
A PROFESSOR from the UST Journalism department has reaped the 2025 Outstanding Scientific Paper Award from the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Philippines, the highest recognition and scientific advisory body of the country.
Journalism professor and UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education director Prof. Jeremaiah Opiniano co-authored the winning paper titled “Remittance investment climate analysis: Ascertaining the local development potential of overseas remittances in Philippine rural hometowns” with Prof. Alvin Ang, chair of the Ateneo de Manila University Department of Economics.
“We are thrilled to share that the [NAST Philippines] has selected the paper by Dr. Alvin P. Ang and Dr. Jeremaiah M. Opiniano as the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Scientific Paper Award,” Ateneo de Manila University’s Economics department said in a Facebook post on June 9.
The research, which spanned over eight years, analyzed the climate of remittance investment in six towns in the country to determine their potential in helping economic growth. It was published in November 2024 in the Asian and Pacific Migration Journal.
NAST gives the recognition annually to authors of outstanding papers in various fields, including agricultural, mathematical, health and social sciences, that were published within the last five years.
The academy selects papers based on the following criteria: quality of content, contribution to science and technology, clarity of presentation and thoroughness of documentation.
Qualified papers must be published in Thomson Reuters or journals listed in SCOPUS, a large interdisciplinary research database by the publishing company Elsevier. They are nominated by journal or publication editors and leaders of scientific organizations.
Opiniano is the founder of the Overseas Filipino Workers Journalism Consortium. He is also a committee member of the Philippine Migration Research Network.
Opiniano made history recently as the first faculty member of the oldest Journalism program in Southeast Asia to earn the rank of full professor.
READ: Oldest Journalism program in Southeast Asia now has first full professor
Operating under the Department of Science and Technology, NAST is an advisory body for the government that provides incentives for scientific research. The state-funded academy also manages the Philippine Science Heritage Center. F