UPLB Agricultural Systems Institute

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Ang bawat pagwagayway ng ating watawat ay patunay ng ating kasarinlan at ang makulay na kasaysayan sa likod nito—ang p**a ng dugo ng ating mga magigiting, ang bughaw ng kalangitang payapa, ang liwanag sa gitna ng dilim, at ang ginintuang sinag ng araw at mga bituin na pinagkakaisa ang ating mga kapuluan.

Sa pagdiriwang natin ng ika-128 anibersaryo ng Araw ng Kalayaan, nawa'y magsilbing paalala ang mga ito sa patuloy nating pakikibaka para sa tunay na kalayaan sa gitna ng kinakaharap na mga krisis ng ating bayan.

Sa pagdiriwang ng UP Public Service Day 2026, mag-aalab ang mga pusong nakatuon sa paglilingkod para sa bayan! ❤️‍🔥

Ating tunghayan ang Serbisyong Pampubliko: Gáling UPLB, Gâling UPLB, isang pampublikong talakayan na magtatampok sa iba’t ibang inisyatiba at ambag ng University of the Philippines Los Baños sa pagsusulong ng serbisyo publiko para sa mga komunidad.

Kasabay nito, tampok din ang iba’t ibang aktibidad ng mga yunit ng UPLB bilang bahagi ng pagdiriwang ng UP Public Service Day.

📅 18 Hunyo 2026
🕘 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 REDREC Auditorium, UPLB
🔴 Live sa opisyal na page ng UPLB

Halina't makiisa sa pagdiriwang ng ang alab ng pusong nagsisilbi para sa bayan!

Pride is not just a colorful celebration. Above all, Pride is a continuing march toward a more inclusive tomorrow.

This June, the University of the Philippines joins the LGBTQ+ community in celebrating Pride Month and in honoring their continuing struggle for justice and equality for all.

The University of the Philippines is proud to have five of its scientists and faculty named among this year’s Asian Scientist 100.

Joining the ranks of Asia’s most outstanding scientists are: Dr. Mary Donnabelle Balela and Dr. Aurelio de los Reyes V from UP Diliman; National Scientist Romulo Davide and Marcela Navasero from UP Los Baños; and Dr. May Anne Mata from UP Mindanao.

Balela is a professor at the UPD Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering. She is the recipient of the 2024 National Science and Technology Week Outstanding Research and Development Award for her work on the use of biodegradable kapok fibers to mitigate oil spills.

De los Reyes is a professor at the UPD Institute of Mathematics whose research interests include mathematical biology. His research on hormone-based contraceptive dosing strategies earned him the 2024 National Science and Technology Week Outstanding Research and Development Award for Basic Research.

Agricultural scientists Davide and Navasero were recognized for their work on natural pest control. Davide, hailed as the “Father of Plant Nematology,” developed the country’s first biological control product against plant-parasitic nematodes or roundworms attacking crops. He was declared the 44th National Scientist of the Philippines in 2024. Navasero’s expertise in the detection and control of invasive plant pests and diseases was awarded the 2024 Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award.

Mata is a professor at the UPMin Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science. She was recognized for her use of mathematical models to respond to public health issues such as rabies and COVID-19. In 2025, the National Academy of Science and Technology named her among the 2025 Outstanding Young Scientists.

The Asian Scientist 100 is a list of award-winning researchers, academicians, and industry leaders who have made significant contributions in their respective scientific disciplines. It is published annually in Asian Scientist Magazine.

To qualify, a scientist must have received a national or international award or have made a groundbreaking discovery in their field.

The Agricultural Systems Institute (ASI) will be holding a 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 to honor the achievements of our graduating students.

🗓 Date: 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟑𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 (𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲)
⏰ Time: 𝟖:𝟎𝟎 𝐀𝐌 – 𝟏𝟎:𝟎𝟎 𝐀𝐌
📍 Venue: 𝐀𝐒𝐈 𝐋𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥

We warmly invite the graduating students of the BS Agriculture program (Agricultural Systems, Agricultural Extension, Landscape Agroforestry, and Soil Science majors) and graduate students completing the MS in Soil Science, MS in Rural Sociology, and PhD in Soil Science programs.

Kindly confirm your attendance on or before 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟓 by scanning the QR code or through the link below:
🔗 https://forms.gle/p97mwXh8DEoCWWXd6

Let us celebrate this milestone together. We look forward to seeing you there! 🎓🌻🎗️🇵🇭

6 PINOY SCIENTISTS IN ASIA’S TOP 100

Six Filipino scientists have been included in the eighth release of the "Asian Scientist 100" list by Singapore's Asian Scientist Magazine.

Check comments for the story.

"Six Filipino scientists and innovators have been recognized among Asia Scientist Magazine’s Top 100 Researchers for 2026, highlighting the Philippines’ growing contribution to scientific research and innovation in the region. Their achievements span agriculture, mathematics, environmental protection, public health, and aquatic sciences.

The Filipino honorees are Romulo Davide and Marcela Navasero of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Mary Donnabelle Balela and Aurelio De Los Reyes V of UP Diliman, Garry Benico of Central Luzon State University, and May Anne Mata of UP Mindanao.

Among those recognized are Davide, known as the 'Father of Philippine Nematology,' for his work helping Filipino farmers, and Balela for developing eco-friendly materials to address marine oil spills. Other awardees were honored for their contributions to disease modeling, reproductive health research, pest management, and aquatic biosciences.

The Asia Scientist 100 list honors outstanding researchers, innovators, and academic leaders across the Asia-Pacific region who have made significant contributions to science and society."

6 FILIPINO SCIENTISTS NAMED AMONG ASIA’S TOP 100 RESEARCHERS

Six Filipino scientists and innovators have been recognized among Asia Scientist Magazine’s Top 100 Researchers for 2026, highlighting the Philippines’ growing contribution to scientific research and innovation in the region. Their achievements span agriculture, mathematics, environmental protection, public health, and aquatic sciences.

The Filipino honorees are Romulo Davide and Marcela Navasero of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Mary Donnabelle Balela and Aurelio De Los Reyes V of UP Diliman, Garry Benico of Central Luzon State University, and May Anne Mata of UP Mindanao.

Among those recognized are Davide, known as the “Father of Philippine Nematology,” for his work helping Filipino farmers, and Balela for developing eco-friendly materials to address marine oil spills. Other awardees were honored for their contributions to disease modeling, reproductive health research, pest management, and aquatic biosciences.

The Asia Scientist 100 list honors outstanding researchers, innovators, and academic leaders across the Asia-Pacific region who have made significant contributions to science and society.

We often remind graduate students:

Do not plan your PhD forward. Plan it backward.

Starting in the First Semester of AY 2026-2027, all new and shiftee PhD students must fulfill the publication requirement as part of the requirements for graduation. Hence, students need to account for coursework, qualifying and comprehensive examinations, proposal development, ethics review, data collection, analysis, manuscript writing, peer and external reviews, revisions, and unconditional acceptance of a journal article. All of these can take longer than expected.

A common misconception is that the first publication is the entire dissertation. It is not. The first paper is usually just one publishable component of a much larger body of work. While waiting for reviewers and editors, students should continue writing and completing the rest of their dissertation.

TIPS:

➡️ Start writing earlier than you think.
➡️ Do not wait until Year 3 to submit a paper.
➡️ Secure ethics approval before collecting data.
➡️ Submit the first paper at least one year before your intended graduation date.
➡️ Build buffers for ethics review, reviewer delays, and unexpected setbacks.
➡️ Progress on multiple parts of the dissertation in parallel.
➡️ Consult your advisory committee regularly and proactively. Do not wait until problems arise. Maximize their expertise, perspectives, and professional networks to strengthen your research and academic development.

We know this is challenging, but having a plan is better than having none. Progress is rarely accidental. Effective graduate study requires intentional planning and regular reassessment of goals and timelines.

Plan backward. Start early. Stay consistent.

“Six Filipino scientists and innovators have been included in Asia Scientist Magazine’s Asia Scientist 100 list for 2026, which recognizes outstanding researchers, academicians, innovators, and business leaders across the Asia-Pacific region.

Among those recognized this year were University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) researchers Romulo Davide and Marcela Navasero, University of the Philippines Diliman scientists Mary Donnabelle Balela and Aurelio De Los Reyes V, Central Luzon State University researcher Garry Benico, and University of the Philippines Mindanao scientist May Anne Mata.

Dr. Davide, who was named the Philippines’ 44th National Scientist in 2024, is known for his pioneering work in plant pathology and nematology, particularly his research on plant-parasitic nematodes.

Known as the ‘Father of Philippine Nematology,’ Davide also established the Farmer-Scientist Training Program, which has helped train about 70,000 Filipino farmers nationwide.” 🌽

6 Filipino scientists among Asia’s top 100 researchers in 2026 The six Filipino honorees in this year’s Asia Scientist 100 are (from left) Marcela M. Navasero, May Anne E. Mata, Mary Donnabelle L. Balela, Garry A. Benico, Aurelio A. De Los Reyes V, and Romulo