COLLEGE of Science Dean Rey Donne Papa has been conferred the 2025 Gregorio Zara Award for Basic Science Research for his pioneering contributions to the study of lakes and river ecosystems.
Papa was recognized by the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology (PHILAAST) for his work in limnology, ecology, and zooplankton taxonomy.
UST, through the Office of the Vice Rector for Research and Innovation, nominated Papa for the award.
Papa said the recognition also celebrates the efforts of his UST research group, the Zooplankton, Ecology, Systematics, and Limnology (ZESL) research group, which he founded in 2011.
“It’s [also] a recognition of the work that my research group has been doing in freshwater studies in the Philippines for the longest time,” he told the Varsitarian.
Papa’s enthusiasm for freshwater research and his drive to explore less-charted scientific paths were sparked by his graduate mentors, Assoc. Prof. Alicia Pagulayan and her husband Bobby, along with Assoc. Prof. Susan Baldia.
He finished his M.S. Biology in 2005 and his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences in 2011, academic milestones that shaped his trajectory in freshwater studies.
Back then, only a few Filipino scientists were pursuing freshwater research.
“In the Philippines in general, napaka-onti ng gumagawa ng freshwater research,” he said. “Magkakakilala kaming lahat. So parang kung ano ‘yong hindi pa alam, sinusubukan naming magdagdag ng knowledge.”
He recalled that when he was just starting, senior researchers welcomed him simply because he was “young blood” in a field that was aging.
That support, he said, inspired him to establish his own research group in 2011, which has since expanded UST’s role in freshwater science.
Papa stressed that while basic research may not bring quick financial rewards, its importance lies in generating knowledge that communities and policymakers can use.
He remembered moments when scientific data helped explain long-held local beliefs, such as the “pagduong” phenomenon in Lake Taal — once dismissed as folklore but later proven to be lake mixing during the amihan season.
“Pwede itong gamitin para tulungang ayusin yung estado at kalidad ng mga tubig-tabang dito sa ating bansa. ‘Yong dating parang haka-haka lang o tradisyon lang ang basehan, ngayon may science na behind it.”
In 2024, Papa and his colleagues published a study on Lake Taal’s mixing cycle, showing that the lake overturns during the northeast monsoon but stays stratified throughout the rest of the year.
Their research offered scientific backing for fish kills and other patterns local fishers had noticed for decades.
Papa’s team is spearheading Project LUSOG-ILOG, funded by the National Research Council of the Philippines, which studies food webs in the Cagayan River to better understand the ecological links that support its fisheries.
The UST Science dean said working in basic science can be discouraging at times, as it often takes a backseat to more commercially profitable research.
“Laging dehado ang basic science sa mata ng funding agencies, kasi hindi ito ‘yong sikat, hindi ito ‘yong high-tech. Malaking bagay na you always have a fertile imagination and you never stop asking questions,” he said.
Papa urged young scientists to focus on filling true knowledge gaps instead of chasing what is trendy or lucrative.
“Ang basic research ay mahalaga. Ito ‘yung nakakatulong na gabayan ‘yung mga policy makers at mga government official natin kung ano ‘yung nangyayari sa kapaligiran natin,” he said.
Papa received the award during the PHILAAST awarding ceremony on Sept. 11 at the Manila Hotel. Mary Dawn S. Santos
