Triumph in Canada! Undefeated Filipino Curling Team Wins Pan Continental Curling Championships

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Philippine Curling Team is a step closer to its Olympic dream after topping Division B of the Pan Continental Curling Championship in Lancombe, Canada. With the win, they have been moved up to Division A, which makes them eligible to compete in more competitions and qualifiers for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The exciting road that leads to the Milano Cortina begins with the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China in February 2025.

The Philippine curling team made history at the Pan-Continental Curling Championships in Canada: in a thrilling tournament, the team was the only one to remain undefeated and secured first place in the B division by beating Kazakhstan in the final. This historic triumph paves the way for the team to move up to the A-Division and brings them a big step closer to realizing their dream of competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.

In the twelve intense games, the team, consisting of Christian Haller (vice), Enrico Pfister (second), Marc Pfister (skip) and Alan Frei (lead), showed their extraordinary strength and determination. The victories in the preliminary round against strong opponents such as Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Puerto Rico already demonstrated the team's strong teamwork, but the road to the final was not without challenges: In the semi-final against Hong Kong, the team mastered a hard-fought victory, demonstrating its strong nerves and team harmony. In the final against Kazakhstan, an opponent they had already narrowly defeated, they triumphed with confidence on Saturday afternoon.

Team skip Marc Pfister emphasizes: “This promotion to the A Division is an incredible achievement and the result of tireless work. We have grown as a team and proven that we can deliver under pressure. Now we are looking forward to the next challenge, playing against the best teams in the world and tackling the qualification for the Olympics.”

“This is incredible, I'm overwhelmed by what we've achieved here!” says Alan Frei. “This last year has been an intense learning process for all of us – from the first time on the ice to this decisive moment here at the Pan Continentals. Today, all the training, passion and determination paid off. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Olympic qualifiers!”

The next step: qualifying tournaments for Milano Cortina 2026

With their promotion to the A Division, Team Philippines will now face the best curling teams in the world. This new challenge opens up the possibility of qualifying for the 2025 Olympics in two (pre-)qualifying tournaments – a goal that is now within reach.

Team vice-captain Christian Haller said: “This success is proof of what can be achieved when you work as a team and aim for the impossible. The Philippines are united behind us – and we've also received an incredible amount of support from Switzerland – and that's a huge motivation for us as we face the next challenges!”

With their unique blend of Swiss precision and Filipino passion, the Philippines team has established itself as a true underdog in the curling scene, comparable to iconic sports stories such as the Jamaican bobsled team and 'Eddie the Eagle'.

About the team

Christian Haller (Vice): With 26 years of curling experience, Haller brings the technical know-how to the team.


Enrico Pfister (Second): Supports the team with his many years of experience at the international level.


Marc Pfister (Skip): The experienced curler and Enrico's brother leads the team with strategic skill.


Alan Frei (Lead): The entrepreneur, who underwent a complete transformation, is the heart of the team with his story “From obese to Olympics”.

Next tournaments:

February 7-14, 2025: Asian Winter Games, Harbin, China


October 17-24, 2025: Pre-Qualifier (location tba)


November 2-9, 2025: Pan Continental Curling Championship (World Cup qualifier)


December 6-20, 2025: Olympic Qualifier (location tba

Amnesia-causing diatoms found in Luzon shellfish farms

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


Philippine scientists have just confirmed the presence of two toxin-producing diatom species in Luzon shellfish farms. P. pungens and P. brasiliana produce the neurotoxin domoic acid, which can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and even the permanent loss of short-term memory in a condition known as "amnesiac shellfish poisoning".

The densely-populated island of Luzon is home to over half of the Philippines’ population, many of whom consume shellfish on a regular basis. An international team of scientists has just confirmed the presence there of two species of Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms capable of producing a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause severe sickness and memory loss.


Light microscope and transmission electron microscope photographs of Pseudo-nitzschia pungens var. Pungens (top two photos) and Pseudo-nitzschia brasiliana (bottom two photos) found in Luzon shellfish farms. Both species produce domoic acid, a dangerous neurotoxin. CREDIT: Botavara et al.


Poetically described as “algae that live in glass houses,” diatoms are microscopic aquatic organisms that cover themselves in protective milk-colored silica shells. While most diatom species are harmless, half of the 58 known species from the genus Pseudo-nitzschia are notorious for producing domoic acid (DA). A person who has eaten DA-infected shellfish may experience vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In some cases, DA has even caused the permanent loss of short-term memory in a condition known as “amnesiac shellfish poisoning” (ASP).


Despite this danger, little is known about the extent of Pseudo-nitzschia proliferation in the Philippines. This prompted scientists from the Ateneo de Manila University Department of Biology and from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak to study the physical and genetic characteristics of the diatoms in water samples from shellfish farms in Bacoor Bay and Pagbilao Bay in Luzon.


“It is important to be aware of the toxic potential of these diatoms and to monitor them accordingly, but such efforts must begin by establishing their presence in our waters. To our knowledge, the molecular taxonomy of Pseudo-nitzschia in the Philippines is virtually nonexistent,” said researchers Lorenzo A. Botavara, Janice A. Ragaza, Hong Chang Lim, and Sing Tung Teng.


They confirmed the presence of the DA-producing diatoms Pseudo-nitzschia pungens and Pseudo-nitzschia brasiliana in the samples. They also noted that this is the first time that P. brasiliana has ever been found in Luzon.


At times of excessive growth called harmful algal blooms (HABs) or “red tide,” DA can accumulate in large amounts in filter-feeding shellfish such as mussels and clams. Thus, “Confirming species identities of a genus with half of its constituents known to produce DA is essential to HAB monitoring (in the Philippines),” the scientists underscored.

DOST-SEI empowers women in STEM, hosts data analytics workshop for girls

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


Inclusivity in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has once again been championed in the local science community as the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) organizes the Data Analytics for the Future (DAF-X) workshop for girls.


Female students from regular and science and technology-oriented junior high schools around Metro Manila and nearby provinces gathered to participate in the said workshop, held in September 2024, at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, as part of the second National Youth Science, Technology, and Innovation Festival (NYSTIF).

Conducted in partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños - Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics (UPLB-IMSP), the workshop aimed to introduce the basics of data analytics to young students. It specifically offered lectures on beginner-level dataset preparation using R, dashboarding, basic quantitative tools, and data mining using open-source data applications.

During the workshop, participants learned about the essentials of data analytics through a series of lectures facilitated by esteemed professors of UPLB-IMSP, led by Dr. Destiny S. Lutero. The activities of the workshop focused on data analytics and visualization using Google Looker Studio, where students were taught particularly on how to add data, add charts, and use controls to make dashboard pages interactive to users.

After the workshop proper, the students then proudly presented their dashboards – using DOST-SEI's Women in STEM study data and gave their analysis of the meaning and relationship of the variables presented.

[Left to right] Dr. Destiny S. Lutero, Assistant Professor 5 of UPLB-IMSP leads the series of lectures and discussion about the basics of data analytics. Mr. Kemuel Quindala III and Mr. Jcob Malaguit, Assistant Professors of UPLB-MSP and facilitators of DOST-SEI's nuLab:STEM in Motion, guide participants in completing their workshop outputs.

Facilitators and mathematicians from UPLB-MSP are all smiles as they prepare for the data analytics workshop.

Some of the facilitators also offered a career talk to the participants, sharing some of their memorable experiences in studying, working with data, and pursuing their dream career in STEM. They also encouraged the students to apply for the DOST scholarships both in their undergraduate and graduate education.

Prior to the workshop proper, Ms. Bern Irish Arguelles, Science Research Specialist II of DOST-SEI and a former DOST scholar, inspired the young girls as she provided an overview of DOST-SEI's publication “Women in Science” and shared about women’s involvement in the S&T workforce of the country. The said publication paved the way for the Tagisang Robotics Competition: Girls & Gears, the first and only all-female robotics competition in the country, which also began its second run last October 7, 2024.

 



Former DOST scholar, Ms. Bern Arguelles, shares the “Women in Science” study and inspires the girls to pursue career in STEM.

Senator Francis Tolentino also graced the workshop and congratulated the “future female engineers” of the country. In his message, he encouraged the participants not to be afraid to pursue the field of STEM and said that he looks forward to the great impact they will have on the advancement of the country.





During his 2024 NYSTIF visit, Senator Francis Tolentino attended the workshop and gave an inspiring message to the students, motivating them to pursue careers in the field of STEM.

The Data Analytics for the Future workshop contributes to DOST-SEI's goal of equipping students with 21st century skills and training them to make data-driven decisions that can help solve problems in various communities. And all these were done while also forwarding the advocacy to put more girls into the STEM spotlight and create a more diverse and more inclusive STEM community.

The DOST-SEI thanks the UPLB-IMSP for the successful conduct of the workshop.