The Taklong Island Maritime Reserve (TINMAR) located in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras is one of the marine protected areas in the Philippines. Established to safeguard marine biodiversity in the region, the area is designated to conserve the marine biodiversity and safeguard the ecosystem found within its boundaries. TINMAR is also home to the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Marine Biological Station (MBS), which plays a crucial role in maintaining the protected area and promoting the conservation of marine resources.
The MBS serves as a multifaceted research facility, supporting various community and University activities including administrative, logistical, and communication services. Additionally, it functions as the base camp for fieldwork conducted by Bachelor of Science in Biology students specializing in field biology and ecology.
The research facility, which situated on an island, presents some operational challenges due to its isolated location. It primarily affects the administrative and communication aspects of operations, which are crucial to its day-to-day activities. Since the University's stakeholders utilize a variety of application for research access and web-based systems for administrative services, including CRS, UP mail, UIS, and Intranet, it is essential that the University and its research facilities upgrade its network for secure and seamless internet connectivity.
After conducting an ocular inspection in July 2022 with staff from the UPV Division of Biological Sciences and the Philippine Coast Guard, the Digital Innovation Center (DIC), an information technology organization of UPV that aims to address the existing and emerging technological and digital innovation requirements of the university, proposed the installation of an enterprise long-range radio with an NTC license on Taklong Island in response to the challenges in MBS. This is to provide a wireless bridge link system connecting MBS on Taklong Island and UPV Miagao for internet and local area network connection.
The project started on October 25, 2023 and was completed on December 3, 2023 with a contract cost of Php 885,060.00. A long-range radio with NTC license and a dish antenna were installed each at the lighthouse on Taklong Island and at the concrete bunker at the back of the New Administration Building, UPV Miagao. Equipment such as network switches, transceivers, and wireless access points were also delivered and configured. Technical staff from DIC and Campus Development and Management Office also conducted site inspection, configure devices, and test internet connectivity on Taklong Island.
UPV researchers, students, and staff can now communicate and directly access web-based systems through internet connectivity utilizing the existing antenna and long-range radio. This development provides significant advantage especially on Taklong Island, as it will allow for seamless communication and system access.
This project is part of the Php 63 million UPV priority projects for the UP Visayas Network Infrastructure: One UPV Campuses and Research Facilities that aims to rehabilitate and upgrade the network infrastructure of the University campuses and research facilities. The project was proposed by the DIC, spearheaded by Asst. Prof. Rhea J. Subong-Espina, under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration, Asst. Prof. John Lorenz Belanio and ChanceIlor Clement C. Camposano. The project proposal was approved by the UP Board of Regents on February 24, 2022 and funded through UP System Administration.
