The study, entitled “Regional and institutional trends in assessment for academic promotion,” was co-authored by Prof. Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz, Dr. rer. nat., a full professor of the Department of Biological Sciences and Member of the country’s Teacher Education Council.

Surveying a total of 314 policies pertaining to full professorship, the study acknowledged the “assessment as research performance [as a] vital tool in upholding the highest standards of quality, with selection and competition believed to drive progress.” The study covered a total of 121 countries, with 32 from the Global North and 89 from the Global South. While there were marked differences between Global North and Global South, as well institutional and national policies, the study found that this diversity was less present across disciplines—despite the inherent uniqueness of each.

The provided strategic implications for researchers, research managers, and national governments.

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Within various technical panels are Thomasian academics and researchers, namely:

ACCOUNTANCY

1. Prof. Patricia M. Empleo, PhD

BIOLOGY, Molecular Biology, and Microbiology

1. Prof. Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz, Dr. rer. Nat.
2. Prof. Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD
3. Prof. John Donnie A. Ramos, PhD

CHEMISTRY

1. Academician Professor Emeritus Maribel G. Nonato, PhD
2. Assoc. Prof. Oliver B. Villaflores, PhD

FINE ARTS

1. Assoc. Prof. Eric B. Zerrudo, PhD

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

1. Prof. Marilu R. Madrunio, PhD (Chair)
2. Prof. Camilla D.J. Vizconde, PhD

GRADUATE TEACHER EDUCATION

1. Prof. Camilla D.J. Vizconde, PhD

LITERATURE

1. Prof. John Jack G. Wigley, PhD

MARINE SCIENCE

1. Prof. Mary Beth B. Maningas, PhD

MATHEMATICS

1. Prof. Ma. Carlota B. Decena, PhD

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

1. Prof. Ma. Freida Z. Hapan, PhD

MEDICINE

1. Prof. Ma. Minerva P. Calimag, MD, PhD

MUSIC

1. Assoc. Prof. Dolores T. Andres, PhD

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

1. Asst. Prof. Kathlene Anne V. Hernandez, MHPEd

OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING

1. Assoc. Prof. Ma. Ninia I. Calaca, MA, MAPhl
2. Prof. Belen L. Tangco, PhD

PHARMACY

1. Prof. Aleth Therese L. Dacanay, PhD (Chair)

PHILOSOPHY

1. Prof. Robert A. Montaña, PhD

PHYSICAL THERAPY

1. Prof. Cheryl R. Peralta, DrPH

PHYSICS

1. Assoc. Prof. Angelita Silverio, MS (ret.)

REAL ESTATE

1. Prof. Eduardo G. Ong, PhD

SOCIOLOGY

1. Prof. Clarence M. Batan, PhD
2. Asst. Prof. Louie Benedict R. Ignacio, PhD

SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

1. Inst. Elinor Bautista
2. Asst. Prof. Judith S. Damian, MS (ret.)

The newly reconstituted technical panels will have a four-year term beginning on January 1, 2025 and ending on December 31, 2028.

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Prince Nur-Hakeem N. Buisan won first place for his poster entitled “Core vs. Edge Differentiation of Myxomycetes ľĹÉ« Assemblages in a Secondary Growth Experimental Forest in Southern Mindanao, Philippines.” This study is under the supervision of Asst. Prof. Nikki Heherson A. Dagamac, Dr. rer. nat. Buisan’s paper attempted to contribute to the otherwise limited literature on the “understanding of the dynamic influences of such factors on microorganisms” and “variations in forest disturbance gradients.” The moist chamber technique was used in the study site, Cotabato province.

Meanwhile, Ervinna M. Cruz won second place for the poster entitled: “Growth-Promoting and Protective Potential of Fungal Root Endophytes Associated with a Pioneer Grass in a Lahar-Affected Area,” which was supervised by Prof. Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz, Dr. rer. nat., FPAM. The study proved the ability of the “isolated fungal endophytes to protect the plant host against pathogens.” The fungal endophytes were sourced from the roots of Saccharum spontaneum L., a pioneering grass species in a lahar-strewn environment.

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In an interview with the Communications Bureau, dela Cruz opined that while not everyone is expected to pursue science or math as a career, it cannot be denied that these disciplines “are our foundation.” Dela Cruz, who has long advocated for child-friendly Science education in the basic education levels, said that “Science teaches critical thinking, and this soft skill is one what many of us need to master, especially now that our everyday is bombarded with misinformation and disinformation.”

Dela Cruz, whose team of researchers has made child-friendly materials, advocates for “[making] science enjoyable for our learners and fun to teach for our teachers. Only then will science be much appreciated and learned.”

Prior to his appointment, Dela Cruz and his research team concretized their advocacy for kids by publishing . In 2017, they likewise gathered young children in UST for their .

A respected academic and multi-awarded teacher, Dela Cruz is UST’s latest Metrobank Outstanding Teacher Awardee (2015) and is a Full Professor at UST. 

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The study entitled “Diversity and bioactivities of mangrove fungal endophytes from Leyte and Samar, Philippines” was published in July 2019 in Philippine Science Letters. It investigated mangrove fungal endophytes (MFEs), which are considered “viable sources of metabolites with potential antibacterial and cytotoxic properties.”

The study isolated 73 MFEs from 4 mangrove hosts in Leyte and Samar, Eastern Philippines, with “R. mucronata from Samar having the highest MFE diversity and species richness.”  The undertaking provided “the first report of the MFEs from the central part of the Philippines and the discovery of potential metabolites which can be explored for pharmaceutical applications.”

Dela Cruz heads the Fungal Biodiversity, Ecogenomics, and Systematics Group at the Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences.

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The PIP fellows were invited to participate in a series of lectures from November 2020 to February 2021 which culminated in a workshop and commencement exercise. Each session was delivered by IP professionals from LES societies in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Austria, and Singapore, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the European Patent Office (EPO).

Through the PIPP Fellowship, ASEAN young researchers were trained in the fundamentals of IP knowledge and engage with IP experts. Young researchers also networked with other professionals within and beyond their fields of expertise and are expected to stimulate a shift towards an academic culture that promotes interactions between scientists, industry, and business/investors.

ASEAN PIPP is the flagship programme of the ASEAN Young Scientists Network (ASEAN YSN) in collaboration with the Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), particularly its Industry-University-Government Transactions (IUGT) Committee. Through this initiative, ASEAN YSN and LESI hope to create a pool of IP-competent ASEAN researchers who will champion Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) in the region.

In recognition of the role that research plays in sustaining economic growth and societal well-being in the region, many Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States have made significant investments to enhance their science and technological capacity. A nation’s research progress is often determined through quantifiable metrics such as the size of the technology talent pool, number of research institutions, publications, and patents. Young researchers play an important role in the STI landscape. They possess expertise and experience and adapt to the rapid changing nature of STI. Young scientists are also future leaders who can influence relevant policies on the implementation of STI to effectively address societal needs.

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, lead researcher and a faculty member of the Department of Biological Sciences, said the project began on March 4, 2020, when sophomore BSc Microbiology students Marcus Lorenzo Acot, Patricia Denise Crisostomo, Boram Kim, and Jordan Jeffrey Marquis accept their professor’s invitation to help create the site.

The portal helps put together what UST has been able to contribute to myxomycetes research in the country. According to Dela Cruz, from a count of 107 species in 1981, the FBeS group and their colleagues have helped increase the list to the present-day 158.

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Graduate student Hannah Jane F. Din and her adviser,  of the Fungal Biodiversity, Ecogenomics, and Systematics Group of the won the Best Poster Paper award (Professional Category) during the 12th Regional Convention and Scientific Meeting of the Philippine Society for Microbiology, Inc. – Bicol Chapter. The event took place from February 21-22, 2020, in Legazpi, Albay.

The winning paper was entitled “Soil, Mound or Termites: Which carry the greatest number of fungi?” It determined “the fungal communities found within the termite mounds and those attached to the termite bodies.” The study “also compared these fungal communities with those found in soil adjacent to the mounds. The soil samples and termite specimens of Macrotermes gilvus were collected from six mounds within Ninoy Aquino Wildlife Park in Quezon City.”

Din and dela Cruz’s study isolated a total number of 57 fungal strains, which could be grouped into 31 morphospecies. The highest number of morphospecies were recorded from termites, followed by soil and mound.” The study “the first to look at termite-associated fungi in the Philippines.”

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Pavia’s poster listed the priority research areas of BEST side by side with the lead proponent of each area. All proponents are faculty members of the of the .

The BEST research areas and their proponents are the following:

1. Ichthyology and Marine Science (Asst. Prof. Richard Thomas B. Pavia, Jr., PhD)
2. Angiosperm Phylogeny and Barcoding ()
3. Zooplankton Ecology, Systematics, and Limnology ()
4. Philippine Endemic Plant Science ()
5. Wildlife Parasitology and Freshwater Ecology ()
6. Fungal Biodiversity, Ecogenomics, and Systematics ()
7. Fish Reproductive Biology (Assoc. Prof. Alicia Ely J. Pagulayan, MSc)
8. Herpetological Research and Breeding Station ()
9. Ecosystems Modeling (Asst. Prof. Sonia N. Javier, MSc)
10. Phycology and Freshwater Ecology ()

The BEST team has worked with graduate and undergraduate students, local government units, and non-governmental organizations for studies and programs all over the country. Researchers have likewise received grants from local and international bodies, and outputs have included, among others, the discovery of various novel plant taxa; studies on palaeolimnology, freshwater diversity, and aquaculture impacts; discovery of three new species of Ixora; and discovery of several species of amphibians and reptiles, among others.

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With the theme “Promoting One Health through Microbiology Education, Research, and Practice,” the convention aimed to promote “a collaborative, multi-sector, and trans-disciplinary approach working at the local, regional, national, and global levels” to attain optimal health outcomes. Essential in the One Health approach are microbial tracking and surveillance, which are useful in addressing the efforts against antibiotic resistance.

As inscribed in the plaque presented to Dela Cruz, he was awarded “for his exemplary research contributions to the field of microbiology, particularly on mycology, and his outstanding dedication to the promotion of microbiology in the country.”

Dela Cruz was awarded the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Outstanding Young Scientist in the field of mycology in 2012 and The World Academy of Sciences Prize for Young Scientist in the Philippines – Biology in 2014. He was named a Metrobank Outstanding Teacher in 2015. In 2017, he became the first Filipino to receive the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) Graduate Microbiology Teaching Award.

With more than 85 published research papers on fungal biodiversity, ecogenomics and systematics including fungal applications in agriculture, health and the environment in the last 12 years, his research group is at the forefront of fungal research in the country. Dela Cruz has conducted research fellowships in Germany, Austria, China, and the United States. He holds a rank of Professor 5, the youngest in the University to be given such honor.

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