Three Tiny Wonders, One Big Breakthrough: UP Scientists Help Uncover Three New Forest Mice in Mindoro

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In the dense, mist-laced forests of Mindoro, where the echoes of tamaraws still haunt the underbrush and the rare Mindoro warty pig roams free, another evolutionary miracle has quietly unfolded beneath the forest floor and among the tangled roots. It’s a discovery so small it could fit in the palm of your hand—but with implications as massive as the island’s rugged mountains.

Three brand-new species of Philippine forest mice, invisible to the world until now, have been officially recognized by science. These tiny mammals, previously misidentified or entirely unknown, are the latest additions to Mindoro’s growing roster of endemic wildlife. And it’s all thanks to the relentless dedication of a team of Filipino scientists, led by the late, great Dr. Danilo Balete, with pivotal contributions from researchers at the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Science’s Institute of Biology (UPD-CS IB).

From 2013 to 2017, Dr. Balete and his team trekked through the relatively unexplored wilderness of Mindoro. Their goal: to survey the island’s forest ecosystems, often overlooked in the broader conservation landscape. What they found was astonishing. Among the island’s leaf litter and mossy rocks skittered three elusive mice—similar in form to the known Apomys gracilirostris, yet strikingly different in behavior, anatomy, and genetic structure.

And so began a scientific odyssey that would span nearly a decade.

Together with Dr. Mariano Roy Duya and Melizar Duya of UPD-CS IB, and in collaboration with international researchers, the team painstakingly analyzed the creatures’ physical and genetic traits. Fur patterns, skull shapes, and mitochondrial DNA sequences were all meticulously compared and cataloged. The result: irrefutable proof that these were not merely variations of known species, but distinct and never-before-seen evolutionary offshoots.

The trio of new species are:

Apomys minor – the smallest of the three, dainty and light-footed, a true miniature of the forest floor.

Apomys crinitus – notable for its distinctively hairy ears, a rare trait that likely plays a role in its adaptation to Mindoro’s unique forest environment.

Apomys veluzi – named in honor of the late Maria Josefa “Sweepea” Veluz, a revered mammalogist of the National Museum of Natural History whose work inspired generations of Filipino biologists.

Their discovery, recently published in the international journal Zootaxa, brings Mindoro’s count of endemic mammal species to twelve—up from nine—firmly establishing it as the smallest island in the world known to host its own clade of newly evolved mammals. In the world of evolutionary biology, this is no small feat. It’s a monumental clue to the intricate web of life that has quietly flourished on the island for millennia, largely shielded from the eyes of modern science.

But the story doesn’t end in Mindoro. The Philippine archipelago, with its complex topography and rich biogeographical history, remains one of the world's most potent hotbeds of biodiversity. Luzon, already hailed for its unique faunal patterns, shares many of the same evolutionary drivers—tectonic shifts, isolation, and habitat fragmentation—that shaped Mindoro's endemic lifeforms. Similarly, parts of Mindanao harbor biological secrets waiting to be revealed.

This is precisely why the Philippines is a dreamland for field biologists and conservationists. With every mountaintop surveyed and every forest floor searched, there is the thrilling possibility of rediscovery—or the naming of something completely new. Yet this scientific goldmine is also fragile. Many of these endemic creatures live in increasingly threatened ecosystems, under the looming pressure of deforestation, climate change, and habitat loss.

Dr. Balete’s work—alongside the contributions of the Duya team and their partners—is more than just academic achievement. It’s a rallying cry. It reminds us that even in a country so often overlooked in global science narratives, we harbor wonders still untold. The tiniest heartbeat in a mouse can reverberate through the corridors of evolutionary history, and it is our responsibility to listen.

In celebrating these new species, we also celebrate the spirit of scientific curiosity, the power of collaboration, and the urgency of conservation. Because in every patch of unexplored forest, another miracle may be waiting.

And we owe it to our future—and the creatures who have been here long before us—to find it, name it, and protect it.

Cover photo:

Mouse A: A. gracilirostris; mouse B: A. veluzi; mouse C: A. crinitus; mouse D: A. minor (Photo credit: Heaney et. al 2025)

Vermosa Green Run 2025 cites gains made in sports, animal welfare and environmental sustainability

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The fourth edition of the Vermosa Green Run is set to gun off on Sunday, June 29 at the 750-hectare Vermosa Estate in Imus, Cavite with the 21K category leading the way at 4:30 a.m,.

Following closely are the 10K category that starts at 5:00 a.m., the 5K and 3K categories at 5:30 a.m. and the 1K Dog Run at 7 a.m. The event is presented by AyalaLand Estates and Vermosa in partnership with Pinoy Fitness.

Four years since its inaugural run in July 2022, the Green Run has made its impact felt in the areas of its advocacies.

Starting off with a focused support of the environment and an advocacy for an active lifestyle in the wake of the pandemic that year, the Green Run chose the Haribon Foundation as its first beneficiary and spearheaded a high-energy return to foot races after a two-year hiatus.

Since then, the multi-level run has been staged yearly, attracting serious, leisure, aspiring and elite runners to the great outdoors of Vermosa Estate. It continues to push for an active lifestyle, the environment and sustainability, and now also champions youth sports and animal welfare. Vermosa Green Run participants have grown steadily each year, with 1,200 runners breaking out in 2022 to nearly 3000 signing up in 2025.

This year, the Green Run is inviting both runners and guests to be actively involved in sustainability by bringing their used plastics to the Run. The plastics will be recycled and converted by Ayala Land Estates, Inc. and the Makati Development Corporation (MDC) into sustainable construction materials like fillers for concrete and asphalt and other concrete aggregates that will build “green” sidewalks and fences in support of Ayala Land’s green development initiatives. Participants that donate will get a discounted rate on their Green Run registration.

The Haribon Foundation continues to be a Green Run beneficiary on its fourth year as Vermosa Estate and Ayala Land sustain the planting and adoption of seedlings and saplings that continue to grow at the Kaliwa River Forest Reserve in Barangay San Andres, Tanay Rizal.

For the third straight year, the Green Run pushes hard for the Pawssion Project, a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes stray animals. The Green Run continues to create greater awareness about animal welfare as it continues to support dogs in the organization that has to date already made over 2,000 rescues, 1,000 re-homed and provided 600 shelters for homeless dogs and cats.

Its support of young athletes from Takbo Kabitenyo, a non-profit organization for young runners from Cavite, also shows progressive results.

“Some of our young runners have consistently landed podium finishes at school-level, city, and provincial competitions. These achievements are a reflection not only of their talent but also of the discipline and dedication they’ve cultivated through training, and we thank Vermosa for allowing us to use their excellent sports facilities that provide our athletes with the competitive edge,” said Takbo Kabitenyo president Noel Diaz.

Diaz cites the standout stories of Vince John Marzo, a college student who ran with the relay team that won Bronze Medal in the 4x400m event at the 2025 NCAA Season 100 Track and Field Competition, and John Mark Balogo, who may get a spot in the National Track and Field Team after placing second in the 5000m final event within the same NCAA season.

“While most of our success stories are still at the local and regional levels, we’re laying the groundwork for future participation in national and international competitions. We’re excited for what’s ahead and grateful for the opportunity to help these young talents shine on bigger stages through their training in the best possible environment,” Diaz said.

Japan Unveils Saltwater-Soluble Plastic That Could Revolutionize the Fight Against Ocean Pollution

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In a dramatic leap toward ending one of humanity’s most devastating environmental crises, a team of brilliant Japanese scientists has developed a revolutionary plastic that vanishes in saltwater—ushering in a potential new era where ocean pollution might no longer be synonymous with plastic waste.

This cutting-edge innovation, born from a collaboration between the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo, isn’t just another eco-friendly gimmick—it’s a molecularly engineered marvel designed to dismantle the very structure of our plastic problem.

A Smart Plastic with a Secret Superpower

Unlike traditional plastics that stubbornly persist for centuries, choking marine life and accumulating as deadly microplastics, this new material is engineered to disappear—gracefully and completely—once it meets the ocean.

At the heart of this scientific breakthrough is a supramolecular structure: two ionic monomers—one based on sodium hexametaphosphate (commonly used as a food additive), and another based on guanidinium ions—bonded together by reversible salt bridges. These salt-based connections form a sturdy material during use, but cleverly unravel when exposed to saline environments like seawater.

In the lab, this plastic began to degrade within hours of seawater exposure. In soil, it fully disintegrated within just ten days—without leaving behind even a trace of harmful microplastics.

Strong as Plastic. Smarter than Plastic.

What makes this innovation so game-changing is that it doesn’t sacrifice strength for sustainability. This ocean-friendly plastic boasts the same mechanical strength and processability as its petroleum-based counterparts. It can be molded, shaped, and used for conventional applications—from food packaging to disposable consumer goods—without compromising on performance.

And when its useful life is over, it doesn’t end up as another plastic relic haunting the ocean floor or floating endlessly in gyres. Instead, it dissolves, deconstructs, and transforms into reusable, harmless components.

The End of Microplastics?

For decades, the bane of plastic waste hasn’t just been the visible trash that litters coastlines, but the invisible enemy—microplastics that infiltrate our food chain, water supply, and even human bodies. This new material completely sidesteps that threat. Rather than breaking into smaller pieces, it degrades into its original monomers, which are not only non-toxic but potentially recyclable.

A Tidal Shift in Global Packaging

The implications are staggering. If scaled for mass production, this new class of degradable plastics could replace millions of tons of single-use plastics currently polluting the world’s waterways. The researchers envision a future where food wrappers, storage containers, and packaging materials made from this plastic serve their purpose and then safely disappear into nature, leaving no ecological scars.

Already, global environmental advocates and green tech investors are hailing this as a landmark innovation—one that could offer the world a powerful tool in the race to clean up our oceans and protect marine biodiversity.

A Glimmer of Hope in a Plastic-Scarred World

In a world producing over 400 million tons of plastic annually, with at least 14 million tons ending up in oceans each year, this Japanese invention is not just science—it’s salvation. It’s the type of transformative leap that doesn’t come along often, and it couldn’t have arrived at a more urgent time.

While challenges remain—such as mass-scale production, cost efficiency, and industrial integration—the blueprint is clear. With further development and global support, the tides may finally be turning in favor of a cleaner, smarter, and plastic-pollution-free future.

Japan has gifted the world with much—from technology to culture. But this new saltwater-soluble plastic may be its most vital contribution yet—a molecular lifeline tossed into a drowning world.