UST Golden Cross Award for UNESCO’S Bokova — Rev. Fr. Rolando dela Rosa, Rector, University of Santo Tomas (UST), presents the UST Golden Cross Award to UNESCO Director General Madame Irina Bokova during rites held at the UST Medicine Building Auditorium

MANILA, Philippines -- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Irina Bokova has now joined the roster of distinguished female recipients of the prestigious Golden Cross Award of the University of Santo Tomas (UST).

Bokova was conferred the Quadricentennial Golden Cross Award at UST’s Medicine Auditorium in Manila yesterday.

Bokova is the first woman to be elected director-general of the UNESCO. Other female recipients of the award were Mother Teresa of Calcutta and former President Corazon Aquino.

But the award is not only given to women since the last person to receive the award was King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

‘It is given to persons who excel in the promotion of the arts, humanities and the sciences, or who have distinguished themselves by their total commitment to the service of mankind,” Assoc. Prof. Giovanna Fontanilla, director of UST’s Office of Student and Public Affairs, said.

UST Rector Father Rolando Dela Rosa explained why they chose to give the award to Her Excellency Bokova.

“The University believes that with the political and social unrest in the Middle East and economic meltdowns in various countries and manmade and natural calamities in Japan, what we need now is to rediscover not only more modern science or technology but a renewed sense of being human that we belong to one famly,” he said before the conferment.

“That is why today the university confers on you our Excellency the Golden Cross Award as a way of acknowledging your total dedication and commitment to the promotion of what you termed as the new humanism. A humanism developed through education, dialogue, and mutual support among people’s and perfected through science and technology tempered by moral values and universal moral standards,” added Dela Rosa.

Bokova for her part, felt deeply honored for the award.

“I want to deeply thank your university for awarding me this very high honor. I take it with a deep sense of responsibilty and a big honor for UNESCO the organization that I lead. Thank you,” she said.

Her Excellency also took the opportunity to congratulate the UST for recognizing the role of women especially in the academe.

“I know how strong Filipino women are. I have seen many deans of dif¬ferent faculties in this university are women and this is a message I’ll take with me…one of our main priorities in gender equality is to promote the role of women. I want to congratulate your university for this wonderful achievement,” said Bokova.