New species of water scavenger beetles discovered, named after Robredo’s Angat Buhay program

Two new species of water scavenger beetles were recently discovered and one was named after former Vice President Leni Robredo’s Angat Buhay program, the Ateneo de Manila University said on Thursday.

In a statement, the university said the new species were discovered and described by Enrico Gerard Sanchez, his thesis adviser Dr. Emmanuel Delocado, and co-adviser Prof Dr Hendrik Freitag from the Ateneo Biodiversity Research Laboratory of the Department of Biology.

“Discovered in Ifugao, the first of the two new species is 'Anacaena angatbuhay,' named after the Angat Buhay anti-poverty program launched during the term of former Vice President Leni Robredo,” the Ateneo said.

The Ateneo, citing the authors, said the species is named “to honor the program’s outstanding and unparalleled service, especially during the pandemic.”

According to Delocado, the species has long existed but remained unnoticed until its publication.

“The species' name is a nod to the countless Filipinos working for and with far-flung communities whose efforts were not widely recognized,” the university said.

Robredo earlier launched non-profit Angat Pinas, Inc., which aims to provide anti-poverty programs. It is her first engagement as a private citizen.

The former vice president said the Angat Buhay programs will focus on three main areas: health, education, and disaster response, to address the country's most urgent problems.

Meanwhile, the second species is named “Anacaena auxilium” in honor of Mary Help of Christian High School Seminary in Binmaley, Pangasinan, which Sanchez attended during junior high school.

“The paper noted that help (auxilium in Latin) alludes to the need to pay attention to the vulnerable state of freshwater biodiversity in the Southeast Asian region,” the Ateneo said.

“The study is noteworthy because it was conducted amidst the pandemic using an innovative lab-at-home set-up. These home lab microscopes were acquired with the support of SC Johnson Environmental Leadership Development Fund,” it added.

The university said Sanchez conducted sorting and dissection at home, with several virtual walkthroughs and Zoom consultations with Delocado and Freitag.

It added that courier services were utilized to transport samples and materials among the authors.

Sanchez’s study was done using an innovative lab-at-home set-up amid the pandemic. He did sorting and dissection at home with guidance from Delocado and Freitag through Zoom.

They also utilized courier services to transport samples and materials among the authors, then later did specimen observations and photo documentation when the campus reopened.

Sanchez earned awards for his study including the Dean’s Choice Awards at the SOSE Student Research Symposium. He also won first place in the Young Systematic Biologists of the Philippines.

His undergraduate thesis is also published in the international scientific journal ZooKeys. — With a report from Franchesca Viernes/LA, GMA News