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Vanguard

For want of β-carotene: DA, BPI greenlight Golden Rice

Last December 10, the Philippines became the first country in Asia to achieve government approval for Golden Rice. This came after two years of rigorous research and vetting by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) of the Department of Agriculture, as initiated by an application jointly submitted by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and…

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Vanguard

Wary of water: Reviewing the International Disaster Conference 2019

Consider for a moment the power of water: without it, agriculture would be impossible and sanitation would be an afterthought. Yet, in excess, it can flood cities, drown life forms, and cripple even the mightiest economies. During the International Disaster Conference 2019 held at The Peninsula Manila last November 21, matters concerning the depletion of…

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Vanguard

Clearing the smoke: Often buried truths about e-cigarette use

November 15 was pivotal—it marked the day when the first case of electronic cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI) was recorded in the Philippines. The diagnosed patient, aged 16, was said to only have started using electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in March of this year. This news came amid a slew of 2,290…

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Headlines Vanguard

Exoplanets, exploring extraterrestrial signs of life tackled in Cosmology lectures

The Philippine Astronomical Society, Inc., in partnership with the Physics Society of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), held a set of lectures titled Exoplanets: The Physics and Biochemistry of Searching for the Next Earth at the Claro M. Recto Hall in PUP last November 16.  The event featured advancements in the fields of…

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Vanguard

Getting PrEP-ed: PH on confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic

Annually since 1988, all United Nations member states—including the Philippines—commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1. The initiative, started by the World Health Organization, aims to shed light on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which have claimed the lives of 30 to 41 million people worldwide. This year’s theme…