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GLOBE Master Trainer awarded “champion” during the 57th BIOTA National Convention for her advocacy of the GLOBE Mosquito Protocol and Mosquito Habitat Mapper (MHM) Application

During the 57th Biology Teachers Association of the Philippines (BIOTA) National Convention and Scientific Sessions held at the De La Salle Zobel Vermosa Campus on April 27-, 2023 – Ms. Josephine Joy Tolentino-Antalan, a GLOBE Master Trainer and a Biology Teacher from the Philippine Science High School Central Luzon Campus (PSHS-CLC) was awarded “Champion” under the Biodiversity & Conservation Category of the event’s paper/ poster presentation for her research “Visualization and Potential of Mosquito Breeding Sites in the Philippines Using GLOBE MHM Application.” In the presentation, Ms. Tolentino-Antalan highlighted the growing global public concern on mosquito borne diseases, and demonstrated how the GLOBE Program’s Mosquito Protocol in conjunction with its Data Visualization Tool and MHM Application can be used to mobilize local communities and citizen scientists alike to collect, document and share relevant “mosquito data” in order to mitigate the spread of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.

 

Ms. Tolentino-Antalan’s paper/ poster drew a lot of interests from individuals and institutions who are curious about learning how to use GLOBE Mosquito Protocols and the MHM Application as a research tool for mapping and understanding mosquito breeding habitats, and how it can be used and adopted by Local Communities and Government Units in reducing or controlling the spread of mosquito borne diseases. The delegates’ fascination on the poster is expected, considering that mosquito-related diseases, such as dengue and malaria, are a perennial problem in the Philippines where the five-year average cases of dengue is 254,279 with 0.59 case fatality rate, or  1,489 average annual deaths for the same period (2015 – 2019 PSA data).

The BIOTA is one of the largest professional organizations in the Philippines with active members all over the country. Its objective is to promote biology education through participation in the development of curricula and instructional materials; provision of student-oriented activities in biological sciences; and establishment of effective linkages with private and public institutions involved in biology education and research.

In addition to Ms. Tolentino-Antalan’s award, she was also elected as one of the Board of Directors (Basic Education Level) of the National Governing Board of BIOTA Philippines for 2023-2025. According to her, she intends to use her new position “to reach out to more secondary schools in the country to do the GLOBE Program and become citizen scientists… and conduct capacity building trainings for teachers and students.”

Ms. Josephine Joy Tolentino-Antalan, joined the GLOBE Program in 2018. Besides, being a certified GLOBE Trainer and Master Trainer, she is also a member of the Science Education Working Group, and was instrumental in the successful implementation of the Philippines’ Local and Regional Mosquito Workshop Campaign (L/RMW) from 2018 to 2020. She holds the rank of Special Science Teacher IV at the PSHS-CLC – the Philippines’ premiere science high school.

The GLOBE Program (Philipppines) congratulates Ms. Josephine Joy Tolentino-Antalan for her latest accomplishment. For collaboration opportunities with Ms. Tolentino-Antalan, visit her GLOBE Webpage at : https://www.globe.gov/web/jjtolentino for contact details.

News origin: Philippines

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