A Children's Book Collection About Filipino Scientists? It's About Time

Imagine the earth’s oceans—vast, limitless, and overflowing with species and lifeforms that are vital to maintaining harmony within its own ecosystem. Deep below lies an entire living world that fascinates many but is explored only by a few because of hindrances that limit the scientific capacity of man. Logistics, technology, physical constraints, you name it.

And there are people who continue to make efforts in helping us understand the wonders that lie beneath. One of which is Dr. Deo Florence Onda, the first Filipino to ever explore Emden Deep, the third deepest place in the world. Despite being located barely 100 kilometers away from Eastern Samar, in the Philippine Trench, it remains a highly inaccessible region. But that doesn’t mean it’s untouched by humans. 

This pioneering discovery inspired a collaboration between the University of the Philippines-Diliman’s College of Science (UPD-CS) and College of Arts and Letters (UPD-CAL) for a series of multilingual children’s books based on the lives of Filipino researchers. 

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The pilot volume of the Sulong-Agham Book Series is “Doktor ng Dagat,” a story of Dr. Onda’s life and his dedication to raising public awareness about the need to safeguard the country’s abundant marine resources. The narrative is brought to life by Dr. Rosario Torres-Yu while illustrations are crafted by Paul Eric Roca. A feat in terms of accessibility, it is also written in multiple languages: Filipino, English, and Dr. Onda’s native Cuyonon. 

By showcasing the lives and works of Filipino scientists, this project aims to spark the interest of Filipino children and encourage them to pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. “We hope that this series of stories, beginning with Dr. Onda’s, will help bring about a new generation of scientists and a more science-minded public,” says Dr. Torres-Yu. 

“Doktor ng Dagat” and the Sulong-Agham Book Series will be formally launched on December 12, 2022 at 4:00 PM in the lobby of the CS Administration Building in UP Diliman. Supling Sining is open to sponsors who are interested in gifting the book to underserved communities, at just ?100 a copy.