October 31, 2019 — Dr. Eva Maria Cutiongco-de la Paz, National Institutes of Health Executive Director, was conferred the 2019 Metrobank Outstanding Filipino Award along with other outstanding teacher, policeman, and soldier awardees.
She was recognized for her teaching competence in the new emerging subspecialty of clinical genetics and genomic medicine that seeks to answer the special needs of patients and families not met by any other existing specialty of medicine in the Philippines.
“It is my hope that by teaching medical students, residents, and fellows in training; colleagues in the medical profession and the community about the use of genomic information in clinical practice, this can lead to a more precise, personalized medicine for Filipinos and further advance the practice of genome medicine in the country,” she stated during her response speech at the Senate courtesy call on Sept. 12, 2019.
“As teachers, we are in an extraordinary position to influence and inspire our students to contribute to nation-building by supporting teaching and training in collaborative and innovative researches.”
This dream came true through a special research project under the Commission on Higher Education-Philippine California Advanced Research Institutes (CHED-PCARI) to set up the Shared Genomics Core Laboratory at the Philippine Genome Center inside the UP campus. It houses state-of the-art genomic sequencing equipment that can significantly accelerate and expand discoveries to be made by Filipinos for Filipinos.
Dr. Dela Paz considers this to be a valuable resource for higher educational institutions in their pursuit of higher learning and discovery, especially in the emerging fields of genomics to advance genomic medicine; and as a means to harness genomic information for food security. This will also be useful in the better understanding of the genetic make-up of Filipinos.
She dedicated the award to her mother who belonged to the first batch of Metrobank Outstanding Teachers in 1985 and who has been her role model, mentor, and inspiration. At 85 years old, she continues to write and edit textbooks, give seminars to teachers, and promote love for reading. She added that the award is also in honor of all Filipino patients for being her indispensable teachers in the art and science of medicine.
She paid tribute to the other Outstanding Filipino awardees in different categories as follows: Dr. Dorothy Tarol who has devoted her life’s work to shaping an environment conducive to learners of all kinds and those who aspire for instruction without barriers; Dr. Cristina Cristobal who teaches history that connects present issues with past events; Dr. Ricardo Jose, the country’s foremost scholar on World War II in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific who has spent 40 years filling the gaps in the country’s past on the subjects of Philippine diplomatic history and Philippine military history; Master Sergeant Ramil Caporas, Marawi’s lead explosive ordnance disposal expert who constantly puts his life in danger to keep our countrymen safe; Major Romulo Dimayuga who has rendered game-changing contributions to the military as Philippine Navy’s special operations warfighter; Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Baldomar, as AFP’s community and organizational transformation warrior who ensures that the future generations of Filipinos will enjoy the same freedom we are enjoying; Police Chief Master Sergeant Marsha Agustin as an anti-human trafficking crusader who brings justice to victims and helps restore normalcy in their lives; Police Major Robert Reyes, as PNP’s Premier Cyber Cop who safeguards online users from threats in cyberspace; and Police Colonel Edwin Quilates, a vanguard of public safety who stands on his oath to channel all his energies into combating all forms of crime.
