Supertyphoons, severe floods and devastating droughts caused by climate change threaten the way of life of the Filipino, negatively affecting food and water security, health, livelihood, among others.  In response, the Oscar M. Lopez Center funds innovations intended to minimize vulnerability and strengthen community resilience.  In awarding the 2015 Oscar M. Lopez grants, Center Chairman Federico R. Lopez called for sound science transformed into practical action.

Last Nov. 4, OML Center awarded grants to the following:

• ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY (Main Proponent: Dr. SEVERINO G. SALMO III, Assistant Professor), for the project “A Comparative Analysis Among Disturbed, Restored and Natural Mangrove Stands in the Vulnerability and Adaptability Against Climate Change”;
• DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY (Main Proponent: Dr. KRISTA DANIELLE S. YU, Associate Professor) for the project “Development of a Web-based Tool for Disaster Risk Reduction: A Dynamic Inoperability Input-Output Model for the Philippines”; and
• DILIMAN SCIENCE RESEARCH FOUNDATION (Main Proponent: Dr. BENJAMIN VALLEJO JR.) for the project “Development of Climate Envelope Models for Assessing climate change risk for Milkfish (Chanos chanos Forsskål) aquaculture in coastal ponds”

Leading the grant-awarding ceremony were OML Center Chairman of the Board Federico R. Lopez and members of the board of trustees Mr. Arthur de Guia, Mr. Teodorico Delfin, Mr. Elpidio Ibanez, and Mr. Art Valdez. Witnessing the grant-awarding were Mr. Washington SyCip, Amb. Delia Albert, NDRRMC Chief Undersecretary Alexander Pama, among others.