Marcos names scientist Gay Jane Perez as PhilSA director general

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed scientist Dr. Gay Jane Perez as the new director general of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).

PhilSA announced Perez’s designation in a Facebook post on Monday evening.

The PhilSA director general holds the rank of a Cabinet secretary and serves as the President’s adviser on space matters.

Prior to this latest appointment, Perez was named as PhilSA officer-in-charge in September 2025. She also served as Deputy Director General for Space Science and Technology since 2021.

Before joining the agency, she led the team that developed the Philippines’ first microsatellites, Diwata-1 and Diwata-2, that paved the way for future developments like the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) satellite.

Perez obtained her doctorate in physics at the University of the Philippines Diliman and finished her postdoctoral research at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she specialized in remote sensing and satellite data applications.

In 2021, she received the National Academy of Science and Technology Outstanding Young Scientist award. She also received the 2019 The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Award.

Perez is also the first Filipino awardee of the ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women.

PhilSA’s new chief was also recognized for her groundbreaking research using satellite data to forecast droughts and enhance agricultural productivity.

The Senate honored her contributions through Senate Resolution 923 in 2018 that highlighted the world-class achievements of Filipino scientists.

Perez recently represented the Philippines in space initiatives such as the collaborative agreement with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the United Nations Space4Ocean initiative, and the Artemis Accords to promote the safe, transparent, and sustainable civil exploration of the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies. — JMA, GMA Integrated News