PNRI GSRGP Grantee Wins 1st Place at ENVIRA 2019 In Czech Republic
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PNRI GSRGP Grantee Wins 1st Place at ENVIRA 2019 In Czech Republic
Congratulations to PNRI Graduate Student Research Grant Program (GSRGP) grantee Dr. Sunshine Tan, for winning the 1st Place for Best Oral Presentation Award at the 2019 International Conference on Environmental Radioactivity (ENVIRA 2019) in Prague, Czech Republic, with participants from 41 countries.
Dr. Tan's dissertation titled "Iodine-129 as an environmental tracer for salinity origin in groundwater in Pampanga, Philippines" was performed in part at the DOST - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, under the mentorship of Dr. Angel Bautista VII of the Nuclear Analytical Techniques Applications Section.
The PNRI GSRGP is a research grant program implemented by PNRI and funded by the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).
NUCLEAR SCIENCE FOR EVERY JUAN: PNRI at the 63rd IAEA General Conference
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Photos by Dean Calma of IAEA and by PNRI staff
NUCLEAR SCIENCE FOR EVERY JUAN: The Philippines at the 63rd IAEA General Conference
Showcasing the best and latest among Filipino applications of nuclear science and technology, the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) joined the Philippine delegation during the 63rd General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from September 16-20, 2019 in Vienna, Austria.
The delegation launched the country's exhibit entitled "Nuclear Science and Technology for Every Juan" at the Vienna International Center on September 16, with IAEA officials and delegates from other Member States in attendance.
Among the visiting officials to the Philippines' exhibit are IAEA Acting Director General Mr. Cornel Feruta, Deputy Directors General Ms. Najat Mokhtar and Mr. Dazhu Yang, and Filipino scientist Ms. Jane Gerardo-Abaya, who currently serves as the IAEA Director of the Technical Cooperation Division for Asia and the Pacific.
The visitors were welcomed by PNRI Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla and Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad, who is the Philippines' ambassador to Austria and the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the IAEA. IAEA Acting DG Feruta also addressed the visitors during the launching of the exhibit, and was presented with Philippine mangoes by Dr. Arcilla and Ambassador Natividad.
The international crowd literally had a taste of Filipino hospitality as they were served with local food, delicacies and desserts during the exhibit launching.
The Philippines has been a Member State of the IAEA since 1958, and has since enjoyed a strong partnership with the Agency in spearheading the benefits of Atoms for Peace and Development in the country.
PNRI Director Wins Award at 2019 PhilAAST Convention
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PNRI Director Wins Gregorio Y. Zara Award at 2019 PhilAAST Convention
PNRI Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla (3rd from left) was recently awarded the Gregorio Y. Zara Award for Basic Research by the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology (PhilAAST) during the 68th PhilAAST Annual Conventionon September 11, 2019 at the Hotel Jen Manila, Pasay City.
The award was given in recognition for his significant contributions in the field of geological sciences and for sharing his expertise that helped resolve sensitive issues on mineral resource development, water management and peaceful applications of nuclear energy in the Philippines.
An award-winning geology professor, Dr. Arcilla was previously the Director of the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, from 2007 to 2015. He served as amicus curiae to the Philippine Supreme Court for the first Writ of Kalikasan cases involving the Makati pipeline disaster in 2010, and was also called as an expert witness for the Philippines in the International Court of Arbitration in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Arcilla was appointed as PNRI Director in 2017. He is also involved in nuclear-related research for more than a decade, particularly in studies on nuclear waste disposal.
PNRI Irradiation Services Team Wins Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award
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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.
