Monday, January 30, 2012

...the essayist

UP grad wins over P100,000 in intl essay tilt in Japan


January 30, 2012
GMA News

A graduate of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City won Y200,000 (P112,344) for his essay about the vision of a new Japan after last year's devastating magnitude-9 quake and tsunami.

Chiden Balmes won the Prize of Excellence for the Japan Foreign Trade Council Inc. (JFTC) Essay Competition 2011, with his essay topping the 186 entries from 43 countries.

"Balmes was among the top two entries from 186 submissions from 43 countries who joined the essay competition with the theme 'Vision for a New Japan after 3.11,'" the Philippine Embassy in Japan said Monday.

The full text of Balmes’ essay may be accessed at the website of the JFTC.

Balmes topped the 2007 batch of BS Public Administration of the University of the Philippines-Diliman when he graduated magna cum laude.

Balmes is now taking a masters course at the Catholic University of Korea.

The embassy said Balmes’ prize-winning essay earned unanimous praise from JFTC Essay Competition selection committee members for “the clear, structured way in which the author frames his thoughts.”

In his essay, the committee said Balmes “frames his argument by saying that Japan needs to become an ‘innovation superpower’, and compellingly outlines the potential Japan has in three areas: Entrepreneurial Japan; Green Japan; and Global Japan."

The committee also noted Balmes concluded his essay by positioning 3.11 as a major opportunity for Japan to the become the innovation superpower he proposes.

Nicole Brown of Jamaica won the Grand Prize of ¥1 million for her essay titled “Japan v3.11-Reclaiming the Date.”

The awarding ceremonies were held last Jan. 6 in Tokyo, with Balmes being feted for his essay “The Making of New Innovative Japan: Road Map to Great Recovery.”

JFTC was founded in June 1947 as a core private-sector organization in the area of international trade.

It has a nationwide membership of private companies and organizations such as trading companies and organizations, manufacturers, financial institutions, shipping companies, and other companies and organizations with interests in international trade. - VVP, GMA News

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