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by Philipina A. Marcelo
I have a thousand and one deadlines to beat... but today, I decided to devote a few minutes to write something about a remarkable experience from last week, specifically last March 10, 2010, before all the excitement fades to oblivion.
By some stroke of luck and a lot of help from the Director of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, Prof. Cristina A. Binag, Ph.D., I seem to have slipped through the “Dangal ng UST” (Pride of UST) Board of Judges eye-of-a-needle scrutiny, and found in my hands that beautiful wooden trophy decorated with the seal of the University and the bronze statuette of the Dominican friar, Rev. Fr. Miguel de Benavides, O. P., who founded UST in 1611. The trophy was designed by J. D. Delos Santos, the former Dean of the UST College of Fine Arts and Design.
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It was definitely a milestone in my career as a faculty member of UST. It sent my spirit flying to the beautiful tropical summer skies and got my soul singing magnificent tunes of joy. All of a sudden, all the pains of the past how many months from my fierce struggle to keep things together and sane for myself in my workplace vanished... replaced by an awesome feeling of exultation of the purest kind!Looking at the remarkable achievements by those who held the beautiful trophy before me, I was absolutely humbled by the experience, it made me doubt whether the experience was real or just a dream. I haven't ruled out dream, actually! The specific award was the “Gawad San Alberto Magno para sa Natatanging Nailathalang Pananaliksik sa Agham at Teknolohiya”. It was given for the chapter I wrote with my former professor and Chair of my Ph. D. Special Committee in Cornell University, Prof. Syed S. H. Rizvi, Ph.D., in the “Handbook of Membrane Separations: Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Food, and Biotechnological Applications". The Handbook was edited by Anil K. Pabby, Syed S. H. Rizvi and Ana Maria Sastre, and published by CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group. The 35-page chapter was entitled, “Applications of Membrane Technology in the Dairy Industry”. It covered the evolution of membrane utilization in the dairy industry that led to innovative processes and products that revolutionized the industry to what it is today. The host of contributors in the Handbook is quite formidable... from some of the most prestigious academic institutions, industry leaders and research institutes in different parts of the world. Trying to be in the same league was tough... it was a lot of heavy toil. I didn't even come close to being 'almost there', but the pain was absolutely worth it! I am thankful to Prof. Rizvi for helping me take a peek at the world where only the most accomplished men and women in science and technology reside. There is no way that I could deserve a membership card as of yet, but the J. D. Delos Santos trophy is a symbol of hope for me. At least, the little scientist part of me could hope. :)
Dangal’s theme this year is “Gurong Tomasino: Daluyan ng Kagandahan, Tambuli ng Katotohanan at Lundayan ng Kabutihan”, which, in the words of Prof. Lilian J. Sison (Dean of UST Graduate School) who chaired the Board of Judges this year, “extols the hallmarks of Thomasian Teacher – Beauty, Truth and Virtues”. Just
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like the previous years, the event was held at the San Martin De Porres Cinematorium at the UST Faculty of Medicine Building. And just like the previous years, the faculty members were dressed up nicely – just one indication of the prestige of the event for the Thomasians. And, as icing on the mouth-watering cake, I received the symbolic trophy from two of the most accomplished and most respected women in UST today: Prof. Clarita D. L. Carillo, Ph.D. - Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Research - and Prof. Binag, who was also a recipient of the award and several other national and international awards for her works as a scientist. Just being on the same stage as these two women, with Rev. Fr. Rolando V. Dela Rosa, O. P. - Rector of UST - and other illustrious members of the Thomasian Community watching from the front seats of the storied Cinematorium, was already a staggering honor for me. Oh, oh... btw, somebody handed me a white envelope, too! :) Truly, there really is such thing as luck! And maybe, out of boredom, fate decided to throw some my way that day... and I can't complain.I went home that day, physically tired - and painfully so - from trying to endure the unbelievable punches of heavy work for the past how many months, but spiritually energized by the experience. My soul reached out to the One whose mercy is endless and let my soul sang Him a heartfelt prayer of gratitude. I know that this gift is a sign for something... I’m still figuring out what that is, unsuccessfully so far. But I’ll figure it out somehow. In the meantime, I’ll stick to doing what I’ve been doing... a reliable source of constant joy, that one that brought me this prestigious honor so unexpectedly: conscientious service with humility, propelled by passion and good intentions, inspired by love and faith. I am certain that I will keep faltering and failing - hard sometimes, that's for sure - but hopefully, He’d grant me the wisdom to see what He wishes of me this time... and hopefully, with His grace, I’d find the courage to fulfill it.
In the meantime, hmmmm... I know I’ll be having a grand celebration with my family soon, not just for the award but for several other most wonderful gifts that members of my family received... but I wonder, what can I gift myself with the content of my white envelope??? :) For sure, shopping is in order... soon! Or maybe... a spring or summer trip to a place I miss very much, with a beloved one whose company I long for so painfully... that place where my heart resides, where living with heartfelt smile every second of every single day comes as easy as 1-2-3... okay, 1-2-3-4, actually! :) But because of my messed up priorities - that ironically enough brought me a J. D. Delos Santos trophy - I'm not sure if I'm still welcome there though.... :( If I am being honest to myself, I'd say I only have enough room for one trophy of this kind in my life, unexpected as it was... and that's it. Really. And that's precisely why that moment was a milestone for me... because of the realization that came with it. The experience was undoubtedly exhilarating and absolutely fulfilling - both professionally and personally, yes... but absolutely fleeting! Because, alas, while the moment was indeed special, there are things that are far more important and far more filling for the soul as far as I'm concerned... such as heartfelt smiles and the warmth of a place where one's heart resides. They urge the heart to keep beating, inspire hope for better things, and make every moment of this life worth living for... and as easy as 1-2-3-4.
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Photo credit: All the photos in this post belong to me, although taken by someone else who gifted them to me. I reserve the copyright as owner of the photos, and they may not be used for purposes other than in this blog.
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