Julian Banzon

Julian Banzon - Filipino Chemist: Filipino chemist, Julian Banzon researched methods of producing alternative fuels. Julian Banzon experimented with the production of ethyl esters fuels from sugarcane and coconut, and invented a means of extracting residual coconut oil by a chemical process rather than a physical process. Julian Banzon - Degrees: BS in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines - 1930 Ph.D. in Biophysical Chemistry from Iowa State University - 1940 Julian Banzon - Awards: 1980: Distinguished Service Award - Integrated Chemist of the Philippines, Inc. 1978: Chemist of the Year Award - Professional Regulation Commission 1976: Philsugin Award - Crop Society of the Philippines Dr. Banzon has done a great deal of work on local materials especially coconut as the renewable source of chemicals and fuels. His work on the production of ethyl esters from sugarcane and coconut is the first study on fuels from these crops. He also devised some novel processes noteworthy among these is the extraction of residual coconut oil by chemical, rather than by physical processes For these and many more significant scientific works, Dr. Banzon has been accorded honors and citations notably: Distinguished Service Award, Integrated Chemist of the Philippines, Inc. (1980), Chemist of the Year Award, Professional Regulation Commission (1978) and the PHILSUGIN Award for research, Crop Society of the Philippines, 1976.

Alfredo Santos
Alfredo Santos - Filipino Chemist: Doctor Alfredo Santos is a noted researcher in the chemistry of natural products, in particular the isolation and elucidation of the phaeantharine and other alkaloids from Philippine medical plants. Alfredo Santos - Degrees: BS in Pharmacy, University of the Philippines Doctorate in Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas Doctorate in Philosophy, Westfalische Wilhelms Universitat Munster 1929 Alfredo Santos - Awards: 1953 - Outstanding Pharmacist Researcher of the Philippine Pharmaceutical Association 1954 - Magsaysay's Distinguished Service Star 1973 - PhilAAS Outstanding Scientist Award

Lourdes Jansuy Cruz, PhD

Lourdes Jansuy Cruz, PhD is a Filipina biochemist. She is best known for her research on the properties of toxins found in Conus snails. She was conferred the rank and title of National Scientist in 2008. Education and Career Dr. Lourdes Cruz graduated with a BS Chemistry degree from the University of the Philippines, Diliman in 1962. She then finished her MS and PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Iowa, United States, 1966 and 1968, respectively. Upon her return to the Philippines, she served as a research aide in 1962 at the International Rice Research Institute. She then began teaching as assistant professor at the UP Department of Biochemistry in 1970, and became a full professor in 1977. Cruz then served as chair of the UP Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from 1980 to 1986. In addition, she was also a research associate and professor in the University of Utah. Currently she is based at the UP Marine Science Institute. Research and Contributions Dr. Lourdes Cruz has published over 120 scientific papers, and has contributed greatly to the understanding of the biochemistry of toxic peptides gathered from the venom of fish-hunting Conus marine snails. Her studies contributed to the characterization of over 50 biologically active peptides, which were later used as biochemical probes for examining the activities of the human brain. In 2001, she established the Rural Livelihood Incubator, a program which aimed to alleviate poverty and socio-political instability in the rural areas by giving job and livelihood opportunities to their people. Awards and Prizes In 1981, Dr. Cruz received the Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), and was elected to the Academy in 1986. She also received the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) Achievement Award in Chemistry in 1982, and the Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service Award (Biochemistry) in 1986.

Francisco Quisumbing
Francisco Quisumbing - Filipino Inventor: Filipino chemist, Francisco Quisumbing invented Quink ink, which is used in Parker Pens. Quink ink is named after the inventor. It is a quick drying ink with a cleaning property that prevents the ink from clogging the pen. He earned his BSA at University of the Philippines Los Baos in 1918, his MS at the University of the Philippines Los Baos in 1921, and Ph. D. in Plant Taxonomy, Systematics and Morphology at the University of Chicago in 1923. Career From 1920-26 he was attached to the College of Agriculture in U.P., and from 1926-28 to the University of California; in 1928 appointed Systematic Botanist and since February 1934 Acting Chief of the Natural Museum Division of the Bureau of Science, Manila, now Director of the National Museum. When assigned to the U.S. Navy in Guiuau, at the southern tip of Samar, made collections in that region. He retired as Director in November 1961, and was for some following years attached to the Araneta University. Dr. Quisumbing undertook restoration of the Herbarium which was completely destroyed during the war. Dr. Quisumbing was author of taxonomic and morphological papers, many of which deal with orchids, including Medicinal plants in the Philippines (Manila 1951). Saccolabium quisumbingii has been named in his honour. He was recipient of the Distinguished Service Star (1954) for outstanding contribution to the field of systematic botany; Diploma of Merit on Orchidology and Fellow Gold Medal, Malaysian Orchid Society (1966); Gold Medal, American Orchid Society and 1975 PhilAAS Most Outstanding Award.

Anacleto Del Rosario

He was a leading Filipino chemist during the Spanish Period and was considered the Father of Philippine Science and Laboratory. His formula for the production of a pure kind of alcohol from tuba of a nipa palm won for him the first prize at the World Fair in Paris in 1881. He extracted castor oil from a native plant called palma christi. Date of Birth: July 13, 1860 Place of Birth: Santa Cruz, Manila Date of Death: May 2, 1895 Del Rosario is considered the Father of Philippine Science and Laboratory.

Gregorio Zara
Filipino scientist Gregorio Y. Zara (D.Sc. Physics) invented, made improvements to, or discovered the following: invented the two-way television telephone or videophone (1955) patented as a "photo phone signal separator network" discovered the physical law of electrical kinetic resistance called the Zara effect (around 1930) invented an airplane engine that ran on plain alcohol as fuel (1952) improved methods of producing solar energy including creating new designs for a solar water heater (SolarSorber), a sun stove, and a solar battery (1960s) invented a propeller-cutting machine (1952) designed a microscope with a collapsible stage helped design the robot Marex X-10 Gregorio Zara's list of accomplishments also includes the following awards: Presidential Diploma of Merit Distinguished Service Medal (1959) for his pioneering works and achievements in solar energy research, aeronautics and television. Presidential Gold Medal and Diploma of Honor for Science and Research (1966) Cultural Heritage Award for Science Education and Aero Engineering (1966) Gregorio Zara born in Lipa City, Batangas, is one of the best known scientist from the Philippines. In 1926, Gregorio Zara graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 1927, he received his Masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Michigan. In 1930, he graduated with a Doctorate of Physics from Sorbonne University. On September 30, 1954 Gregorio Zara's alcoholfueled airplane engine was successfully tested and flown at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Paulo C. Campos
Paulo C. Campos (July 7, 1921 June 2, 2007) was a Filipino physician and educator noted for his promotion of wider community health care and his achievements in the field of nuclear medicine for which he was dubbed as "The Father of Nuclear Medicine in the Philippines" [1]. The first president of the National Academy of Science and Technology, he was conferred the rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines in 1988. Contributions to medicine Throughout the 1950s, Campos would pursue graduate studies in the United States; particularly at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and at the Medical Division of the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies.[2] [1] He developed an interest in nuclear medicine while at Johns Hopkins, and completed a training course on the field at Oak Ridge. Two years after his return to the Philippines in 1958, he was named as the head of the Department of Medicine of the University of the Philippines, and concurrently, the head of the department's Research Laboratories.[5] As head of the Department of Medicine, Campos established the first Medical Research Laboratory in the Philippines[6] at the U.P. College of Medicine. The facility, considered as the country's premier research laboratory in the 1960s[6], furthered research in fields such as epidemiology, physiology and biology[6][7]. [edit] Nuclear medicine Campos initiated the construction of the first radioisotope laboratory in the Philippines. With funding provided by the International Atomic Energy Authority and other Philippine institutions[5], the laboratory was established at the Philippine General Hospital. As a result, it was made possible for the first time in the country to conduct such procedures as the basal metabolism test and radioactive iodine therapy [5] [edit] Goiter research In 1960, Campos also helped established the first thyroid clinic in the Philippines, also at the Philippine General Hospital.[5][8] At the clinic, and with funding from the IAEA and later, the World Health Organization, Campos conducted considerable research on goiter, a common medical problem in the Philippines. His team first suggested the injection of iodized oil (see poppyseed oil) to goiter patients, a treatment later advocated by the WHO. [5] Through the thyroid clinic, Campos likewise pursued research on whether there was a genetic factor that contributed to endemic goiter. His findings, as contained in a paper that he published in 1961[9], proposed that the iodine intake deficiency thought to be the main cause of goiter was just one of the triggering factors of the disease, and that physiology and anatomy proved to be

more important considerations as some people were born without the enzyme necessary to take in trace elements such as iodine even if it were present in food and water. [6] [edit] Community medical outreach As Chairman of the Department of Medicine, Campos began the practice of fielding medical interns for community service in Los Baos, Laguna for one month a year[6]. In 1963, the program was institutionalized through the organization of the Comprehensive Community Health Program (CCHP), pursuant to an agreement between the University of the Philippines and the Department of Health. The CCHP, which was based in Bay, Laguna, served as a community health center that serviced several towns in Laguna. Until its closure in 1989, it became the community laboratory of the UP College of Medicine, and it was there that Campos conducted testing on the use of iodized oil for the treatment of goiter[10]. Campos also founded a hospital in Ermita, Manila, the Medical Center Manila, where he executed several of his ideas relative to health care in urbanized centers. [11]

Baldomero Olivera
Baldomero Olivera (born 1941) is a Filipino chemist most famous for discovery of many cone snail toxins important for neuroscience. These molecules, called conotoxins led to a breakthrough in the study of ion channels and neuro-muscular synapses. He discovered and first characterized E. coli DNA ligase, a key enzyme of genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology. Olivera graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1960. He got a PhD from the California Institute of Technology (1966) in Biophysical Chemistry, followed by postdoctoral work at Stanford University from 1966-1968. In 1970, he moved to the University of Utah, where he is now a Disitinguished Professor of Biology. His laboratory's discovery was featured on the cover of the international scientific journal Science in 1990. He was Harvard 2007 "Scientist of the Year". He is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor, has been elected into the Insitute of Medicine and the American Philosophical Society, and became an Elected Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2009. His impressive research on both DNA biophysics and conotoxins has enabled Dr. Olivera to serve as an editorial board member of various scientific publications. He served as a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry from 1982 to 1987, the Journal of Toxinology Toxin Reviews from 1990 to 1993, and Toxicon from 2000 until the present. In addition, he was a member of the review committee of the journal Cellular and Molecular Basis of Disease from 1982 to 1986. Dr Olivera has also served as a committee member of various institutions. He was a member of the Visiting Committee of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry of Harvard University from 1988 to 1995, the Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health from 1996 to 1999, the Toxicology Advisory Committee of the Burroughs-Wellcome Foundation from 1999 to 2001, and has been a member of the Searle Scholars Advisory Board since 2007. On July 9, 2007, UP honored Olivera, for his research on neuropharmacology using the venom of conesnails (carnivorous, predatory marine snails which thrive in tropical and subtropical habitats). UP President Dr. Emerlinda Roman said Oliveras award "brings honor" not only to the UP community but to the whole country as well. Roman and UP Chancellor Sergio Cao awarded Olivera for his outstanding research in the field of marine drug discovery. [1]

Dr. Raymundo S. Punongbayan

Former Director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Raymundo S. Punongbayan died in a helicopter crash last April 28 in Barangay Ligaya, Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija. He was part of an investigation team assessing natural hazards in the area to identify resettlement sites for communities affected by the 2004 typhoons. He was 67. At the time of his passing, Punongbayan was the governor of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) and local coordinator of Earthquake and Megacities Initiative (EMI). Had the crash not taken place, Punongbayan would have appeared at UP Diliman the following day, where he was the scheduled keynote speaker at the First National Conference on Geographic Studies. He was to address the theme, Mitigating Natural disasters in the Philippines. Punongbayan headed Phivolcs from 1983 to December 2002, and in that period professionalized the agencyfrom having only one doctoral degree holder to eight and immersing its technical staff in international training in volcanology, seismology and disaster management. He also established linkages with local and international geoscientific institutions and steered Phivolcs into aggressive research and development. His efforts paid off when the country saw Phivolcs timely forecasts saving countless lives during the Mount Pinatubo eruptions in 1991an eruption so massive that Pampanga and its neighboring provinces, including Metro Manila, was buried under layers of ash. Because of his leadership, Phivolcs received awards from the US, Philippines and the United Nations. Punongbayan himself bagged 19 awards and due recognition for his role in science and disaster management. These include the 2001 National Disaster Coordinating Council Special Citation Award, the 1998 Dioscoro L. Umali Medal Outstanding Science Administrator Award, the 1996 Model Public Servant of the Year and the 1996 Lingkod Bayan Presidential Awards. He also received the Sergey Soloviev Medal by the European Geophysical Society for the year 2003. This award, as the Phivolcs website describes, recognizes scientists who have shown exceptional contributions to natural hazards by increasing our knowledge of their basic principles as well as their proper assessment with a view of protecting the environment and saving lives and properties. Punongbayan graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Geology from UP in 1960. He later obtained his Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Colorado in 1972. A licensed geologist, he continued to be a professor, a consultant, a public servant, and author even after his retirement in 2002.