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Sa pagpasok ng University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) sa isang panahong hinihimok ng guidance at innovation, isa sa mga pangunahing molecular biologist sa bansa ang mamumuno ngayon upang patnubayan ang Kolehiyo tungo sa kahusayan.

“Mentorship is the heartbeat of academic excellence,” sabi ni Dr. Cynthia P. Saloma ng UPD-CS National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB), na kamakailan lamang ay na-affirm bilang bagong Dekano ng Kolehiyo noong Oktubre 20. “It is through your guidance that our students will develop the vision and the resilience to tackle the unknown.”

Sa kanyang affirmation address, binigyang-diin ni Dr. Saloma na higit pa sa supervision,dapat ding tumanggap ang mga mag-aaral ng UPD-CS ng transformative mentorship mula sa mga guro. Sa kanyang termino, nakatuon siya sa patuloy na pagsuporta ng Kolehiyo sa mga guro nito bilang mga mentor sa pamamagitan ng paglinang ng isang environment kung saan ang mga mag-aaral ay sinusuportahan, empowered, at pinaghahanda upang maging susunod na mga pinuno.

“The Philippines faces complex challenges and opportunities, all of which demand a robust pipeline of homegrown, world-class experts,” dagdag ni Dr. Saloma, na binibigyang-diin na ang pamumuhunan sa pag-unlad ng mga mag-aaral ay isa ring pamumuhunan sa kakayahan ng bansa na mamuno, makipagkumpetensya, at mag-innovate sa pandaigdigang antas.

Binigyang-diin din ng bagong Dekano ang pangako ng Kolehiyo na gamitin ang makabagong pananaliksik at kolaborasyon upang harapin ang mga hamon na kinakaharap ng Pilipinas—mula sa pagbabago ng klima at seguridad sa pagkain hanggang sa kalusugan ng mundo.

Pagpapanatili ng kahusayan sa pananaliksik

Upang matupad ang mga pangako ng Kolehiyo, binanggit ni Dr. Saloma na dapat munang tugunan ang isang pangunahing isyu—sustainable support. Pinaalalahanan niya ang komunidad ng UPD-CS kung paano makakagawa ng pagbabago ang pagpopondo sa pagsulong ng mga scientific project:

“No matter how brilliant an idea is, without a well-equipped lab, it remains a pipe dream—a project deferred. A promising student or researcher without adequate funding is potential left untapped,” diin ni Dr. Saloma “We are thankful for the grants we receive for certain projects, but we face a critical gap in the foundational funding that keeps our lights on, our equipment running, and our facilities safe and modern. This is the lifeblood of our daily operations.”

Nangako siya na unang tututukan ng kanyang deanship ang pagbuo ng mga partnership sa iba’t ibang sektor—mula sa administrasyon ng UP at alumni ng UPD-CS hanggang sa mga kasama sa industriya, at mga ahensya mula sa pribado at gobyerno. “It is investing in the very infrastructure of innovation and mentorship in our country,” dagdag niya.

Si Dr. Saloma ay ang ika-walong Dekano ng UPD-CS. Isa siya sa mga founding member ng Philippine Genome Center at nagsilbi bilang Executive Director nito mula 2018 hanggang 2023. Nagsilbi rin siyang Director ng NIMBB mula 2012 hanggang 2018. Si Dr. Saloma ay ang Principal Investigator sa Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology (LMCB) ng NIMBB, na nakatuon sa gene function in development.

Si Dean Saloma ay susuportahan ng College Executive Board na binubuo nina Dr. Manuel Joseph C. Loquias (Academic Affairs), Dr. Betchaida D. Payot (Research and Extension), Dr. Allan Christopher C. Yago (Facilities and Resources), Dr. Leilani G. Sumabat-Dacones (Student and Public Affairs), Dr. Marie Christine M. Obusan (College Secretary), at Dr. Rheadel G. Fulgencio (Assistant College Secretary), kasama ang mga program at center director tulad nina Dr. Bantang (Computational Science Research Center), Dr. Lerrie Ann D.G. Ipulan-Colet (Science and Society Program), Dr. Marienette M. Vega (Material Science and Engineering Program), Dr. Rachelle R. Sambayan (Data Science Program), Dr. William Patrick C. Buhian (NSTP Coordinator), at Dr. Wilfred John E. Santiañez (Graduate Program Coordinator).

As the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) enters a new era driven by guidance and innovation, one of the country’s leading molecular biologists now takes the helm to steer the college towards excellence.

“Mentorship is the heartbeat of academic excellence,” said Dr. Cynthia P. Saloma of the UPD-CS National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB), who was recently affirmed as the new Dean of the College last October 20. “It is through your guidance that our students will develop the vision and the resilience to tackle the unknown.”

In her affirmation address, Dr. Saloma emphasized that beyond supervision, students of UPD-CS should also receive transformative mentorship from the faculty. During her term, she committed to ensuring that the College continues to support its faculty as mentors by cultivating an environment where students are supported, empowered, and equipped to become future leaders.

“The Philippines faces complex challenges and opportunities, all of which demand a robust pipeline of homegrown, world-class experts,” Dr. Saloma added, highlighting that investing in students’ development is also an investment in the country’s capacity to lead, compete, and innovate at a global level.

The new dean also highlighted the College’s commitment to harness innovative research and collaboration to tackle head-on the challenges the Philippines faces—from climate change and food security to global health.

Sustaining research excellence

To make the College’s commitments possible, Dr. Saloma noted that a fundamental issue must be addressed—sustainable support. She reminded the UPD-CS community of how funding can make a difference in advancing scientific projects:

“No matter how brilliant an idea is, without a well-equipped lab, it remains a pipe dream—a project deferred. A promising student or researcher without adequate funding is potential left untapped,” underscored Dr. Saloma “We are thankful for the grants we receive for certain projects, but we face a critical gap in the foundational funding that keeps our lights on, our equipment running, and our facilities safe and modern. This is the lifeblood of our daily operations.”

She pledged that a key focus of her deanship will be to build partnerships with various sectors—from the UP administration and UPD-CS alumni to industry partners, and both private and government agencies. “It is investing in the very infrastructure of innovation and mentorship in our country,” she added.

Dr. Saloma is the 8th Dean of UPD-CS. She is one of the founding members of the Philippine Genome Center and served as its Executive Director from 2018 to 2023. She also served as Director of NIMBB from 2012 to 2018. Dr. Saloma is the Principal Investigator at the Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology (LMCB) of NIMBB, which focuses on gene function in development.

Dean Saloma will be supported by the College Executive Board composed of Dr. Manuel Joseph C. Loquias (Academic Affairs), Dr. Betchaida D. Payot (Research and Extension), Dr. Allan Christopher C. Yago (Facilities and Resources), Dr. Leilani G. Sumabat-Dacones (Student and Public Affairs), and Dr. Marie Christine M. Obusan (College Secretary), along with program and center directors Dr. Johnrob Y. Bantang (Computational Science Research Center), Dr. Lerrie Ann D.G. Ipulan-Colet (Science and Society Program), Dr. Marienette M. Vega (Material Science and Engineering Program), Dr. Rachelle R. Sambayan (Data Science Program), Dr. William Patrick C. Buhian (NSTP Coordinator), Dr. Wilfred John E. Santiañez (Graduate Program Coordinator), and Dr. Rheadel G. Fulgencio (Assistant College Secretary).

Pinag-aralan nila Jared Joshua Operaña ng Materials Science and Engineering Program (MSEP), kasama sina Dr. Niña Zambale Simon at Dr. Nathaniel Hermosa ng National Institute of Physics (NIP), kung paano nakita ang GH shift sa low-loss dielectric materials gaya ng silicon at gallium arsenide. Ipinakita ng kanilang pananaliksik na ang “elusive na light shift” na ito ay pwedeng maging mas malaki, at ang paglaki ay nakadepende sa mga katangian ng materyal na gamit, bagay na ikinasorpresa nila.

Kauna-unahang Pagsukat

“Hanggang ngayon, ang GH shifts ay kadalasang nasusukat lamang sa mga metal o kakaibang layered structures, at ito ay dahil mas malaki ang GH shifts sa mga materyales na iyon kaya’t madali itong makita,” paliwanag ni Operaña sa isang panayam. “Ngunit matagal nang ipinapahiwatig ng mga teoretikal na pag-aaral na kahit ang mga ordinaryo at uncoated dielectric na halos hindi nag-aabsorb ng liwanag ay kayang makapagtala ng di-karaniwang malalaking GH shifts.”

Mahirap sukatin ang mga malalaking GH shifts na ito gamit ang mga tradisyonal na instrumento dahil nagaganap lamang ang mga ito sa napakakitid na saklaw ng mga anggulo. Ngunit ang grupo nila Operaña ang kauna-unahang nakapagpatunay ng mga prediksyong ito sa pamamagitan ng aktuwal na eksperimento—isang mahalagang hakbang na nagpapakita na kahit ang mga karaniwang materyales ay maaaring magkaroon ng makahulugang GH shifts. “Ipinakita namin na ang silicon, na mas mababa ang “light absorption” kaysa gallium arsenide, ay nakapagtala ng GH shift na hanggang 100 beses ng wavelength ng laser beam,” dagdag pa niya.

Sa kanilang pananaliksik, nasukat lang nila ang GH shifts sa 543 at 633 nanometers, ngunit plano nilang palawakin pa ito upang isama ang mas maraming pang laser wavelengths, at  posibleng maski ang mga wavelength na labas sa visible region ng spektrum. Possible ring baguhin ng ibang mananaliksik ang mga katangian ng mga materyales na kanilang gagamitin, depende sa layunin ng kanilang pag-aaral.

Patungo sa Praktikal na Aplikasyon at iba pa

Ang pagtuklas sa pagiging sensitibo ng GH shifts sa maliit na pagkakaiba ng “light absorption properties” ng materyales ay pwedeng gamitin na pamamaraan para gumawa ng mga praktikal na instrument para sa pananaliksik at industriya. “Sa industriya, maaaring makabuo ng maliliit na instrumento batay sa GH-shift detection para sa quality control ng mga semiconductor, photonics, at advanced coatings, kung saan napakahalaga ng eksakto at tiyak na kontrol sa mga katangian ng materyales,” paliwanag ni Operaña.

Sa larangan naman ng akademikong pananaliksik, pwede itong gamitin na bago at napakasensitibong paraan ng pag-aaral kung paano nakikipag-ugnayan ang mga materyales sa liwanag, bagay na magbubukas ng daan sa mas malalim na pag-unawa at mga bagong aplikasyon.

Ang kanilang pag-aaral ay sinuportahan ng Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) at ng Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development (OVCRD) ng University of the Philippines.

References:

Operaña, J. J., Zambale Simon, N., & Hermosa, N. (2025). Observation of the spatial goos–hänchen shift due to low-loss dielectrics. Optics Letters, 50(11), 3533. https://doi.org/10.1364/ol.550141

Jared Joshua Operaña of the UPD-CS Materials Science and Engineering Program (MSEP), together with Drs. Niña Zambale Simon and Nathaniel Hermosa of the UPD-CS National Institute of Physics (NIP), studied how the GH shift is evident in low-loss dielectric materials such as silicon and gallium arsenide. The findings of their research show that this elusive light shift can become surprisingly large, revealing that the size of the GH shift changes depending on the material’s properties.

A First-of-its-kind Measurement

“Until now, GH shifts were mostly observed in metals or exotic layered structures, because these are the materials where GH shifts are relatively larger and thus are easily observed,” Operaña said in an interview. “But theoretical studies have long suggested that even ordinary, uncoated dielectrics with very little light absorption should produce unusually large GH shifts.”

These large GH shifts are difficult to measure with traditional tools, as they occur only within an extremely narrow range of angles. Operaña’s team is the first to experimentally confirm these predictions in materials that barely absorb light, marking an important step in showing that widely available materials can exhibit significant GH shifts. “We showed that silicon, which absorbs less light than gallium arsenide, produces a shift up to 100 times the wavelength of the laser beam,” he added.

In their research, the team measured GH shifts at just 543 and 633 nanometers, but they plan to expand their method to include more laser wavelengths, possibly even those outside the visible region. Other researchers may also modify the properties of the materials they will use, depending on the goals of their studies.

Toward Real-Life Use and Beyond

Discovering the sensitivity of GH shifts to subtle differences in the material’s light absorption gives their method the potential to evolve into a practical tool for both research and industry. “In the commercial setting, compact instruments based on GH-shift detection could be developed for quality control in semiconductors, photonics, and advanced coatings, where precise control of material properties is critical,” explained Operaña.

In academic research, their method provides a new and highly sensitive approach to studying how materials interact with light, paving the way to deeper understanding and new applications.

Their study is funded by the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for

Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) and the University of the Philippines Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development (OVCRD).

References:

Operaña, J. J., Zambale Simon, N., & Hermosa, N. (2025). Observation of the spatial goos–hänchen shift due to low-loss dielectrics. Optics Letters, 50(11), 3533. https://doi.org/10.1364/ol.550141

Organized annually by the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) in collaboration with the National Science Consortium, this year’s conference was hosted and chaired by the Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), with Central Luzon State University (CLSU) serving as co-chair.

With the theme “Advancing Climate Action and Environmental Stewardship for the Well-being of Every Filipino,” the conference provided a platform for scholars to present their thesis or dissertation outputs to fellow scholars and academics. Furthermore, it aimed to promote research collaboration opportunities and the exchange of knowledge and experiences on the latest trends and developments in science and technology.

Attending the prestigious two-day conference were 200 scholars, scientists, and project leaders from across the country. Among these were 21 scholars from UPD who were slated to showcase their research outputs across the five presentation categories. The university’s delegation was led by Dr. Cynthia Saloma, the ASTHRDP project leader and Dean of UPD-CS.

Kilala ang buhay at karera ng mga Ilustradong Pilipino sa Madrid nitong huling dalawang dekada ng ika-19 na siglo. Ang mga katulad nina Dr José Rizal, Heneral Antonio Luna, Juan Luna, at Marcelo H. del Pilar ay pamilyar sa maraming Pilipino. Taliwas nito, di gaanong tanyag ang karera ni Dr. Francisco Tongio Liongson. Tulad ni Heneral Luna, nagsanay si Liongson bilang isang siyentista sa Universidad Central de Madrid, kung saan nakuha niya ang kanyang doktorado, at nagpatuloy ng postdoctoral training sa Institut Pasteur sa Paris. Tulad ng maraming siyentistang Pilipinong nag-aral sa ibayong dagat, bumalik siya sa layuning magtatag sana ng mga laboratoryo at magturo ng mga medical student, kung hindi lang nangyari ang rebolusyon at nakamit ang kasarinlan ng Pilipinas.

Si Dr. Francisco Tongio Liongson ay isa sa mga siyentista na, matapos ang pag-aaral ng doktorado, ay sumapi sa Katipunan at nakipaglaban sa Rebolusyon. Ang mga siyentista mula sa UP Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS)—Dr. Benjamin M. Vallejo Jr. ng Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, at mga kapwa may-akda na sina Dr. Rodrigo Angelo C. Ong at Raymundo Pascual Addun—ay naglathala kamakailan ng isang papel tungkol sa karera ni Dr. Liongson.

Nirebyu ng kanilang papel, na batay sa doctoral thesis at clinical notes ni Liongson, kung paano na-conceptualize ni Liongson ang kanyang pag-unawa sa immunology—na isang umuusbong na larangan noong unang bahagi ng 1890s. Gamit ang primary scientific research material na sinagguni ni Liongson—gaya ng mga pag-aaral nina Metchnikoff, Toussaint, von Behring, Pasteur, Roux, at Héricourt—nailarawan ng mga mananaliksik ang pag-usad ng medical at clinical theories ni Dr. Liongson, lalo na sa pagbuo ng bakuna laban sa anthrax.

Nakagawa si Dr Liongson ng mga haka-haka at konklusyon na na-anticipate ang marami sa advances sa immunology noong ika-20 siglo, tulad ng humoral theory. Sa pamamagitan ng pananaliksik, mariin niyang itinaguyod ang pagbabakuna bilang isang paraan upang labanan ang mga nakakahawang sakit at iligtas ang milyun-milyong buhay. Sa unang 15 taon ng ika-20 siglo, 18 milyong Pilipino ang nabakunahan. Bilang resulta, bumaba ang mga namatay mula sa mga sakit na kayang puksain ng bakuna—mula 40,000 noong 1902 hanggang 823 na lamang noong 1913.

Si Dr. Liongson ay nagsilbi bilang military doctor ni Heneral Luna noong Rebolusyon. Pagkatapos na mapasailalim ang buong Pilipinas sa mga Amerikano noong 1902, siya ay naging doktor ng probinsiya ng Pampanga; kalaunan ay pumasok siya sa pulitika at nahalal bilang Senador ng Pampanga noong 1916, kung saan nag-akda siya ng mga panukalang batas ukol sa public health at vaccination. Namatay siya noong 1919 sa edad na 49 dahil sa anthrax—na sa kabalintunaan ay naging paksa ng kanyang doctoral thesis. Ang kontribusyon ni Liongson sa immunology ay humantong sa unang matagumpay na clinical trial ng isang anthrax vaccine noong 1935.

Ang papel nina Vallejo, Ong, at Addun, na pinamagatang “A Filipino Doctor at the Birth of Immunology and National Revolution: The Career of Francisco Tongio Liongson, MD,” ay inilathala sa Journal of Research in the History of Medicine ng Shiraz University of Medical Sciences sa Iran.

References:
Vallejo Jr., B., Ong, R.A.C., Addun, R.P., 2025. A Filipino Doctor at the Birth of Immunology and National Revolution: The Career of Francisco Tongio Liongson, MD. Res Hist Med, 14(3), pp. 239-252. doi: 10.30476/ rhm.2024.103717.1239.

The lives and careers of the Filipino Ilustrados in Madrid in the last two decades of the 19th century are well known. Figures such as Dr José Rizal, General Antonio Luna, Juan Luna, and Marcelo H. del Pilar are familiar to many Filipinos. However, the career of Dr. Francisco Tongio Liongson is less so. Like General Luna, Liongson trained as a scientist at the Universidad Central de Madrid, where he earned his doctorate, and pursued postdoctoral training at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. As with many Filipino scientists who studied overseas, he returned home with the intention of establishing laboratories and teaching future medical students, had the revolution not occurred and Philippine independence been secured.

Dr. Francisco Tongio Liongson was one such scientist who, after completing his doctoral studies, joined the Katipunan and fought in the Philippine Revolution. Scientists from the UP Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS)—Dr. Benjamin M. Vallejo Jr. of the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, and co-authors Dr. Rodrigo Angelo C. Ong and Raymundo Pascual Addun—recently published a paper on the career of Dr. Liongson.

Their paper, which was based on Liongson’s doctoral thesis and clinical notes, reviewed how Liongson conceptualized his understanding of immunology—which was an emerging field in the early 1890s. Using the primary scientific research material which Liongson consulted—such as those of Metchnikoff, Toussaint, von Behring, Pasteur, Roux, and Héricourt—the researchers were able to describe the development of Dr. Liongson’s medical and clinical theories, particularly in developing an anthrax vaccine.

Dr Liongson came out with hypotheses and conclusions that anticipated many of immunology’s major advances in the 20th century, such as the humoral theory. Through his scientific work, he strongly advocated vaccination as a means to combat infectious diseases and save millions of lives. In the first 15 years of the 20th century, 18 million Filipinos were vaccinated. As a result, deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases dropped—from 40,000 in 1902 to just 823 by 1913.

Dr. Liongson served as General Luna’s military doctor during the Philippine Revolution. After the American occupation in 1902, he became the provincial doctor of Pampanga, later entering politics and being elected as Senator of Pampanga in 1916, where he authored bills on public health and vaccination. He died in 1919 at the age of 49 due to anthrax—which ironically, was the subject of his doctoral vaccine research. Liongson’s contribution to immunology led to the first successful clinical trial of an anthrax vaccine in 1935.

The paper by Vallejo, Ong, and Addun, titled “A Filipino Doctor at the Birth of Immunology and National Revolution: The Career of Francisco Tongio Liongson, MD,” was published in the Journal of Research in the History of Medicine of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran.

References:
Vallejo Jr., B., Ong, R.A.C., Addun, R.P., 2025. A Filipino Doctor at the Birth of Immunology and National Revolution: The Career of Francisco Tongio Liongson, MD. Res Hist Med, 14(3), pp. 239-252. doi: 10.30476/ rhm.2024.103717.1239.

Sina Meyrick U. Tablizo at Dr. Allan Gil S. Fernando ng UPD-CS National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS), at si Dr. Gerrit D. van den Bergh mula sa University of Wollongong ay naniniwala na ang natuklasang Stegodon ay malamang isang “teenager” pa lamang, at posibleng bahagya lang na mas matangkad kaysa sa karaniwang Pilipino. Tinatantya nila na ang isang ganap na nasa hustong gulang na Stegodon mula sa populasyong ito ay maaaring bahagyang mas maliit sa karaniwang nabubuhay na Asian na elepante.

 “Ang mga katangian nito ay kapareho ng mga Stegodon na mula sa mga isla ng Indonesia tulad ng Sangihe, Sulawesi, at Flores,” ayon kay Tablizo. “Ibig sabihin nito, mahusay na manlalangoy ang mga sinaunang elepanteng ito, at may kakayahang tumawid ng dagat at mag-island-hop, dahil wala namang mga tulay-lupa na nagdurugtong sa mga islang ito.”

Pambihira ang pagkakatuklas ng bungo ng Stegodon. Karaniwang mas mahirap matagpuan ang mga fossil ng malalaking hayop kaysa sa maliliit, at kadalasan, bahagi na lang nga mga matitibay na buto tulad ng ngipin at tusk ang natatagpuan kaysa marurupok na bungo. “Ang mga bungo ay malaki, malukong, at madaling mabasag bago o habang nagiging fossil, kaya bihirang-bihira ang mga ito na manatiling buo sa loob ng libo hanggang milyong taon,” paliwanag ni Tablizo. “Kaya karamihan ng mga fossil ng Stegodon mula sa Pilipinas ay mga hiwalay na ngipin o piraso ng tusk, at paminsan-minsan ay mga bone fragments.”

Ang natuklasang bungo ng Stegodon ay natatangi—bagama’t durog at deformed, nakapreserba ang kumpletong ngipin at dalawang maliit na tusk. Ayon kay Tablizo, may mga lumang ulat ng mga bungo ng Stegodon sa Luzon, ngunit wala ni isa ang maayos na pinag-aralan o itinago sa mga museo. Kaya’t ang tuklas na ito ay ang kauna-unahang pormal na paglalarawan ng bungo ng Stegodon mula sa Pilipinas.

Ang pagtuklas na ito ay nagbibigay sa atin ng mas malinaw na larawan ng sinaunang wildlife sa Pilipinas. “Matagal na nating alam na may Stegodon dito, mula pa noong huling bahagi ng 1800s, pero hanggang ngayon, mga ngipin at piraso lang ng tusk ang napapag-aralan,” dagdag ni Tablizo. “Mas marami tayong natutunan mula sa isang bungo dahil nakatutulong ito upang matukoy kung aling mga populasyon ng Stegodon ang kauri nito at kung paano ito nakarating sa mga isla ng Pilipinas.”

Minumungkahi ng kanilang pagsusuri na maaaring hindi bababa sa tatlong iba’t ibang anyo ng Stegodon sa Luzon: isang malaki ang katawan, isang mas maliit o “dwarfed” na uri, at ang bagong intermediate form. Nagpapakita ito na mas komplikado at mayaman ang kasaysayan ng mga sinaunang elepanteng ito sa Pilipinas kaysa sa dating inaakala.

Binigyang-diin ni Tablizo na bukod sa mismong fossil, mahalaga rin ang konteksto nito—kung saan ito natagpuan, saang layer ng lupa ito nanggaling, at kung anong iba pang labi ang nasa paligid. Dahil kakaunti lang ang mga paleontologist sa bansa, napakahalaga ng mga pagkakataong makatuklas ng mga fossil ang mga lokal. “Kung sakaling makatagpo ng fossil, ang pinakamainam na gawin ay makipag-ugnayan sa Nannoworks Laboratory, Paleontological Society of the Philippines, o National Museum of the Philippines. Sa ganitong paraan, masisiguro na ito’y maayos na mapreserba at mapag-aralan, at maaari pa maging mahalagang susi sa pag-unawa ng ating likas na kasaysayan,” pagtatapos niya.Ang kanilang pananaliksik na pinamagatang “Island-hopping across the Wallace Line: A new Pleistocene Stegodon fossil skull from Luzon (Philippines) reveals dispersal links to Wallacea” ay nailathala sa Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, isang journal na nagtatampok ng dekalidad na pag-aaral sa larangan ng palaeoenvironmental geoscience.

References:
Tablizo, M. U., Van den Bergh, G. D., & Fernando, A. G. (2025). Island-hopping across the Wallace Line: A new Pleistocene stegodon fossil skull from Luzon (Philippines) reveals dispersal links to Wallacea. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 677, 113186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113186

Meyrick U. Tablizo and Dr. Allan Gil S. Fernando of the UPD-CS National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS), and Dr. Gerrit D. van den Bergh from the University of Wollongong have recently published a study describing the million-year-old Stegodon skull.

The paleontologists believe that the Stegodon was likely a “teenager”, possibly slightly taller than the average Filipino. A fully grown Stegodon from this population may have been slightly smaller than the living Asian elephant. “Its features match those of Stegodon from Indonesian islands like Sangihe, Sulawesi, and Flores,” shared Tablizo. “This means that these ancient elephants were strong swimmers, able to cross open seas and island-hop, as there were no land bridges connecting these islands.”

Finding a Stegodon skull is extremely rare. Large animal fossils are generally much harder to find than small ones, and among these, sturdy parts like teeth and tusks survive far more often than fragile skulls. “Skulls are large, hollow, and easily broken before or during fossilization, so they almost never make it through thousands to millions of years intact,” he explained. “That’s why most Stegodon fossils from the Philippines are just isolated teeth or tusk fragments, with occasional bone fragments.”

The uncovered Stegodon skull is one of a kind—despite being crushed and deformed, it still preserves a complete tooth and two small tusks. Tablizo said that while there were old reports of Stegodon skulls in Luzon, none were ever properly studied or kept in museums, making this find not only rare but also the first formally described Stegodon skull from the Philippines.

This discovery gives us a clearer picture of the ancient wildlife of the Philippines. “We’ve known about Stegodon being here since the late 1800s, but until now, only teeth and tusk fragments had been studied sparsely,” added Tablizo. “A skull is much more informative because it helps us determine which other Stegodon populations this animal was related to and how it might have reached the Philippine islands.”

Their findings suggest that Luzon may have hosted at least three different forms of Stegodon: a large-bodied type, a smaller “dwarfed” type, and the new intermediate form—indicating that the Philippines had a richer and more complex history of these ancient elephants than previously thought.

Tablizo emphasized that apart from the fossil itself, its context—where it was found, what layer it came from, and what other remains were nearby—is just as important. With few paleontologists in the country, chance discoveries by locals are especially valuable. “If someone happens to encounter a fossil, the best step is to contact the Nannoworks Laboratory, the Paleontological Society of the Philippines, or the National Museum of the Philippines. This ensures the find is properly studied and preserved, and it might even become a key piece in understanding our natural history,” he concluded.

Their research paper, titled “Island-hopping across the Wallace Line: A new Pleistocene Stegodon fossil skull from Luzon (Philippines) reveals dispersal links to Wallacea,” was published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, a journal that features high-quality studies in the field of palaeoenvironmental geoscience.

References:
Tablizo, M. U., Van den Bergh, G. D., & Fernando, A. G. (2025). Island-hopping across the Wallace Line: A new Pleistocene stegodon fossil skull from Luzon (Philippines) reveals dispersal links to Wallacea. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 677, 113186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113186