(L-R) Prof. Ludivina Dekit- PHSI Asst Director, Engr. Marlon Grande- Outstanding UNESCO Club Young Professional Awardee; Duke Magno- President, WMSU Youth Peace Mediator Club; Saidi Insang- Vice President, WMSU-YPMC; and, Dr. Marcelina G. Carpizo- PHSI Director.
Engr. Marlon Grande (3rd from right) receives the award as 2019 Outstanding UNESCO Club Young Professional of the Philippine
Engr. Marlon C. Grande, a faculty member of the College of Engineering, was hailed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as Outstanding UNESCO Club Young Professional of the Philippines for 2019 during the culminating activity of the International Assembly of Youth for UNESCO (Y4U) 2019 held at the Eurotel Hotel, Angeles City, Pampanga on December 7, 2019.
Every year, the National Coordinating Body of UNESCO Clubs in the Philippines accepts nominations for outstanding young professionals, educators and local government units to acknowledge their individual contributions and recognize their influence in their respective institutions and communities. Engr. Grande was recognized for his relentless passion in advancing the thrusts of UNESCO in his field of endeavors.
As a peace advocate, Engr. Grande has engagements with UN-funded peace and human security-related projects which include the WMSU-UNICEF Zamboanga Education Project (2015-2016) at Masepla, Barangay Mampang, Zamboanga City. His involvement also stretched to Young Adolescent for Peace (2017) which also extended to some outskirt barangays in the city.
Engr. Grande was also part of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Research on Violent Extremism in the Region in 2018 and countless others engagement as facilitators and resource speakers on peace and human security sponsored by different UN agencies all through the Peace and Human Security Institute (PHSI) headed by Dr. Marcelina G. Carpizo as director.
“To be chosen and cited as an awardee this year is an honor I bring back to WMSU,” said Engr. Grande. “I believe it will further contribute to the credibility we portray to UNESCO and other UN agencies as the University of Choice for higher learning and that, as a young professionals, we can be at par with the rest of the young professionals in the country and ASEAN region,” he added.
When asked about how this recognition can contribute to the University, the young professional humbly answered “This award validates the competency of a WMSU faculty, which I only represent as a young professional among the many faculty members in this university who I believe can do better. I am inspired and have followed the footsteps of our University President Dr. Milabel Enriquez-Ho and PHSI Director Dr. Marcelina G. Carpizo (who were both formerly awarded the same) to be at my best in every engagement that I do especially those partnership and engagements entrusted to us by UNESCO.” “I believe this will add more to WMSU’s already stellar credentials of responding to the sign of the times through the thrust of UNESCO,” he said.
“Apart from my personal advocacy to implement and realize UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in whatever I’m into, weather its research, extension or instruction, I intend to continue my journey through my active technical support to the WMSU-PHSI and its upcoming activities in the future,” said Engr. Grande referring to his plans on his project involvements. “This award is not an end in itself but rather a door or window to more opportunities to engage towards a more sustainable world,” the young professional said.
The award was personally received by Engr. Grande. With him during the ceremony were Dr. Ho who gave her welcome remarks for the event, and Asst. Prof. Ludivina Dekit, a UNESCO Club Board Member. Also present were Frederico Duke Magno and Saidi Yusup Insang II, officers of the Youth Peace Mediator Club which was awarded for the 6th time as Outstanding UNESCO Club of the Philippine. (Liezel M. Parreño, WMSU-PAO)