Among the chosen recipients of the 2021 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organization Overseas (PAFIOO) is Dr. Josefino C. Comiso, a senior emeritus scientist at the Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center for the category Pamana ng Pilipino Award.
The award-giving body, Commission on Filipinos Overseas under the Office of the President, selected 56 awardees from 31 countries through 39 Philippine Foreign Service Posts across Asia, North, and South America, Europe, and Australia. Dr. Comiso is one of the two recipients of the “Pamana ng Pilipino Award” along with Dr. Leorey N. Saligan of the National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Comiso, “Joey” as called by his close friends and colleagues, graduated with a BS degree in Physics from the University of the Philippines, with a Master’s Degree in Physics from Florida State University and a Ph. D. in Physics from the University of California in Los Angeles. He had been the chief scientist in many NASA aircraft missions in the Arctic and Antarctic. He also has been the recipient of several NASA awards, and had been the coordinating lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group 1 (WG1) 5th Assessment Report (AR5) “Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis,” which was published in 2014.
A Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Balik-Scientist since 2009, Dr. Comiso continues to work as a Senior Research Scientist Emeritus at NASA and is a Professor Emeritus at UP. Currently, he is working in collaboration with the UP Los Baños-School of Environmental Science and Management professors and scientists for the book: Rediscovering Laguna de Bay: A Vital Natural Resource in Crisis.
As one of the world’s leading experts on polar science, his expertise was recognized in the many newspaper articles and radio and television appearances. He believes that it is important to return to the country and share knowledge with other scientists and inspire the young generation in the field of science to help the country. For many years, whenever he visits the Philippines, his schedule is always full of speaking engagements. He tirelessly shared his expertise in remote sensing to address pressing environmental issues brought about by climate change.
With this award, the President of the Republic of the Philippines recognizes the contributions of Dr. Comiso on the advancement of the country’s research and technologies with his expertise on remote sensing and climate change focusing on forest conservation, agriculture, and environment science and management. (RDAreglado)
