UP Los Baños is the home of National Scientists

University of the Philippines Los Baños has produced the most number of National Scientists with 16.

University of the Philippines Diliman comes in second place with 9.

In close third is the Univeristy of the Philippines Manila with 8.

National Scientist Gelia Castillo

Known to be the First Filipina Rural Sociologist, she pioneered researches on the Filipino farmers, rural women, agricultural extension and community education that have helped policy makers in the understanding of social factors affecting agricultural and rural development in the country.  She was the first Filipina to be the Chair of the Board of International Potato Center in Lima, Peru.

At present, she is still busy with various review and evaluation teams. According to her, the best thing about being a member of evaluation teams is that the organisation under review is willing to make changes based on their recommendations or suggestions. For that matter, she added, they show their respect and trust to what you say because they follow it.

She wants to tell the youth that if they would like to be a scientist, then they must always remember honesty and integrity. According to her, “you can be more or less bright but you can never be more or less honest. It’s either you are honest or you are not.”

For her contribution as a social scientist, she was presented the Rizal Pro Patria Award (1976), Distinguished Alumnus Award of the UP Alumni Association (1975) and the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the UP College of Agriculture (1979). She was conferred the rank and title of National Scientist in 1999.

She was born on 03 March 1928 in Pagsanjan, Laguna. She got her doctorate degree from the Cornell University, USA in 1960.

National Scientist Mercedes Concepcion

Whenever the subject of demography comes up, the name of Mercedes Concepcion is usually associated with it.  The woman who was honored as the first Filipino demographer by the Philippine American Foundation in 2002 has racked up many “firsts” in her distinguished career.  She was the first Filipino staff member of the United Nations Statistical Training Centre set up at the University of the Philippines (UP) in 1955, the first Director of the then newly established Population Institute in UP Diliman in 1965, the first and sole Philippine Representative to the United Nations Population Commission in 1967, the first Woman to chair this UN Population Commission from 1969 to 1977, and the first Asian woman to be elected President of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population in 1981-1985.

The Vatican recognized Dr. Concepcion’s expertise when it invited her to be one of two Asian members of its Commission on Natality and Birth Control in 1965 which led to the promulgation of the famous encyclical Humanae Vitae three years later. She was also selected by the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (now the Economic and  Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) to be a member and later chairperson of the Preparatory Committees for the Asian Population Conferences of 1963, 1972, 1984 and 1994.

A book on science culture

Building a Culture of Science in the Philippines is the consolidation of the reports culled from the indelible collaborations between the academe, private sector, government, NGOs and foreign governments in improving science and mathematics education and corresponding capability building programs in the Philippines. It also showcases various endeavors in developing and promoting science culture.

The book was edited by Evelyn Mae Tecson-Mendoza, PhD, member of the National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines and Research Professor III of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Angel One

Angel One is a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) developed by Michael Poblete and Ivan de Vera of the Cavite-based RoboTeknik.

Low-cost yet effective. A lot cheaper than the Japanese ROVs used in the Guimaras oil spill, it reduces dependability on foreign technologies.

DEPTH RATING                                        100M
DIVING SPEED                                          0.5m/s
HORIZONTAL SPEED                              0.5m/s
CAMERA TYPE                                          Hi-Res CCD
CAMERA RESOLUTION                         520 TV Lines
LIGHT SOURCE                                          Dual LED
LIGHT INTENSITY                                  500 lumens

There has been one Angel One sold to the UP Marine Science Institute.

Coconet

Coconet is the world’s premier coconut coir geotextile net made from 100% coir fiber twine woven into high-strength mats. This was developed by Dr Justino Arboleda.

Coconet is good for erosion control. It has the ability to hold soil and seeds, protect vegetative shoots, promote re-greening in areas prone to erosion or harsh for plants, stabilize extreme slope, and protect high velocity streambanks and intermittent flow channels.

This genuine Filipino product won in the 1st BBC and Newsweek World Challenge in 2005.

2 Filipino physicists are 2010 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees

Recognised for “their purposeful commitment to both science and nation, ensuring innovative, low-cost, and effective basic education even under conditions of great scarcity and daunting poverty,” Dr Christopher C Bernido and Dr Ma Victoria Carpio-Bernido were among this year’s recipients of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Asia’s equivalent of Nobel Prize.

The Bernido couple have doctorate degrees in Physics from the State University of New York. In 1999, they resigned from the University of the Philippines Diliman and moved to Central Visayan University Foundation in Bohol. They commenced the Dynamic Learning Program, which gives hands-on opportunity to students in learning certain lessons. They launched the program called Learning Physics as a Nation with the aim of addressing the shortage of qualified physics teachers in the country.

Their efforts in building the country through science, research and new learning methods are truly remarkable and praiseworthy.

NutriPan sa Eskwelahan

Vitamin A deficiency and anemia affliction in the Philippines continue. A significant proportion of vulnerable Filipino children and women is affected.

The Nutrition Center of the Philippines, through its Food Fortification Study Group led by Dr Florentino Solon, developed a technology for the fortification of foods with vitamin A and iron. The NutriPan sa Eskwelahan (Fortified Bread in School) was conceptualized to make fortified bread always available in schools at an affordable price. Thirty-six (36) bakeries have been established in over 30 schools in the National Capital Region, Cebu, Negros,  Quezon Province, Pangasinan, Cagayan de Oro City and Batangas.

NCP sets up the bakeries and provides training for operation and management. Bakers are trained in food safety and operation of the ovens and dough kneaders.

This program emerged as the winner in the Health Services Research category of the 2006 Outstanding Health Research Award given by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD – DOST). With this, schoolchildren now have access to affordable and nutritious bread products, preventing vitamin A deficiency, anemia, and underweight incidence.

Sex Reversal in Tilapia

Tilapia belongs to a family of fish that is commercially cultured throughout the world. They tend to overpopulate when reared in ponds because they mature and reproduce early and frequently. This results to smaller-sized fish at harvest commanding lesser prices in the market.

Male tilapias are preferred over the females for aquaculture activities because of their bigger size. In order for the males to be selected over the females, manual sexing can be done, but very laborious, time-consuming, and only 80% accurate.

Dr Rafael D Guerrero III studied this problem. He developed a feed mixed with the sex hormone methyltestosterone. The formulation converted the female tilapia fries to males, thus, bigger tilapias and overcrowding was prevented. For this, he received the prestigious Mgr Jan DF Heine Memorial Award in 2004 given by the International Je Dois Faire Assembly.

32nd ASM awards this year’s best in Pinoy science

The National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines awarded this year’s best in Philippine science and technology at its 32nd Annual Scientific Meeting held on 14-15 July 2010 at the historic Manila Hotel.

Leading the roster of awardees are the four newly-elected Academicians: Dr Marco Nemesio E Montaño (Biological Chemistry), Dr Fernando P Siringan (Geology), Dr Guillermo Q Tabios III (Civil Engineering) and Dr Antonio Miguel L Dans (Clinical Epidemiology); and one new Corresponding Member: Dr Kelvin S Rodolfo (Marine Geology).

Dr Macrina T Zafaralla is this year’s NAST-Hugh Greenwood Environmental Science Awardee. Dr John Donnie A Ramos (Molecular Biology/Immunology) bagged the award for the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Prize for Young Scientists in the Philippines.

Eleven scientists and researchers were awarded as this year’s Outstanding Young Scientists. They are Dr Von Mark V Cruz (Plant Breeding), Dr Roel R Suralta (Agricultural Sciences), Gayvelline C Calacal (Molecular Biology), Rachel June Ravago-Gotanco (Molecular Biology and Biotechnology), Dr Eric A Galapon (Physics), Dr Fredegusto Guido P David (Biomedical Engineering), Dr Alvin R Caparanga (Environmental Engineering), Dr Allan A Sioson (Computer Science and Applications), Dr Maria Pura R Solon (Tropical Medicine and International Health), Dr Edsel Maurice T Salvaña (Tropical Medicine) and Dr Mary Janet M Arnado (Sociology).

The 2010 NAST-LELEDFI Award for Outstanding Research in Tropical Medicine was awarded to the research study entitled “Current Advances in the Study of Trichomonas vaginalis Infections in the Philippines” by Dr Windell L Rivera and Vanissa A Ong.

Relegated to the top of this year’s Outstanding Books are the following: Animal Breeding Principles and Practices in the Philippine Context by Orville L Bondoc, Protected Vegetable Cultivation: Management Options and Economic Potential by Clarita P Aganon and Teotimo M Aganon, Philippine Fermented Foods: Principles and Technology by Priscilla F Sanchez, and Atlas of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology by Corazon Y Almirante, Franklin P Atencio and Blanca C de Guia.

The scientific convention aptly themed MDGs and Beyond: Are We Making Progress? tackled the status of the Philippines in terms of meeting the MDG targets set by the United Nations in 2000.