Science Monday
A12 Monday, December 5, 2016
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
PHL inventors told: Be more forward-looking, proactive
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ICUTAN, Taguig City— Local inventions that uplift the plight of many of their Filipino countrymen highlighted the 73rd Filipino Inventors Society (FIS) Annual National Inventors Week last month. With this year’s theme, “Filipino Inventions and Innovations: Strengthen the Nation, Today,” FIS is bullish in outdoing its achievements in the past years and its leadership promises more inventions in the coming years. The annual inventors week was held in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute, Intellectual Property Office-Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry at the DOST Compound, Bicutan, Taguig City. FIS was established in 1943 with this slogan on its crest, “There is a better way, find it”—very appropriate for an organization that creates new things that make life better.
During the opening ceremonies, Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña urged FIS to be more forward-looking and proactive in its pursuit to produce new products and services. “Inventions create new products and these help drive our economy with more choices for our consumers, and more jobs are created. I encourage the FIS to invite more to join as members, especially the young inventors and introduce young blood in the organization,” de la Peña said. He said the membership needs to strengthen the organization and camaraderie by lessening their disagreements to be able to invent more new products that will benefit more people. De la Peña also highlighted the
Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña (left) urges the Filipino Inventors Society to strengthen their organization by inviting more young scientists and inventors to join them and by promoting Filipino innovation in various fields to create more new products that will make life more convenient. S&T Media Service
great potentials of FIS if they will abide by the current world standards so their inventions would be able to compete successfully in the international market. These pronouncements by the science chief were welcomed by FIS membership, led by president Dr. Benjamin S. Santos, PhD; Rodolfo B. Biescas Sr., VP for Luzon; and Arsenio Navarro, VP for Visayas; and Dante U. Ursua, among others. De la Peña also led the FIS officers and members in opening the
exhibits at the DOST Compound, where homegrow n companies showcased their latest inventions like energy-saving devices, motor oil, car ionizer, brickscoal, water purifier, rolling dustpan, portable gas lamp, health-care products, portable floor seat and other oneof-a-kind products. Some of the exhibitors include Mapecon (pest control), Bensan Industries Inc., Econolux Enterprises, Amecos Innovation Inc., Kingflute Philippines and many more. S&T Media Service
Junior students cheer for their senior students’ success in the college entrance exams in front of an exam hall in Seoul, South Korea, on November 17. More than 600,000 high-school seniors and graduates across the country take the national college entrance exam. AP/Lee Jin-man
In math, science, US students lag behind peers in East Asia
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ASHINGTON—Americ a n st udent s h ave strides to make when it comes to math and science, where they lag behind a solid block of East Asian countries, according to results released on Tuesday from an international exam. Eighth graders in the United States improved their scores in math over the last four years, up nine points. Scores for science, however, were flat. In fourth grade, scores were unchanged in the math and science tests. “The results do suggest a leveling out in the most recent cycle,” said Ina Mullis, an executive director of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) International Study Center at Boston College, where researchers helped coordinate staff to administer the assessments. “One always prefers to see improvement, but holding one’s own is preferable to declining.”
10th The rank of the United States in fourth-grade science and in eighth-grade math
Singapore topped the rankings, taking first place in both grades for math and science on the TIMSS tests. The tests are administered every four years to a random sampling of students in dozens of countries. Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan also dominated the lists for each grade in both subjects. The United States placed 10th in fourth-grade science, as well as in eighth-grade math. In eighthgrade science, the US tied with Ireland in 10th place. It ranked 14th for fourth-grade math, just
behind Portugal and Kazakhstan. While the short-term trend for American students overall wasn’t glowing, scores over the last 20 years have improved considerably. Math and science scores for eighth graders had sharp gains, as did scores for fourth-grade math. Science scores for fourth graders showed no statistical change over the last two decades. Matt Larson, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, said the results show there’s work to be done, but that he’s encouraged overall by the growth since the mid-1990s. “This may reflect an increased focus on mathematics in the early grades and could be a longer-term effect of standards reform and the implementation of researchinformed instructional practices in more schools.” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said the steady progress by US students “affirms that when there is an alignment
between teachers and students, instruction and standards, and resources—giving teachers the f lexibility to teach what students need to know and do—we see success.” Globa l ly, resu lts f rom t he 2015 exams showed achievement trends were up—with more countries registering increases than decreases in math and science for both grades. Gender gaps were another highlight. They have narrowed over the last 20 years, especially in science at the eighth-grade level. “A lot of countries have been working hard to close that achievement gap, and have promoted girls’ interest and participation in science,” said Michael Martin, who runs the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center with Mullis. About 600,000 students around the world took part in the 2015 exams. The tests are sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement in Amsterdam. AP
CHED, British Council announces 8 Newton PhD scholars from PHL
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ight candidates from various higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines were accepted to the Newton PhD Scholarships of the Newton Agham Programme of the British Council, in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The program offers full-time PhD scholarships for Filipino researchers at a UK HEI. This fulfills the objective of facilitating the capacity building of individuals and the building of sustainable, long-lasting links between the UK and the Philippines. The Newton Agham Programme is providing £3 million yearly from 2016, including Newton PhD scholarships, which the CHED will match with a total of about P30 million, to develop science and innovation partnerships that promote the economic development and social welfare of the Philippines. The candidates are John Dale Dianala of the National Institute of Geological Sciences; Peter Paolo Rivera, Marine Science Institute; Dave Buenavista, Central Mindanao University; Jhud Mikhail Aberilla, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman; Luiza Galarion, UP Diliman; Sheen Mclean Cabañeros, University of Santo
Tomas; Patrick Simon Perillo, Ateneo de Manila University; and Kevin Jace Miranda from Adamson University. The eight are scheduled to start their PhD study in the next two to three months in the UK and are expected to finish their research on identified Philippine priority areas by early 2020. Research to be conducted by these qualified students range from remote sensing and field investigations of t h e e a r t h q u a ke c yc l e, m o d e l i n g o f air pollution using ar tificial neural networks; ethnobotanical knowledge and nutraceutical potentials of indigenous p l a n t s f ro m l o c a l c o m m u n i t i e s o f Mindanao; to exploring the responsibility of non-state actors in international and comparative law for environmental degradation. CHED leverages on the K to 12 Transition Period from 2016 to 2021, foremost through investing in the Philippines’s best faculty and staff to gain training in the best institutions abroad, so that they can bring with them specializations to fill gaps in the Philippine sectors and communities. This will also help build sustainable and long-lasting links between the UK and Philippine institutions.
Lopez moves to mainstream biodiversity in devt projects By Jonathan L. Mayuga
@jonlmayuga
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nvironment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez has ordered the integration of biodiversity in the planning, implementation and monitoring of development projects and tenurial instruments issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) In Memorandum Circular on November 28, Lopez authorized the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) to create a team composed of biodiversity experts to participate in the mining audits, environmental impact assessment review and per formance evaluation of tenurial instruments. The circular is pursuant to Section 25 of the General Appropriations Act of 2016, Executive Order 578 on the implementation of the state policy on biological diversity and in support of DENR Administrative Order 2016-12 adopting the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) 2015-2018. Lopez, an environmental advocate, has declared her passion for biodiversity conservation and her commitment to protect the country’s rich biodiversity. The DENR chief had earlier said “biodiversity is like gold” and “treasure”, which should be protected and conserved. After her appointment as chief steward of the environment and natural resources, Lopez had already suspended 10 large-scale metallic mines and threatened to suspend 20 others for failing in environmental standards. She also included biodiversit y consideration among the mining-audit criteria in tightening the screws on mining. To protect the country’s rich biodiversity, she declared watersheds and protected areas as “off limits” to mining and other destructive development projects. Lopez, in an interview with the BusinessMirror, said officials of the DENR are working to use the Total Economic Value in assessing operating mines, underscoring the importance of the aesthetic beauty and economic services the environment provides. The circular, which takes immediate effect was welcomed by DENR BMB chief, Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim. “It strengthens our efforts in working for the development-, livelihood- and enterpriserelated programs of the department to take into account the contribution of biological diversity in the sustainability of their programs,” Lim said. Lim added that the order coming from the DENR chief “sends a stronger political signal that the department is serious in protecting the resource base or biodiversity, and the ecosystem services provided by biodiversity to ensure that the development projects and programs translate into sustainable benefits for the communities and the country.” “We finally can start to harness and mainstream the richness and uniqueness of our biological resources and ecosystems for and into the economic development planning processes,” she added.
According to Lim, with the circular in place, the DENR-BMB is now authorized by highest level in the department to mobilize biodiversity partners and experts to support us in promoting the PBSAP and to work with development sector to build in biodiversity into their plans and programs.
Dismantle illegal structures in Laguna de Bay
Meanwhile, the DENR is scheduled to hold a dialogue with Laguna de Bay fish-cage and fish-pen operators as part of the plan to implement a moratorium on the issuance of business permits beginning January next year. Environment Undersecretary Arturo Valdez, who also heads the National AntiEnvironmental Crime Task Force that recently held demolition operations in a 13-hectare illegal fish pen in Laguna de Bay within the jurisdiction of Muntinlupa City, said the dialogue aims to reassure the government’s commitment to prioritize resource-poor fishermen’s access to the 90,000-hectare lake. “The thrust there is to send the message that the DENR, under Secretary Lopez, will rationalize the lake and the bias will be for the fisherfolk to have access to their traditional fishing ground,” Valdez said in a statement. “Secretary Lopez has made it very clear that the fisherfolk should enjoy the lake,” he said. The lake’s carrying capacity allows up to only 9,000 hectares for aquaculture. However, fish pens and cages are occupying 12,375.18 hectares of the surface water, showing a total of 3,375 hectares of excess area for demolition. Valdez believes, however that the actual area being occupied by fish-cage and fish-pen operators could be bigger. “I would say it is more than that,” Valdez said. He vowed to intensify the dismantling of illegal structures this month to give enough time for the operators to harvest their bangus and tilapia. Data from the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) show that there are a total of 1,018 registered or legitimate fish-pen and fish-cage operators in Laguna Lake, covering a total of 9,519 hectares. Of this number, 713 are fish-cage operators, while 305 are fish-pen operators. Unregistered operators number to 2,261, occupying 2,856 hectares, LLDA said. A total of 3,246 structures (both registered and unregistered) can be found in the lake area, consisting of 358 fish pens and 2,890 fish cages, which show a mix of corporations and individual owners. The LLDA has developed a map identifying areas for fish pens, fish cages, fish sanctuaries and open fishing, and navigational and barangay access lanes to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services within the lake. To ensure the maintenance of open fishing ground, the LLDA has designated fish sanctuaries covering around 30,000 hectares in Muntinlupa City, 5,000 hectares in JalaJala and Talim Island in Rizal and Laguna Bay, and 127 hectares in Barangay Tabon, Binangonan, Rizal.