The Outstanding Aklanons 2007

By Ambrosio R. Villorente

Aklan’s highest and most prestigious awards were given to eight (8) sons and daughters of Aklan in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments in their respective professions. The award were given in a fitting ceremonies held at ABL Sports Complex, Estancia, Kalibo in the evening of Wednesday, April 25. The search for Outstanding Aklanons is an annual activity done as one of the highlights of the Aklan Day celebration.
This year’s awardees are: Justice Arsenio F. Solidum - Judiciary (Posthumous), Dr. Josette Talamera-Biyo - Science, Dr. Clarina R. de la Cruz - Technology Research, Ambassador Teresita P. Vega - Berner - Foreign Service, Mrs. Evelyn M. Quimpo - Education, Mr. Anthony Militar Mabasa - Business and Industry, S/Sgt. Blas L. Fernandez - Soldiery, and Mr. Odon S. Bandiola - Community Journalism.

Justice ARSENIO F. SOLIDUM – Judiciary (Posthumous).

The late Arsenio F. Solidum finished law at UP in 1928 and got second place in the bar exams in the same year. He practiced law until 1936. He was appointed Associate Professor of Law at UP. After liberation, Solidum re-organized the college. He also served as judge and professor of law at U.P., Ateneo, San Beda, FEU and MLQU.
Black Gold publication described his colorful career with these words: In the judiciary where he has accumulated 24 years of rich legal experience serving in various capacities, he has proven to be more than equal to the task of the positions he occupied. This won him the favors of several Presidents of the Philippines who were responsible in prompting him from one significant position to another. In 1946, President Osmeña appointed him Special Prosecutor in the People’s Court and in 1947, President Roxas elevated him to the Bench as Judge-at-Large. In less than a year, he was promoted to District Judge. In 1954, president Magsaysay transferred him from Leyte to Manila. Later, he was elevated to the Court of Appeals by President Marcos. After his retirement as Associate Justice, he was appointed Associate Commissioner of the Oil Industry Commission.
He was born in Ibajay on December 14, 1901. He married Milagros Roa with five children.

Dr. JOSETTE TALAMERA – BIYO - Science.

Dr. Josette Talamera – Biyo is the first Asian to win the 2002 Intel Excellence in Teaching Award given for her best known teaching methods in Science. She competed with 4,000 Science and Math teachers from all over the world and emerged as the grand winner. For this rare feat, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology of USA gave her the distinct honor of having a minor planet named after her.
In 2004, she was conferred the Philippine American Foundation Friendship Award at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., USA. She also received the Fil-Up Award in Glendale, California from the Filipino – American community in the U.S. for exemplifying L.I.V.E. – a dedication to a love community that brings out the best in others, a global identity "that we can be proud of, a model; of values to pattern our lives with, and the epitome of the essence for living."
The orbiting celestial body christened Planet Biyo is located in the area between planets Mars and Jupiter. In 1997, she was honored by Metrobank Foundation teachers of the Philippines.
Dr. Biyo is currently Director of the Philippine National Science High School Western Visayas. She completed both her Master of Science in Biology in 1989 and her Doctor of Philosophy in Biology in 2001 at the De La Salle University, Manila.
In 2006, Biyo released her book "A Trip to Planet Biyo: I Dreamt of Stars, I Got A Planet" an inspirational reading dedicated to teachers across the globe.
Married to Nonito L. Biyo, they have two children – Jono Angelo and Julian Paolo. Born on March 19, 1958 to spouses Antonio Talamera of Janiuay, Iloilo and Ricarda Vallejo Solidum of Ibajay, Aklan.

Dr. CLARINA DELA CRUZ – Technology Research.

After taking her Master of Science in Physics from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, Clarina de la Cruz joined the University of Houston where she earned her Ph.D. in Physics. Two years later, she won first prize and a $1,000 fellowship for her outstanding presentation in multiferroics at the 50th Magnetism and Magnetic Materials Conference in San Jose, California. The conference featured physics graduate students from prestigious universities worldwide.
Her studies on superconductivity led her to an exciting new subfield of solid state physics – multiferrocis, cutting-edge materials that could one day provide innovations in memory storage devices, such as those used in hard drives and hand–held devices like mp3 players. The same has contributed significantly to the new and emerging science of multiferroic materials which results have placed the Texas Center for Conductivity at UH at the forefront of research.
De la Cruz said the "impact on society of such studies will not be felt right away as it normally takes ten years or more for science to convert into affordable technology", but she’s confident to see them in somebody’s mp3 players in the near future.

Ambassador TERESITA P. VEGA-BERNER Foreign Service.

Ambassador Teresita Vega-Berner was born on December 10, 1942 in Aborlan, Palawan to spouses Gaudencio Legaspi Vega and Rosario Legaspi Pastrana of Kalibo.
She graduated at Cotabato Elementary School in 1954 and finished her high school at the University of the Philippine (Iloilo College) in 1958. She holds a degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines (1962) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of the East in 1967.
She first worked as Assistant Lawyer at the Albert Law Office in Makati City, Metro Manila from 1968 to 1970. A year after, she joined the department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as Clerical Aide. She was promoted to Legal Aide in 1972 and Consular Assistant in 1973.
She passed the Foreign Service Officer examination in 1973, appointed Foreign Service Officer Class IV in 1974. She was then designated Assistant Secretary of the Board of the Foreign Service and Secretary of the Board of Foreign Service Examiners and Chief of Citizen Evaluation Unit at the Office of Consular Affairs.
In 1977, she was assigned as Third Secretary and Vice Consul at the Philippine Embassy in Berne, Switzerland, promoted to Second Secretary and Consul in 1979, and First Secretary and Consul General in 1981 and served as Charge d’ Affairs until 1982.
She transferred to the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand in December 1982 as First Secretary and Consul General and Deputy Permanent Representative to ESCAP. She resigned on July 16, 1983.
On June 11, 1996, she was reappointed to the DFA as Foreign Service Officer I and assigned as Special Assistant at the Office of the Secretary and detailed to the Foreign Service Institute as Executive Director.
She passed the Career Minister examination held in August 1997. Two years after, she was assigned to the Philippine Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic as Minister and Consul General. She was cross-posted to the Philippine Embassy in Rome, Italy in 2002 as Minister and Consul General and Deputy Permanent Representative to FAO. She was promoted to Deputy Chief of Mission in 2003.
In August 2005, she served as Special Assistant at the office of the Undersecretary for Administration and in October 2005, she was named Director of the Foreign Service Institute.
In November 2006, she was named Ambassador Designate to India and Nepal.
Berner is a member of Philippine Society of International Law, Women’s Lawyer’s Association of the Philippines, U.P. Alumni Association, Sigma Delta Phi Sorority, International Women’s Club of Rome and Gruppo Archaelogico Romano. She is also an active member of the Philippine Ambassadors Foundation and the Archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes Memorial Foundation.

EVELYN M. QUIMPO – Education.

Mrs. Evelyn M. Quimpo of Tigayon, Kalibo was chosen as Outstanding Teacher by the Metrobank Foundation for her outstanding contributions to the teaching profession, personal integrity and character, competence and teaching effectiveness, and professional and community involvement.
Aside from having served as Master teacher II at Banga, Elementary School, Quimpo served as officer and member of Banga Teacher’s Association, Division Association of English Coordinators and Reading Scholars, National organization of Professional Teachers, Inc. Banga Chapter, and Network of Outstanding Teachers and Educators, Inc.
She finished her BSED degree at the Northwestern Visayan Colleges in 1967 and completed the academic requirements for a postgraduate degree in Master of Arts in Education at the Aklan State University. Her major awards include the Most Outstanding Alumni of NVC and Plaque of Recognition from Regional Development Council.
She’s married to Isidro Kimpo with three children – Kevin, Mark, Fahttie May and Kyle Mitchell.

ANTHONY M. MABASA Business and Industry

Anthony Mabasa is recognized for his experience in general management with particular strengths in financial rehabilitation, corporate startups, restructuring and turnarounds. He was exposed to financial planning, treasury operations, project management, quality, safety and environment management systems. He acquired expertise and hands–on experience in construction and steel fabrication, oil pipeline operations, tollway operations and maintenance.
He is Vice President at the First Philippine Holdings Corporation, since August 1994. He holds concurrent positions as President and Chief Executive Officer and Director of Tollways Management Corporations (TMC). The TMC was organized to handle operations and maintenance of the North Luzon Expressway for Manila North Tollways Corporation.
He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the First Electrodynamics Corporation which manufactures and sells dry-type transformers, current transformers and lamp ballasts.
He has served in the following positions: President and CEO, First Philippines Industrial Corporation; Executive Vice President and Director, First Philippine Balfour Beatty; President and Chief Operating Officer, Engineering and Construction Corporation of Asia; Director, Philippine Electric Corporation; Executive Vice President, Engineering and Construction Corporation of Asia; Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration, First Philippines Holdings Corporation; Vice President and Director, First Philippine Lending Corporation.
He was also Assistant Treasurer, First Holdings International; Assistant Manager for Financial Planning and Packaging Group, First Philippine Capital Corporation; Senior Analyst for Credit and Investment Research Division, Far East Bank and Trust Company.
He started his career as Credit Analyst of the Credit Department, Industrial Finance Corporation and rose to become the country’s highly respected leader in business.
He finished Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Management of Financial Institutions in 1979 at De La Salle University. He took postgraduate studies in Masters in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines. Mabasa was born on June 13, 1959. He is married to Ma. Lourdes with one child, J. A. Enrique.

S/Sgt. BLAS L. FERNANDEZ Soldiery.

S/Sgt. Blas L. Fernandez is presently the Community Affairs Non-Commissioned Officer of the Headquarters Service Company, 63rd Infantry Batallion, 8th Infantry Division in Catubig, Northern Samar. He finished his vocational course in Technical Automotive at the Capiz Institute of Technology. He started his 22 years of dedicated military service when he joined the army on June 1, 1984.
He effectively implemented the Army Literacy Patrol System (ALPS) program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The ALPS classes he handled had been adjudged a consistent winner in the DepEd sponsored competition for the Outstanding Literacy program in the regional and national levels.
The Metrobank Foundation named him as 2006 awardee for the Enlisted Personnel Category in the prestigious Search for the Outstanding Philippine Soldier. The TOPS is an annual search which pays tribute to outstanding examples of gallantry, competence, professionalism and integrity among members of the AFP.
Married with four children, Fernandez is a native of Katipunan, Buruanga.

Mr. ODON S. BANDIOLA – Community Journalism.

Odon S. Bandiola devoted almost the productive years of his life writing straight news, features, editorial and columns for local, regional and national newspapers on significant current events, human interests stories, issues and concerns happening and occurring in Aklan for the consumption of newspaper readers and internet surfers not only for Aklanon readers but for people in other parts of the country and even the world.
He graduated at Solido Elementary School as valedictorian and finished high school at Western Aklan Academy also as class valedictorian. He earned his degree in Bachelor of Arts major in English (Cum Laude) at Aklan College in 1971. He was an Insular Life Educational Foundation Gold Eagle Medal awardee, college scholar, SEATO scholar, leadership medal awardee, prized orator, debater and extemporaneous speaker.
The Civil Service Commission conferred him the Datu Kalantiao Award for Public Service. He is also a recipient of various citations from private sector organizations and government agencies in recognition of his services in government and non-government capacities.
Bandiola was born on July 8, 1951 in Solido, Nabas, Aklan. Married to Remia Estoya, they have five children.
He is past president of the Aklan Press and Radio Club. /MP