OUTSTANDING FILIPINO WOMEN AWARDEES IN FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES HONORED
The Awardees of the Outstanding Filipino Women in Fisheries were honored during the closing ceremonies of the recently concluded Department of Science and Technology – National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) held at the Philippine Trade Training Center, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City on July 18, 2005.
The awardees are Dr. Rhodora V. Azanza for the Fisheries Scientist Category, and Mrs. Floresma A. Dacuycuy for the Fisheries Industry Category. The awards were conferred to them by Mr. Jose Maria Concepcion III, RFM President and Chief Executive Officer and Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship with the assistance of DOST Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro.
Presently, Dr. Azanza is the Dean of the College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. She has been with the University since 1972. She is a woman with so much passion for excellence, rising from the ranks, from being a research assistant to where she is now.
Dr. Rhodora V. Azanza won the award for her exemplary performance in research projects on Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum, Kappaphycus and Eucheuma that addressed specific problems on toxic Pyrodinium blooms. She is also recognized for generating techniques and significant information on a lead-210 (210 Pb) facility, a dinoflagellate cyst analysis facility. She was responsible for developing the local capability to isolate and label saxitoxin for determining paralytic shellfish poisoning levels and Pyrodinium models for predicting the bloom dynamics. Her pioneering work led to the establishment of a grazing experiment facility for biological controls of Pyrodinium. In the academic field, she is also recognized for utilizing novel approaches at teaching a course on the identification of harmful microalgae. She is the woman behind the development of a website on harmful algal blooms. Her publications have gained international recognition for Philippine excellence in science.
Dr. Azanza’s research works on the harmful algal blooms or “red tide” in layman’s language, and the impacts of the developed technologies have been accepted with high regard by the scientific community, not only in the Philippines, but also internationally.
Mrs. Floresma A. Dacuycuy, on the other hand, is recognized for her outstanding accomplishments and invaluable contributions for the development of the fisheries industry, and for her innovativeness in technology adoption and encouragement of active participation of women in economic activities in fisheries.
She is a pharmacist by profession, but an agriculturist/fishfarmer by vocation. From operating a drugstore to her venturing into growing orchids, then later into growing the freshwater prawn or “ulang”, she had the best of both worlds. She excelled in her chosen field and has now both an orchidarium and a freshwater prawn hatchery to her credit. Through her initiatives, she is able to provide employment to many of her neighbors and their families.
Dr. Azanza and Mrs. Dacuycuy each received a cash prize of P50,000 and a plaque.
Posthumous awards were also conferred to Dr. Elvira O. Tan as Outstanding Filipino Woman Fisheries R&D Manager, Dr. Julia B. Pantastico as Outstanding Woman Fisheries Administrator, and Ms. Medina N. Delmendo as Outstanding Woman Fisheries Scientist.
After the awarding ceremonies, a simple recognition party was held in honor of the awardees at Gerry’s Grill, The Blue Wave, Diosdado Macapagal Ave., Pasay City. Drs. Ma. Lourdes D. Palomares, Jurgenne H. Primavera, Melba B. Reantaso, and Filipina B. Sotto who were nominated for the awards were conferred
Plaques of Appreciation during the party.
Mr. Phillip L. Ong of TATEH Aqua Feeds and Mr. Juan P. Alegre of Argent Laboratories partly co-sponsored the said Search.
