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Philippine Science High School - Eastern Visayas Campus students won Fourth Place Grand Awards in the Team Awards category of this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held last May 9-14 in San Jose, California, USA. The group was recognized for their study entitled “Creating a natural treatment for red tide using indigenous materials.” The group was welcomed by Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Fortunato T. De la Peña (middle) in a courtesy meeting recently. Others in photo are (L-R): Cecilia Ubarra, Intel Philippines, Education Programs Manager; Marc Mapalo, MarcArthur Limpiado, Maria Clara Isabel Sia, and Jean Reni de Guzman of the Philippine Science High School- Eastern Visayas Campus; and Dr. Claro Santiago Jr., Intel ISEF mentor/trainor and DOST Scientist. (By Joy M. Lazcano, S&T Media Service)

 

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DOST's pitch for breastfeeding. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo presents the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and the Children for Breastfeeding, Inc (CfB) on May 17, 2010 at the Rizal Hall, Malacañang, Manila. The MoU aims to prop up PCHRD’s advocacy for breastfeeding through scientific research supportive to policies and guidelines that would further strengthen the government's Evidence-based Research Center. Also in photo are (left to right) Dr. Custer C. Deocaris, DOST Balik Scientist Awardee; Dr. Estrella F. Alabastro, Department of Science and Technology Secretary; Dr. Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, CfB President; and Dr. Jaime C. Montoy, PCHRD Executive Director.(By Ryan H. Ebron, S&T Media Service, DOST Balik Scientist Program)

 

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A proposed bill that seeks to roll out mature and potentially important technologies generated by government-funded researches to the market was finally enacted into law recently after almost three years into legislation.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Republic Act 10055, otherwise known as “An Act Providing the Framework and Support System for the Ownership, Management, Use, and Commercialization of Intellectual Property Generated from Research and Development Funded by Government and for Other Purposes” or the “Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009” into a full fledged national statute on March 23 at the Malacañan Palace. The new law is expected to serve as the blueprint for a nationally coordinated technology transfer framework of government-funded researches.

Department of Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro said that the whole science community is overwhelmed with this development.

“We are optimistic that this new law, a landmark policy on technology transfer will revolutionize the commercialization of technologies generated by researches funded by taxpayer’s money,” Sec. Alabastro said.

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Study traces genetic origin of Asian people

 

We may differ in color, language, and ethnicity, but people in East and Southeast Asia have a deep connection: we share a common human origin. This is according to the study entitled “Mapping Human Genetic Diversity in Asia” by the Human Genome Organization (HUGO) Pan-Asian SNP (for “single nucleotide polymorphism”) Consortium.

The study which analyzed the genetic make-up of 73 populations across 10 Asian countries traced the routes likely taken by pre-historic Asians as they migrated from coast to coast.

Over 90 scientists worked together to trace the origin of people in said area, including Dr. Maria Corazon De Ungria, Gayvelline Calacal, Frederick Delfin, Jazelyn Salvador, Kristina Tabbada, Lilian Villamor, and Henry Perdigon of the DNA Analysis Laboratory of the Natural Sciences Research Institute in the University of the Philippines Diliman; and Dr. Eva Maria Cutiongco-de la Paz and Dr, Carmencita Padilla of the Institute of Human Genetics - National Institutes of Health (IHG-NIH) of the University of the Philippines Manila.

The study supported a single wave of migration into Asia, raising questions on earlier theories of multiple inflows from both northern and southern routes into Asia. East Asians, according to the study, mainly originated from Southeast Asia with some minor traces from the Central-South Asian groups. The study suggests that people from China, Hong Kong, Japan, North and South Korea, and Taiwan mainly came from Southeast Asia – perhaps Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, or the Philippines.

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This figure shows plausible routes of pre-historical migration of Asian human populations. According to the study, the most recent common ancestors of Asians arrived first in India (aqua-green). Later, some of them migrated to Thailand, and South to the lands known today as Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The first group of settlers must have gone very far south before they settled successfully. These included the Malay Negritos (brown), Philippine Negritos (purple), the East Indonesians, and early settlers of the Pacific Islands (dark green). Thereafter, one or several groups of people migrated North, mixed with previous settlers there and, finally, formed various populations we now refer to as Austronesian (light green), Austro-Asiatic (red), Tai-Kadai (dark blue), Hmong-Mien (light blue), and Altaic (yellow) etc.