The Museum is full steam ahead in preparing commemorative activities in line with the National Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines (NQC) which will officially start on 27 April 2021, the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan. The NQC also highlights the 500th anniversary of the Philippine part in the first circumnavigation of the world.

In 1522, the Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan "completed the first circumnavigation of the world and empirically proved that the Earth was indeed round. The said achievement of the expedition advanced our understanding of our home planet vis-à-vis the development of science and technology." (nqc.gov.ph)

In simple ceremonies with biosafety protocols held last 22 March 2021 at the MNH Building, the directorship of the Museum was formally turned over by Dr. Juan Carlos T. Gonzalez, curator for birds and past director to Dr. Marian P. De Leon, a curator for microbes.

Dr. De Leon, University Researcher II and curator of the Microbial Culture Collection was selected by Chancellor Jose DV. Camacho, Jr. to serve as the museum's 12th director starting 15 March 2021. Gonzalez served the Museum for two terms and is passing the baton to De Leon to "successfully fulfill the Museum's mission and goals."

The UPLB Museum of Natural History is glad to announce that it will be participating in an upcoming research collaboration which will be conducted in Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines with funding from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).

According to Prof. Phillip A. Alviola, curator for bats and other small mammals at the Museum, the JST has just approved the funding of five proposals submitted by scientists as a response to the call for non-medical research as countermeasures for COVID-19 under the e-ASIA Joint Research Program (e-ASIA JRP).

The search for the new Director of the UPLB Museum of Natural History is now ongoing! The Search Committee is now inviting stakeholders to nominate potential candidates for the position.

Who may nominate?

• Personnel of the unit
• Curators, students and other stakeholders of the unit
• Alumni of the unit

The UPLB Museum of Natural History recently received a sizeable donation consisting of thousands of shell specimens from the Baysac family of Binan, Laguna. The Baysac Family bequeathed the specimens to the museum after several correspondences by Janet Martires of Los Baños-based NGO Yakap Kalikasan with Coordinator for Collections Management, Jeremy Carlo B. Naredo.

The UPLB Museum of Natural History is advising all clients such as students, researchers and scientists, members of the academe, government and private sectors, as well as the general public that it is now implementing a new schedule of fees for (1) entrance to its Integrated Biodiversity Exhibit and Hortorium and (2) analytical services starting 01 January 2021.

The implementation of the new scheduled is approved by the Office of the Chancellor, through Memo No. 171 (see bit.ly/MNH-rates-approval) last 20 November 2020.

For quick reference, please download the schedule via this link: https://bit.ly/MNH-new-rates.