Renato Solidum Jr.
Renato Umali Solidum Jr. is a Filipino geologist and government official who has served as the ninth secretary of science and technology since 2022. Before his appointment as Secretary, Solidum served as an Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Change Adaptation at DOST and as the Officer-in-Charge of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Early life and education
Solidum is from the town of Odiongan in Romblon, where he attended high school.Originally, Solidum wanted to be a civil engineer and took the entrance examination for University of the Philippines, though he passed the exam, he was ineligible to enroll in an engineering course as it only accepted a limited number of students each year. Instead, he enrolled in geology with the intention of later switching to the engineering. However, he decided against this and earned a bachelor's degree in geology.
He also studied in the United States at the University of Illinois Chicago, where he obtained a master's degree in geological sciences. Then he earned a PhD in earth sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.
Career
Solidum has been part of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology since it split off from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration in 1984. He was hired shortly after graduating from the University of the Philippines, with the endorsement of then-director Raymundo Punongbayan.He first received international attention in 1991 when PHIVOLCS director Punongbayan tasked him to work with the United States Geological Service, gathering data at the then restive Mount Pinatubo. The findings of the team led Punongbayan to raise an evacuation alert in the area prior to a major volcanic eruption, saving thousands of lives in Central Luzon.
From 2003 to 2017, he served in PHIVOLCS as its director and then Officer-in-Charge from March 2017. He was also appointed as Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Change Adaptation. In 2019, he became the undersecretary for Scientific and Technical Services.
President Bongbong Marcos appointed Solidum as an ad interim secretary of science and technology on July 22, 2022. On December 7, 2022, Solidum's appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments.
In recognition of his contributions to disaster risk reduction in the Philippines, Solidum has received numerous awards, including:
- Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award
- Presidential Citation for Public Service
- Professional of the Year in the field of Geology by the Professional Regulation Commission
- Excellence Award for Government Service by the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations
Personal life