ISSN01126-7766 A publication of the Department of Science and Technology SCIENCE andand TECHNOLOGY VOL. XXVIII THIRD QUARTER 2010 SECRETARY MARIO G. MONTEJO The man and his vision www.stii.dost.gov.ph SCIENCEand TECHNOLOGY 2010 NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WEEK AWARDEES EDITORIAL BOARD MS. ELIZABETH A. FONTANILLA Outstanding Technology Outstanding Science Administrator Award Publication Director Commercialization Award (Dioscoro L. Umali Medal) (Gregorio Y. Zara Medal) ARISTOTLE P. CARANDANG Awardee: Executive Editor Awardees: Caesar A. Saloma, Ph.D (Physics) Drum Seeder: ATS Development and College of Science, UP Diliman RODEL G. OFFEMARIA Commercialization Editor-in-Chief Eulito U. Bautista, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) 2010 PGCHRD-GRUPPO FRAMELIA V. ANONAS Medica Award for Outstanding Managing Editor Tissue Culture System for Banana Research in Herbal Medicine IPB Banana Tissue Culture JAMES B. INTIA Project Team 3rd Prize – UP Diliman Layout & Graphics Lilian F. Pateña (Project Leader) Student: Janel Kristine Marie R. Tarin Crop Science Cluster, College of Adviser: Dr. Christine C. Hernandez DOST MEDIA CORE Agriculture, University of the Contributing Writers Philippines, Los Baños 3rd Prize – San Pedro College, Davao City JOY M. LAZCANO Outstanding Research and Student: Dawn Emerald Q. de los Santos Editorial Assistant Development Award Adviser: Fatima May Tesoro AUDIO-VISUAL UNIT 1. Basic Research Consolation Prizes Photography (Eduardo A. Quisumbing Medal) • UP Diliman Student: Finella Marie G. Leonido MARIA JUDITH L. SABLAN Awardee: Adviser : Dr. Christine C. Hernandez Proofreader “Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci using a Doubled-Haploid • San Pedro College VALIANT P. ROSALES Population from the Cross of Indica Student: Kristine L. Jao Circulation and Japonica Cultivars of Rice” Name of Adviser: Dean Adelina C. • Victoria C. Lapitan Royo • Edilberto D. Redoña • Toshinori Abe • UST Student: • Darshan S. Brar Ms. Rose Anne H. Paglinawan Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Adviser: Assoc Prof. Librado Santiago Division, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Gawad LIDER Award 2. Applied Research Gawad LIDER Exemplary (Julian A. Banzon Medal) Leadership-Institution Category Awardee: The S&T Post is published Awardee: “Development and Application Of quarterly by the Science and • UP-National Engineering Center Two-Dimensional Finite Volume Flow Technology Information Institute- and Sediment Transport Model for Gawad LIDER Exemplary Department of Science and Rivers and Reservoirs” Leadership-Individual Category Technology (STII-DOST) with Guillermo Q.Tabios III, Ph.D. editorial office at DOST Compound, Civil Engineering Awardee: Gen. Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Institute of Civil Engineering, • University of the Philippines Diliman Dr. Simon L. Chua Taguig City. President, Mathematics Trainers’ Guild Telefax: (02) 837-7520 Gawad LIDER Innovation Tel No.: (02) 837-2071 to 80 local 2148 Awardee: Email: [email protected]; • Dr. Fortunato T. Sevilla III [email protected] what’s inside? JUL • AUG • SEP Third Quarter 2010 Sec. Mario G. Montejo 18 The Man and his vision editorial 3 Sec. Mario G. Montejo’s NSTW 2010 Keynote Remarks news 5 Former DOST Sec. Ceferino L. Follosco is 05 M&E’s Man of the Year 6 GMA confers Santos Ocampo National Scientist rank 6 ASTI-DOST, Ateneo and UP power up PsciGrid to support education and research 7 Bohol’s S&T director is 2009 Outstanding PSTD 06 16 09 07 S&T POST 3rd Qtr 2010 1 what’s inside? 8 RP delegation to 51st IMO reaps silver, other awards 9 DOST honors 271 top scholar-graduates 10 DOST clears air over PAGASA scuffle 10 PNHRS stakeholders meet to seek creative ways to share resources for health research 18 features 11 DOST Sec. Mario G. Montejo: The man and his vision 13 Science Secretary Montejo bats for local tech 14 Photo: 2010 NSTW Highlights 16 Obstetrics in the Philippines circa 1700s 20 18 Are meat, milk and eggs safe? 19 Heavy metal eating bacteria for waste water treatment 20 The Brain Slayer personality 22 22 Portrait of the Filipino as a DOST scholar setup 24 A couple’s sweet muscovado success balik-scientist 26 Understanding the Filipino circadian clock 24 alumni 27 Solar power lights up PSHS-Diliman 4kids 28 NRCPs science for kids 28 2 S&T POST 3rd Qtr 2010 editorial By Mario G. Montejo, DOST Secretary 19 July 2010 National Science and Technology Week 2010 Keynote Remarks THE THEME for this year’s National Science which is used by well drilling industries. Af- when they found out that my price was 50 and Technology Week (NSTW), “Filipinno- ter designing the equipment, I developed a percent less than their lowest. vation: The Way Forward,” represents the manufacturing process that enabled me to policy direction of this new administration. produce water well screens at a lower cost. With my first hand experience, I can More importantly, the theme provides the Because my products are at par with import- attest to the claim that local innovation impetus for my vision for the science com- ed ones, I was able to eventually capture a really works. Kaya masasabi ko rin na na- munity because I believe we can bank on lion’s share of the market. There was even a pakaganda ng theme ngayon na “Filipinno- the many advances that have been made in time when our factory, then with 80 employ- vation.” Science and technology should be the past years. ees, was open 24/7. for the benefit of the people. Dapat maram- daman ng mga Pilipino ang ginagawa natin. If the climate for innovation is con- At pumasok kami sa marami pang Let me tell you how we intend to do it in ducive, we can count on our research and produkto, using the same formula – devel- the Department of Science and Technology development sector to support and work oping our own equipment to manufacture (DOST). with local firms to come up with products, products that are at par with imported ones, services, and technologies that are competi- but at a cheaper price. First, we will develop a new tracking tive. Let me assure you that there is money system for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geo- in innovation. Eventually, I found out that our inno- physical, and Astronomical Services Division vations were not only competitive locally, (PAGASA). It will complement the current With more than 20 years experience of but also in the world market. setup of the Agency. By our estimates, it being a techno entrepreneur, my business will be operational in a couple of weeks. We model has been very simple. There was a time when a big foreign are very confident that through this short- company approached me. They were sur- term project, we will be able to improve the Naghahanap lang ako ng imported prised that we have a robotic car park, accuracy of tracking typhoons. Also, we in- products that I can manufacture at a lower which is my latest invention, here in the tend to improve our communication strategy cost. I first tried this with the well screen, Philippines. They were even more surprised with the public by providing hourly weather S&T POST 3rd Qtr 2010 3 editorial local mass tran- What we do in the DOST should not be sit system. The confined to ourselves. Dapat itong malaman concept is much at pakinabangan di lamang ng iilang tao like the LRT and kundi ng higit na nakararami nating mga MRT, but ours kababayan. will cost only one-fourth to Developing local innovative capability one-fifth of the shall be the hallmark of my administration. imported price. This will help us position ourselves favor- Sana with this, ably in strategic niches. Let us use every we can improve possible instrument, such as the NSTW, to the mass tran- make our fellow Filipinos know that LOCAL sit system and TECHNOLOGIES WORK. make it more vi- able. Hopefully, In closing, I would like to emphasize through this, we that we all have a job to do. Given the full updates. These are just some of our interim will be able to range of scientific applications, each of us programs. We have also prepared medium- solve traffic and pollution problems current- should come up with our own technologi- term goals for PAGASA. ly encountered by Manila and other cities. cal breakthroughs. We need to make sure that what we do will have an impact on the Second, we will strengthen our flood Fifth, we would like to solve the den- economy and, most especially, on the Fili- monitoring system. I hope you are familiar gue problem. This is where we are excited. pino people. with the Effective Flood Operation Control We plan to do this in two ways, one through System (EFCOS). This flood monitoring sys- low-cost and another through high technol- By linking what we do with the reali- tem used to be with the Department of Pub- ogy. ties of everyday life, I believe that we will lic Works and Highways and was later turned be able to gain public support. As was said over to the Metro Manila Development Au- Sixth, we want to join the fight against by National Scientist Gelia Castillo, “sci- thority. It was, however, not operational malnutrition. Wala nang ibang programa ence should serve a human purpose.” That during Typhoon Ondoy. that has a higher cost-benefit ratio than simple line defines everything that we are solving malnu- We are happy to report to you that we trition, espe- have done some improvements on EFCOS. cially for infants About five of its rain gauge sensors have between one been fixed. Also, we have been able to and two years provide a communication link between the old. I would Advanced Science and Technology Institute like to note that and the Meteorology Department of the Uni- DOST programs versity of the Philippines.