COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
FILIPINO SCIENTISTS
PART I
Prepared by:
Prof. Nemia T. Dacumos
2
OVERVIEW
• This lesson is about Filipino scientists wherein academicians, educators
and medical doctors were considered scientists due to the researches
they have conducted, their recognition in the local and international
environment that made an immense contribution to the improvement of
the society.
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
At the end of this chapter, you should be able to
• Identify the Filipino scientists and their contribution in the society
• Determine the impact of the Filipino scientists’ accomplishments in the
society
4
FE V. DEL MUNDO
• Dr. Fe V. Del Mundo (Nov. 27, 1911- Aug. 6,
2011) is credited with the invention of
medical incubator and jaundice relieving
device.
(https://www.inverse.com/article/51263-fe-del-
mundo-harvard-medical-school-first
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
5
FE V. DEL MUNDO
• She had an active medical practice in the field of pediatrics in the
Philippines that spanned eight decades and founded a children’s hospital
(Bellis, 2019).
• The Children’s Medical Center, a 100-bed hospital located in Quezon City,
was inaugurated in 1957 as the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines
and was expanded in 1966 through the establishment of an Institute of
Maternal and Child Health.
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
6
FE V. DEL MUNDO
• Del Mundo entered the University of the Philippines at the age of 15.
After receiving an Associate in Arts degree, she proceeded to study at the
university’s medical school.
• In 1933, she graduated with the highest honors, received her medical
degree, and was awarded a medal as the “Most Outstanding Scholar in
Medicine” by the Colegio Medico-Farmaceutico de Filipinas (Paras, 2018).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
7
FE V. DEL MUNDO
• She was awarded as National Scientist of
the Philippines, Elizabeth Blackwell Award
for Outstanding Service to Mankind (1966),
Ramon Magsaysay Award for Outstanding
Public Service (1977), names
Outstanding Pediatrician and Humanitarian
Dr. Fe V. Del Mundo Medical Center
by the International Pediatric Association
https://www.thoughtco.com/filipino-doctor-fe-del-
(1977) (Bellis, 2019). mundo-1991718
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
8
ABELARDO B. AGUILAR
• Dr. Abelardo B. Aguilar (Nov. 3, 1917 – Sep.
22, 1993) as a medical representative then,
worked for the pharmaceutical company Eli
Lilly and Company.
• He sent soil samples from Iloilo for testing
in 1949 (Filipiknow, 2019).
https://filipiknow.net/abelardo-aguilar-erythromycin/
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
9
ABELARDO B. AGUILAR
• A new source of antibiotic was found and the drug was called
“Erythromycin”
• It was used as an alternative for penicillin-allergic patients.
• “Oral administration is effective in one hour and the drug is detectable in
the bloodstream for eight hours” (The News Today, 2005).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
1
0
ABELARDO B. AGUILAR
• Generically named Erythromycin, the
company christened it Ilosone (it was also
called Ilotycin) to commemorate its origin in
Iloilo.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ilosone+500&client=firefox-b-
d&sxsrf=ALeKk01I5U9CfkJpowCcOMyRmXiKvW1MnQ:15947834
34567&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwirn_Ggp87q
AhXoyIsBHTatC_oQ_AUoAXoECAwQAw&biw=1366&bih=654#i
mgrc=KZy4i8PwwkiRrM
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
11
RAYMUNDO S. PUNONGBAYAN
• He was the former director of the Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
(PHIVOCS) from 1983 to 2002.
• He was recognized internationally as an authority
in volcanological and seismological phenomena
(Life’s Documentation, 2009).
(https://personalmemoir.wordpress.com/tag/dr-
raymundo-s-punongbayan/)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
12
RAYMUNDO S. PUNONGBAYAN
• His initial investigations gave warnings about the possible eruption of Mt.
Pinatubo in 1991 that helped in the evacuation of the people.
• After 10 years of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, he led his team to dig a 5
meter deep drainage channel on the side of Mt. Pinatubo to spill off about a
quarter of the swollen volcanic lake that formed since the eruption. This
helped saved more lives from a potential flash flood (Life’s Documentation,
2009).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
13
RAYMUNDO S. PUNONGBAYAN
Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991
https://www.google.com/search?q=eruption+of+mt+pinatubo+philip
pines+1991&client=firefox-b-
d&sxsrf=ALeKk03XHfVQq_cKkw8sq0o4j3gYpSvTrA:159478570314
3&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj28s_ar87qAhUSE6
YKHVysCU0Q_AUoAnoECBkQBA&biw=1366&bih=654#imgrc=wL
tWvSwPcsHJyM
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
14
WILLIAM G. PADOLINA
• He started as a Research Assistant at UPLB
and became a professor of Chemistry at the
University.
• He also served as Director of the UPLB-
National Institute of Molecular Biology and
Biotechnology (BIOTECH) (IRRI, n.d.).
(http://www.osaka-
u.ac.jp/en/international/news/files/padolina.jpg/view)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
15
WILLIAM G. PADOLINA
His expertise and interests are in
the areas of
• chemistry of the coconut –
• research management production of novel derivatives of
• science policy coconut fatty acids
• technology transfer • medicinal plant chemistry – isolation,
• secondary plant metabolism identification and biological testing of
• biotechnology novel constituents of Philippine
• intellectual property rights medicinal plants.
• promotion of natural products
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
16
ARTEMIO M. SALAZAR
• He is a Professor in the College of
Agriculture in UPLB where he teaches
advanced plant breeding methods and basic
population and quantitative genetics
• He was one of the Asian Scientist 100 last
2019.
(http://uplb.edu.ph/top-stories/man-behind-rico-
blend-is-in-asian-scientist-100-for-2019/)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
17
ARTEMIO M. SALAZAR
• He headed his team in producing the IPB Quality Protein Maize Var.6 that
is used in the rice-corn (RiCo) blend as food staple for Filipinos (UPLB,
2019).
• IPB VAR 6 is a white flint corn, one of those they call QPM or Quality
Protein Maize. (Sarian, 2017)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
18
ARTEMIO M. SALAZAR
• According to Dr. Salazar, they have acquired Quality Protein Maize (QPM)
because they have found out that it improved the nutritional status and
health of poor Africans.
• The QPM Var 6, also known as High Lysine and Tryptophan Corn in 2000.
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
19
ARTEMIO M. SALAZAR
• IPB Var 6 contains 66.2 percent more
lysine than the regular white corn.
• It also contains more tryptophan,
protein content, dietary fiber, minerals,
and anti-oxidants than rice alone
(Bureau of Agricultural Research, 2012). https://www.magzter.com/article/Home/Agriculture/IPB-
VAR-6-White-Corn-Good-For-Dieters-Diabetics
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
20
MARISSA A. PAGLICAWAN
• Dr. Marissa A. Paglicawan is Scientist 1 and
head of the Advanced Materials Section at
the Materials Science Division at DOST-ITDI.
• She was also included in the Asian Scientist
100 (Manila Bulletin, 2019).
(https://www.asianscientist.com/2019/03/feature
s/26-fantastic-female-scientists/2/)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
21
MARISSA A. PAGLICAWAN
• Her research includes turning Manila hemp or abaca into an engineering
material (Manila Bulletin, 2019).
• She was awarded the 2018 Gregorio Zara Award for Applied Science
Research.
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
22
MARISSA A. PAGLICAWAN
• Dr. Paglicawan headed the project of
DOST’s ITDI of using abaca fiber in
“Tryk ni Juan” which is a common
motorized tricycle.
• The driver’s roof and sidecar are https://www.google.com/search?q=tryk+ni+juan&client=firefox
-b-
made of abaca fiber. d&sxsrf=ALeKk00aekH0lHrfN_Uw0Y74pzSc1W8CJw:159478
4250878&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjw6p
Cmqs7qAhWNzIsBHdaVB2sQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=136
6&bih=654#imgrc=uBlAr6ISQTYakM
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
23
MARISSA A. PAGLICAWAN
• This is combined with resin to form a composite producing a lightweight,
cheap, corrosion-resistant and provide good insulation, making it a good
substitute material for stainless steel and galvanized iron (Newsbytes,
2018).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
24
LOURDES J. CRUZ
• Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz was chosen as the first
Filipino winner of the 2010 L'oréal-UNESCO
"For Women In Science Awards."
• She helped discover a snail toxin a thousand
times more powerful than morphine (ABS
CBN News, 2009).
(https://alchetron.com/Lourdes-J-Cruz)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
25
LOURDES J. CRUZ
• She was a National Scientist based at the University of the Philippines-
Diliman.
• She was recognized for her scientific contributions in the field of
biochemistry, particularly on the isolation and characterization of the
venom called conotoxins from marine cone snails during the 1970s to 80s
(DOST, 2012).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
26
LOURDES J. CRUZ
• In 2001, Dr. Cruz established the Rural Livelihood Incubator also known
as Rural LINC Program.
• This program was established to mobilize science and technology to
alleviate poverty.
• This project involves building a fruit processing facility run by women
farmers where the indigenous tribes can sell fruits from the orchards
and forest trees” (DOST, 2012).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
27
LOURDES J. CRUZ
“The most deadly of the nearly 500 species of
cone snails, the geographic cone’s intricately
patterned shell is coveted by collectors.”
(“Geographic”)
https://www.themostpopularlists.com/2020/02/the-pinay-whose-
work-revealed-deadly.html
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
28
RODY G. SY
• Dr. Rody G. Sy practices internal medicine
and a cardiologist since 1975 (Filipino
Doctor, n.d).
• He is a professor at the University of the
Philippines and Chairman and President of
the UP Medical Alumni Foundation
Incorporation (UP, 2018). (https://www.asianscientist.com/as100/)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
29
RODY G. SY
• He has focused on hypertension, diabetic heart disease, metabolic
syndrome, heart failure, and atherosclerosis, a disease in which a plaque,
such as fat and cholesterol, build up in the arteries of the heart (Business
Mirror, 2018).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
30
RODY G. SY
• His research in 2009, called LIFE course study in Cardiovascular Disease
Epidemiology, studied factors leading to development of cardiovascular
diseases.
• It has initiated follow-up researches, including health evaluation
questionnaire (Business Mirror, 2018).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
31
FABIAN M. DAYRIT
• Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit is a Philippine educator
and scientist.
• He is a professor of chemistry at Ateneo de
Manila University and the current director of
the National Chemistry Instrumentation
Center (Prabook, n.d.).
(http://spheres.dost.gov.ph/story.php?i=000356)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
32
FABIAN M. DAYRIT
• He is recognized for his outstanding scientific researches in the field of
chemistry, spectroscopy and environmental science.
• His research in natural products has led to a better understanding of
bioactives and the identification of a new compound from indigenous
plants particularly lagundi.
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
33
FABIAN M. DAYRIT
• He has explored the use of nuclear magnetic resonance for chemical
analysis as well as structural analysis of polysaccharides, especially
carrageenan from Philippine seaweeds (Spheres, 2016).
• He has developed a methodology using Gas Chromatography coupled
with high resolution Mass Spectrometry for low-level analysis of various
compounds, including 3-MCPD in soy sauce and drugs in urine (Spheres,
2016).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
34
FABIAN M. DAYRIT
• He was the project leader of the DOST Roadmap for Nanotechnology
Development in the Philippines, which identified the priority areas for the
development of nanotechnology R&D in the country.
• He is also a member of various scientific and professional societies which
include the Philippine-American Association of Science and Engineering
(PAASE), Natural Products Society of the Philippines (NPSP), National
Research Council of the Philippines and the American Chemical Society
(Integrated Chemists of the Philippines, 2012).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
35
FABIAN M. DAYRIT
• Last June 28, 2019, he was conferred the title Professor Emeritus-
teacher, scholar and leader of the highest rank at the Loyola School of
the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU, 2019).
• Dr. Dayrit was doing an experiment on virgin coconut oil in vitro as a
potential treatment against SARS-Cov-2 (COVID -19).
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
36
FABIAN M. DAYRIT
• He believed that coconut oil when ingested
into the body, the body’s lipase enzymes
release active compound metabolites- mainly
monolaurin and lauric acid, which have the
physicochemical property of being able to
destroy the membrane of lipid-coated
viruses. (IFTNEXT, 2020) https://ateneo.edu/ls/sose/sose/news/research/poten
tial-coconut-oil-and-its-derivatives-effective-and-
safe-antiviral
https://www.ift.org/iftnext/2020/april/researchers-think-coconut-oil-may-
help-treat-covid-19-patients
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
