National Scientist of the Philippines

Order of National Scientists
Awarded by  Philippines
Type	Order
Awarded for	See Nomination and selection
Status	Currently constituted
Sovereign	President of the Philippines
First induction	1978
Last induction	2014
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of Gabriela Silang
Next (lower)	Gawad Mabini
Same	Order of National Artists, Order of National Social Scientists, Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, Order of Lakandula - Special Class of Champion for Life
Ribbon bar of the order

The rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines (Filipino: Pambansang Alagad ng Agham ng Pilipinas) or the Order of National Scientists is the highest award accorded to Filipino scientists by the Philippine government.

The award was created on December 16, 1976 by President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree Nos. 1003 and 1003-A, which also created the National Academy of Science and Technology. For the purposes of the law, a scientist is defined as “an individual who has earned a doctoral degree in any field of the sciences” and “has demonstrated and earned distinction in independent research or significant innovative achievement in the basic and applied sciences, including agricultural, engineering, and medical sciences, in mathematics and in the social sciences as manifested by published works in recognized scientific and technical journals.” ^[1] It was elevated to the Order of National Scientists in 2003.^[2]

Nomination and selection

It is the task of the National Academy of Science and Technology which is composed of Filipino scientists to recommend not more than 10 scientists annually to the President of the Philippines for conferment of the rank of National Scientist. It is the President of the Philippines who makes the ultimate selection, which is based on "distinguished individual or collaborative achievement in science and technology."^[3]

Benefits

Awardees are conferred the rank and title of “National Scientist”, with an accompanying medallion and citation. They are also given a financial gratuity with the amount determined by the National Academy.^[3] In addition, they are entitled to the same privileges enjoyed by National Artists of the Philippines, which include a monthly life pension, medical and hospitalization benefits, and a place of honor, in line with protocular precedence, at national state functions. They are likewise by law entitled upon death to a state funeral conducted by the National Academy and the Armed Forces of the Philippines,^[4] befitting their recognized status as heroes of the Philippines.^[5]

List of National Scientists

Since 1978, there have been 41 men and women have been designated as National Scientist in the roster where 17 of them are currently living. The most recent conferment was made to honor Angel Alcala, Ramon Barba, Gavino Trono and Edgardo Gomez.^[6] Honorees such as the Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning pediatrician Fé del Mundo, have garnered international recognition as well.

As of July 2014, the National Scientists of the Philippines are:

Year	National Scientist	Field
1978	Juan Salcedo, Jr.†	Nutrition and Public Health
	Alfredo Santos†	Physical Chemistry
	Gregorio Y. Zara†	Engineering and Inventions
1980	Fe Del Mundo†	Pediatrics
	Eduardo Quisumbing†	Plant Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphology
1982	Geminiano de Ocampo†	Ophthalmology
	Casimito del Rosario†	Physics, Astronomy, and Meteorology
	Gregorio Velasquez†	Phycology
1983	Francisco Fronda†	Animal Husbandry
	Francisco Santos†	Human Nutrition and Agricultural Chemistry
	Carmen Velasquez	Parasitology
1985	Teodoro Agoncillo† [lower-alpha 1]	Philippine History
	Encarnacion Alzona†	Philippine History
	Hilario Lara†	Public Health
1986	Julian Banzon†	Chemistry
	Dioscoro L. Umali†	Agriculture and Rural Development
1987	Jose Encarnacion, Jr.†	Economics
	Luz Oliveros-Belardo†	Phytochemistry
1988	Alfredo Lagmay†	Experimental Psychology
1989	Paulo Campos†	Nuclear Medicine
1994	Pedro Escuro†	Genetics and Plant Breeding
	Clara Lim-Sylianco	Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry
1998	Dolores Ramirez	Biochemical Genetics & Cytogenetics
	Jose R. Velasco†	Plant Physiology
1999	Gelia T. Castillo	Rural Sociology
2000	Bienvenido Juliano	Biochemistry
2001	Clare Baltazar	Systematic Entomology
	Benito Vergara	Plant Physiology
2004	Onofre Corpuz†	Political Economics and Government
2005	Ricardo Lantican	Plant Breeding
2006	Lourdes Cruz	Biochemistry
2008	Teodulo Topacio, Jr.	Veterinary Medicine
2010	Mercedes Concepcion	Demography
	Ernesto Domingo	Internal Medicine/ Gastroenterology
	Perla Dizon Santos Ocampo†[7]	Pediatrics
2011	Raul V. Fabella[8]	Economics
	Bienvenido Nebres, S.J.[9]	Mathematics
2014[6]	Angel Alcala	Biological science
	Ramon Barba	Horticulture
	Edgardo Gomez	Marine Biology
	Gavino Trono, Jr.	Marine Biology

Notes:

1. Posthumous award

References

1. Section 2, Pres. Decree No. 1003-A
2. Executive Order No. 236, s. 2003 Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
3. Section 8, Pres. Decree No. 1003-A
4. Section 3, Executive Order No. 131 (26 October 1993)
5. First Whereas Clause, Executive Order No. 131 (26 October 1993)
6. Sabillo, Kristine Angelli (August 12, 2014). "Who are the 4 new National Scientists of PH". Retrieved August 25, 2014.
7. PNoy confers National Scientist Award to Dr. Santos-Ocampo. Abs-cbnnews.com (2010-06-23). Retrieved on 2012-06-30.
8. Aquino names economist ‘national scientist’ | Inquirer News. Newsinfo.inquirer.net (2011-07-27). Retrieved on 2012-06-30.
9. Helen Flores (2011-06-30). Nebres, Fabella named 'national scientists'. Philstar.com. Retrieved on 2012-06-30.

Bibliography

• National Scientists of the Philippines (1978–1998). Pasig City, Philippines: Anvil Publishing, Inc. 2000. ISBN 978-9712709326.

External links

• Government Briefer on the Order of National Scientist