5 AWESOME PINOY SCIENTISTS

Angel C. Alcala
Alcala was named a National Scientist of he Philippines in
2014 for his research into Philippine amphibians and reptiles,
as well as the conservation of marine- protected areas.

Ramon Cabanos Barba

Barba was named a National Scientist of the Philippines in
2014 for inventing a way to induce flowering in mango
trees regardless of season, boosting the local mango
industry.

Edgardo D. Gomez
Gomez led the world’s first national-scale assessment of
damage to coral reefs, work which led to him being
conferred the title of National Scientist of the Philippines
in 2014.
Alfredo Mahar Lagmay
Lagmay, a professor at the National Institute of
Geological Sciences, University of the
Philippines Diliman, received the 2015 Plinius
Medal from the European Geosciences Union for
his research into natural hazards and disasters in
the Philippines, in particular volcanic hazards,
earthquakes, typhoons, landslides and floods. He
is also executive director of the Department of
Science and Technology Nationwide Operational
Assessment of Hazards (NOAH), a flagship
program for disaster risk reduction and
management in the Philippines.

Gavino Cajulao Trono Jr.

Trono was conferred the honor of National
Scientist of the Philippines in 2014 for his
research into tropical marine phycology with a
focus on seaweed biodiversity.
 5 AWESOME PINAY SCIENTISTS
Aletta Yñiguez
Even at a young age, curiosity drove Dr. Aletta Yñiguez
to learn more about the world around her. Today, Dr.
Yñiguez is an oceanographer and an assistant professor
at the UP Diliman Marine Science Institute. She obtained
her BS Biology degree at the University of the
Philippines (UP) Los Baños and her PhD at the
University of Miami in Florida. Combining bibliophilia
and experiential learning, she studies how marine
ecosystems works, with a particular focus on
phytoplankton. These microscopic organisms are vital to the safety and stability of the aquatic
food web. Her dream? To develop techniques and models that will ensure the sustainability of
Philippine fisheries.

Mae Joanne Aguila

As an associate professor at the UP Los Baños Institute
of Chemistry, Dr. Mae Joanne Aguila loves studying
and teaching chemistry. She completed her BS
Chemistry degree at UP Los Baños and her master’s and
PhD degrees at Georgetown University, Washington
DC. Dr. Aguila has authored and co- authored numerous
studies that have been cited by other researchers
worldwide. She currently leads the Aguila Research
Group, which focuses on “the application of inorganic
chemistry and organometallic chemistry in the catalytic
organic transformation, biomass valorization, and environmental remediation.”
Reinabelle Reyes
Dr. Reinabelle Reyes is an astrophysicist and a
data scientist. Known as “the Filipino who
proved Einstein right”, her team’s observation
of over 70,000 galaxies matched the
assumptions of the theory of General Relativity.
She is an expert on data science, and advocates
using statistics in disaster risk reduction,
economics, and other fields. Her advice to
women who aspire to become a scientist? “Go
for it! We need more women scientists, simply
because we need more scientists.”

Jane Gerardo-Abaya
Dr. Jane Gerardo-Abaya finished her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Geology at UP Diliman.
She obtained her PhD in Applied Geology and
Geothermal Hydrology at the Universität fuer
Bodenkultur in Austria. Dr. Gerardo-Abaya recently
made headlines when she was appointed as one of the
new directors of the International Atomic Energy
Agency in Vienna, Austria. She has been actively
involved in promoting radiation education and
ensuring that nuclear technologies areused responsibly.
Aimee Lynn Dupo
Though many people may fear spiders, Dr. Aimee Lynn Dupo treats them as if they were family.
She is a professor at the UP Los Baños Institute of Biological Sciences. Working with her father
Dr. Alberto Barrion, Dr. Dupo has already
documented hundreds of spider species, the
newest being a tiny arachnid named after the
warrior princess Urduja. She greatly values
Philippine biodiversity, and stresses the
importance of conservation efforts. “There
might be irreplaceable relationships [in the
ecosystem] that could be gone before we
document them. That has always been the
battle.”

Question:
Is this pandemic also an event that would change the direction of Science and Technology in the
country? What makes you say so?

Answer;

Yes, in this time of global health pandemic brought by covid - 19 disease, many countries
mostly relied on the contribution of science and technology which is key for facing the current
health challenges. In the countries, just like others, need numerous medical researchers and
technologies in developing and producing vaccines and medication to stop the widespread of the
dreaded infections. This pandemic brought a change as we quickly adopted the new changes. It
has forced us to adopt new ways of working, educating and relating to one another. However,
adjustment and understanding has been a biggest weapon to survive while science and
technologies have always been a powerful weapon used by mankind to combat these epidemics.
Therefore, during this fight against COVID-19, scientific research has been directed towards
clinical trial, and prevention efforts, while new technologies have been directed in virus
prevention and control; it is also serves as an important tool in risk control in work, school, and
daily life activities which is starting to get back on track.