The Filipino Scientist: Blazing a Trail in World Technology

Perhaps the most popular urban legend ever spread about a Filipino scientist is the one regarding Agapito Flores, an electrician in Tondo, Manila, who reportedly invented the fluorescent light. He allegedly received a patent for a bulb which he made, sold it to General Electric, and generated millions from the sale. To make the story more colorful, someone added the "factoid" that the discovery was named after him.

Regardless of this highly implausible and never-proven story, there are more than enough "true stories" of excellent Filipino Scientists who have made waves here and abroad. Below are some of them:

Edward R. Caro, a native of Cavite, was awarded by his hometown a plaque of recognition for his 42 years at NASA, or the National Aeronautics Space Administration.

NASA, in turn, also conferred on him an award for his outstanding achievements in the development and application of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar technology.

A husband-and-wife team of young astrologers, Edwin Aguirre and Imelda Joson, were honored by the IAU by having an asteroid, Edwelda, named after them in 1995. This recognition was conferred for their achievements in the field of astronomy, including a book they wrote about Halley's Comet, published in 1985.

Josette Biyo, a teacher from the Philippine Science High School, won the coveted 2002 Intel ISEF Excellence in Teaching Award. For her achievement in the field of education, she was awarded with a unique and enviable prize - a planet named in her honor!

Looking back, Dr. Biyo is grateful that poverty forced her to take up Education instead of Medicine in university. She has no regrets whatsoever about devoting 25 years to teaching the brightest young minds in the country.

In the field of Medicine, Dr. Fe Del Mundo made revolutionary contributions, including extensive studies which led to the invention of an improved incubator for premature children. In 1966, Dr. Del Mundo received the Elizabeth Blackwell Award for her "outstanding service to mankind", and eleven years later, she garnered Asia's most prestigious award, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, for outstanding public service.

Another Filipino scientist who has not enjoyed as much media coverage but has made great contributions to the field of Medicine as well, is Dr. Ramon Gustilo. He spent many years studying Orthopedics and has designed several hip replacement systems such as the Prime Cemented Hip System. He has also been commissioned by US companies such as Smith and Nephews Richards to provide hi-tech knee replacement designs.

On the lighter side, Roberto del Rosario is credited with the invention of the Sing-Along-System (SAS), the precursor of today's highly popular "karaoke." It was largely thought that the Japanese were responsible for this invention, but it was actually a Filipino who paved the way for the development of this remarkable entertainment apparatus.

Tremendous effort is now being made in the major universities in the Philippine, namely, the University of the Philippines (UP), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De LaSalle University (DLSU), to do extensive research in Science and Technology.

The National Institute of Physics (NIP) in the University of the Philippines, formerly chaired by Dr. Cesar Saloma, now dean of the UP College of Science, was an awardee of the 2004 International Commission for Optics (ICO) Galileo Galilei for outstanding efforts in his research on Optics and for making the NIP a leading research institution in Southeast Asia for Optics.

Saloma and his team used home developed instruments for their labs. The ICO Galileo Award is given to individuals for their remarkable efforts in contributing to advances in optics achieved in challenging economic conditions or in environments where there is a lack of access to research information and other relevant publications.

A Filipino scientist may find it hard to make a name for himself, as he is invariably in dire need of financial support. Thus, he is oftentimes forced to sell the patent to a particular invention he has worked hard for.

Nevertheless, many Filipino foundations now recognize the skills and talents of the Filipino scientist, and it won't be long before he gets the recognition he so rightly deserves.