By Jaymee T. Gamil
Inquirer Southern Luzon Bureau

DARAGA, Albay–No one else was doing it, so she took it upon herself to pursue research on embryo-cultured makapuno (ECM), the “mutant” coconut with the soft, jelly-like meat commonly used for sweets.

The conventional growing of makapuno has been hit-and-miss and has proven to be low yielding.

But Erlinda Paje-Rillo of the Philippine Coconut Authority Albay Research Center (PCA-ARC) said “it is now possible to achieve purely makapuno bunches from ECM palms when they are planted together and isolated from other coconut palms.”

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By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

THE DEPARTMENT of Science and Technology–Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCARRD) recently held several writing workshops in different parts of the country to develop online learning modules focused on agriculture and forestry.

The workshops initially focused on goat production and health and organic fertilizer production and application.

The modules would be part of the e-learning program delivered by the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture, which conducts the nationwide K-Agrinet (Knowledge Networking towards Enterprising Agricultural Communities), aimed at developing and modernizing the country’s agricultural sector.

The e-learning modules on goat, organic fertilizer and bamboo are funded by PCARRD through its Enhancing FITS for Rural Development project.

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By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

BALDOMERO OLIVERA’S name may not ring a bell for many Filipinos. He is not an actor or a politician — and he certainly is not a criminal whose name lands in the headlines of local newspapers. Yet he has given Filipinos all over the world a reason to be proud by being named Harvard Foundation’s 2007 Scientist of the Year.

Dr. Olivera is a distinguished professor of biology in the University of Utah. The man is so popular and respected in that institution that a research laboratory is named after him. Olivera’s scientific research into the medicinal aspects of the ubiquitous but deadly cone snails landed him the distinction of being named Scientist of the Year. In keeping with his modesty, Olivera did not expect to win the award but merely worked hard to come up with comprehensive studies on the cone snails.

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By Joey Alarilla
INQUIRER.net

IT’S time again for the spotlight to fall on our country’s scientific research and innovation as the Philippines celebrates National Science and Technology Week on July 16-20.

Actually, if you think about it, we should all work together in highlighting science and technology every day of the year. It’s a shame that, more often than not, S&T developments are overlooked because of political and show biz scandals.

This is precisely why we launched the Inside Science blog — to share our love for science and showcase the developments in this field in the Philippines. Here’s a press statement from the Department of Science and Technology’s Science and Technology Media Service on the upcoming NSTW celebration.

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By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

A FILIPINO engineer who studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and her former civil engineering professor have devised a new and potentially effective mapping system of landslide perils of mountainous areas in the Philippines.

The landslide hazard mapping system determines an area’s landslide risks that could be used to improve building codes, zoning policies and disaster mitigation processes in a country that is hit by powerful yearly typhoons.

MIT Civil Engineer Professor Herbert Einstein and his former student Filipina Artessa Saldivar-Sali developed the new system with the northern mountain city of Baguio being its first test subject particularly due to its location and high level of precipitation.

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