by Bud Omar, PHI '08B

At the annual Student Convocation, the Office of the Dean and the Medicine Student Council recognized the College of Medicine’s achievers and stand-outs for the academic year 2008 – 2009 in fitting ceremonies held at the UPMASA PGH Science Hall. A culture of leadership and excellence is deeply rooted in the tradition of the PHI and thus it comes as no surprise that a long list of brods were among those recognized for outstanding achievements in academics, research and sports.

Conferred the Dean’s Citation for Leadership were immediate-past Superior Exemplar Vince Varilla Φ04B, UP Medics editor-in-chief Jimjim Lopez Φ06, and UP Meridian president Alex Dy Φ07.

For representing the UPCM in the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges Student Network (APMSCN) as its National Secretary for Special Affairs in 2008-2009, Ge Abesamis Φ05 was awarded the Gawad ng Dekano for Leadership.

In research, the group led by Alex Dy Φ07 won the Dr. Manuel P. Macapinlac Research Award conferred by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for the year’s best research in biochemistry. (Incidentally, Dr. Manuel P. Macapinlac, the luminary in biochemistry and nutrition research after whom the award was named is a PHI brod, of Φ50.) Their research also won Best Poster at 2 research competitions: the 4th Annual Philippine Biotechnology Venture Summit held April 18, 2008 at the Ateneo School of Medicine, and the Student Scientific Sessions held October 28, 2008 at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The research was also presented in the 30th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Academy (NAST Philippines), the Asia-Pacific Consortium for Public Health at Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, and at the Biological Sciences Graduate Congress. The group, self-dubbed Dyincredibles, also includes Ian de Vera Φ08A.

For outstanding academic performance during the second semester 2007-2008, the following brods were recognized as College Scholars: JF Gutierrez Φ08B, Ardynne Mallari Φ08B, and Nil Sembrano Φ08B, from Class 2013; Ge Abesamis Φ05, from Class 2010; and Martin Amor Φ04A, JP Mariñas Φ04B, Vince Varilla Φ04B, and Jeff Wong Φ06, from Class 2009.

Brods also made up much of the college’s sports teams which dominated the competition at the recently held APMCSN NCR Palarong Med. Men’s Basketball Team captain Melvin Valera Φ06 led teammates Jeff Wong Φ06, Dax Pascasio Φ06, Paolo Amante Φ07, Ian de Vera Φ08A, Rene Manalastas Φ08A, Tomi Dela Paz Φ08B, JM Mendoza Φ08B and Paolo Pineda Φ08B to the much-coveted championship this year. Likewise, the Men’s football team emerged the competition’s victors and has in its lineup brods Anthony de Jesus Φ06, Niño Lucero Φ07, and Mike Gonzales Φ08A. The Men’s Table Tennis Team, this year’s second placer, includes the Titans tandem of Denver Tiongson Φ06 and Miko Ver Φ06. The Men’s Volleyball Team, also this year’s second placer, has Ge Abesamis Φ05 and Dax Pascasio Φ06. Finally, the swimming team, third placer at this year’s contests, includes Ton Montuno Φ06 and Clint Guitarte Φ08B.

Delivering the keynote speech for the event was our own frat adviser Dr. Gap Legaspi Φ83. Emceeing the event were Sis Joan Lucero and Brod JF Gutierrez, presidents of class 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Undoubtedly, the event was a showcase of PHI Leadership and Excellence. It is fitting that in our Diamond year, brods proudly uphold the fraternity’s pillars.

The fraternity celebrates these individual triumphs. Three cheers for our outstanding brods!