President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. appoints seven (7) new members of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Executive Council.

• Academician (Acd.)  Eufemio T. Rasco, Jr. is reinstated as the chair of the Agricultural Sciences Division. He is recognized for his pioneering and outstanding contributions in the field of plant breeding, specifically tropical vegetables, and tropical white potato breeding. He is also the Interim President of the Academy.
• Acd. Windell L. Rivera chairs the Biological Sciences Division. He is recognized for his significant research contributions in microbiology, particularly in the field of protozoology.
• Acd. Alvin B. Culaba chairs the Engineering Sciences and Technology Division. He is recognized for his pioneering and significant contributions in the area of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) theory and applications, renewable energy systems and alternative energy, and cleaner production and technology.
• Acd. Jaime C. Montoya is also reinstated as the chair of the Health Sciences Division. He is recognized for his significant contributions to various aspects of tuberculosis— its epidemiology and pathophysiology, its diagnosis through new molecular diagnostic methods, immunology, drug- susceptibility, and drug-resistant TB, which impact TB management and public health policies.
• Acd. Jose Maria P. Balmaceda chairs the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division. He is recognized for his significant research contributions to the representation and structure theory of finite groups and related structures.
• National Scientist Raul V. Fabella is also reinstated as the chair of the Social Sciences Division. He is recognized for his pioneering works on novel analytic constructs that proved to be useful for problems in economics.
• Acd. Arnel A. Salvador is also appointed as a member of the NAST Executive Council. He is a member of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division and is recognized for his significant and pioneering work as a professor and researcher of experimental condensed matter and applied solid-state physics at the National Institute of Physics -  University of the Philippines.

They will lead the Academy as the country’s highest recognition and advisory body on science and technology matters. They will serve a three-year term until 2025. (Angelito Navarro/NAST PHL)