by Koozae Calvin Umali | Hachimoji
ScienTeach is a series of webinars that started in the year 2020 in partnership with the DOST Regional Offices to continue its mission to promote a strong science culture in the country by encouraging the future generations in pursuing a career path in science. Now in its second year, the virtual symposium for the junior and senior high school students was held virtually through Zoom and Facebook Live.
ScienTeach in Isabela
In partnership with PSTC Isabela, four academicians from the Agricultural Sciences Division of NAST PHL were invited as resource speakers for the fourth episode of this webinar series last October 5.
Academician Rex Victor O. Cruz, an expert on watershed management and climate change, shared his knowledge about what science, specifically forestry, has taught him, Acd. Cruz shared that the reason he chose and remained in forest science was because of his fascination in seeing things in a new way. ‘’To me, science is really about discovering new things,’’ he added.
‘’It takes all of us to be able to solve the problem of losing our forests,’’ said Acd. Cruz as he points out that it needs the participation of all sectors of the society to solve the problem of deforestation. Acd. Cruz ends his talk by saying, ‘’We need more people to study forest and allied sciences to achieve the sustainability of our forests’’.
Academician Eufemio T. Rasco Jr., an expert in the field of plant breeding, shared how traditional food, nutrition, and agriculture is interconnected with our lives. Acd. Rasco said that we should be making science-based decisions on what we eat and consume everyday.
He argued that amidst the challenges that the world is facing right now, we need to survive and remain healthy, and that the future of our food lies in our past. ‘’If you eat what your ancestors ate, you are in good shape,’’ said Acd. Rasco. He also explained that the food we eat can influence the expression of our genes, which can be passed on to the succeeding generations.
Academician Arnel N. Del Barrio, a leading scientist in the field of ruminant nutrition, talks about his journey to success while riding a carabao. He resonated that like some, he is a son of a farmer, and that his life and career was always with the carabao, from childhood to employment. ‘’My journey is still continuing, and with carabao as my ride,’’ he said.
Acd. Del Barrio also shared his recent study with ruminants. ’’We used science to transform our native carabao to a more productive animal, and the products can contribute to food production,’’ Acd. Del Barrio said while explaining how science can be used to solve the problems involving these carabaos, and to help to improve the life of farmers, create jobs, and better the nutrition of children.
Academician Mudjekeewis D. Santos, a foremost scientist in the marine ecosystem, emphasized the importance of names not only for us humans, but also for aquatic organisms. He also mentioned that naming species is important since the Philippines is the center of marine biodiversity in the world.
He shared how his job as a marine scientist made him work in different areas from underwater up to the laboratories, adding that he got to work while enjoying the places that he went through. Acd. Santos then shared the newly discovered, newly named, threatened and endangered aquatic species in the country, which we have a responsibility to conserve and protect.
In the open forum, Acd. Cruz said that students can promote awareness about the issues that our environment is facing right now, and added that each of our small contributions will largely impact our environment. ‘’That should be our mentality. Let us not discount what we can do no matter how little, when it accumulates and when we are able to mobilize other people, then as I said, your tree can become a forest,’’ he added.
On the question of what is the greatest threat to marine biodiversity in the country, Acd. Santos said that with the other threats like habitat degradation, pollution, and invasive species, climate change is still the biggest threat, emphasizing that if not abated, will devastate a lot of ecosystems in the world, even our basic existence.
The event was moderated by Dr. Reynante L. Ordonio, Senior Science Research Specialist and Scientist I at the Philippine Rice Research Institute, and 2021 Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee.
ScienTeach in Region 1
In celebration of the 2021 Regional and National Science and Technology Week, NAST PHL and DOST Regional Office I invited three Filipino expert scientists as resource speakers to share their knowledge on their field of expertise in the fifth installment of ScienTeach last October 18.
‘’I sincerely wish that this symposium would expose your minds to the scientific world, orients you towards undertaking scientific careers, and encourage you to liken the inner beauty of research as a service to the society and nation,” said Academician Rhodora V. Azanza, the president of NAST PHL, in her opening remarks.
Academician Glenn B. Gregorio (Recombinants), a multi-awarded scientist from the Agricultural Sciences Division of NAST PHL and GeneSoc alumnus, shares his journey in becoming an expert in the field of rice genetics. At a young age, Acd. Gregorio shared that he was able to publish his first journal article in high school. He shared that his curiosity in discovering the world made him fall in love with science. He emphasized that students should grow wherever they were planted, and this made him make contributions in science that made a difference, not only to the Philippines but also to other nations as well.
His talk also emphasized that students should be patient in their journey, and that their passion in the sciences will take them to different places while meeting different people. Acd. Gregorio dared the students to dream, to be curious, and to act on these dreams, saying that these are the ingredients of becoming a good scientist in the future.
2019 Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee Dr. Pia D. Bagamasbad shares her side of the story as an expert scientist on molecular endocrinology. Dr. Bagamasbad shared her love of science from her high school years to her experience in graduate studies and work abroad, and what that contributed in her journey as a scientist when she got back to the Philippines.
Her talk touched on the current status of life science research in the world, saying that the field has transformed dramatically due to the recent innovations in genomic research like multi-omics technology and big data analysis. Here in the Philippines, Dr. Bagamasbad also highlighted the work that the Philippine Genome Center has been doing for the past years.
Dr. Bagamasbad also said that she supports the pursuit of graduate studies abroad, because of the level of learning and the opportunities associated with that, but she tells her students to come back to the Philippines as she said that ‘’this is where you will matter more.’’ But with the improvements being made in the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Dr. Bagamasbad shared that we can produce high-quality research publications that can be globally competitive. She also shared what are the traits of in being a good scientist, along with the perks and challenges of being one. Dr. Bagamasbad wraps up her talk by highlighting the importance of basic science research, and that it should be given equal attention with the applied research here in the country.
Dr. Rico C. Ancog, an environmental scientist and also a 2019 Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee, talked about the role of science in environmental governance. ‘’Crucial to the way we make decisions is our appreciation of the true value of the natural environment, which therefore has an effect on how we make decisions,’’ Dr. Ancog said.
He emphasized the importance of science in making policy projects. Also, he highlighted the multidisciplinary approach when dealing with environmental governance. Dr. Ancog showed that scientists can go to many places by doing these projects, and the work being done by these scientists is exciting because they get to translate their scientific knowledge and work into something that will be used to create policies, which in turn will benefit the people. Dr. Ancog ends by saying ‘’Truly, you can complete that cycle, and perhaps, you establish and you build an exciting career that has value to you as a person, and hopefully to our country as a whole.’’
National Scientist in Economics Raul V. Fabella, chair of the Social Sciences Division of NAST PHL, closed the event as he delivered his remarks. ‘’Every great scientific discovery starts with a question. The answer is clinched with data and evidence--not by authority, not by diktat, only by data and by evidence. We hope you also get inspired to ask difficult questions and pursue a career in science in search of your personal answer,’’ NS Fabella said.
The event was moderated by Dr. Pierangeli G. Vital, Scientist I and laboratory head of Natural Sciences Research Institute of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and 2021 Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee.
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