Candidates for this year’s ICP Elections are as follows (click names below respective pictures for CV):

Academe:
   Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit

Government:
Dr. Antonio Laurena

 Ms. Maria Soledad Lopez-Distor

Industry:
Ms. Ludy Avendano
Ms. Jennifer Maralit

Click HERE for the voting instructions. Deadline for voting is on 8 July (Monday).

The ICP welcomes its newest cluster composed of chemists in the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory. The officers of the Philippine Association of Forensic Chemists (PASSFORCHEM) were inducted into office by the Deputy Chief of the PNP for Administration, PDDG Ager P. Ontog, Jr., during the celebration of the 68th PNP Crime Laboratory Founding Anniversary which was held in the PNP multi-Purpose Center, Camp Crame, on June 17, 2013.

This was followed by the oathtaking of members, which was officiated by Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit, president of the ICP.
The PASSFORCHEM is a composed of over 80 chemists who serve nation-wide in the various PNP Crime Laboratories. It will be an important venue for chemists in the PNP to organize their activities.

From left to right: ICP President Dr. Toby Dayrit, Ms. Edna Mijares, General Liza Sabong, PDEA Director 2 Belen Banog, and Retired PDirector Gen Lorelie Arroyo

The PASSFORCHEM officers for 2013 are as follows:
President: PCSUPT Liza M. Sabong
Vice-Presidents:
Luzon: PSSUPT Daisy P. Babor (Ret)
Visayas: PCINSP Josephine G. Llena
Mindanao: PDIR Lorlie N. Arroyo (Ret)
Secretary: PSUPT Arlene V. Coronel
Treasurer: PSSUPT Rea A. Villavicencio
PRO: CINSP Lorna H. Santos
Auditor: PCINSP Victor C. Drapete
Business Manager: PCINSP Albert S. Arturo
Legal Adviser: PCINSP Arlyn D. Cañete
Overall Adviser: PDIR Lina C. Sarmiento

Text by Dr. Irene Villaseñor and Dr. Lilibeth Coo

Dr Amelia Guevara (right) receiving the Outstanding Chemist for 2013 award

The Outstanding Chemist for 2013 is given to Dr. Amelia Peralta Guevara, Undersecretary, Department of Science and Technology. She obtained her BS, MS, and PhD Chemistry degrees from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She dedicated most of her professional service to U.P. where she rendered outstanding service as a faculty member and researcher. She conducted research in the areas of Natural Products Chemistry and the Chemistry of Mutagens.

She was twice awarded the Gawad Chancellor para sa Pinakamahusay na Guro sa Kategoryang Propesor.  Dr. Guevara also served in several capacities as administrator, including College Secretary, Assistant to the Vice President, University Registrar, Vice Chancellor, and Vice President. She was later appointed Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technologies Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology. Equipped with the analytical mind of a chemist, she is setting up R&D priority thrusts that promote inclusive economic growth and improve the lives of the Filipino people. Indeed Dr. Guevara has served the country and the Filipino people well.

Dr. Amelia Guevara (front center, seated) and members of ICP community

Dr. Amelia Guevara (fifth from left) and members of ICP community

The award was given during the “40th Awards Night” in celebration of the 40th Founding Anniversary of the Professional Regulation Commission held last June 20, 2013 at the Fiesta Pavilion, Manila Hotel.

ICP General Meeting

Meeting of ICP Officers

Proposed ICP Constitution (docx / 43kb)
Minutes of the National ICP Meeting (doc / 69kb)

Text by Dr. Vicky Migo and Dr. Lilibeth Coo

As part of the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP)’s Continuing Professional Education Program, a special workshop on “Sampling for Chemical Analysis” was held last April 26, 2013 at the Police Training Center, Camp Crame, Quezon City.  The seminar was conducted by Dr. Edgar F. Paski of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).

Dr. Edgar Paski

Dr. Paski or Ed, as he is fondly called by his colleagues from ICP, has worked in industry and government in the areas of mining and mineral exploration, environmental chemistry, pulp and paper technology and agrology.  He teaches courses in analytical atomic spectrometry, quality assurance and the assayer certification program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).  He is one strict assessor with an eagle-eye precision to correct techniques for testing laboratories to the ISO 17025 Standard for the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA).  It is in this area of his expertise that he got acquainted with IRRI chemists and later with ICP. Dr. Paski’s professional interests include: plasma spectrochemistry, sampling for chemical analysis, chemometrics, automated chemical analysis, trace elements in geological and environmental materials, quality assurance, laser applications in analytical chemistry, multidimensional luminescence spectrometry, computer applications in analytical chemistry, assaying precious metals.

The workshop aims to give participants an understanding of the critical influence of sampling on the quality of analytical results, especially for geological, environmental, and agricultural materials. The topics covered include variability in test results, accepted terminology for the various types of sample materials, heterogeneity of solid objects, tools and techniques for sampling solids, liquids and gases, fundamental causes of sampling errors and how to estimate laboratory and field sampling uncertainties.  Most of the 60 participants came from commercial private laboratories and some are from the government (DOST, EDC and PC Crime Lab) and from the academe (Adamson University, Bicol University).

General Liza Sabong of the PNP, a member of the ICP Board of Directors (representing the government) gave the warm welcome remarks.  Her speech described the importance of maintaining the integrity of samples (specimens) in the forensic science.  She noted the critical role of analytical chemists in generating accurate results in the field of forensic chemistry.  She proudly informed the audience of the DNA laboratory of the PNP that houses the complete array of analytical instruments for DNA testing.

Dr. Paski (right),  with (from left to right) Dr. Lilibeth Coo, Dr. Vicky Migo, Dr. Toby Dayrit, General Liza Sabong, and Ms. Edna Mijares

The seminar cum workshop was a one-man show handled by the very energetic and indefatigable Dr. Paski whose lectures are very informative and enlightening.  The participants appreciated his lectures and were very thankful for a lot of materials and references on sampling techniques which Dr. Paski freely shared. The highlight of the activity is a workshop wherein participants were made to employ the different methods of sampling which they learned from the lectures, and applied them in a mixture of grains: rice, green and red mungbeans, etc. Acknowledgement is due to Shimadzu Philippines Corporation for providing two units of top loading balance that were used during the workshop.  All participants recognized the value of the training and the useful information that they got from this seminar.