Pedro
Bolivar Escuro, Ph.D.
August
2, 1923 – present
Alba,
Raphaello * Balonsay, Charlaine Mae * Cerdan, Earl Jan
Kit,
Ma. Bianca Ysabelle * Maaño, Ella May * Muyco, Camille Austine
Reyes,
Jermaine Audrey * Santos, Ann Denise Patricia * Tarras, Ancel
Abstract
– rice is the staple food of Filipinos, and as this is a very important part of
the Filipino culture, this project aims to introduce a Filipino scientist,
Pedro B. Escuro, who has given significant contribution in producing and
breeding high quality rice for the country. The aforementioned scientist is
said to be a much-admired plant breeder and geneticist, who specializes in rice
breeding and rice genetics. The project will furthermore discuss the personal
life, career, contributions, and recognitions and awards received by Pedro
Escuro.
Tags: Pedro Bolivar Escuro,
geneticist, plant breeder, instructor, C-series, C4-63, Presidential Plaque of Merit, Rizal Pro Patria Medal, Presidential
Citation, Plaque of Merit from Nabua Freewheeling Club, Honorary Fellow
Award from Crop Science Society of the Philippines, First
G. O. Ocfemia Memorial Award from Society for Microbiology, UP Distinguished Professional Award in
Agriculture, Philsugin Research Achievement Award,
Ayala Award in Agricultural Science, Outstanding Alumnus Award from UP College
of Agriculture Alumni Association, Achievement Award for Significant and
Outstanding Achievements in Rice Breeding and Genetics, Most Distinguished
Alumnus Award, UP Los Banos Alumni Association, Inc., Plaque of Recognition
from Philippine Rice Research Institute, IBM Science and Technology Award and
Diploma of Honor, Distinguished Award in Agriculture from Gamma Sigma Delta The
Honor Society of Agriculture, CSSP Silver Jubilee Award of Distinction from
Crop Science Society of the Philippines
•
PERSONAL
LIFE:
Pedro Bolivar Escuro, born on August
2, 1923, began his lifestyle and research interest in a barrio in Nabus,
Camarines Sur. His parents, Lucio and Aurea, were farmers who owned four
hectares of land, two of which were inherited and the other two were bought by
the couple. The family had 3 surviving children— one of which is Pedro and the
other two Candido and Candida— out of 7 which were born.
Pete, as his friends call him,
started helping out the family as soon as he was strong enough, plowing and
growing rice, exposing him to agriculture at such a young age. He was also the
only child to finish high school. Later on, after graduating fron the
University of the Philippines College of Agriculture, he has become one of the
most outstanding rice breeders and geneticist in the Philippines.
•
ACADEMIC
AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER:
Pete started his primary education
at Naipitan Public School and finished it at Nabua Elementary School because
the former educational institution did not offer Grades V and VI. He, then
enrolled in Camarines Sur High School in Naga to pursue his secondary
education.
Just as he was about to finish his
secondary education, the Japanese invaded the Philippines and World War 2 broke
out. This then made such a huge impact on him and changed the way he perceived
his dreams. He originally wanted to become an Engineer, but upon seeing that
professions like Engineering and Medicine could starve during calamities, he
changed his mind and went on to pursue agriculture instead.
In 1948, he went to Los Baños to
study at the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture and enrolled
under the BS Agriculture, major in Agronomy program. Escuro attained the Bailon
de la Rama scholarship grant on his second year when he achieved the highest
general average in a competitive examination that was opened for financially
challenged students. He was able to retain the said scholarship for three years
before his graduation. He also worked as a carpenter in Cavite City and Camp
Murphy and produced newspapers in Nabua in order to support himself in college.
And with his hard work, he graduated as magna cum laude with a degree of BS
Agriculture in 1952 and was awarded the Joaquin J. Gonzales gold medal for
obtaining the highest general average among his fellow graduates.
After his graduation, Dr. Leon G.
Gonzales, head of the Agronomy Department at that time, offered him a job as an
instructor in the University.
A year later, his superiors sent him
to Ivy League school Cornell University under the US Foreign Operations
Administration - Philippine Council for United States Aid Program to pursue his
MS in Plant Breeding. And from her on, he studied the breeding and genetics of
rice around the world. Here he developed an idea as to the type of rice that
would be best planted in the Philippines. He finished his MS in 1954 and
continued teaching for another 2 years.
In 1956, he took a doctorate degree
in Plant Breeding and Genetics at the University of Minnesota under the
Rockfeller Foundation. He brought along his wife, Manuela Sales, in his stay in
the US and he finished his degree in less than three years.
Escuro returned to the Philippines
in 1959 and resumed teaching while also performing his duty as the new
officer-in-charge at the Department of Agronomy in UPCA. After one year, he
became the head of the department and served until 1964.
From then on, he acquired a great
deal of important positions in various institutes. He attained full
professorship in the University in 1968, and at the same time concentrating on
“creating” or producing breeds of rice for the country. He also became the
Professional Chair in Plant Breeding in 1973 and in 1975 became a Rice
Improvement Specialist in Burma, UNDP-FAO. He was a Plant Breeder in the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) from 1979-1985. He also became a
Senior Scientist for one year, before he moved on to becoming a Consulting
Senior Scientist at the Philippine Rice Research Institute in 1988 until 1991.
•
CONTRIBUTIONS
Pedro Escuro was a pioneer in rice
breeding, and through him, new varieties of rice—as well as a modified version
of the pedigree method—were introduced.
It was during his graduate days that
Escuro came up with the idea of what the quintessential rice plant should be.
Having grown rice himself, Escuro observed that rice, planted in the country,
were generally tall, weak-strawed, tedious to grow and maintain. They matured
late, allowing farmers to plant only one crop a year.
It was these traits that inspired
Escuro to come up with a plant that suited the farmers’ farming conditions. He
placed emphasis on plants that were insect and disease resistant. Escuro also
considered the social factors in breeding and planting rice: for him, it was
the farmers’ adoption of that variety that would deliver the benefits of a new
variety.
Escuro’s greatest contribution is
the C-series, as well as improved varieties of rice. The variety had a highly
desired combination of high yield, strong resistance to insects and diseases,
and excellent grain quality.
C4-63, the first of the C-series to
be introduced for commercial production in 1968, had returned 250-fold the
investment used to produce it. And for the first time, the Philippines became
self-sufficient in rice. It was also used to salvage rice crops infected by
tungro virus from 1971-1972. Despite the floods, droughts and typhoons that
occurred in 1972, the C4 family was grown in 460, 000 hectares, earning an
additional 115 million pesos for the country. By 1975, the C-series was being
planted in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, South Vietnam, South India
and other Southeast Asian countries. The Pacific Islands, Ghana and other West
African countries also adopted the C-series.
•
REGOCNITIONS
AND AWARDS RECEIVED
•
1967: received the
Presidential Plaque of Merit
•
December 30, 1968: the Rizal Pro Patria Medal and the Presidential
Citation
•
1969:
cited for his achievements in agriculture by the Philippine Women’s University.
•
1969:
Plaque of Merit from Nabua Freewheeling Club
•
1971:
Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science honoured him with its 20th
Anniversary Award
•
1972:
Honorary Fellow Award from Crop Science Society of
the Philippines
•
1972: Award of Distinction and Merit as the Most Distinguished
Alumnus of Camarines Sur High school class of 1942
•
1973:
First G. O. Ocfemia Memorial Award from Society for Microbiology
•
1973:
1973 UP Distinguished Professional Award in Agriculture
•
1974: Philsugin Research Achievement Award from Crop Science
Society of the Philippines
•
1975: 1974 Ayala Award in Agricultural Science from Filipinas
Foundation
•
1976: Outstanding Alumnus Award from UP College of Agriculture
Alumni Association
•
1979: Doctor of Science degree, honoris causa
•
1980: Appointed as professor emeritus of Plant Breeding award
•
1984: Achievement Award for Significant and Outstanding
Achievements in Rice Breeding and Genetics
•
1988: Most Distinguished Alumnus Award, UP Los Banos Alumni
Association, Inc.
•
1993: Plaque of Recognition, Philippine Rice Research Institute
•
1993: IBM Science and Technology Award and Diploma of Honor, IBM
Philippines and DOST
•
1993: Distinguished Award in Agriculture, Gamma Sigma Delta The
Honor Society of Agriculture
•
1995: CSSP Silver Jubilee Award of Distinction, Crop Science
Society of the Philippines
•
MEDIA
Photo retrieved from A Directory of the Academicians (page
13) by the National Academy of Science and Technology published at Bicutan,
Taguig at 1981. All rights reserved.
•
REFERENCES
[1]
Andaya, Darhl S., et al. (2000). National
Scientists of the Philippines (1978-1998). Department of Science and
Technology, National Academy of Science and Technology (Philippines). Pasig
City. Anvil Publishing. 2000.
[2]
Saplala, Paz Eulalia L. (1984). Profiles: Men and Women of UPLB.
University of the Philippines Los Banos. 1984.
[3]
National Academy of Science and Technology (1981). A Directory of the Academicians. National Academy of Science and
Technology. Bicutan, Taguig, 1981.
[4]
Department of Science and Technology,
National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST Philippines). Retrieved
from http://www.nast.ph/index.php?option=com_profile&id=80&view=alldetails&template=nast3 Accessed on May 23, 2014
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