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WAVE
OF THE FUTURE
Experts identify emerging S&T fields
UPAA
elects new Board following unity covenant
BoardWork
New officials appointed
A
man with a plan
Chancellor Velasco eyes technology to enhance RP’s agricultural
output
Iron-biofortified
rice reduces iron deficiency
Agroforestry
boosts sustainable systems
Agri
in the city
UPLB develops soil-less farming
IPB
creates gumamela hybrids for UP Centennial
Saving
local agriculture
Twin
legacies
UPAA pushes for Carillon rehabilitation and basketball championship
for UP Centennial
UN
Awardee leads 2006 UPAA outstanding alumni
UP
establishes international links
ITTC
sets up state-of-the-art networking laboratory
FEd
offers Professional Teaching Certification program
OFF
THE SHELVES
Librero:
Journalists should write more S&T stories
UPV
Cebu unveils plans for UP Centennial fete
UPV
tops research tilt
UPVTC’s
‘grassroots scientist’ named finalist in RAFI Triennial
AT
THE VARGAS MUSEUM
WAVE
OF THE FUTURE
Experts identify emerging S&T fields
In
a world defined by rapid technological advancements and constant scientific
breakthroughs, it is hard to predict what comes next. But looking at and
understanding current trends in science and technology make it easier
to gauge what may be. That’s exactly what scientists at the University
of the Philippines did.
A committee
tasked to identify emerging S&T fields has come up with the following:
materials; biotechnology or bioengineering; pervasive computing; and
measurement and instrumentation, relative to the first three mentioned.
These are called emerging fields because they have evolved with the
demands of the times or are offshoots of existing fields where knowledge
is either inadequate or even non-existent.
Developing
and strengthening academic initiatives in emerging science and technology
fields is part of President Emerlinda R. Roman’s goal to “strengthen
science and technology in all UP campuses.”
President
Roman asserted that the University will “continue to help the
country build up its scientific manpower base which is crucial to progress
and development.” She added that countries that have invested
heavily in science and technology have gained economic prosperity and
UP, as the National University in the 21st century, “should contribute
by training students to further strengthen our country’s science
capacity and by creating knowledge through research for domestic production
and for public sector policy formulation and implementation.”
Chaired
by Vice President for Academic Affairs Amelia P. Guevara, the members
of the committee are Dr. Victor Ella of the UP Los Baños (UPLB)
College of Engineering; Dr. Alvin Marcelo of the UP Manila (UPM) College
of Medicine; Dr. Caesar Saloma and Dr. Titos Quibuyen of the UP Diliman
(UPD) College of Science; and Dr. Joel Marciano of the UPD College of
Engineering. Vice President Guevara emphasized that these cutting-edge
S&T fields need to be advanced to the highest possible level of
inquiry in order to generate new knowledge.
To show
government that UP’s S&T agenda coincides with and supports
the National Science and Technology Plan 2002-2020, a presentation on
these emerging fields was made on May 22 to Secretary Estrella Alabastro
of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), along with Undersecretary
Graciano Yumul Jr. and the heads of various DOST agencies. It was also
an invitation to join forces with the DOST to intensify S&T in the
country through various research projects.
The committee
also started doing the rounds in the UP System, to inform the constituent
universities (CUs) about the University’s more focused scientific
research thrust and to get their inputs as well. The consultations began
with UPLB on May 26 and UP Mindanao on May 30. The team will proceed
to UP Visayas on June 1, UP Baguio on June 9, UPM on June 20, and UPD
on June 28.
While there
are many fields to develop, the committee realized that given limited
resources, the only way to have a significant impact is to focus and
prioritize which initiatives the University must pursue. In choosing
which emerging fields to include, the committee looked at high technological
and social impact; the presence of existing and potential expertise
and facilities; inter-/multi-disciplinary involvement of different UP
units; financial attainability; competitive advantage in human resources
and raw materials; and potential economic value.
In the
field of materials, there are four subfields: biomaterials; pharmaceuticals/nutraceuticals;
nanomaterials; and molecular medicines and drug delivery. Quibuyen said
that UP has “very little experience and infrastructure in the
areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology… but if UP cannot compete
in terms of production, it should be prepared to understand the field,
interpret its meaning and consequences to the inquiring public and prepare
the next generation of Filipinos to be more adaptive to a nanomaterial
world.” He also said that the field of materials requires inter-
and multi-disciplinary studies because, biomaterials, for example, “integrates
the methodologies of natural science and engineering in applying organisms,
cells, and their parts and derivatives for the development of materials
and processes.”
Marcelo,
on the other hand, declared that a better understanding of the life
sciences through biotechnology or bioengineering “promises to
revolutionize society and usher in the genomic century—heralded
by the complete sequencing of the human genome.” Biotechnology,
he stated, harnesses “the intricate machinery of nature in the
service of mankind.” Subfields in this area include nanotechnology,
biomaterials, bio-informatics, disease characterization and DNA sequencing,
food sufficiency, robust crops and yield enhancement, biodiversity,
drug discovery, and bio-monitoring.
According
to Marciano, pervasive computing is a “strongly emerging trend
toward the deployment and use of numerous, casually accessible, often
invisible computing devices that are frequently mobile or embedded in
the environment and connected to an increasingly ubiquitous network
structure.” The goal of researchers, he added, is to make computing
and information “more available, reliable, and cheaper everywhere
it is needed.” Subfields in pervasive computing are cost-effective
rural connectivity and distance learning; disaster mitigation and early
warning systems management; telemedicine; environmental and habitat
protection/monitoring; advanced microelectronics and “systems
on a chip;” fourth generation networks and the Internet; software-defined,
cognitive, and reconfigurable radio; distributed computing; and optical
communications in wired networks.
Measurement
and instrumentation, Saloma explained, is necessary in the pursuit of
these academic initiatives in emerging S&T fields because “there
is no science without measurement.” There are four subfields in
this area: nanotechnology, photonics, separation science; and robotics
in the micro/nano scale. [Arlyn
VCD Palisoc Romualdo]
UPAA elects new Board
following unity covenant
After
almost two months of election process, the UP Alumni Association (UPAA)
has a new Board of Directors. The announcement came after the two competing
groups decided to join forces through a covenant of unity. This show
of unity is a first in the history of the UPAA.
Previously, 51 alumni were vying for the 23 seats of
the UPAA Board of Directors for the term 2006-2009. With the covenant,
the groups led by Gari M. Tiongco and Romulo B. Lumauig fielded a single
ticket for the 23 seats, leaving only six independent candidates competing
with them.
The covenant was signed on May 30, 2006 at Quezon Hall
by 45 of the original candidates. Regent Nelia T. Gonzales and Former
UP Chancellor Marita V.T. Reyes also signed the covenant with UP President
Emerlinda R. Roman as witness.
The line-up of candidates, who eventually won the election,
was composed of: Gari M. Tiongco, Ponciano E. Rivera, Alfredo E. Pascual,
Leon M. Arceo, Salvador H. Escudero III, Virgilio A. Fernandez, Romeo
H. Gecolea, Sebastian L. Angliongto, Marita P. Carag, Benjamin H. Cervantes,
Bayani S. Aguirre, Rosario R. Evangelista, Rufina S. Jorge, Barbara
W. Fernandez, Ligaya L. Tankeh, Mariano M. Hidalgo, Ramon M. Maronilla,
Romulo B. Lumauig, Feliciano B. Calora, Jesus S. Guevarra II, Agnes
Essem B. Perez, Sylvia H. Guerrero, and Rita Linda V. Jimeno.
Meanwhile, the following candidates gave up their bid
for a position in the Board to support the united line-up: Francisco
C. Cornejo, Tomasito T. Talledo, Teodoro C. Rey Jr., Orlino O. Talens,
Dulce R. Gozon, Ernesto S. De Castro, Mario E. Ongkiko, Jose C. Gatchalian,
Socorro O. Acosta, Alfredo T. Gonzales, Santiago R. Obien, Eduardo C.
Sison, Mervyn G. Encanto, Ma. Irma D. Lim, Roland S. Capito, Remedios
C. Balbin, Corazon Alma G. De Leon, Renan M. Del Rosario, Herbert C.M.
Bautista, Fortunato T. De La Peña, Lydia E. Buendia, and Sonia
Y. De Leon.
Regent Gonzales was instrumental in forging the agreement,
having brought the camps of Tiongco (who was appointed on 16 April 2006
as acting regent by Malacañang to replace Hon. Fatima Bai Sinsuat),
Lumauig, and others to the negotiating table six months ago.
The UPAA
used to have been racked by “divisive partisanship, parochial
bickering, and petty animosities that hinder the collective advancement
and growth of the UPAA,” Regent Gonzales said. During negotiations,
Lumauig said the parties realized they shared a common goal and spirit;
and unity would “make life easier for all of them.” [Jo.
Florendo B. Lontoc]
BoardWork
New officials appointed
The Board
of Regents, at its 1208th meeting on April 27, 2006 and 1209th meeting
on May 25, 2006, approved the appointment of the following University
officials:
UP System
Dr. Arlene A. Samaniego
Assistant Secretary of the
University and of the
Board of Regents
Effective June 1, 2006
To serve at the pleasure
of the Secretary of the
University and of the
Board of Regents
UP
Diliman
Prof. Luis G. Sison
Vice Chancellor for
Research and
Development
Effective June 1, 2006
To serve at the pleasure
of the Chancellor
Prof. Virgilio
S. Almario
Dean
College of Arts and
Letters
Effective June 1, 2006
until March 9, 2009
Prof. Hercules
Paulmino
Callanta
Dean
College of Human
Kinetics
Effective June 1, 2006
until May 31, 2009
Prof. Elena
E. Pernia
Dean
College of Mass
Communication
Effective June 1, 2006
until May 31, 2009
Prof. Caesar
A. Saloma
Dean
College of Science
Effective June 1, 2006
until May 31, 2009
Prof. Cynthia
T. Hedreyda
Director
National Institute of
Molecular Biology and
Biotechnology
Effective June 1, 2006
until May 31, 2009
Prof. Arnel
A. Salvador
Director
National Institute of Physics
Effective June 1, 2006
until May 31, 2009
Prof. Julieta
C. Mallari
Director, UP Extension
Program in Pampanga
Effective June 1, 2006
until May 31, 2009
Dr. Salvacion
M. Arlante
University Librarian
Effective February 16, 2006
until February 17, 2009
UP
Manila
Dr. Alberto B. Roxas
Dean
College of Medicine
Effective June 24, 2006
until June 23, 2009
UP
Los Baños
Dr. Jose E. Hernandez
Director
Crop Science Cluster
College of Agriculture
Effective May 2, 2006
until May 1, 2009
UP
Visayas
Prof. Joy Lizada
Dean
College of Management
Effective June 1, 2006
until May 31, 2009
UP
Baguio
Prof. Ma. Nela B. Florendo
Vice Chancellor
for Academic Affairs
Effective June 1, 2006
To serve at the pleasure
of the Chancellor
Prof. Teopina
A. Rapanut
Vice Chancellor
for Administration
Effective June 1, 2006
To serve at the pleasure
of the Chancellor
Prof. Raymundo
D. Rovillos
Dean
College of Social Sciences
Effective June 1, 2006
until May 31, 2009
Prof. Wilfredo
V. Alangui
Dean
College of Science
Effective June 1, 2006
until May 31, 2009
A man with a plan
Chancellor Velasco eyes technology to enhance RP’s agricultural
output
During
UPLB’s commencement exercises on April 29, Chancellor Luis Rey
I. Velasco told the graduating students to “take advantage of
information and communication technologies to improve post-production,
especially food processing and marketing of agricultural products.”
He also urged them to venture into eco-tourism to expand non-farming
employment opportunities.
Chancellor
Velasco said that with their training, UPLB students are expected to
help in the implementation of the national government’s agrarian
reform program. He noted that when the government implemented agrarian
reform in 1988, lands were distributed without giving farmers adequate
training. Before agrarian reform, most farmers only knew how to till
the land and harvest crops. It was the landowners who told them which
crop variety and fertilizer to use, what strategy to employ in marketing
their produce, and how much of the income would go to them. After agrarian
reform, farmers found themselves assuming all these responsibilities,
and they were not prepared to do so.
Training
the farmers will take time, not to mention a big chunk of the government’s
budget. In the meantime, Chancellor Velasco suggested that farmers seek
the help of professional agriculturists who can introduce them to effective
and efficient farming and marketing ideas, technologies, and techniques.
This is where UPLB graduates can come in.
A
crisis within a crisis
Over the last two decades, agriculture has been posting a productivity
rate of barely 1%, while the population has been consistently chalking
up a growth rate of 2.3% upwards. Apparently, the agriculture sector
has been unable to keep up with the country’s population growth.
Chancellor
Velasco pointed out that the problem is complicated. It is a crisis
within a multi-layered crisis.
In an interview
with UP Newsletter, Chancellor Velasco noted that the country’s
agriculture sector needs to bolster its competitiveness and that one
way to do so is by stepping up its modernization campaign and making
the most of newfangled technologies available in the market.
Most
number of typhoons
Compared with other Asian countries, he said the Philippines is buffeted
by the most number of wind-heavy typhoons in any given year. On the
average, 20 typhoons hit the country every year while Thailand gets
only three.
Moreover,
the Philippines has only about 11 million hectares of agricultural land
while other Asian countries have about 60 to 70 million hectares. This
means that aside from enjoying higher yield levels, the neighboring
countries also have the luxury to experiment with high-value crops,
such as fruits and vegetables.
Filipino
farmers, however, have to maximize their limited land area by focusing
on crops that are sure to deliver a return on their investments. As
a result, agriculture in the country is comprised mainly of three commodities—rice,
corn, and coconut. These crops easily cover 80% or nine million hectares
of the country’s 11-million hectare farmland.
Chancellor
Velasco said that investing in rice, corn, and coconut involves very
small risk as it requires minimal capital. Moreover, these crops have
long shelf lives and do not run the risk of spoiling while on the road.
So, moving them from the rural fields to city markets, which can take
weeks and months, is not very costly.
The problem,
however, is that these products command very low prices and, therefore,
generate low profits as well. Rice, for example, requires an investment
of P25,000 per hectare. After a waiting period of four to five months,
the farmer can sell his harvest at P35,000. This means that the farmer
can earn only P10,000 in one planting season or in five months.
Yield-enhancing,
cost-reducing technologies
Chancellor Velasco said this is the reason he is encouraging UPLB scientists
to develop yield-enhancing and cost-reducing technologies to “obtain
greater productivity from the factors of production (i.e., land, water,
labor, and capital).”
One such
technology is Bio-N, a biological fertilizer developed by Dr. Mercedes
U. Garcia, a scientist from the UPLB. Bio-N, which is derived from the
bacterium Azospirillum and then isolated from the roots of talahib (a
local grass), enhances root development, growth, and yield of rice and
corn, thus reducing the use of costly inorganic or chemical nitrogen
fertilizer. Bio-N, therefore, is not only environment friendly but also
reduces the production expenses of farmers.
Aside from
developing cutting-edge technologies, UPLB also aspires to generate
new knowledge. Students, therefore, are trained to become not mere farmers
but farm managers who are experts in the global standards on pre-harvest,
harvest, and post-harvest concerns. “Farming,” he explained,
“is an occupation that requires a lot of thinking. You need to
understand the climate, the ecosystem, the new technologies. You need
to know every single factor that can affect or improve your crops.”
[Rod P. Fajardo III]
Iron-biofortified rice
reduces iron deficiency
According
to the World Health Organization iron deficiency is the most common
nutritional disorder in the world. It affects billions of people, especially
in developing countries.
A study on iron-rich rice, results of which were released
early this year, proves that its consumption reduces iron deficiency
by increasing the body’s iron stores. The collaborative research
project was undertaken by the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI), UP Los Baños (UPLB), Cornell University, Pennsylvania
State University, and HarvestPlus.
The group tested IR68144-3B-2-2-3, a variety of rice
developed and grown at IRRI rich in iron. The rice variety was produced
through a process called biofortification, which, according to HarvestPlus,
is a “process of breeding crops that are rich in bioavailable
micronutrients.” Through plant breeding, “these crops fortify
themselves—they load high levels of minerals and vitamins in their
seeds and roots, which are then harvested and eaten.”
The late Prof. Angelita del Mundo of the Institute of
Human Nutrition and Food, College of Human Ecology, UPLB led the field
research team that conducted the biofortified rice feeding trials with
192 Catholic sisters in ten convents in the Philippines over a nine-month
period. Joining her in the project was Prof. Angelina Felix, also from
the same institute.
They worked with Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, a scientist
and plant breeder from IRRI and an alumnus of the UPLB College of Agriculture.
Principal investigators in the project were Prof. Jere Hass from the
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, and Prof. John
Beard from the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State
University.
Research findings indicated that women who ate biofortified,
iron-rich rice showed a 20 percent increase in iron compared with women
who ate traditional rice. Individuals in the study with the lowest levels
of iron were also found to absorb the additional iron in the rice at
a higher rate. Moreover, “bio-fortified rice could shift the percentage
of subjects meeting their estimated average [iron] requirement from
53% to 71%.”
According
to Dr. Robert Zeigler, director general of IRRI, “this study documents
a major breakthrough in the battle to prevent micronutrient malnutrition.”
He added that the research is “especially important for rice-eating
regions of the world, where more than three billion of the world’s
poor and undernourished live. It is time to shift the agricultural research
agenda, and the rice research agenda in particular, away from quantity
and toward better quality. This may be the start of a nutritional revolution—a
very appropriate follow-up to the Green Revolution and one that is desperately
needed by millions of the world’s poor and undernourished.”
[Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo]
Agroforestry boosts sustainable
systems
The
UP Los Baños Institute of Agroforestry (IAF) is creating an MS
program with the aim of developing agroforesters further as professionals.
In June 2007, the curriculum for BS Agroforestry of all schools and
universities will be standardized to create the same levels of qualifications
for the students. This is a joint effort of the Philippine Agroforestry
Education and Research Network, where the IAF is currently its National
Secretariat, and CHED to raise the bar of agroforestry education in
the country.
“We intend to pursue research more vigorously,
along with capacity building,” explains IAF Director Wilfredo
Carandang. “Basically, training more schools and organizations,
and validating sustainable indigenous agroforestry systems are what
we also intend to do.”
Aside from redeveloping the field of Agroforestry, rehabilitation
projects are included in the IAF’s program. The practice is considered
a “remedy” for locations devastated by illegal practices
and natural disasters, like Paete, Laguna, where the local government
asked IAF for assistance to make a watershed development plan. From
a pure coconut plantation, planting other kinds of crops under the coconut
trees while regenerating the watershed has reversed the effects of denudation.
Now the local government is looking to formulate an agroforestry-ecotourism
area, which will highlight the benefits gained by the practice. The
IAF also has various collaborations with other watersheds such as the
La Mesa Dam, which needs efforts in natural regeneration.
A
culture of its own
“Agroforestry is neither agriculture nor forestry, it has a culture
of its own,” explains Director Carandang. “As a science
it can rehabilitate and create sustainable systems naturally.”
Agroforesty’s goal: diversifying the farm to make it more productive
and eco-friendly. Carandang believes that, “the more diversified
a farm is, the more stable and sustainable it becomes.” This means
not only planting one crop, but integrating different species into the
land where there is significant interaction between them.
As one of the newest programs in the country, Agroforestry
may be the key to resource rehabilitation, sustainable development,
and preservation of natural resources. Thus, various government agencies,
NGOs, and other concerned institutions are promoting the practice as
a strategy for resource development and conservation. Created by UP
Los Baños in 1991, the Agroforestry Program was elevated into
an Institute in 1998 as proof of its significant contributions.
“We wean people away from the exploitation of
the natural plants that we have, leading to the preservation and conservation
of the natural forest,” adds Carandang, “There is the belief
that they have to cultivate to get the materials needed rather than
just strip the natural resource.” With the use of agroforestry
practices, the raw materials are restored rather than depleted, and
nothing is left to waste. For example, in Davao del Sur, agroforesters
use the contour hedgerow system not only to plant pineapple, mung beans,
and corn, but they also use these crops to feed livestock, such as goats
and cattle, which, in turn, fertilize the crops.
Harvesting
the field
Meanwhile, the IAF will also tackle this year the Philippine Upland
Agroforestry Project initiated by the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources. A land area of approximately four million hectares
will be set aside for agroforestry development, in recognition of the
potential of the practice for rehabilitation and sustainability. Even
residential areas are not exempt from such developments. To promote
the field even to non-farmers, IAF collaborated with Filinvest in 2004
and continues to do so. They provide landowners and potential lot buyers
the opportunity to build their vacation homes and develop their own
fruit and flower farms. The IAF provides the training to the clients
to ensure that the right practices are enforced.
The IAF has also been strengthening its relationship
with various national and international organizations to further promote
the field. The Institute has expanded its partnership with non-government
organizations, including the Foundation for the Philippine Environment
(FPE) and the Upland NGO Assistance Committee (UNAC), and an international
research institution, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), which often
sponsors its various agroforestry development and promotion endeavors.
Moreover, IAF also serves as the Secretariat of the
National Agroforestry Committee (NAC), a multi-agency group which takes
the lead in working toward the institutionalization of the national
Agroforestry development program.
Despite the many benefits and promises of Agroforestry,
it is not without its obstacles. First of all, the practice requires
a tremendous amount of work, considering our land area. “We have
done much on a farm basis. What we need to investigate further is the
effect of these individual farms on the landscape,” says Carandang.
Marketing Agroforestry techniques and products to farmers
and to the public is another challenge, as most still cling to the notion
of a single crop or a single management system. Traditional and cultural
practices that indicate mono-cropping are hard habits to break, which
is why information dissemination with added research are needed to dispel
the distrust.
Aside from lack of funds, manpower, and resources, the
need to push policy-making bodies of the government to acknowledge its
importance is another roadblock.
But these obstacles will not cloud the future of agroforestry
nor its role in the country: “Agroforestry has already been able
to establish itself as a science, and our goal is to come up with a
breed of professionals trained in the field,” says Carandang,
“We would like agroforesters to be recognized as professionals
in their own right.”
Surely,
with such initiatives and programs, we can see the IAF leading the way
to better yields. [Bernice P. Varona]
Agri
in the city
UPLB develops soil-less farming
Now
there is a way to grow certain fruits and vegetables by simply setting
the plants in water mixed with a little amount of fertilizer. No need
for soil, daily watering, and machines. The Institute of Plant Breeding
(IPB) at UP Los Baños (UPLB), turning nuisance into opportunity,
developed a basic kind of hydroponics that suits the needs of busy urban
dwellers or the capital-strapped farmer-entrepreneurs.
IPB calls the system SNAP hydroponics, which stands
for Simple Nutrient Addition Program—conceived shortly before
2000 when the IPB hydroponics set-up was beset with UPLB’s chronic
power outages. With “brownouts” rendering the machines and
controls that circulate water among the plants useless, researchers
experimented on “stagnant” water and recycled materials
to grow various garden fruits and vegetables.
This resulted in a technology that reduces hydroponics
to its simplest and therefore, lowest cost, while keeping it usable
for large-scale operation and sustaining industry demands. IPB has successfully
raised tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, watermelon, melon, pepper,
cauliflower, broccoli, and celery using the technology. Apparently,
best suited for SNAP hydroponics are high-value plants that thrive in
cool climate and moderate sun, but experiments are currently being conducted
on other fruits and vegetables.
Farmers or garden enthusiasts can use Styrofoam fruit
packaging and cups. The main stalk of the plant is held by coconut husks
or sawdust placed in plastic or Styrofoam cups in which the seed or
seedling is grown. The cups are inserted in cut-out portions of a flat
cover—usually the Styrofoam cover in fruit packaging—that
are placed above the Styrofoam tray holding the water. The cup has a
perforated bottom from which the roots grow outward and spread in the
water underneath. The same can be done using old pails and basins, which
are best for larger plants.
Though the cover has extra holes to allow air into the
water, the white color of the Styrofoam makes the set-up unattractive
to mosquitoes. Set-ups in IPB did not experience any case of mosquito
infestation.
Liquid fertilizer (available at P75 per liter at IPB,
with commercial counterparts in the outside market) is applied in small
amounts to the water. Because the plants are in the water, there is
no need to water them daily. The crop needs only to be checked from
time to time for pests or the usual diseases, which can be avoided by
using screens. A certain depth must also be maintained for the solution
so it must be replenished occasionally. Ideally in the urban setting,
the “plant-trays” are positioned in the part of the house
or condo unit that receives morning sunlight and somewhere where rain
does not fall. In farms, greenhouses can be used to protect them from
the rain and direct noon sunlight.
The unused solution can be stored in a container that
is sealed from light. The used solution can be recycled as fertilizer
for other plants in the garden.
SNAP hydroponics
researcher, Primitivo Jose A. Santos of IPB, says he is currently testing
indigenous vegetables such as pechay, kangkong, camote tops, saluyot,
ampalaya, and kalabasa for use with the technology. At the same time,
he is also busy promoting the technology to interested parties and providing
them with training. Already, he has helped entrepreneurs in nearby towns—such
as San Jose, Batangas—make use of the technology in their farms.
The IPB’s hydroponics research is being conducted with the help
of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Research.
[Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc]
IPB creates gumamela
hybrids for UP Centennial
UP
Los Baños (UPLB) has unveiled one of its contributions to the
celebration of the UP Centennial—the Oblation Series—with
the launching of hibiscus Nelia T. Gonzales in April of this year. It
is the first hibiscus or gumamela hybrid in this series.
The Oblation Series is the latest group of hibiscus
hybrids from the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) at UPLB. The hybrids
were created by Dr. Pablito Magdalita and former IPB scientist Dr. Reynold
Pimentel (who is now with Del Monte Philippines, Inc.).
According to Dr. Monina Siar, head of the IPB Fruit
and Ornamental Crops Division, flowers in the Oblation Series honor
alumnae who have obtained high ranks in the academe, government, and
industry. She added that the release of the remaining hybrids in the
series has yet to be scheduled.
The IPB has been producing hibiscus hybrids since 1994
using “conventional hybridization through cross-pollination and
selection,” explained Magdalita. In fact, the IPB has already
released three other hibiscus hybrid series.
The Centennial Series was launched in June 1998 as UPLB’s
contribution to the Philippine Centennial. Pimentel said that the eleven
hybrids in that series were named after “courageous heroines who
fought and worked for the freedom and liberation of the country against
the Spanish and American colonial masters.”
In 2000, the IPB released the Millennium Series—six
hibiscus hybrids named after UPLB women scientists who have made significant
contributions to Philippine agriculture. And four years later, the Celebrity
Series was launched, composed of five hybrids named after Philippine
actresses.
The Institute
is the lead agency for crop biotechnology research, so named by Republic
Act 7308. It has developed over 100 varieties of crops approved by the
National Seed Industry Council. In addition, the IPB has the National
Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory, the national center for germplasm
collection and maintenance of important and potentially useful crops.
To date, it maintains over 43,000 accessions of about 500 species. Aside
from ornamentals, other IPB products include cereals, legumes, vegetables,
fruits, root crops, industrial crops, and special crops. [Arlyn
VCD Palisoc Romualdo]
Saving local agriculture
Everyone’s
favorite fruit durian, with its pungent smell and exotic appearance,
is in danger of extinction. The well-loved fruit that gives Davao a
unique appeal among local and foreign tourists has been found to be
infected with a deadly plant disease—phythophythora.
Derived
from the Latin words “phytho” meaning plant and “phthora”
meaning destroyer, phytophthora is classified as a Protist, a microorganism
similar to fungi. It possesses all the main features of fungi: the mycelium-forming
hypha, oospores and chlamydospores, plus other spores such as the sporangium
and zoospores. And just like fungi, phytophthora can be cultured on
axenic or artificial media. When infected with phytophthora, a plant
slowly rots and dies. The disease prefers humid conditions, and the
spores easily spread through storm and drainage water.
To date,
about 50 species have already been characterized and identified. Among
the most destructive of the species is the phytophthora cinnamomi or
the root rot, which grows through the plant’s root system and
prevents the proper absorption of water and nutrients. The first symptoms
of plant infection are the wilting and yellowing of the foliage, which
later dries out and darkens the young feeder roots. Lack of water and
nutrients are the usual causes of an infected plant’s death.
Cure
on the way
Not to worry though. Experts on plant diseases from UP Mindanao are
now working on the dreaded phytophthora. In fact, UP Mindanao has collaborated
with institutions like the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Plant
Industry (DA-BPI), University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), Durian
Council of Davao, and Philippine Coconut Authority-Davao Research Center
(PCA-DRC) to focus on durian’s susceptibility to phytophythora.
The members of the Regional Durian Circle looking into this are the
Durian Davao Council, DA’s Malou Infante, BPI’s Lorna Heradura
and Connie Suguilon, PCA-DRC’s Emmanuel Aterrado, USEP’s
Dr. Virgie Ugay, Belly Dionio and Dr. Lou Generalao, Dr. Billy Raymundo,
and UPMin’s Dr. Emma Ruth Bayogan, Dr. Toto Bastian and Dr. Abad.
Last February,
during the Symposium on Excellence in Research, Dr. Reynaldo G. Abad
of the UP Mindanao Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental
Studies delivered a lecture titled “Phytophthora: A Plant Micro-killer
on the Loose.” He noted that though there are several fungicides
available in the market that can destroy phytophthora, like Alliete,
Ridomil, and Kocide, there are ways to prevent the infestation of phytophthora
in crops. Among the disease-preventive measures he mentioned were the
application of fertilizer and lime to nourish the soil, adjust its pH,
and optimize tree nutrition; soil treatment using the fungus trichoderma
harzianum to antagonize soil-borne diseases; pruning of branches to
allow better air movement in the orchard and lower humidity within the
area; and drainage improvement to avoid flooding or excessive wet condition
of the soil.
Crusade
against phytophthora
Dr. Abad explained that UP Mindanao’s primary role is “to
collect as many isolates of phytophthora from infected fruits and soil
(and from different areas) and characterize them morphologically as
well as on a molecular or genomic level, then classify/cluster/identify
them according to shared characteristics.” The identification
of the species, he said, is important in the formulation of disease-management
strategies. At present, only UPMin has the facilities to take on this
enormous responsibility. The other crops UPMin intends to work on include
citrus, pineapple, avocado, rubber, papaya, black pepper, and other
vegetables. The search for and the development of resistant varieties
of these crops are among UPMin’s top priorities.
Currently,
one of Abad’s thesis advisees is already working on the isolate
collection, while another is focusing on characterization of phytophthora
affecting avocado. In addition, Abad himself will be submitting a research
proposal covering these studies to the Department of Agriculture (DA),
utilizing the P500,000 grant he won in the DA’s Gawad Saka Award
in 2005 to fund his work. (With reports from Des DC Parawan)
Under
incursion: The case of phytophthora
The battle
against phytophthora in the Philippines dates to as far back as the
early part of the 20th century.
In 1919,
American botanist and plant pathologist Dr. Edwin Bingham Copeland,
who served as the dean of the UP College of Agriculture from its founding
in 1909 until 1917, first reported the bud rot of coconut in the country.
Moreover, a phytophthora epidemic was the cause of the loss of farmers’
interest in large-scale cacao farming in the 1950s. Afterward, it was
discovered that cacao was susceptible to pod rot.
By the
1970s, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) launched “Operation
Bud Rot”, which involved cutting down of some 35,000 coconut palms
in Laguna and Quezon. Over the years, the PCA continued to intensify
their research on coconut-related cases of phytophthora and, by the
1980s to 1990s, learned that coconut hybrids were susceptible to bud
rot, which was the reason for the failure of the first coconut replanting
program. High-incidence areas of phytophthora include Samar, Laguna
and Leyte. Other crops susceptible to this plant disease include taro
(gabi), orchids, and papaya.
Twin legacies
UPAA pushes for Carillon rehabilitation and basketball
championship for UP Centennial
Outgoing
UP Alumni Association (UPAA) President and Alumni Regent Jaime S. de
los Santos believes that while there is no way one can predict the years
ahead, there is a way to at least glimpse the likely shape of the future.
The key is to couple tradition with vision.
Thus, over
the last three years that he was at the helm of the UPAA, he made it
a point that the association have major activities geared toward the
UP Centennial in 2008. His vision was to help UP grow with the times
without neglecting its roots. “While the Centennial is rightfully
an occasion for us to look back to and celebrate the traditions that
have shaped UP into the premier learning institution that it is today,
it should also be an opportunity for us to extend our vision into the
next one hundred years and chart new strategies that will enable UP
to conquer uncharted territories,” he says.
Festive
and meaningful
And to help UP move with the times without doing away with traditions,
President de los Santos and his Board initiated two special projects
that are meant to make the University’s celebrations both festive
and meaningful.
One of
these projects is the restoration of a landmark that has wordlessly
yet watchfully stood witness to UP’s history—the Carillon
Tower on the Diliman campus. Built in 1952, the Carillon has serenaded
generations of students, teachers, employees, campus residents, and
transients with the National Anthem, “UP Beloved,” and a
half-hour of inspiring music in the early morning and late afternoon.
Today, however, it has fallen silent. Its bells have gone out of tune,
some in need of repair or replacement. The wires and wooden levers of
the keyboard have corroded. “Through the ‘Save the UP Carillon’
campaign,” says President de los Santos, “we hope that the
Tower will not remain for long in the sad fix that it is in.”
‘Save
the UP Carillon’ has two goals. The first is to restore the campanile
by 2008 and this involves technical evaluations, actual repairs and
replacements, and landscaping of its immediate environs. The second
is to institutionalize the Carillon’s operations and maintenance,
which involves the establishment of scholarships that will ensure the
availability of a steady pool of properly trained “carillonneurs.”
The UPAA
launched the UP Carillon Restoration Project on November 9, 2005 at
the UP Executive House and generated P1.5 million in pledges. In addition,
the Philippine Constructors’ Association committed to undertake
the civil works of the project estimated to cost P10 million.
“Our
second project has to do with our sports program,” says President
de los Santos. “We have world-class athletes who set the benchmark
in competitions here and abroad. If we give our basketball team, for
example, as much support as other universities give theirs, we would
have a fighting chance to top the University Athletics Association in
the Philippines (UAAP) championships.”
The UPAA
is thus implementing a sustainable basketball program aimed at clinching
the UAAP title for the UP Fighting Maroons in 2008. Three key factors
essential to the success of the program have been identified. One is
the establishment of the Council of Champions, which will spearhead
the project. Another is the fund-raising and management component that
will provide regular financial support for the basketball team. And
the third factor is the development of a comprehensive basketball program,
which involves extensive training and energetic recruitment.
To generate
funds for the UP Carillon and the Fighting Maroons basketball team,
the UPAA organized the UP at Kaibigan Golfing Foundation (UPAK). At
the soft launch of UPAK last March 1, the UPAA was able to raise P100,000
for the UP Pep Squad. In October this year, they are holding a golf
tournament dubbed “UP Against the World” to raise more funds.
Fund-raising
and job placement
Aside from saving the Carillon Tower and building up the basketball
team, the UPAA also embarked on several projects in support of the University.
“An
alumni association is usually seen as a university’s fund-raising
arm,” says de los Santos. “It is expected to bring in donations
for scholarships, laboratory equipment, library collections, classroom
facilities, professorial chairs, and faculty grants. Moreover, we are
expected to help provide employment opportunities for our graduates.
We did just that. I took every chance I had to represent the UPAA as
a means of raising funds for the University’s projects and programs—from
former President Francisco Nemenzo’s modernization campaign to
President Emerlinda R. Roman’s centennial fund drive.”
When he
was invited by the UPAA in Australia in September and by the UPAA in
America in October last year, de los Santos challenged the alumni to
set up a placement bureau for UP graduates who wish to work abroad.
“Here in the Philippines,” he adds, “we sponsored
job fairs and employment seminars.”
Building
a nation
UP, being a university of the people, provides a unique dimension to
UPAA’s responsibilities—that of helping build a nation that
Filipinos can be proud of. To carry out this responsibility, President
de los Santos says they used their annual UP Alumni Council Meeting
as a venue to discuss issues of national significance.
“Year
after year, we chose relevant issues and invited prominent personalities,”
he explains. “In 2004, we sought to lessen the effects of our
increasingly mushrooming population to the quality of education in the
country. Last year, in view of the alarming waves of labor migration,
we addressed the multidimensional implications of the Filipino Diaspora.
And this year, we went back to the effects of population explosion—this
time on the environment.”
Based on
these lectures and discussions, the UPAA drafted resolutions broadly
stating the members’ collective stand and specific action plans
for every issue. These resolutions were then sent to Malacañang,
Congress, and NGOs to urge them to address the issues.
UN Awardee leads 2006
UPAA outstanding alumni
Dr.
Mercedes B. Concepcion (BSChem’51), the country’s leading
demographer and UN Population Awardee in 2005, leads 19 other UP Alumni
Association (UPAA) awardees for this year. She is UPAA’s Most
Distinguished Alumna for 2006.
Prof. Antonio
O. Mabesa (BSA’56) and Dr. Nelia Cortes-Maramba (MD’60)
are the recipients of the Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Awards.
The Outstanding Professional Awardees in the different fields are the
following: Dr. Arsenio N. Resurreccion (BSAE’71; MS’78),
agriculture; Mr. Percy J. Arañador (BS’81), arts and letters;
Mr. Victor B. Valdepeñas (BSF’66; MA(Eco)’69), business
administration; Dr. Lina B. Diaz de Rivera (MAT’76; PhD’91),
education; Dr. Ernesto P. Sonido (BSEM’50), geology; Atty. Andres
G. Gatmaitan (BSJ’61; LLB’61), law; Dr. Alberto G. Romualdez,
Jr. (MD’65), medicine; Dr. Carmenpcita Matias-Abaquin (GN’62;
BSN’69; MN’75; PhD’00), nursing; Gov. Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez
(AB’56; BSFS’58), public administration; and Dr. Nina G.
Barzaga (BSPH’75; MD’79), public health.
The Community
Service Awardees are Engr. Francis Chua (BSIE’72) for national
level and Atty. Romeo P. Gerochi (BS’71) for Visayas. UPAA Service
Awardee is Mrs. Olivia Rocha-Aliga (BM’74) while recipient for
the UPAA Presidential Award is Amb. Lauro L. Baja, Jr. Outstanding graduates
are Mr. Donald K. Ngwe, BS (Eco)’ 06 summa cum laude and Ms. Cherrys
O. Abrigo, BSChE’06 magna cum laude. The Outstanding Alumni Chapter
Awardee is UPV Food Technologists Alumni Association, Inc.
UP President
Emerlinda R. Roman will host a dinner in honor of this year’s
awardees at UP Executive House on Friday, June 16, 2006, 6 pm.
Awarding
will be held during the UP General Alumni-Faculty Homecoming and Reunion
at the Ang Bahay ng Alumni on June 24, 2006, at 3 pm.
UP establishes international
links
For
some time now, the University of the Philippines has been collaborating
with other institutions to gain new knowledge and to provide students
with more academic opportunities worldwide.
Recently, UP Visayas (UPV) signed two agreements with
the Kagoshima University Faculty of Fisheries (KUFF) of Japan to continue
the cooperation between the institutions. This was done in anticipation
of the end of their earlier Core University Program (CUP) of UPV along
with KUFF, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and
the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) that began in 1996 and
will end in 2007. This program has already resulted in three International
Conferences and published a significant number of articles in international
journals since it was started.
The first agreement is a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
between KUFF and UPV establishing liaison offices in the two universities—a
first for UPV; the second is an Agreement of Understanding on the academic
exchange program for students between KUFF and UPV. These were done
to strengthen the post graduate programs of UPV, especially for the
College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, and to further facilitate the
exchange of researchers who will work on a variety of relevant studies
in capture fisheries, aquaculture, fish processing, fisheries socio-economics,
and the environment. Dr. Tatsuro Matsuoka, Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries,
and UPV Chancellor Glenn D. Aguilar signed both agreements as representatives
of their respective academic institutions on February 20, 2006.
Now that bonds have been strengthened, the Japanese
plan to establish a regional center in UPV that will spearhead researches
in the Southeast Asian Region. Dr. Matsuoka mentioned that research
endeavors will not only focus on fisheries but will also incorporate
components of agriculture and medical science with the primary aim of
alleviating poverty in this part of Asia.
He also added that the administration of Kagoshima University
will support the projects held under this cooperation and will receive
major funding from the Japanese Government.
Despite the completion of the research project last
year, the partnership between UP Mindanao (UP Min) and Curtin University
of Technology in Western Australia is still being maintained. A scoping
study in the field of agriculture is currently being done by both Universities
as an initial activity or database for another five-year project proposal,
which will commence in 2007 if approved. Additionally, Ms. Marilou O.
Montiflor, Research Associate in the School of Management of UP Min
will be a Fellow under the John Allwright Fellowships Program for Agricultural
Research for postgraduate studies in Australia from June 15, 2006 to
June 14, 2008. This study program is designed to provide the Awardee
with the opportunity to get actively involved and acquire sufficient
knowledge in the project research work throughout his or her studies.
UP Min and Curtin University have joined forces to alleviate
poverty by improving the efficiency and quality management in vegetables
supply chains in southern Mindanao. Commissioned by the Australian Centre
for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in January 2001, project
leaders Dr. Roy Murray-Prior of Curtin University and Dr. Sylvia Concepcion
of UP Min steered a study of the supply chain for temperate vegetables
from Kapatagan, which is located on the slopes of Mt. Apo near Davao
City. The study included training, workshops, and seminars which were
conducted with farmers and cooperative agricultural groups, personnel
from the Department of Agriculture, local extension workers, market
intermediaries, institutional participants, politicians, and policy
makers.
“The
positive impacts of the project are apparent at both the farm-household,
institutional and community levels,” Dr. Murray-Prior says. Since
the completion of the research project in March 2005, results, such
as the improved operations of the Vegetable Industry Council of Southern
Mindanao and the Kapatagan Livelihood Development Cooperative, have
been noted. Other effects were the increase in the incomes of the farmers
who are members of the cooperatives or who participated in the workshops,
and the improvement of the skills of project members from UPMin in supply-chain
analysis as manifested by their involvement in the Mindanao Policy Review
Forums.
UP
Los Baños collaborates with Cornell University
UP Los Baños (UPLB) and Cornell University College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), New York are currently planning
their programs based on a Memorandum of Agreement signed in February
2005. Dr. Wilfredo P. David, former chancellor of UPLB, Dr. Susan A.
Henry, and Prof. Ronald P. Lynch, dean of Cornell University, represented
the parties involved.
The MOA will facilitate joint programs and exchanges
of scientific materials until the year 2010. Both institutions will
carry out personnel exchanges and visits, cooperative researches, and
postgraduate degree trainings.
This collaboration
recognizes the benefits of providing opportunities to graduate students
to conduct some of their research abroad. Arrangements will be made
for the inclusion of graduate-level research and training in externally
funded projects under the agreement. Short-term, non-degree training
will also be included in the program. [Bernice P. Varona]
ITTC sets up state-of-the-art
networking laboratory
The
University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center
(UP ITTC) recently set up a world-class networking laboratory.
Composed of various up-to-date network devices such as routers, switches,
a WAN emulator, modems/CSU/DSUs, firewall, VPN devices, IDS sensors,
VoIP/IP Telephony devices, IP PBX devices, wireless LAN devices, and
media streaming devices, the UP ITTC Network Systems Lab also has router
and network simulators to allow configurations of an unlimited number
of simulated network devices. The souped-up equipment cost P28 million,
P14 million of which is allotted for Cisco, the world leader in Internet
networking.
The lab is set up for the following network technologies:
routing and switching, wide area network emulation (PSTN/POTS, v.35
56/64k, T1, E1, ISDN, Euro ISDN, and Frame Relay), remote access services
(RAS)/ dial-up access, wireless LAN, security (Firewall, VPN, IDS),
network/cable testing and protocol analysis, voice-over-IP/ IP telephony,
and media streaming. These lab facilities comply with the requirements
for Cisco Certified Network Associate, Cisco Certified Network Professional,
and Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert levels of training.
Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) through the UP-JICA Human Resources Development Project, the
laboratory will benefit trainees under the Network Systems track.
According to Dr. Jaime D.L. Caro, Program Director of
the UP ITTC, setting up this laboratory is a big step toward the future
of information technology in the country. As envisioned, it will greatly
contribute to the knowledge of future Filipino IT professionals.
The UP ITTC is a Microsoft IT Academy and a Local Academy
under the Cisco Networking Academy Program. Aside from Network Systems,
UP ITTC also offers Applications Development and Mobile Computing and
Embedded Systems tracks.
For more
information, visit the UP ITTC website at http://ittc.up.edu.ph or contact
Jennifer B. Bolina (Information Officer) at 9202080. To contact your
nearest Cisco partner, call Chai Caintic at (632) 750-5968. [Arlene
Morsequillo]
FEd offers Professional
Teaching Certification program
In
June 2006, the UP Open University Faculty of Education (FEd) will offer
the Professional Teaching Certification (PTC) program, which aims to
provide 18 units of professional education courses to non-education
graduates who intend to teach in Philippine public schools.
The education courses in the PTC are clustered into
six major divisions: educational psychology, principles and techniques
of teaching, principles of education, measurement and evaluation, practicum,
and special education or organization, and management of educational
institutions.
The PTC will satisfy the requirements of RA 7836, which
states that all persons engaged in teaching, supervision, and administration
of all elementary and secondary schools in the country must pass the
Licensure Examination for Teachers. Graduates of education degrees or
its equivalent and non-education graduates with at least 18 units of
professional education are qualified to take the licensure examination.
Dean Nemah Hermosa of the Faculty of Education explained
that the PTC program, which will be delivered through distance education,
aims to provide non-education degree holders with: a) an understanding
of the cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical characteristics of children/adolescents
and how they develop and learn; b) knowledge of the subjects they teach
and how to teach those subjects; c) skills for managing and monitoring
student learning; d) a reflective attitude about their practice, and
an openness to adapt their teaching to new findings, ideas, and theories;
and e) commitment as members of the learning community.
Those interested
in enrolling in PTC may contact the Office of the University Registrar,
UP Open University, Los Baños, Laguna, telephone numbers 049
536 6001 to 6005, or send email to registrar@upou.org or visit our website
at www.upou.org. [Luisa A. Gelisan]
OFF THE SHELVES
Women
and environment
Women oversee
their household’s waste management practices. They manage the
use and reuse of water. They also tend the garden. These are only some
of the stereotypical chores women have been doing since time immemorial.
It is a stereotype that still holds true in Philippine society today.
However, if their knowledge of household management were to be tapped,
women could help improve the country’s urban environmental planning.
Women could come up with sound environmental policies with insights
based on their personal experiences.
Unfortunately,
women have limited access to and control of the country’s socio-economic
resources. Their participation in development activities remains confined
within their homes. And because women comprise half of the country’s
population, their non-participation results in the diminished strategic
impact of development programs and the programs’ long-term sustainability.
Last February
14, the UP College of Social Work and Community Development launched
a compact disc on “Gender Equality in Urban Environmental Management”
which contains the proceedings of the regional training on the same
subject held from March 28 to 30, 2005 in Quezon City. The three-day
training, which was participated in by delegates from eight countries,
was organized by the Southeast Asia Urban Environmental Management Application
Project, the Canadian International Development Agency, the Asian Institute
of Technology-Bangkok, Thailand, and the UP Social Action and Research
for Development Foundation, Inc. through the College of Social Work
and Community Development-Department of Women and Development Studies.
“Gender
Equality in Urban Environmental Management (UEM)” proposes the
increased participation of women in community development. The first
step is to “change their attitudes and practices to adapt a UEM
perspective.” [Rod P. Fajardo III]
On
the Filipino musical life
UP Press
Director Dr. Ma. Luisa Camagay described Tunugan: Four Essays on Filipino
Music, the newly launched book on Philippine musical literature, as
unique for three reasons. She said that the usual size of books they
publish is 6" x 9", but Dr. Ramon P. Santos’ Tunugan
is printed in 8 1/2" x 11". Then the book is heavy with illustrations
of musical notes that can actually help non-musical readers appreciate
the compositions featured in the discussions. And it has a CD version
to accompany the print edition—a first for the UP Press.
All these
“unusual” features took the book quite some time to come
off the press. But the wait was worth it. Tunugan fills “a void
in critical writing on Philippine musical literature—reflective
and analytical discussions of important markers in contemporary Filipino
musical life.”
Santos,
former dean of the UP College of Music, addresses such issues with four
essays that look into the aspects of systematic, historical, and ethnomusicology
which, in the context of modern semiotics, the author applied “in
an attempt to expose the semantic domain and musical meaning of three
specimens selected from the broad cross-section of Filipino expressive
repertoires—the classical composition in the music of Nicanor
Abelardo, the oral tradition in the Ibaloi bâ’diw and the
Maranaw bayok, and the avant-garde modern creations in the works of
National Artist for Music Jose M. Maceda.”
The essay
on the UP Conservatory of Music (now the College of Music) provides
the historical perspective “although its main purpose is to argue
for the institution’s role in laying the groundwork for the formulation
and adoption of a nationalist ideology in Filipino art music at the
turn of the century.”
The UP
Press launched Tunugan last February 28 with song and dance performances
to illustrate the essays. Santos sang a bâ’diw (sung poetry),
reciting a litany of acknowledgments to the people who supported the
publication of Tunugan. [Rod P. Fajardo III]
Librero: Journalists
should write more S&T stories
UP
Open University Chancellor Felix Librero, development communication
professor and writer, urged Los Baños-based journalists to influence
the direction of growth and development of science and technology in
the country by writing more in-depth stories on science and technology.
In a paper
titled “Quo Vadis, Philippines Science and Technology Journalism,”
which he recently delivered in a symposium sponsored by the Philippine
Agricultural Journalist, Inc., CALABARZON Chapter, Librero observed
that there are not enough good science stories published in the local
papers. Librero, who is also a radio broadcaster, noted that broadcast
media does not give enough good coverage of developments in sciences.
He said important issues and news about S&T have been not emphasized
enough. He pointed out that most of the science stories focus on superficial
issues and lack sufficient depth of analysis as well as clarity of the
implications of S&T on the life of the nation. He said that many
writers concentrate too much on the 5Ws of writing and do not use enough
creativity and innovativeness to make S&T stories more interesting
to readers.
Librero
admitted that science journalism is hard work but definitely relevant.
[Luisa A. Gelisan]
UPV Cebu unveils plans
for UP Centennial fete
During
a lecture-forum and painting exhibit held May 3, the UP Visayas Cebu
College launched its plans for the UP Centennial celebration in 2008.
The events focused on UPV Cebu’s working on becoming a regional
center for excellence and a center of culture. Prof. Renante
Manlunas made the first presentation titled “Calles de Cebu: Gateways
to a Nation’s History.” A UP High Cyber Fair Project, “Calles
de Cebu” is a dynamic website that features the stories behind
Cebu City’s streets. The second presentation was “Cebu Heritage
Frontiers” by Ruel Bughao Javier Rigor, an Urban Planning graduate
of UPV Cebu. The work explored the Argao pueblo and the town’s
rich heritage and diverse history.
The Cebu campus celebrations will culminate in 2008
with a presentation of creative outputs and published research on social
development, local history, and heritage, among which are monographs
of the history of Cebu’s towns, annotated heritage maps of the
47 municipalities and five component cities of Cebu, and the UP Cebu
Journal. There will also be exhibits featuring the history of UP Cebu
and relevant artworks of alumni and other Cebuano artists. A joint traveling
painting exhibit by the Fine Arts faculty of UP Diliman, UP Baguio,
and UP Cebu is also slated.
Another highlight of UPV Cebu’s centennial celebrations
is the first national conference on Visayas culture with the theme,
“Defining Visayan Identity.” UP Cebu’s Central Visayas
Studies Center, Committee on Cebuano Language, and Arts and Culture
Committee will host the conference. Aside from these, a lecture series
on social development issues, media education, and media and the law
will also be held, while a series on indigenous martial arts (panagang
pangamot) and musical productions, such as the balitaw of prominent
Cebuano musician Domingo “Minggoy” Lopez, will be presented.
Workshops and training sessions, which will include Cebuano writing
clinics, continuing education for secondary and tertiary teachers, and
summer institutes and training on gender-responsive governance, gender
and women’s studies, and engendering the curriculum will be included.
For more
information about the UPV Cebu celebration of the UP Centennial, please
contact Dr. Madrileña de la Cerna, Chairperson of the UP Cebu
Committee on Centennial Celebration at (032) 2339034. [Ian
Vincent C. Manticajon]
UPV tops research tilt
UP
Visayas (UPV) topped the 3rd Annual Meeting of the National Research
Council of the Philippines (NRCP) Visayas Regional Cluster. The University
bagged the top two places in the Scientific Poster Presentation Contest
held on May 11-12, 2006 at the Western Visayas College of Science and
Technology in La Paz, Iloilo City.
The theme of this year’s meeting is “Research
Collaboration for Sustainable Development.” UPV Chancellor Glenn
D. Aguilar was the keynote speaker.
The NRCP is a collegial body whose membership includes
outstanding scientists, technologists, science and technology administrators,
educators, and researchers in the country. One of its principal mandates
is the provision of assistance for the development of the research capabilities
of Filipino scientists. It also acts as the advisory body in select
priority sectors to the national government on problems and issues affecting
the country.
The UPV research project that won first place was “Immunoprotective
effects of selected dietary immunostimulants to juvenile Peneaus monodon
challenged with virulent Vibrio harveyi” by former UPV-National
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB) Director Dr.
Augusto E. Serrano Jr., NIMBB research associate Sharon N. Nuñal,
and former NIMBB research associate Rex Ferdinand Traifalgar. The entry
is the authors’ NIMBB research project funded by the Department
of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research under the Agriculture
and Fisheries Modernization Act.
The second
place winner was titled “Molecular diagnostics for fish viruses
using red seabream iridovirus” by Dr. Christopher Marlowe Caipang,
faculty member at the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. The entry
is a result of Dr. Caipang’s research in Japan. [Rio
S. Naquita]
UPVTC’s ‘grassroots
scientist’ named finalist in RAFI Triennial
Prof.
Margarita de la Cruz of UPV Tacloban College was chosen as one of five
finalists among the nominees for the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. Triennial
Awards 2006 for exemplary individuals and outstanding institutions.
A marine biologist and community development worker,
Prof. de la Cruz was cited for her dedication, expertise, and volunteerism
in coastal resource protection efforts that have positively impacted
partner communities in Eastern Samar.
She is the current chair of the Division of Natural
Sciences and Mathematics in UPVTC, as well as Coordinator for the Regional
Environmental Information Systems and the Network Coordinator for the
Region 8 Geographic Information Systems Network.
She founded and currently serves as executive director
of the Guiuan Development Foundation Inc., an NGO she set up with her
own funds to help improve the socio-economic conditions of fisher-folk
in Eastern Samar. GDFI runs marine sanctuaries that serve as platforms
for different projects like seaweed farms and mudcrab ranches.
AT THE VARGAS MUSEUM
Kamukha:
Portraits from the Jorge B. Vargas Art Collection
UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum is featuring “KAMUKHA:
Portraits from the Jorge B. Vargas art collection” at the Kawilihan
Gallery beginning 13 June.
The exhibition focuses on the portraits in the Vargas
collection. The portraits, divided into four categories, Don Jorge B.
Vargas, the Vargas family, state officials from the Commonwealth to
the post-Japanese occupied Philippines, and studies of now anonymous
individuals, tell different stories of our country’s history,
as well as of Philippine art and portraiture from 1890 to 1960.
Portraits are considered by many to be the highest form
of art. Philippine portraiture was introduced by the Spanish colonizers
in the 16th century. Demands for it rose dramatically in the mid-19th
century coincided with painting becoming more secular, and with the
rise of an upper middle class, when the country’s economy opened
to world trade. Portraits were the precursors of portrait photography
where clients would visit studios and select backdrops and costumes
to create alternative identities.
KAMUKHA presents the concepts of likeness, representation
and interpretation, as well as projection, conventions, and patronage.
Vargas was one person who liked to have his portrait painted but had
little patience to pose. He would instead offer his photographs to painters
like Amorsolo to reproduce as paintings. Some photographs from which
the portrait paintings were based will be featured.
Artists contributing to the collection are the brothers
Fernando and Pablo Amorsolo, Romeo Enriquez, Fabian De la Rosa, Fortunato
Jervoso, Fermin Sanchez, Cesar Buenaventura, Jose Pereira, Ben Alano,
and Nestor Leynes.
Lectures and sessions on portraits and portraiture will
be conducted by artists Romulo Galicano, Ed Lantin, and members of the
Saturday Group of Artists at the Vargas Museum, the schedule of which
will be announced.
KAMUKHA
runs from June 13 to July 30, 2006 at the Kawilihan Gallery, UP Jorge
B. Vargas Museum. For details, contact Linda at 9281927.
Myself
as Adam after the Big Bang
On June 6, 2006, artist Jan Leeroy New opens his first
one-man exhibit at the UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum. Dubbed “Myself
as Adam after the Big Bang,” the exhibit shows New’s current
fascination with biblical stories, local folklore, superstitions, and
religious and secular Filipino iconography. The central theme for this
exhibition is the Genesis, which New stylizes through his work with
a depiction of the creative nature of the Big Bang explosion. He explains
his current works as a move into his deeper self as an artist, while
bearing both historical and cultural forces that initially shaped him.
New is a senior at the UP College of Fine Arts in Diliman.
He was given the Outstanding Award for Visual Arts and the Sunico Foundation
for Arts and Technology Scholarship when he graduated from the Philippine
High School for the Arts in Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna.
He has also joined a number of art competitions and group exhibitions
both in Luzon and Mindanao.
“Myself
as Adam after the Big Bang” runs until 5 July 2006. For inquiries,
please call Linda at 928-1927, or email vargasmuseum@gmail.com.
Through
the Palette’s Eye
In cooperation
with Art Sentral Manila, UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum features “Through
the Palette’s Eye” at the Edge Gallery.
The exhibition focuses on the palette, an essential
and indispensable art implement, shown in a different light. The country’s
finest artists have translated their ideas into it in this truly unique
collection. The resulting pieces use their trademark images on a fresh
medium. Featured artists include Bencab, Malang, Anita Magsaysay-Ho,
Soler Santos, Manuel Baldemor, Pacita Abad, Elmer Borlongan, Steve Santos,
Mark Justiniani, Kiko Escora, Jose Santos III, among others.
The art-palette collection was the idea of Singapore-based
Filipino couple Rico Hizon and Melanie Syquia-Hizon. Both long-time
art lovers, they decided to start a collection of palettes painted by
Filipino artists.
“Through
the Palette’s Eye” at the UPVM runs from June 13 to July
30, 2006. This is part of its yearlong university tour, which was conceptualized
as an educational tool to expose students to the different styles of
contemporary Filipino artists. For inquiries, please call Linda at 9281927,
or email vargasmuseum@gmail.com.
Tony
Twigg and Ian Fairweather
From 15
May to 26 June, Australian artist Tony Twigg will be a visiting research
fellow at the UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum & Filipiniana Research Center.
“Ian Fairweather in the Philippines” opens at the Lobby
Gallery of the UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum on 27 June 2006.
While in residence, Twigg will explore the Vargas archives
to look for materials on Filipino National Artist Victorio Edades, whom
Ian Fairweather met during his stay in the Philippines. Ian Fairweather,
Australia’s greatest painter, was born in Scotland in 1891, extensively
traveled during his years of early education, attended an officer training
school, and became a POW during WWI. He studied art in Holland, London,
Munich, the Hague Academy, privately with Johannes van Mastenbroek,
the School of Oriental Studies, and the Slade School in London. Fairweather
arrived in Melbourne, Australia in 1934, and much later that year, he
traveled to the Philippines. While in the Philippines, he acquired the
oriental sense of space vis-à-vis the European context. This
became the prevailing feature in his paintings from this period onwards.
Fairweather achieved a fusion of western and Asian influences. Among
the few artists who have successfully combined these influences are
American artist Mark Tobey and Filipino National Artist Edades.
Twigg’s investigation of the Edades-Fairweather
interaction will add to the history of art prior to World War II, which
is evidence showing that the Philippines and Australia had exchange
and travel relations even before their governments established foreign
policies.
After the residency, Twigg will present his explorations
in his show, the highlight of which is a collection of seven scrolls
reproducing Fairweather’s art. In addition, historic and contemporary
photographs and works of art by other artists similar to Fairweather
will also be on exhibit.
The show
will run until 13 August 2006. For inquiries, please call Linda at 928-1927,
or email vargasmuseum@gmail.com.
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