A Filipino in Antarctica: Cold continent, hot Neutrinos science, Philippine Flag raised

PHILIPPINE FLAG AT THE SOUTH POLE. A Philippine flag (R) flutters in the strong Antarctic winds, along with American (C) and Chilean (L) flags atop the IceCube observatory, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica. Photo by Blaise Kuo Tiong

In the southernmost point of the planet, one of the most unforgiving places on Earth, scientists are trying to unlock the mysteries of an elusive type of subatomic particle.

Among these scientists battling high winds, below-zero temperatures, and isolation, is Blaise Kuo Tiong.

Born and raised in the Philippines to Filipino-Chinese parents, Blaise left for the United States at the age of 9. There, he pursued a degree in Mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After graduation, he worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in California.

After that, he moved to the IceCube South Pole Neutrino Observatory, where he works at present. IceCube is one of the world's major research centers dedicated to understanding subatomic particles called neutrinos.

Neutrinos are very light, elusive particles that have a neutral charge, rarely interacting with other matter. They are believed to be one of the most numerous particles in the entire universe. They help us understand various phenomena, from radiation in a nuclear plant to a range of cosmic processes, helping us get to know our universe and its quirks.

At IceCube, Blaise and his team work with a "downward-looking" telescope, detecting neutrinos as they pass through thousands of meters of ice.

For example, when a supernova explodes, the neutrinos coming from it arrive before the light does, pointing where supernovae explode. Scientists are then alerted when and where a supernova will explode, allowing them to peer into their telescopes.

Rappler talked to Blaise via a Google+ Hangout, and he talked about his work, living in Antarctica, and his Filipino roots.

Working at the South Pole

WORKING IN THE COLD. Blaise Kuo Tiong checks on one of IceCube's equipment buried in the Antarctic ice. Photo courtesy of Blaise Kuo Tiong

Rappler: What is your job like on a typical day?

Blaise: There are physicists who do the research, [and] software programmers who refine the filters of the search to make the data more clustered and easier to be analyzed. Then there are people who work on computers, like me. Our tech needs to be running 24/7. We wouldn't want to miss anything. If a supernova happens and the computers are down for 10 minutes, that is a disaster.

Every day we collect about a hundred gigabytes of data that we upload via satellite to our networks in Madison, Wisconsin (headquarters of the IceCube project, at the University of Wisconsin). But there's another terabyte of data that gets clumped each day; we store it on tape and then send them by airplane.

R: How is it like working in Antarctica?

B: We are always asked the same question: "Why would you want to go there? There's nobody here, you're cut off from the rest of the world." But I think that is the appeal. You have to rely on your own to solve the situations that can come up.

We're here at almost 9,500 feet. When I first got here, I couldn't do any work because I was always short of breath. But the cold is actually okay. If you put on the gear to keep you warm when you are outside, before you know it, you're already sweating in your jackets.

Life in Antarctica

R: How is life there outside work?

B: Right now it's too cold so most of the activities we do indoors. We have a big gym here where we can play a lot of sports. We spend a lot of time watching movies, video games or board games. I think next weekend there's going to be a tournament of a card game. A couple of weeks ago, I found some beans and made a sungka board. I also brought some mahjong tiles so we play that once in a while.

R: In Antarctica, there are 6 months of continuous daylight and 6 months of continuous darkness. What are the best and worst things about that?

B: The best thing about an all-day 'night' is that you could look at the stars 24/7... Today, there's a full moon and a halo on the moon called the 'moondog.' It looks crazy. It looks like it's on a different time practically. We also got some pretty good auroras today -- those shimmering green lights. Those you can't really see in the rest of the world besides the polar regions.

POLAR LIGHTS. Aurora australis light up the Antarctic sky. Photo by Blaise Kuo Tiong

R: When is it hottest and coldest in Antarctica?

B: In the summer months I'd say around January is when it's the hottest. We probably reach maybe -10°F. There was a time during the summer that we actually had a 2-mile race in our shorts. During winter time, it reaches -100°F. Right now it's at -66°F. Yesterday was about -85°F. Weird thing is it can get 40°F, where it could go -60°F from a -100°F like almost overnight.

R: There is only one sunrise and one sunset a year. How long do they last?

B: We have a sunset at March but it took about two weeks before you couldn't see the Sun anymore. It's interesting: the Sun sits at the horizon for that long until finally you can't see it. The sunrise should be about the same and it will happen right around August or September.

Filipino roots, Filipino pride

R: There's a photo of the observatory with 3 flags flying up there, and one of them is the Philippine flag. Did you raise that?

B: I brought two flags down here with me (American and Philippine). When the station closed last February the first thing I did was put up the American flag, a Filipino flag and a Chilean flag. So they're all hanging out there now. Hopefully they'll last over the season. I have one back-up in case the first one gets destroyed because there are pretty high winds here at times.

R: How connected are you to your Filipino roots?

B: A lot of my family on both sides still live in the Philippines; being Filipino is definitely part of my identity. In the last few years, I visited at least every other year, almost every year. I like to visit just to not lose track of those roots.

PINOY IN ANTARCTICA. Filipino scientist Blaise Kuo Tiong at the IceCube South Pole Neutrino Observatory. Photo courtesy of Blaise Kuo Tiong

R: Where do you go when you get here?

B: A lot of my mom's relatives are in Ilocos and Vigan. A lot of my relatives are in Manila as well, and some are in Cebu. I usually visit those places.

But obviously, it's the beach. The last time I was in the Philippines, I think I went to about 20 beaches. I know I went to Bohol and to Palawan. I'd say Philippine beaches are some of the best I've ever seen. Definitely the sand in Boracay you can't find it in anywhere else. And the diving is so good in Palawan, Batangas, Bohol.

R: What are your plans after the cube?

B: I got here in November and will go out after a year. Well, I'll probably do a little traveling first. People who are the Antarctic program -- that's one of their passions. If you're sitting down doing dinner, everybody's talking about the places they've been or the places they want to go to. After that I'll probably go back to the States. I have a family in Los Angeles, and a lot of my stuff is there. I'll probably think of the next challenge, which I haven't thought of yet. And in the next 6 months, that would probably be it.

For more about his research and research life in Antarctica, visit http://antarctica.kuotiong.net/. –

Rappler.com

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Philippines Now Major Source of Skilled Migrates to New Zealand

Six of the seven Filipinos who work on Greg and Kelly Kirkwood's North Otago dairy farm are (from left) Neil Molina, Reis Pe, Eric George, Saldy Barroga, Roel Gonzales and Jeorge Barroga.Photo by Gerard O'Brien. Photo: Otago Daily Times

Filipinos have been migrating to New Zealand for the last 15 years and many New Zealand employers have become aware of their work ethics and skills. Many other countries around the world have been recruiting Filipinos for years because of their skills and their willingness to work in jobs that their local population has been unwilling to undertake. There is an increasing interest from New Zealand employers recently in hiring skilled migrant workers from the Philippines to fill the skills shortage in the local market.

For some years many hundreds of dairy farm workers have been employed by New Zealand farmers if they have been unable to find suitable staff locally. Today the NZ dairy farming industry has become dependent on Filipino workers to provide the labor force to meet their requirements of this rapidly growing industry. Many of the Filipinos coming to NZ have previously been working on commercial dairy farms in the Middle East or Japan, and have settled as residents with their families.

Over 11 million Filipinos work outside the Philippines. They can be found working around the world. Many Middle Eastern countries are dependent on their Filipino guest workers to keep their economies growing, where they work under contract for a certain number of years. Employers have recognized their willingness to work, their cheerful dispositions, and their ability to pick up language and new skills.

Before Filipinos can leave their country to work abroad they must obtain an Overseas Employment Certificate from the Philippines Overseas Employment Agency (POEA). Without this they cannot depart though many thousands do illegally out of desperation to find jobs abroad. The reason why the POEA requires this process is to ensure that workers going abroad have a genuine job offer and not subject to scams. The process requires employers to have their employment contracts examined and approved by the POEA, along with other under-takings before the workers they wish to hire will be issues their OECs.

Why have so many Filipinos forced to work abroad, rather than in their own country? The main reason is the lack of job opportunities for Filipinos in the Philippines. Unlike most of the rest of Asia, the Philippines have been unable to attract overseas investment to finance the growth in manufacturing and jobs as elsewhere in Asia. Yet the Philippines are one of the richest countries in Asia, with many natural resources and a talented English-speaking work-force.

Overseas investors have preferred other Asian countries for investment as a result of poor government policies, and less flexible labor laws, a weak and corrupt legal system, poor infrastructure and high electricity costs. (As recently pointed out in an IMF report). Yet in recent years the country has benefited enormously from the remittances from their overseas workers (OFWS) – over $US20 billion is sent back into the country annually providing an inflow of capital to fiancé domestic growth. The No 1 earner of overseas currency is the remittances from OFWs.

In spite of this, nearly a third of the population lives in poverty and wages in the Philippines remain low. While the economy is expected to grow 7% this year driven by a boom in property construction, the population is growing faster than new jobs are being created. As in the nineteenth century, when many migrated from the UK and Ireland to settle around the world, today Filipinos are likewise migrating around the world to seek better opportunities than can be obtained at home. Migration of Filipinos is likely to continue until structural changes are made to the Philippines economy to become competitive to investors with other Asian economies.

As the only New Zealand Company based in the Philippines (for the last five years) supplying skilled migrants to meet the skills shortage in New Zealand, Immigration Placement Services Ltd has helped settle many hundreds of Filipinos successfully in the country. Many of these have now bought their families to New Zealand and have since become permanent residents, contributing to our society. New Zealand is a preferred destination for Filipinos as Immigration policies allow for approved skilled migrants on a work visa to bring their partners and children, something that is not possible for many Filipinos working in many other countries. Many Filipino children grew up not knowing their parents as one or both need to work abroad to provide for their children's education and necessities in live.

Filipinos have integrated into NZ society well. As English is widely spoken throughout the Philippines they have fitted into NZ society much better than other Asian ethic groups, and can now be found from one end of NZ to the other.

Scoop Independent News

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