Australia-educated Pinoys honored for achievements, contributions

The Australian Embassy in the Philippines has recognized several Filipinos who were educated in Australia for their exceptional achievements in various fields.

In a statement, the Australian Embassy said the following alumni were awarded during the annual Australia Alumni Excellence Awards. 

• Dr Dexter dela Cruz (PhD in Marine Biology, Southern Cross University, 2019) was awarded as Alumnus of the Year for leading the development of groundbreaking coral reef restoration techniques used in the Philippines and Australia that have helped improve climate change resilience. His reef experiments and studies in the Philippines assisted in the restoration of degraded reef areas, and have since been used in the Great Barrier Reef. Dr dela Cruz is a recipient of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research’s prestigious John Allwright Fellowship.
• Dr Ma. Asuncion Beltran (Masters in Tropical Veterinary Science, James Cook University, 2003) was recognized with an Excellence in Innovation Award for developing innovative agricultural technologies and practices that help boost food security in the Philippines. She introduced technologies to improve the viability of backyard poultry as a source of livelihood among farmers across the Philippines.
• Abigail Tan (Graduate Diploma of Health Promotion, Deakin University, 2020) received the Young Achiever Award for her work at increasing health-seeking behaviors and strengthening health governance at the local level across the Philippines. She led the Optimizing Health Literacy and Access to Health Services process in the Philippines in partnership with the Department of Health’s Health Promotion Bureau.

Meanwhile, seven alumni were recognized with Special Citations for outstanding contributions in several fields. They are:

• Alumni network: Medal of Valor awardee Col Ariel Querubin (ret.);
• Culture and arts: National Museum of the Philippines Director General Jeremy Barns;
• Community development: Entrepreneurs Emmanuel and Mary Grace Belviz;
• Health: Paediatric oncologist Dr Amy Dy;
• Education: Dr Dionisia Rola;
• Environmental conservation: Dr Jayson Ibanez; and
• Gender equality, disability, and social inclusion: Imari Roble-Cesario.

According to Australian Chargé d'Affaires Dr. Moya Collett, the awardees are "impressive Filipinos who have been using their Australian education, expertise, experience, and networks to contribute enormously to the Philippines."

Since the 1950s, thousands of Filipinos have studied in Australia and now form part of the dynamic Australia Global Alumni community in the Philippines, which includes senior Philippine government officials, scientists and esteemed members of the academe, and business and industry leaders.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News