InsiderPH features the inspiring stories of Metrobank Foundation’s awardees as Outstanding Filipino for 2024 — teachers, soldiers and police officers who are making significant contributions to nation building.
Dr. Decibel V. Faustino-Eslava, fondly called Doc Dei, stands at the forefront of this critical field. A professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños - School of Environmental Science and Management (UPLB-SESAM) since 2011, she has spent her career unraveling the complexities of our planet’s systems to inform solutions for a sustainable future.
A pioneer in environmental education, it was during her term as the Dean of the UPLB-SESAM that the school began the process of creating the groundbreaking doctorate program in Environmental Diplomacy and Negotiations (EDN).
This first-of-its-kind program trains future environmental negotiators to address the increasing number of environmental conflicts requiring expertise not only in the biophysical sciences but also in wider interdisciplinary work.
This first-of-its-kind program trains future environmental negotiators to address the increasing number of environmental conflicts requiring expertise not only in the biophysical sciences but also in wider interdisciplinary work.
By fostering strategic partnerships for the EDN with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the National Security Council, Dr. Eslava has positioned UPLB-SESAM as a leading center for environmental education and research. By late 2023, the EDN program has already seen its third batch of enrollees, comprising professionals from various sectors and countries, demonstrating its growing impact.
Dr. Eslava has expanded the reach of environmental education beyond UPLB. Her leadership has driven the establishment of graduate programs in Environmental Science in both the Visayas and the Mindanao regions.
Through her efforts, UP Tacloban adopted the Masters of Science in Environmental Science program, while the UP Professional School for Agriculture and the Environment in Mindanao established both masteral and doctorate programs. These initiatives have empowered students in these regions to become catalysts for local environmental and community development.
In research, Dr. Eslava has delved deep into the environmental impacts of extractive industries, particularly mining, in critical watersheds like the Agno River basin in Pangasinan. Project PAMANA, “Philippine Mining at The National to Catchment Scale: From Legacy Impacts to Sustainable Futures”, a flagship initiative, employed innovative technologies to assess, monitor, and chart a path toward sustainable futures.
Through collaboration with the United Kingdom institutions, national and local government agencies, and local communities, the project developed a comprehensive framework for catchment management, balancing environmental protection with socio-economic needs.
Dr. Eslava has been actively conducting investigations into the health of Laguna de Bay. She co-authored the publication “Rediscovering Laguna de Bay,” offering invaluable insights into the lake’s past, its present condition, and visions for its future.
Through her mentorship, Dr. Eslava has fostered a research community dedicated to understanding and protecting this vital ecosystem, resulting in policy briefs, publications, and other knowledge materials.
Dr. Eslava’s commitment to bridging the gap between research and practice is evident in Project SARAi, or the “Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines”. This initiative translates cutting-edge agricultural technologies into practical solutions for farmers.
Demonstrating adaptability, Dr. Eslava successfully transitioned SARAi into an online platform during the pandemic, reaching over 9,000 participants, including farmers, agricultural technicians, students, and research staff from 28 partner institutions.
Dr. Eslava has also led Project LIGTAS, or the “Landslide Investigations on Geohazards for Timely Advisories in the Philippines”, which uses a non-structural approach and real-time monitoring to address the urgent threat of landslides in high-risk areas such as the Southern Tagalog, Bicol Peninsula, and Benguet province. Through real-time monitoring and early warning systems, LIGTAS empowers communities to better prepare for and respond to rainfall-induced landslides.
Dr. Eslava’s contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. Among these are the Leadership Excellence Award from the Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations Distinction Award for the Geologist Profession – Council for the Built and Natural Environments, the National Research Council of the Philippines’ Achievement Award, and the University of the Philippines Scientific Productivity System Scientist distinction for continuous cycles.
These recognitions, alongside multiple One UP Professional Chair Award Grants and UP President’s International Publication Awards, underscore her significant impact on environmental science.
Dr. Eslava completed her bachelor’s degree in geology at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, University of the Philippines Diliman from 1992-1997. She then pursued a master’s degree in Geology at the same institution, finishing in 2000.
She furthered her studies in Japan, completing a master’s degree in systems in natural environments at Kumamoto University from 2001-2003. Dr. Eslava earned her doctorate in geology from The University of Hong Kong, where she studied from 2004-2009. — Metrobank Foundation
