Posts

Conversation with Lilia Hernandez Chung, Ph.D.

Image
Lilia Hernandez Chung, Ph.D. graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Letters  from the University of Santo Tomas where she taught for four years after graduation. In 1958, she won a Fullbright scholarship and received a fellowship for graduate studies from Syracuse University in New York where she earned her doctorate degree in the Humanities. She met her husband, Kai Lai Chung, at said university where he was a Professor of Mathematics. They later moved to Stanford, California where she taught Ethnic Studies at Foothill College for 24 years and also served as one of its directors of Multicultural Affairs. Dr. Chung received the Women of Achievement Award from the League of Friends of Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women in 1980. She has three children and four grandchildren. She divides her time between the Philippines and California. Aside from being an educator, Dr. Chung is a published author. Her publications include Peninsular Prose Fiction of the Philippines,

Conversation with Aldrean Paul Alogon

Image
Aldrean Paul Alogon graduated with High Honors from Philippine Science High School (PSHS), Western Visayas Campus in 2019. He also received the Excellence Award in Physics. While in high school, he represented the Philippines at the International Olympiad for Astronomy and Astrophysics in India and Thailand. Mr. Alogon won the Freeman Asian Scholarship, a full scholarship for a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree. He is now enrolled at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, USA. Wesleyan is one of the country’s premier liberal arts institutions. As a child growing up in Sigma, what were your dreams for your future? I grew up wanting to be either a doctor, a lawyer, or a scientist. To tell you the truth, the first two were somehow planted in my head by the people around me, maybe because I had “above” average grades and that those professions are the most profitable if you have the capacity to ace them.     When did you begin to take an interest in science? As a child,

Conversation with Dr. Adolfo B. Bellosillo

Image
Adolfo B. Bellosillo, MD, FACC, FSGC, FPCC, FPCP, FPCCP, FPSE, graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Medicine. He completed his fellowship training in Cardiology from the University of Iowa in Iowa City and his fellowship training in Cardiac Rehabilitation from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the Founder and President of the Foundation for Lay Education on Heart Diseases (FLEHD). He also held the position of President for the following professional organizations: Philippine Heart Association/Philippine College of Cardiology 1990-1991, Philippine Society of Echocardiography 1992-1994, Cardiac Rehabilitation Society of the Philippines 1994-1999, and the  7th World Congress of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention from 1996-2000. Dr. Bellosillo received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career: Most Distinguished Fellow from the Philippine Heart Association(PHA)/Philippine College of Cardiology in 1998, Dr. Jose P. Rizal Memorial

Conversation with Jessica Veronique Ortiz Yu

Image
Jessica Veronique Ortiz Yu Jessica Veronique Ortiz Yu graduated from the College of the Holy Spirit with a dual degree in Psychology and Marketing. She is the Gawad Kalinga Head for the Province of Capiz, Managing Director of ABOCGO Land, Inc., Board Member of AnCor Corporation and Member of the Board of Trustees of the College of St. John in Roxas City. Mrs. Yu and her husband, Anthony Dexter, are National Chair Couple for Family and Life Apostolate of the Christian Family Movement (CFM). What led you to work for Gawad Kalinga (GK) I started volunteering for Gawad Kalinga after a Bayani Challenge in Marinduque in 2007. That experience opened my eyes to the realities our poor experience every day - they are the most deprived of even the basic necessities and they don’t have access to livable land. With any calamity or typhoon, they are the first victims and the last to be served.  After I shared my volunteer experience with my husband and children, we all started to volunteer for GK. I

Conversation with Christian George Francisco Acevedo

Image
Christian George Francisco Acevedo graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Capiz State University. He holds a master’s degree in Library Science from Central Philippine University and a second master's degree in Teaching from Filamer University. He is a librarian at Capiz State University where he also teaches professional education courses at the College of Education. He was president of the Philippine Library Association Inc. (PLAI) Western Visayas Region from 2017-2018. He has most recently coauthored the book, Panaysayon: Tales from Panay Island.  A cultural and literacy advocate, Mr. Acevedo is a volunteer at Ang Panublion Museum and at the soon-to-open Capiz Provincial Library, both in Roxas City. He founded Project Learn, an outreach program that helps schools in far flung communities build their reading resources.  As an educator, you not only teach your students in the classroom, you also like teaching others through your advocacies. Tell us more abo

Conversation with Lino F. Villarruz

Image
Lino F. Villarruz Lino F. Villarruz graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Santo Tomas. He is a founding member of the Arts Association of Capiz (formerly Capiz Arts Council) which he served as its Visual Arts Director in 1995. Mr. Villarruz  has received numerous art awards throughout his career including the Capiznon Artist Award. He comes from a musical family and was a guitarist for the band he formed with his brothers when he was in his teens. He lives in Roxas City with his wife and children. How did you come to realize you wanted to be a painter? Lino: I liked drawing and found I was good at it during high school so it was easy for me to decide to study Fine Arts in college. Who were the artists who influenced you the most? Lino: The artists I admired most and who influenced my work were Vicente Manansala, Carlos "Botong" Francisco, Mauro "Malang" Santos and Pablo Picasso. How would you describe your artistic style? Lino: My style of pain

Conversation with Dr. Munich Ortiz Conlu

Image
Raymund (Munich) Augustus Ortiz Conlu, M.D. is the Medical Director of PET-CT Center at Centuria Medical Center in Makati, Chairman of Nuclear Medicine at both The Health Centrum in Roxas City and St Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo, Nuclear Medicine Consultant at Lung Center of the Philippines, Chairman of Radiology at Clinica Caritas in Makati and Consultant of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology at Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City.  Dr. Conlu continues to be affiliated with St. Luke’s Medical Center at both the Global City and Quezon City locations as Consultant for the  Nuclear Medicine and PET Department and PET-CT Center, respectively. He was also Chairman of the Board of Examiners for the Philippine Specialty Board of Nuclear Medicine in 2016. Dr. Conlu is widely respected in his profession and is considered one of the top nuclear medicine specialists in the country. Why did you choose to become a doctor? Munich: I was inspired by my lolo (Jesus Ortiz) and uncle (Rustic o B. Ortiz) wh