Gay Jane Perez

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Gay Jane Perez
Acting Director General Philippine Space Agency
Officer in Charge
Assumed office
October 21, 2025
Personal details
Alma mater University of the Philippines Diliman (BS, MS, PhD)

Gay Jane P. Perez is a Filipino physicist and environmental scientist whose research involves satellite observation of environmental conditions, and the applications of that data in agricultural planning. [1] She is a professor in the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology at the University of the Philippines Diliman [2] and deputy director general of the Philippine Space Agency. [3] [4]

Contents

Education and career

Perez is originally from Naga, Camarines Sur, where she attended a Catholic girls' school. [5] [6] She studied physics at the University of the Philippines Diliman, earning a bachelor's degree in 2003, a master's degree in 2005, and a Ph.D. in 2009. [2] She went to the US in 2010–2011 for postdoctoral research at the Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, working there on remote sensing. [1] [7]

Returning to the Philippines, she became the leader of the team that produced Diwata-1, the first microsatellite constructed in the Philippines. Her team also produced two later satellites, Maya-1 and Diwata-2, launched respectively in 2016, 2018, and 2019. [1] [4]

In 2022, she was elected to a four-year term as president of the Technical Commission on Education and Outreach of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the first Filipino to lead the commission. [8]

In 2025, Perez became OIC Director General at Philippine Space Agency [9]

Recognition

Perez won the 2018 ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women, becoming the first Filipino to do so. [1] [3] [6] In 2019, she was both an awardee of The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service [3] and the Asian Scientist 100 by the Asian Scientist . [10] The National Academy of Science and Technology named her as their 2021 NAST Outstanding Young Scientist for Physical Sciences. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Gay Jane Perez: The Philippines' Space Whisperer", Asian Scientist , 24 February 2021, retrieved 2023-02-07
  2. 1 2 "Gay Jane P. Perez, Ph.D.", Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, University of the Philippines Diliman, retrieved 2023-02-07
  3. 1 2 3 Office of the Deputy Director General, Philippine Space Agency, retrieved 2023-02-07
  4. 1 2 Abarca, Charie Mae F. (8 March 2022), "Dr. Perez: A woman in the PH space program", Manila Bulletin, retrieved 2023-02-07
  5. ↑ Bunachita, Jose Santino (21 October 2018), "Award-winning Pinay scientist gives farmers crucial tool: satellite data", Philippine Daily Inquirer , retrieved 2023-02-07
  6. 1 2 Cacho, Katlene O. (19 October 2018), "Filipina wins Asean science prize", SunStar , retrieved 2023-02-07
  7. 1 2 Luci-Atienza, Charissa (28 July 2021), "PhilSA lady official named as 2021 NAST Outstanding Young Scientist for Physical Sciences", Manila Bulletin, retrieved 2023-02-07
  8. ↑ Lalu, Gabriel Pabico (8 June 2022), "PH Space Agency exec is first Filipino to head int'l photogrammetry society panel", Philippine Daily Inquirer , retrieved 2023-02-07
  9. ↑ {{Scientist Gay Jane Perez named PhilSA OIC By Darryl John Esguerra|October 21, 2025|https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1261427}}
  10. ↑ "The Asian Scientist 100". Asian Scientist . Retrieved 2025-03-13.
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