The much awaited search for the third member of the PRC Board for Chemistry is over , with the swearing to office by PRC Chairman Honorable Atty Teofilo S Pilando Jr last March 10, 2016 of Ma Theresa Carandang Cayton, a BS Chemistry 1975 graduate, Magna cum Laude, from the University of Santo Tomas, and MS Soil Science 1983 graduate from the University of the Philippines in Los Banos. She is married to Ret Gen Emmanuel S Cayton with three children Genevieve de Jesus (UPLB DevCom graduate, married to Denis de Jesus UPLB Agric Eng), 1Lt Joseph Thomas Cayton, Phil Air Force (PMA 2012 graduate married to Argelan Del Moral UPLB CEM) ) Emmanuel Cayton Jr ( Univ of the Cordilleras Criminology) and two grandkids 5 yr old Marcela Vienne Cadence de Jesus and 2 yr old Manolo Augusto Victor de Jesus.
Tess brings to her new assignment more than 36 years experience as a chemist- 16 yrs in research ( 1 year at the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, 15 years on problem soils and rice research at the International Rice Institute), 17 years in the manufacturing industry (with Bayer CropScience in quality assurance, production and over all plant management), and 4 years in environment consultancy.
At Bayer CropScience as Plant and Public Affairs Manager ( the first female in this post in Bayer plants worldwide), she headed the largest and most awarded crop protection manufacturing facility in the country which was at the forefront of environment activities in the area in the watershed of Laguna de Bay. Here, aside from ensuring high quality products, she dealt with toxic and hazardous wastes handling from the plant s pesticide manufacturing activities, employing cleaner production and plant safety techniques. She was also the company’s Pollution Control Officer- ensuring compliance of the company to environmental laws and regulations. This involved dealing with the LGU, communities, NGOs and other stakeholders regarding environment issues and concerns, even dealing with communities on river and lake rehabilitation and youth environment training. It was while in Bayer that she started work on environment management systems , and greening the supply chain which she carried on after retirement in environment consultancy projects.
She retired from Bayer in mid 2007 in order to have more time for family as her husband just retired from the military and their son was about to enter the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio. From 2007 she was partly engaged with the Asia Pacific Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production on greening the supply chains of companies, then with the Facilitators for Development, on community based environment projects. She also trained under a scholarship from the German Environment Bureau at the Renewables Academy in Berlin on energy efficiency and wind and solar energy. From 2008 t0 2010 she shuttled weekly from Manila to Baguio where his husband took a job as Security Director to be close to their son in PMA.
In 2011 she refrained from taking consultancy offers in order to assist her husband in his new job in Makati and to help take care of their first grandchild. It was more time to smell the flowers, go to the dance aero zumba gym, and be full time domestic helper and assistant yaya when not busy with errands for her husband. The last five happy “retired” years with her husband’s full support and her children s presence were indeed very memorable and enjoyable.
Looking back, among her treasured awards are:
PCAPI Top Ten Pollution Control Officers of the Philippines, 1999 and 2004
PCAPI Mother Nature award for Bayer in 2004
KKPLB Outstanding Achievement Award in Industry 1998
ICP Outstanding Women Chemists of the Philippines 2011
PRC 2008 Professional of the Year Award in the Field of Chemistry
Truly blest by God to have been given the chance to enjoy family, especially two grandkids and early retirement for the last 5 years, Tess thinks it must be time to take up the work mode again and give back to the profession which has nurtured and served her and her family so well. She hopes that working hand in hand with ICP and other chemistry organizations, the 36 years experience as a chemist will help her improve the practice of the profession , and improve the professional standing of chemists in our country. Armed with the new Chemistry law and its IRR she hopes to be of service, with the guidance of fellow chemist leaders and God s help. When she raised her hand in oath before the PRC Chairman last March 10, she remembered the time she first raised her hand at the chemists oathtaking ceremony in 1975 – it was as if a circle has closed and that was where God has always planned and wanted her to be.
