Renato Solidum

Renato Umali Solidum Jr. is a Filipino geologist and government official who has served as the ninth secretary of science and technology since 2022. Before his appointment as Secretary, Solidum served as an Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Change Adaptation at DOST and as the Officer-in-Charge of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

Early life and education Solidum is from the town of Odiongan in Romblon, where he attended high school.

Originally, Solidum wanted to be a civil engineer and took the entrance examination for University of the Philippines, though he passed the exam, he was ineligible to enroll in an engineering course as it only accepted a limited number of students each year. Instead, he enrolled in geology in UP Diliman with the intention of later switching to the engineering. However, he decided against this and earned a bachelor's degree in geology.

Career Solidum has been part of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) since it split off from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in 1984. He was hired shortly after graduating from the University of the Philippines, with the endorsement of then-director Raymundo Punongbayan. He was also appointed as Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Change Adaptation (DRR-CCA).

In recognition of his contributions to disaster risk reduction in the Philippines, Solidum has received numerous awards, including: Presidential Lingkod Bayan (Civil Servant) Award Presidential Citation for Public Service Professional of the Year in the field of Geology by the Professional Regulation Commission Excellence Award for Government Service by the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations

Personal life Solidum is married and has three children.