Our “Why”
In the Philippines, the love for science – for knowledge – is in dire need of nurturing.
These days, many seem unaware of the role science plays in solving the Philippines’ biggest problems. Smart-shaming remains prevalent on social media. Furthermore, there’s a disturbing wave of anti-science sentiment observable not just in the country, but across the world.
We got tired of watching from the sidelines, and decided to do something about it. And so, FlipScience was born.
Our Mission
FlipScience is a Filipino-owned, science-centric online news and features portal established specifically with the Pinoy audience in mind. Our mission is threefold:
(1) to help curb the spread of misinformation and “alternative facts” through witty, well-written, engaging, and carefully researched science articles;
(2) to inspire a new generation of Filipino science practitioners; and
(3) to provide a platform for seasoned and aspiring writers alike to pursue science journalism in the Philippines.
Our Vision
It is our hope that FlipScience’s existence could someday inspire even just one student to become one of the 19,000 science practitioners that this country currently needs, or even just one writer to become a science communicator in a country where better science communication is desperately needed.
Beyond delivering quality science reporting for Filipino audiences, FlipScience aims to make a tangible, long-term difference in Philippine society.
Our Team
Mikael Angelo Francisco
Co-Founder/Science-Nut-in-Chief
Mikael is a seasoned writer and editor who was bitten by the science writing bug. As FlipScience’s EIC, Mikael strives to make science more fun and interesting for Pinoy audiences. He has received awards from Asian Scientist Magazine, the University of the Philippines, and the Department of Science and Technology.
Hana Abello
Co-Founder/Marketing Whiz
The unsung hero of FlipScience, Hana takes care of most of the behind-the-scenes stuff – from social media management, to most of the creative design work, to making sure that the site’s features function properly (and that the ridiculously forgetful editor-in-chief doesn’t get himself locked out of the site for the nth time).
Tomas Pedrosa
Science Scribe
A graduate of Information Design, a versatile writer, and an avid gamer, Tomas prides himself in his willingness to gain new experiences and perspectives, and to apply what he learns in his other pursuits. Curiosity, interest, and obsession—these are the mile markers that keep him going down his road.
Faye de Jesus
Science Scribe
Faye is a freelance writer and communications specialist with extensive experience in corporate messaging and branding, PR, media and stakeholder relations. She volunteers for education- and learning-centered projects and likes sharing her love for books, reading, and learning with children.
Ronin Bautista
Science Scribe
Ronin is a former journalist who makes up for the lack of frequent writing with fountain pens. He handles journalism classes at the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication as a lecturer, and is currently procrastinating on his master’s thesis at the UP Asian Center. On weekdays, he is a communication specialist for a global telco company.
Tristan Mañalac
Science Scribe
Tristan is a journalist based in Metro Manila, focusing mainly on health, science, and the environment. He writes daily clinical news for MIMS.com and does in-depth reporting on the side. Being formally trained in the life sciences, he once dreamed of starting his own lab. But these days, he finds his greatest joy in a bottle of beer and a beautiful sentence.
Jess Vilvestre
Science Scribe
Jess is on her way to getting her license in engineering. On the side of studying, she spends her time writing, cooking, and watching movies and plays. Jess has also been working on an education project that develops portable science activity kits for STEM learners.
Louie Gerodiaz
Coding Champion
Louie is the web development wizard who worked with (wow, that’s a lot of Ws) the founders in building the FlipScience website from scratch. (If you have a project in mind that you’d like him to complete for you, you can reach out to him by sending him an email at louiegerodiaz@gmail.com).
