D O S T- S E I PAT R I OT S C H O L A R S M A G A Z I N E DEC.

2021

DOST-SEI SCHOLARS
CARING
FOR THE NATION
Vol. 02 | SPECIAL ISSUE
Contents
Scholars’ Stories Begin with Hope,
End with Positive Change 1
Dr. Josette Biyo

Science Scholars as
Environmental Advocates 2 The Patriot Magazine
in the Meteorological Perspective features the development
Engr. Lorenzo Moron of science scholars as
emerging civic leaders
The Future of Environment Civic
Leadership for Filipino Science Scholars 5 and responsive citizens
Prof. Aimee Lyn Dupo of the country.

Scholars Volunteerism
in the Environment Sector 7
Grace Sasota

Quote Board: Scholars’ Notable Feedback 10

A Day in the Life of: Coastal Clean-up
and Mangrove Planting Volunteer 12
Carcleo Mark Niervas

Scholar Initiatives for the Environment 14

POHAN:
Promotion of One’s Health and Nutrition 15
Ayessa Caguioa

Project Foresight 17
Aldrich Francis Peñaflor About the Cover
Project ORIYt: Ocean Restoration
Initiative by Youths 20 The circle that contains

Cromwell Cruz various images of scholars

at various events
River Systems: represents their unified will
Our Natural Defenses Against 22 in fulfilling a common goal.
Disasters and Climate Change
Pamela Louise Tolentino

Philippine Forest Conservation

through Technology Innovations 27
in Utilization
Dr. Juanito Jimenez, Jr.

S&T in Support of Research

on Ambient Air Quality 30
Dr. Mylene Cayetano

Editor-in-Chief Josette Biyo

Managing Editor Robby Reyes
EDITORIAL BOARD

Department of Science and Technology

Content Editor Lovely Aquino SCIENCE EDUCATION INSTITUTE
News Editor Sue Esquivel
Data Analyst Grace Sasota 1st and 2nd Levels,
Coordinators Aaron Cruz Science Heritage Bldg.,
Ida dela Peña Sibol St., DOST Compound,
Kenneth Brillantes Gen. Santos Avenue,
Printing Innovation Printshoppe, Inc. Bicutan, Taguig City 1631
Design Tim Victa
Editorial Works Mary Anne Barcelona
 THE QUOTE
Scholars’ Stories Begin with Hope,
End with Positive Change
The four issues of the Patriot Magazine for 2021,
along with its very first issue in 2020, wonderfully
chronicled the struggles and accomplishments of the
DOST scholars in their volunteering initiatives. It is
an honor for us at the DOST-SEI to provide an avenue
for scholars to discover a passion for volunteering,
unleash creativity and resourcefulness, and prove
that patriotism is alive in this generation of young
leaders. Despite the pandemic, we are grateful for this
year and hopeful that the coming year will bring more
scholars to the path of volunteerism.

The Patriot Magazine bannered the slogan, “DOST-

SEI Scholars Caring for the Nation”, and rightly so.

The first issue highlighted the scholars’ initiatives

in the education sector, including proposals to offer
free tutorial services, raise funds to distribute free
school supplies, and develop and curate teaching and
learning materials. It also featured stories of scholars
at the onset of the pandemic – one who joined an
organization that seeks to uplift education in a
Lumad community and another who experienced the through a rural electrification project. No wonder
challenges of volunteer teaching at the start of the these initiatives are thriving and getting more
pandemic. support from organizations.

The second issue focused on agriculture and This issue, our last for the year, tackles initiatives
livelihood. It detailed the project proposals and related to the environment. It is also our special issue
activities of scholars to promote gardening and – a celebration of all the contributions and volunteer
farming. Scholars raised ducks to give to neighbors, works of science scholars – ongoing and scholar-
engaged in community gardening, and supported graduates – since the pandemic started. We thank our
young indigenous artists in their beadwork business. dear scholars for taking the challenge now. We also
While the scholars’ initiatives in the first issue thank the scholars’ partner organizations for helping
emphasized adjustments to the new normal and the projects get off ground, the webinar resource
responses to immediate needs in the sector, the persons for sharing their time and expertise, and
second issue revealed more carefully planned everyone who showed faith in the initiatives. Lastly,
proposals aimed at teaching sustainable living we thank DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña and
and entrepreneurship to communities. Seeing the Undersecretary for S&T Services Renato Solidum Jr.
scholars’ excitement and dedication in leading and for their strong support and belief in DOST scholars.
participating in these projects is priceless.
The Patriot Magazine, a publication of the DOST-
Science scholars’ collaborative spirit gleamed in the SEI under the Filipino Patriot Scholars Project, vows
third issue on health and public service. They worked to continue documenting the initiatives of DOST
with DOST Regional Offices, other government scholars with hopes to inspire volunteers and spark
agencies, and private institutions and individuals positive changes in communities.
in realizing their vision. Scholar groups provided
eyeglasses and groceries to disadvantaged senior
citizens and persons with disability, conducted
Josette T. Biyo, Ph.D
webinars to educate the public on upcoming
Editor-in-Chief, The Patriot
elections, and brought light into remote areas
Director, DOST-SEI

THE PATRIOT 1
THE REPORT

Science Scholars
as Environmental Advocates
in the Meteorological Perspective
Engr. Lorenzo Moron

The 2020 World Risk Index (WRI), an international Other weather systems that affect the country are
disaster risk indicator, reveals that the Philippines ranks the southwest and northeast monsoons that bring
9th in the list of countries most affected by extreme down heavy precipitations over the western and
weather events, with a ranking of 20.96. On top of the list eastern sections of the country respectively, local
are the countries of Vanuatu (49.74) and Tonga (29.72) in thunderstorms, frontal systems, and the inter-tropical
the Pacific Ocean and Dominica (28.47) in the Caribbean convergence zone (ITCZ) among others.
Sea.
As a meteorologist, I am fully aware of the country’s
The Philippines lies within the typhoon belt and the vulnerability to extreme weather events. In my nine years
Pacific Ring of Fire, making it highly vulnerable to of service to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical
natural hydrometeorological and geological hazards. and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), I
It straddles the western Pacific Ocean where almost have witnessed how many of our communities suffered
one-third of the world’s tropical cyclones form. On the from the effects of harsh hydrometeorological disasters.
average, 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine Area While some victims were able to recover, others have
of Responsibility (PAR) on a yearly basis, almost half of barely done so.
which make landfall and cause significant impact.
With climate change, these events are expected to
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management become more frequent and furious. Given the imminence
Council (NDRRMC) of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) of such threats nowadays, people should undertake the
records the entry of all tropical cyclones that enter PAR. necessary precautions or mitigation measures to combat
Some of those that inflicted massive destruction were the effects of the phenomena, as each of us has a role to
typhoon Pablo that devastated Davao Oriental in 2012, play in addressing climate change.
record-breaking Yolanda in 2013 and Ruby in 2014 that
ravaged Eastern Visayas, typhoon Lando in 2015 that As a science enthusiast and public servant entrusted
hit Central Luzon, super typhoon Lawin and typhoon with the conduct of research and development (R&D), I
Ompong that destroyed properties in Northern Luzon in actively took part in several initiatives that investigate
2016, and super typhoon Rolly that wreaked havoc on the meteorological phenomena and establish findings
Bicol region in 2020. These events claimed thousands of supportive of operations.
lives and damaged infrastructure, agriculture, and other
structures worth billions of pesos.

2 THE PATRIOT
 THE REPORT

In 2015, when a strong El Niño episode occurred and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office (UKMO) and
induced massive drought, our team conducted an several LGUs in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, the pilot
experimental R&D in cloud seeding operations. This areas.
was done in collaboration with the Bureau of Soils and
Water Management, the Philippine Air Force, and LGUs. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) promotes
This activity transpired over a two-year period in many IBF implementation in various National Meteorological
parts of the country, such as Zamboanga City, Bohol, and Hydrological Services (NMHS) in different countries
Batangas, and the Angat Watershed. to narrow the gap between early warning information
and users’ expectations through a paradigm shift from
Chemical agents such as finely grounded salt was conventional to impact-based forecasting. The IBF
infused into the clouds, modifying the weather and provides information on “what the weather will do”
producing artificial rainfall to replenish and ensure rather than “what the weather will be”. As such, local
freshwater resources for multi-purpose activities such responders and decision-makers could undertake
as domestic and industrial consumption, agriculture, appropriate response mechanisms against particular
power generation and the like. The research sought to meteorological hazards based on color-coded warnings.
establish a scientific approach and methodology for the
improvement of cloud seeding operations in the country These activities are just some of the highlights of
through the utilization of state-of-the-art technologies my research accomplishments in PAGASA. While I
such as doppler radar, satellite, upper-air sounding, and was seriously participating in many research and
numerical weather prediction models, among others. development efforts to improve early warning services,
my dedication to serve the people went beyond my
At the same time, the pressing demand of stakeholders official duties. I had been a member of the Board
for easy-to-understand early warning information of Trustees (BOT) of the Philippine Meteorological
on the potential impact of certain meteorological Organization since 2018, in which I initiated various
hazards led our team to develop the Impact-Based activities and programs to promote meteorology as a
Forecasting (IBF) and Warning System in 2018. This science and profession in the country.
initiative is supported by the Department of Science and
Technology-Grants-In-Aid (DOST-GIA) project called
“Weather Climate Science for Service Partnership –
Southeast Asia (WCSSP-SeA)” in collaboration with
THE PATRIOT 3
THE REPORT
My notable contribution to the organization was the
establishment of the program called “METeorology for
YOUng Scientists (MET4YOU): Science, Technology and
Innovation”, an initiative that engages young science
enthusiasts by provoking their interest in meteorology
and becoming part of future forecasters and weather
specialists in the country. The program is implemented in
partnership with DOST-SEI, which was sealed through a
five-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).

I acquired may expertise in Science and Technology (S&T)

also through the DOST-SEI scholarship grant. Since I
graduated from college as a DOST scholar and pursued
a career in S&T, great opportunities have significantly
advanced my professional career. Through S&T, we can
improve our early warning services and be at par with
leading meteorological centers globally.

Providing accurate and reliable early warning

information through advanced technology and effective
preparedness measures will lead us to become weather
and climate-resilient. A popular saying goes that,
“no man is an island.” Therefore, I trust that, with the
collaborative effort of science scholars, we can formulate
more efficient and effective strategies that mitigate the Presentation of the “Project Amanikable: Effectiveness of an
autonomous floodgate in managing flood flow in rivers” by the
effects of natural hazards in the future.
Marikina Science High School

Manila Science High School presents their MET4YOU entry entitled, “Terrestrial automated monitoring and risk-assessment of woodlands
(TAMARAW) system: A mobile arduino-based solution towards safeguarding Philippine Forestlands”

4 THE PATRIOT
The Future of
Environment Civic Leadership
for Filipino Science Scholars
WRITTEN BY A few years back, I heard my science mentor, Building on individual strengths
Prof. Aimee Lyn Dupo Dr. Ireneo Lit, Jr. of the Institute of Biological
Sciences, quote Baba Dioum, a Senegalese Environment civic leaders have a strong
who is a conservation advocate, that passion for public service in terms of sharing
prompted me to develop my own kind of civic their knowledge, skills, and personal
leadership. experiences. These are best demonstrated in
science communication activities we engage
“In the end, we will conserve only what we in. Social media made it possible for the
love; we will love only what we understand public to engage in citizen science activities
and we will understand only what we are by enabling them to join interest groups and
taught.” interacting with scientists.

The words ‘understand’ and ‘teach’ hit close This kind of active public engagement helps
home. As scientists and educators, how do build the confidence of non-scientists
we address the copious challenges facing our to acquaint themselves with the diverse
country and communities in environmental arthropod diversity around them and
conservation? learn to contribute to the knowledge on
Philippine biodiversity at the same time.
There are many ways to exemplify For instance, the social media group
environment civic leadership. Our Filipino Philippine Arachnophiles has helped supply
science scholars surely have started to much-needed data on our endemic spiders.
demonstrate some of these. I would like Joint effort makes it possible for us not
to think that we cannot box the definition only to learn from one another but also to
of environment civic leadership using produce a pioneering and locally available
one perspective. However, the lens I used photographic guide on spiders — something
here is from the perspective of a biologist long overdue.
passionate about arthropod conservation,
and how everyone else can tap their science
citizenship.

THE PATRIOT 5
THE REPORT
There have been strides to help in the attainment of SDG
15. DENR Administrative Order 2019-09, the Updated
National List of Threatened Philippine Fauna and their
Categories, now includes underappreciated arthropods
for protection. However, without recognition, their
protection remains only on paper.

Project ArthroPOD anchors itself on the idea of a plant

pod, a structure or casing that contains all the needs of
the plant for it to flourish. This project aims to establish
a capacity-building toolshed for underappreciated but
heavily exploited arthropods for their conservation as
well as the conservation of the ecosystem services they
provide within their forest habitat and the surrounding
community. These underappreciated arthropods include
forest predators like spiders, centipedes, wasps, and
pollinators like bees, flies, and moths.

The general public (e.g., biology teachers, citizen

scientists, quarantine officials, DENR staff, and
students) needs to acquire the necessary tools
and skills to respond to conservation challenges
Teamwork and opportunities. Hence a capacity-building
“pod” hopes to foster conservation innovation
Recognizing individual strengths means that by increasing the appreciation for and technical
environment civic leadership involves working with competency involved in protecting these arthropods.
individuals of varying expertise, skills, talents, and
dynamism. Simply put, the future of environment civic
leadership relies on establishing a network that helps
foster joint action, information exchange, and the
creation of a web of support.

The development of learning modules like KulisaPinas:

Insect Diversity and Dalubkulisapan: Butterfly Population
Monitoring inter-connected the perspectives of many
young and budding entomologists.

Forward thinking and future-proofing

No effort in environment civic leadership would be

complete without thinking about the future. Hence, to
continue promoting conservation along with science,
like-minded entomologists have proposed the extension
project, ArthroPOD, a capacity-building toolshed for
underappreciated forest insects and spiders.

Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of

the United Nations, addressing SDG 15 or the goal
to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests,
combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss,” is probably the
key to meeting the needs of a continuously growing
human population without sacrificing the degradation
of ecosystem services afforded by the terrestrial
environment.

6 THE PATRIOT
Scholars’ Volunteerism
in the Environment Sector
WRITTEN BY
Grace Sasota The DOST-SEI intends to utilize the large were grouped according to their sectors of
pool of future science professionals in more interest. SEI invited scholarship university
productive ways by continuously providing coordinators and DOST regional scholarship
interventions to strengthen their sense technical staff to facilitate the strategic
of volunteerism, civic leadership, and planning of sectoral groups so they could
humanitarianism. The Institute believes come up with their volunteering initiatives.
that science scholars should not only be
provided with financial assistance for the The environment sector webinar was the last
advancement of their S&T careers, but also in the series. It was conducted on November
with interventions for holistic development 7, 2020 and yielded impressive and
to fully contribute to nation-building. With innovative action plans from the scholar-
this, SEI implemented the Filipino Patriot participants.
Scholars Project to enhance the scholars’
leadership and volunteering skills and How scholars can volunteer in the
capacitate them in disaster risk response and environment sector
mitigation.
The webinar was successfully conducted
Despite the prevailing threats of the with a total of 249 scholar-participants in
COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute attendance nationwide, undergraduates
continuously provided activities under the and graduates. Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh,
Patriot Project to meet its objectives. In Undersecretary for Finance, Information
October 2020, the Institute conceptualized Systems, and Climate Change of the
and hosted a webinar series dubbed, Department of Environment and Natural
“Deepening Civic Leadership and Resources (DENR) and Dr. Aimee Lynn
Humanitarianism Among Patriot Scholars A. Barrion-Dupo, faculty regent of the
Through Sectoral Initiatives.” This was University of the Philippines-Los Baños
a six-part virtual gathering focused on (UPLB) were resource persons at the webinar.
scholars’ volunteerism, particularly in the Atty. Teh spoke on “Challenges on Climate
education, livelihood, agriculture, public Change” while Dr. Dupo discussed “The
service, health, and environmental sectors. Future of Environment Civic Leadership for
The scholars were eager to participate and Filipino Science Scholars.”

THE PATRIOT 7
THE REPORT
Science scholars who registered for the environment sought to promote environmental awareness and
sector held a series of meetings to discuss priority encourage people to become responsible environmental
areas and environmental issues, and brainstormed stewards for sustainable development. Group members
to plan out their strategic initiatives. Dr. Evelyn will collect data, synthesize environmental issues to
C. Creencia, undergraduate scholarship project feature, and write and edit the narratives. To reach
coordinator of Mindanao State University-Iligan many viewers, the scholars made sure to present unique,
Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) was lead convener, in creative, and innovative ideas showing the science
coordination with the scholarship technical coordinator behind the environmental issues, and to invite public
and project staff from DOST Regional Office X. action to provide solutions to the problems.

The group came up with three remarkable initiatives Lastly, Cromwell T. Cruz from Isabela State University
that seek to provide innovative solutions for waste (ISU) presented and discussed the project titled, “ORIYt:
management, environmental protection, and Ocean Restoration Initiative by the Youths.” The initiative
coral reef rehabilitation and seagrass propagation is divided into two subprojects: coral reef rehabilitation
towards environmental stewardship and sustainable and seagrass propagation. The action plan focuses on
development. increasing coral reef surface areas; teaching and learning
how to culture corals; inventing new ways to restore
The first initiative, “Panatili” was proposed and corals and prevent further damage; giving importance to
discussed by Mikaela Katrina E. Lapidez from the unconventional keystone environmental conservation;
Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) and Denver Sarceno improving water quality through neutralizing ocean
from the University of Mindanao-Matina (UM), acidity; and promoting youth-led conservation efforts.
together with representatives from the environment Target beneficiaries of the project are the Tawi-Tawi/
sector group in Region XI. The project aims to adopt Sulu reefs, Bolinao reefs, Cebu Strait (Alcony coral reef
a sustainable method of reducing excessive use of and north of the Cebu Strait, i.e., Tubigon and Lapu-
single-use plastics. Specifically, it aims to establish Lapu), Alaminos, Puerto Galera reef, and Bantayan Island
refill “sari-sari” stores in Philippine communities, reef.
raise awareness among Filipinos about dangers posed
by excessive use of plastics, and present sustainable and The group plans to conduct webinars and awareness
environment-friendly alternatives. It also offers possible raising drives through social media platforms and the
job opportunities, promote the use of locally sourced holding of seminar-workshops on the proper handling
products and materials, and collaborate with other of samples, the biological and structural restoration of
sectors of the Patriot Project. The group will tap support corals, and maintenance of cultured corals and release to
and sponsorship from LGUs, partner communities, marine laboratories. Other webinars that were planned
private sectors, organizations, and investors to will discuss a seagrass monitoring program and synoptic
implement the project. survey, the encouragement of community participation
in data gathering for geographic information system
The second initiative, “Hiraya Manawari Project: modeling, and sustainability and policy lobbying.
FORESIGHT Earth Stories,” is a documentary film Experts from the DENR, UP Marine Science Institute
production featuring environmental issues such as (UP MSI), Coral Cave Conservation Institute, Marine
improper waste management, poor water treatment, Conservation Philippines, and the Institute of Marine
overfishing and dynamite fishing, industrial wastewater, Research (IMR) will be invited to facilitate the conduct of
toxins, and chemicals, deforestation, air pollution, illegal the webinars and seminar-workshops.
animal captivity and exploitation of natural resources,
and unsustainable sourcing and overconsumption of
energy. Using the social media platforms, the scholars

8 THE PATRIOT
 THE REPORT
The scholars hope to achieve a more comprehensive
social treatment of seagrass and corals, the propagation
of healthier seagrass populations, the improvement of
commercial fishing yields, and the enlargement of coral
reef surface areas. Moreover, the project intends to raise
public awareness, encourage a youth-led movement on
environmentalism, and establish strict regulatory policies
on coral reef rehabilitation and seagrass propagation in
coastal barangays.

The scholar-participants were grateful for the activity

which served as a wake-up call for everyone to volunteer
and share their knowledge, skills, and capabilities to
create a significant impact on sustainable development
without jeopardizing our natural water assets for future
generations.

Science scholars as volunteers, civic leaders, and

environmental advocates

Over the years, the natural environment has rapidly

deteriorated as humans became increasingly materialistic,
contributing to the occurrence of environmental disasters
like global warming and climate change due to massive
deforestation, disposal of hazardous waste to water bodies,
overpopulation, air pollution, among others. In sum, it
is we, the human population, who are responsible for
destroying the environment and consequently condemning
future generations. Thus, we have the moral and social
obligation to restore the beauty of our planet, to protect
the natural environment, and to promote sustainable
development. As the Dalai Lama said, “it is our collective
and individual responsibility to preserve and tend to the
environment in which we all live.”

THE PATRIOT 9
Quote Board:
Scholars’ Notable Feedback
I recommend this webinar that
touches the hearts and minds of I recommend this webinar to
science scholars. I believe that each deepen one’s understanding of
one of us has the potential to do the environment. It can inspire
something for the better future of our everyone to engage in civic
nation, and this webinar encourages duties by knowing the current
us to do so. adversities in society and by
showing what a single but
collective movement can do.
Daisy C. Acuña, RA 7687 Scholar
3rd Year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Central Luzon State University
Billy M. Alipala, RA 7687 Scholar
1st Year BS Electronics Engineering
Polytechnic University of the Philippines-
This webinar was enlightening and Manila
the topics discussed were relevant.
Many experts in the field showed
willingness to share their knowledge Absolutely, I recommend this
with us scholars, thus making the activity. It provides awareness
webinar informative and useful. and challenges scholars to
use science and technology
to solve the environmental
problems we are facing now.
Angelie A. Apdian, RA 7687 Scholar
BS Applied Mathematics
Polytechnic University of the Philippines-
Manila Jhon Rovil Y. Balmadres, Merit Scholar
Alumnus, BS Mechanical Engineering
Cebu Institute of Technology - University

This webinar effectively encourages the youth

to participate and get involved in worthwhile
activities, especially in addressing today’s
environmental problems. It is a good platform
for the exchange and sharing of ideas that may
eventually lead to innovations.

Jean E. Bolinas, Merit Scholar

Alumna, BS Electrical Engineering
Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Manila
10 THE PATRIOT
 The webinar was very informative, The webinar is educational
which I am sure will attract others. and beneficial to students.
It is good to learn something new I believe that we, scholars,
and watch scholars present their have the responsibility to
proposals wherein you can see their relay information to local
passion for what they are doing. communities to widely
The resource person was very promote environmental
knowledgeable on the topic. awareness.

Carl Jhon C. Cornelio, RA 7687 Scholar

Jessleen Joyce R. Casas, RA 7687 Scholar 2nd Year BS Mathematics
1st Year BS Electronics Engineering Mindanao State University-Iligan
Polytechnic University of the Philippines- Institute of Technology
Manila

I recommend this type of The talk on civic leadership and the

webinar. It is useful not just challenges we face in handling climate
for scholars but also for the change was very inspiring. It made us
whole population. We all need aware and think of different solutions
to work together to solve to solve current environmental
environmental challenges challenges.
and create prosperous and
healthy surroundings.

John Olan S. Gomez, Merit Scholar

1st Year BS Computer Science
Maoris Dave M. Cruz, Merit Scholar Bicol University
1st Year BS Mechanical Engineering
University of San Carlos
I will surely recommend this
type of webinar as it provides
The activity was very informative knowledge on how our
and engaging. Also, it truly environment is currently at
encourages us to take part in stake. This will move someone
helping solve environmental to act now with eagerness
issues. This kind of webinar is a and determination, and to
great way of imparting knowledge participate in saving the
and encouraging scholars to do environment while upholding
something for the nation and the values at the same time.
environment.

Anna May F. Jayme, RA 7687 Scholar

Ameca Fe L. Jinang, RA 7687 Scholar 2nd Year BS Industrial Engineering
3rd Year BS Civil Engineering Cebu Institute of Technology-University
Marinduque State College

THE PATRIOT 11
THE STORY
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF

Coastal Clean-up
and Mangrove Planting
Volunteer
WRITTEN BY Carcleo Mark Niervas

Name: Carcleo Mark A. Niervas

Scholarship Program: DOST-SEI RA 7687
Course: BS Biology
School: Mindanao State University -
Iligan Institute of Technology

“Unsa ka oras mogikan?” (What time will you leave?) country. Although its wrath did not directly target the
barangay, it claimed several lives. Waters from the river
An early message from my mother woke me up on a rose unexpectedly, and as an estuary barangay, it became
Friday morning, the 27th of November 2019, a local the catch basin. When we arrived, there was no longer
holiday. And like any other holiday, gravity was any trace of pain as the residents greeted us with bright
abnormal. There seems to be an unusually stronger smiles on their faces.
gravitational pull every time I wake up on a non-school
day. Sometimes, I make myself believe it’s the universe’s The short bus ride enabled me to meet fellow scholar-
way of saying, “You need a good rest.” My mother volunteers from Red Cross Youth (RCY), Guild of Mining
asked when I intended to leave Iligan City to go home Engineering Students (GEMS), and Haynayan Society.
and attend my sister’s 18th birthday, to which I replied, One by one, we alighted and started to bring seedlings
“I will head home after attending some volunteering from the residents to the shore. With trash bags and
activity.” gloves, each one of us casually picked up the trash in
the vicinity. The warmth of the early sunrise transposed
That’s how the magic of the day started, which was into the fiery dedication of the participants taking part
pretty early. It was not the usual routine of having a in this environmental activity organized by the MSU-
make-up class on a holiday. That day was different. I IIT DOST Scholars’ Association (MIDSA), a non-profit
had breakfast hours earlier than my 7am schedule. I and independent organization composed of DOST
packed my things, got my bag, and walked down the cold undergraduate scholars.
corridor of my boarding house to school. As the rays of
the sun slowly enveloped the streets, I had one thing Personnel from the DENR gave a briefing on how to
in mind, “Today, I will be able to do something with a plant mangrove seedlings properly. Many of us were
heart.” by then hyped after the coastal cleanup. The planting
activity gave me the chance to flex my new plantito skill.
I am a student of Mindanao State University-Iligan The ground must be dug a few centimeters deep before
Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), an IITian. Together embedding the tiny seedling into its new home. Then, a
with 256 scholars and volunteers, I looked forward bamboo stick will serve as tree guard against the vicious
to the activity with keen enthusiasm. I headed to the high tides.
registration area on the campus lawn then waited for
other participants to arrive. I was really enthralled by the experience of that day. It
reminded me of my childhood when I just played with
At exactly 6:30 in the morning, I was instructed to take coastal waters with no worries, as I grew up by the sea.
the school bus to Barangay Bayug. Interestingly, this But what excited me the most was the idea of planting a
place has a history of tragedy, resilience, and hope. little seedling that will someday grow into a big tree of
In 2011, Typhoon Sendong made its way towards the environmental importance.

12 THE PATRIOT
 THE STORY
The work did not stop there. It was time to pick up more It may be a struggle to juggle academics, volunteer
garbage — plastics, pieces of cellophane from biscuits, service, family demands, social life responsibilities, and
candy wrappers, empty bottles, leaves, and branches spiritual journey. Through this experience, I realize that
filled up our bags which we segregated properly. In nothing will change if I merely rest in the thought that
the end, numerous piles of trash bags were collected I am only a scholar of the nation. Above all, I must be a
and were then turned over to the barangay for proper scholar for the nation.
disposal.
As I embarked on the 12-hour bus ride from Iligan to
No matter what society we belong to, whether with the Digos City, Davao del Sur, I brought a great lesson and a
humanitarian services of RCY, the group with the biotic new mindset. I am Carcleo Mark A. Niervas, a student, a
touch of Haynayan, or the engineered sense of GEMS, we volunteer, but most of all, a scholar for the nation and for
made a pact to take care of our only home. As a scholar, I the people.
am reminded to not just strive for excellence. More so, I
should foster science for the people. Through this coastal
cleanup and mangrove planting, I was given the chance
to render personal social responsibility, one of the core
values of a Filipino Patriot Scholar.

“Through this
experience, I realize
that nothing will
change if I merely
rest in the thought
that I am only of the
nation. Above all, I
must be a scholar for
the nation.”

THE PATRIOT 13
Introduction DOST-SEI, through the Filipino Patriot Scholars Project,
launched a series of webinars to encourage scholar
volunteerism in light of the global pandemic. The webinars,

to inspired by the compassionate acts of DOST scholars at the

onset of COVID-19, featured talks by scientists, educators,

Patriot
entrepreneurs, and government officials as well as the
presentation of initiatives by the scholar-volunteers.

Volunteering The webinars fanned the flame of volunteerism among

scholars, and served as a venue for them to unite and form
volunteer groups. It likewise engendered the creativity,

Initiatives resourcefulness, and patriotism of the scholars as they began

to conceptualize, collaborate, and implement their own ideas

in the
that could help fellow Filipinos adjust to the new normal.

In addition to the volunteering initiatives for the Health

Health and Sector, a group of scholars presented the initiative Project

POHAN or Promotion of One’s Health and Nutrition (promoting
health, good nutrition, and hunger elimination) during the

Environment Health Sector webinar held on November 20, 2020 via Zoom.

Sectors
Moreover, during the Environment Sector webinar held on
November 7, 2020 likewise via Zoom, scholars and their
groups presented the following program initiatives: Project
Foresight (environment and ecology awareness campaign
through content creation); and Project ORIYt or Ocean
Restoration Initiative by Youths (promoting awareness of
seagrass and coral conservation that relies significantly on
community volunteers).

DOST-SEI hopes these initiatives will not only be implemented

but also improved and sustained even after the pandemic.

14 THE PATRIOT
 POHAN:
Promotion of One’s
Health and Nutrition
WRITTEN BY Ayessa S. Caguioa

Name: Ayessa S. Caguioa The Promotion of One’s Health and Nutrition (POHAN)
Scholarship Program: DOST-SEI RA 7687 was thus conceived. This project addresses the United
Nation’s SDG #2 that aims to eliminate hunger,
Course: BS Civil Engineering
achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote
School: Polytechnic University sustainable agriculture. We were able to link this to
of the Philippines - Manila underprivileged children as the main focus of the project.

In league with May Lara Bea Labayog, Samantha

In this developing country of ours, I continually see Estrada, and other co-directors, I sought simple ways
frail, homeless children loitering on the streets, begging of improving the sustainability of child nutrition in
for food and money. I then find myself at a nearby communities, and of promoting the importance of
convenience store buying snacks for them. But that good nutrition to prevent childhood diseases. Midway
isn’t the problem. Those children tend to suffer from in 2020, we started to meet with convenors and other
complications due to poor nutrition and lack of proper volunteers via Zoom conferencing for the planning
hygiene, thus becoming chronically underweight, and implementation of outreach programs that
stunted, and so much more. As I continue to see provide seminars, dietary meal plans, and agricultural
widespread incidences of malnutrition, I wonder whether sustainability to selected communities. And since our
there is anything I can do to ensure that street children main target was children, we advocated for the use of
get the same nutrients as more privileged kids do. child-friendly teaching methods for children so they
could understand and appreciate the concept of nutrition.
In 2020, I was given the chance to realize this passion.
When the Filipino Patriot Scholars Project (FPSP) Health Our limiting factor, until now, is that the current
Sector conducted a search for a core team, I immediately pandemic inhibits the conduct of activities like
applied and fortunately, I was able to join and work with socialization and community work. One hindering
a team of creative co-directors and a diversity of young problem we encountered was actualizing ideas, given
scholars from different universities and regions of the that one of the outputs of the project was community
country. Together, we conceptualized potential projects, volunteering. Despite this major obstacle, we thought
taking into consideration different aspects of health of more creative means of implementing our courses of
such as water, public health, and nutrition – whose most action.
important but neglected aspect is – children.

The POHAN

UNICEF statistics show that one-third of Filipino

children are stunted; and that every day, there are 95
children in the Philippines who die from malnutrition.
On another hand, Save the Children statistics show that
there are 3.6 million Filipino children under five years of
age who are underweight, affirming the prevalence of a
significant health issue in our country.

THE PATRIOT 15
THE STORY
We also encountered small problems during the Our sector’s main goal is to promote health. Knowing
planning and preparation stage such as the inability to that good nutrition is the basic foundation of a child’s
communicate properly due to some volunteers’ lack of growth, health, and development, this project will
strong internet connection and social media. Thus, we definitely be a significant contribution of our sector. We
employed all available platforms so that everyone can believe that protecting every child’s health is important
participate more productively. Instead of conducting because it will help them grow and develop to their
frequent meetings, we utilized Facebook Messenger fullest potential.
application in task assignments and performance. In
spite of such difficulties, scholars did not lose their will Hand in hand with scholars managing this project, we
to engage in community work as public servants for aim to provide adequate knowledge about nutrition to the
Filipinos. communities, especially to the children. We are looking
forward to building the sustainability of communities
These challenges brought out the best in every member on the aspect of child nutrition, by continually holding
of the team. While everyone was trying to adjust, they seminars on nutrition that incorporate agricultural
also learned from each other’s situations, opinions, and sustainability and nutritional policies – depending on the
experiences that are vital to the project. Moreover, we community’s capability and their enabling environment.
learned that expressing one’s thoughts was important to
the emergence of a better idea. It was not just a matter of
teamwork, since small ideas from individual volunteers
could be gathered to hatch a doable plan in an amazing
process.

Another thing I learned was to be transparent.

Regardless of whether you were not able to finish the
tasks given or to accomplish something, it was more
important to let the team know about this so that they
would be able to keep up with the pace and know the
status of the project they are working on.

16 THE PATRIOT
 Project Foresight
WRITTEN BY
Aldrich Francis Peñaflor

Project Foresight was conceived during the

COVID-19 pandemic when people have limited
interactions leading to social isolation. There are
cases of depression and suicide because some
lose their sense of community and purpose to
live. As the world tries to heal itself with most of
us working from home, it is undeniable that the
current situation is tremendously challenging
our lifestyles.
Name: Aldrich Francis O. Peñaflor
The project is an initiative for the environment
Scholarship Program: DOST-SEI RA 7687 sector. It adopted the Japanese concept of ikigai,
Course: BS Civil Engineering to play a vital role in the health and longevity of
its volunteers. Ikigai roughly translates into “the
School: Saint Louis University happiness of always being busy” and pertains to
the extraordinary longevity of Japanese people
living on the island of Okinawa, where there
are 24.55 citizens over the age of 100 for every
100,000 inhabitants – far exceeding global
average. It is said that “an uncommon joy flows
from its inhabitants and guides them through
the long pleasurable journey of their lives.”

This haven of nearly eternal life is where 200,000

innocent lives were lost during World War II.
Rather than harbor animosity toward outsiders,
Okinawans live by the principle of ichariba
chode, meaning, “treat everyone like a brother,
even if you’ve never met them before.” Another
secret to their happiness is feeling like part of
a community. From an early age, they practice
yuimaaru or teamwork to help one another.

The project allows volunteers to cultivate a

clearly defined ikigai to bring them satisfaction,
happiness, and meaning. With insights from
Japanese philosophy on the lasting health of
body, mind, and spirit, the project can create
a strong sense of community. The intuition
and curiosity of the contributors are powerful
internal compasses that help them connect with
their ikigai. The project becomes a platform for
them to enjoy and show their talents in creating
art and music inspired by original stories.

In Pope Francis’ encyclical letter, Laudato Si’, he

mentioned Saint Francis of Assisi who referred
to “our common home” as a “sister.” She “cries
out to us because of the harm we have inflicted
on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the
goods with which God has endowed her.”

THE PATRIOT 17
THE STORY
Patterned after some rules of ikigai, the project 7. Follow their ikigai since the project considers that
encourages volunteers to: their unique talent can give meaning to their lives
and drive them to share their best.
1. Stay active on things they love doing and do well so
that they won’t lose their purpose in life. They can An idea to create a protagonist arises to model the
keep doing something of value as they make progress values and principles of Saint Francis of Assisi – a saint
on the project. The project consists of diverse concerned about God’s creation and the poor and outcast.
volunteers with academic responsibilities to fulfill. St. Francis was an authentic human with a developed
2. Take it slow when submitting entries, leaving moral character. He draws “attention to the ethical and
urgency behind, so that their life and time can take spiritual roots of environmental problems,” encouraging
on new meaning. us to “look for solutions not only in technology but in
3. Surround themselves with good friends who share change of humanity.”
similar interests and hobbies.
4. Reconnect with nature. The project centers on telling
stories highlighting how we humans inflict harm on
our “common home.”
5. Give thanks by highlighting the efforts of our
ancestors and nature to provide us with everything
that makes us feel lucky to be alive.
6. Live in the moment. The stories incite a call-to-
action on pressing ecological concerns as theme,
patterned to the ones presented in Laudato Si’. It
predicts the possible future of our common home,
not to provoke feelings of regret over the past and
fear for the future but to let readers understand that
today is all we have.

18 THE PATRIOT
 THE STORY
Current Action Plan change and wonder how anyone can claim to build a
better future without thinking of the environmental
Under Project Foresight, eight teams of writers, crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.
illustrators, photographers, musicians, singers and
composers, layout artists, and video editors will Motivation Behind the Project
collaborate. For 24 weeks, the writer will engage in data
collection and synthesis, conceptualization, writing, In the creation of compelling call-to-action stories,
and editing from mid-November 2021 until end of April facts are not enough to make people aware of climate
2022. During this time, application for volunteers is change and other environmental challenges. People do
open. Illustrators and photographers, the music team, not usually believe in figures, data, and graphics so these
and video editors will work for 18 weeks, from May do not resonate with them emotionally. Hopefully, the
to September 2022. After this, the layout team will project can spark a connection with the readers, make
have 14 weeks to prepare for online publishing. The them understand our world, and learn how to shape
expected output of the project will be completed by the perspective and pass down environmental knowledge
end of November 2022. The stories will be launched in and morals.
December 2022.
The project, as inspired by ‘Laudato Si’, can help us
Future Action Plan acknowledge the immensity and urgency of the global
deterioration of “our common home.” By dwelling on
Further planning will be made to discuss the several aspects of the ecological crisis, Pope Francis
qualifications of volunteers and identify potential invoked certain principles in the Judeo-Christian
partner organizations for publicity to expand the project. tradition that urges our commitment to the environment
that is more coherent. He goes into the roots of the
Creating stories on the environment utilizing the creative present situation to identify the symptoms and causes
talents of the volunteers is just one of the project’s of degradation and provides an approach to ecologic
expected outputs. Upon attainment of the main objective measures that define our place as human beings in this
of the project, webinars or dialogue sessions may be world and our relationship to our surroundings.
conducted, surfacing potential environment-related
research topics or ideas that may be explored by young Pope Francis also advances broader proposals for
students from different S&T priority courses. dialogue and action that would involve each of us as
individuals and affect international policy. It becomes
The potential to engage and magnify the inclusion the basis of the project’s potential evolution in the future
of passionate young people into the mission is being to conduct webinars on possible research topics that aim
explored, such as establishing an organization with the to achieve one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
project at its core. (SDGs) of the United Nations.

The Volunteers The project also aims to revive tourism in preparation for
the post-COVID-19 period by featuring local destinations
Volunteers are primarily DOST undergraduate scholars and places to be protected and preserved. These places
from different state universities and colleges in the serve as inspiration in the world-building of the story.
Philippines. The project is designed for volunteers It likewise aims to combat social isolation and protect
to work in their respective provinces and collaborate mental health, as young people are encouraged to join
virtually. They are categorized into teams according to a community of creatives and intellectuals where their
their fields of creative specialization. For this reason, the participation is a form of art therapy.
project is selective when accepting volunteer applicants
as it requires specific skills and a certain level of With Project Foresight, ikigai truly offers “a reason for
commitment. However, the project may extend its reach being” since two out of its four components, passion and
to high school students. mission, are promoted. Volunteers emerge as persons
who can do what they are good at, what they love, and
The Beneficiaries more importantly, contribute to what our common home
truly needs.
The youth, volunteers, and online readers will benefit
from this project which may seem to have an indirect
effect on the environment. However, educating the
youth on ecology is a worthy investment. They demand

THE PATRIOT 19
THE STORY
PROJECT ORIYt:

Ocean
Restoration
Initiatives by Youths
WRITTEN BY Cromwell Cruz

Name: Cromwell T. Cruz

Scholarship Program: DOST-SEI Merit
Course: BS Biology
School: Isabela State University -
Echague Campus

Exactly one year prior to writing this, Typhoon Ulysses set the ground for sustained local regulatory policies.
made landfall in the Philippines. I find it easy to recall Lawrence Sevilla Macalalad and I led the subprojects
how my peers throughout Cagayan Valley posted videos with support from friends who were up for the mission.
and photos of floodwaters up to waist level or higher, All of us volunteers were from the Filipino Patriot
and how they scuffled to save themselves and their Scholar Project and thus instilled with the core values
belongings. Even as a viewing bystander, so to speak, I of professional excellence, social responsibility, and
felt my heart sink with every update. I was sure that the servant leadership.
second-hand anxiety I felt could not compare with theirs.
They feared for their lives and loved ones. ORIYt, with its catchy name, was intended to be an
appealing citizen science initiative for young people.
For the better part of a decade, as a passionate The idea was to empower seaside communities to
environmentalist, I have been pointing to the climate participate in conservation and restoration efforts by
crisis as the cause of floods, droughts, forest fires, exposing them to basic research work such as empirical
landslides, threats to biodiversity, and the myriad synoptic observations when visiting coral reefs or
ecological disasters. The blame could only fall on seagrass meadows. The project also aimed to highlight
environmentally exploitative and exhaustive human other means of upholding ecological resilience besides
systems. Typhoon Ulysses and its impact on the Filipino typical tree planting. Further, general awareness and
people was my tipping point. We the youth, young as we capacity building through IEC programs would solidify
are, have to act for the climate. their common understanding of coral and seagrass
ecology. Optimistically, an ideal result was for the
DOST-SEI’s sectoral initiatives through the Filipino municipal government to issue an ordinance for the
Patriot Scholars Project serve as the window of quality regulation of water discharged to the marine
opportunity we need to involve ourselves in volunteerism environment to minimize human-induced stress on the
for climate action. It was on this prompt that the ORIYt ecosystem.
Project began. The Ocean Restoration Initiative by Youths
(ORIYt) is an environmental project aimed at promoting The project started in mid-November with a series
awareness on seagrass and coral conservation that relies of online consultations with marine biology experts
significantly on community volunteers. followed by replanning. Since the get-go, the project
already encountered issues on feasibility. Such an
The project was divided into two subprojects that intimidating project was hard to actualize amid the
interrelate in ocean restoration and management: coral challenging online learning environment. Moreover,
reef rehabilitation and seagrass propagation. The first proponents of the ORIYt Project were geographically
is a long-term and continuous action designed to help located across Luzon, many of them far and unconnected
people appreciate, understand, and propagate corals. The to coastal communities. Most notably, the project was
latter is a blend of youth-led synoptic surveys of seagrass not designed with the COVID-19 pandemic in mind, as it
meadows and workshops for coastal communities to depended heavily on face-to-face interactions.

20 THE PATRIOT
 THE STORY

Our main reference for the project was Len Mckenzie’s ORIYt is a project that will benefit youth, aspiring
2001 Seagrass Watch: Manual for Mapping & Monitoring scientists, fisherfolks, the environment, and the country
Seagrass Resources by Community (citizen) Volunteers. by promoting a resilient life support system. The
Understandably, the manual did not include methods climate crisis is real, and it is not just an environmental
that deal with socio-political hindrances. Our solution issue. It is also a social issue. It affects the ecosystem,
then was to continue progress during the summer break communities, homes, lives, and livelihoods. While it is
when we had more time. Since we struggled to overcome not a silver bullet solution—nothing is—environmental
hindrances affecting the project’s planning phase, we volunteerism projects are effective ways of addressing
deferred asking for financial and professional support the pressing issues of our continuously warming planet.
from partners listed in our action plan, the Sangguniang
Kabataan, LGUs, and non-profit organizations. Climate action appears daunting, especially when you
get pushed back a couple of times. Our endeavor had a
A lot of the learnings we acquired during project rough start and its fair share of struggles. It is worth
implementation was placed on our back burner. We mentioning, however, that volunteerism projects are
learned that long-term undertakings such as this are a lot like this: reality hits a little bit differently from
bound to have constant back and forth movements. One your picture-perfect plans. But if it is founded on the
issue that stood out was communication. In light of the unyielding desire to help, I trust it will find a way of
difficulty of building rapport with volunteers in an online asserting itself, however challenging the forward
setting, it seemed way easier to impose decisions to movement may seem.
fast-track processes. However, from experience, there
is a limit on how far one can go alone. A solution to this
was to take time in building teamwork. Volunteerism was
never meant for one – collaboration and corroboration
are what truly push it forward.

The project is now set to restart after a complete redesign

of the action plan. It has the same framework at the core,
but we decided to refit it within a digital setting through
weekly online workshops, youth engagement, and
better online visibility with the help of the ISU Biological
Society, a college-based organization in Isabela State
University - Echague where I am the executive chair.
Moreover, we have applied for grants from non-profits
to better equip the project in providing an effective
experience for our target audiences and beneficiaries.

THE PATRIOT 21
SPECIAL SECTION
RIVER SYSTEMS:

Our Natural Defenses

Against Disasters
and Climate Change
WRITTEN BY Pamela Louise Tolentino

Name: Pamela Louise Tolentino-Sartiga

Scholarship Program: DOST-Newton Ph.D
Course: Ph.D in Earth Sciences
School: University of Glasgow, UK

Many years back when I was in high school, there was Since it was very hard back then to change courses, plus
always this pressing question: “What is your ambition?” the fact that I liked my blockmates and professors and
or “What is your greatest dream?” I always found myself enjoyed most of my subjects, I attained my BS Biology
giving the same answer, “to become a doctor”, probably degree in 2011 – the same year I entered the Geology
because of the prestige and rewards that went with it, as program.
most of my batchmates back then who were picked up by
their parents in different cars were daughters and sons of My time at the UP National Institute of Geological
doctors. Sciences (UP-NIGS) opened a completely different
world to me. From dealing with plants and animals to
I am, of course, very proud of my parents, but I want identifying rocks, I began to see how science governs
them to be prouder of me. In college, I applied at the things around us. I joined the Environment
different universities and ended up taking BS Biology at Monitoring Laboratory, where we dealt with everything
the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Everything about water – water resource assessments, hazard
went well during my freshman year – no Biology subject mapping, hydrogeologic studies for local communities,
yet, still dreaming of wearing that white coat. On my government agencies, and big companies. Immersing
second year, during my first Biology subject, we were myself in the field, I felt I had a purpose. Even after a
asked to take blood samples from our lab partners and long, tiring day of walking and river crossing, I still
vice versa. When my lab partner pricked my finger, I found myself smiling and looking forward to the next
nearly passed out. A couple of exposures to blood and day.
wiggly things made me decide that the medicine course
was not for me.

At the confluence of the Abuan and Pinacanauan de Ilagan rivers, we had to traverse the waters to access the nearest road.

22 THE PATRIOT
Left photo, residents of Cagayan de Oro fall in line in the wee hours of the morning to fetch water from the community faucet. Right photo, a
polluted river in Pampanga flows to a downstream community.

My fieldwork exposed me to different water resources. disaster at least once a year. Climate change scenarios
I have seen the cleanest ones which made me realize predict the same thing: a drier dry season and a wetter
how big the change a river undergoes from the time it wet season, which increase the frequency and magnitude
originates from its source to the moment it empties into of extreme events like drought and flood. With flood
the sea, and how human activities can turn it into smelly, defenses in place, why do we continue to have recurring
dirty wastewater. This is not the story of just one river; flooding problems? Are we solving the problem, or are we
it is the reality with most rivers in the Philippines. It is just creating new ones?
truly a wasteful practice, especially when you are exposed
to the field and see a lot of communities doing this. In my recent project with the University of Glasgow
The photos I have taken were not staged but evidential which was co-funded by the DOST-Philippine Council
ones. Science professionals take pride in advancing for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology
technology, while many of our fellow Filipinos lack Research and Development (PCIEERD) and the Natural
access to the top necessity of all human beings – clean Environment Research Council (NERC) of the UK, we
water. looked at the roles of sediments and channel changes in
Philippine flood risk areas. Flood does not consist only of
These frustrations and realizations made me dedicate my water; the water carries sediments that are destructive
work and study to improve water resource management. to infrastructure built along the river route. Each river
In my recent studies, I focused on rivers because rivers has its own character and behavior, so we cannot apply a
in our country serve as the lifeline of communities for single general mitigation strategy to address flooding in
food and water supply. But this same provider can cause adjacent communities.

This concrete dike along the Bislak River needs constant maintenance and repair as it was built on an erosional bank where the flow of the
current is stronger.

THE PATRIOT 23
SPECIAL SECTION
Rivers need room to flow and dissipate their energy. got the scholarship. My friends and family only knew
Constricting it by dictating how it should flow may create when the story on new DOST-Newton Ph.D scholars was
a bigger problem for communities downstream. These published in local news sites. I had mixed emotions. I was
facts made me yearn to learn more, to understand the excited about the new adventure, but the uncertainty of
river more. After doing consultancy projects for many the future also frightened me. Where do I start?
years, I thought I was equipped with enough knowledge
to address water resource problems in the country. But Going back to the question of addressing the problems
the project showed me how little I knew, that I was far of water supply and disasters: The river has always been
from being an expert. with us, but we fail to understand that it is naturally
flowing and overflowing. In designing solutions to
Finding that niche was my motivation to pursue a Ph.D protect our lives and livelihood, we fail to consider how
degree. I was leaving for the UK in 2019, and I told nature works, or how the natural system of a river can
myself I would try to “feel” the campus first. If it felt provide answers to mitigate the impacts of climate
like home, then I will submit my application. Being a change. Through my Ph.D study and with the help of the
Potterhead, I instantly felt like I was home – did it not community, I would like to explore the inner workings of
look like Hogwarts? So, I submitted my application with a river and enhance the natural (green and blue) storage
supervisor support on the last day of submission while areas already present in the watershed. Rather than being
kicking off another project. I usually do not announce my reactive and waiting for disasters to happen, I aim to
own plans until I have achieved them. I never had a Ph.D have more proactive plans that are bound to work.
dream, so it was a surprise to everyone that I applied and

Before actual surveys, we usually traverse the whole river to identify survey sites. On my first fieldwork with my supervisor, a dip in the river
cooled us down while under the scorching heat of the sun.

24 THE PATRIOT
THE PATRIOT 25
SPECIAL SECTION
DOST-SEI gave me the opportunity to reach out to young projects brought me to different places I did not expect
Filipinos. I was able to impart my knowledge on rivers to see in my wildest imagination. Each trip contributed to
and watersheds to them, hoping to influence them to my perspective of what matters in the grander scheme of
value our environment. I was also fortunate to reach things, enabling me to value everything that comes and
out to our Aeta brothers and sisters who asked us to to thank everything that goes in and out of my life.
investigate their rivers. I was amazed by their respect
for their rivers and their commitment to protect these. The world keeps evolving like the river – you cannot
If only all Filipinos think like them, no community touch the same water twice. And when you have the
would lack access to clean water. These exposures made chance to change the water, change it for the better.
me thankful that I am in the field where I could do Progress may be slow, but it is important to keep moving
something about this. This is one of the advantages of forward. I truly believe that everything happens for a
being in STEM. reason. Fate and all my choices were not able to make
me a “medical doctor” but hopefully, I would become a
The search for answers enabled me to expand my doctor with a heart for the river someday with my Ph.D in
network and learn a lot of new things that allowed me to Earth Sciences, and with the mission of healing our water
continue growing as a scientist and as a person. These problems.

DOST-SEI lights up the lives of scholars because it considers us central to their programs, but the real heroes are the people and the children
in helpful communities – our fulfillment when teaching and reaching out to them is made possible by the promoters of science.

26 THE PATRIOT
 SPECIAL SECTION
Philippine Forest Conservation
through Technology
Innovations in Utilization
WRITTEN BY
Juanito Jimenez, Jr., Ph.D

Name: Juanito P. Jimenez Jr. PhD were not mandated to replant the trees they cut. They
Scholarship Program: DOST-SEI Accelerated performed clear-cutting of forested mountains resulting
Science and Technology in the conversion of once lush forest into the now forest
Human Resource grasslands. Unlike other countries which practiced
Development Program sustainable forest management and efficient utilization
(ASTHRDP) of forest resources, the Philippines had lagged.
Course: MS Forestry
School: University of the Philippines - Los Baños Efforts to preserve the remaining 7 million hectares of
Position: Assistant Scientist forest cover are being called upon by various NGOs and
Office: DOST Forest Products environmentalists.
Research and Development Institute
(DOST-FPRDI) The government imposed a logging ban in natural and
secondary growth forests to preserve the remaining
Q: What is the status of forests in the Philippine context? forest cover. Further, the Aquino administration
implemented a national greening program (NGP) to
A: The Philippines has a total area of 30 million hectares plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares of denuded
of land. According to the 2020 Philippine Forestry forest from 2011 to 2016. In 2015, through Executive
Statistics of the DENR Forest Management Bureau Order 193 (EO 193), the NGP was expanded to rehabilitate
(DENR-FMB), 15.81 million hectares (Mha) are forest 7.1 million hectares of unproductive and degraded forest
land while 14.20 Mha are alienable and disposable land. lands from 2016 to 2028.
Forest lands are further classified into forest reserves
(3.27 Mha), timberland (10.06 Mha), national parks and The Duterte government continues the Aquino
game refuge and bird sanctuaries/wilderness area (GRBS/ administration’s greening program. The NGP, renamed
WA) (1.34 Mha), military and naval reservations (0.13 Enhanced National Greening Program (E-NGP), aimed to
Mha), civil reservations (0.17 Mha), fishpond (0.09 Mha), rehabilitate 1.2 million hectares of denuded forest lands
and unclassified forest lands (0.76 Mha). by 2022. Summing up the 1.5 and 1.2 M hectares planted
through NGP and E-NGP from the two administrations,
From the 15.8 Mha of forest lands, only 7.01 Mha have the total still falls short to rehabilitate degraded forest
forest cover. Closed forest is 2.03 Mha while open lands. The balance of 4.4 M hectares of forest land still
forest is 4.68 Mha. The 8.79 Mha of forest lands can needs rehabilitation. The government cannot do all
be considered as denuded mountains logged over in the reforestation activities to rehabilitate these. The
the 1940s to 1980s. In the past, in logging operations, concerted efforts of all stakeholders are needed to protect
companies with Timber License Agreements (TLAs) and rehabilitate our forest resources.

THE PATRIOT 27
SPECIAL SECTION
Q: What are the pressing challenges and issues concerning from the ITF. This is one of the areas forest products
forests? engineers/technologists like ourselves craft innovations.
If wood obtained from ITF can serve longer than their
A: Although we, forest products engineers/technologists, natural expected life through technology innovations,
collaborate to preserve our remaining forest cover/ then we could say we help in conserving our forests
resources, the fact remains that we cannot avoid through proper and efficient utilization of forest
extracting trees from the forests for utilization. We resources.
need to cut trees to get timber to build houses and make
furniture. We cut trees to have pulp to produce paper for As a researcher/scientist, this is one of my study
writing and printing our books and feedstock to produce areas where I introduced the technology of thermal
rayon for clothing. We tap the tree’s resin for industrial modification (TM) of lignocellulosic materials such as
applications such as the manufacture of various wood and bamboo. TM technology uses high temperature
chemicals to produce medicines, perfumes, paints, and (above 160°C) to alter the chemical structure of wood
varnishes. We extract latex from rubber trees to create and bamboo, resulting in a new material different from
various products, and one of the most important are its original state. TM technology uses hot air in steam
the tires for bicycles, motorbikes, cars, trucks and even environment or hot liquid bath such as oil. The positive
airplanes. We cut trees to make fuel pellets to heat houses benefits of the process are color change of the material
in temperate countries and fuelwood and charcoal for which can be exploited aesthetically in product design,
rural household cooking or roasting in restaurants. and improved dimensional stability and durability
These are just some examples of how important the against decay and wood-destroying insects. Dimensional
trees from the forests are in our daily lives, apart from stability is essential in lamination/gluing to create wider
other benefits that we get from them such as oxygen, and thicker boards with reduced tendency of shrinking
protection from typhoons, and carbon sink and shield and swelling when exposed to varying humidity due to
from global warming. seasonal changes in a year; thus, making the glued joint
intact and strong. Durability is important in service as
We used to have cylindrical, tall, and big native trees wood or bamboo can be attacked by insects anytime.
like the Dipterocarps for our building needs, but because Some of the products produced from the TM technology
of rampant logging without replanting from the 1940s are shown by the engineered bamboo furniture made
to the 1980s, its population has diminished. If only through lamination of thermally modified slats.
replanting after clear-cutting was practiced before, we
still have them for our raw material resources since their As mentioned earlier, we are finding alternatives to the
properties are better and superior to the fast-growing utilization of trees in our natural growth forests, and
tree species we have now. Dipterocarps take decades to one of the best alternatives we introduced is the use of
grow big before we can harvest them. bamboo. Through technology innovations, the once
considered poor man’s raw material for building has
Since we need trees to make various products as transformed into a “green gold” as it can be processed
mentioned, forest product engineers/technologists, like wood into engineered bamboo boards and lumber
researchers, and scientists need to find alternative production. Bamboo is fast emerging globally as a super
raw materials as substitute while we are conserving material of the 21st century (https://greengoldbamboo.
our remaining natural growth forests. Establishing an com/) as it is fast-growing and renewable. Regular
industrial tree farm (ITF) from fast-growing species is cutting of poles can be done from a bamboo clump
one of the alternatives, as trees like Falcata, Mahogany, without killing it compared with Dipterocarp trees that
Gmelina, and Mangium grow very fast, enabling harvest once cut, the tree stump dies. Hence, bamboo is a good
in ten years or less for use in the construction industry as substitute to wood in mitigating pressure on natural
lumber and plywood. forests not only in the Philippines but also in the world.

Q: What have you contributed to the field of forest

conservation? “Through technology
innovations, the once
A: Although tree species planted in ITF are fast-growing,
their diameter is relatively small and not as durable
considered poor man’s raw
as the timber we used to have from the Dipterocarps. material for building has
Utilizing them to produce construction materials such transformed into a
as lumber and plywood need technology intervention
and innovations. Drying and preservation techniques are
‘green gold’.”
employed to prolong the service life of wood obtained

28 THE PATRIOT
 SPECIAL SECTION
Q: What opportunities for volunteerism are open to science
scholars so they could contribute to the conservation of
forests?

A: Deforestation is one of the most pressing concerns

and issues cited by media people when strong typhoons
regularly visit the Philippines, resulting in livelihood
loss and flooding. The phenomenon of strong typhoons
is not only present in the Philippines but also in other
parts of the world, partly due to deforestation, which
in turn incites global warming. If we could increase our
forest cover through the sustainable management of our
forests, then we could help our country economically and
contribute to the reduction of global warming by creating
more carbon sinks.

In other countries, governments do not solely bear

the responsibility of restoring forest cover. All of their
citizens are involved. Hence, if Filipinos from all sectors
of society – professionals, farmers, fisherfolks, and
Color range of oil-heat treated bamboo poles
students front-lined by science scholars – will take part (Left: Control; 2nd and 3rd from Left were treated at 175°C and 4th and
in tree planting and caring for the planted trees, we could 5th were treated at 200°C)
speed up the restoration of our 15.8 Mha forest cover.

A two-seater dining table made from thermally modified engineered bamboo showing aesthetic striped design of the round table.

THE PATRIOT 29
SPECIAL SECTION

S&T in The early years of the new millennium kick-started the

country’s air quality management efforts when Republic Act
8749, the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 [1] was declared

Support of
and implemented as DENR Administrative Order 2000-81 [2]
and 2000-82 [3]. The AO lays down the rules and regulations,
the integrated air quality control framework, and air quality
action plans.

Research The chief implementing agency of RA 8749 was the DENR

Environmental Management Bureau, which monitors the

on country’s overall ambient air quality impacted by stationary

sources, mobile sources and area sources of pollution.
Several national governmental agencies were tasked to work

Ambient
hand-in-hand with the DENR such as the Department of
Energy (DoE) which ensures fuel quality by regulating the
fuel-burning equipment of stationary sources (i.e., stack
emissions) and mobile sources (transport vehicles) and the

Air Quality Department of Transportation (DoTr) regulates transport

vehicles. The monitoring and management of ambient air
quality was given to the Department of Interior and Local
WRITTEN BY Government (DILG) and devolved to the LGUs that were
Dr. Mylene Cayetano mandated to create a governing board to manage the airshed
of Philippine localities with similar meteorology, and to share
Name: the same air quality characteristics [4].
Mylene G. Cayetano, RCh, Ph.D
Coincidingly, it was also in the early years of the Y2K when
Scholarship Program: I graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman
DOST-SEI RA 7687 campus with a BS Chemistry course supported by a DOST-
SEI scholarship. My batchmates and I took the Chemistry
DOST Balik-Scientist Program Licensure examination while the world was shaken by the
Course: horrors of 9/11 in the US. While reviewing till midnight for our
BS Chemistry exams, we watched as the twin towers were toppled to ground
zero. The following day, photos of headline stories showed
School: thick smoke and debris falling over the city as casualties were
University of the Philippines Diliman removed, presenting difficulties of breathing under dust-
laden air.[5]
Position:
1 RA 8749
Assistant Professor 2 DAO-2000-81
3 DAO-2000-82
Office: 4 DAO- Establishment of Airshed
5 https://news.wttw.com/2021/09/10/20-years-later-fallout-toxic-wtc-dust-cloud-
University of the Philippines Diliman grows

- Institute of Environmental Science

and Meteorology (UP-IESM)

30 THE PATRIOT
 SPECIAL SECTION
By this time, the world has recovered from the Airborne particles
terror of 9/11, but I haven’t started counting my
return service years as agreed upon in the DOST-SEI According to Rosales, Cayetano and Saghir,
Scholarship contract. It has been 20 years. Although 2021[14] airborne particles vary extensively in
the subject of my undergraduate thesis was a study of physical (diameter, morphology, surface area, and
photocopier exhausts and indoor air quality, my first hygroscopicity) and chemical (organic, inorganic,
published paper on air quality was about the levels of metallic) characteristics. The diameter ranges from
toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from tens of micrometers (µm), i.e., slightly smaller than
ambient air in the greater Manila Area in 2006[1][2] beach sand or hair, to tens of nanometers (nm).
which was part of my MS Environmental Science Because of this large range, particles are typically
thesis. categorized into four size fractions: Total Suspended
Particulates (TSP), also called Suspended Particulate
PAHs are a group of pollutants known to come from Matter (SPM, particulate matter 10 µm in diameter
mobile sources of emissions. This interest went (PM10 or coarse PM), Particulate matter 2.5 µm in
further, as I pursued a Ph.D in Environmental Science diameter (PM2.5 or fine PM), and ultrafine particulates
and Engineering under the mentorship of Prof. Young (UFP) or PM0.1. The smaller the size of the particles
Joon Kim, who is noted for the development of the are, the more easily these can penetrate deep down
Wedding impactors that started the reference method the blood-exchange region of the human respiratory
for the collection of PM10. My tenure as a Ph.D student system.
cultivated my desire to excel in ambient air quality
monitoring in various environments.[3][4][5][6][7]
1 Santiago, E. C., and Cayetano M. G. 2007. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air in the Philippines derived from passive samplers with polyurethane foam disk.
Atmospheric Environment, 41(19), 4138-4147.
2 Santiago, E. C., and Cayetano M. G., 2010. Organochlorine Pesticides in Ambient Air in Selected Urban and Rural Residential Areas in the Philippines Derived from Passive
Samplers with Polyurethane Disks, Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 1-6.
3 Mylene G. Cayetano, Young J. Kim, Jin Sang Jung, Tsatsral Batmunkh, Kwang Yul Lee, Sung Yong Kim, Kwan Chul Kim, Dong Gyu Kim, Suk Jo Lee, Jeong Soo Kim
and Lim Seok Chang. 2011. Observed chemical characteristics of long range transported particles at a marine background site in Korea. J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. 61:1–12 DOI:
10.1080/10473289.2011.604001T
4 Jinsang Jung, KwangYul Lee, Mylene G. Cayetano, Tsatsral Batmunkh, and Young J. Kim (2015). Optical and hygroscopic properties of long-range transported haze
plumes observed at Deokjeok Island off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula under the Asian continental outflows. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres. 120, 8861-
8877
5 Mylene G. Cayetano, Philip K. Hopke, Kwon H. Lee, Jinsang Jung, Tsatsral Batmunkh, Kwangyul Lee, and Young J. Kim. Investigations of transported and local emis sions on
particle compositions in Korea. Aerosol and Air Quality Research
6 Batmunkh, Y.J.Kim, K.Y.Lee, Cayetano M. G., J.S.Jung, S.Y. Kim, D.G.Kim, K.C.Kim, S.J. Lee, J.S. Kim, L.S. Chang, and J.Y. An. 2011. Time-resolved measurements of PM2.5
carbonaceous aerosols at Gosan, Korea. J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. 61:1–10. DOI: 10.1080/10473289.2011.609761
7 Jung, J., Y. J. Kim, K. Y. Lee, Cayetano M. G., T. Batmunkh, J. H. Koo, and J. Kim.. Spectral optical properties of long-range transport Asian dust and pollution aerosols over
Northeast Asia in 2007. Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 10(2), 2397-2444.

“The small the size of the particles are, the more easily
these can penetrate deep down the blood-exchange
region of the human respiratory system. ”

THE PATRIOT 31
THE STORY

Philippine climate, seasons and air quality Alongside the seasonal wind pattern are ubiquitous
air pollution in rural and urban locations that can be
Our country is blessed with four types of tropical described in distinct patterns. Most rural areas are
climate (Coronas, 1920) of bi-seasonality. The dry influenced by traditional burning of agricultural waste
season occurs from November to April and is associated during the harvesting season that coincides with the
with the dry northeasterly and easterly wind patterns dry season, hence, dry and hot air laden with ashes and
that bring the cold Christmas breeze and hot summer smoke proliferate rural regions from January to April.
winds, respectively. The wet season is associated with On the other hand, urban and city air can be described
humid southwesterly winds that usually occurs from mainly in a diurnal pattern, with heavy pollution
May to October. The intensity of rainfall influences the observed during the daytime rush hours that coincide
variation in climate types. with traffic congestion on urban roads.

32 THE PATRIOT
 THE STORY

Management of Philippine air quality updates have recently come into place. For example,
we now have an updated air quality guideline value
Philippine air quality management has undergone for PM2.5 and breakpoints for reporting the air
several upgrades over the span of years. The initial quality index (DAO 2021-14), which was endorsed
monitoring equipment was designed to track Total by the Inter-agency committee on environmental
Suspended Solids (TSP), and then went down to health (IACEH) from 2018-2020. The methods for the
PM10, until recently, PM2.5. Activities on air quality sampling and analysis of ambient air and stationary
management were documented in the National Air source emissions are being aligned to be at par
Quality Status Reports of 2012-2013, 2016-2018, 2019- with international regulations. Guideline values for
2020. Due to its inter-agency nature, RA 8749 also hazardous air pollutants have also been developed
mandates the DoTr to manage vehicle emissions, the since 2019, covering benzene, toluene and xylene,
DoE to watch the fuel quality of mobile and stationary and trace elements (As, Cd, Hg) as well as emerging
sources, and the LGUs to craft and implement air contaminants like PAHs and Black Carbon.
quality policies through the airshed governing board.

Since the management of air pollution sources

provides a continuous learning path to both the
DENR and other mandated agencies, certain policy

THE PATRIOT 33
THE STORY
Air quality during the pandemic period Identified as the main culprit of city air pollution is
black carbon, a component of aerosol particles. Their
Our previous reports on black carbon levels along the levels were seen to decrease during the first two weeks
roadsides of Metro Manila reveals level reaches of more of ECQ up to the sixth week of quarantine in 2020. This
than 90% of PM2.5 mass concentration [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The observation was also confirmed by continuous data
reports are part of the Manila Aerosol Characterization from the www.airtoday.ph stations in Quezon City
Experiment (MACE 2015) through the initiative of and EDSA Munoz, which recorded improvements in
Researchers for Clean Air (REScueAIR), an organization PM2.5 in the Quezon City stations of Lung Center of the
of academic and civil society groups that volunteer Philippines and EDSA Munoz. The airtoday.ph is a joint
to contribute their science and advocacies towards effort by the UP Diliman, Rotary Club of Makati and
attaining better air quality in the Philippines. Lung Center of the Philippines.

1 Borlaza L.ucille, Cosep Enrique Mikhael R., Seojong Kim, Kwangyul Lee, Hungsoo Joo, Minhan Park, Daphne Bate, Cayetano Mylene G. Kihong Park. Oxidative potential of fine
ambient particles in various environments. (2018) EnvironmentalPollution DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.074
2 Kecorius, S., L. Madueño, J. Löndahl, E. Vallar, M. C. Galvez, L. F. Idolor, M. Gonzaga-Cayetano, T. Müller, W. Birmili and A. Wiedensohler (2019). Respiratory Tract Deposition
of Inhaled Roadside Ultrafine Refractory Particles in a Polluted Megacity of South-East Asia Science of the Total Environment 663, 265–274.
3 Madueño, L., S. Kecorius, W. Birmili, T. Müller, J. Simpas, E. Vallar, M. C. Galvez, M. Cayetano and A. Wiedensohler (2019). Aerosol Particle and Black Carbon Emission Factors of
Vehicular Fleet in Manila, Philippines Atmosphere 10, doi:10.3390/atmos10100603
4 Dawn Alas, H., T. Müller, W. Birmili, S. Kecorius, M. O. Cambaliza, J. B. B. Simpas, M. Cayetano, K. Weinhold, E. Vallar, M. C. Galvez and A. Wiedensohler (2018). Spatial
Characterization of Black Carbon Mass Concentration in the Atmosphere of a Southeast Asian Megacity: An Air Quality Case Study for Metro Manila, Philippines.
Aerosol and Air Quality Research 18, 2301–2317.
5 Kecorius, S., E. G. Tamayo, M. C. Galvez, L. Madueño, G. Betito, G. M. Cayetano, E. Vallar and A. Wiedensohler (2018). Activity Pattern of School/University Tenants and their
Family Members in Metro Manila – Philippines. Aerosol and Air Quality Research 18, 2412–2419.
6 Kecorius, S., L. Madueño, E..Vallar, H. Alas, G. Betito, W. Birmili, M. O. Cambaliza, G. Catipay, M. G. Cayetano, M. C. Galvez, G. Lorenzo, T. Müller, J. B. Simpas, E. G. Tamayo and
A. Wiedensohler (2017). Aerosol particle mixing state, soot number size distributions, and emission factors in a polluted urban environment: case study of Metro Manila, Philippines
Atmospheric Environment 170, 169-183.

34 THE PATRIOT
THE PATRIOT MAGAZINE

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36 THE PATRIOT
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THE PATRIOT 37
Credo of the
FILIPINO PATRIOT SCHOLAR
I am a STEM Scholar of the Nation and for the Nation;
Blessed and endowed by the Almighty God with talents and abilities;
Dedicated to promote and protect the well-being of the Filipino; and
Committed to contribute in securing the country and sustaining
national development.

I believe in my sacred right and duty to love, honor, and respect my country;
To uphold with high esteem the name of the Philippines;
To protect the integrity of my being a Filipino; and
To tirelessly endeavor to be a law-abiding, helpful, and responsive citizen.

I believe that my education and scholarship have empowered me to lead and serve
my community, particularly those who have less in life;

I believe in the core values of the Filipino Patriot Scholar that will imbue the
missionary zeal of servant leadership, professional excellence, and
social responsibility.
Department of Science and Technology
SCIENCE EDUCATION INSTITUTE
As a Filipino Patriot Scholar, I will live by the values and principles of goodwill,
peace, and understanding as a citizen of the country and of the world.