Geophysicists, meteorologists, chemists and environmental scientists from academic and government institutions of Philippines and Taiwan converged last May 20-22, 2019 at Royce Hotel, Clark City, Pampanga for the 6thPhilippines-Taiwan Earth Sciences International Conference (PTESIC). With the theme “Transboundary geo-meteorological challenges: Towards a safer and sustainable future”, the conference aimed to foster collaborations and strengthen research linkages between Filipino and Taiwanese earth scientists.

The School of Environmental Science and Management-University of the Philippines Los Baños (SESAM-UPLB) and the University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS) co-hosted the conference. This was also supported by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS), as well as by research institutions from Taiwan such as Academia Sinica, Central Weather Bureau, National Central University, National Cheng Kung University, National Chung Cheng University, National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University.

There were 38 papers presented- 18 from the Philippines and 20 from Taiwan– from various fields such as petrology, tectonics, geology, meteorology, geophysics and geohazards. Aside from oral presentations, 30 posters from geology and interdisciplinary sciences were presented.

Dr. Carla B. Dimalanta, UP Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (Research) and Professor, UP-NIGS, said that the Philippines-Taiwan collaboration is already 13 years old. “The first earth science conference was held in Taoyuan, Taiwan in May 2007”, Dr. Dimalanta recalled. For his part, former DOST Undersecretary Graciano P. Yumul, Jr., now with Apex Mining Corporation, Inc., said before his presentation that this event is very significant since it’s a gathering of scientists from different fields. “We can have a long discussion since we have a conglomeration of chemists, meteorologist, geophysicists”, he added.

As for the conference fieldwork, the participants trekked Mt. Pinatubo on day 3. Mt. Pinatubo produced the second largest volcanic eruption of the 21st century in June 1991. The one-hour four-wheel drive journey was followed by another hour of hiking towards the crater lake. Filipino and Taiwanese scientists took rock samples from the pyroclastic deposits for analysis during the field work.