Silliman Names 2019 Outstanding Alumni Awardees

Silliman University (SU) has selected six alumni to receive the 2019 Outstanding Sillimanian Awards (OSA).

According to SU Information Officer Madeline Quiamco, the chosen candidates were seen to best exemplify SU’s principles of Via, Veritas, Vita (The Way, The Truth, and The Life) through excellent and distinguished performance in their field of specialization or career; social responsibility or strong commitment to what is good, right, and just; and exemplary personal life and relationships.

The candidates were chosen from candidates nominated by SU Alumni chapters in the Philippines and other parts of the world, said Quiamco.

This year’s six OSA recipients in various fields include Dr. Ben S. Malayang III in environment and academic leadership; Moses L. Alcala in applied environmental geology; Dr. Jonathan C. Amante in medical services development; Atty. Myrish T. Cadapan-Antonio in global leadership development; Rev. Dr. Al B. Fuertes in conflict transformation and peace-building; and Dr. Leonilo B. Oliva in educational service.

Dr. Ben Malayang III served as the 12th president of Silliman University. During his term from 2006 to 2018, he strengthened the university within the framework of the 5Cs: Church, Classroom, Culture, Court, and Community.

An environmental scientist and educator, he has led several research and action projects and authored publications on environmental policy and governance, security, philosophy and ethics, as well as on biodiversity and institutional and environmental transformations of Southeast Asia.

Prior to heading SU, Malayang was dean of the School of Environmental Science and Management of the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB).

He also served as undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Moses Alcala is a US-based environmental geologist. He is president of Environmental and Geotechnical Services in Fairfield, New Jersey.

A certified professional geologist in two other states, Alcala is a Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) – the highest level of an environmental professional and consultant in the state of New Jersey.

He obtained his BS Geology degree from U.P. Diliman and MA Geology degree from the City University of New York.

As petroleum geologist in the 1980s, Alcala led teams in the study and exploration of petroleum basins in the Philippines.

As environmental geologist in the US, he has handled the environmental investigation and cleanup of over 400 sites in the states of New Jersey and New York.

He has been involved in environmental organizations and advocacy in the U.S. and the Philippines.

Alcala continues to be involved in sharing his expertise in environmental geology and conservation to Dumaguetenos, including presenting Baliktalent lectures on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jonathan C. Amante, founding dean of SU Medical School, made a difference in the delivery of health care services in Negros Oriental and neighboring provinces in the last 30 years.

Amante led several initiatives in that area, having successfully established the following: an Accredited Residency Training Program in Internal Medicine for a Silliman University Medical Center-Holy Child Hospital consortium; the SU Medical School that aims to produce competent physicians guided by Christian principles; the Dumaguete Medical Laboratory with three branches and the first dialysis unit at SUMC and Holy Child Hospital; a private hospital, Allied Clinical Experts (ACE) to help solve the lack of hospital beds in present hospitals in Dumaguete.

The only female among the candidates, Atty. Myrish Cadapan-Antonio is director of fellowship and leadership of Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Center for Public Leadership in Cambridge, Massachussetts.

A former deputy legal counsel and director of the Dr. Jovito Salonga Center for Law and Development of SU, Cadapan-Antonio had trained further in international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and education reform.

Among Antonio’s many awards are the Most Outstanding Silliman Law Alumnus award, HKS Lucius N. Littauer award for academic excellence, HKS Raymond and Josephine Vernon award for academic distinction, and Philippines 21 Young Leaders award.

The fifth recipient, Rev. Dr. Al B. Fuentes is associate professor of peacemaking and conflict resolution at George Mason University in Fairfax and covenant minister of the United Church of Christ in Wellspring, Virginia. Y

Yet as attested by fellow Sillimanians in the US, he is internationally recognized for his practical expertise and not because he teaches the subject at George Mason University.

He has worked in conflict areas in the Balkans, East and Central Africa, all over Asia, Canada, and the US.

Fuentes was first hired by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in 2005 to facilitate conflict prevention workshops among displaced populations of Cotabato and Bukidnon, and went on to other conflict resolution missions, among the latest being another CRS job to facilitate post-conflict healing and transformation in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2017.

Dr. Leonilo B. Oliva, is director of scholarship of University of Cebu and is concurrently consultant on education of the office of the mayor of Lapu-lapu City.

Oliva earned his bachelors degree in industrial education as a working student at SU, continuing to pursue the MA in education degree and starting a long and successful career in education administration initially with some colleges, universities, and foundations in Cebu and Cotabato and then with the Philippine Department of Education – Regions 7 and 8.

Quiamco said the six OSA awardees will be honored at conferral rites to be held at 10:00 am on August 28 at the Claire Isabel McGuill Luce Auditorium, Dumaguete City.

A highlight of the Founders Day celebration, the yearly OSA conferral ceremony is attended by Silliman students, faculty, staff, administrators, and guests as well as by the awardees’ family, friends, and members of the nominating SU Alumni chapter. (jct/PIA7-Negros Oriental)