20 law grants at P250k, 5 MBA at P500k

The Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity (FLP) will award 20 legal scholarships at P250,000 each (or a total of P5 million), five fellowships to students taking Master of Business Administration (MBA), or its equivalent, specializing in entrepreneurship, sustainability, management, economics, or business law (Esmel) at P500,000 each (total of P2.5 million), and several winners in its dissertation writing contest totaling a million pesos.

WITH FIRST LADY LOUISE ARANETA-MARCOS as special guest and mega business leader Fernando Zobel de Ayala as guest speaker, the cash awards, plaques, certificates, and other prizes will be given on Friday, Aug. 29, at the main hall of the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

The 20 law scholars were chosen carefully and interviewed in the Supreme Court by a board of judges (BOJ) chaired by incumbent Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, with these members: Solicitor General Darlene Marie Berberabe, Dean Teodoro Pastrana, lawyer Maria Angela Benecario and lawyer Joel Emerson Gregorio.

In partnership with the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, FLP will grant, as I said, 20 law scholarships, 10 of whom are third-year law students: Althea Acidre (Vicente Orestes Romualdez College), Danielle Caliosan (U of Southeastern Philippines), Kim Humarang (UST), Alyannah Mabelin (UCebu), Lia Manalo (UP), Joselino Poquiz (ADMU), Myka Reambonanza (USC), Lorraine Tumolva (UST), Brian Unabia (USC), and Michelle Vergara (USC).

The other 10 scholars are fourth-year law students: Kryster Bellen (UP), Kerstein Despi (USC), Cicily Mirasol (UP), Christa Mutuc (USC), Jayson Orajay (Xavier U), Enrico Paguia (ADMU), Ricardo Sobreviñas (ADMU), Mary Te (USC), Chinzen Viernes (UP), and Ignacio Villareal (UP).

Notably, of the 10 FLP scholars who took the Bar exams last year, Kyle Tutor (UP) copped first place, and Love Quebrar (UP), 6th place. In fact, since it was launched several years ago, the program has always produced Bar toppers with FLP scholar and Ateneo de Manila law valedictorian Sean James Borja (ADMU) gaining first place in 2018, its initial year.

LIKEWISE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE METRO PACIFIC INVESTMENTS CORP., through the Metro Pacific Investments Foundation, FLP will award Esmel fellowships to Carl Balagtas (UP), Aingel Domingo (ADMU), Giselle Geronimo (AIM), Czarina Santos (AIM), and Caroline So (AIM).

The BOJ is composed of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr., chair Chaye Cabal-Revilla, Dr. Charo Santos Concio, lawyer Gregorio, and Maria Elena P. S. Yaptangco (members).

At this point, allow me to say that the best way to nurture prosperity is to help our people help themselves through private entrepreneurship. Along this belief, FLP—apart from these fellowships—is also encouraging our business schools to offer courses to combine business, law, and technology. Toward this goal, I have had sessions with Dr. Jikeong Kang, AIM president and dean, and her dedicated team of two full-time AIM faculty members, professors Olivier Roche and Felipe Calderon. Her team feverishly worked for eight months and produced a curriculum for the degree of Master’s in International Business Law. Notably, all the three winning fellows from AIM are taking up MIBL.

I think entrepreneurs should be armed not just with the usual business subjects but also with law backgrounders, particularly on obligations and contracts, plus esoteric subjects like patents, trademarks, data privacy, property rights, and statutory construction. Knowledge of the law rounds out business thinking. Not only does the law tell what one cannot do, but it tells how far one can go. In this way, a businessperson can act with confidence and sail forward without fear.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AYALA CORP., the FLP will give the winners of the FLP dissertation writing contest as follows: first prize of P320,000 cash to Isabelle Ginez (ADMU), and second prize of P220,000 to Laurice Sy (ADMU). Third placers will each get P120,000: Chaira Ferran (De La Salle Lipa), Jadel Gines (ADMU), and Kristine Kalalo (ADMU). The full texts of the five winning dissertations can be accessed at www.libpros.com.

Four finalists will be given P20,000 each: Susanna Gruyal (UP), Christine Lopez (UST), Jose Vilchez (UP), and Darren Zamudio (FEU).

The dissertation winners were chosen by the BOJ, led by Supreme Court Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, with these members: Dean Anna Maria D. Abad, lawyer Franchette M. Acosta, Court of Tax Appeals Justice Marian Ivy Reyes Fajardo, and lawyer Gregorio.

The FLP was founded in 2011 to perpetuate my core judicial philosophy to safeguard liberty and nurture prosperity under the rule of law. Its board of trustees is composed of yours truly (chair), former BSP governor Tetangco (vice chair), retired SC Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez (president), retired Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe, former education secretary Edilberto de Jesus, Ms. Yaptangco, AIM professor Maria Theresa P. Mañalac, lawyer Gregorio (corporate secretary), and lawyer Arvin Paolo D. Cortez (members). Other officers are Rebecca G. Felix (treasurer), Susan N. Gavino (executive director), and Jacob Barbosa (project director).