INDUCTION SPEECH

of the

2009 PRESIDENT of the

GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE PHILIPPINES

F.G. Delfin Jr.

PNOC President Antonio Cailao, members of the Geology Board Examiners, distinguished guests, and fellow geologists.

Just as President Obama thanked President Bush for his service to the American nation, I must thank 2008 GSP President Abet Morillo for his service to our Society.  As you know, both Abet and George Bush are oil men but unlike Bush, Abet steered our Society towards growth, cooperation with others and, away from economic ruin that now grips us all.

And during these times of economic hardship and uncertainty, geologists and the geological profession are often among the earliest victims; and indeed we are beginning to hear of mine closures, exploration suspension, staff retrenchments and scaled back investments here and in neighboring countries. Thus, it is easy to be disheartened and to be resigned to the boom-and-bust cycle of our profession.  Recent events and pressing concerns, however, should not only dispel this pessimism but highlight the vital and sustained role that geologists play in national affairs. To illustrate, geologists are crucial in the following issues:

• 1.    Defining the country’s extended continental shelf in compliance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas;

• 2.    Assessing the geologic hazards of the Philippine Nuclear Power Plant-1 site as a precondition for the rehabilitation and safe operation of this mothballed power facility;

• 3.    Championing mineral development among LGUs and institutions hostile to mining;

• 4.    Minimizing the risk of communities to natural calamities like floods, landslides, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions;

• 5.    Harnessing indigenous energy resources to secure the country’s energy supply, in view of volatile world oil prices and the recently enacted Renewable Energy Law, and

• 6.    Helping ensure the safety of both built and natural environments.

Hence, whether the issues are once-in-a-generation such as those for the continental shelf and the nuclear plant site, or everyday concerns like natural hazards and resource extraction, geological wisdom is crucial.  Legitimate differences of opinions among Society members about some issues like mining or the nuclear plant site, for example, should not deter us from supplying these divergent geological interpretations; in fact, these differences in opinions are helpful in crafting more nuanced and credible policy decisions.

          For 2009 therefore, the Society’s emphasis would be to:

• 1.    Promote rational, informed, and effective discussion on matters geological, through publications, symposia, the GSP website, and through our Annual Geological Convention;

• 2.    Encourage more cross-sectoral collaboration among industry, academe, and government on public policies affecting our profession and industries;

• 3.    Sustain the professionalization and accountability of our members through the competent persons program, the Philippine Mining Reporting Code; and more frequent dialogue with the Geology Board of Examiners;

• 4.    Encourage industries to provide more opportunities for field or hands-on training to undergraduate students to supplement their university education with practical and relevant skills. Quite often, we see university graduates experts at theorizing but deficient in basic methodological skills like mapping, microscopy, geochemical sampling, or geophysical surveys.

While your new Board of Directors and officers work out the implementation details of these goals, let me end this address by sharing some update on these matters.

1.    This year’s Geocon will be held from Dec. 2-3 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. The Honorary Chair is the esteemed Mr. Francisco Navarro of Philodrill, and the co-chairs are GSP Vice President Noel Salonga of EDC and Mr. Anthony Ferrer of Nido Petroleum.  We should expect a first circular about the Geocon soon.

2.    The digitization of JGSP back issues is 100% complete and corresponding abstracts have already been uploaded on our Website for free. We hope to complete this project by mid-year, and even as we complete this we are also making arrangements for easier payment by subscribers for full articles downloaded.

3.    While the spheres of competency among the geological, mining engineering, and metallurgical engineering professions have been previously agreed upon among the three professional organizations, we will continuously remind our members and competent persons about the proper extent of their authority and their corresponding responsibilities to avoid needless misunderstandings among professional bodies, and

4.    The long-term survival of our profession and the longevity of our Society depend critically on ensuring that young people see “geology” as a noble and rewarding profession and are excited to join it. To this end, we will continue to support the programs establishing “high school geology clubs” initiated last year by Mr. Morillo and the attendant activities related to this.

This last activity is particularly critical in cultivating a more receptive environment to the geology profession and the resource extraction industry in particular. Through GSP’s efforts and with your corporate and individual support, we hope that our activities as Filipino geologists and as resource developers, rather than being stoned at every turn, will be widely accepted, welcomed, and praised by our countrymen.

A pleasant evening to all of us!!! Maraming salamat po.