Month: May 2019

2019 Edition Asian Scientist 100 lists DOST-ITDI’s Torres, Paglicawan

May 6,2019
In an early March 2019 article of the Asian Scientist Magazine, it announced that 2019 has a new list of 100 scientists who are outstanding in their fields.

Dr. Juliana Chan, founder and editor-in-chief of Asian Scientist Magazine and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum herself, announced the names that qualified for inclusion in the 2019 Edition of the Asian Scientist 100. Asian Scientist 100 listed its first 100 scientists in 2016.

Gathered from diverse disciplines that covered from materials science to molecular biology and particle physics, the list named representatives from China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

These include 17 in Life Sciences, 15 in Biomedical Science, 12 in Engineering, 12 in Materials Science, 9 in Leadership, 8 in Chemistry, 8 in Environmental Sciences and Geology, 7 in Agriculture, 7 in Mathematics, and 5 in Physics.

At DOST, Drs. Rosalinda C. Torres and Marissa A. Paglicawan, both of the Industrial; Technology Development Institute, are joined by six others from the Philippines.
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Torres, who is Scientist I and Chief of the Standards and Testing Division, qualified under Chemistry for her research on the larvicidal ability of Philippine medicinal plants. Paglicawan, also Scientist I and Head of the Advanced Materials Section at the Materials Science Division, qualified under Materials Science for her research on turning Manila hemp or abaca into an engineering material.

Japanese researchers dominate both disciplines.

Others from the Philippines are Artemio Salazar of the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños for Agriculture; Rody Sy of UP Manila for Biomedical Science; Ricardo Balog of the University of Sto. Tomas and Elmer Dadios of De La Salle University for Engineering; Gay Jane Perez of UP Diliman for Environmental Sciences and Geology; and Charissa Marcaida Ferrera of UP Diliman for Life Sciences.

These “100 outstanding thinkers and innovators from Asia who are pushing the envelope with their research” are making Asia the striking center of radical research and development efforts.

The Asia Scientist Magazine reports that this is so because Asia currently supplies the world a quarter of its publications written by Asians now numbering a third of all scientific researchers worldwide. It added that the 2010 U.S. National Science Foundation Key Science and Engineering Indicators reported that these represented a shift in the world’s scientific research center of gravity to Asia.

Furthermore, it cited the Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 released by the US National Science Board, which recorded that, the largest global science and technology gains in recent years occurred in “Asia-10″ which consists of China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

In comparison, US’ share in global R&D efforts between 1999 and 2009 dropped from 38 to 31 percent; Asia’s share grew from 24 to 35 percent during that period.

Fish Be With You gathers Batangas Fish Processor

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May.8,2019
In preparation for the Lenten Season, DOST Batangas held a three-day seminar workshop on fish processing entitled “FISH BE WITH YOU” in benefit of the fish processors in Batangas province in partnership with BatStateU’s Food Innovation Center (FIC), April 10-12.

Fish processing industry in the Batangas province has continuously developed over the years through innovation and technological advancement. Prominently known for sinaing na tulingan, tilapia, and various sardine products, Batangueños really take pride when it comes to fish processing.

Fish Be With You was a solution to the upgrading of Batangas processed fish products. This activity helped encourage fish processors to enhance further their manufacturing practices, upgrade their processed fish products, and comply with the food safety requirements. Students and faculty members from BatStateU also partook in the said activity showing a gesture of interest to learn and improve products processed in the FIC.
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A Forum on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) on Fish Processing was pursued on the first day of the activity. Ms. Ma. Lorelie Dorado, Science Research Specialist II of DOST CALABARZON, facilitated the discussion on GMP. The discussion prompted the participants to share and raise their concerns regarding technical problems experienced during food preparation and product handling.

Ms. Natividad Efondo, Chief-Fish Inspection Unit of BFAR IV-A, facilitated the discussion on HACCP and regulations in fish processing. The discussion provided the participants with the step by step procedures of the regulatory requirements needed to comply with HACCP standards. Moreover, market advantage of fish manufacturing firms with HACCP Certification was also detailed out by Ms. Efondo.

Meanwhile, fish processing training pursued on the second day of the activity. Dr. Ma. Josie Sumague of UPLB’s Institute of Food Science and Technology facilitated the said training which comprised the processing of five fish products such as sardines, bagoong, fishball, smoked and marinated milkfish.

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The last day of the activity was allocated for the project visit. DOST Batangas Team together with Dr. Sumague visited the processing facility of FilEntreps Multipurpose Cooperative in Lipa, Batangas, a GIA-CBP beneficiary of DOST, to provide them inputs in upgrading their fish processing business. The cooperative produces skipjack tuna or sinaing na tulingan and continuously market their products within Batangas province. Observation on each process from raw material preparation to packaging and labelling was done in order to specify problems and upgrade the quality of their fish products.
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Eminent rice scientist and academician appointed new SEARCA director

May 2, 2019

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Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio has been appointed as new Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), an inter-government treaty organization hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), for a three-year term and he assumed office on 1 May 2019.

Dr. Gregorio is the eleventh to hold the top SEARCA post since its establishment in November 1966 by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).

Dr. Gregorio is also an Academician at the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) of the Philippines and is currently a professor at the Institute of Crop Science of the UPLB College of Agriculture and Food Science.

A distinguished rice scientist, Dr. Gregorio served the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for almost 30 years, including a five-year stint as IRRI’s rice breeder in Africa based at Africa Rice Centre station at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria from 2004 to 2009.

Throughout his career, Dr. Gregorio has bred more than 15 rice varieties, most of which are salt-tolerant varieties that have greatly helped farmers in Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, and the Philippines. He also led efforts to develop micronutrient-dense rice varieties to address anemia and malnutrition in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

But rice breeding is not Dr. Gregorio’s only forte. Prior to his appointment as SEARCA Director, he also served as Crop Breeding Manager for Corn at the East-West Seed Company, Inc. from 2015 to 2018 where he was the global lead of the sweet corn and waxy corn breeding programs for South and Southeast Asia, the Latin Americas, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Gregorio has been the recipient of numerous awards, including Outstanding Young Scientist Award (OYS 2004) and Outstanding Publication Award given by NAST; The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM 2004) in the field of Agriculture-Plant Breeding and Genetics; the Ho Chi Minh Medal Award for great contribution to the cause of agriculture and rural development in Vietnam; Ten Outstanding Youth Scientists (TOYS 1981) of the Philippines given by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of the Philippines; Honorary Scientist, Rural Development Administration (RDA), Korea; and other awards for his outstanding research and research management achievements.

He has authored and co-authored at least 90 articles published in various scientific journals, chapters on rice breeding in 14 books, and five scientific manuals and bulletins. He mentored and supervised 20 PhD and 27 MS graduate students and more than 40 BS students in plant breeding and genetics at UPLB and other universities in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America; and he continues to hone scientists and future scientists as a mentor and teacher.

Dr. Gregorio obtained his PhD in Genetics, MS in Plant Breeding, and BS in Agriculture at UPLB.
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