President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and CSC Commissioner Alicia dela Rosa-Bala presented the award to the PNRI Irradiation Services Team. The members of the Irradiation Services Team (from left, starting 3rd from left): Mr. Aurelio Maningas, Mr. Giuseppe Filam Dean, Mr. Franklin Pares, Ms. Haydee Solomon, and Mr. Geofrey Tranquilan.
PNRI Irradiation Services Team Wins Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award
Proving the quality of Filipino civil servants through nuclear science and technology, the Irradiation Services Team of the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) is one of the recipients of the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award as part of the 2019 Search For Outstanding Government Workers by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).
No less than President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and CSC Commissioner Alicia dela Rosa-Bala presented the award to the PNRI Irradiation Services Team for their outstanding contribution to the country's nuclear research program, particularly in improving the overall operations and control of irradiation facilities at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, thereby generating savings in maintenance costs of the country's irradiation equipment used for food preservation, medical product sterilization and research.
The Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award is conferred for exceptional or extraordinary contributions resulting from an idea or performance that had nationwide impact on public interest, security and patrimony, whether in the form of a suggestion, an innovation or a superior accomplishment, according to the CSC.
The winners from PNRI are in charge of operating the Institute’s irradiation facilities, which are mainly used for radiation processing of various products such as food, medical equipment and raw materials, as well as for advanced research and development applications.
The Cobalt-60 Multipurpose Irradiation Facility is the first and currently the only facility of its kind in the country, established in 1989 and currently serving the needs of the commercial and industrial sectors.
Meanwhile, the Electron Beam Irradiation Facility, inaugurated in 2014, opens the doors to more advanced applications, with higher radiation doses and faster irradiation time. The facility is also currently being used to produce PNRI’s highly successful Carrageenan Plant Growth Promoter, which can increase rice yields by around 30% and is now available in the market.
