FLP honors law, business scholars

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino law and business scholars will receive cash and other prizes at the awards ceremony of the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity (FLP).

Business leader Manuel V. Pangilinan and First Lady Liza Marcos will be the respective guest speaker and special guest at the event today at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

There are three groups of awardees: 20 law scholars who will receive P200,000 each; five Master of Business Administration fellows specializing in entrepreneurship, sustainability, management, economics or business law (Esmel) will each receive P450,000 and 20 dissertation contest winners will win prizes amounting to over P1.5 million.

Retired chief justice Artemio Panganiban, chairman of the FLP, will bestow the cash, plaque and other prizes to the awardees, together with Pangilinan and Marcos.

The law scholars, Esmel fellows and winning dissertations were chosen by a board of judges for each group, respectively chaired by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor Amando Tetangco Jr. and Supreme Court Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier.

Scholarships will be granted to 10 third-year law students, in partnership with the Tan Yan Kee Foundation represented by Lucio Tan III.

These third-year law students are Mariana Alberto, Cicily Mirasol and Chinzen Viernes from the University of the Philippines (UP); Kerstein Despi, Christa Mutuc and Mary Te from the University of San Carlos (USC); Enrico Paguia, Janelle Sy and Ricardo Sobreviñas from the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and Jayson Orajay from Xavier University.

Fourth-year law students who will receive scholarships are Betlee-kyle Barraquias, Gerifel Cerillo and Aimiel Reyes of ADMU; Susanna Ruth Gruyal, Allan Reyes and Robert Sanders Jr. of UP; Bulacan State University’s Joanna David; Saint Louis University’s Mia Laza; University of Santo Tomas’ Alma Patricio and Jose Rizal University’s Azelea Salcedo.

Esmel fellows who will receive P450,000 (P350,000 for tuition and P100,000 for books and living allowance) are UP’s Ralph Villanueva; ADMU’s Ciara Tuquero and Milagrosa Ballestar, Gian Lucas and Wallace Panlilio II from the Asian Institute of Management.

Their fellowship will be proclaimed by the FLP, in partnership with the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. through the Metro Pacific Investments Foundation.

If qualified, even those holding law scholarships may apply for and be awarded these fellowships.

Among the winning dissertations are Rachel Gella’s from the University of St. La Salle. She won first prize, worth P320,000.

Far Eastern University (FEU)’s Arvin Maceda won the second prize of P220,000.

Three third placers who each won P120,000 are UP Diliman’s Lovelyn Quebrar, ADMU’s Sabrina De Guia and USC’s Clarisse Loro.

Fifteen finalists will each be given P20,000: ADMU’s Celina Abueg, Francisco Arceo, Raizah Bagul, Erika Bollozos, Clarissa Gozos and Deanne Pangan; USC’s Theressa Enriquez, Erin Esdrelon, Eunice Go, Alex Ilagan Jr. and Charisse Regencia; FEU’s Nicole Nguyen and Maria Sabban; De La Salle Lipa’s Darlene Berana and University of Makati’s Grace Tijam.

The dissertation writing contest was conducted by the FLP in partnership with Ayala Corp.

UP Law dean Darlene Marie Berberabe will be installed as a member of the FLP professorial chairs program by Marcos, who will be assisted by Panganiban and Metrobank Foundation’s Alfred and Arthur Ty.

The FLP was founded in 2011 to perpetuate Panganiban’s core judicial philosophy to safeguard liberty and nurture prosperity under the rule of law.

Its board of trustees includes retired Supreme Court justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez (president), retired justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, former education secretary Edilberto de Jesus, former BSP governor Tetangco, Maria Elena Yaptangco, professor Maria Theresa Mañalac and lawyers Joel Emerson Gregorio and Arvin Paolo Cortez.

In its second decade (2021 to 2031), the FLP aims to establish two projects: a Center for Liberty and Prosperity powered by artificial intelligence that would house a Museum for Liberty and Prosperity, in partnership with the Supreme Court, and a multibillion-peso Prosperity Fund to help eliminate extreme poverty and assist micro, small and medium-sized enterprises by investing in their equity, with Esmel fellows providing management expertise.