VCO STUDY WINS THE PKM EXCELLENCE AWARD

IN SOCIALLY RELEVANT RESEARCH

by Kevin Fernandez, PHI '08B

Last June 16, 2009, during the College of Medicine Freshmen Orientation at BSLR-E, the PHI KAPPA MU Fraternity gave its Excellence Award for Socially Relevant Research to a study entitled “Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil on the Embryological Development of ICR Mice (Mus musculus)”. The award was given to the research group led by Rachelle Ean Ngo of class 2013 by Emmanuel Lopez-de Leon, Standard Bearer, and Bayani Pasco, Jr., Superior Exemplar. The group which included Abdelsimar Omar II and Jayson Paragas, of Phi Batch 2008B, received a plaque and P10,000 in prize money.

Below is the speech that was given by the Fraternity’s Standard Bearer Emmanuel Lopez-de Leon, Phi 2007, during the award-giving ceremony:

The PHI KAPPA MU fraternity is committed to the pursuit of excellence in all fields of endeavor – in academics, athletics, arts, and as in this case, research. Inspired by the great luminary researchers in our fold in the likes of Drs. Conrado Dayrit, Ramon Abarquez and Manuel Macapinlac among many others, the fraternity has committed to supporting the research endeavors of the students of the UP College of Medicine, in the hope of assisting the College in nurturing the future academicians and researchers in the first year medical students of today. It is in this light that we are proud to announce the PHI KAPPA MU STUDENT RESEARCH ASSISTANCE and the PHI KAPPA MU EXCELLENCE AWARD IN SOCIALLY RELEVANT RESEARCH.

The PHI KAPPA MU STUDENT RESEARCH ASSISTANCE is a grant of 3,000 pesos to be given to each IDC211 research group. The grant will be given during the middle of the first semester to cover some of the research expenses to be incurred by the group. It is hoped that the grant at the very least assists the college’s efforts toward productive scientific inquiry among its medical students.

The PHI KAPPA MU EXCELLENCE AWARD IN SOCIALLY RELEVANT RESEARCH was started in 2008 as part of the flagship projects for the fraternity’s diamond year. It aims to recognize student research whose work holds great potential for practical application and implementation, in addressing the current health issues and concerns of the country. This is in line with the College of Medicine’s vision to produce scholars with a heightened social consciousness committed to the development of Philippine Society; and our own fraternity’s mission to serve as a bastion of excellence in rendering service to humanity, with Filipinos foremost.

The PHI KAPPA MU is proud to confer this year’s PHI KAPPA MU EXCELLENCE AWARD IN SOCIALLY RELEVANT RESEARCH to the group led by Ngo and composed of Morales, Nantes, Nepomuceno, Nera, Noroña, Omar, F. Ong, M. Ong, Oreta, Pabalinas, Padilla, Paner, Paragas, Pascual, and Paulino; for their research entitled Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil on the Embryological Development of ICR Mice (Mus musculus). They will be receiving a plaque and 10,000 pesos for their excellent work. Congratulations!