Pinoy Scientists in the Philippines

Rhowell N. Tiozon, Jr. PhD is an International Consultant at the International Rice Research Institute – Philippines. He graduated last year as Summa Cum Laude after defending his thesis on the genetic diversity of pigmented rice and its nutritional benefits.

Jazz Ong is a wildlife educational speaker, herpetologist, and conservationist with the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity and LIGHT TV. Her primary work however is as the founder and director of Wildlife Matters.

Ramir Seraphim Angeles is a bike enthusiast whose work as a sustainable transport planner and Civil Engineer has involved, among other things, the development of bike routes and public transportation infrastructure in cities. His company collects and processes transport data for clients in both the government and private sector.

Cathy Manalo is an NGO worker focused on countermapping and human rights. She believes in employing participatory methods and collective work to further scientific knowledge and in using science to advance human rights.

Maria Elena Grace “Meggy” Katigbak is a Gender Specialist and Feminist Researcher-Writer working for various International Development Organizations as a researcher and consultant. She is also a fellow for Women of the South Speak Out (WOSSO), tackling unpaid care work in the Philippines.

Dr. Keith Nealson “Keano” Penado is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Physics, Ateneo de Manila University. His work with plasma first studied its effect on rice seed germination, then its use in the pyrolysis of polystyrene.

Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr. is the first and current Director General (DG) of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA). He is a Full Professor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. As the PhilSA DG, he also holds the rank of Cabinet Secretary and is the Presidential Adviser on Space Matters.

Ma. Criselda “Dang” Baldago is a licensed geologist and Science Research Specialist at the Philippine Space Agency. She uses satellite radar data to observe ground movements. This provides insight into ground subsidence, earthquake and volcano deformation, flooding, and urban changes, among others.

John Paul “JP” Almonte is a licensed Electronics Engineer and Senior Science Research Specialist at the Space Mission Control and Operations Division of the Philippine Space Agency. He manages the operations of satellite ground stations and the Philippine microsatellite Diwata-2.

A geologist by training, Dr. Likha Minimo is a faculty member of the Science and Society Program (SSP) of the College of Science, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. She teaches Science, Technology and Society (STS) and Disaster Risk Mitigation, Adaptation, and Preparedness Strategies (DRMAPS).

Kristine Jane Atienza is an analog astronaut and registered nutritionist-dietitian with the Space Generation Advisory Council. She has participated in a number of studies about how nutrition affects astronaut physiology and psychology for analog missions such as Asclepios, CHILL-ICE, and LunAres.

Rene Principe Jr. is an instructor at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, where they are also taking up their PhD in Physics. Their Master’s thesis gathered insights into post-disaster behavior using geospatial data analytics in Python to analyze nighttime lights.

Timothy James Cipriano is a geographer working as a researcher with AGHAM, taking on projects focused on the political ecology of coasts and rivers, disaster science, and environmental change, among others.

Dainty Clarice Rabang is a geoscientist working as the head of the Climate Resilient Development Section of the Palawan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. She spends her days analyzing geohazard maps and developing plans and projects to improve community resilience.

Joshua Agar is a wind engineer and assistant professor at the UP Diliman currently working on the Multi-Hazard Impact-Based Forecasting – Early Warning System (MHIBF-EWS) Project.

Marco Polo Ibanez, an atmospheric scientist currently working as a science research specialist for DOST – PAGASA where he is making full use of his expertise in Radar and Disdrometer data analysis as a team member for the Volcano, Ocean, Typhoon, and Earthquake (VOTE) Project.

Ria Ysabelle Flora is a physicist, economist, and data scientist currently working as the power solutions lead for Aboitiz Data Innovation where she is utilizing her expertise in data science and artificial intelligence to develop strategies for driving business development..

Charles John Gunay is a licensed agricultural and biosystems engineer. His research specializes primarily in hydraulics, water resources engineering, and watershed and dam management.

Jabez Joshua Flores is an environmental scientist and a senior lecturer at UP Open University and the University of the Philippines Rural High School. In 2022, Jabez took on a number of roles, creating maps as a spatial data scientist at the Pure Earth Blacksmith Institute and starting his fellowship with One Health for the NGOHP Program at St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine.

Felix Alejandro Camagay specializes in prosthetics and orthotics. He works as a biomedical engineering consultant for Lithe Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc. (LitheOP) and is a project manager for the UERM NEOLIMB Center for Research on Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies on Mobility. For his thesis, he developed an estimation tool for peripheral nerve stimulation to be used in neuroprosthetic devices.