Dr. Evelyn Ame evaluates how the Gentleman’s Agreement — an informal management agreement among fishers — is holding up in practice for managing the stocks of aramang in Aparri, Cagayan. Using catch data, gear analysis, and participatory appraisal, Dr. Ame reveals that fishing mortality rates are much higher than natural mortality, and the current exploitation level (E = 0.66) already exceeds sustainable thresholds.

📚Reference: Ame E, Laeno F, Villarao M. 2025. Status of Nematopalaemon tenuipes, Spider Prawn (Family: Palaemonidae) Stocks Caught in Aparri, Cagayan: A case of Gentleman’s Agreement Management Strategy. The Philippine Journal of Fisheries 32(1):69–80.

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.

In this episode, I talked with Prof. Floirendo Flores about his research on fortifying rice with vitamin A. His study looked at how β-carotene can be better preserved and released using β-cyclodextrin microencapsulation. By testing different methods, the research shows how rice can be made more nutritious. This study also received the NAST PHL Outstanding Scientific Paper Award. Prof. Flores also shares his journey from chemical engineering to food science, the challenges of doing research during the pandemic, and his advice for young scientists in the Philippines.

📚Reference: Cruz, J. D., & Flores, F. (2020). Evaluation of Physicochemical Characteristics, In Vitro Release and Antioxidant Properties of β-carotene and β-cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes with Rice as Food Matrix. The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, 103(4), 337–348.

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.

In this episode, I talked with Dr. Angelo Macario about his study on how fishhook size affects catch variation, size selectivity, and bycatch in bottom-set longline fisheries targeting nemipterid fishes in the Philippines. His research shows that the choice of hook size plays a crucial role in determining the sustainability of fish stocks and the livelihood of small-scale fishers. Angelo also shares his journey as a researcher, the challenges of doing fieldwork in fisheries science, and his advice for aspiring scientists who want to make an impact in the field.

📚Reference: Macario, A.C., Islam, T., Babaran, R.P. et al. Effects of hook size on the catch variation, size selectivity, and bycatch of the bottom set longline fisheries targeting nemipterid fishes in the Philippines. Sci Rep 15, 1379 (2025).

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.

In this episode of Behind the Science Podcast, I sat down with Dr. Carlos Primero Gundran to talk about disaster preparedness and response in the Philippines. He shares insights on the role of simulation training in preparing agencies for emergencies, the challenges of limited resources, and overlapping mandates. Drawing from his background in emergency medicine, Dr. Gundran highlights practical solutions and lessons learned that can help agencies and researchers strengthen disaster preparedness and save lives.

📚Reference: Gundran CPD, Lam HY, Tuazon ACA, Cleofas JV, Garcia FB, Puli TEM. 2023. Simulation Training Needs Assessment for Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Response among selected agencies in National Capital Region, Philippines. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 94(2023):103824. doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103824.

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.

In this episode, I talked with Dr. Edjohn Aaron Macauyag about his research on developing a low-cost technique to synthesize Bst DNA polymerase —an enzyme for detecting diseases like COVID-19— and reducing costs by over 90% using home ingredients like egg whites and powdered milk.

📚Reference: San Pedro VM, Cañas VA, Garcia JR, Lopez C, Zulueta M, Macauyag EA. 2025. A low-cost production method for Bst DNA polymerase (large fragment). SciEnggJ. 18(1):20–27.‌

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.

In this episode of Behind the Science Podcast, we talk with Dr. Melanie Villarao about her study “Reproductive Biology and Population Dynamics of Largehead Hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus, 1758) in Babuyan Channel, Philippines.” They analyzed nearly 2,600 specimens of T. lepturus to determine sex ratio, fecundity, spawning seasonality, length at first maturity, and key population parameters that are essential for the sustainable management of this important commercial species.

📚Reference: Villarao MC, Gumiran E, Encarnacion AB. 2023. Population Dynamics of Shortfin Scad (Decapterus macrosoma) Bleeker 1851 in Babuyan Channel, Philippines. The Philippine Journal of Fisheries 30(2):212-228.

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.

In this episode of Behind the Science Podcast, we talked with Dr. Maria Victoria M. Sumagang about her study, “A P-graph Approach for Planning Sustainable Rice Straw Management Networks”, which received the 2025 Outstanding Scientific Paper Award by the National Academy of Science and Technology. The Philippines generates over 15 million tons of rice straw annually, much of which is still burned in fields or left to decompose—both major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Sumagang discusses how she applied the P-graph decision support framework to evaluate sustainable and profitable alternatives for rice straw utilization, including mushroom production, pellets, and fodder.

📚Reference:

Migo-Sumagang MV, Promentilla MA. 2024. A P-graph Approach for Planning Sustainable Rice Straw Management Networks. The Philippine Agricultural Scientist. 107(3):253–265.

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.

In this episode, I talked with my twin brother Dr. Philip Flores about his research on developing a method to discriminate chiral molecules by shining a laser to the molecule and measuring the ejected electron's spin.

📚Reference: Flores, P. C. M., Carlström, S., Patchkovskii, S., Ivanov, M., Mujica, V., Ordonez, A. F., & Smirnova, O. (2025). Enantiosensitive locking of photoelectron spin and cation orientation. arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.22433.

⚛️ Learn physics with Pinoy Physicists at Liknayan Podcast

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.