SAN FRANCISCO – A group of Filipino scientists and science scholars attending the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2023 last December called on Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer at the Sentro Rizal at the Philippine Consulate.
According to PhD researcher Joshua Dimasaka, who studies AI and environmental risks and disaster resilience at the UK Research and Innovation Centre for Doctoral Training at University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, 25 Filipino scientists and researchers attended the AGU 23 in San Francisco. The AGU’s annual meeting convenes 25,000 attendees from over 100 countries to share research and connect with friends and colleagues.
San Francisco PCG photos
Consul General Ferrer along with Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona, Vice Consul Adrian Baccay, and economic assistant Jennifer Sto. Domingo, welcomed the group composed of Dimasaka; Crizzia Mielle De Castro from the University at Albany, State University of New York, who studies tropical meteorology; Mirko Alessandro C. Uy from the University of Notre Dame, who studies paleooceanography and paleoclimatology Indiana; Reggie Macasieb from the University of Western Australia, School of Earth Sciences, who studies hydrogeology; Mario Soriano, a post-doctoral researcher on water management from Princeton University; and Adonis T. Gallentes from the University of the Philippines Diliman, UP Marine Science Institute, who studies hydrogeology, specifically the effects of climate change on watersheds in some areas in the Philippines.
The scientists/researchers were mostly involved in studies about the effects of climate change, fostering resilience in countries like the Philippines, as well as communicating these to stakeholders, especially the public.
“I am impressed by the studies that you are working on and these are very relevant to the Philippines since our country is vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” said Consul General Ferrer. “I hope that someday you could go back to the Philippines and help solve our concerns there, especially on the impact of climate change on the country,” he added.
He mentioned that the Consulate, being located in Silicon Valley, works to help connect stakeholders, such as government officials and policymakers, as well as members of the private sector and business community, in exploring partnerships for developmental programs in the Philippines. He mentioned the partnership between the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and AI-powered meteorology startup ATMO whose Memorandum of Agreement was signed during the visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in San Francisco on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
The scientists emphasized the significance of promoting STEM education in the Philippines, aiming to empower Filipinos to broaden their scientific knowledge and foster innovation.
The Philippine Government, through the DOST, has a program to encourage Filipino scientists and experts to return to the country and share their expertise to promote scientific, agro-industrial, and economic development, called the Balik Scientist Program.
(PCGSF Release)