Last May 5 at Hotel Del Rio, some experts on climate change presented their findings with issues and concerns in a symposium entitled, Enhancing Communities' Capacity to Confront Extreme Geo-Meteorological Events at the Core of Climate Change.

Deputy Administrator for Research and Development of the PAG-ASA, Dr. Nathaniel Servando discussed Climate Change-Related Extreme Weather Conditions, while Dr. Rodolfo Tamayo Jr. of the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences discussed Climate Change Related Extreme Geological Events.

Because of his contribution in providing information about leptospiral disease, President Arroyo conferred the rank and title of national scientist to Dr. Teodulo Masangao Topacio Jr.

The conferment was made under Proclamation No. 1762 and was made based on the recommendation of the national Academy of Science and Technology.

Experts announced that a fatal fungus that has killed hundreds of different kinds of frogs in the US is now harming five different frog species in Asia, specifically in the Philippines.

US and Filipino scientists found out that Philippines is the third country in Asia to be affected by the chytrid fungus, which targets the skin of frogs and distresses the arrangement of tadpoles' body parts.

To have a genetically modified (GM) kamote (sweet potato) in the next five years, Filipino scientists from Visayas State University (VSU) and the University of the Philippines Los Banos , Institute of plant Breeding (UPLB-IPB) are now working on the development virus resistant sweet potato (VRSP) through agro bacterium-mediated transformation.

Sweet potato is popular cash crop abundantly in more than 12, 500 hectares in the Philippines. Of 15 known sweet-potato viruses worldwide, eight of these can be found in the country.