Call for Nominees to the 2024 PFCS Awards

The Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies recognizes outstanding contributions to Chemistry through the PFCS Outstanding Achievement Awards. The awards aim to:

  1. Inspire the youth to take up chemistry
  2. Recognize outstanding contribution of chemists to development of discipline
  3. Recognize outstanding and exemplary contributions to society through chemistry

The PFCS Outstanding Achievement Awards is given under four categories:

  1. Chemistry Education
  2. Chemical Research
  3. Chemical Industry
  4. Service to the Chemistry Profession

Click here for more information about the categories.

Guidelines for Nomination

The following are excluded from the nominations: members of the PFCS board, members of the PFCS Awards Committee and the members of the National Organizing Committee and the Steering Committee for the 38th Philippine Chemistry Congress (PCC).

The nomination will be evaluated by the PFCS Awards Committee which may consult experts as needed.

Prepare the following documents for nomination:

  • Letter of Nomination
  • Nominee’s Recent Passport-sized Photo
  • Nominee’s Comprehensive Resume
  • Nominee’s Acceptance/Written Consent to be Nominated
  • List of Nominee’s Publications (Include DOIs/URLs)
  • List of Nominee’s Awards (Include Dates of Awards and Award-Giving body)
  • Supporting Documents (Refer to the award categories for details)

To facilitate the review of the documents, please rename the documents as follows:

«Award Category»_«Lastname»«Intials»_«Document Filename».«Filetype»

e.gEDUCATION_AleaGV_Nomination.PDFChemistry Education
RESEARCH_AleaGV_Photo.JPGChemical Research
INDUSTRY_AleaGV_Publications.PDFChemical Industry
SERVICE_AleaGV_Awards.PDFService to the Chemistry Profession
DocumentDocument FilenameAllowed Filetype(s)
Letter of NominationNominationPDF
Recent Passport-sized PhotoPhotoJPG, TIF, PNG
Comprehensive ResumeResumePDF
Written ConsentConsentPDF
List of PublicationsPublicationsPDF
List of AwardsAwardsPDF
Supporting DocumentsSupp_«Description».«Filetype»
Description: Use a short description/keywords to describe the document
Filetype: Use commonly used filetypes for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, pictures/images, music or videos

Package the documents in a ZIP archive and name it as «Award Category»_«Lastname»«Intials».ZIP. For example, EDUCATION_AleaGV.ZIP

Please address all correspondences to:
Dr Glenn V. Alea
President, Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies Inc. (PFCS)
Unit 233 Cityland Pioneer Condominium
128 Pioneer St., Barangay Highway Hills
Mandaluyong City 1550

For more information, please contact Dr Glenn V. Alea at glenn.alea[at]dlsu.edu.ph.

The deadline for is extended to 17 May 2024.

Gerry D. Tan: 2023 PFCS-Chemhub Technologies Achievement Awardee for Chemical Industry

Mr. Gerry Dy Tan is a registered chemist who graduated magna cum laude from the Silliman University in Dumaguete City and was among the top 10 placer in the 1986 Chemistry licensure examination conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission. He is also a graduate of Master in Business Administration program (MBA) from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in Makati City. He is the current the President and Chief Executive Officer of SBS Philippines Corporation (SBS), a publicly-listed company with the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), and one of the country’s leading third-party chemical distribution companies that offers comprehensive selection of chemical products serving a diverse set of industries which include food and beverage, industrial and detergents, feeds and agriculture, water treatment, pharmaceuticals and personal care, building and constructions, and industrial manufacturers. Concurrent to his CEO responsibility at SBS, he is also an elected member of the Company’s Board of Directors, and the Chairperson of its Executive Committee.

Under his leadership, SBS has been recognized as one of the Top Performing Publicly Listed Companies in the Philippines under the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (“ACGS”) for four consecutive years and counting. On the sustainability front, Gerry is leading SBS in partnership with several companies to promote innovative and sustainable solutions in areas like recycling of reclaimed asphalt pavement, potential use of soil biology boosters for chemical-free sustainable farming, and the introduction to the Philippine market of a new alternative to flexible plastic packaging that dissolves and biodegrades in water to mitigate pollution problem created by unmanaged disposal of single-use plastic in the country.

Prior to SBS, Gerry had spent 18 years in Singapore and Hong Kong managing silicones chemical business operations in Asia-Pacific for Rhodia Asia Pacific and Bluestar Silicones Hong Kong, respectively, including an oversight responsibility of its application development activities in Shanghai, China. During this period, he established international business relations with many foreign manufacturers and led the business expansion of his former company across Asia including setting up of application laboratories in China and Korea. He also gained valuable insight and develop the ability to assess, screen and commercialize a product from laboratory concept to industry applicability and market success.    His more than three decades of experience in the chemical industry with focus on business development, innovation, product safety, sustainability and service excellence has uplifted the availability and delivery of chemical raw materials in the Philippine manufacturing landscape, thereby supporting product innovation among its customers and help cultivate the entrepreneurship spirit especially of the small and medium enterprises in the country.  He has also positively impacted the stakeholders’ understanding of chemicals and the chemical industry as a partner for sustainable economic growth of our country.

Gerry D. Tan
President and CEO,
SBS Philippines Corporation
The 2023 PFCS-Chemhub Technologies Achievement Award for Chemical Industry is co-presented by Chemhub Technologies, Inc.

Lilibeth A. Salvador-Reyes: 2023 PFCS-Shimadzu Achievement Awardee for Chemical Research

Dr. Lilibeth A. Salvador-Reyes received her BS (2000) and MS Chemistry (2006) degrees from the University of the Philippines Diliman under the mentorship of Dr. Amelia P. Guevara and Dr. Gisela P. Concepcion. She obtained her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences-Medicinal Chemistry (2013) from the University of Florida under the supervision of Professor Hendrik Luesch. Dr. Salvador-Reyes joined the University of the Philippines Diliman Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) in 2013, where she is currently a Professor and the Deputy Director for Instruction. She has been a Scientist I since 2017 under the UP Scientific Productivity System (SPS).

Dr. Salvador-Reyes has worked extensively on natural products purification, structure elucidation, and bioactivity assessment. She obtained new compounds and worked on the preclinical development of several cyanobacterial natural products. She was awarded the 2012 Kilmer Prize by the American Society of Pharmacognosy and the American Pharmaceutical Association for her PhD work on elastase inhibitors from marine cyanobacteria. She is a prolific natural products chemist with 45 scientific publications in high-impact factor journals and an h-index of 17.  She has also given over 100 oral and poster presentations at international and national scientific meetings. The National Academy of Science and Technology also recognized the contributions of Dr. Salvador-Reyes to the field with the 2019 Outstanding Young Scientist award.

Dr. Salvador-Reyes returned to the Philippines as a UP Balik PhD to mentor the next generation of natural products chemists and continue strengthening the field. As a science educator, mentor, and researcher, she aims to encourage and engage students to venture into science and train the next generation of young Filipino scientists who can undertake excellent research in a developing country and communicate their passion for science. Her teaching and mentoring philosophy is summarized as ‘PRIME’: Provide a high level of support to students and promote their welfare; Rigorous didactic and practical training of students; Identify and nurture a student’s strengths and build on this; Motivate students to have more profound learning and engagement with science; Encourage students to discuss their learnings and discoveries with scientists and the general public. Aside from receiving their degrees, most of her mentored students have co-authored publications and patents with her and have presented their work at an international conference. Several of her students have continued their passion for science and research and pursued getting their PhD in universities abroad.

Dr. Salvador-Reyes’ current research focuses on discovering natural products from marine organisms such as bacteria, cyanobacteria, sponges, and mollusks. She combines the time-tested traditional method of bioactivity-guided purification with advanced methodologies in genomics, metabolomics, and high-throughput screening for the discovery of bioactive natural products. Dr. Salvador-Reyes also bolstered the biobanking efforts of marine microorganisms and compounds. She is currently the curator of the Marine Natural Products Legacy Collection at UPMSI. This collection comprises over 5000 marine microorganisms, 6000+ extracts and fractions, and over 100 pure compounds. These resources can be utilized for future discovery campaigns or industrial applications.

Transforming marine organisms into valuable products is made possible with extensive chemical characterization of the compounds produced by these organisms. Dr. Salvador-Reyes and fellow researchers at UPMSI established the mariculture of biomedically-important marine sponges. Her work identifies the high value characteristics of these organisms and factors that influence the production of bioactive compounds. Dr. Salvador-Reyes also utilizes chemistry in her research on harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Philippines. With the changing oceanic conditions, HAB occurrences have been spreading together with the appearance of new HAB-causative organisms. Her work is directed at understanding the chemical basis of the toxicity of marine organisms and identifying emerging toxins from the Philippine seas. Dr. Salvador-Reyes hopes her work on the chemistry of marine organisms will yield not only high value products from the Philippines but also better protection of our marine resources.

Lilibeth A. Salvador-Reyes
Professor,
Marine Science Institute,
University of the Philippines Diliman
The 2023 PFCS-Shimadzu Achievement Award for Chemical Research is co-presented by Shimadzu Philippines Corporation.

Allen A. Espinosa: 2023 PFCS-Merck Achievement Awardee for Chemistry Education (Tertiary Level)

Dr Allen A Espinosa is an associate professor of science education at the Philippine Normal University (PNU) where he handles undergraduate and graduate courses in science education and currently serves as the director of the Educational Policy Research and Development Center (EPRDC), the university’s specialized research center focused on policy research and studies on teacher education.

Prior to his stint as EPRDC director, he was also appointed as senior program manager at the Philippine National Research Center for Teacher Quality (RCTQ), an Australian government-funded research center based in PNU. At RCTQ, he managed programs and research studies which led to the creation of learning support materials and policies on strengthening teacher quality eventually adopted by the country’s Department of Education (DepEd).    

As a scholar, his areas of research interests span a broad range of topics such as policy research in education, teacher education, information disorder, and social justice in education. He completed his PhD in Biochemistry Education as a full scholar at the University of Melbourne, Australia, his MA in Education major in Chemistry Education from the University of the Philippines Diliman (with thesis grants from UP and the Commission on Higher Education), and his Bachelor in Secondary Education major in Chemistry, cum laude, from PNU Manila.

Presently, he leads three internationally-funded big-ticket projects: (1) a UNESCO-funded project that critically analyzes issues in educational technology in the Philippines; (2) an Edified Energiser Grant-funded project that reviews mental health programs in Philippine higher education institutions under a pandemic; (3) and an Australia Alumni Grants Scheme-funded project that reviews the basic education delivery in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in relation to peace, conflict, and the pandemic.

As an active researcher with focus on science education, he has also published substantial research studies in teaching and teacher education with special focus on science education. His studies on content and pedagogy have appeared in various reputable journals such as the Australian Educational Researcher, Australian Journal of Environmental Education, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, Issues in Educational Research, and the Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, among others. Occasionally, he also contributes to the magazine Teaching Science and serves at the editorial board of the top-tier journal Research in Science Education.

For his scholarly work and contribution to the development of science education, he received the 2017 University of Melbourne Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences Award for Learning and Teaching Achievement and the 2019 PNU Research Citation Award. His research productivity is manifested by h-index which has secured him a place in the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Alper-Doger (AD) Scientific Index as one of the top scientists in the Philippines under the subject: Education. He was also invited as a resource person in a series of public hearings by the Philippine Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts, and Culture to talk about his research findings on the spiral science curriculum and the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Dr Espinosa’s other recently accomplished research  consultancy initiatives include a UNICEF-funded project that developed the policy guide for the nationwide implementation of micro-certification in DepEd’s Alternative Learning System (DepEd-ALS); a World Bank-funded project that looked into the role of education technology in the Philippines following the COVID- 19 pandemic and as part of the recovery from learning loss; and a UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) initiative that examined the current efforts of integrating the PPST into the pre-service teacher education provision in the Philippines in light of the growing importance of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) in the Philippine basic education system.

Allen A. Espinosa
Associate Professor,
Philippine Normal University
The 2023 PFCS-Merck Achievement Award for Chemical Education (Tertiary Level) is co-presented by Merck, Inc.

Jose M. Andaya: 2023 PFCS-Bihis-Maala Basics Achievement Awardee for Chemistry Education (Secondary Level)

Dr. Jose M. Andaya is the former Campus Director of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) CALABARZON Region Campus for 8 years. During his term, he made sure that quality PSHS education is given to all the deserving students of the region. To date, the PSHS-CALABARZON Region Campus is one of the best performing campuses among the 16 campuses of the PSHS System in terms of their buildings, facilities, performance, and the achievements of their students. Before becoming the Campus Director, he also worked as a Chemistry teacher at the PSHS Main Campus in Diliman, Quezon City, for 25 years.

He graduated from the Centro Escolar University (CEU) with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, and finished his Teacher Training Program on Chemistry Education as a Monbushogakusho Scholar at the Shizuoka University (Shizudai) of Japan. He also has an MS Chemistry, Masters in Public Management, and Doctor of Technology degrees from Centro Escolar University (CEU), Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU), and Technological University of the Philippines (TUP), respectively. As a professional, he has repeatedly served as a resource person for Chemistry-related topics for seminars and trainings for Chemistry and Science teachers. He has published several researches and books such as the “Conceptual Science and Beyond – III” Chemistry textbook and Laboratory Manual which both had won the NBDB Quality Seal Award from the National Book Development Board (NBDB).

As a Chemistry educator, his service can be said more significant because of his burning passion to have Filipino students join the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). For a country to become a member of the IChO, a Chemistry educator representative of the country must first observe the annual actual Olympiad for two consecutive years. With the help of the PACT, the Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies(PFCS), and the PSHS System, Dr. Andaya took the initiative to observe the IChO from 2015 to 2016, and became the country coordinator of the Philippine team. In 2017, after 48 years, the Filipino students are now finally able to join the IChO and raise the Philippine flag at the Olympiad stage, bringing numerous medals home each year.

Jose M. Andaya
Director III,
Philippine Science High School (CALABARZON Region Campus)
The 2023 PFCS-Bihis-Maala Basics Achievement Award for Chemical Education (Secondary Level) is co-presented by Bihis-Maala Basics Analytical Instruments.

Call for Nominees to the 2023 PFCS Awards

The Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies recognizes outstanding contributions to Chemistry through the PFCS Outstanding Achievement Awards. The awards aim to:

  1. Inspire the youth to take up chemistry
  2. Recognize outstanding contribution of chemists to development of discipline
  3. Recognize outstanding and exemplary contributions to society through chemistry

The PFCS Outstanding Achievement Awards is given under four categories:

  1. Chemistry Education
  2. Chemical Research
  3. Chemical Industry
  4. Service to the Chemistry Profession

Click here for more information about the categories.

Guidelines for Nomination

The following are excluded from the nominations: members of the PFCS board, members of the PFCS Awards Committee and the members of the National Organizing Committee and the Steering Committee for the 37th Philippine Chemistry Congress (PCC).

The nomination will be evaluated by the PFCS Awards Committee which may consult experts as needed.

Prepare the following documents for nomination:

  • Letter of Nomination
  • Nominee’s Recent Passport-sized Photo
  • Nominee’s Comprehensive Resume
  • Nominee’s Acceptance/Written Consent to be Nominated
  • List of Nominee’s Publications (Include DOIs/URLs)
  • List of Nominee’s Awards (Include Dates of Awards and Award-Giving body)
  • Supporting Documents (Refer to the award categories for details)

To facilitate the review of the documents, please rename the documents as follows:

«Award Category»_«Lastname»«Intials»_«Document Filename».«Filetype»

e.gEDUCATION_AleaGV_Nomination.PDFChemistry Education
RESEARCH_AleaGV_Photo.JPGChemical Research
INDUSTRY_AleaGV_Publications.PDFChemical Industry
SERVICE_AleaGV_Awards.PDFService to the Chemistry Profession
DocumentDocument FilenameAllowed Filetype(s)
Letter of NominationNominationPDF
Recent Passport-sized PhotoPhotoJPG, TIF, PNG
Comprehensive ResumeResumePDF
Written ConsentConsentPDF
List of PublicationsPublicationsPDF
List of AwardsAwardsPDF
Supporting DocumentsSupp_«Description».«Filetype»
Description: Use a short description/keywords to describe the document
Filetype: Use commonly used filetypes for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, pictures/images, music or videos

Package the documents in a ZIP archive and name it as «Award Category»_«Lastname»«Intials».ZIP. For example, EDUCATION_AleaGV.ZIP

Please address all correspondences to:
Dr Glenn V. Alea
President, Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies Inc. (PFCS)
Unit 233 Cityland Pioneer Condominium
128 Pioneer St., Barangay Highway Hills
Mandaluyong City 1550

For more information, please contact Dr Glenn V. Alea at glenn.alea[at]dlsu.edu.ph.

The deadline for nomination is extended to 16 June 2023.

Nona Marlene B. Ferido: 2022 Dr. Juanita A. Manalo Memorial Award

Dr. Nona Marlene B. Ferido is presently the Deputy Director of the Assessment, Curriculum and Technology Research Centre, a partnership between the University of the Philippines and the University of Melbourne. Some of her involvements in the Centre are the following: research on the progress of students through the science curriculum with focus on chemistry (Grades 7-10), curriculum review of the Philippine K to12 curriculum, feasibility study on micro-certification for the alternative learning system (ALS) in the Philippines, development and conduct of the professional development (PD) program for science, mathematics and reading teachers on assessment and emerging literacies, and technical support in the review of the Department of Education’s reports on international large-scale assessments such as PISA 2018 and TIMSS 2019.

Dr. Ferido holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from U.P. Diliman and an M.S. Agricultural Chemistry degree from U.P. Los Baños. She completed her Ph.D Science Education (with specialization in Chemistry) from U.P. Diliman. Before her stint at the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED), she was a chemistry instructor at the Department of Chemistry, U.P. Los Baños and subsequently an assistant professor at the Institute of Chemistry, U.P. Diliman.

Dr. Ferido is a retired Science Education Specialist V and former Chair of the Chemistry Group of UP NISMED. She served as its Deputy Director for Research and Extension and subsequently as Deputy Director for Administration. She was a researcher, project leader, and coordinator in various science education projects of UP NISMED with UNESCO Bangkok, the Center for the Study of International Cooperation in Education (Japan), Canada-Pakistan Basic Education Project (CPBEP), Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Dr Ferido has invaluably contributed to the advancement of chemistry education particularly in her (1) key role in the conceptualization and implementation of the K to 12 Science Curriculum of DepEd, specifically the chemistry (Matter) domain, including the STEM strand; (2) intensive research work on aligning teaching methods with the K to 12 science curriculum, (3) designing appropriate curriculum materials, which resulted in the production of teacher resource materials and sourcebooks for teacher trainers and teachers in high school chemistry, and (4) active involvement in training programs for science teachers at the national, regional, and division levels. She was among those who developed the teaching guides and learner materials in Grades 7 and 8 Science based on the K to 12 curriculum that emphasized the key features of inquiry and spiral progression as well as the development of students’ scientific attitudes and values and their understanding and application of scientific knowledge. She was a Project Writer and Trainer for CHED STEM Education Program (2016-2017) tasked to develop a STEM Teacher Training Design and Toolkit for faculty of higher education institutions teaching senior high school.

Dr. Ferido was the recipient of the 2014 UP Diliman Gawad Chancellor Award for Outstanding Research, Extension & Professional Staff and the 2013 Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies Award for Chemistry Education.

Nona Marlene B. Ferido
Deputy Director, Assessment, Curriculum and Technology Research Centre
The 2022 Dr. Juanita A. Manalo Memorial Award is co-presented by DKSH Market Expansion Services Philippines, Inc.

Vivian A. Topor: 2022 PFCS-Shimadzu Achievement Awardee for Chemistry Education (Tertiary Level)

Vivian Azucena-Topor began her teaching career as a Secondary School Teacher at the Iloilo National High School. In 1996, she joined the Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas where she is currently an Associate Professor. She has served as the Director of the Graduate Program Office (GPO) and as Chairperson of the Division of Professional Education of the University of the Philippines Visayas.

Her passion for teaching chemistry led her to develop innovations to make the learning of chemistry fun and interesting. She developed the chemistry games (ChemTrump, ChemSquabble, and ChemFactory) that introduce the students to the language of chemistry and stimulate their interests in the properties of the elements and compounds. She also authored a workbook titled ChemSearch & ChemPuzzle (Ionic Compounds Series) which aims to enhance students’ skills in writing chemical formula and naming ionic compounds.

She pioneered the conduct of the Chemistry Camp for high school students and teachers in Region VI which aims to enhance the teachers’ knowledge and skills in chemistry concepts and experiments, and for the students to experience and appreciate chemistry through simple experiments using ordinary household materials and solutions. Her leadership in spearheading these activities led several students to pursue a degree in Chemistry because they were inspired by the chemistry games, chemistry quiz bee, and laboratory hands-on trainings.

She is a role model and an inspiration to her colleagues in the University. Aside from being excellent in teaching performance, she is also active in research, specifically in cassava cyanogenesis, where she developed the cassava cyanide test kit which finds useful application in food safety. She translated to the community what she teaches inside the classroom when she collaborated with the Department of Agriculture and the Local Government Units of Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental and Iloilo in conducting trainings and seminars about cassava cyanide, cyanide intoxication and the use of the Cassava Cyanide Color Wheel Test Kit. The impact of her contribution to the community was recognized by the Bato Balani Foundation Inc. and Diwa Learning Systems, Inc. where she was awarded the 2016 The Many Faces of a Teacher as the “Community Biochemist.”

She has been granted several certificates of copyright registration and deposit by the National Library of the Philippines for her original works and four Utility Model Registration by the Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL). Her use of indigenous plant pigments as acid-base indicators in laboratory classes has continuously spark her interest on new plant materials, and the collection of the plants screened is showcased in her recent book titled “Beyond the Beautiful Blossoms: the colors, the pH, and the wildflowers’ untapped potentials.” She and her Team produced books and booklets for use by technicians of the Department of Agriculture, cassava farmers and cassava processors.

Currently, Dr. Topor is the President of the Philippine Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology– Western Visayas Chapter; Executive Vice President of the Philippine Association of Chemistry Teachers – Region 6; Board of Director of the Integrated Chemist of the Philippines – Panay Chapter, Inc.; and Auditor, Western Visayas Association of Filipino Inventors Inc.

Vivian A. Topor
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of the Philippines Visayas
The 2022 PFCS-Shimadzu Achievement Award for Chemical Education (Tertiary Level) is co-presented by Shimadzu Philippines Corporation.

Erika Eunice P. Salvador: 2022 PFCS-Chemisphere Achievement Awardee for Chemistry Education (Secondary Level)

Ms. Erika Eunice Panisales Salvador finished her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, magna cum laude, and Master of Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV). She passed the Chemist Licensure Examination and started teaching at the Philippine Science High School Western Visayas Campus (PSHSWVC), her high school alma mater. Since then, she has taught Integrated Science, General Chemistry, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Applied Chemistry and Research to the high school scholars of PSHS under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
In her twelve (12) years of service, she has been the Science, Math, and Technology Department Head and the Chemistry and Integrated Science Unit Head, spearheading various school innovations for teaching chemistry as well as student- and teacher-training programs in online and face-to-face platforms for the larger community. She helped write and develop the PSHS K-12 curriculum for Chemistry and the Chemistry Learning Guides for remote and blended learning. She was also the campus coordinator for the Science Immersion Program (SIP), the PSHS internship program for high school, forging partnerships with international, national, and local STEM research agencies through evolving modalities in the pre-, mid-, and post-pandemic years.

Her other endeavors include appearing as guest teacher in Knowledge Channel’s KHub, a high school science television program. During the pandemic, she has produced chemistry lecture videos for public and exclusive viewing on Youtube (Erika’s Class). She was a member of the Board of Directors and chair of the secretariat committee of the Philippine Association of Chemistry Teachers Region VI Chapter, Inc. (PACT-R6). She continues to write science textbooks for high school students in the post-pandemic set-up.

She received the Outstanding Award for Presentation in Congress as Teacher Advisor during the 10th Regional Congress: Search for SEAMEO Young Scientists in Penang, Malaysia. In 2021, she was awarded the Cleofe M. Bacungan Natatanging Guro Award for the Natural Sciences Cluster by the PSHS Foundation, Inc. Ms. Salvador continues to improve her knowledge and skills through post-graduate studies and ensuring the sustainability of her existing innovations.

Erika Eunice P. Salvador
Special Science Teacher III,
Philippine Science High School (Western Visayas Campus)
The 2022 PFCS-Chemisphere Achievement Award for Chemical Education (Secondary Level) is co-presented by Chemisphere Lab Sciences, Inc.

Nelson R. Villarante: 2022 PFCS-Chemisphere Achievement Awardee for Chemical Research

Dr. Nelson Ramirez Villarante is currently a full-time professor in the Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics at the College of Arts and Sciences. He began his research training during his undergraduate degree in chemistry, extracting natural products from various plants and assessing their antimicrobial properties. After completing his undergraduate program at Silliman University, he decided to stay in the academe and share his knowledge and skills with students through teaching and research. As a result of his outstanding research on the phytochemical components of plant extracts, he was chosen as one of the five finalists in the ASEAN Talent Search for Young Scientists in 1988. His research skills and training have expanded further after he decided to pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry at the University of the Philippines in Diliman and had the opportunity—as an exchange student—to accomplish his dissertation on the biodegradation of chlorinated compounds at Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology in the United States of America. Furthermore, his passion for research and his excellent academic record and research training landed him a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan where he specialized both in the synthesis of organic chemical compounds and in photochemistry. His 30 years in the University of the Philippines Manila has transformed him into not only an excellent adviser and professor, but also into a dedicated and top-notch researcher. Despite the limited resources, equipment, and infrastructure for doing research, Dr. Villarante persisted, persevered, and pressed on with his passion and life-long goal of performing relevant and transformative chemical research. His dedication to research and his determination to help humanity are reflected in his body of research work, which includes the synthesis of drugs, synthesis of green solvents such as Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents, alternative energy from biowaste materials, and waste management. Because of his dedication to research, he was inducted as a regular member of the National Research Council of the Philippines, our country’s foremost and most prestigious scientific organization. He also was hired as a technical consultant to SBS Philippines Corporation, one of the largest chemical distribution companies in the country. He is a regular member of the DOST-PCIEERD proposal technical review panel; reviewing high-budgeted proposals which range from 5-30 million pesos. Occasionally, he is invited as a reviewer of NIH proposals as well. Due to his expertise in environmental research and organic synthesis, he was invited as an editorial board member in an ISI journal and as a reviewer in various scientific publications, such as the Oriental Journal of Chemistry, Philippine Journal of Science, Manila Science Journal, Philippine Journal of Health Research and Development, and Material Science India.

Dr. Villarante earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Notably, he has been a consistent academic scholar for two years during his doctoral program. Dr. Villarante, who came from a humble beginning, was a recipient of numerous scholarships and awards — the Department of Science and Technology-Engineering and Science Education Program Scholarship (DOST-ESEP), Benedicto Professorial Chair Award, Centennial Faculty Grant Award for Research, One UP Professorial Chair Award, and International Publication Awards.
Despite the financially rewarding job opportunities in the industry and in the business sectors, Dr. Villarante has decided to stay in the academe and has been actively doing several research collaborations. His interest in the removal of heavy metals, dyes, and chlorinated compounds from laboratory and hospital wastewater samples using activated carbon from biowaste materials, utilization of green solvents in the synthesis of drugs, and synthesis of biofuel from feedstocks resulted in publications in ISI/Scopus journals. His research work also has been accepted for presentation in local and international conferences. Because of his dedication to research, Dr. Villarante is recognized as University Scientist of the University of the Philippines.

That Dr. Villarante’s undergraduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral studies have equipped him with a formidable background in fundamental and applied research and that—as evidenced by his great body of scientific work—he employed his knowledge and skills as a researcher to the fullest extent possible are beyond question.

Thus, for his expertise in the field of pollution control, energy sustainability, and drug synthesis; for his awareness of both his social and environmental responsibilities as a researcher; for his productive scientific outputs and sterling research experiences; and most of all, for his honesty, integrity, and steadfast and unrelenting dedication and passion for quality research, it is with great pride and honor to present Dr. Nelson R. Villarante as the recipient of this year’s PFCS Outstanding Achievement Award in Chemical Research.

Nelson R. Villarante
Professor, Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics,
University of the Philippines Manila
The 2022 PFCS-Chemisphere Achievement Award for Chemical Research is co-presented by Chemisphere Lab Sciences, Inc.