Nation

UP confers Gawad Oblation to 14 individuals

February 9, 2017 | 3:38pm

UP confers Gawad Oblation to 14 individuals

UP President Alfredo Pascual (seated, center) and UP vice president for public affairs Edna Co (seated, leftmost) join Gawad Oblation awardees. Standing, from left: SM Prime Holdings executive committee chairman Hans Sy, Department of Public Works and Highways Region V director Reynaldo Tagudando, former Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, former public works and highways secretary Rogelio Singson, former senator and Vista Land chairman Manuel Villar Jr., UP Engineering Research and Development Foundation president Alfonso Aliga Jr., were I.B. Gimenez Group of Companies president Ignacio Gimenez, Sen. Francis Escudero, and former UP Board of Regents member and Phinma vice chairman Magdaleno Albarracin. Seated, from left are: Commission on Higher Education chair Patricia Licuanan, Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, Sen. Loren Legarda, former presidential management staff chief Julia Abad (representing former budget secretary Florencio Abad), and Robinsons Retail Holdings president and chief operating officer Robina Gokongwei-Pe.

Philstar.com / Janvic Mateo

MANILA, Philippines - The University of the Philippines has recognized 14 individuals for the “extraordinary support” that they have given to the university during the incumbency of outgoing president Alfredo Pascual.

Conferred with the Gawad Oblation – touted as the “highest honor UP can bestow upon its alumni and friends” – were former budget secretary Florencio Abad, former UP Board of Regents member and Phinma vice chairman Magdaleno Albarracin, UP Engineering Research and Development Foundation president Alfonso Aliga Jr., Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, and Sen. Francis Escudero.

Also conferred with the award were I.B. Gimenez Group of Companies president Ignacio Gimenez, Robinsons Retail Holdings president and chief operating officer Robina Gokongwei-Pe, Sen. Loren Legarda, Commission on Higher Education chair Patricia Licuanan, and former public works and highways secretary Rogelio Singson.

Completing the list are SM Prime Holdings executive committee chairman Hans Sy, Department of Public Works and Highways Region V director Reynaldo Tagudando, former Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, and former senator and Vista Land chairman Manuel Villar Jr.

All awardees, except Abad who was represented by his daughter former presidential management staff chief Julia Abad, were present during the ceremony at the UP Bonifacio Global City campus on Tuesday night.

Pascual said the award is their way of expressing their profound appreciation for the support that they have given the university.

“Your initiatives have truly made a positive impact on the development of UP and have allowed us not only to make great strides but take giant leaps in our journey towards marking the path for greatness in the 21st century,” said the UP president.

“You have been crucial in the fulfillment of our mandates to lead and serve as a research university, a graduate university, a public service university, and a regional and global university,” he added.

Villar, whose company recently tied up with the university for the establishment of a UP campus in the Vista City project in Cavite, spoke in behalf of the awardees of the Gawad Oblation.

“I’m sure, all awardees of the Gawad Oblation have been profoundly affected by their stay in UP,” said Villar.

“Whether in clarifying our life direction, raising our social and political consciousness, developing our character, or honing our skills, UP have helped shaped what we have become today,” he added.

Awardees were conferred with the Gawad Oblation medal, which was designed by artist and professor Leo Abaya. It features a close-up of the Oblation’s hand as its central image, surrounded by a green enamel band with an inscription of the second stanza of Jose Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios – “Sa kagalingan mo ay akin ding handog” – written in baybayin.

Surrounding this are radiating sunrays drawn from the early designs of the Philippine flag, set in maroon enamel. On top of the medal is an image of the Oblation.

UP said the Gawad Oblation, which was awarded for the first time, is a special award given by the UP President to individuals, organizations or institutions who have rendered extraordinary service to the university.

“Extraordinary service can be in as many different areas of university life, including alumni leadership and public service, exceptional teaching, research and extension work, creative production, efficient public and university administration, exceptional generosity and volunteerism, fundraising, and so forth,” said the university.

“The awardees should have increased the institutional visibility, international prestige and recognition of the university, and have helped fulfill its mandate to become the National University,” it added.