5 Filipino scientists among Asia’s top 100 scientists

MANILA—Five Filipino scientists were recently hailed among the Top 100 Scientists in Asia.

The list was released by The Asian Scientist Magazine (ASM), an online publication which aims to raise awareness on the quality research in Asia.

Four of the Filipino scientists are members of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

They are National Scientists (NS) Ramon Barba, Angel Alcala, Edgardo Gomez and Gavino Trono, Jr.

The other Filipino scientist is Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay, a member of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), which as also an attached agency of DOST.

Barba, who ranked 3rd on the list, was conferred as national scientist in 2014 for the mango flowering induction technology that he developed.

Mango flowering induction technoogy allows year-round production of mango.

Barba also pioneered the tissue culture of banana and sugarcane for micropropagation.

NS Alcala ranked seventh. In 2014, he was declared a national scietist for his outstanding contribution to the systematics, ecology, and diversity of amphibians and reptiles, and the conversation of marine-protected areas.

NS Gomez got the 9th spot in the list. He was conferred as national scientist in 2014 for his pioneering contributions to invertebrate biology and ecology and giant clam culture and restoration, and coral reef assessment and conservation.

Lagmay, who ranked 10th the list, is the executive director of DOST’s Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards).

He received the 2015 Plinius Medal from the European Geosciences Union for his research on natural hazards and disasters in the Philippines.

NS Trono, Jr. ranked 12th. In 2014, he was conferred as national scientist for his contributions and accomplishment in tropical marine phycology particularly on seaweed biodiversity, taxonomy, culture, and ecology.

To be included in the list, the honoree must have received a national or international prize in 2014 or 2015 for his or her scientific research of which the selection procedure is competitive or during the same period, the honoree could have made scientific discovery or leadership that has benefited either the academia or industry.

NAST said the rank and title of national scientist is the highest award accorded to Filipino scientists bestowed by the Philippine government.

Meanwhile, according to ASM, the list is the product of one year of collecting documents and records of scientific awards and breakthroughs across the region.

ASM added that the top 100 scientists in Asia came from diverse fields: agriculture; astronomy; biomedical sciences; environmental and geology; engineering; chemistry; information technology; mathematics; physics; business; and leadership.

Of the 100 top scientists, 33 were from Japan, 26 from China, 15 from India; 10 from South Korea; six from Singapore, five from the Philippines; two each from Thailand and Vietnam; and one from Malaysia.