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Monday, April 04, 2005
Another Dabawenya achiever
By Miguel Antonio N. Lizada
Kuya's Chair
A FEW weeks ago, SunStar Davao featured my cousin Amanda Nograles who graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Ateneo de Manila University, in one of its Lifestyle articles. Little do some people know that another Dabawenya, and a friend of mine, also graduated with great distinction and honor.
Frances Vega ("Chinggay" to family and friends), a graduate of Stela Maris Academy of Davao, also finished as Magna Cum Laude and Departmental Awardee for Chemistry from the same school. A student taking up BS-MS in Chemistry, a program, which awards to the student a Bachelor and a Masters degree in 5 years (a program given only to exceptional students), Chinggay was also one of the candidates for Class Valedictorian. Apart from the Latin honor, she is also a recepient of this year's BPI-DOST Science Awards for her over- all performance in college and her research on mucins in relation to cancer cells.
The success story of my cousin Amanda and my friend Chinggay exemplifies the intellectual talent that Dabawenyos inherently possess. It has always been my belief that we have the capacity to excel in any field. We innately have the talent and the capacity to compete in any area, be it academic or otherwise.
One of the experiences of any Dabawenyo who studies outside his/her city is answering some outrageously stupid questions that some of their Manileño friends ask. So far, me and some of my friends have been asked the following: "I want to stay in Davao but is there, like, a hotel, there?"; "Ah, you're from Davao? So does your family, like, own a carabao or something?"; "Oh? How did you get here? Is there an airport there?" and the best question of all "Um, is there electricity where you come from?"
In short, Davao has been perceived by some people as some backwater poorly developed city. It is precisely because of this stereotypical notion that makes me proud whenever a kababayan excels in a certain field. For this case, we have a couple of Dabawenyas who have excelled in their respective courses and topping some 1800 graduates.
I look forward to seeing the next Dabawenyo who will make our city proud. Let us keep racking up the points.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 4, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
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