Special Features

Former Law Prof is Ford Int'l Fellow

ATTY. Jose Edmund E. Guillen, former professor and a graduate of the USA College of Law, has been recendy qualified as fellow of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP). As fellow, he may enroll in any of the IFP partner-universities anywhere in the world, including the Philippines, in an academic discipline that falls within Ford Foundation's program areas.

Atty. Guillen is an Assistant Regional Public Attorney at the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) in the Iloilo province. Located at the Hall of Justice, PAO provides free legal assistance to indigent persons in criminal, civil, administrative and labor cases.

The Ford Foundation-IFP awards graduate fellowships to candidates who have demonstrated social commitment, leadership and academic achievement. The IFP reaches out to a new generation of potential leaders from groups and communities that have traditionally lacked access to higher education and know at first hand the problems facing their countries and communities.

The IFP is being administered by the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC), an independent organization of social science association, research centers and institutions in the country. In Western Visayas, the University of San Agustin Coordinating Center for Research and Publications serves as the IFP regional office with Prof. Jigger S. Latoza, UCRP Director, as the regional partner representative.

Atty. Guillen plans to pursue a master's degree in social justice and human rights. He is one of the two applicants from 'Western Visayas to qualify to the national level. The other fellow is Ms. Zennifer L. Oberio of the Research Program of the Philippine Social Science High School Western Visayas in Iloilo City. The two were from among the ten finalists chosen from the twenty six applicants from all over Western Visayas.

The Universiry of San Agustin Coordinating Center for Research and Publications (UCRP) has been the regional banner of the Philippine Social Science Council and the Ford Foundation since 2005 in the implementation of the Internationa Fellowships Program. To date, the Ford Foundation IFP has granted the scholarship to the following fellows from Vestern Visayas:

COHORT 2007: Amigo, Ronald (Master of Public Administration, Australian National University, Australia); Infantado, Angelie Fulene (Master of Arts in Deaf Education, Gallaudet University, U.S.A.); Linan, Efren (Master of Engineering A sian Institute of Technology, Thailand); Luces, Genalyn (Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language, School of International Training, U.S.A.); Satana, Leo (Master of Arts in Sociologgy of the Law, University of South Hampton, U.K.); Tiaspadillo, John Marlon (Ph.D. in Development Studies, Instiute of Social Studies, Netherlands); Villa, Hazel (Master of Arts in Journalism, Bond University Australia).

COHORT 2008: Arcedas, Lucille (Master of Arts in Sciences, Cornell University, USA.); Divinagracia, Eric (Master of Arts in Arts Management, Eastern Michigan University, U.S.A.); Jesena, Karen Marie Thelma (Master of Special Education Inclusion and Early Intervention, University of Melbourne, Australia); Labiste, Diosa (Ph.D. in Critical Media Studies, University of Birmingham, U.K.); Limoso, Liby Norman (Master of Fine Arts (Sculpture), University of Pennsylvania U.S.A.); Nuniez, Ma. Aleta (Master of Laws, Columbia University U.S.A.); Valenzuela, Danny (Master of Laws, Georgetown University, USA); Villareal, Mary Obea (Master of Literary Linguistics, Universiry of Nottineham, U.K.)

COHORT 2009: Estomo, Rene (M.A. of Mathematics Education, Univ. of Georgia, U.S.A.); Fresnido, Ma. Zaida (Master of Laws, Univ. of Washington, USA); Flores, Ma. Felicia (Master of Curriculum Studies, Univ. of Hawaii-Manoa, USA); Genodepa, Martin (Master of Fine Arts, Sculpture), UP-Diliman; and Lorica, Renee (Master of Conservation Biologly, Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities).

COHORT 2010: Guillen, Jose Edmund (Master of Laws) and Oberio, Zennifer (Master of Science Education).