Romulo Gelbolingo Davide (born March 14, 1934, in

Argao, Cebu Argao, officially the Municipality of Argao (; ), is a municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,187 people. Geography The municipality of Argao is located in the southeast of the ...

) is a Filipino philanthropist, scientist and farmers' advocate who is a recipient of the

Ramon Magsaysay Award The Ramon Magsaysay Award (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Gawad Ramon Magsaysay'') is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, ...

in 2012.

Personal life

He is the older brother of Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr. and is the fifth of seven children. His father, Hilario Panerio Davide, was a school superintendent while his mother, Josefa Lopez Gelbolingo, was a public school teacher. He is married to Clara Lebumfacil, who is also a scientist. He was a member of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity.

Scientific career

He is regarded as the father of

Nematology Nematology is the scientific discipline concerned with the study of nematodes, or roundworms. Although nematological investigation dates back to the days of Aristotle or even earlier, nematology as an independent discipline has its recognizable ...

in the Philippines for his discovery of nematode-trapping fungi P. lilacinus and P. oxalicum leading to creating BIOCON, the first Philippine biological pesticide against nematode pests as a substitute to chemicals. Davide studied at the

University of the Philippines Los Baños The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB; ), also referred to as UP Los Baños or colloquially as Elbi (), is a public research university primarily located in the towns of Los Baños and Bay in the province of Laguna, some 65 kilo ...

College of Agriculture in 1953-1957. He became a pioneer of the Farmer-Scientists RDE Training Program (FSTP), a program that trains marginal farmers to employ scientific methods in farming, and package and market their products effectively. Implemented countrywide in the Philippines, FSTP has lifted thousands of farmers from poverty to a new life of independence and affluence. He became professor emeritus of

specializing in Plant Pathology and Nematology at the Plant Pathology Department of the College of Agriculture. On August 8, 2024, Davide was proclaimed as a

National Scientist of the Philippines The Order of National Scientists of the Philippines ( Tagalog: ''Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad ng Agham ng Pilipinas''), abbreviated as ONS, is the highest award accorded to Filipino scientists by the Philippine government. Members of the order ...

by President

Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...

for his work in

nematology Nematology is the scientific discipline concerned with the study of nematodes, or roundworms. Although nematological investigation dates back to the days of Aristotle or even earlier, nematology as an independent discipline has its recognizable ...

and

plant pathology Plant pathology or phytopathology is the scientific study of plant diseases caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Plant pathology involves the study of pathogen identification, disease ...

References

Filipino philanthropists Living people Ramon Magsaysay Award winners 1934 births People from Cebu {{philanthropist-stub