THE British Council in the Philippines has released the names of the 11 Filipino finalists for the first national edition of the Study UK Alumni Awards.

BC Philippines Country Director Lotus Postrado said the Study UK Alumni Awards is a global recognition program that shines a light on the lifetime effects of UK education and the outstanding achievements of its alumni all across the world.

She said BC will host the inaugural national awards as part of the organization's 45th anniversary in the country, recognizing outstanding Filipino UK alumni across the fields of science and sustainability, culture and creativity, social action and business, and innovation.

"As we celebrate 45 years in the Philippines, the British Council is beyond excited to finally launch the Study UK Alumni Awards to more Filipinos this 2023-2024. We look forward to bringing our alumni and finalists to the global stage, inspiring growth and influence on different sectors across the globe," Postrado said.

The award, Postrado said, allows them to recognize Filipinos who have the potential to make an impact for their fellow Filipinos, harnessing their innate talent partnered with world-class education from the United Kingdom.

Among all applicants, 11 outstanding alumni were selected as finalists across four major fields and award categories.

The Science and Sustainability Award (SSA) recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves through their careers and achievements in the world of science and sustainability and have demonstrated the impact and scale of their achievements in their profession and beyond.

These include work in climate action, clean energy, medicine, sustainable cities and communities, engineering, industry, and construction.

Under SSA, the three finalists are Bryan San Juan, University of Oxford (Joint Scholarship by Hertford College and the Oxford Faculty of Law); Jonas Marie Dumdum, University of South Wales; and Dante Salvador Jr., University of Sheffield (Erasmus+ Scholar).

The Culture and Creativity Award (CCA) recognizes alumni who have carved a career for themselves in arts and culture.

They must have demonstrated their artistic ingenuity, influence and creativity through various areas of work that include, but are not limited to, arts, design, humanities, traditional media, music, video, TV, sports, and online content and audiovisual media creation (e.g., blogging, vlogging, including for YouTube and social media).

Under the CCA, the two finalists are Stephanie Danielle Tudtud, Cardiff Metropolitan University, and Catherine Lasam Ballo, University College London.

The Social Action Award (SAA) recognizes alumni who have made an exceptional contribution and commitment to creating positive social change and improving the lives of others through education, peace and justice; reducing inequality, poverty and hunger; and broader humanitarian work.

The SSA three finalists are John Macato, University of Westminster, London (Westminster Disaster Regeneration Scholar); Eric Palacpac, University of Leeds (The Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program); and Josephine Ambalada, King's College London, University of Oxford.

Finally, the Business and Innovation Award (BIA) recognizes alumni who actively initiate and contribute to innovative or creative new ideas, solutions or business opportunities.

The three BIA finalists are Abigail Marie Dans-Casanova, University of Oxford; Jose Belarmino, University of Westminster (Chevening Scholar); and Rowena Ruiz, School of Oriental and African Studies or SOAS, University of London (Chevening Scholar).

Janelle Almosara-Capiral, Southeast Asia BC communications manager, said the Study UK Alumni Awards was launched globally in 2014.

She noted that while this is the first time the Philippines will join at the national level, two Filipinos have already been recognized globally.

They were Baby Ruth Villarama, who won as Global Alumni Awardee for Social Impact in 2018, and Melvin Sanicas, who was recognized as Global Finalist for Science and Sustainability in 2023.

Almosara-Capiral said winners for the national awards will be announced tomorrow, Feb. 16, 2024.

Meanwhile, finalists still have the chance to compete globally, raising their international profile through the global press and digital coverage, building their professional networks, and possibly even winning a trip to the UK.

Visit www.britishcouncil.ph/alumni-awards for more information.