UPV's 6 outstanding alumni receive awards

The UP Alumni Association in Iloilo through the Chairman of the Committee on Awards, Judge Daniel Amular announced the names of the six Outstanding Alumni awardees. The awardees are: Dr. Manuel S. Alba, Atty. Eduardo N. Aguillon, Atty. Leopoldo T. Causing, Dr. Bernabe Cocjin, Dr. Zenaida B. French, and Dr. Sonia V. Seville.

Heading the list of the awardees is Dr. Manuel S. Alba , recipient of the “LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD,” the highest alumni award. Dr. alba has been a consistent scholar and recipient of the Fernando Lopez scholarship awards at the UP Visayas. He has occupied top government positions such as Sec. Of Dept. of Budget and Management; Governor, Board of Investments and member of Board of Directors of 14 government corporation. Dr. Alba's life has been a life of outstanding scholarship, excellence, leadership in his field of endeavors, monumental achievements, honesty, integrity and supreme dedication to the service of his country and people.

Atty. Eduardo N. Aguillon is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award in Business Administration. He is both a lawyer and certified public accountant. He is the chairman and president of at least eight successful family corporations. His services and contributions to the UP Visayas, Iloilo and Western Visayas are known to everyone.

The Outstanding Alumni Award in Political Science was awarded to Atty. Leopoldo T. Causing for his outstanding contributions in the field of political science. Atty. Causing is the author of two popular textbooks in political science. He is one of the original panelists of the radio-television program Reklamo Publiko and a lecturer and famous advocate of the federal parliamentary system of government.

Dr. Bernabe B. Cocjin, the recipient of Outstanding Alumni Award in Agriculture, rose from the ranks as high school teacher up to the highest rank of University Professor in Agriculture. He has undertaken many successful studies in livestock and poultry production. A recipient of many outstanding research awards in his field, Dr. Cocjin also served as the president of West Visayas State University from 1993 to 1999.

The recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award in Arts and Letters is Dr. Zenaida B. French. Her continuing commitment to literary arts as a poet and creative writer is known throughout the country. She has published poems and literary comments in national and regional anthologies in literary journals here and abroad. Moreover, Dr. French has initiated and supported many national arts and literary programs.

Dr. Sonia V. Seville is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award in the field of Fisheries. Dr. Seville is a career executive who rose from the ranks. She has undertaken many researches and studies in her line of endeavor. Through her initiative as regional director of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Region VI has embarked on many programs and researches which are designed to improve fisheries production.

The Outstanding Alumni Awardees will receive their awards on July 23, 2005, Saturday, a whole day affair, at the UPV Auditorium during the Annual UP Alumni and Faculty Homecoming.