Australia’s most outstanding Filipino alumni were honored recently at the 2017 Australian Excellence Alumni Awards.
Presented by the Australian Embassy, the awards celebrate the achievements and contributions of Filipinos who have studied and trained in Australia.
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely congratulated this year’s batch of finalists during the awarding ceremony at the iconic Manila Hotel.
“A common feature resonating across our finalists today is their strong desire to return to the Philippines and to contribute towards the country’s progress, inspired by the new ideas and fresh perspectives they’ve gained in Australia,” she said.
“It makes us very proud to see how alumni have used their education, expertise, experiences, and networks from studying in Australia, to give back and make a difference in their professions and communities in the Philippines.” she added.
Finalists from this year’s Australian Alumni Excellence Awards represented diverse industries, ranging from the marine sciences to the military.
Among the 15 finalists, three were honored with the Alumni of the Year Award, Excellence in Innovation Award, and the Young Achiever’s Award for exemplary achievements in their fields:
- Dr Maria Corazon de Ungria was awarded Alumni of the Year for her pioneering work in DNA forensic science in the Philippines. She completed a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honours in Biology from Macquarie University, and a PhD in Microbiology at the University of New South Wales. Her numerous achievements include developing testing procedures for handling DNA samples of victims of sexual assault through research and collaboration with government, the courts and the non-government sector. She currently heads the DNA Analysis Laboratory, Natural Sciences Research Institute in UP Diliman, and is a passionate advocate for the use of “excellent science in nation building.”
- Dr Roy Ponce, recipient of the Excellence in Innovation Award, is Vice President of Research and Extension at the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology. Ponce earned his Doctor of Education from the University of Melbourne. He established Happy Fish Kids, an afterschool care project aimed at increasing literacy and learning experiences for children of underprivileged communities. This has since grown to encompass more communities, giving rise to Happy Farm Kids, Happy Forest Kids, and a Kids Science Centre.
- Mr Milton Medina, Director of Qualitative Studies and Biodiversity Research at Mindanao University, received the Young Achiever’s Award. He completed his Master of Science at Curtin University in Western Australia. Medina has developed science education material using flora and fauna endemic to the Philippines, and has published national and international journal articles and books on biodiversity, biology and pedagogy. In 2013, he discovered a new species of Filipino flower, Hoya jossetteae, which he named after his wife.
Distinguished Filipino alumni of Australian universities include a former Secretary of the Department of Education; the first Chancellor of the University of the Philippines-Visayas campus; multiple high-level government officials; and esteemed members of the academe who have pioneered fields of study in the Philippines.
