SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) OF THE ) Second Regular Session )

SENATE '14 AUG 26 1\10:13 P.5. Res No. 8 G2

Introduced by SENATOR MANUEL "LITO" M. LAPID

RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING DR. GAVINO TRONO, DR. ANGEL ALCALA, DR. ROMAN BARBA, AND DR. FOR HAVING BEEN CONFERRED WITH THE ORDER OF NATIONAL SCIENTIST LAST 12 AUGUST 2014

WHEREAS, Article XIV, Section 10 of the Constitution states "Science and technology are essential for national development and progress. The State shall give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their utilization; and to science and technology education, training, and services. It shall support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, and their application to the country's productive systems and national life" ;

WHEREAS, in order to provide meaningful incentives to those engaged in scientific and technological research, and to give recognition to outstanding achievements in technology and the sciences, the Order of National Scientist was created under Presidential Decree 1003-A on 16 December 1976;

WHEREAS, the Order of National Scientist is the highest recognition given by the President of the Philippines to Filipino men or women of science who have made significant contributions in one of the different fields of science and technology;

WHEREAS, the Order of National Scientist is a prestigious award having been conferred only on 41 since 1978;

WHEREAS, last 12 August 2014, His Excellency President Benigno C. Aquino III conferred the Order of National Scientist on the following people for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields: Dr. Gavino Trono for Marine Botany, Dr. Angel Alcala for Biological Sciences, Dr. Roman Barba for Horticulture and Dr. Edgardo Gomez for Marine Biology;

WHEREAS, Dr. Trono was cited for the implementation of 45 research projects and the identification of 25 new species of marine benthic algae and for initiating the first to report of the "ice-ice" disease among seaweeds;

WHEREAS, an advocate of marine "no-take zones", Dr. Alcala has established marine reserve areas and created artificial coral reefs that helped revitalize the country's aquatic ecosystem;

WHEREAS, Dr. Barba is responsible for pioneering the induction of flowering and fruiting of mangoes, making this seasonal fruit available all year round;

WHEREAS, Dr. Gomez steered the world's first national-scale assessment of damage to coral reefs bringing widespread concern over the status of coral reefs worldwide that consequently led to the creation of the Global Monitoring Network and among others; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, to congratulate Dr. Gavino Trono, Dr. Angel Alcala, Dr. Roman Barba, and Dr. Edgardo Gomez for having been conferred with the order of national scientist last 12 August 2014.

Adopted,