Behind The Science Podcast

In this episode, we talk with Mr. Aris Paolo Castro, an instructor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, UP Diliman, about his study tracking how Mayon Volcano's lava dome grew and collapsed during its 2023 eruption. Using free satellite images from Landsat and Sentinel-2, the study tracked Mayon's summit from August 2022 to December 2023 and identified five phases where the dome grew and four phases where it collapsed, cross-checking each observation against PHIVOLCS's daily activity bulletins.📚Reference: Castro AP, Jatulan PM, Principe JA, Tamondong AM. 2026. Spatiotemporal modeling of lava dome evolution of Mt. Mayon during its 2023 eruption using remote sensing data. ISPRS Ann Photogramm Remote Sens Spat Inf Sci. X-5/W4-2025:159–164.

In this episode, we talk with Mr. Karl Fritze S. Sampiano, an entomologist and faculty member at Davao Oriental State University, about his study on the risks and policy responses needed for the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) invasion in the Davao Region. First detected in the Philippines in 2019, this invasive pest — native to the Americas and capable of flying up to 100 kilometers in a single night — has spread rapidly across the country's corn and rice farms.📚Reference: Sampiano KFS. 2026. Assessing regional risks and policy responses to fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) invasion in Davao Region. Davao Res J. 17(1):14–20.

In this episode, we talk with Mr. Michael Jeriel Bersaldo, a marine biology instructor at SPAMAST, about his study on the fishery status of imbao, the mangrove clam that's one of the most sought-after shellfish in Davao region. A 2010 assessment had found the fishery over-exploited, leading to a policy regulating the size of clams that gleaners are allowed to harvest. Using transect and quadrat sampling designed with the help of local gleaners across Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, and Davao del Sur, the study re-assessed the fishery status and found imbao still abundant enough for gleaners to sustain their livelihood in all three areas. But in Davao del Sur, the clams being caught averaged just 3.2 cm which is smaller than those in Davao Oriental (4.0 cm) and Davao Occidental (4.2 cm). The small size in Davao del Sur points to overharvesting and if left unchecked, harvesting immature clams could drive a severe local decline.Research highlight: Bersaldo MJI, Llameg MB, Avenido PM. 2021. Mangrove clam (Pegophysema philippiana) fishery status in Davao region. Davao Res J. 12(5):6-9.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Karol Mark Yee, Executive Director of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), about the growing problem of diploma mills in Philippine higher education — schools that hand out real-looking diplomas without delivering real education. Dr. Yee explains that the Philippines is especially exposed because it has one of the largest higher education systems in the world. It has 2,400 colleges and universities, which is about half the size of the entire US system. Many of these schools survive on tiny enrollments (30% have fewer than 500 students) and simply can't afford the qualified faculty, laboratories, or journal access that a real degree requires. These diploma mills are a direct risk to students and a betrayal of the families paying for their education.⌛Chapters02:22 Intro and welcome06:24 Dr. Yee's journey from Broadcast Communication to education policy21:28 What is a diploma mill, and how easy is it to start one?31:53 Graduate school diploma mills: who gets victimized and why35:33 The promotion loophole, fake theses, and predatory journals48:06 EDCOM 2's plan to crack down on diploma mills53:05 Advice for choosing a legitimate school55:26 Closing and where to follow EDCOM 2

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kerby Alvarez, a historian at the Department of History, University of the Philippines Diliman, about his study tracing the history of Philippine meteorology. Long before PAGASA existed, the Observatorio Meteorológico de Manila (OMM) — founded by Jesuit priests in 1865 — and its successor, the Philippine Weather Bureau (PWB) spent nearly a century turning typhoons into a subject of serious scientific study.Drawing on archives in the Philippines, the US, and Spain, Dr. Alvarez shows how these institutions published hundreds of reports, built a regional network with weather observatories across Asia, and even got caught in a diplomatic dispute with Hong Kong's observatory in 1899. As a historian, he traces not just what these scientists discovered, but how their writing, data-keeping, and international collaborations were shaped by the political currents of Spanish and American colonial rule in the Philippines.⌛Chapters00:01:51 Intro and welcoming Dr. Kerby Alvarez00:03:15 Getting to know Dr. Alvarez as a historian00:14:55 Filipino holidays and historical memory00:22:24 The paper: a history of Philippine meteorological science00:26:42 Building the Manila Observatory and Philippine Weather Bureau00:48:11 The Manila–Hong Kong observatory feud 00:50:34 Funding historical research, other disasters studied, and advice for aspiring historians01:02:07 Closing📚Reference: Alvarez KC. 2025. Scientific textualizations of tropical cyclones in the Philippines: the scientific activities of the Observatorio Meteorológico de Manila (OMM) and Philippine Weather Bureau (PWB), 1860s–1940s. Hist Meteorol. 12:1–26.🤝Behind The Science Podcast is in partnership with the UP Resilience Institute