Behind The Science Podcast

Behind The Science Podcast and The Pod Network Entertainment

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Every research paper holds more than just data. It carries years of dedication, sleepless nights, and setbacks. Behind The Science Podcast takes you beyond the published pages and into the real stories of discovery. New episode every Thursday at 7:00 PM. Hosted by: Paul Caesar M. Flores, DSc Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6QCdWywAAAAJ&hl=en

4d ago

Ep143 - Lava Dome Growth and Collapse of the 2023 Mayon Volcano Eruption

In this episode, we talk with Mr. Aris Paolo Castro, an instructor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, UP Diliman, about his study tracking how Mayon Volcano's lava dome grew and collapsed during its 2023 eruption. Using free satellite images from Landsat and Sentinel-2, the study tracked Mayon's summit from August 2022 to December 2023 and identified five phases where the dome grew and four phases where it collapsed, cross-checking each observation against PHIVOLCS's daily activity bulletins. 📚Reference: Castro AP, Jatulan PM, Principe JA, Tamondong AM. 2026. Spatiotemporal modeling of lava dome evolution of Mt. Mayon during its 2023 eruption using remote sensing data. ISPRS Ann Photogramm Remote Sens Spat Inf Sci. X-5/W4-2025:159–164.
Sep 24

Ep142 - Regional Risks and Policy Responses to Fall Armyworm Invasion in Davao Region

In this episode, we talk with Mr. Karl Fritze S. Sampiano, an entomologist and faculty member at Davao Oriental State University, about his study on the risks and policy responses needed for the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) invasion in the Davao Region. First detected in the Philippines in 2019, this invasive pest — native to the Americas and capable of flying up to 100 kilometers in a single night — has spread rapidly across the country's corn and rice farms. 📚Reference: Sampiano KFS. 2026. Assessing regional risks and policy responses to fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) invasion in Davao Region. Davao Res J. 17(1):14–20.
Sep 17

Ep141 - Fishery status of mangrove clams in Davao Region

In this episode, we talk with Mr. Michael Jeriel Bersaldo, a marine biology instructor at SPAMAST, about his study on the fishery status of imbao, the mangrove clam that's one of the most sought-after shellfish in Davao region. A 2010 assessment had found the fishery over-exploited, leading to a policy regulating the size of clams that gleaners are allowed to harvest. Using transect and quadrat sampling designed with the help of local gleaners across Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, and Davao del Sur, the study re-assessed the fishery status and found imbao still abundant enough for gleaners to sustain their livelihood in all three areas. But in Davao del Sur, the clams being caught averaged just 3.2 cm which is smaller than those in Davao Oriental (4.0 cm) and Davao Occidental (4.2 cm). The small size in Davao del Sur points to overharvesting and if left unchecked, harvesting immature clams could drive a severe local decline. Research highlight: Bersaldo MJI, Llameg MB, Avenido PM. 2021. Mangrove clam (Pegophysema philippiana) fishery status in Davao region. Davao Res J. 12(5):6-9.
Sep 10

Ep140 - Diploma for Sale: Diploma Mills in Higher Education in the Philippines

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Karol Mark Yee, Executive Director of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), about the growing problem of diploma mills in Philippine higher education — schools that hand out real-looking diplomas without delivering real education. Dr. Yee explains that the Philippines is especially exposed because it has one of the largest higher education systems in the world. It has 2,400 colleges and universities, which is about half the size of the entire US system. Many of these schools survive on tiny enrollments (30% have fewer than 500 students) and simply can't afford the qualified faculty, laboratories, or journal access that a real degree requires. These diploma mills are a direct risk to students and a betrayal of the families paying for their education. ⌛Chapters 02:22 Intro and welcome 06:24 Dr. Yee's journey from Broadcast Communication to education policy 21:28 What is a diploma mill, and how easy is it to start one? 31:53 Graduate school diploma mills: who gets victimized and why 35:33 The promotion loophole, fake theses, and predatory journals 48:06 EDCOM 2's plan to crack down on diploma mills 53:05 Advice for choosing a legitimate school 55:26 Closing and where to follow EDCOM 2
Sep 3

Ep139 - Meteorological Research by Jesuit Priests in the Philippines (1860s–1940s)

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kerby Alvarez, a historian at the Department of History, University of the Philippines Diliman, about his study tracing the history of Philippine meteorology. Long before PAGASA existed, the Observatorio Meteorológico de Manila (OMM) — founded by Jesuit priests in 1865 — and its successor, the Philippine Weather Bureau (PWB) spent nearly a century turning typhoons into a subject of serious scientific study. Drawing on archives in the Philippines, the US, and Spain, Dr. Alvarez shows how these institutions published hundreds of reports, built a regional network with weather observatories across Asia, and even got caught in a diplomatic dispute with Hong Kong's observatory in 1899. As a historian, he traces not just what these scientists discovered, but how their writing, data-keeping, and international collaborations were shaped by the political currents of Spanish and American colonial rule in the Philippines. ⌛Chapters 00:01:51 Intro and welcoming Dr. Kerby Alvarez 00:03:15 Getting to know Dr. Alvarez as a historian 00:14:55 Filipino holidays and historical memory 00:22:24 The paper: a history of Philippine meteorological science 00:26:42 Building the Manila Observatory and Philippine Weather Bureau 00:48:11 The Manila–Hong Kong observatory feud 00:50:34 Funding historical research, other disasters studied, and advice for aspiring historians 01:02:07 Closing 📚Reference: Alvarez KC. 2025. Scientific textualizations of tropical cyclones in the Philippines: the scientific activities of the Observatorio Meteorológico de Manila (OMM) and Philippine Weather Bureau (PWB), 1860s–1940s. Hist Meteorol. 12:1–26. 🤝Behind The Science Podcast is in partnership with the UP Resilience Institute
Aug 27

Ep138 - Is the Philippines Ready for Nuclear Energy?

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Carlo Arcilla, a geologist and former director of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) and the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences, about whether the Philippines is ready for nuclear energy. He explains why the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents people associate with nuclear energy are not likely to happen Bataan. He also addresses the geologic hazard concerns in the BNPP. Dr. Arcilla also asserts that the Philippines is ready for nuclear energy but he will not advocate for it until the independent regulators are appointed. 0:00 Introduction 2:19 From Catanduanes to geology 15:23 Turning Payatas garbage into electricity 18:47 Leading PNRI and the nuclear waste problem 24:19 The Bataan plant, Chernobyl, and Fukushima29:15 Why an independent nuclear regulator comes first 31:36 Expensive electricity and the three sister plants still running 36:35 The fault question, Mount Natib, and the evidence 40:47 The DOE surveys: why most Filipinos favor nuclear 44:26 Do we have the engineers to run a nuclear plant? 47:25 Other proposed sites — and is the Philippines ready? 52:01 A 40-year-old plant, TRISO fuel, and small modular reactors 55:27 Advice to aspiring researchers, and alkaline water from nuclear research
Aug 20

Ep137 - Counterfactual analysis of the impact of Project NOAH on disaster risk reduction

In this episode, we talk with Mr. Jude Vito Custodio Agapito about his study on whether Project NOAH, the Philippine government's flagship disaster risk reduction program, actually saved lives. Using counterfactual analysis of hazard data from 1986 to 2024, the study compares fatalities and damages before and after operations research was embedded into the government's Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment system in 2014. While the cost of damages from typhoons and floods stayed consistent over both periods, average annual fatalities dropped by about 76%, from over 1,200 deaths per year to around 295, suggesting that the program may have saved more than 7,000 lives over the past decade. 📚Reference: Agapito JVC, Rosales RML, Pascual AC, Concepcion CR, Lagmay AMFA. 2026. Counterfactual evidence on the impacts of operations research on Philippine disaster risk reduction efforts. Disaster Prev Manag. 35(6):44–63. 🤝 Behind The Science Podcast is in partnership with the UP Resilience Institute
Aug 13

Ep136 - Coat of arms, logos, and seals

In this episode, we talk with Ms. Eulah Araullo, Creative Lead at Canva and one of the Philippines' top educational content creators (@eulahexplains), about the design principles behind coats of arms, logos, and seals. We discuss the distinction between these three symbols, and how colonial history continues to shape Philippine seals today.

Every research paper holds more than just data. It carries years of dedication, sleepless nights, and setbacks. Behind The Science Podcast takes you beyond the published pages and into the real stories of discovery. New episode every Thursday at 7:00 PM. Hosted by: Paul Caesar M. Flores, DSc Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6QCdWywAAAAJ&hl=en

Creator

Behind The Science Podcast and The Pod Network Entertainment
Years Active

2024 - 2026
Episodes

146
Rating

Clean
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© Behind The Science Podcast and The Pod Network Entertainment
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