The country's loss: Dr. Raymundo S. Punongbayan

I was connected with an environmental consulting firm until 2003, when I left to do my PhD in anthropology in the U.S. Dr. Punongbayan was one of our top, occasional consultants (geology and seismology). In the mid-90s, in a public hearing, he received a thunderous applause when introduced to the participants. I'll never forget how he didn't have any transparencies and notes and made his presentation by drawing his points directly on the projector itself. As part of the team, I knew what he was going to say, but his lecture was still one of the best I've heard. Like many of you who have known him, being with and listening to the best, wisest, helpful, and most sincere people is one of life's greatest pleasures. He and his colleagues (who were with him when their helicopter crashed) will be missed.