The Supreme Court has reversed its ruling that prevented the field testing of the genetically engineered Bt talong. In a unanimous decision, the high court granted the motions for reconsideration filed by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications Inc., Environmental Management Bureau, Crop Life Philippines, University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation and University of the Philippines. The court agreed that “the case should have been dismissed for mootness” since the Bt talong field trials have been completed and terminated and the biosafety permits issued by the Bureau of Plant Industry have already expired. Thus, these “effectively negated the need […]
VP Concepcion among S&T awardees from UP
Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela P. Concepcion was recognized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) as this year’s outstanding science administrator. Concepcion, who is a professor at the Marine Science Institute, received the award for fostering “an enabling environment for researchers in UP by providing university funds, which faculty and researchers use to carry out interdisciplinary and basic or applied research and creative work.” She was behind the creation of the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Grant which, since 2012, has led to 62 large-scale projects covering various themes such as […]
The Mammals of Luzon Island book launch
The University of the Philippines Diliman, through UP Biology was the recipient of a donation of 1000 copies of a book through the Diliman Science Research Foundation (DSRF), chaired by the College of Science Dean Jose Maria P. Balmaceda and the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF) for distribution to critical stakeholders in Luzon and the rest of the country. The book “The Mammals of Luzon Island: A Biogeographic Perspective on Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation” was written by Lawrence R. Heaney, Danilo S. Balete and Eric A. Rickart, published by The Johns Hopkins University Press and released only last […]
IPA Recipients for August 2016
Laura J. Pham BIOTECH UP Los Baños “Pili (Canarium ovatum)” in Industrial Oil Crops. Thomas A. McKeon, Douglas G. Hayes, David F. Hildebrand and Randall J. Weselake (editors). London, United Kingdom: Academic Press, 2016. Laura J. Pham BIOTECH UP Los Baños “Coconut (Cocos nucifera)” in Industrial Oil Crops. Thomas A. McKeon, Douglas G. Hayes, David F. Hildebrand and Randall J. Weselake (editors). London, United Kingdom: Academic Press, 2016. Wilson M. Tan Department of Computer Science College of Engineering UP Diliman On the Design of An Energy-Harvesting Noise-Sensing WSN Mote. EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking, 167 (1): 18 pages, December 2014. In this […]
Honoris causa awarded to Marine Science Institute founding director
For his pioneering works and invaluable contributions to marine biology, National Scientist (NS) and Marine Science Institute founding director Edgardo Dizon Gomez was conferred the honorary degree Doctor of Science during the 176th commencement exercises of De La Salle University, held at the Philippine International Convention Center last June 18. “…as a marine biologist, my focus has been on our oceans and coasts, specifically the coral reefs and important invertebrates. Indeed, the focus on their conservation and my relative successes contributed largely to my being honored today with a Degree of Science, a distinction that precious few individuals obtain. Indeed, […]
Luzon has the world’s greatest concentration of unique mammals
Based on their 15-year study published in the scientific journal Frontiers of Biogeography, a team of American and Filipino researchers concluded that Luzon Island, Philippines, has the greatest concentration of unique mammals in the world. “At the time we started our study on Luzon in 2000, only 28 species were known from Luzon; by the time the project ended, the number doubled to 56 species,” said Lawrence Heaney, lead researcher, who is the Negaunee Curator of Mammals at The Field Museum in Chicago. “Out of the 56 species of non-flying mammal species, 52 live nowhere else in the world. Of […]
PH scores its first gold in Int’l Mathematical Olympiad
Twenty-eight years after its maiden entrance, the Philippines has won its first gold medal – and two at that – in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), the most prestigious competition in mathematics for high school students around the world. Placing 17th in the overall ranking, the Philippines also overtook usually strong countries like Bulgaria (#18), Germany (#19) and Romania (#20) and tightened the gap with ASEAN powerhouses like Thailand (#12) and Vietnam (#11). The 57th edition of the olympiad, held in Hong Kong from 6 to 16 July 2016, was participated in by 110 countries. Farrell Eldrian Wu (MGC New Life Christian Academy) and Kyle Patrick Dulay (Philippine […]
Public lecture on improving the productivity of the Philippine scientific enterprise system
About the lecture The lecture presents a set of policy recommendations for improving the productivity of the Philippine scientific enterprise system. The recommendations are developed from our analysis of the performance of the Philippine higher education institutions that form the backbone of the enterprise system especially the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) and the Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development (ASTHRD) programs that were established and supported by the Department of Science and Technology in 2007 and 2009, respectively. The University of the Philippines System is the only public institution that is qualified to participate in both […]
Peer-reviewed Elsevier journal welcomes papers on conservation and sustainability
Resources, Conservation and Recycling, a peer-reviewed Elsevier journal, welcomes contributions from research, which consider all aspects of resource management, particularly with regard to conservation and sustainability objectives. The journal emphasizes the transformation processes involved in a transition toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. Emphasis is upon technological, economic, institutional and policy aspects of specific resource management practices, such as conservation, recycling and resource substitution, and of “systems-wide” strategies, such as resource productivity improvement, the restructuring of production and consumption profiles and the transformation of industry. Contributions may have relevance at regional, national or international scales and may focus at any level of inquiry from individual […]
1st International Biosensing Technology Workshop & Conference
De La Salle University, in cooperation with Osaka University, will hold the 1st International Biosensing Technology Workshop & Conference on 19-21 September 2016 at De La Salle University, Manila with the theme “Emerging Medical Instrumentation and Engineering focusing on the Next Generation Diagnostics and Therapeutics”. This event will provide a venue for scientists, researchers, and medical practitioners in the academia and industry to exchange ideas and expertise, and promote network and collaboration to advance biosensor and bioelectronics research and technology in the Philippines. International speakers from Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam, as well as local industry partners will give their perspective […]
