Robert Badrina

Featured on October 30, 2022

In the aftermath of Typhoon Paeng, it’s timely that we’re joined this week by Robert Badrina, a weather specialist at the Marine Meteorology Services Section at the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Robert graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of the Philippines Diliman, later finishing his Master’s in Meteorology at the same institution. Over the years, he has worked in various projects under the Department of Science and Technology. Before taking on his current position, Robert worked as a:

• Research Assistant for the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s (PHIVOLCS) READY Project
• University Research Associate at the Versatile Instrument System for Science Education Research (VISSER)
• Project Development Officer II for Project NOAH’s Weather Information Integration for System Enhancement (WISE)

In 2017, Robert was also named the Best Forecaster (Weather Division) at the Gawad PAGASA. He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Meteorological Society, and also has a Certificate of Basic Pastoral Ministry from the Loyola School of Theology.

Some fun facts about Robert:

1. He has visited 50 out of 82 provinces in the Philippines! This is partly influenced by his undergraduate course, Geography.
2. He learned how to swim while taking his graduate degree. (It’s never too late to learn!) Together with his classmates in PE, they founded an organization in UP for people with the same interest in swimming – SEAUP or Swimming Enthusiast Association in UP.
3. He knows how to play the C flute and B flat clarinet. When he was in grade 4, he joined a brass band in his hometown in Abucay, Bataan. He then learned to play the flute after entering the Jesuit Novitiate in 2019 (yes—he tried the religious life, but returned to PAGASA!)

There’s certainly much to learn from Robert this week! In the meantime, we hope that everyone is keeping safe and dry.