On the 21st of October, the dean asked us all from the college to go to the UP Manila Social Hall for the awarding ceremony of one of our professors, Dr. Jesus N. Sarol Jr. for the Gawad Chancellor Award in Outstanding Research. The pride of joining the group was unexplainable, for a lot many of reasons circling my mind. Having to work with an outstanding researcher is one big thing and his accomplishment inspires me personally to pursue excellence and continue to pursue knowledge that will help others as well.
The Gawad Chancellor ceremony was graced by Dr. Nelia Cortes-Maramba, the "Mother of Philippine Herbal Medicine" and the founding member of the National Integrated Research Program on Medicinal Plants who gave the 6th Florentino B. Herrera Jr Lecture. A lot of people in the pharmaceutical company know her for her lagundi research. It is my personal belief that it was not Dr. Maramba who discovered the effectiveness of herbal medicine in the country. Herbal plants have always been used by our local herbolarios. When I was young in the rural town of Mangatarem in the province of Pangasinan, I have come to know which plants are good for headache, cuts and scrapes, toothache, and others. My parents did not give me tablets or capsules immediately, but used herbal medicines to address my needs. Only when things became relatively uncontrollable that we went to seek the help of herbolarios or doctors. But thanks to Dr. Maramba and her team's research, all are scientifically confirmed and the production as well as distribution of such medicine are now done commercially.
Here's a picture of the NTTCHP people with Dr.Maramba:
In the picture are the people I am journeying with. From left in black is Tonette our staff in LRU; next in blue are Ate Marcy our most senior at NTTCHP with 38 years of service in the institution, Mandy the AVR Supervisor and Mam Bheng the designated librarian; in the middle in black pants with ID is our Dean Erlyn A. Sana who stands next to Dr. Maramba, Dr. Sarol our awardee and Dr. Melflor one of the few but carefully chosen professors of NTTCHP; then there is me and Claire in blue who is now counting twelve years as research associate. I do not exactly know who the guy in blue polo at the back is, but from the exchanges of conversation, I think he is a close friend, if not the best friend of Dr.Sarol's.
After the awarding ceremony of Dr. Jesus N. Sarol Jr as the Gawad Chancellor Outstanding Awardee for Research, comes the chowtime! Dr. Sarol's wife, came in two days later with a big treat. Pizza. Chap chae. Chicken. Nachos. Bread, ice cream and wine! I am not a heavy eater but I eat a little of everything. So my tummy still fills-up.
