Ma. Brida Lea D. Diola

BS Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2010
MS Environmental Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 2014

• Member, International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) – 2024-present
• Member, International Waste Working Group (IWWG) – 2024-present
• Life Member, Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. (PICE), 2010-present
• Vice-chair, Environmental and Energy Engineering Specialty Division, PICE (2020-present)
• Life Member, UP Alumni Engineers Inc. – 2015- present
• Member, Integrated Research on Disaster Risk Young Scientists Programme – April 2018 – present
• Member, Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) – 2015-present
• Member, European Geosciences Union (EGU) – January 2020-December 2020
• Member, International Society for Digital Earth – November 2018-November 2019
• Member, SB CENTREX Alumni Organization – 2005-2010

• Best Essay Award, ISWA-SWIS Winter School 2019, January 14-25, 2019, University of Texas at Arlington, USA
• Maynilad 1 Professorial Chair awardee, UPD College of Engineering, 2023-present
• Levi V. Espiritu Professorial Chair in Civil Engineering awardee, UPD College of Engineering, 2014-2022
• International Travel Award, Society for Risk Analysis, December 10-14, 2017, Virginia, USA
• Best Poster Presentation Award, “Managing Disaster Wastes Generated from Typhoons and Floods in Metro Manila, Philippines”, 3^rd Symposium of the Asian Regional Branch of International Waste Working Group (IWWG-ARB 2017), Seoul, South Korea, April 12-14, 2017
• Faculty Research and Incentive Award (FRIA), UPD College of Engineering, 2014-2016, 2019
• Best Presentation Award, “Biosorption of Copper (II) from Aqueous Solution by coco peat: Effect of NaOH pretreatment”, The International Conference on the Preservation and Rehabilitation of Urban Water Environment for Asian Core Program of NRCT, JSPS, and ERDT, Bangkok, Thailand, November 23, 2013
• WMAM Travel Grant, Waste Management Association of Malaysia and International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), September 2013
• UP Alumni Engineers Teaching Research Grant Recipient, UPD College of Engineering, 2013
• Top 9, Professional Regulation Commission Civil Engineering Licensure Exam, November 2010
• Best in Geotechnical Engineering (student award), UP Institute of Civil Engineering, 2010
• Scholar, Scholarship for Youth and Development (SYDP), 2005-2010

SELECTED RESEARCH PROJECTS

Co-project leader – Breaking the Plastic Habil in ASEAN Countries Phase II: Pilot Project for Sustainable Vending in UP Diliman Phase II, October 2024 – December 2025; Funded by Institute for Global Environment Strategies (IGES) and Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, hosted by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN (ERIA).

Chief Researcher/Proponent – Characterization of Plastic Accumulation in an Urban River in the Philippines across land uses, October 2023 – present; UP ERDFI and Murata Science Foundation Research Grant

Assistant Project Leader – Monitoring Batanes Sustainable Tourism: An UNWTO-INSTO approach. Project 3. Sustainable Tourism in Batanes: A Thorough Assessment of Waste Management Indicators in Wastewater and Solid Waste Management, November 2023 – November 2024; UP Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Open Grant (OVCRD-OG) Collaborative research program with Asian Institute of Tourism and College of Home Economics

Environmental Engineer – Development of the National Research Framework and Program for the Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Litter (NPoA – PHarM), June 2024 – December 2024; Funding source: DENR-EMB

Collaboration with UP MSI, Institute of Chemistry, MSU-IIT and University of San Carlos

Project Leader – Study on the Utilization of Discarded Polymer Banknotes, August 2023 – October 2023; UP National Engineering Center and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Project Leader – Assessment of Electric Plastic Densifier (EPD) as waste utilization technology for community’s adoption, May 2023 – October 2024; UP Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Outright Research Grant (OVCRD-ORG)

Project Staff/Team member – Piloting the Application of Behavioural Insights for Plastic Reduction: Pilot Project for Plastic-free Vending in UP Diliman, February 2023 – August 2023; Funded by Institute for Global Environment Strategies (IGES) and Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, hosted by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN (ERIA).

Project Staff – Project IWASTO – Integrated Waste Analysis, Survey and Technological Options (IWASTO), January 2020 – April 2022; Funding source: Department of Science and Technology. Under IM4ManilaBay Research Program

Visiting researcher – Keio University, Japan, July 12 – August 1, 2015; Funding source: Short-term Research in Japan Program (SRJP) of AUN/SEED-net

Solid Waste Management Specialist – Updating and Preparation of the Manila Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance with the Manila Comprehensive Development Plan and the Development of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System Project (PlanMANILA2030), January 2021 – May 2022; UP Resilience Institute

Project Leader – Assessment and Materials Flow Analysis of Soil Composting Processes in UP Materials Recovery Facility, September 2020 – March 2022; UP Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Source of Solutions Grant (OVCRD-SOS)

Project Staff – Assessment of Plastic Laminates as Partial Replacement for Bitumen in Asphalt Concrete, January 2020 – March 2022; UP Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Outright Research Grant (OVCRD-ORG)

Assistant Project Leader – Microplastic and Plastic Field Surveys on Pasig River, Philippines, March 2020 – June 2021; UP National Engineering Center and the World Bank Group

Proponent – Analysis of the Implementation of the Plastic Carrier Bag Policies of Muntinlupa City and Quezon City, 2019-2021; UP ERDFI thru UPD College of Engineering FRIA

Project Leader – Pre-feasibility study of the development of a Waste-to-Energy facility in UP Diliman, February 2018 – March 2019; UP Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Source of Solutions Grant (OVCRD-SOS)

Project Staff – Characterization of plastic and microplastic waste in urban rivers leading to Laguna Lake – April 2018 – July 2019; UP Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Outright Research Grant (OVCRD-ORG)

Team Leader – Environmental Impact Assessment Preparation of the Project on Field Testing of Non-hazardous gold extractive technology in three regions (Bicol, Benguet, CARAGA), September 2015 – May 2016; Department of Science and Technology and UP Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (DMMME)

Assistant Project Leader – Assessment of Disaster Waste Management in the Philippines, July 2015 – June 2017; Funding Source: UP Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Outright Research Grant (OVCRD-ORG)

Project Staff – Modeling of Fate and Transport of Heavy Metals in Surface Waters: From Mining Site to Downstream Receiving Waters, June 2013 – May2015; Funding source: Department of Science and Technology

OTHER PROJECTS AND CONSULTANCY WORKS

Solid Waste Management Expert – Strengthening Capacity Development for Local Governments in ASEAN to Tackle Microplastics and Water Pollution through Decentralised Domestic Wastewater Management Approach, October 2022 – January 2024; Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and AMH Philippines Inc.

Local Key Expert – Science and Technology Specialist – Support to the Development of the Roadmap for Phasing out Single-Use Plastics in the Philippines, December 2021 – October 2022; The Umweltbundesamt GmbH (Environment Agency Austria) and the World Bank Group.

Solid Waste Management Expert – Collaborative Research on Riverine Microplastics Pollution in ASEAN Countries – Case Study in the Philippines, October 2021 – June 2022; Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and AMH Philippines Inc.

Solid Waste Management Expert – Pasay City Solid Waste Management Baseline Assessment, November 2021 – April 2022; AMH Philippines Inc. and Artelia-PacificTech Solutions, Inc.

Solid Waste Management Expert – Understanding the Plastic Pollution Problem and Plastic Waste Management Efforts and Gaps in Metro Manila: The Case of Pasig River and Adjoining Communities, September 2021 – December 2021; Plan International Inc. and AMH Philippines Inc.

Technical Specialist – Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Scheme Assessment for Plastic Packaging Waste in the Philippines, August 2021 – November 2021; WWF-Malaysia and AMH Philippines Inc.

Consultant – Plastic Survey and Product Alternatives Analysis in the Philippines Islands of Bohol, Surigao del Norte (Siargao Island), and Siquijor, April 2021 – July 2021; World Bank and AMH Philippines, Inc.

Environmental Engineer – WWF WACS Baselining for IGaCoS and San Isidro, November – December 2020; WWF-Philippines and AMH Philippines Inc.

Technical Specialist – EPR Scheme Proposal for Plastic Packaging Waste in The Philippines, December 2019 – October 2020; WWF-Malaysia and AMH Philippines Inc.

Technical Specialist – Donsol Waste Analysis and Characterization Study (WACS) Baseline for Pilot Sites, January 2020 – May 2020; WWF-Philippines and AMH Philippines Inc.

Technical adviser and workshop facilitator – Waste Management Training and Action Planning Workshop, November 2019; WWF-Philippines

Technical Specialist – Shaw Siargao Property Environmental Management Plan, February 2019 – May 2019; AMH Philippines Inc.

Technical Specialist – Preparation of Feasibility Study for a Waste-to-Energy Project for Quezon City, September – December 2016; AMH Philippines Inc.

Project Staff – Investigation of disaster wastes by super typhoon and huge storm surge for their emergency disposal and sustainable management harmonized with environment – J Rapid Program (collaboration with Tokyo Institute of Technology), June 2014 – May 2015; Funding source: Japan Science and Technology (JST)

• Galahitigama, H., Sandamali, P., Jayapra, T. Abesinghe, N., Senavirathna, M.D.H.J., Diola, M., and Tanchuling, M. (2025) Assessing the impact of micro and nanoplastics on the productivity of vegetable crops in terrestrial horticulture: a comprehensive review. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 197, 404 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-025-13820-1
• Eugenio, F.D., Diola, M.D., Seranilla, J.L., Cañalita, C.B., Talan, M.O., and Tanchuling, M.N. (2024) Public Perception and Socio-economic Factors on Willingness to Pay for Community-based Solid Waste Management and Plastic Waste Densification in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science 153(6A): 2097–2109. https://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/135-vol-153-no-6a-december-2024-part-a/2227-public-perception-and-socio-economic-factors-on-willingness-to-pay-for-community-based-solid-waste-managementand-plastic-waste-densification-in-the-philippines
• Talavera, A.L., Dalida, L.M., and Diola, M.D. (2024) Riverine macroplastic survey along the segments of Tullahan River in Metro Manila, Philippines. Frontiers in Environmental Science 12:1396525. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1396525 (2023 IF: 3.3)
• Sadie, N.T., Falcutila, S.L., Florentino, A.S.P., and Diola, M.D. (2024) Assessment of e-commerce plastic waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Dasmariñas, Cavite. Techno-Science Research Journal 12 Special Issue 49-56. https://techno-srj.itc.edu.kh/public/journal/document/Special%20Issue-Eraget%202023.pdf
• Galahitigama, H., Senavirathna, M.D.H.J., Fujino, T., Tanchuling, M., and Diola, M. (2024) Micro and Nano Plastics Effect on Growth and Development of Rice (Oryza sativa L.): A Review. International Journal of Environmental Research 18, 32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-024-00588-4 (2022 IF: 3.2) Collaboration paper with Saitama University
• Lontoc, G.D., Diola, M.D., and Peralta, M.T. (June 2023) Multi-criteria evaluation of suitable locations for temporary disaster waste storage sites: the case of Cavite, Philippines. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-023-01705-9 (2022 IF: 3.1)
• Diola, M.D., Dameg, A.A., Suallo, A.A., Badiola, M.V., and Lim, K.C. (2022) “Assessment of Incorporating Plastics Wastes in Bricks and Concrete in the Philippines”. Philippine Journal of Civil Engineering 2022, pp. 49-57. Print https://online.fliphtml5.com/xduid/ajjj/#p=1
• Osorio, E.D., Tanchuling M.N. and Diola, M.D. (Sep 2021) “Microplastics Occurrence in Surface Waters and Sediments in Five River Mouths of Manila Bay”. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 9:719274. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.719274  (2021 IF: 4.581)
• Diola, M.D. and Orozco, C.R. (2015) “Improved Removal of Copper Ions from Aqueous Solution Using NaOH-Pretreated Coco Peat”, Special Issue of ASEAN Engineering Journal Part C Volume 4, Number 1,pp 93-103. Print