Marcos names scientist behind PH’s first microsatellite as new PhilSA chief

• Photo courtesy of PhilSA

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Gay Jane P. Perez, Ph.D., as the new Director General of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), formally placing one of the country’s leading space scientists at the helm of the national space program.

Widely regarded as a pioneer of Philippine space science, Perez led the science team behind the country’s first microsatellites, Diwata-1 and Diwata-2, missions that laid the technical and institutional groundwork for subsequent satellite initiatives, including the ongoing development of the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) satellite.

Perez’s most previously served as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of PhilSA beginning September 2025 and earlier held the post of Deputy Director General for Space Science and Technology from 2021. 

Her appointment comes as the agency continues to scale up its role in earth observation, disaster monitoring, agriculture, and international space cooperation.

Her scientific work has earned both local and international recognition. Perez is a recipient of the 2021 National Academy of Science and Technology Outstanding Young Scientist Award and the 2019 The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Award. She is also the first Filipino awardee of the ASEAN–U.S. 

Science Prize for Women, recognized for her research using satellite data to forecast droughts and improve agricultural productivity. Her contributions were further acknowledged by the Senate of the Philippines through Resolution No. 923 during the 17th Congress.

On the global stage, Perez has represented the Philippines in several key space initiatives, including collaborative engagements with the Indian Space Research Organization, participation in the United Nations Space4Ocean initiative, and the Artemis Accords, which promote the safe, transparent, and sustainable civil exploration of the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies.

Perez earned her doctorate in Physics from the University of the Philippines Diliman and completed her postdoctoral research at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, specializing in remote sensing and satellite data applications.

As Perez will hold the rank of Cabinet Secretary and serve as Presidential Adviser on Space Matters. PhilSA said she is expected to further advance the country’s “Yamang Kalawakan” by strengthening the national space ecosystem, accelerating research and innovation, and expanding partnerships to support an inclusive and sustainable Philippine space program.

“Yamang Kalawakan” refers to the country’s emerging space ecosystem—encompassing people, institutions, infrastructure, policies, and the environment—that enables the Philippines to tap opportunities in the global space economy, while treating outer space as a strategic and innovative domain for national progress, security, and prosperity.