University of the Philippines Professor Emeritus and UP Open University Former Chancellor, Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso, was awarded the Excellence in Communication Award at the “Constructing Gender in Multimedia Context: Conference on Gender and the Media.” The awarding ceremony was held on 30 April 2018 at the Bulwagang Balagtas, Ninoy Aquino Learning Center, Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
The conference, organized by the Philippines Communication Society (PCS), is an annual event that brings together media and communications professionals and practitioners. The PCS also bestows the Excellence in Communication Award to stalwarts in the field of communication in the country. Since 2012, only two people have been given the prestigious award, including Florangel Rosales-Braid in 2012 and Ms. Gina Lopez in 2014. Dr. Alfonso is the third recipient of the award, in recognition of her achievements to build the community and the country.
Dr. Alfonso is a sculptor, film maker and one of only two artists to cast and create the UP Oblation. She has created the UP Oblation for 7 campuses and units of UP. Dr. Alfonso is the founding director of the UP College of Mass Communication Film and Audiovisual Department. Among her long list of achievements include serving as Chancellor for UPOU for 9 years in three terms, being named as UP Artist I for 2009 to 2011; 2012-2014 and UP Artist II from 2015 to 2017. Dr. Alfonso is also the recipient of the 2014 Concepcion C. Dadufalza Award and was pronounced UP Professor Emeritus in 2017.
Dr. Alfonso is also an advocate of women empowerment and open and distance elearning (ODeL). During the awarding ceremony, she served as keynote speaker for the conference. Her message was a sharing of her passion for ODeL using multimedia towards gender and development. She was given the 35-inch tall Excellence in Communication Trophy which was conceptualized, designed and executed by U.P. Fine Arts Professor and visual artist, Toym Imao, the son of National Artist and TOYM Awardee for Sculpture, Abdulmari A. Imao, Sr. (ACLlamas)
