JOEY OCON:
POWERING THE FUTURE FOR FILIPINO ENERGY SCIENTISTS
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ost of the youth today are unaware of their own potential but it does not mean that it will not manifest in time. Despite difficulties, anything is possible when one is equipped with a dedicated mind and a determined heart. Just like Dr. Joey Ocon, fueled by his passion in science, who persisted through his mission in advancing energy science research in the Philippines and lighting up the path for young aspiring scientists to follow in his footsteps. A NAST-TWAS awardee
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Medals, trophies, and plaques—as much as these are objects meant to display and boast about, such awards primarily serve as a pat on the back, a motivation to do better. Such is the case for Dr. Joey Ocon, the 2019 recipient of the National Academy of Science and Technology and The World Academy of Sciences (NAST-TWAS) Prize and formerly one of the 2015 NAST Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS) awardees. Considered as among the most prestigious grants for scientific work in developing countries, the TWAS Prize is given to recognize and support outstanding young scientists in developing countries. w ri t te n by Nikka Joy Macasa Pauline Alyanna Lontok Kyla Carmea Javier
Only one TWAS Prize is awarded to a young outstanding scientist in each developing country, annually. This year, the awarding took place online during the NAST 42nd Annual Scientific Meeting. For Dr. Ocon, to receive such recognition validates his contributions and work in the university for the past five years. “I think ang message lang for me is that I’m on the right path in terms of my career, as a professor and a scientist,” he affirms. Behind the success
g r a p hi c s by Hanz Salvacion
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Ocon’s passion for science stems from his childhood. Growing up in Davao where there are little to no opportunities to pursue science as a career, he did not have a role model to look up to. He attributes his interest in the sciences to the books that he read as a child. “As young as early grade school, I was doing a lot of experiments [on] plant extracts and then gumagawa [ako] ng mga ointments from a certain plant na nabasa ko sa isang science book,” he said. He was also interested in mathematics, which led him to decide on pursuing a science-related career. Eventually, he took up a Chemical Engineering course in UP Diliman for his undergraduate studies.
scientia vol 27 no 1
