Harnessing the power of the satellite images, researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman have created an online community-based assessment tool to assess the presence of blue carbon in coastal areas.

The Integrated Assessment and Modelling of Blue Carbon Ecosystems for Conservation and Adaptive Management (IAMBlueCECAM) program, led by Dr. Ariel C. Blanco and with funding support from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD),  produced an accurate and detailed inventory of mangrove forests and seagrass habitats in selected pilot sites using remotely-sensed data and ground-based measurements as one of its major outputs. In addition to extent, blue carbon ecosystem zonation, species composition, and above-ground biomass were mapped using methodologies developed by the program.

The maps and other outputs, once used by local government units, can provide local officials information on the mangrove extent and species present in the area that they can use for its conservation and effective management. Study sites are Coron, Busuanga and Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Ibajay, Batan, and Kalibo in Aklan, and Banate Bay in Iloilo.

Blue carbon refers to the carbon captured and stored by the coastal ecosystems, specifically mangroves and seagrasses (also called carbon sinks), for million years. When these ecosystems are degraded, they release the captured carbon back to the atmosphere, greatly contributing to climate change. It is thus beneficial to everyone that our mangroves and seagrasses are conserved and protected.

“Local governments need to recognize the importance of these blue carbon ecosystems. Its non-use was valued at over P35 million per hectare in Puerto Princesa, Palawan--20 times higher than the use of its wood for fuel. We hope that this number alone can encourage our local communities and tourists to conserve these ecosystems given their value,” said Dr. Enrico Paringit, DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director.

The valuation of the non-use of the blue carbon ecosystems refer to the benefits received by the local community just through the presence of these ecosystems. Aside from serving as blue carbon sinks, mangroves serve as habitat for marine species and protect the communities from the damaging effects brought about by strong winds, hurricanes, and big waves; while the seagrass beds serve as nursery for fishes and stabilize sea bottom against intense waves.

Dr. Blanco calls on collective action to alleviate deterioration of these ecosystems, “these blue carbon ecosystems are heavily impacted by human activities, including coastal developments. The citizens can serve as monitors, sentinels, and scientists for the environment by gathering data, reporting their observations, and contributing knowledge towards crafting measures to arrest ecosystem degradation.”

Researchers have also developed a web tool that allows the public to contribute data on mangroves and seagrasses in the country. For now, interested communities can contact the UP Training Center for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry (UP-TCAGP) for collaboration or inquiries through 981-8500 local 3124. 

Sample Maps produced

The following maps were given to the local government units of Palawan, Aklan, and Iloilo for mangroves and seagrasses monitoring and management.

 

This map shows the extent of mangroves in Puerto Princesa (areas shaded with red) mapped through the MARS component of IAMBlueCECAM.

(Mangrove extent map refers to the spatial boundary of a mangrove forest regardless of the species composition, density, and percent cover.)

In this map of Bakhawan Ecopark, Aklan, IAMBlueCECAM was able to determine the location and species of mangrove present in the area. Green or Zone 1 refers to mixed mangroves; Red or Zone 2 are Rhizophora zone; while Yellow or Zone 3 are sparse/damaged mangroves.

(Through the Mangrove Zonation Map, similar family, genus, or species of mangroves were identified using the mangroves’ features such as location and zonation patterns and canopy properties.)

 

We thank the Philippine Senate for its unanimous vote in passing for the Third and Final Reading that will bring the country onward and upward into the realm of space technology and applications.

As the bills moves into the bicameral conference committee, we are optimistic that our legislators will see the benefits that the Filipino people stands to gain once the Philippine Space Agency is created and takes the lead in implementing the Philippine Space Development and Utilization Policy. 

The government, particularly the DOST, has been laying the groundwork needed for a strong space science program through various human capacity building and technology researches that it has funded.

The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology shall remain at the forefront of enabling innovations, like the Philippine Space Act, that will sustain the economic gains and improve the lives of our fellow Filipinos.

 

DR. ENRICO C. PARINGIT

Executive Director

DOST-PCIEERD

 

As data science becomes a permeating technology in industry, practicing professionals like Zito Relova was able to hone their talents even more through innovative learning programs that help them expand their skill set from the comfort of their own home and schedule. With the goal of further addressing this demand, the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) has produced 141 data training graduates and is looking forward to training more to keep up with the market.

“Being a big believer in online courses, the training course provided me with a way to keep learning on my own time without the need to be physically present in a school,” shares Relova, a Batch 1 graduate of the training program. “The course was able to provide me with the opportunity to learn these other tools that I could integrate with my existing skill set. It also opened my mind to new ways of doing things.”

DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit expressed optimism that the newly-trained data scientists will be a big boost to government, academe, and industry as they can help in crafting data-driven decisions and policies that can help shape the economy.

“The new technologies we enjoy today generates, processes, and uses enormous amounts of data which if put into good use can help solve most of our problems. The data scientists we have trained can provide a newer perspective in terms of looking for solutions or responding to the call of the times,” he said.

The trainees went through the pioneering Learning at Scale training, which was done purely online in partnership with local start-up MOOCs PH, and offers the needed trainings developed by different international universities through Coursera.

“The best part of the experience for me is the flexibility of the program. It allows people to continue learning despite having other obligations in life. You don't have to plan your life around your education anymore, you can always learn in your own time,” says Relova. “In line with that is the accessibility of the program. Massive open online courses are very affordable and can be taken by anyone with an internet connection. In my experience with online courses, I have been fortunate to meet people from all walks of life who are very grateful for the opportunities that learning online has given them.”

“Skills in data science also intends to respond to local needs and demands for science-based solutions,” adds Paringit. “In order to cater to this, we need to grow our own talent pool and community of experts in the field who can help address these demands and bring up our global standing in terms of data analytics.”

The course consists of four modules, namely: (1) The Data Scientist’s Toolbox, (2) R Programming, (3) Getting and Cleaning Data, and (4) Exploratory Data Analysis. Apart from this, Coursera also offers an additional wave of learning tracks with further topics centering on data and its applications to studying trends, global movements, human behavior, and the like.

These 141 graduates were automatically accepted for the next four advanced courses of the entire data science track training program, allowing them to maximize what they have learned and applying them to real life situations and at work. The advanced courses tackled Modules 6-8 of the Data Science specialization by Johns Hopkins University.

“Data science in the Philippines is still very much in its infancy. Only a small percentage of people are familiar with the field. Despite this, there are actually a lot of people who want to break into data science but are just not sure how to do it,” adds Relova. “The training definitely helped me expand my skill set. As a data scientist, I had always used a specific set of tools for my work. I knew about the other tools that existed but never really taught myself how to use them.”

Paringit said that the data science training provides the government opportunities to be more innovative and improve services, building a community of skilled experts that can increase the country’s global competitiveness in the field.

“It’s not just data science as it is,” adds Paringit. “Matching the right talents with the right skills will enable us to address common needs of the Filipino: internet usage, speech and image recognition, fraud and risk detection, logistics, and so much more.”

Interested partner institutions and/or employers can get in touch with the training graduates through PCIEERD’s Human Resources and Institution Development Division (HRIDD) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information and new updates on DOST-PCIEERD’s online learning modules, interested applicants may visit the Innovation Council’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dostpcieerd or the official website at http://pcieerd.dost.gov.ph.

 

 

PCIEERD Project Managers pose for a photo with AMREL Project Leader Prof. John Ryan Dizon (fourth from the right).

DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña and other DOST officials recently inaugurated the Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory (AMREL) at the Bataan Peninsula State University, a state-of-the-art 3D printing research facility equipped with the latest machines on additive manufacturing.

 

(From left) DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico Paringit, ITDI Project Leader Dr. Blessie Basilia, DOST-MIRDC Director Engr. Robert Dizon, DOST-ITDI Director Dr. Anabelle Briones, DOST Secretary Fortunato De La Peña, AMCen Consultant Dr. Rigoberto Advincula, DOST Undersecretary for R&D Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara, and DOST-MIRDC Project Leader Engr. Fred Liza.

Dela Peña also led the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Additive Manufacturing Center (AMCen) at the Metals Industry Research and Development Center, a facility which aspires to be the country’s leading research center in innovative 3D printing technologies, processes, and materials.

DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) Executive Director Dr. Enrico Paringit expressed optimism over the prospects of additive manufacturing in the country with the opening of the two new facilities.

“We are launching two centers for 3D printing research and development and we, in DOST-PCIEERD, are privileged to be part of this game-changing initiative. The additive manufacturing research industry will open the doors to previously unimaginable possibilities, and every single 3D-printed product will unfold more innovations. Soon, how we create things will be different from what we’re used to,” said Director Paringit.

3D printing, from small parts to big structures, will be used in aerospace, defense, biomedical, healthcare, printed electronics, agricultural machinery, and automotive industries.

AMREL is the first additive manufacturing research laboratory in the Philippines and since July 2, 2018, AMREL has been utilized to conduct research for undergraduate and graduate theses. Prof. John Ryan Dizon, project leader of AMREL, proudly shared these studies on the applications of 3D printing for defense applications and health care. He was also able to do technology demonstration with junior high school students of the Bataan National High School who then successfully created a 3D printed drone.

“These are all blessings for all of us, and for the future generations,” Dr. Gregorio Rodis, president of BPSU expressed his gratitude being the first recipient of a research laboratory that focuses on 3D research and development.

AMREL will be used for the following thrusts: development of new materials; testing and characterization of materials; faculty and student sharing and creating of ideas; rapid prototyping, tooling, and manufacturing; training, education, and empowerment; and designing and analysis of parts and systems.

Meanwhile, two DOST agencies will lead the management of AMCen: the Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) will develop new materials for additive manufacturing, while DOST-MIRDC will handle the advanced prototyping. 

 

The proposed Additive Manufacturing Center building design.

In the groundbreaking ceremony of AMCen, industry representatives from the manufacturing sectors were also present. De la Peña emphasized the importance of partnerships with different agencies—national government organizations, non-government agencies, private companies, and the academe—in optimizing the program objectives.

“With the recent trends in the Industry 4.0, advance additive manufacturing will support our independence from many imported items as well as sustain our development. It will also serve as buffer with regards to the economic effect of importation, inflation, and dollar fluctuation while enhancing the technical support of the government to the industry,” remarked DOST Undersecretary for R&D, Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara.

Furthermore, Undersecretary Guevara encouraged the academe and the industry to collaborate with AMCen to produce new products, substitutes for parts/components, and/or realize other applications of 3D printing.

AMCen is expected to rise after nine months, and will be operational in its second year of implementation.

 

The Mind Museum, together with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), is launching exciting new exhibits to popularize the Philippines’ use of space technology and entice students to get into careers in science.  

Permanent exhibits at the Universe Gallery and a nook at the Space Adventure Travelling Exhibition of The Mind Museum will showcase the different space technology projects spearheaded by DOST in a popular and highly interactive form.

The new exhibits are designed to capture the interest of guests of all ages, from young children to adults. The exhibits include games and even virtual reality tours that showcase how we all benefit from space technology in our everyday lives. The exhibits will also highlight the purpose and function of the Earth-observing microsatellites Diwata-1 and Diwata-2, which were made by Filipino engineers from the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) and the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), in collaboration with Japan’s Hokkaido University and Tohoku University. There will also be a feature on the Maya-1, the Philippines’ first nanosatellite, which was built and designed by Filipino scholars participating in the BIRDS-2 Project in Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech).

“There is something deeply human about the excitement for space exploration,” says The Mind Museum curator Maria Isabel Garcia. “Just look at how excited young kids can be about outer space. Through these exhibits, we hope to show to kids that they actually can pursue a career based on their sense of wonder and adventure.”

Officials from DOST are also excited that the country’s efforts in space science are getting a wider audience. “The projects to use space technology are for the benefit of Filipinos,” says Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD). “Since these projects are publicly funded, we at DOST believe that communicating our projects’ benefits to Filipinos is a crucial part of what we do.”

DOST Secretary Fortunato T. De La Peña also welcomes another avenue to popularize a project of Filipino scientists and engineers. “This is an important step in advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in the country,” De La Peña says. “By showing to young Filipinos what our scientists and engineers have accomplished, we can inspire students to go into STEM fields and contribute to science in the country.”

Some of the exhibits will be housed permanently at The Mind Museum, which is found in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Meanwhile, other exhibits will be included as part of Space Adventure. Space Adventure is one of the museum’s traveling exhibitions and will be in the Canopy Plaza of The Mind Museum until April 21, 2019. After that, Space Adventure will go to different sites in the country to bring the excitement of space exploration to more guests.

The exhibits were designed and created by The Mind Museum, with support from DOST-PCIEERD, DOST-ASTI, UPD, and the Development of Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite (PHL-Microsat) Program which is succeeded by the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (STAMINA4Space) Program.

“The STAMINA4Space Program appreciates the efforts of DOST-PCIEERD and The Mind Museum in showcasing the outputs of the program to young Filipinos,” says STAMINA4Space Program Leader and DOST-ASTI Acting Director, Dr. Joel Marciano, Jr. “We look forward to continued partnership with The Mind Museum in pursuit of our objective of advancing and promoting space technology research and development for the benefit of Philippine society.”