Julián Arca Banzón (March 25, 1908 – September 13, 1988) was a Filipino biochemist and a

National Scientist of the Philippines The Order of National Scientists of the Philippines, abbreviated as ONS, is the highest award accorded to Filipino scientists by the Philippine government. Members of the order are known as National Scientists ( Filipino: ''Pambansang Alagad ng Ag ...

. Banzon is credited for his research in

alternative fuel Alternative fuel, known as non-conventional and advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels like; ''fossil fuels'' (petroleum (oil), coal, and natural gas), as well as nuclear materi ...

. He researched on the production of ethyl ester fuels from sugarcane and

coconuts The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

and devised a method of extracting residual coconut oil through chemical means.

Early life and education

Julian Banzon was born on March 25, 1908, to Manuel S. Banzon and Arcadia Arca in Balanga,

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...

. Banzon graduated from the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...

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in 1930 with a degree of Bachelor of Science in chemistry. After some years working as an instructor at his alma mater, in 1937 he entered the

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...

in the United States as a UP pensionado. Banzon obtained a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

degree in biochemistry and a minor in Microbiology in 1940. The topic of his doctoral dissertation was the “fermentative utilization of cassava.”

Career

Right after Banzon's graduation from the

, he worked as an assistant instructor at the

University of the Philippines College of Agriculture A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

in 1930 and was later promoted to instructor in agricultural chemistry in the same college. Banzon later pursued graduate studies. Banzon later returned to the Philippines to work as an assistant professor in agricultural chemistry at the UP College of Agriculture. His teaching stint as an assistant professor ended in 1951. He later served as associate professor, associate chemist, and assistant head of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry from 1951 to 1955. Banzon received an aid for his study on the use of radioisotopes in agriculture in through an ICA Type A grant in 1956. In 1958, he was appointed as chief scientist of the

Philippine Atomic Energy Commission The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) is a government agency under the Department of Science and Technology mandated to undertake research and development activities in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, institute regulations on ...

. One of the highlights of Banzon's career was his tenure as the first director of the Philippine Atomic Research Center from 1960 to 1963. He was given a plaque of appreciation by the research center. Banzon resumed his career at the UP College of Agriculture, where he worked as professor and chairman of the department of agriculture chemistry from August 1, 1963, to March 24, 1970. He was the officer-in-charge of the division of food science and technology at UP Los Baños from March 25, 1970, to June 30, 1972. From July 1972 to March 1973, he served as a professor of food and science technology, and retired from the UP College of Agriculture at the end of his teaching stint in 1973. Banzon was frequently invited to attend scientific conferences abroad. He participated in the board of governors meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in the general conference in

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, both held in 1960. In October 1981, he was an attendee of the Fourth Japan Conference on Radioisotopes held in

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, Japan. Banzon also went to

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to attend the IAEA's Study Group Meeting on the Utilization of Research Reactors held from December 17 to 21, 1962. He was also part of the Philippine delegation to attend the 11th Pacific Science Congress held in

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, Japan and 12th Pacific Science Congress in Canberra, Australia held in August 1966 and August 1971 respectively. He also held the position of chairman at the division of chemical and pharmaceutical science of the National Research Council of the Philippines and was a member of the Chemical Society of the Philippines' board of directors, from 1972 to 1973. Banzon was also member of the Society for the Advancement of Research, the

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is a highly prestigious, non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a small group of graduate students in 1886 ...

of Iowa State University and the Radioisotopes Society of the Philippines. Banzon was also the president of the

Gamma Sigma Delta Gamma Sigma Delta (), or more fully, the Honor Society of Agriculture, Gamma Sigma Delta, is an honor society for Agriculture students and those in related fields. Founded in 1913, it is the oldest and largest such society for its academic discip ...

Honor Society of Agriculture, UP Los Baños Chapter. He was named as one of the members of the

National Academy of Science and Technology The National Academy of Science and Technology (''abbreviated as ''NAST) is the highest recognition and scientific advisory body of the Philippines under the Department of Science and Technology. It was created through Presidential Decree 1003- ...

(NAST) along with Clare Baltazar and Armando Dalisay on July 9, 1981. From 1985 to 1988, he was a member of the NAST executive council.

Awards

Banzon received numerous awards for his works. On July 14, 1959, the office of the secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources awarded him a certificate of merit for his “Outstanding Research Work on Extraction of Coconut Oil”. He was also awarded a plaque as outstanding chemical graduate by the UP Chemical Society of the Philippines and the PHILSUGIN award for research by the Crop Society of the Philippine in 1976. Banzon was also named "Chemist of the Year" by the

Professional Regulation Commission The Professional Regulation Commission, ( fil, Komisyon sa Regulasyon ng mga Propesyon) otherwise known as the PRC, is a three-man commission attached to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Its mandate is to regulate and supervise the pr ...

in 1978. In 1980 he was awarded Distinguished Service Award by the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines, Incorporated, and in 1986, the University of the Philippines conferred him with its Distinguished Alumnus Award. In July 1986, he was conferred

by then President Corazon Aquino for his contribution in the field of chemistry in the country.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banzon, Julian 1908 births 1988 deaths Filipino chemists National Scientists of the Philippines University of the Philippines Manila alumni Iowa State University alumni Academic staff of the University of the Philippines People from Balanga, Bataan Burials at the Libingan ng mga Bayani