Thai university honors Filipino

MANILA, Philippines - Thailand’s prestigious Maejo University (MJU) honored recently Director Gil Saguiguit Jr. (left, shown receiving a token from MJU president Dr. Chamnian Yosraj) of the Los Baños-based, Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) for his “noteworthy contributions to agricultural education and human resource development in Southeast Asia,” including Thailand.

Saguiguit was conferred an honorary doctorate (PhD) degree during MJU’s Royal commencement exercises presided by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Chulabhorn Valailakh as royal represenatative of His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The prestigious award adds to Saguiguit’s distinctions conferred by national and international/foreign institutions for his exemplary development work in the agriculture sector, among the latest being the Chevalier l ‘Ordre du Merite Agricole (Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit) given by the French government and Vietnam’s Medal for the Cause of Education.

Saguiguit holds a BS and MS degrees in Agricultural Economics from UP Los Baños and a PhD in Rural Economics from the Universite Montpellier in France. SEARCA is mandated “to build the capacities of institutions working in agriculture and rural development in Southeast Asia through its programs on graduate scholarship, research and development, and knowledge management.” RAF