DOST chief was ‘married to his job’

EVEN in his hospital bed, on Oct. 15, regional director Rene Burt Llanto would call his office at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Cebu asking for updates of the earthquake and how the staff was coping.

“His love for science was insurmountable,” said his niece, Stephanie Frances Weva.

The 54-year-old Llanto, who suffered from a kidney ailment, died of pulmonary arrest secondary to septic shock on Nov. 1, All Saints’ Day.

“There’s no doubt he was a public servant at heart,” said his secretary.

When his nephews and nieces would joke with him about why he remained single, Llanto would answer, “I’m already married to DOST.”

His vigil wake is ongoing at the St. Peter Memorial Chapels in Imus Avenue, Cebu City.

Born on April 27, 1959, Llanto was named “National Outstanding Chemical Engineer of the Philippines” in 2005.

The Ministry of Environment and Population in Indonesia also recognized him for his contributions to research and development, technology transfer, human resource development and institution building.

An alumnus of the Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT), Llanto joined the DOST regional office in 1984 as a planning officer before he became a science research specialist.

Llanto moved up the ranks till he was named regional director. He was also a trustee and regent of several colleges and universities.

Before joining government service, Llanto was assistant project manager of the Affiliated Non-Conventional Energy Center in Cebu and was an engineering instructor at CIT.

He held exhibits and published and co-published more than 30 research works on subjects like Eco-Efficient Water Infrastructure, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, Science and Technology Policy.

Llanto also represented the country in international conferences in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Senegal, Germany, Italy and Korea, among others.