The people who map the Philippine Fault, breed pest-resistant rice and watch for landslides are now officially among the country's top government scientists. On September 21, 2026, at the Admiral Hotel in Manila, the Scientific Career System (SCS) named 11 researchers as new Career Scientists and upgraded two others to a higher rank.
The SCS carried out the conferment with the Department of Science and Technology's National Academy of Science and Technology (DOST-NAST PHL) and the Civil Service Commission. It honors government scientists who have shown sustained excellence and made significant contributions to research, development and innovation in the public sector.
"Today, we celebrate the years of dedication, perseverance, curiosity, and hard work that brought our scientists to this important milestone," said Luningning Samarita-Domingo, NAST PHL director and executive secretary of the Scientific Career Council.
Feeding policy with evidence: nutrition research
Two scientists from the DOST Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) were named Career Scientist I in health, food and nutrition sciences.
Mildred Guirindola led the National Nutrition Survey and other food system projects. Idelia Glorioso focused on technology-driven nutrition education, including the Nutrition Educator's Kit, which helps guide national health policies, interventions and legislative efforts on public nutrition.
From the farm to the herbarium: agriculture and plant science
Six honorees work on how Filipinos grow, protect and study their food and plants.
- Eric Palacpac (social sciences) was recognized for championing effective technology adoption among livestock farmers through extension services and digital tools.
- Danilo Tandang of the National Museum of the Philippines (biological sciences) discovered and described 40 new flowering plant species across the country, enriching the national herbarium.
- Imeldalyn Pacada of DA-PhilRice patented an AI-based breeding tool for pest- and disease-resistant rice varieties, supporting national rice security.
- Irene Adion of DA Regional Field Office 3 set up incubation centers and tissue culture labs that improve propagation of crops such as sweet potatoes and mushrooms, supporting microenterprises and pest management.
- Maria Lea Villavicencio of the UP Los Baños Institute of Plant Breeding curated plant genetic resources through community genebanks, specifically for taro and other medicinal plants.
- Mary-nia Santos of DA-NFRDI was conferred in agricultural sciences.
A first for Phivolcs: the fault finder and the earthquake planners
This year's batch marks the first time the SCS has conferred Career Scientist rank on scientists from the DOST Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). Three were named Career Scientist I, in engineering and technology and in mathematical and physical sciences.
- Jeffrey Perez, known as the "fault finder," leads the mapping of key segments of the Philippine Fault, one of the world's longest and most active fault systems, and of the Valley Fault System, which is widely associated with "The Big One."
- Rhommel Grutas specializes in seismic hazard assessment, risk reduction and resilient infrastructure design. He spearheaded the Seismic Hazard Assessment for Design Earthquake of the Philippines (Shade) Project, which fed into updates of the country's Maximum Considered Earthquake maps, the National Structural Code and the seismic hazard atlas, for safer buildings.
- Arturo Daag is recognized for geological hazard assessment and landslide investigations, including the Dynaslope Project, a community-driven early warning system for deep-seated landslides. He also directs satellite imagery collection and interpretation through Sentinel Asia and the European Space Agency's CoPhil Project, which enables real-time maps for disaster response.
Moving up: two Career Scientist II promotions
Two scientists advanced in rank to Career Scientist II.
- Angel Bautista VII of the DOST Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) was recognized for nuclear and isotopic methods that address environmental radioactivity. He leads national initiatives on nuclear fuel cycle research and on establishing the National Isotope Center.
- Ester Flores of DA-PCC developed modern genomic breeding frameworks that improve quality and genotype technologies for Philippine dairy buffaloes. She introduced structured breeding initiatives for riverine and swamp buffaloes and built models for genetic evaluation and genomic selection.
Why it matters: keeping scientists in public service
The SCS gives highly qualified government researchers a structured career path. Through it, the government says it aims to build and retain a strong corps of scientists whose expertise supports evidence-based policymaking, national development and public welfare.
DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. told the awardees: "Our knowledge, our expertise, and our daily toil contribute to something far greater than ourselves." He urged them to mentor young researchers, not only in methods but in "patience, integrity, persistence, and pursuit of truth," adding that a scientist's legacy is measured by "what they empower others to discover, build and achieve long after they are gone."
NAST PHL President Jaime Montoya closed with a reminder: "Never lose sight of why we do science in public service."
The program also paid tribute to former Scientific Career Council and Special Technical Committee members who upheld the rigor of the evaluation process: Ma. Louise Antonette De las Peñas, Edward Wang and Cristina Montiel.
The conferment is part of DOST's push for science-based solutions across four pillars: human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection and sustainability, under the banner OneDOST4U.
Source: Manila Times