Wazzup Pilipinas!?
The ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly (ASDA) proudly celebrates its 10th Founding Anniversary under the theme “A Decade of Science Diplomacy: Bridging Divides, Inspiring Lives.” This milestone is marked by a landmark partnership between two visionary leaders: globally eminent science diplomat Glenn Banaguas (The Scientist), widely recognized as the Father of Asian Science Diplomacy, and Hon. Brian Poe Llamanzares (The Policymaker), a dynamic legislator celebrated for his compassion, steadfast support for the youth, and advocacy for science, technology, and innovation.
The ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly traces its roots to the Philippines, where it was founded in 2010 by Science Diplomat Glenn Banaguas as a pioneering initiative to harness science not for prestige but for service, protecting lives, strengthening communities, and building resilience in the face of uncertainty. Born in vulnerable communities and guided by the conviction that knowledge must serve, this genesis of science diplomacy became a covenant between science and society. In 2016, the vision was replicated and expanded to the ASEAN region through the US‑ASEAN Science and Technology Fellowship, a program of the US State Department in partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat, establishing ASDA as a regional platform for dialogue, collaboration, and capacity‑building. Since its inception, the Assembly has advanced the practice of science diplomacy across Southeast Asia, empowering emerging leaders to bridge scientific knowledge with policy action and fostering resilience.
This partnership underscores ASDA’s enduring mission to unite science, policy, and diplomacy in addressing urgent issues such as climate change, sustainability, and resilience. At the same time, it expands its reach into critical domains that shape everyday life, including food security, energy, water, human health, infrastructure, and transport, while embracing the challenges and opportunities brought by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
Glenn Banaguas remarked, “Science diplomacy is the art of transforming dialogue into trust, and trust into purposeful action that safeguards peace, fortifies security, nurtures resilience, and upholds sustainability as the enduring measure of progress. It is more than negotiation; it is a covenant of nations, disciplines, and communities to consecrate knowledge in the service of humanity. As we commemorate a decade of the ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly, we renew our solemn commitment to ensure that science, guided by empathy and elevated by diplomacy, continues to inspire lives, unite peoples, and shape a future worthy of humanity’s highest aspirations.”
Brian Poe Llamanzares emphasized the legislative dimension, saying, “Science must never remain confined within the walls of laboratories; it must be translated into policies that uplift lives and secure the future of our people. As lawmakers, we bear the solemn duty to transform knowledge into institutions that safeguard peace, strengthen security, and nurture resilience. This responsibility is not only legislative but moral, for it calls us to ensure that discoveries and innovations are woven into governance so they serve both present and future generations. In this way, sustainability becomes not merely an aspiration but a living promise, a legacy measured not by statistics alone, but by the dignity it protects, the hope it sustains, and the futures it illuminates.”
The 10th Anniversary celebration will convene diplomats, scientists, policymakers, and advocates from across ASEAN, highlighting the Assembly’s legacy of fostering dialogue and cooperation. The partnership between Banaguas and Poe Llamanzares signals a new chapter in advancing science diplomacy as a cornerstone of authentic development.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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