The best of the best

Last April 18 at Dusit Hotel Nikko in Makati, the Philippine Fulbright Scholars Association (PFSA) honored seven of their members with Outstanding Fulbright Achievement Awards.

GLENN D. AGUILAR (Fulbright-Philippine Agriculture 2004) won the award for Agriculture. He is currently Chancellor of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas. He has published a number of scientific papers, one of which, “Catamaran design development and FRP construction using a katsa mold,” won for him the first prize in the 5th Regional and National Science and Technology Fora and Competition of PCIERD in 2004.

CESAR A. BUENAVENTURA (Fulbright 1952) won the award for Business. He is currently managing partner of Buenaventura, Echauz & Partners Financial Services and chair of Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Company of Manila, among other firms that he is associated with. He was a member of the Monetary Board from 1981 to 1987. In 1997 he was named an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Among his many other awards is Management Man of the Year in 1985 and 1991.

EDILBERTO C. DE JESUS (Fulbright 1979) won the award for Education. He just finished his term as Secretariat Director of the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), was Secretary of Education from 2002 to 2004, and was Presidential Adviser on Rural Development from 1987 to 1992. He was president of Far Eastern University from 1995 to 2002.

CEFERINO L. FOLLOSCO (Fulbright 1961) won the award for Public Service. He was Undersecretary, then Secretary of Trade and Industry, under President Corazon C. Aquino. Among his numerous awards are the rank of Academician by the National Academy of Science and Technology and the Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award. He was the first Filipino Registered APEC Mechanical Engineer.

CAROLINA G. HERNANDEZ (Fulbright 1976) won the award for Social Sciences. She is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman.  Since January 2006, she has been with the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters. She was with several fact-finding commissions, such as the one that investigated the December 1989 coup attempt and the Feliciano Commission.

REYNALDO B. VEA (Fulbright 1986) won the award for Science and Technology. He is the President of the Mapua Institute of Technology. He was the Administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and dean of Engineering of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Although he is best known as a teacher and educational manager, he has had practical experience in naval architecture and ship design.

NESTOR O. VINLUAN (Fulbright 1979) won the award for Arts and Humanities. He recently returned from being an artist-in-residence at the Stadt-Atelier at the Kunstlerhaus in Salzburg, Austria. He was Dean for three terms of the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines Diliman; during his term, the College moved to his permanent home. He has exhibited his work in several countries.

This year’s awardees received trophies designed by National Artist Napoleon Abueva. The fiberglass trophy is itself outstanding. It consists of a head with a crown of letters spelling “Fulbright.” On either side of the trophy are the words “Filipino” and “American.” The trophy aptly represents the Fulbright vision of intellectuals changing the world.

Previous winners of the Award were: Napoleon Abueva, Angel C. Alcala, Richeto C. Alcordo, Leticia T. Angeles, Benigno S. Aquino Jr., Cleofe M. Bacungan, Jose C. Campos, Aurora G. Corpuz, Onofre D. Corpuz, Corazon S. De La Paz, Jose Encarnacion Jr., Jesus P. Estanislao, Marcelo B. Fernan, Andrew B. Gonzalez FSC, Oscar J. Hilado, Abdulmari A. Imao, Francisco Sionil Jose, Jose Joya, Lucrecia R. Kasilag, Roman L. Kintanar, Bienvenido Lumbera, Bienvenido F. Nebres SJ, Purificacion Valera-Quisumbing, Ramon P. Santos, Clara Y. Lim-Sylianco, Jose R. Vergara, and Bernardo M. Villegas.

Since Fulbright study grants are given to only a handful every year to the best students or young professionals in the country, the awardees may be said to be the best of the best of all Filipinos, as far as intellectual ability is concerned. That they were awarded by their peers makes the distinction even more precious. Congratulations to all the awardees, past and present!

The awards were given during a general meeting of the members of the PFSA. The meeting itself was part of a whole-day celebration sponsored by the Philippine-American Educational Foundation (PAEF), on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Fulbright program.

Other memorable events of the day were the opening by DFA Acting Assistant Secretary Lourdes O. Yparraguirre of a cultural exhibit of works by Filipino Fulbrighters; talks by DFA Undersecretary Franklin Ebdalin, American Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Paul Jones, U.S. State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Affairs Thomas A. Farrell, Hernandez, De Jesus, and American Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer Martha Buckley; and performances by Charisse Baldoria, Lynn Yusi, the CCP Chorale under Arwin Tan, Richelle Rivera, Harold Galang, Vanessa Vargas, Eugene Mende, Myrene Aguirre, and Joy Marfil. Emcees for the day were Gloria Fuentes, Mercedes “Chichi” Robles, and Eugene Mende.

Thank you to all that helped make the celebration a reality, particularly to hard-working PAEF Executive Director Esmeralda S. Cunanan and her staff, and the PFSA Board of Directors (Oscar J. Hilado, Ma. Celia H. Fernandez, Ma. Mercedes Robles, Jose Y. Dalisay Jr., Glenn D. Aguilar, Ani Rosa Almario, Antonio Arizabal Jr., Emma Ruth Bayogan, Renato de Castro, Elizabeth L. Enriquez, Bienvenido F. Nebres SJ, Teresa S. Rances, and Reginald Vinluan).