Bangsamoro lawyer champions Muslim identity, culture, peace and human rights

BANGSAMORO Regionbased lawyer and Shari’ah counselor Ashyanna Alexine Adia Amira-Labi A. Bangcola recently took her oath as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO)-Class IV of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

DESERVING students from the province of Batangas stand to benefit from a P1-million educational fund courtesy of two Lopez-led entities.

First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) president Francis Giles B. Puno and FIRST Industrial Science and Technology College Inc. (FIRST College) president Joaquin E. Quintos IV recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to implement a holistic educational grant for eligible students.

The program is open to all incoming Grades 11 and 12 students who are currently enrolled in FIRST College and residing either in Tanauan City or Santo Tomas City in Batangas, according to a statement.

Those qualified will each enjoy a P74,500 financial grant per year for tuition and matriculation fees, plus P4,200 in monthly stipend and Internet load allowance. The scholarship fund—a pilot program for FPIP—will accept an initial batch of 13 indigent scholars.

As recipients under this holistic scholarship program, the eligible scholars will receive close guidance from FPIP and FIRST College, including “kumustahan” and counseling sessions. These interactions will help FPIP and FIRST College track the scholars’ progress, while en - suring their academic and personal development.

First Philippine Holdings Corp. (FPH)—a diversified conglomerate of the Lopez family—established FPIP in 1996 with Sumitomo Corp. of Japan to create a world-class economic zone for global manufacturers and traders, as well as a platform for employing ordinary Filipinos, and for generating government revenues.

The 520-hectare ecozone, straddling Santo Tomas and Tanauan in Batangas, now provides employment for almost 80,000 Filipinos, aside from generating hundreds of millions of pesos in tax revenues for the host local government units.

FPH subsequently established FIRST College in 2018 with a vision to create a school that will deliver real-world, relevant, up-to-date and practical, technical training. Located inside FPIP, the college offers a unique curriculum and academic approach in close collaboration with industry partners, many of whom are FPIP locators themselves. This allows students to gain extensive hands-on learning experience with industry professionals as their mentors.

FPIP is a proud and consistent partner to its host-communities in providing jobs and programs to link educational gaps for its network-schools in the province.

PHINMA Educ. posts peak performances in SY 2022-23

PHINMA Education recently reported a notable performance of its students, as it posted a 79-percent overall passing rate in licensure exams for first-time takers in School Year 2022-2023.

Throughout the period, students and schools across the network were cited for ranking among the top of their categories nationwide across several disciplines. For instance, PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College and PHINMA-Southwestern University were ranked first in Criminology and Optometry, respectively.

Graduates similarly showed stellar results in Nursing (98-percent board passing rate), Electrical Engineering (98 percent), Elementary Education (92 percent), Optometry (90 percent), Dentistry (90 percent), Pharmacy (89 percent), and Mechanical Engineering (85 percent).

With the output, the network produced 27 topnotchers from last year, which now adds up to 143 since 2004.

In Horizon Karawang—the first school managed by PHINMA Education in Indonesia—students Muhammad Rakha and Meisya Rafacintya were chosen for the regional “Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation-NEXTGen Leadership” program. Both will be involved in projects that focus on mental health in Asia.

In his online address, PHINMA Corp. chair and CEO Ramon del Rosario Jr. said education will play a big factor among the Filipino youth, especially to those belonging to the marginalized sector: “We believe that the success of our students is much more meaningful because of their lives’ circumstances.”

At present, PHINMA Education has nine schools in the Philippines, and one in Indonesia. Last school year, its 30.4-percent increase in enrollment versus the previous period resulted in a 19-percent revenue increase year-on-year, and consolidated revenues of P4.5 billion.

PHINMA Education president and CEO Dr. Melito Salazar Jr. hopes that they will be able to reach more underserved students who need quality education the most, “so that they can uplift themselves, their families, and communities.” Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

As the new principal assistant at the DFA’s Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office, Bangcola helps safeguard and promote the country’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its exclusive economic zone and the West Philippine Sea.

“The sea and its wealth of resources are our heritage,” she started. “We must remember that we are its custodians. We must fulfill our responsibility to protect our territory for future generations.”

She added that “being a lawyer and an FSO provides me an official platform to make real changes. I am fortunate enough to be working at a government institution that allows me to pursue those advocacies in my line of work.”

The lawyer cofounded “Global Marawi”—a digital site that seeks to place the city on an international scale and eradicate the prejudice against its inhabitants. She looks forward to spreading awareness about the Bangsamoro identity and culture, peace and human rights, as well as the empowerment of women and the youth.

Bangcola also champions peace and conflict resolution, interfaith and interreligious dialogue, rights of internally displaced persons, human security, good governance and sustainable development, and expressed: “I’m a staunch advocate of peace-building, [plus] the protection of the rights of minorities and the oppressed.”

Having taken up Consular and Diplomatic Affairs at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSCSB) School of Diplomacy and Governance, she is also a scholar of the “Benildean Excellence in Scholastics and Talent”—a coveted grant among applicants with exceptional academic outputs and impeccable leadership qualities.

As a Benildean Student Envoy (BSE), the lawyer recounted the college’s opportunities offered— from intensive lectures, to extracurriculars abroad: “Everything I learned helped me prepare for the FSO Exam, and continues to assist me now that I am an officer myself. We were mentored to think critically, present our points in a convincing and persuasive manner, [as well as] conduct ourselves in formal and diplomatic settings, and on matters of protocol.”

A cum laude graduate, Bancola was honored with the “Student Leadership” award. She then pursued being a Doctor of Jurispru - dence at the Arellano University School of Law, where she earned its eighth “Honorable Mention and the Order of the Flaming Arrows” distinction.

Prior to becoming an FSO IV, she served as an Economic Diplomacy and Systems research assistant at the DFA’s Office of International Economic Relations, and a technical assistant at the Commission on Filipinos Overseas’s Policy, Planning and Research Division.

She likewise served as an educator at the Mindanao State University College of Law, and a legal researcher at the Bangsamoro Transition Authority’s Office of Parliament member Atty. Maisara C. Dandamun-Latiph at the Institute for Peace and Development in Marawi City.

Her academic papers on interfaith and interreligious dialogue and Marawi rehabilitation were also presented at various peaceresearch conferences. She is an active member of diverse groups, including Kalilintad sa Lanao : a c ommunity-based volunteer organization that fosters peace in Lanao del Sur through youth empowerment, education, and initiatives.

When asked for advice to aspiring lawyers, Bangcola urged them to “read. It may seem obvious, but it will surely help…build the foundation of your knowledge.” hydrogen fuel-cell category top prize for the first time. Meanwhile, the segment’s four top teams from Singapore and Indonesia have successfully qualified for the World Championship finale slated on October 10 to 12 in India.

UPHSD’s entry will use their experience as a motivation to strive toward achieving a win in the next year’s competition. For Torres, “we will make sure that we will redeem ourselves from the challenges we experienced this year.”

Same holds true for Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ PUP Hygears, as they are determined on making a comeback in 2024 after missing the chance to hit the track this year due to technical aspects that needed further attention.

THE De La Salle Santiago Zobel (DLSZ) Strings ensemble was able to secure the fourthplace award with an outstanding rating at the 15th Summa Cum Laude (SCL) International Youth Music Festival on July 1 at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria.

DLSZ Strings also bagged the “Gold Award” at the 2023 Bratislava Youth Music Festival Competition last July 7 at the Slovak Radio Concert Hall, Slovakia.

As the Philippines’s sole ensemble representative, the DLSZ Strings performed the “Holberg Suite” by E. Grieg, “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by W. A. Mozart, “Triptych” (a threepart work for string orchestra) by Alejandro Consolación, and the traditional homegrown music “Tatlong Awiting Pilipino” (arranged for strings) by Rommel Camba as their competition pieces.

The group also held a festival concert at the Pfarrgarten Probstdorf and MuTh in Vienna with a repertoire of “Symphony No.1, Sarabande (Second Movement)” from the Holberg Suite, “Queen of the Night Aria” for String Orchestra, “Gabriel’s Oboe (strings and solo cello),”

“Sarabande” (for solo cello) by J.S. Bach, “Intermezzo” from Cavalleria Rusticana Jazz Pizzicato, and one of the most popular patriotic songs: “Bayan Ko.”

In Bratislava, the group performed to the delight of audiences in St. Martin’s Cathedral, Klarisky Concert Hall, Primate’s Palace, and the Hviezdoslav Square. The ensemble arrived in Prague and premiered at the Smetana Hall on June 28. A pleasant addition to the trip was a courtesy call to Ambassador Eduardo Martin Meñez at the Philippine Embassy in the Czech Republic, Ambassador Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo-Bernas at the Philippine Embassy in Austria, and an educational tour at the Vienna International Center of the United Nations Office.

According to the school’s Cultural Affairs Office-Music Unit, the DLSZ Strings’ participation in the said events was “a testament

The Muslim lawyer added a gentle reminder about the importance of motivation: “If you are working for something greater—whether it be for family, community, or a higher purpose—then never forget that spark, especially when you face hardship or roadblocks along your way.”

She likewise encouraged the youth to do their best even during times of failure: “Give it your all, and then some…nothing is ever [a] wasted effort…Even when you do not get the outcome you want at first, there is still value in learning and improving.”

Furthermore: “Do not sacrifice either mind or heart. Pursue excellence and at the same time, have empathy for others.” to the Filipino’s remarkable talent, rich culture, and pride in musical excellence.”

The SCL International Youth Festival is a world-renowned international celebration for young musicians that provides a prestigious stage for music ensembles from across the globe. Choirs, bands and orchestras from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Italy, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Taipei, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States participated in the event.

The DLSZ Strings, led by Conductor Leopoldo Sumera Jr., Strings Teacher Shelly Isaga, Music Unit Head Daryl Galicia and Cultural Affairs Office Head Lynette Feliciano, is a musical ensemble of select high-school students enrolled in the Special Music program. With such, students develop their musical skills, deepen their sensitivity to music, and cultivate an appreciation for the art form.

The group has participated in local and global performances and competitions where it won Gold awards: the Chicago International Music Festival in 2019, and Singapore Raffles International Music Festival in 2019 and 2022.