Philippine Science High School National Alumni Association (PSHS NAA) recognizes distinguished alumni in 10th Gawad Lagablab Awards
The National Alumni Association of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS), the country’s leading science high school system, awards 13 alumni who have shown exceptional achievements in the fields of education, entrepreneurship, practice of profession, public service, social upliftment, and scientific research.
An attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), PSHS aims to develop globally competitive Filipino scientists equipped with 21st century skills and imbued with the core values of truth, excellence, and service to the nation.
Through the Gawad Lagablab Awards, the PSHS gives honor to alumni who have excelled in academic performance, have earned exceptional achievement in their chosen fields, and have given themselves in service to their community and the nation.
The Philippine Science High School, operating under one System of Governance and Management, provides scholarships to students with high aptitude in science and mathematics.
“Excellence in academic performance, exceptional achievement in one’s chosen field, and exemplary service to our community and nation embody the values of the Philippine Science High School,” said DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Pena. “The Gawad Lagablab Award is a testimony to the skills and expertise of our Philippine Science High School alumni and the valuable body of work that they have poured their knowledge and skills into for the advancement of our nation.”
The awardees include alumni who have excelled in the field of medicine, including Dr. Regina Pascua Berba, chair of the Technical Working Group for Policy Formulation in the DOH National Policy on Infection Prevention and Control, Dr. Lyre Anni Espada Murao, director of the Philippine Genome Center in Mindanao, Dr. Corazon Apolinar Ngelangel, president of the Philippine Cancer Society and director of the Asian Cancer Institute - Asian Hospital and Medical Center, and Dr. Jerry Mortela Obaldo, head of the nuclear medicine departments at Manila Doctors Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, UP-Philippine General Hospital.
Other awardees include industry business leaders and entrepreneurs, including Maria Lourdes Bautista Buensuceso, president of EL Laboratories, a leading Philippine pharmaceutical manufacturer, Dr. Bobby and Angelita Maligalig Castro, spouses and entrepreneurs of the country’s largest pawn shop network Palawan Pawnshop - Palawan Express Padala, andKatrina Rausa Chan, executive director of QBO Innovation Hub and IdeaSpace.
Others were recognized for their role in academe and in uplifting society, including Ma. Regina Jose Clamor+, founder of the Food for Hungry Minds Foundation, Dr. Fredegusto Panganiban David, co-founder of OCTA Research, Fr. Gregory Ramon Gaston, rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, Dr. Eva Marie Ratilla+, former chairperson of the Kapisanan ng mga Kimika sa Pilipinas - Division of Inorganic Chemistry and Allied Fields, Dr. Katherine Ann Villegas Reyes, co-founder of the Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes (AIHO), and Dr. Richard Jonathan Ordonez Taduran, the first biological and forensic anthropologist in the Philippines.