Dr. Florentino O. Tesoro, Ph. D.
Dr. Tesoro graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Forestry, first with a Ranger’s Certificate (1958) and later with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Forestry (1959). He obtained his Master of Science in Forestry from the State University of New York College of Forestry at Syracuse University (1964) and later his Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry from the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (1974). He trained in wood preservation under Professor Doctor Walter Liese at the Institute of Wood Science in Hamburg, Germany (1966-1967).
He became Assistant Director of the former Forest Research Institute (later became the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources). He was later recruited to head the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) of the Department of Science and Technology. He later joined the international consulting firm Jaakko Poyry Oy of Finland. He did consultancy work with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Timber Trade Organization (ITTO), the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and many other organizations.
For the second time he became Director of the FPRDI and later Undersecretary for Regional Operations of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). He developed the “Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program” (SET-UP) the nation-wide technology transfer program of DOST which is an on-going program of DOST for 15 years now.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) recognized him for his outstanding research organization management with the PANTAS Award in 1988. Dr. Tesoro was awarded the Professional Regulation Commission Award for Outstanding Forester in 2002. He was installed in the UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2008.
After retirement he helped former Philippine Institute of Volcanology (PHIVOLCS) Rey Punongbayan and Angelo Palmones form the AGHAM Party List. Agham Party List won a seat in the 15th Congress and was represented by Congressman Angelo Palmones. Dr. Tesoro served as his Chief of Staff.
Dr. Tesoro served as one of the in-house consultants of the Philippine Bamboo Foundation, Inc. (PBFI) and the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). With three other professional foresters, Drs. Aida Lapis, Armando Palijon and Felizardo Virtucio they wrote a book on bamboo titled: Bamboo: the Grass of Hope. It won the 2018 National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) national book award.
Dr. Tesoro has also worked under the USAID-DENR project called Protect Wildlife, a biodiversity conservation project.