Three awardees for outstanding performance and achievements in UP Visayas this year come from the College of Arts and Sciences. They are Dr. Wilfredo L. Campos of the Division of Biological Sciences, Associate Prof. Kevin Peter Amado P. Piamonte of the Division of Humanities, and Ms. Hannah Liza Novesteros from the Office of the College Secretary.
Former CAS dean, Prof. Severa Fe S. Katalbas, who headed the screening committee for this year’s UPV Chancellor’s Awards, said there were a total of 16 nominations, but Dr. Campos was the lone nominee for Outstanding Faculty in the Professor category. He is recognized for upholding UPV’s image through excellent scholarly outputs and dedicated mentoring of future researchers. In the past 24 years that he has served the university, Dr. Campos has unselfishly extended his expert knowledge to capacitate key people in government agencies and conservation groups. He has also secured funding for several research and development projects, specifically the OceanBio Lab, and has been awarded as University Scientist multiple times for his several publications in ISI-listed journals.
On the other hand, Prof. Piamonte was one of two nominees for the Chancellor’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Creative Work. He earned the award for filmmaking that raised UPV’s name not only in the local but international scene. His short film on the Ati’s loss of territory in Boracay “Lugta Ke Tamama”, which is “Land from God” in Ati language, received critical acclaim at the Busan International Film Festival, the most prestigious film festival in Asia. This accomplishment inspired religious groups, legal firms advocating Indigenous People’s rights, and the local officials of Malay, Aklan to push for the titling and granting of the Ati’s ancestral domain.
Another of Piamonte’s films “Daan Patungong Tawaya” or Road to Paradise not only gained recognition at the Sinesaysay Film and DocuLab by the Film Development Council of the Philippines but more importantly, corrected the location of a historical marker in honor of the 19 martyrs of Aklan province, and its consequent recognition as a national heritage site by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Prof. Piamonte also wrote and directed O’Layra: Princesa kang Dagat, a stage performance based on a radio drama by Antiqueño writer Russel Tordesillas, that has received critical praise from dance and theater scholars when it was brought to audiences around the country. In receiving his award, Piamonte underscored the significance of collaboration, saying his creative works have never been a one man’s job.
From the administrative personnel, Ms. Hannah Liza Novesteros bested two other nominees for the Chancellor’s award for outstanding performance in the Salary Grade 11 and Above, Non-Supervisory category. She is recognized for her creation of a website for the Office of the College Secretary that has since facilitated numerous transactions with students, alumni, and faculty. Her prior experience as student registration volunteer, and her expert knowledge and skills in Computer Science, made her responsive to the needs of the college. In effect, she has designed templates for organizing data that are now used for digitization of records, projection of courses, and scheduling of classes. Her efficiency and innovativeness have made work easier for all in the CAS especially when the university switched to remote learning and work-from-home arrangement amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
To be qualified for the competition all applicants must first meet the minimum 90 points score in the criteria set. Each of the awardees received a UPV logo medallion, a plaque of recognition, and cash award of up to 15,000 pesos.
