Pinoy students from Korea, Taiwan, China, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, USA, Sweden, Canada, and Germany were gathered by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in a virtual conference to witness the unveiling of the improved Balik Scientist Program website last Saturday, 10 October 2020. The event enabled students to interact with Balik Scientists and find out about the program’s contribution on the Philippines fight against COVID-19.

“The Balik Scientist Program has been instrumental in progressing science and technology especially in areas where we have limited local expertise,” shares DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña. “Even with the pressing conditions brought about by the pandemic, our Balik Scientists continue to serve and impart their expertise to the country.”

The Balik Scientist Program (BSP) continues to uphold its goal to strengthen the scientific and technological human resources of the academe, public and private institutions including locally registered enterprises to promote knowledge sharing and accelerate the flow of new technologies.

Three Balik Scientists imparted their experiences to Pinoy scholars during the event. All capturing the different sectors such as agriculture, health and industry. Though the Balik Scientist – Dr. Nelzo Ereful, Dr. Jonel Saludes, and Dr. Annabelle Vilallobos likewise imparted their contribution on the country’s fight against COVID-19 even beyond their Balik Scientist Engagements.

“It is our hope that in the coming years, we will be able to achieve greater heights by bringing home more scientists based abroad and help enhance the expertise and resources that we have here,” says Undersecretary for R&D Rowena Cristina L. Guevara. “Through the program, we envision that more Filipinos would opt to stay home and pursue their career here, with the mission of caring for and providing better solutions for our fellow Filipinos. The R&D of Balik Scientists will make change happen for the betterment of our country.”

Balik Scientist Dr. Cynthia Goh's first engagement started in 2008. She has continued to be a Balik Scientist in the succeeding years (2009,2017,2020). Dr. Goh is an expert on Physical Chemistry with a diverse set of research interests, including fundamental studies of complex systems biomaterials, interfaces, probe microscopy, the development of new research instrumentation and nanotechnology. She invented the technique of diffraction-based sensing, a highly sensitive approach for the detection of biomolecules with applications in medical diagnostics and in drug discovery. The video presents her work in helping her hometown in Palawan.

Last January 22, Balik Scientist Dr. Richard Alorro paid a courtesy visit to PCIEERD Executive Director, Dr. Enrico Paringit.

Dr. Alorro is an expert in Geo-Environmental Engineering. He is hosted by the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), where he will be conducting special seminars and lectures to undergraduate and post-graduate students, academic staff members, and government and industry representatives, together with other universities in Mindanao. He will also be assisting the MSU-IIT College of Engineering and Technology in mentoring graduate and senior undergraduate students on research and development of Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Sustainable Development.

Dr. Alorro is currently a university lecturer at the Western Australian School of Mines in Curtin University, West Australia.

The Balik Scientist Program (BSP) is a brain-gain initiative of the Department of Science and Technology to encourage Filipino scientists, technologists, and experts in other countries to return to the Philippines and share their expertise to accelerate scientific, agro-industrial, economic, and human resources development in the country. For more info, visit www.bsp.dost.gov.ph.

17 JANUARY 2019 -- To kick off the 2019 UP NIGS (National Institute of Geological Sciences) Lecture Series, Balik Scientist Dr. Daniel Ibarra of Stanford University gave a talk entitled, "The Influence of Erosion, Lithology, and Plants on Weathering."

Dr. Ibarra is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Geological Sciences in Stanford University. He is hosted by UP NIGS and is currently a part of the Balik Scientist Program (BSP) of DOST.

The Balik Scientist Program (BSP) is a brain-gain initiative to encourage Filipino scientists, technologists, and experts in other countries to return to the Philippines and share their expertise to accelerate scientific, agro-industrial, economic, and human resources development in the country. For more info, visit www.bsp.dost.gov.ph.