UP Ibalon-Bicol congratulates Dr. Christopher and Dr. Maria Victoria (Vicvic) Carpio-Bernido for winning the 3rd Gawad Haydee Yorac* Award, an outstanding distinction which gives tribute to Filipinos who have demonstrated exemplary public service. On its third year, the prestigious award is given annually by the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) in collaboration with UP and the Yorac family.
We have no doubt Chris and Vicvic who are both accomplished physicists are more than worthy to win the sterling award. They left the headship of the UP Diliman’s National Institute of Physics in the 1990’s to start the Research Center for Theoretical Physics in Jagna, a secluded seaside town in the Visayan province of Bohol, two hours by car from the capital city of Tagbilaran. In a rural community setting, the couple boldly introduced the novel teaching of physics, math, science, and other hard subjects to high school students with outstanding results.
The prestigious award honors what the husband and wife team patiently worked for since they opened the private school 10 years ago:
“The Bernidos addressed a grassroots issue, and had the courage to blaze new science trails in their home province of Bohol, in isolated and marginalized communities, demonstrating that there are no constraints or limits to achieving the lofty vision of building a nation when courage, commitment and intellectual experience are applied to the task.”— Philippine Daily Inquirer (03/08/2009, Yap, DJ) (Photo Credits: http://www.meralco.com.ph/gawadhaydeeyorac/)
Vicvic is the sister of our fellow Ibalonians—Alfonso “Popon” Carpio and Constancia “Connie” Carpio. Graduating on top of her class at Colegio de Sta Isabel (CSI) in Naga City, Vicvic is one among the many talented children of former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Atty. Antonio Carpio.
* Haydee Yorac was an outstanding UP alumna. She was the legal counsel of Meralco. Before she died on September 13, 2005, she served as the director general of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, headed the Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Commission on Elections.
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Ibalon 