UP Scientific Productivity Award conferred to 153 scientists

| Written by Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc

UP Scientist I Jonathan Cagas and UP Scientist III Larry Digal (first and second from left), and UP Scientist III May Anne Mata (rightmost), all of UP Mindanao, with UP VP for Planning and Finance Iryn Balmores, UP President Angelo Jimenez, UP VP for Academic Affairs Leo Cubillan, and UP Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao at the awarding ceremony of the UP Scientific Productivity System 2023-2025, in UP Diliman on January 10, 2025. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO.

 

UP conferred upon a new batch of regular or full-time faculty members, research faculty members, and researchers the titles of UP Scientist I, II, and III, for their outstanding scientific productivity. The titles come with corresponding financial awards per annum for three years, after which all of them and others with at least a doctoral degree will be evaluated for qualification into a new three-year cycle based on updated productivity data.

A total of 153 received the UP Scientific Productivity Award 2023-2025: 34 of whom qualified for the highest title of UP Scientist III, 19 for UP Scientist II, and 100 for UP Scientist I. Seventy-two of them received the award for the first time. The appointments of 81 were considered renewals.

The awarding ceremony was held on January 10, 2025 at the Teatro Ignacio B. Gimenez-Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura, UP Diliman, with UP President Angelo Jimenez, VP for Academic Affairs Leo Cubillan, VP for Planning and Finance Iryn Balmores, and members of the Scientific Productivity Committees of the constituent universities and the UP System, including the chancellors or their representatives, who handed out the awards.

The ceremony carried the theme of UP Scientists as “Catalysts of Innovation for Public Service.”

 

UP Scientists from UP Manila with (middle row, left to right) UP Manila Chancellor Michael Tee, UP President Angelo Jimenez, UP VP for Public Affairs Leo Cubillan, and UP VP for Planning and Finance Iryn Balmores at the awarding ceremony of the UP Scientific Productivity System 2023-2025, in UP Diliman on January 10, 2025. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO.

 

 

The incentives and recognition program, called the UP Scientific Productivity System (UP SPS), approved by the UP Board of Regents in its 1,199th meeting on August 26, 2005, is based on the disciplines included in the Scientific Career System in the Philippine Civil Service. Scientific productivity is defined in the SPS as “scientific and technological output and scientific and professional standing” within the period of the last five years.

National Academician Juan Pulhin of the UP Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources earned the highest distinction, both in terms of accomplishments and recognition, among this most recent batch of SPS awardees. His leading expertise is on forest management, climate change adaptation, and community-based resource management.

“No other institution in this country has this much concentration of PhD holders, of scientists, than ours. That is the fundamental element of our differentiating strategy. We need to maximize our research power,” Jimenez said in his keynote speech, explaining his administration’s rationale in prioritizing scientific productivity.

 

(Left to right, holding certificates) UP Scientist II Jerico Bacani, UP Scientist I Analyn Salvador-Amores, UP Scientist I Rizavel Addawe, UP Scientist I Juancho Collera, UP Scientist I Teodora Balangcod, all from UP Baguio, with UP VP Leo Cubillan, UP Baguio Chancellor Joel Addawe, UP President Angelo Jimenez, and Executive Director Rosalie Arcala Hall of the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies, at the awarding ceremony of the UP Scientific Productivity System 2023-2025, in UP Diliman on January 10, 2025. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO.

 

Internationally, UP has the strategic position of having an adequate supply of doctorate students to enroll in many mature and highly advanced programs, which he said countries such as Taiwan no longer have. “Most of the developing countries today will grow old before they become rich; that is, they will never become rich at all,” Jimenez cited a World Bank study. “But there’s something about the Philippines. Right now we are into the population youth bulge. Today we probably have 26 years remaining. Our most important asset is our population. And to maximize this asset, we have to educate and train them in order to traverse successfully the challenges of a highly technical and scientific society that is the future today.”

UP, therefore, needs to be a research university and strengthen itself as a graduate, postgraduate, postdoctoral school, as its distinct role in the country.

In his closing remarks, AVP for Academic Affairs Percival Almoro thanked Jimenez and Cubillan for their support of UP scientists. “Your commitment to advancing innovation, research translation, and mentorship programs is invaluable,” he said. “Thank you for reminding us that our scientific research should always serve the public good,” Almoro added.

He then highlighted the University’s need for the help of UP Scientists in mentorship. “Now is time for all UP Scientists to rally, organize, and inspire your respective home units, collaborate with the community, remembering that our research should always serve the public good.”

UP officials and research and innovation authorities led by UP President Angelo Jimenez, VP for Academic Affairs Leo Cubillan, Professor Emeritus Rhodora Azanza, Professor Emeritus Ernelea Cao, Professor Emeritus Teresa Encarnacion-Tadem, chancellors, members of the UP Scientific Productivity Committees, with newly elected Faculty Regent Early Sol Gadong (seventh from right), at the awarding ceremony of the UP Scientific Productivity System 2023-2025, in UP Diliman on January 10, 2025. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO.
Recipients of the UP Scientific Productivity Awards 2023-2025 with, seated before them, UP officials and research and innovation authorities led by UP President Angelo Jimenez, Faculty Regent Early Sol Gadong, VP for Academic Affairs Leo Cubillan, Professors Emeriti in the sciences, chancellors, and members of the UP Scientific Productivity Committees; event managers and hosts, at the awarding ceremony held in the Ignacio B. Jimenez-KAL Theater, UP Diliman on January 10, 2025. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO.