River) Project of Xavier University- Ateneo de Cagayan faculty researchers
together with the units from Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, GIS,
Sociology, XUCAT, and the Mckeough Marine Research Center. It also involved the
local government units, national government agencies and indigenous people
groups who of great especially in locating remote areas for testing.
R3 is one of the convergence program of the Research and Social Outreach
Office of the University which establishes the connectivity of the three ecosystems
as one system which has a major impact to the society in Cagayan de Oro and what
contributes to the aggravating destruction of this ecosystem. The Aim of the project
according to Fr. Tan was to make the local government of the probable causes of
large quantity of sediment being flushed from the Ridges down to the banks of the
rivers.
Fr. Tan discussed their research based on the preliminary finding of their
experiment and categorized it according to phases. Phase 1: Profiling- which
includes the naming of the different important points of where the testing is to
conducted, the basic knowledge of the various sediment elements, the topography
of the research area itself. This stage is where FR. Tan claimed their research to be
presently focused; Phase 2: Impacts and System modeling- which includes the
social contributions according to the different livelihood activities within a given
area; Phase3: Management-which is the proper Discussion along with the local
government units of the city in order to be able to cope with the destruction of this
ecosystem.
The Lecture series also stressed the impact of the College of Engineerings
contribution to the research project. The College of Engineering were tasked to test
the Sediments present in the seabed and test it by sieving which is the separation
of a mixture of various-sized particles, either dry or suspended in a liquid, into two
or more portions, by passing through screens of specified mesh sizes. Much of the

contribution was given by the Civil Engineering Department of the College of

Engineering.
At the end of the lecture, Fr. Tan expressed his deep concern for the current
condition of the current ecosystem based on their initial findings in the research. He
also stressed the important of our role as human beings, that it may not only be an
obligation on our part as residents of Cagayan de Oro city but that as creations
created in the image and likeness of God, it is our way of being close to our Creator,
because God manifests himself in everything that is physical and tangible in this
world.