Dr. Manuel R. Eugenio, former Commissioner of the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission ( now known as the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute) of the Department of Science and Technology passed away on Saturday, 16 July 2005 at the age of 76. He was born on June 10, 1929 to former Civil Defense Administrator Alfredo G. Eugenio and Josefina Romulo, sister of Carlos P. Romulo, the first Asian to serve as president of the United Nations General Assembly.
Dr. Eugenio began his career in the nuclear field in the Philippines when he joined the PAEC as a senior scientist in November 1958. In 1960, he was appointed as Chief of the Nuclear Engineering Department which was responsible for the production of radioisotopes. He became the Training Director of the PAEC Nuclear Training Institute in 1971. Three years after, he resigned from PAEC and left for the United States. He rejoined PAEC upon his return to the Philippines in 1978. Dr Eugenio was appointed as PAEC Commissioner in September 1984. In November 1987, he was appointed as Director of the Science Education Institute, DOST where he retired from government service.
Dr. Eugenio will be remembered for his pivotal role and outstanding contributions to the advancement of the safe and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology in the country. He received a commendation from the University of Maryland Graduate School in the United States for his doctoral thesis "The Determination of Preferred Orientation in Rolled Electrical Steels Using Single Diffraction of Neutron". His studies on nuclear radiation and radioisotopes and on utilization of neutrons opened up many potential uses of atomic energy for industry, engineering, biology and medicine in the Philippines. Dr Eugenio's studies and development of local techniques in radioisotope production with the use of the Philippine Research Reactor (PRR-1) led to the local production of some 19 types of radioisotopes for use in biology, medicine, industry and research.
For his significant contributions in the field of nuclear science and technology, Dr. Eugenio was awarded the Rizal Pro-Patria Award in 1968.
Dr. Eugenio is survived by his wife, Aida Davila Eugenio, one of the first Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (TOWNS) Awardee, a Career Scientist II and a former Deputy Director of the PNRI.
His remains lie in state at the Don Bosco Chapel, Makati. Necrological services will be held at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at the PNRI Auditorium in Diliman, Quezon City.
