Asia’s top scientists list includes five Filipinos

Inquirer.net May 01,2016 - 08:37 PM

President Benigno S. Aquino III confers the Order of National Scientist on Dr. Ramon Barba, PhD. during the conferment ceremony at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (August 12, 2014). Dr. Barba received the Presidential Medallion for his distinguished achievements in the field of plant physiology, focusing on induction of flowering of mango and on micropropagation of important crop species that have earned him national and international accolades. His pioneering work on the induction of flowering and fruiting of mango resulted in the change from seasonal supply of fresh fruits to all year round availability of abundant fresh mangoes. The regularity of mango production is the key ingredient in the development of mango exports which gave rise to an entirely new industry of processed mango products. He developed the plant growth enhancer, FLUSH, which accelerates the growth cycle of the trees and advance their flowering and fruiting stages, to assure continuous fruit bearing of mango trees. The Order of National Scientist is the highest honor given by the President of the Republic of the Philippines to a Filipino man or woman of science in the Philippines who has made significant contributions in one of the different fields of science and technology. Also in photo is Dr. Corazon Veron Cruz-Barba. (Photo by Gil Nartea / Malacañang Photo Bureau)

President Benigno S. Aquino III confers the Order of National Scientist on Dr. Ramon Barba, Ph.D. (center) during the conferment ceremony at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang Palace in this August 12, 2014 file photo. CONTRIBUTED

FIVE Filipinos were included in the maiden “Asian Scientists 100” list released recently by The Asian Scientist magazine.

Leading the Filipino scientists on the list is National Scientist Ramon Cabanos Barba, a horticulturist known for devising a way for mango trees to produce flowers regardless of season, which paved the way for the development of the country’s mango industry.

Barba ranked third on the list.

Three other Filipino scientists were included in the top 10: National Scientist Angel Alcala (7th place), National Scientist Edgardo Gomez (9th place) and Project NOAH director Mahar Lagmay (10th place).

Alcala was hailed for his research on Philippine amphibians and reptiles, while Gomez was recognized for leading the world’s first national-scale assessment of damage to coral reefs. Lagmay was lauded for leading Project NOAH, the science and technology department’s program on disaster risk reduction and management.

National Scientist Gavino Cajulao Trono Jr. ranked 12th. He is recognized for his study on tropical marine phycology.

“The 100 distinguished scientists, innovators and leaders on this annual list come from diverse fields, ranging from the biomedical sciences to mathematics and geology. Together, they weave a rich tapestry of science and technology and provide inspiration and hope to many people around the world,” the magazine said.”

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