Physicist Ryan Balili and writer Christine Godinez-Ortega of the MSU-IIT are among the Ten Outstanding Iliganon (TOIL) Awardees for 2011.
Balili and Ortega received their citations and trophies from the Junior Chamber International-Iligan Chapter (Jaycees), and government officials led by Rep. Varf Belmonte of Iligan City’s first district, and City Mayor Lawrence L. Cruz during the 61st Araw nang Iligan celebration held at the Iligan City Plaza on June 16, 2011.
The TOIL award is given to Iliganons who have distinguished themselves not only in their own disciplines, but for their “selfless contributions” in their own communities.
Past awardees from MSU-IIT included Jaime An Lim, Steven Patrick C. Fernandez, Francisco A. Englis, Christian TN. Aguado, Marcelo Salazar, and Angelina Bacala. Among the IIT alumni in this year’s TOIL awards are Roberto D. Timonera (Photojournalism) and Noela Mae Evangelista-Mage (International Tourism). Another awardee, Welthy E. Villanueva (Humanitarian Assistance) is a graduate of the MSU College of Medicine.
As one of the main events during the 61st celebration of Araw nang Iligan, the crowd listened to the brief speeches of the awardees who were profuse in their appreciation for having been recognized for their achievements in their various fields of expertise.
Balili, a faculty member of the Physics Department of the College of Science & Mathematics, is recognized in Southeast Asia for his discovery of a new source of coherent light, like lasers, which only potentially needs a lower power to operate. The phenomenon is called Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC).
He has won the Gallieno Denardo Award 2011 for his work on semi-conductor optics in Trieste, Italy, and the Physica Status Solidi Young Researcher Award for best research and presentation at the 7th International Conference on Excitonic Processes in Condensed Matter at Winston- Salem in the USA.
Balili finished a B.S. Physics degree from MSU-II, graduating Summa cum laude, and Class Valedictorian. He finished his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Pittsburgh.
Godinez-Ortega, a faculty member of the Department of English, College of Arts & Social Sciences, is Head of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Extension’s Multi-Media Information & Dissemination Unit, and recently, is a Technical Assistant to the Office of the Chancellor.
She has won awards for her poetry and has published her academic papers, poetry, fiction, essays and reviews in various publications and textbooks, magazines, and newspapers, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, among these.
She has been cited for her work by various agencies as a journalist, author, editor, and cultural worker. She co-founded the annual Iligan National Writers Workshop, now on its 18th year. It is one of the country’s three national workshops institutionalized by the National Commission for Culture & Arts (NCCA). She has continued to promote and develop creative writing in Mindanao which she began, with her writer-friends 32 years ago. She is Vice Head of the NCCA’s Committee on Literary Arts.
Godinez-Ortega finished her A.B. English & American Literature and M.A. in English (major in Creative Writing) from Silliman University and her Doctor of Fine Arts degree major in Creative Writing with High Distinction at De La Salle University-Manila.
The rest of the awardees and their various fields of expertise are: Micah Stefan B. Dagaerag (Public Speaking); Marianito D. Alemania (Business); Joveniana C. Hinay (Education); Gian Jorge P. Romano (Fashion); and, Victor Bruce M. Lluch (Sports- Chess).