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Two Filipino world class scientists received honors from President
Arroyo on January 14 at Malacañang Palace for their collaborate
research works on conotoxins from Conus sp. marine snails or cone
shells that collected in tropical waters. In simple rites, the
president conferred to Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz the title National
Scientist and to Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera the Philippine Legion of
Honor Rank of Grand Officer.
Present during the ceremonies were Department of
Science and Technology Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro, NAST
President Emil Q. Javier, academicians, government officials, and
friends and relatives of Drs. Cruz and Olivera. Also attended were
the five living National Scientist such as Gelia T. Castillo,
Dolores A. Ramirez, Bienvenido O. Juliano, Ricardo M. Lantican, and
Benito S. Vergara. Since the title was conferred in 1978, there have
been 31 National Scientists.
Dr. Cruz, an academician from National Academy
of Science and Technology (NAST), is currently doing a research on
neuroactive peptides and other marine toxins at the Marine Science
Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman.
She has contributed much to biomedical education
of graduate and undergraduate students in the country. She taught
for 19 years in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
of UP Manila before moving to UP MSI where she team-teaches Marine
Biochemistry and Marine Biotechnology and advised 6 PhD, 16 MS and
40 BS students.
One of the founding members of the Philippine
society for Biochemistry (current name, Philippine Society for
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology or PSBMB) a society established
in 1973 for the continuing education of biochemistry teachers and
productive interaction among biochemistry researchers. As the second
President of the PSBMB, she organized education workshops for
teachers. When she was the delegate of PSBMB to the Federation of
Asian and Oceanian Biochemists & Molecular Biology (FAOBMB) and
to the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB),
she chaired two FAOBMB regional symposia (1984 and 1997) and
co-chaired and IUBMB Education workshop (1997). In 1992 she
co-chaired the 7th Asian Symposium on Medicinal Plants, Spices and
Other Natural Products (ASOMPS) in the Philippines and in 199—she
co-chaired a short course of IBRO (International Brain Research
Organization) in Manila. In October 2005, she co-organized the 7th
Asia-Pacific Symposium on Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins of the
International Society on Toxinology (IST), which was hosted by UP in
Cebu.
Dr. Cruz currently involved in trying to harness
S&T for the development of poor rural communities. She
conceptualized and established in Rural Livelihood Incubator (Rural
LINC) in 2001 with the help of volunteers and seed fund from a
private donor. Rural LINC aims to provide a conduit between
Filipinos with a scientific and technological background and the
rural poor and to provide a mechanism to mobilize scientific and
technological resources for direct mitigation of poverty. The
strategy envisioned for direct technology transfer to target
communities is holistic, ranging from basic technical training,
motivational preparation, weekly follow-up/on-site training, and
long-term technical support (technical advice, analysis and quality
control) to assistance in processing, packaging, and marketing of
products. By introducing technology at different levels of
sophistication, Rural LINC aims to generate employment opportunities
and established sustainable means of livelihood as long-term
solutions to poverty and socio-political instability in rural areas.
The need for literacy and education activities
became apparent, from the initial experience of Rural LINC in
technology transfer in poor communities at the pilot site (Morong,
Bataan). Based on the Morong experience, Dr. Cruz drafted a
framework for a holistic approach to the empowerment and development
of poor and indigenous communities. The holistic approach involves
four interrelated activities: education, preservation of cultural
heritage, establishment of sustainable livelihood and improvement of
health status. The teaching strategy employed by the Rural LINC
Program has evolved according to the response of the communities. A
most effective strategy is the Learning-Is-Fun session for
elementary and high school students. Rural LINC has a small
dormitory to bring the Ayta High School students closer to school,
where there are three resident volunteer tutors who guide the Ayta
students. For the first time in several years, an Ayta assisted by
Rural LINC obtained a high school diploma in April 2005.
Dr. Cruz also aimed for a Linking university
students to poor rural communities so in 2002, educational
institutions started implementing the provisions of the National
Service Training Program (NSTP) aimed at enhancing civic
consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth be developing
the ethics of service and patriotism. One of the three program
components is the one-year Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)
course that undergraduate students can take as an alternative to
ROTC. Although the Marine Science Institute is not required to teach
CWTS, Dr. Cruz decided to offer CWTS course geared toward the
development of awareness and concern for biodiversity and
conservation of watershed areas in poor rural communities. The
course has attracted students from different collages since it was
first offered in the second semester of AY 2004-2005. The community
interactions provided by the course through the Rural LINC Program
has had a significant impact on the attitude and outlook of students
as shown in the poster presented at the PAASE meeting in January
2005 and their comments on the course offered in the first semester
of AY 2005-2006.
On the other hand, Dr. Olivera is a well-known
biochemist and molecular biologist. Recently, he was given the NSF
Alumnus Award by Caltech where he obtained his PhD in Chemistry. In
recognition of his expertise and accomplishments, he was appointed
as member of the US NIH council and served grants, proposals and
education programs funded by NIH. Very recently, he was appointed as
reviewer of proposals. He also served Harvard as a member of the
Committee that reviewed the accomplishments of the university’s
Molecular Biology Department. As a postdoctoral fellow of Robert
Lehman in Stanford, he first isolated DNA ligase, and important
enzyme in the synthesis of DNA. He continued work on pyridme
nucleotides and characterized properties of DNA polymerase before he
shifted to the study of Conus venoms. Under his leadership, the
conus program progressed rapidly in discovering numerous peptides by
a combination of chemical and molecular approaches. His keen
observation and expertise in the taxonomy of marine gastropods,
particularly conus, provided insights that lead to the elucidation
of the mechanism of action and function classification of the
neuroactive conus peptides into families and superfamilies. Several
peptides discovered by his group are now in various phases of
clinical trials as very specific drugs for pain, epilepsy and other
disorders of the nervous system.
Through the Conus project, Dr. Olivera has
trained PhD graduates who are currently teaching in UP and De La
Salle. Other Filipinos trained in Dr. Olivera’s laboratory include
MS students, research assistants and faculty members of UP. Dr.
Olivera continues to help promote Philippine science through
research collaboration with Acd. Lourdes J. Cruz of the UP Marine
Science Institute and the training of Filipino researchers.
-- Yen Ocampo, S & T Media Service
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