Major Personalities in Science and Technology in the Philippines

When it comes to science, the Philippines has provided significant

contributions to both local and global areas. The discovery of several
remarkable innovations and inventions was due to the brilliant scientists
behind them all. Moreover, they can conduct more studies and research to
develop solutions and exciting discoveries. DOSTv presents some of the
known Filipino scientists and their remarkable scientific contributions so
you can get familiar with them.
Fe Del Mundo
(Field of Specialization: PEDIATRICS)
⦁ Founded in the first pediatric hospital in
the Philippines and is known for shaping
the Modern Child Healthcare System in
the Philippines.
⦁ She was the first female President of
the Philippine Pediatric Society and the
first woman to be named National
Scientist of the Philippines in 1980.
⦁ The first Asian to be elected President of the Philippine Medical
Association in its 65-years of existence.

Regarding the child healthcare system, Fe del Mundo was a notable

Pediatrics pioneer. She founded the first pediatric Philippine hospital and
focused on addressing what the country lacked regarding medical
equipment in specific communities like rural areas.
Dr. Fe del Mundo lived on the second floor of the Children's Medical
Center in Quezon City and continued making early morning rounds until
she was 99 years old.
And among her remarkable contributions to the Filipino people, an
incubator made out of bamboo is her most famous invention. She has
specifically designed the equipment so people who live in places without
electrical power can regulate the temperature of their infants well.

EDGARDO GOMEZ
(Field of Specialization: Marine Biology)
- A Filipino Biologist who has
conferred the rank of National
Scientist of the Philippines in 2014.
- Led the world’s first national-scale
assessment of damage to Coral
Reefs. Gomez used his Pew
fellowship to establish demonstration
coral reef reserve/restoration sites in
the Philippines that highlight
opportunities to increase productivity
as well as the physical and aesthetic
condition of reefs. With this excellent
initiative in protecting and replanting the corals in the sea, he was
awarded the National Scientist in 2014 and received a fantastic
package, like a lifetime pension
- He took part in creating the baseline map of the Philippines, and
provided information to the Philippine Government during talks over
the territorial disputes in the Spratly Islands.
Marine biology was the field of specialization of Edgardo Gomez. He led
the first-ever national-scale assessment of damage to coral reefs
worldwide, placing him in 9th place for the Asian Scientists 100 magazine.

JULIAN BANZON
- Outstanding Scientist, Scholar,
Professor, and Biophysical Chemist,
was born in Balanga, Bataan on
March 25, 1908.
- Gained recognition for his notable
researches on the Philippine
 coconut and other indigenous materials as “Renewable Sources of
Chemicals and Fuels”
- Filipino Biochemist
- Was frequently invited to attend Scientific Conferences all over the
world.
As a pioneer in renewable energy, Julian Banzon uses his skill in
producing alternative fuels through his research methods. As he
specialized in chemistry, it was easy for him to do this incredible
innovation, and he was even known for extracting resident coconut oil
from the fruit. With his outstanding research, he was able to help people
not solely to rely on fossil fuels.
JUAN SALCEDO JR.
(Field of Specialization: Nutrition and
Public Health)
- Dr. Salcedo contributed immensely
to the areas of biochemistry,
nutrition, physiology.
- Developed the “Enriched Rice”
- he has published 265 works and
researches in Philippine and foreign
science journals.
- Dr. Salcedo is recipient of many
awards including the Ramon
Magsaysay award for outstanding
public health nutritionist in 1957; Republic Cultural Heritage award
in science, 1966; and the Presidential Pro Patria award, 1969.
Juan Salcedo developed “Enriched Rice,” a rice variety fortified with
vitamin B1, which helps prevent beriberi. His discovery helped reduce the
cases of beriberi in the Philippines and in
other countries.

GREGORIO ZARA
(Field of Specialization: ENGINEERING
and INVENTION)
- Inventor of the Videophone
 - Awards and Honors: National Scientist Award in the Philippines
- He discovered the Physical Law of Electrical Kinetic Resistance,
the Earth Induction Compass, which is still used by the Pilots, and
in 1954 his Airplane Engine powered by alcohol had a successful
test flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Engineering and inventions that is what Gregorio Zara is known for. He
was a scientist and engineer in the country, passionate about Science and
technology. His most significant invention was the videophone, which he
patented together with 30 other devices for better and more convenient
communication among people.

VIDEOPHONE
Zara's video telephone invention enabled the caller and recipient to see
each other while conversing, laying the foundation for video-conferencing.
The videophone first caught on as a device that easily enabled distance
learning and video conferencing and also proved helpful for the
hearing impaired. Then came such derivations as Skype and
smartphones, and the videophone became ubiquitous worldwide.

EARTH INDUCTOR COMPASS

Designed to compensate for the weaknesses of the magnetic
compass, the Earth inductor compass provided pilots with a more stable
and reliable reference instrument. They were used in the Douglas World
Cruisers in 1924 during the Around-the-World flight by the U.S. Army Air
Corps.

EDUARDO QUISIMBING (Field of

Specialization: Plant Taxonomy,
Systematics, and Morphology)
- A Filipino Biologist, a leading
authority of plants in the Philippines.
- “Father of Philippine Orchidology.”
- Author of Taxonomic and
Morphological papers.
- Earned Ph.D. in plant of Taxonomy,
systematics and morphology at the
University of Chicago in 1923.
Quisumbing is pioneer in the study of
Philippine medicinal plants where he made
tremendous contribution. His book Medicinal Plants in Philippines is the
forerunner of all researches on medicinal plants in the country. He was
author of more than 129 scientific articles published here and abroad.

GEMINIANO DE OCAMPO
(Field of Specialization: Ophthalmology)
- Chairman of the First
Board of Ophthalmology.
- Father of Modern Philippine
Ophthalmology.
- Introduced the Corneal
Transplantation in the Philippines
- In 1956, he designed an
Ophthalmologic Instrument called
De Ocampo Dissector, which is
manufactured by an American
Company
Geminiano de Ocampo is the only National Scientist in the Philippines
specializing in ophthalmology. With his knowledge of eye care, he was the
first person to diagnose and treat specific eye problems in the country. He
was the one who established the very first Philippine eye hospital to help
Filipinos get quality eye care. His corneal dissector is one of the essential
innovations, revolutionizing corneal transplant surgery.

A cornea transplant is an operation to replace part of the cornea with

corneal tissue from a donor. This operation is sometimes called
keratoplasty. The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped surface of the
eye. Light enters the eye through the cornea. It plays a large role in the
eye's ability to see clearly. A cornea transplant is most often used to
restore vision to a person with a damaged cornea.

GAVINO TRONO
(Field of Specialization: Marine Biology)
- Filipino Biologist
- He is the “FATHER OF
KAPPAPHYCUS FARMING”
- Known for Seaweed Farming
- Awarded as “National Scientist of
the Philippines”
- He also established the largest
phycological herbarium in the
country – the G.T. Velasquez
Herbarium in the University of the
Philippines Diliman’s Marine
 Science Institute and authored two-volume books on Field Guide
and Atlas of the Seaweed Resources of the Philippines, considered
as the most authoritative books in the country on the seaweed flora.
Just like Gomez, Gavino also specializes in Marine Biology. He was even
known as the "Father of Seaweed Diversity" or the "Father of
Kappaphycus Farming." So, it is because he made a significant
contribution to tropical marine psychology through his thorough research
of seaweed biodiversity. Through his research, we can increase our
knowledge of the diversity of seaweed plants all over Asia and their role in
the marine ecosystem.

GREGORIO VELASQUEZ
(Field of Specialization: Phycology)
- He made the first intensive study
of the local Myxophyceae or also
known as the Blue-Green Algae
and received local and
international recognition.
When we talk about phycology in the
country, one name is linked to it, and it
is Gregorio Velasquez. He is one of the
many Filipinos who received the title of
National Scientist due to his remarkable
contributions to the field of Science.
Regarding his research, Velasquez
extensively focuses on marine algae,
where he has devised a way to tell which is which through their unique
characteristics.

FRANCISCO FRONDA
(Field of Specialization: Animal Husbandry)
- Contributed immensely to the
development of poultry industry not
only in the Philippines but in Asia
Region as well.
- He was cited as the “Father of
Poultry Science in the Philippines”
 by the Philippine Association of Animal Science in 1980. Also, cited
as the “Father of Thai Poultry Industry” honor and presented by Her
Royal Highness, the Crown Princess of Thailand in 1982.
- Has no less than 500 scientific articles of great value in the
development of poultry and livestock industry.
Fronda has no less than 500 scientific articles of great value in the
development of poultry and livestock industry. He also authored a
textbook in Poultry Science Production for students in agriculture
and co-authored a series of books entitled " Let Us Raise Series" for
secondary and elementary pupils.
Dr. Fronda worked extensively on the Cantonese, a breed of chicken
imported from Canton, China. For 15 years, he culled, selected and bred
the Cantonese to improve the breed. He succeeded in developing the
chickens, but the line was not continued since all the fowls were
consumed due to famine during World War II.