The G.O. Ocfemia Outstanding Plant Pathologist Awards named PCAARRD Applied Communication Director Lily Ann Dimas Lando as one of its awardees for 2013.
The Philippine Plant Phytopathological Society, Inc. confers the G.O Ocfemia Outstanding Plant Pathologist Awards annually to plant pathologists with exceptional contributions in research, instruction, and extension.
Lando was awarded the outstanding plant pathologist in extension for her use of applied communication for the benefit of stakeholders in the agriculture and natural resources sectors.
As an advocate of science communication, Lando has been developing the writing capability of the national R&D network and facilitating the popularization of science for several years now.
She taught and mentored researchers in 19 international and national trainings on writing, presenting, and popularizing technical papers. She also served as writer/editor, reviewer, or referee of nine international and national publications.
She has also been involved in five international development projects and promoted the development activities of international organizations.
Further, Lando served as facilitator or evaluator in various research reviews in eight national and local development conferences.
For instruction, the award went to Dr. Ronaldo T. Alberto, Professor VI at the Institute of Graduate Studies at the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.
Alberto has been teaching at CLSU for the past 34 years. He has produced instructional materials for plant pathology courses and established the first biodiversity and molecular biology laboratory in CLSU.
As a mentor, he used various methods of teaching earning him outstanding performance ratings from his students and supervisors.
He also held several administrative positions and has been engaged in research.
Currently, Dr. Alberto is a project leader of a PCAARRD-funded project.
Finally, Dr. Cecilia B. Pascual, University Researcher IV at the Crop Science Cluster-Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, was recognized for her outstanding research works.
Pascual has vast experience in research, particularly on disease identification, diagnosis, and management of corn, sweet sorghum, and other crops; and pathogen genetic diversity by conventional and molecular techniques.
She is a member of the IPB team who developed 5 varieties of open-pollinated corn, 2 inbred lines of corn resistant to diseases, 2 hybrid lines and several advanced lines with complete resistance to downy mildew, and a sorghum line with multiple resistance to fungal pathogens.
Moreover, Pascual has developed technologies such as using indigenous and discarded materials (such as corn husks) for sporulation of corn fungal pathogens for mass production of fungal inoculum for wide-scale screening of corn for ear and stalk rot resistance evaluation, among others.
This multi-awarded researcher has also published in several scientific journals. She has received 3 international publication awards and 2 Department of Agriculture Secretary’s award for R&D paper publication in an Institute of Science Index current journal.