Nebres, Fabella named 'national scientists'

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino yesterday conferred on former Ateneo de Manila University president Fr. Bienvenido Nebres and economist Raul Fabella the title of “national scientist.”

Aquino presented the award to Fabella during the opening ceremony of the 2011 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. Fabella was recognized for “his notable involvement in many policy battles such as the NBN-ZTE scandal, the looming fiscal crisis, J2K crisis, exchange rate policy, tax and public expenditure policy, currency overvaluation, and CARP, to name a few, where he provided strong, intellectual rigor and evidence-based perspectives.”

Fabella is a former dean of the University of the Philippines’ School of Economics.

Nebres is out of the country, according to a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) media officer.

The Order of National Scientist is the highest honor that the Philippine government bestows on a Filipino scientist for his outstanding contributions to science and technology.

The President, along with Science Secretary Mario Montejo, also presented awards to two outstanding Filipino researchers.

Dr. Lorenza Gonzales-Lirio of the Benguet State University was this year’s recipient of the Julian A. Banzon Medal for Applied Research. Gonzales-Lirio was recognized for her successful research and development work on Job’s tears, a tall grain-bearing tropical plant of the family Poaceae (grass family).

“Her commercialization of Job’s tears food products, active information campaign to popularize the plant and training of farmers on cultivation methods has already provided some communities of Benguet an alternative food and income source, thereby contributing to food security and economic empowerment,” the DOST said. Dr. Luis Rey Velasco, chancellor of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB), received the 2011 NSTW Outstanding Science Administrator (Dioscoro L. Umali) Medal.

“Under his management, UPLB has made major investments in the development of its land endowments for income generation, such as the establishment of citronella plantation, rubber plantation and recently plans for alternative energy-generating projects and water impoundment facilities,” the DOST said.

As part of the week-long celebration, the DOST opened yesterday at the SMX Convention Center an exhibit of its latest technologies and services including the mosquito ovicidal-larvicidal trap, brown rice, baby foods, water filter, automatic weather stations, mass transit system, PC tablet, RxBox, biotechnology, nanotechnology, gantry crane, windmills and nuclear energy.