Agam-agam sa Agham: The current and future prospects of science communication in the Philippines

What can be done to improve weather and disaster reporting in the Philippines? How are scientists portrayed in Pinoy movies and pop culture? Where can we find the best examples of science communication for Filipino online viewers? When can we hope to develop a science-appreciative Filipino culture?

Explore the answers to these and other questions at “Agam-agam sa Agham: The current state and future prospects of science communication in the Philippines”. This free public lecture is a joint initiative of the UP Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) and Science Communicators Philippines (SciCommPH). it will be held on June 30 (Friday), 2pm – 5pm at the UPD-CS Auditorium. It will also be streamed live to registered participants.

You can reserve a slot at the event and receive the Zoom login details by registering here: https://bit.ly/SciCommLectureReg

The list of distinguished speakers includes:

Inez Z. Ponce de Leon, PhD, holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in molecular biology and biotechnology from UP, and a PhD in science communication from Purdue University. Her research centers on science and risk communication, and the public understanding of science. She teaches classes in qualitative research, science and risk communication, and belly dance as an associate professor at the Ateneo de Manila University. She is also a public speaker, writer, novelist, and weekly columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Garry Jay S. Montemayor, MA, a faculty member and former Chair of the Department of Science Communication, College of Development Communication, UP Los Baños. He has been teaching for 16 years now, usually handling courses on science communication, communication research, and information and knowledge management. His diverse experience with various local, national, and international organizations includes development work in health, agriculture, and environment. He has authored over 45 scholarly papers and publications, the most recent of which is a chapter in a book about science communication in the Philippines, published by the Australian National University Press. His masters’ thesis is about the portrayal of scientists in Philippine cinema and pop culture.

Kamila Navarro, MSc, the Scientific Writer and Editor of the National University of Singapore’s (NUS’) Synthetic Biology for Clinical & Technological Innovation. Previously, she was Science Editor of award-winning science and technology publication, Asian Scientist Magazine. Kamila also helped pioneer a curriculum for Science and Risk Communication in the Philippines, and published an article and book chapter on the state of Philippine science communication; both works are regularly cited and used by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology in their outreach activities. Currently, Kamila runs the day-to-day operations of Pinoy Scientists, a platform highlighting the unique scientific stories of Filipinos worldwide. She is also a member of the International Science Council’s Panel of Experts for the Public Value of Science programme.

Ingrid Espinosa, MSc, received her degree in Science Communication from Imperial College London under a Chevening scholarship She has worked for over half a decade in public health research, studying public health programs and helping inform policy, and currently works as a Senior Strategic Communications Specialist for the National Institutes of Health and Co-Director for Comms & Events at GradMAP Philippines. She’s interested in science journalism, science and society, and improv theater.

Timothy James M. Dimacali, SM, heads the Science Communications Team at the UP Diliman College of Science and is Vice President for External Affairs at SciComm Philippines. He received his MS in Science Writing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a Fulbright scholarship, and is the founding editor of GMA News Online’s Science and Technology Section.

SciCommPH is a non-stock, non-profit national organization of scicomm practitioners and researchers, journalists, and scientists.

For interview requests and other media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]