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Dr. Jose Maria L. Escaner IV, also known as Dr. Joma of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science’s Institute of Mathematics (UPD-CS IM), sadly entered into eternal rest at the beginning of February 2025. His warmth and kindness will be deeply remembered by his students, colleagues, and the rest of the UP Diliman community whom he truly inspired.

Unwavering Dedication to Mathematics

Dr. Joma’s passion for mathematics was particularly focused on mathematical finance and actuarial science. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1990, his Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics with a specialization in Actuarial Science in 1993, and his Doctorate in Mathematics in 2001, all at UPD-CS IM. He was also a research student for two years at Waseda University in the late 1990s, where he conducted part of his PhD research. At the time of his passing, Dr. Joma served as the Academic Head of UPD-CS IM’s Mathematical Finance and Actuarial Science (MFAS) Group and was the President of the Mathematical Society of the Philippines, after having served the organization as Treasurer for two years.

Committed to Honor and Excellence

Dr. Joma translated his fervor for mathematics into a commitment to serving the people by guiding his undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD students through their academic journeys for more than three decades of teaching. His steadfast commitment to teaching was recognized by the University, which granted him the UP Diliman Gawad Tsanselor para sa Natatanging Guro Award in 2021. Dr. Joma was also the former president of the UP Diliman Mathematics Foundation and served as UPD-CS’ former College Secretary and Associate Dean for Student Affairs. He was a regular member of the DOST National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), contributing to the understanding of mathematical models in finance and insurance.

Anecdotes about Dr. Joma

Dr. Joma’s colleagues at UPD-CS IM fondly recalled their memories with him. “Even in his last moments, he was dedicated and committed to his work, and was willing to help others who needed him,” said Dr. Lu Kevin Ong, a member of the MFAS Group, as he shared how Dr. Joma did not hesitate to help him construct comprehensive exams the day before he passed away. Dr. Joma was also his professor when he was an undergraduate. “His way of teaching inspired me to study this subject further and I asked him to be my undergraduate thesis adviser,” Dr. Ong added.

Dr. Jose Ernie Lope, Director of UPD-CS IM, also recounted how Dr. Joma was persistent in teaching even though he was sick. “Despite showing signs of illness, despite our suggestions that he file for sick leave, he insisted on reporting back to active duty,” said Dr. Lope. “He said that he felt more energized when he was teaching. And indeed, he was teaching until the week before he got hospitalized.”

“In our last conversation at the IMath faculty lounge, we caught up and he congratulated me about my successful special problem final defense and wished me well in my PhD studies,” shared Joseph Angelo Samonte, one of Dr. Joma’s undergraduate students who eventually became his thesis advisee and colleague at the MFAS Group. Samonte reminisced about Dr. Joma’s unwavering support for his endeavors beyond mathematics. “I even promised him that he will get a printed copy of my special problem. Oh, speaking of which, I haven’t returned his risk theory actuarial book.”

It is indeed unfortunate that we lost a remarkable individual who made a lasting impact in the UPD-CS IM community, but his legacy will still live on in the hearts of the students, colleagues, and loved ones whose lives he touched. You will be dearly missed, Dr. Joma.

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Some of the information was taken from Dr. Jose Wendell Capili’s post: https://www.facebook.com/wendellcapili/posts/pfbid0vrhTumHBjR5S5npQGr2wQbckg6tJFNp96NmcTiocBiF619NYoJQ2Hi5NADtN1xKLl

Institutions around the globe are working toward creating scientific innovations to address the challenges faced by humanity. Likewise, Filipino scientists are striving to find solutions to the Philippines’ concerns.

The University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) Innovation Committee, under the Science and Society Program (SSP), held an Objectives, Goals, Strategies, and Measures (OGSM) Workshop last year to spark a discussion on innovation.

The OGSM workshop aims to help Innovation Committee members and designated individuals from the College of Science, who hold explicit or delegated responsibilities for decisions related to innovative projects within their respective institutes, better propel researchers toward innovation, connect them with industry partners, and develop a system to assist in achieving practical, utilizable outputs from their research.

Invited guests include Innovation Committee representatives and Deputy Directors for Research and Extension from each institute. Individuals who have experience in, or plans for, technology transfer within the College were also invited to join.

During the workshop, SSP Director Dr. Lerrie Ann Ipulan-Colet introduced SSP’s CAPE Innovation Program for 2023-2025, which stands for Collate and Categorize theses, dissertations, and research publications, Build Awareness, Prepare researchers and students to develop products from their research, and Exposure and Immersion of the College of Science to Innovation Opportunities. The CAPE Innovation Program serves as the UPD-CS’ initiative to promote scientific advancement for nation-building by encouraging its constituents to pursue research, collaborate with institutions, and protect their research outputs.

Innovation Committee Consultant Engr. Rolando Lazo facilitated the workshop proper, covering several key topics such as the rationale, statistical insights, and a summary of the pre-workshop meeting held on October 14. Engr. Lazo also helped gauge the participants’ understanding and concerns regarding the current direction of UPD-CS’ innovation efforts.

Serving as the final session of the workshop, participants were divided into small groups to share innovation strategies they had encountered, highlighting both effective and challenging experiences, as well as the resources and actions needed to ensure success moving forward.

“The workshop provided in-depth discussion on the experiences of people who have gone through the innovation process,” one attendee said. Another participant expressed their hope that “the fruits of the meeting will be materialized properly into the Innovation Committee.”

The second day of the workshop will be held this year, wherein the participants will dive into the concept of societal impact, exploring its definition and relevance to their innovation initiatives. The workshop will also include a value proposition exercise designed to refine the participants’ understanding of their innovative research.

Dr. John Dale Dianala from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science’s National Institute of Geological Sciences (UPD-CS NIGS) presented his research on the earthquake potential of faults using satellites at the recently concluded Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2025.

Organized by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore, GYSS brings together Nobel laureates and top scientists from around the world to discuss how scientific research and innovation can address emerging global issues.

Out of 16 young scientists invited to present their research on life sciences, biomedicine, physical sciences, and engineering, Dr. Dianala represented UPD-CS NIGS, making UP the only Southeast Asian university featured on stage. “The GYSS allowed me to see our place in the international science scene,” he said of his GYSS experience.

Dr. Dianala is one of 10 Filipino scientists who attended the summit after being nominated by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). “Compared to scientists from fields such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, biomedicine, and engineering, only a handful of geoscientists were present at the summit; I looked for them and I counted five,” he added.

His research utilizes satellite data and technologies such as Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to monitor fault lines, providing a cost-effective solution for areas lacking ground-based data. Dr. Dianala processed InSAR data over Leyte Island to produce a slip model, which is considered one of the most detailed for a fault in the Philippines. His study demonstrated that detailed fault models based on satellite data enables researchers to identify areas of stress accumulation, potential earthquake activity, and patterns in earthquake occurrences, which can be used in developing preparedness plans.

In his presentation, Dr. Dianala also emphasized the value of these techniques for research on fault lines in urbanizing regions around Metro Manila and in other parts of the world, where risk will only increase as population grows. He encouraged collaboration and innovation in earthquake research, especially in less-resourced regions, to enhance global understanding of seismic risks.

Algal blooms, which occur when algae overgrow in bodies of water, can not only turn the water green but also kill fish and contaminate the water supply of nearby communities. Laguna Lake, one of Metro Manila’s major sources of bangus and tilapia, as well as drinking water, is particularly prone to algal blooms, especially during El Niño.

A standard method for monitoring the algal population in water is to measure chlorophyll-a, the green pigment produced by algae. However, “If we wait for [the instruments] to indicate high algal content, it may already be too late since the bloom may have already occurred,” explains author Dr. Karl Ezra Pilario of the UPD Department of Chemical Engineering.

A more effective approach would be to monitor nitrate and phosphate concentrations in the water, as changes in these concentrations are often linked to increases in chlorophyll-a. Advanced tools such as machine learning (ML) models can be used to establish these complex relationships from data.

Since 1973, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) has routinely monitored the lake’s water quality through remote sensing and monthly assessments. More recently, LLDA’s monitoring programs have employed mathematical tools and ML models. However, various models are currently available, and it is unclear which model suits Laguna Lake best.

Researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) recently published a study comparing the robustness and accuracy of eight common ML models for predicting algal blooms. Along with Dr. Pilario, Dr. Maria Pythias Espino of the UP Diliman College of Science Institute of Chemistry (UPD-CS IC), and Dr. Aurelio de los Reyes V and Eric Jan Escober of the UPD-CS Institute of Mathematics (IM) used water quality data from Laguna Lake and historical data from global lakes to train these models.

Of the eight, they discovered that two models called the Kernel Ridge Regression (KRR) and Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), performed better than others. These models both belong to a class called similarity-based models, which “use the philosophy that similar-looking inputs must give similar-looking outputs,” explained Dr. Pilario.

The other models included tree-based models, which function like a decision-making flowchart, and artificial neural nets, a framework inspired by our brains’ neural networks.

Although all models achieved high accuracy, KRR was the most accurate for Laguna Lake, while GPR was the best for global lakes. Moreover, KRR and GPR were more robust than the other models, allowing them to handle noisy data more effectively.

“Now that we have an accurate, robust, and explainable predictor of chlorophyll-a, we can deploy the model for rapid detection of impending algal blooms,” said Dr. Pilario. “We can take a water sample from the lake at any time, bring it to the lab to obtain the current nitrate ion and phosphate ion content, then estimate the chlorophyll-a from these values using KRR or GPR.”

“We recommend monthly monitoring of these values so that if an impending algal bloom is detected, there is ample time to prepare for interventions or mitigation strategies,” added Dr. Pilario.

While KRR and GPR can now be used for algal bloom prediction, the researchers noted that there are still many ways to improve the models. For instance, they are considering additional predictors like weather conditions, land cover types, and other effects caused by humans. Since samples from Laguna Lake were collected in just one season, they also plan to test the models with samples taken at different times of the year.

“Lastly, on the modeling side, we need to test more models that might be more accurate than KRR or GPR,” concluded Dr. Pilario. “In the future, we encourage researchers to test for the robustness and explainability of their machine learning models, and not just for accuracy, because it helps make the results more believable for policy-making.”

At extremely cold temperatures, things become fascinating. Much like how water turns into ice, some matter undergoes phase transitions that give them interesting properties. Just above absolute zero, for example, aluminum transforms into a superconductor, while helium isotopes change from gas to superfluid. A foundational principle, known as the Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM), explains how these materials behave as they cool at different rates.

The KZM has been largely validated for closed systems, or systems confined to the effects of the environment. However, it remains unclear whether the mechanism applies in more realistic scenarios where the environment is at play.

New research by UPD physicists proves that KZM is applicable to a general class of open systems. Moreover, they uncovered subtleties in how phase transitions are studied in laboratories, illuminating possibilities for more precise experiments in condensed matter physics.

“Our work provides a new perspective on how we detect and identify phase transitions in realistic set-ups, in which their interaction with the environment gives us little control over how they will evolve in time,” said Dr. Jayson Cosme and Roy Jara Jr. of the UPD College of Science National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP).

In glassblowing, hot glass is placed in annealers to slow down the cooling process and prevent cracks, while some are briefly dipped in water to create a crackled look. This is similar to materials that follow the KZM: those cooled slowly become homogeneous, while those cooled quickly result in more cracks, or “topological defects.”

In their research, Dr. Cosme and Jara investigated an open system where the cooling rate, or quench speed, is influenced by the environment. “We found that for these systems, the KZM remains valid when the tuning parameter that controls the phase of the system is modified sufficiently slowly,” the researchers said.

However, they observed that KZM breaks down at faster quench speeds. This insight led to a key discovery that a standard laboratory method for detecting phase transitions might not be reliable for open systems undergoing rapid cooling. In the standard method, a threshold is used to infer whether a material has transitioned to a new phase. Dr. Cosme and Jara, however, found that an apparent lag exists between reaching the threshold and the actual phase transition, leading to inconsistencies with the time at which the transition is detected.

“This result is significant as it sheds light on the possible limitations of threshold-based criterion in identifying phase transition when applied to open systems with strong dissipation,” they explained.

As an alternative to threshold-based experiments, they propose using other techniques, such as examining parameters that reach a steady state as the system undergoes phase transition.

While their study applies to a broad class of open systems, they acknowledge that it focuses solely on large systems where quantum effects can be ignored. Since quantum effects may become more relevant for smaller systems, they plan to extend their study to investigate these types as well.

“We also plan to extend our work to driven systems, where the systems can transition from a stationary to a dynamical phase like the newly discovered phase of matter called time crystals,” they concluded.

Excessive groundwater extraction, rapid urbanization, tectonic motion, and the natural compaction of sediments contribute to land subsidence worldwide. This issue is worsened by rising sea levels due to climate change, leading to frequent and severe flooding especially during high tides or typhoons, as well as local contexts of hazard management regulations.

Jolly Joyce Sulapas, Audrei Anne Ybañez, and Dr. Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS), along with Kayla Milcah Marasigan and Julian Marie Bernice Grageda of the UP Resilience Institute Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (UPRI-NOAH) analyzed land subsidence in major Philippine cities from 2014 to 2020.

Their land subsidence analysis showed that Bulacan, which is located in Greater Manila, has the highest sinking rate at 109 millimeters (mm) per year. This was also the first study to examine land subsidence in other cities, with rates of 11 mm per year in Metro Cebu, 38 mm per year in Metro Davao, 9 mm per year in Metro Iloilo, and 29 mm per year in Legazpi City. “The high population density of cities makes the information more relevant to the public, as its impact on people is greater,” Sulapas said. “Cities are also more vulnerable to land subsidence because the subsurface strata, or the rocks beneath the cities, are relatively younger.”

These sinking areas are mostly found in industrial and commercial zones, where large and expansive man-made structures intensify subsidence. Monitoring these areas is crucial, as subsidence increases flood risks, damages buildings and infrastructure, and causes economic losses. This hazard also increases the vulnerability of residents in coastal communities to high tides and storm surges aggravated by climate change.

“It seems like industrial complexes require a lot of water to keep their operations running. The same can be said for residential areas,” Sulapas noted.