Wilmer Agustin, a graduate student at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM), University of the Philippines Diliman, was awarded Second Place in the Oral Presentation (Professional Category) during Day 2 of the Philippine Meteorological Society (PMS) Annual Convention 2026, held on 25 March 2026. Agustin is a student researcher at the Climate and High Impact Weather (CHI) Laboratory of IESM, under the supervision of Dr. Rafaela Jane P. Delfino, who also heads the laboratory.

His study, titled “Characterizing the Philippine Warm Climate via a Thermal Index,” was presented under Sub-theme 2: Heat and Extremes. The research examines warm climate conditions in the Philippines using synoptic observations and evaluates thermal indices in relation to heat-related mortality. Results indicate that the Heat Index shows strong potential as a predictor of heat-related impacts and can be used to characterize patterns of environmental heat across the country.

Agustin is also a staff member of DOST-PAGASA, where he specializes in the issuance of heat warnings in the Philippines. The study utilized data from DOST-PAGASA synoptic stations and contributes to ongoing research on extreme heat and climate risks in the country.