A RESEARCH team from UST highlighted how satellite data can advance biodiversity studies and community conservation during the Philippine Space Week 2025 celebration from Aug. 8 to 10 at Gateway Mall 2 in Quezon City.
The Initiative for Conservation, Landscape Ecology, Bioprospecting, and Biomodeling (Icolabb), a subgroup under the UST Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences (RCNAS), was among 21 participating institutions invited by the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) to showcase the practical applications of space science in everyday life.
While the group’s expertise is rooted in biology, Icolabb has long integrated satellite data into its research. By analyzing images from space, the group tracks species distribution, landscape changes, and human-wildlife interactions.
“Usually when people think about space, they think of going to the planets, seeing the stars,” Icolabb member Almyt Poblete said. “So, our group focuses more on the downstream data. We take [satellite images], and then use them for things like biodiversity conservation, urban management, and planning.”
Asst. Prof. Nikki Dagamac, Icolabb’s principal investigator and a “Balik Scientist” or an overseas Filipino scientist tapped to share their expertise in the country, said the group also applies machine learning to “snapshots of Earth” from satellites.
This enables predictive models on environmental change, he said.
Among Icolabb’s most recognized works is the “Multidisciplinary Approaches for Tamaraw Protection Against Threats” (Matapat) project, which mapped tamaraw populations in Mindoro.
The study uncovered key reasons for the species’ decline, such as land-use conflicts and invasive grass from slash-and-burn farming, while also creating improved methods for annual population counts.
The group has also expanded into public health through Mediums or “Modeling Epidemiological Diseases Using Machine Learning and Satellite-Based Data”, which forecasts diseases such as tuberculosis in Cavite, and runs “Saribuhay,” an outreach program that offers workshops for students and local stakeholders.
“Research shouldn’t just sit on bookshelves,” member Leila Tomacas said. “We have a lot of projects and research at Icolabb that directly affect the community. It gives insights to change or improve policies.”
PhilSA Deputy Director General Gay Jane Perez said this year’s Space Week carried the theme “Yamang Kalawakan para sa Maunlad na Kinabukasan,” underscoring space technology as a resource for national development.
“The Philippines is now a space actor,” Perez said. “We want to increase awareness that we have satellites, scientists and engineers making space practical for agriculture, disaster preparedness, and national security.”
Now in its third year since being institutionalized in 2023, Philippine Space Week featured exhibits, public lectures, and a nationwide telescope viewing event.
Jo Briones, PhilSA information officer and lead organizer, said the event also sought to “reach the public in accessible ways” and inspire young Filipinos to pursue careers in space science. With reports from Justin Jacob S. Urag
