Manila, Philippines—Researchers from diverse backgrounds in engineering and biological sciences recently graduated from the Plastics Research Methods Intensive Educational and Research Stay (PReMIERS) Fellowship Program, an environmental research collaboration on ocean plastics, a growing concern worldwide.
The PReMIERS Fellowship Program is a capacity-building program under the Circular Explorer Project, a collaboration between UP MSI, Marine Environment Resources Foundation Inc., Holcim, Circular Explorer, and One Earth One Ocean. Up-and-coming research fellows embark on a two-month program across the Philippines, to the science exploration of the Circular Explorer—a research vessel designed by Holcim and One Earth-One Ocean to recover marine waste and provide data to academic bodies such as UP and the DOST. At the end of the program, the fellows will be part of a wider network of around 100 researchers from 50+ universities and national agencies across the country who had also been intensively trained by a team led by Dr. Onda and supported by the Holcim Group through the Circular Explorer project since October 2022.
The Circular Explorer is not just a vessel, it’s also an educational center empowering local communities to help raise awareness and educate people on the importance of marine preservation and the circular economy. Fellows Erish T. Daranciang, M.Eng and Christian Mark S. Guyo, M.Sc., both doing their PhD programs in UP Diliman; Leomered P. Medina, a M.Ed. student from Bulacan State University; and Christsam Joy S. Jaspe-Santander, M.Eng., a PhD student from University of San Carlos, showcased their research on marine waste using the data collected onboard the Circular Explorer. These studies are key to understanding and crafting science-based and data-driven interventions and policies in solving marine waste issues in the Philippines, where ocean plastics present a growing environmental problem.
“A lot of research has already been done, a lot of expertise built, and several publications have come out, but we still have a long way to go. It’s a challenge to decentralize what we know to encourage more scientists to do research in the field and contribute to the further understanding of the problem,” says Dr. Deo Onda, Associate Professor of the University of the Philippines – Marine Science Institute (UP MSI). “The PReMIERS program contributes to this by creating experts, one fellow at a time.”
PReMIERS fellows aboard the Circular Explorer in Manila Bay to have first-hand experience with the 100% solar-powered catamaran.
During the fellowship, they were equipped with the tools and skills needed to conduct plastics research under the supervision of a core of mentors – from data collection in Manila Bay onboard the Circular Explorer, to microplastics extraction and analyses in Bolinao Marine Laboratory in Pangasinan, to application of AI and data analytics in UP Baguio.
Speaking at the ceremony, Samuel Manlosa Jr., Head of Geocycle of Holcim Philippines advised the new graduates. “The problem needs a lot more attention, and scientists are the ones that know how to contextualize the problem in a way that can be more appreciated,” he says.
“Don’t stop when the study gets published. From being a scientist to being an advocate, use data to transform. And if we do that, there’ll be more of a push to collaborate, and eventually affect policy that benefits the environment.”
True to this goal, the PReMIERS Fellowship Program is designed to train the fellows to become systems thinkers, effective communicators, and advocates on the use of science and data in informing and educating the public about plastics pollution.
Holcim and the Circular Explorer remain committed to supporting initiatives that promote sustainable practices and environmental stewardship, recognizing the vital role of research and education in tackling global environmental challenges.
The PReMIERS Fellowship Program is now accepting its next batch of participants for 2025. Call for entries officially closes on February 15, 2025. For more information, visit UP MSI’s Microbial Oceanography Laboratory’s Facebook page.
