UP NIGS faculty Dr. Gabriel Theophilus V. Valera participated in Liwanagan sa Diliman 2026 held on 16-17 September 2026, at the Aldaba Hall, UP Theater Complex. The event was organized by the UP Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development (OVCRD) as part of the Saliksikhay: Diliman Research, Innovation, Development, and Extension (RIDE) Festival 2026. Dr. Valera presented “Written in Stone: Rediscovering our Geologic Past Using the Rock Record”, drawing from his research on the metamorphic rocks of the Zamboanga Peninsula, a research supported by the UP Diliman OVCRD through the Ph.D. Incentive Award.
The presentation highlighted how geological materials such as rocks can provide valuable evidence for understanding the processes and events that shaped a region through geologic time. Through his research on metamorphic rocks in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Dr. Valera contributes to the continuing study and interpretation of the Philippines’ geologic history. It also provided an opportunity to share the experiences behind conducting geological research.
Through the participation of its faculty in platforms such as Liwanagan sa Diliman, NIGS continues to share its expertise in the geosciences while promoting greater appreciation of geological research and the processes involved in understanding the country’s geologic past.