...the Busan Asia Content awardee

Maja Salvador lone Filipino winner at Asia Contents Awards in Busan 

Manila Standard
08 October 2019


Actress and Star Magic artist Maja Salavador bagged the first-ever Best Actress award for drama in the 1st Asia Contents Awards held in Busan, South Korea, for her portrayal of the lead character in the hit TV series, Wildflower. 



Maja, who is also the lone winner from the Philippines, portrayed the role of Lily Cruz who changed her identity to Ivy Aguas, a feisty young woman out to avenge her parents’ death and fight the oppression brought by the cruel and corrupt Adriente clan.

The actress and her show were the only nominees from the Philippines as Wildflower was also nominated in the Best Drama category.  


Wildflower competed with other outstanding Asian TV series from South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

The 1st Asia Contents Awards recognized the region’s finest TV dramas that were produced in the last five years. It is organized by the renowned film festival Busan International Film Festival and Asian Film Market, an annual film market in South Korea.


Wildflower has begun airing in three French-speaking countries, including New Caledonia, Polynesia, and Reunion Islands, with the recent partnership of ABS-CBN with Ampersand fiction, a French content distributor and will soon air in Madagascar this October with ABS-CBN’s deal with Startimes.

...the fintech and digital awardee

Union Bank of the Philippines bags prestigious fintech and digital awards, 3 years running

Media OutReach
08 October 2019

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 8 October 2019 – Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), with its vision of transforming into “A technology company, also a bank,” recently made waves as its top executives won big at the Singapore Fintech Awards 2019. 

UnionBank Chairman Justo A. Ortiz and Senior Vice-President and Fintech Business Group Head Arvie de Vera each won the Asia Fintech Leaders Award which recognizes remarkable leaders across the region for their continuing commitment to excellence, developing best practices and pursuing innovative strategies.

The Awards aims to highlight those across Asia who have made extraordinary contributions to the fintech industry’s meteoric rise on the global stage. Indeed, Ortiz and de Vera have been making strides globally, advocating for smart banking as a way to realize the bank’s purpose of elevating lives, fulfilling dreams and enabling communities. 

The Awards were hosted by the Singapore Fintech Association, while the rigorous judging process was helmed by none other than PwC Singapore. 

The winners were announced at a Gala Night graced by Ravi Menon, Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Minister Ng Chee Meng, Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) of Singapore. 

In addition, UnionBank also won, for the third year in a row, the Best Digital Bank — Philippines award at the Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2019 in Singapore on September 25. Asiamoney also identified UnionBank as one of 30 financial institutions to watch out for in Asia, and among 5 on its radar for digital banking. 

In awarding the bank for the third year straight, Asiamoney considered the long list of innovative initiatives UnionBank is pursuing, some of which include the first fully digital branch The Ark, a tokenized fiat cross-border transaction pilot from OCBC Bank in Singapore to a rural bank in the Philippines, and the country’s first central bank-compliant two-way virtual currency ATM among many others.

...the Royal Cambodia awardee

Sultana from the Philippines, the First International Woman to Receive the Royal Monisarapown Award from the Royal Government of Cambodia


By MENAFN
01 October 2019 


We Care for Humanity Founder and G.O.D. Chairman, Maria Amor received an award given by the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdach Hun Sen for her unwavering support to Save Nature Cambodia for planting almost a million trees in the Kingdom.

H.E. Oknah Sam Dararath, PhD , founder of Save Nature Cambodia and Adviser to Samdach Prime Minister felicitated the Monisarapown Award from the Royal Government of Cambodia to HRH Maria Amor onthe occasion of the8th Global Order of Dignitaries and Philanthropists (G.O.D.) AwardsCeremony and Dinner Gala at the Anaheim Convention Center, one of California’s landmark last September 21, 2019. Dr. Dararath was enjoined on the stage by other Cambodian delegates and honorees of the said function: H.E. Iv Sry, Advisor to the Ministry of Interior who received the Woman of Honor of Asia from G.O.D.; Mrs. Kimly Lim, President of Family Agricultural Development Community who also G.O.D. recipient as Humanitarian Icon of Cambodia; and Dr. Siphal Pheng, a businessman.

...the Taiwan literary awardee

Filipino factory worker to receive second literary award

Chen Cheng-wei and William YenFocus Taiwan

28 September 2019

Taipei, Sept. 28 (CNA) Filipino factory worker Melinda Babaran will collect her second award at the Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants Sunday following her win at last year's awards.

Melinda Babaran / Photo courtesy of Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants

Babaran will be presented with the Choice Award at the 6th Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants award ceremony for a poem titled "Kapirasong Papel," which is written from a man's perspective about facing his wife who has been having an affair while working abroad.

The inspiration for "Kapirasong Papel" came about one day when she was in her dormitory and heard a woman scream at her husband on the telephone because he was having an affair while the woman was working abroad in Taiwan, Babaran said.

But when she started composing the article, she changed the story to the wife committing the affair while overseas, while the husband was at home looking after their family and children, Babaran said.

Babaran said she got the inspiration from her father, who did not betray the marriage and instead concentrated on taking care of the children while her mother was working overseas.

The part in "Kapirasong Papel" that touched her the most was that when the husband discovers his wife's affair, he is on the verge of losing control, but eventually calms down when he hears his child's voice, Babaran said.

Babaran, who lives in Taoyuan, works in a semiconductor factory and has been in Taiwan for 12 years.

Prior to this year's award, Babaran won the Jury Award at the 5th Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants in 2018 for an article titled "Latay sa Laman," in which she expresses her love for her father.

The award ceremony for the 6th Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants will be held Sunday at the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area in Chiayi County.

The awards saw a total of 680 submissions this year and had a total of eight prize winners in nine categories.

...the winning lensman in Russia

Filipino lensman bags second place in int’l photo contest



Gabriela Baron
Manila Bulletin
17 September 2019


A Filipino photojournalist bagged second place in the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest in the Top News, Singles category in Moscow, Russia recently. 

Basilio Sepe's "Baywatch" (Photo courtesy of Photojournalists' center of the Philippines, inc./Manila Bulletin

Basilio Sepe, a member of the Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines (PCP), won the award with his photo capturing informal settlers scavenging recyclable materials in Navotas after Typhoon Karding hit in August 2018.

The photo contest was launched by Rossiya Segodnya under Russia Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to support young photographers and to popularize the challenges of modern photojournalism.

Photographers from 80 countries on five continents participated in the photo contest with over 6,000 works submitted.

The 24-year old photojournalist has previously won the IPA (International Photography Awards) Filipino “Photographer of the Year” last year for his work on the Philippines war on drugs.

Sepe was the former chief photographer of the Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas (UST), and an alumnus of the Angkor Photo Workshop 2016.

He is currently an independent photographer based in Manila and has done multimedia works for local and international news agency.

...the International Literacy awardee

Filipina educator wins International Literacy Award

By Lloyd D. Solis
PINOY News

 Saturday, September 29th, 2012

AP photo

WASHINGTON—Yvette Tan, a Filipino educator and researcher of the Education Development Center, Inc. was one of the top six awardees during the International Literacy Day held in Washington DC on September 7.

She was actively involved in multi-media technology on education data gathering covering the southern Philippines provinces including Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Tan’s innovative technique on “The improved collection and use of student reading performance data in the southern Philippines” made her work an outstanding project that bested more than 450 submissions from 25 countries.

The study delved on the use of affordable technology such as the cellular phones through SMS messages (texting), which is very popular in the Philippines.

This enabled classroom teachers to submit on-the-spot reading performance tests from their classrooms directly to the Department of Education (DepED) administered database. Each teacher was asked to submit his/her own students reading tests results directly into the database of the DepEd head office in Manila, notwithstanding the fact that these provinces are in the southern tip of the country.

Research shows that timely feedback taken immediately after a student is assessed can greatly influence the active learning process even in these areas far from the national capital.

This enabled the many teachers on instructional innovation such as what would and would not work, and what to do next, thereby improving the reading performance of the students. Such technology is cheap, affordable and very accessible to the teachers.

After confirming that close to 90 percent of the public school teachers in the Philippines are active cell-phone users, the Education Development Center, Inc. based in Newton, Massachusetts developed this plan.

According to Dr. William Potter of the EDC, “that the Philippines’ Department of Education, still uses a paper and pencil data collection system that produces results in a year and a half or even more considering the archipelagic geography of the country, takes too long for the data to be used effectively to improve instructional system at the school and district level.”

With this simple ingenuity based on grassroots level, this had impacted more than 35,000 school children, who improved their reading skills.

The EDC spearheaded the project in coordination with Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS) based in Makati City and organized the “Whole School Reading” program with focus on Reading Skills and Comprehension of both the teachers and students alike.

The EQuALLS projects aims at increasing access to quality education for elementary school children and to relevant learning and livelihood skills for those out-of-school children in Regions 9 and 12, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

...the Aussie media awardee

Pinoy wins media award in Australia

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

09/21/2012

 

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino who established an online publication to serve the Filipino-Australian community won an award for its coverage of community affairs in Australia.

 

Romeo Cayabyab, editor and publisher of “The Filipino Australian”, received the award at ceremonies for the first New South Wales Multicultural Media Awards at the State Parliament last September 15.

 

An accountant by profession, Cayabyab migrated to Australia in 1981. He lives in Minchinburry, New South Wales with his family.

The native of Capas, Tarlac is a self-taught encoder, programmer and web publisher.

In 1998, Cayabyab co-founded emanila.com with multimedia specialist, Rom Zamora. Two years after, emanila.com became the first recipient of the Technology Award under Australia's National Multicultural Marketing Awards.

Cayabyab further used his expertise to establish "The Filipino Australian" in 2005 to provide online news services to the Filipino-Australian community.

Honorable Shaoquett Moselmane, Member of the Legislative Council, NSW Parliament, said it is fitting to recognize the multicultural and indigenous journalists who bring communities together and promote multiculturalism in Australia.

Moselmane founded and chaired the Awards.

...the street kid hero

Filipino street kid, 13, wins $130,000 peace prize

Agence France-Presse

Thursday, September 20th, 2012

Cris “Kesz” Valdez INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

THE HAGUE—A young Filipino who lived off a rubbish dump and slept in an open tomb has won a prestigious children’s award in the Netherlands for his work to improve the rights of his fellow street kids.

Cris “Kesz” Valdez, aged 13, was handed this year’s International Children’s Peace Prize at a glittering ceremony in The Hague on Wednesday, where he received a 100,000 euro ($130,000) prize.





Cris “Kesz” Valdez, 13, proudly accepts his prize from Nobel Peace Prize winner Bishop Desmond Tutu in ceremonies held in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Wednesday. AFP

 

Valdez was chosen from three finalists for the work of his “Championing Community Children” charity which raises funds to hand out gift parcels to needy children in Cavite City, about 30 kilometres (18 miles) south of the capital Manila.

“You are wonderful,” Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu, who handed over this year’s prize, told Valdez at a press conference shortly after the ceremony, held in The Hague’s historic Knight’s Hall.

“My message to children around the world is not to lose hope” and to remember things like hygiene, said Valdez, who added that the prize would help him get an education and perhaps realize his dream of becoming a doctor.

Through his charity, Valdez has handed out more than 5,000 gifts to destitute children that included everyday articles like flip-flops, toys, sweets and clothes, said the KidsRights Foundation, the prize’s initiator.

In all, he has helped some 10,000 children in his area on health, hygiene and children’s rights, the foundation added.

Some 246,000 street children are, like Valdez was as a young child, subjected to abuse, violence and child labor in the Philippines, it said.

Asked about the prize money, KidsRights Foundation chairman Marc Dullaert said a committee was now to decide, together with Valdez, to which projects it would be donated.

Archbishop Tutu, the South African peace icon who won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize is in the Netherlands for a nine-day visit.

...the Scientist

Cebu scientist wins Magsaysay award

By Tina G. Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Romulo Davide. Photo taken from dost.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino scientist who has devoted his life to addressing problems that confront the agriculture industry is among this year’s winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Romulo Davide is being recognized for “his steadfast passion in placing the power and discipline of science in the hands of farmers in the Philippines, who have consequently multiplied their yields, created productive farming communities, and rediscovered the dignity of their labor.”

Davide is hailed as the “Father of Plant Nematology” for his many years of teaching and groundbreaking research on nematode pests that infest, debilitate, and destroy agricultural crops.

Apart from Davide, individuals from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan will receive Asia’s premier prize, which is often described as Asia’s Nobel Prize, according to the Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.

The award, named after the immensely popular Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay, who was killed in a 1957 plane crash, aims to honor people who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity.

...the smart awardee

Smart Communications bags 3 int’l awards

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines—Mobile telecoms giant Smart Communications Inc. recently bagged three major international awards, including top honors as Operator of the Year, at the  2012 Asia Communication Awards (ACA), winning over Singapore’s Singtel and StarHub, Australia’s Telstra Global, and Laos’ Unitel.

The only Philippine telecom company recognized at the ACA’s Annual Awards Dinner held in Singapore, Smart reaped the biggest number of operator accolades. It also won awards for the Netphone (the world’s first smartphone backed by an operator-managed system) under the Innovation Award category, and Secured Health Information Network and Exchange (SHINE) (Smart’s flagship mHealth program), under the Best Emerging Market Initiative category.

Smart is no stranger to the ACA, having been recognized by the prestigious telecom tilt in 2011 as Operator of the Year and Best in Green Technology.

Its key programs made it to the list of finalists of this year’s ACA: Green Merchandising Program, under the Green Technology Award; Jump Experience Center (the Philippines’ first multidimensional experience center of Smart and mother firm PLDT) under the Customer Service Initiative category; and SmartCares (the country’s first customer care channel on social media for a telco) under the Social Media Initiative category.

Smart president and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno was also nominated for CEO of the Year.

Smart officials Perry Bayani and Gio Bacareza received the awards from Paul Michael Scanlan, Huawei vice president for solution, sales & marketing.

The ACA recognizes the achievements of Asian telecom companies and individuals responsible for the innovations, achievements and new services that are helping shape the future of the industry.

Organized by Total Telecom, the ceremony is one of the highlights of CommunicAsia, the annual information and communications technology exhibition and conference held in Singapore that showcase key and emerging technologies.

...the US immigration law

'TNT' Pulitzer winner on Time cover


By Jose Katigbak
STAR Washington Bureau
(The Philippine Star)
June 16, 2012


WASHINGTON – Filipino journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, a poster child of illegal immigration in the US, has landed on the cover of Time magazine surrounded by 35 other undocumented young people, their picture emblazoned with the legend “We are Americans, just not legally.”

Filipino journalist Jose Antonio Vargas is at the center of Time magazine’s cover story for June

In a 4,500-word essay in the latest issue of Time, Vargas, who won a Pulitzer Prize as part of a Washington Post team that covered the April 2011 Vietnam Tech massacre, reports on life in “citizenship limbo” and how others coming out like him can change the debate.

Two months after winning the Pulitzer, Vargas outed himself in a New York Times article entitled “My life as an undocumented immigrant.”

He said his mother sent him to live with his grandparents in the US in 1993 when he was 12. At 16 he found out he had a fake green card.

In the Time essay, Vargas said the questions he has been asked since announcing his undocumented status indicate the things people don’t know, the things they think they know but have been misinformed, and the views they hold but do not ordinarily voice.

“I’ve also been witness to a shift I believe will be a game changer for the debate: more people coming out,” he said.

He said at least 2,000 undocumented immigrants, most of them under 30, have contacted him and outed themselves in the past year.

“The contradictions of our immigration debate are inescapable. Polls show substantial support for creating a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants – yet 52 percent of Americans support allowing police to stop and question anyone they suspect of being illegal,” he said.

Democrats are viewed as being more welcoming to immigrants, but in the three years since Obama took office his administration has deported 1.2 million people. It took Republican President George W. Bush eight years to deport 1.6 million people, Vargas said.

He said election year politics was further confusing things as both parties scramble to attract Latino voters without scaring off other constituencies.

But the real political flash point, according to Vargas, is the proposed Dream (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act, a decade-old immigration bill that would provide a path to citizenship for young people educated in this country.

To be eligible they must have been brought to the United States before the age of 16 and lived in the country for at least five years. The bill never passed.

Vargas said he spends every day wondering what, if anything, the government plans to do with him.

He said after months of waiting for something to happen, he decided to confront immigration officials and asked them if they were planning to deport him.

Despite announcing he is in the country illegally, he has been told that technically he does not exist in the eyes of US Customs and Immigration Enforcement.

Like most undocumented immigrants, he’s never been arrested and therefore not on an ICE list, he said.

“I am still here. Still in limbo, so are nearly 12 million others like me –enough to populate Ohio. We are working with you, going to school with you, paying taxes with you, worrying about our bills with you. What exactly do you want to do with us? More important, when will you realize that we are one of you?” Vargas asked.

...the US best actress

Anna Maria Perez de Tagle wins best actress award in US

June 7, 2012
GMA News

For her role in the Broadway musical "Godspell," Filipino-American actress and singer Anna Maria Perez de Tagle won Best Featured Actress in a Musical in the "10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards."

California-born De Tagle, 21, won against 28 other actresses.

Known as “Wengky” to family and friends, De Tagle is the granddaughter of “Reyna ng Kundiman” Sylvia La Torre.

De Tagle is the child of Archie Perez de Tagle, a former TV personality, and Evelyn Enriquez.

According to the entertainment website BroadwayWorld.com, the voting opened on May 3 this year and ran through June 4, 2012.
"This year, we shattered all previous site records, by more than DOUBLE, as hundreds of thousands of theatregoers and fans weighed in on their favorites of th 2011-12 theatre season on Broadway, Off-Broadway and beyond," the website said.


"The BroadwayWorld.com Awards are by far the largest and most popular online Broadway polling event of its kind, open to all and with fully visible and audited results," it added.

On her Facebook page, De Tagle said: "THANK YOU TO ALL MY FANS AND FRIENDS AND ALL WHO VOTED FOR ME! LOVE YOU ALL! Xoixo...Anna Maria"

Godspell

“Godspell” is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak about a series of parables based on the Bible’s Gospel of Matthew, featuring the passion of Christ.

"Godspell" was cited as the Best Revival of a Musical in the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards.

The official website of the awards shows the complete list of winners:

Best Book of a Musical

Harvey Fierstein- "Newsies"

Best Choreography

Christopher Gatelli- "Newsies"

Best Costume Design

Gregg Barnes- "Follies"

Best Direction of a Musical

Jeff Calhoun- "Newsies"

Best Direction of a Play

Roger Rees and Alex Timbers- "Peter and the Starcatcher" 

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

Andrew Keenan-Bolger- "Newsies"

Best Featured Actor in a Play

Christian Borle- Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

Anna Maria Perez de Tagle- "Godspell"

Best Featured Actress in a Play

Celia Keenan-Bolger- "Peter and the Starcatcher "

Best Leading Actor in a Musical

Jeremy Jordan- "Newsies" 

Best Leading Actor in a Play

Alan Rickman- "Seminar"

Best Leading Actress in a Musical

Audra McDonald- "Porgy and Bess"

Best Leading Actress in a Play

Tracie Bennett- "End of the Rainbow"

Best Lighting Design

Hugh Vanstone- "Ghost"

Best Long-Running Broadway Show

"Wicked" 

Best Musical

"Newsies"

Best Off-Broadway Musical

"Rent"

Best Off-Broadway Play

"Sons of the Prophet"

Best Orchestrations

Danny Troob- "Newsies"

Best Play

Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Revival of a Musical

Godspell

Best Revival of a Play

Death of a Salesman

Best Scenic Design

Tobin Ost- "Newsies"

Best Score

Alan Menken and Jack Feldman- "Newsies"

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Ken Travis- "Newsies"

Best Sound Design of a Play

Darron L. West- "Peter and the Starcatcher"

Best Touring Production

"Wicked"

...the Holy See awardee

PH envoy receives Holy See Award from Vatican

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

05/29/2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – The Vatican has conferred the Holy See Award with the Order of Pius IX, Class of Dame to Philippine Ambassador Mercedes Tuason last May 23.

 

 

 

 

The Holy Chief of Protocol, Monsignor Fortunatus Nwachukwu, assisted by Monsignor Guillermo Javier Karcher, 1st Class Attaché of the Secretariat of State, presented the award to Ambassador Tuason during the awarding ceremonies held at the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

 

In his remarks, Monsignor Nwachukwu said that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has decided to give the award to Tuason for her "significant contributions in the advancement of bilateral relations between the Holy See and the Philippines". The award is signed by His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State of the Holy See.

 

Tuason was accompanied by Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General Danilo Ibayan, Executive Assistant and Confidential Secretary to the Ambassador Josephine Bantug, and Father Jess Dajac, Filipino Roman Catholic priest of the Congregazione Clericale Missionariedella Fede.

 

The Order of Pius IX, also known as the Pian Order, is a Papal order of knighthood founded on 17 June 1847 by Pope Pius IX.

 

Although the Pontifical Orders of Knighthood of the Holy See were originally founded and available for giving honors to gentlemen only, the Holy See Secretariat of State in November 1993 issued instructions that the Pontifical Orders of Pius IX, Saint Gregory the Great, and of Pope Saint Sylvester were also open for awarding to ladies.

 

Living recipients of the higher ranks of the Order of Pius IX include H.E. Giorgio Napolitano, President of the Italian Republic, H.M. King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and H.M. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

---

...the UN awardee in Golan Heights

Pinoy peacekeepers in Golan Heights receive UN medals

May 19, 2012

GMA News

 

 

The latest batch of Filipino peacekeepers – the fifth contingent – in the Golan Heights continued to do the Philippines proud as they were given United Nations medals for their valuable service.

A news release of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Friday said the peacekeepers received their medals Thursday, barely three months after being deployed in the area under the UN Disengagement Observer Force (DOF).

"The awarding of medals to contingents in the Golan Heights is symbolic and a token of appreciation given by the UN to contingents for their contribution to the maintenance of peace and security in the region," the DFA said.

Lt. Col. Ramon Estella, commanding officer of the Philippine battalion, led his troops during the medal parade.

Philippine Ambassador to Israel Generoso Calonge and Maj. Gen. Natalio Ecarma III, head of mission and UNDOF force commander, were special guests at the ceremony.

Contingent commanders of contributing states to UNDOF, liaison officers of the Israel Defense Force, and members of the Filipino community in Israel were also present during the parade.

The Philippine contingent is part of the peacekeeping force composed of troops coming from Austria, Canada, Croatia, India, and Japan.

The UN Security Council tasked these troops to maintain the ceasefire and supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces in the so-called areas of separation and limitation between the two parties.

In his speech, Estella congratulated the recipients of the UN medal and said it should serve as their inspiration to work even harder.

Estella urged his team to continue displaying world-class professionalism at all times.

He and his team assumed command in February 2012, and will finish their tour of duty by August 2012.

For his part, Calonge said their assignment is a rare duty and distinct privilege given to a unique few.

“Your presence here is a testament of our commitment to the UN as one of the founding nations of this international organization,” he said.

“Always remember that you stand on the foundation built by the previous contingents and that as you fulfill your duties and responsibilities in UNDOF, you also build upon that foundation for other forthcoming Philippine Contingents,” he added.

For his part, Ecarma, the first Filipino general in UNDOF, reminded the contingent to protect the image of the Philippines in the host country.

He reminded them they represent no less than the entire Filipino nation.

Ecarma also congratulated the Philippine contingent, saying the medals show the UN's appreciation for their selfless act and courage to maintain stability in the area. He told them to keep up the good work.

The DFA said the deployment of Philippine troops in the Golan Heights, especially amid the 2011 Arab spring, is a challenge and a test to their courage and endurance.

It said the troops have maintained the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in the performance of their responsibility in their areas of operation.

"The Philippines is not new in peacekeeping operations. Despite its limited resources, the it steadfastly maintains its commitments to the UN as one of its founding members," it said.

It added the Philippines has sent peacekeeping troops since the 1950s, including in Korea, Congo, Afghanistan, Burundi, Cambodia, Cote d’Ivoire, Darfur, Georgia, Haiti, Iraq, Liberia, Kashmir, Kosovo, Nepal, Sudan, and Timor Leste. — LBG, GMA News

...the double dead detector

Anti-botcha robot bags award at int’l contest

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 05/10/2012

 

 

 

Students from DYCI, who represented the Philippines in the First Lego League, pose for a photo after winning third in the Best Presentation category. Photo courtesy of Beryl Jhan Cruz

MANILA, Philippines – A robot that can detect “botcha” or double-dead meat won an award in an international competition held late last month.

The “Meat’s Anti-Germs and Infection Solution” or MAGIS Version 2 bested 76 other teams and bagged the third Best Project Presentation award at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Lego League World Festival, which was held in Missouri from April 25 to 28.

The robot was created by a team of high school students from Dr. Yanga’s College Inc. in Bulacan.
It is made of stainless steel, aluminum and plastic and is equipped with color and temperature sensors to detect contaminated meat.

One of the coaches of the team, Beryl Jhan Cruz, noted that this is the first time that the Philippines joined the FIRST Lego League.

“I’m very proud. It’s the country’s first time to join the contest and we placed third in Best Presentation. They did a good job. Not all first-timers win in an international competition,” Cruz said.

For its part, the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (SEI) congratulated the Philippine robotics team for a good showing in the international stage.

“With this victory, we will continue to support endeavors that will develop a pool of local robotics experts who will soon lead the country in providing solutions to S&T- (science and technology) related problems,” SEI director Dr. Filma Brawner said.

‘Not that far’

The Best Presentation award is one of the 15 categories in the FIRST Lego League.

Other categories include Champion’s, NASA Food for Thought, Adult Coach/Mentor, Gracious Professionalism, Inspiration, Teamwork, Young Adult Mentor, Innovative Solution, Research, Judges, Mechanical Design, Programming, Strategy and Innovation, and Robot Performance.

Cruz said the Philippines’ victory in the FIRST Lego League shows that the country’s ability to compete in robotics competitions “is definitely there.”

“We’re not that far,” he said, adding that the key to the country’s victory not only lies on the team, but also on financial and organizational support from the government and other private institutions.

Meanwhile, the team hopes that the National Meat Inspection Service will adopt their invention in inspecting botcha.

---

...the Henderson Quality awardee (UK)

Pinoy nurse wins award for care for elderly patients in UK

May 5, 2012

GMA News

A Filipino nurse won a prestigious award in the United Kingdom for his care for vulnerable elderly patients there, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported Saturday.



Francis Fernando, a Filipino nurse at the Salisbury District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, was awarded the National Health Service (NHS) Clinical Leaders Network (CLN) AQuA Henderson Quality Award.

"Fernando received the Award's First Prize during the CLN Congress last April 25 for the 'Striving for Excellence in the Care of Elderly Patients with Hip Fractures' project at the Salisbury Hospital.  The award-winning project is now set to be adopted in hospitals across the UK," the DFA said.

Fernando received his award from Chief Nursing Officer in England Jane Cummings and NHS Medical Director Professor Bruce Keogh.

UK Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley provided an inspirational video message at the Award presentation during the CLN congress.

Apart from the Award's glass trophy, Fernando received a UK£5,000 (PhP341,569) bursary from the CLN to start a Fracture Liaison Service in his hospital, the third of its kind in the UK, to help prevent primary and secondary hip fractures and save billions of pounds in medical treatment expenses.

He has also agreed to continue to campaign for vulnerable patients with hip fractures across the UK through CLN's bank of clinicians and the National Hip Fracture Database.

CLN is a 5,000-strong national professional leadership network for clinicians in England.

It bestows its Quality Award each year to recognize the work of clinicians who lead projects that result in clinical improvements and differences in patients' lives.

There were more than 1,000 entries for this year's award, the DFA said.

Philippine Ambassador to the UK Enrique Manalo welcomed Fernando to the Philippine Embassy in London last May 2, and feted him for the honor he brought to Filipinos in the UK.

"Mr. Fernando is a consummate and caring professional and a true representative of Filipinos in the UK. He has certainly raised the image of the Filipino and made all of our kababayans proud with his prestigious award and his selfless work," Manalo said.

Fernando has been working at the Salisbury Hospital for the past 12 years.

Two years ago, he was appointed as the hospital's first Filipino Band 7 nurse (Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner), and campaigned for the improvement of service to vulnerable elderly patients with hip fractures.

The hospital began improving its national rankings, last year placing 12th out of 176 NHS Trusts that participated in the largest database of hip fractures in the world.

1st non-British award winner

The DFA said Fernando is the first nurse and the first non-British national to win the Award's First Prize.

Previous winners were doctors and other health care professionals.

"The ultimate winners in all of this are the patients and their families," said Fernando.

"I had to be more proactive and find innovative ways of meeting the Best Practice Tariff Standards for hip fractures, and then present our project to different audiences around England. We have a fantastic team of clinicians here at Salisbury that is at one with our goal to be the best in the country," Fernando said.

Fernando said there are about 200 Filipinos working at the hospital, including five in his team.

In 2012, Fernando's hospital stands close to the top of the national rankings with respect to achieving the Best Practice Tariff for hip fractures.

Their work resulted in reduced length of stays and re-admission and mortality rates as well as excellent responses from patients and their families. — LBG, GMA News

...the 2012 Telly awardee

Telly Awards

MYX TV’s variety show wins bronze in 2012 Telly Awards

April 28, 2012

Inquirer.net

 

REDWOOD CITY, California—Variety show variety show, MYX-Rated won the coveted bronze Telly Award for its episode on “Making MYX-Rated: The Documentary,” besting nearly 11,000 entries from 50 states.

 

The first series of MYX TV, the premier Asian American entertainment network in the United States, shot entirely in high definition features everything Asian and awesome from pop culture to music, fashion, and events, and is hosted by comedian Joey Guila and Keiko Alingas.

The award-winning episode gives viewers an in-depth, behind-the scenes look at the creative process of the show’s production. MYX-Rated first premiered on MYX TV in March 2011 and has run for two full seasons. Currently, it airs on Thursday nights at 10pm.

“We started the show because we wanted to introduce something new and cutting edge to the channel,” says Roland Posadas, producer and director of MYX-Rated.  “I’m especially honored that the documentary episode won a Telly Award because it displayed the hard work and passion that our cast and crew has for making the show – a testament to the vast array of talent that we were able to showcase both behind and in front of the camera.”

MYX-Rated has hosted celebrities such as Far East Movement, Naughty by Nature, DJ Q-Bert, UFC fighter Mark Munoz, The Bangerz, ABDC champions Jabbawockeez and IaMmE, and Justin Beiber’s World Tour vocalists, Legaci. Rising entertainers online David Choi, Ryan Higa, Clara C, Lil’ Crazed, and Erin Paula are no stranger to the show either.

The show has likewise brought on board movie stars like John Cho and Kal Penn for A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Vanessa Hudgens for Sucker Punch, Vin Diesel and Duane “The Rock” Johnson for Fast 5, and Tom Cruise for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video and films.  Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.

“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, Executive Director of the Telly Awards.  “MYX TV’s accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill, and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”

“When we set our goal to redefine Asian American entertainment, we understood that we were going set the standard for excellence in our field,” said Miguel Santos, Associate General Manager for MYX TV. “Our team continues to do just that and wave our community’s flag with pride.”