Biography
Ramon Agbayani began his career in the academe as a research assistant and instructor at the Institute of Fisheries Development and Research, College of Fisheries, University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV), working in collaboration with UPV, ICLARM (now World Fish Centre) and other private companies. Later, Ramon was awarded a scholarship grant funded by IDRC Canada for a Masters Degree in Aquaculture sponsored by UNDP, FAO, NACA, SEAFDEC and UPV. The degree program was a collaboration between various educational and training institutes in Thailand, China, India and the Philippines, giving him the opportunity to travel and gain invaluable international and multicultural experiences.
A few years later, Ramon began working for the Government of Brunei Darussalam as Site Staff Fisheries Officer. During his tenure there, he was twice awarded the Excellence of Service Award by the Government of Brunei’s Civil Service Department for his outstanding contributions in the development of the aquaculture industry.
Ramon was assigned as the General Manager for the commercialization project of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) Hatchery for fish and shrimp under SemaunPrim Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary Company of Semaun Holdings Sdn Bhd, the Investment Arm of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources of Brunei Darussalam. Upon privatization of the Project, he assumed the General Manager and Senior Technical Consultant position for Seiwa Corporation Sdn Bhd, a government linked Private Company.
After moving to Canada, Ramon has worked as a consultant for Aquaseed Technologies Ltd (Canada) and Fish Protech Pty Ltd (Australia) on projects in Brunei and Malaysia developing SPF hatcheries. He is currently a consulting researcher with the Seafood Watch Project of the Center for the Future of the Oceans of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, USA. In his spare time, Ramon volunteers at the Marine Science Centre of the Vancouver Aquarium, as an Educator for Intertidal Marine Biology under the School Programs.