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<\/p>\nLlenel \u201cEllie\u201d De Castro\u2019s path to becoming a scientist was not a conventional one. Like many students from the Philippine Science High School (PhiSci), she was bound by a contract to pursue a science course in college. She initially enrolled in the Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine (INTARMED) program at UP Manila, a fast-tracked medical course. However, after four years, Ellie made the bold decision to leave, despite having completed her undergraduate requirements.<\/p>\n
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\u201cNow, pagpasok ko ng college, nakapasok ako sa intermed\u2026 a shortened medical program. And then I did 4 years, and then I quit,\u201d Ellie candidly shares. \u201cI don\u2019t think na sayang siya\u2026 hindi ko naman hindi ginagamit yung stuff na natutunan ko, like yung science training na natutunan ko ay ginagamit ko parin naman, just in a different setting.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ellie\u2019s pivot from medicine to archaeology was driven by a lifelong love for history and social sciences\u2014subjects she would stay up late studying as a child. Despite pressure to stay in a “science-focused” field, Ellie found a way to merge her scientific background with her passion for the past. “For me, archaeology is a way to do both\u2026 to use the science skills to study history, to study our past, to study our culture.”<\/p>\n
Her work in archaeology goes beyond traditional historical narratives. Ellie finds fulfillment in uncovering stories that challenge the often Eurocentric view of history, particularly for the Philippines. \u201cKaya ko gusto yung archaeology kasi it gives a chance to know more about our past beyond yung sinasabi satin ng history… it\u2019s what, hindi siya nag-start sa 1521. For archaeology, 1521 is so recent. It takes me back thousands and thousands of years.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Like many researchers in the Philippines, Ellie has faced challenges. \u201cAng hirap mag-pondo ng research sa Pilipinas,\u201d she remarks, citing funding as a constant issue. Harassment in the field has also been a reality for her. Despite these obstacles, Ellie emphasizes the importance of building good networks and support systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood networks ang kailangan mo\u2026 if you\u2019re able to see beyond\u2026 yung intersection ng archaeology and some other fields of science\u2026 nag-open up yung opportunity mo for funding,\u201d she explains. Equally important to her success has been the support of friends and family who encourage her to keep going.<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s passion extends beyond research. She is deeply committed to ensuring that the communities she works with also benefit from her projects. One such project is the archaeological site in Ille Cave, Palawan, where she has helped develop educational programs for local students. \u201cI\u2019m happy to tell the world kung ano nangyayari sa Ille, but first and foremost, they need to know why… when they, later on, hopefully, [make decisions], they\u2019ll know why it\u2019s important to protect this cave.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Ellie, it\u2019s about making research relevant and accessible. \u201cIf you do your research\u2026 you publish it in this huge journal\u2026 it takes a long time to go back [to the community]. We also need to find a way na yung ginagawa natin ay relevant sa mga tao na nakatira dun.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of Ellie\u2019s most exciting projects, “Finding Nellie,” a heritage research endeavor, reflects her adaptability in today\u2019s digital world. Realizing that reaching younger audiences required new strategies, she brought on a Gen Z intern to help share the story of the project on TikTok. The results were astonishing.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of her videos hit 1 million views on TikTok. I mean, I would never have done that,\u201d Ellie says, marveling at the power of social media to bring her research to a new generation. She acknowledges that it\u2019s this ability to communicate effectively across platforms that will inspire more young people to get involved in science and history.<\/p>\n
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Ellie hopes that young people today will find it easier to pursue careers in science, especially in fields like archaeology, where opportunities can be limited. Her advice? Don\u2019t hesitate to reach out. \u201cIf ever they are curious about something\u2026 just reach out to people that they find\u2026 don\u2019t be shy to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
By blending science and history, Ellie De Castro is reshaping the way we see our past. Her journey stands as a testament to following one\u2019s passions, even when it diverges from expectations. As she continues to bridge the gap between research and community, Ellie\u2019s work reminds us that history isn\u2019t something distant\u2014it\u2019s something we live and contribute to every day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introducing Ellie De Castro, a scientific mind turned archaeologist, who unearths the history of the Philippines by blending her prior studies with her love for cultural narratives. #AngIdolKongWomenInSTEM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6446,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-great-filipino-story"],"pageone_source":{"pageone_source":"","author_name":"PAGEONE Online Network"},"_pageone_source":"","zyndk8_nxtgen_metadata":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dynamic-silver-sheep.82-197-71-20.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}