Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano Jr., the founding director general of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), has stepped down after more than five years at the helm of the country’s national space program.
In a Facebook post on Monday, PhilSA expressed gratitude to Marciano for his “visionary leadership” and role in building the agency from its beginnings into a community of space scientists, engineers, researchers, and partners.
“We, at PhilSA, honor his invaluable contributions in shaping the agency’s formative years and in inspiring future generations of Filipinos to look to the stars,” the agency said.
In a personal statement, Marciano confirmed his irrevocable resignation, which has been acknowledged by the Office of the President. He said he will return to the University of the Philippines, where he will resume his work as a professor.
“It has been a profound privilege to contribute to the formative years of the agency and to be entrusted with stewarding its early development,” he wrote.
He recalled how the agency began in March 2020 with only a Zoom account, an email address, a handful of volunteers, and what he described as a “bayanihan spirit.”
Today, PhilSA has grown into an organization of 250 people with an average age of 27.
Under his leadership, the agency established its structure and processes, transitioned key programs from the Department of Science and Technology, secured scholarships for Filipino space researchers, achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification, and forged international collaborations.
