Josephine Santiago-Bond is the head of the Advanced Engineering Development Branch at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Filipino engineer Josephine Santiago-Bond works as a department head at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo: Google Maps, NASA
A Filipina is among the prestigious group of women who work at America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Engineer Josephine Santiago-Bond, who was born in the United States but moved back to the Philippines when she was only two months old, initially didn’t have an interest in astronomy when she was young, spot.ph reported.
Santiago-Bond, who grew up in a family of scientists, eventually attended Philippine Science High School where she leaned towards the study of science and mathematics subjects. The Filipina then took the advice of an old schoolmate to embark upon an Electronics and Communications degree at the University of the Philippines.
“I had to crawl my way through some of the courses, but I wasn’t going to give up because of a few bad grades,” Santiago-Bond said.
After graduating, she moved to the US and took a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at South Dakota State University, where in 2003, she was offered a summer internship at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, which is one of 10 NASA sites nationwide.
By the time she completed her master’s degree in 2005, Santiago-Bond already had a full time job at NASA. She first worked as a systems engineer tackling the technical problems of space missions and worked on a lunar mission in 2017.
At present, she is the head of the Advanced Engineering Development Branch at KSC and is responsible for supplying engineering support to research and technology development projects.
“I am leading very diverse groups of people to bring their whole selves to work while executing NASA’s mission, which ultimately benefits mankind,” she said.
Filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik a.ka. Eric de Guia was awarded as Prince Claus Laureate by the Royal Palace in Amsterdam in the Netherlands for his achievements in filmmaking. Continue reading →
Rizalina “Riza” Gervasio Mantaring is the President of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) for 2019. She is the 70th President and the 4th Woman President of the MAP since its inception in 1950.
Rizalina “Riza” Gervasio Mantaring
Ms. Mantaring is the Chair of Sun Life Financial Philippine Holding Co., a Director at Sun Life Grepa Financial, and the Chair of Sun Life Foundation.
She started her career in Information Technology (IT) and she joined Sun Life in 1992 as Senior Manager and Head for Asia Pacific of the then – Nascent Information Systems Department. She built the IT function in Asia, managing the turnover from Toronto and Montreal to Manila as the hub for IT activity in the region. She gradually took on increasing responsibilities until she became Chief Operations Officer for Asia in 2008, Deputy President for Sun Life Philippines in March 2009, then CEO and Country Head from August 2009 to June 2018. She was also the Chair of the 12 Sun Life Prosperity Funds aside from being a Director of the various Sun Life companies. During her term, Sun Life implemented numerous industry firsts and innovations which paved the way for its leadership in the industry.
During her term as CEO, Sun Life’s market profile and brand strength significantly increased, with the pioneering and multi-awarded “It’s Time!” financial literacy advocacy campaign and the record-high increase in agency manpower numbers and sales. The company also entered bancassurance with the creation of Sun Life Grepa Financial.
Under her leadership, Sun Life won numerous prestigious awards, including the Life Insurance Company of the Year Award given at the 19th Asia Insurance Industry Awards (the first Filipino company to do so) and the 2015 Employer of the Year Award bestowed by People Management Association of the Philippines (the first life insurance company to win).
Her own accomplishments have likewise been recognized by prestigious award-giving bodies, among which were the Asia Talent Management award at CNBC’s 2017 Asia Business Leader Awards and the CEO Excel Award from the International Association of Business Communicators-Philippines.
She is an independent director of Ayala Land, First Philippine Holdings, and MicroVentures Foundation. She is also a Board member of Makati Business Club and Philippine Business for Education.
A graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP) with a BS Electrical Engineering degree (cum laude), she has an MS Computer Science from The State University of New York at Albany and is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (with distinction). In 2010, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the UP College of Engineering, she was named one of the College’s 100 Most Outstanding Alumni of the Past Century.
In her spare time, she runs and is one of only a handful of Filipino Six Stars, having completed the marathons in Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London and Tokyo.
Ms. Mantaring will lead the MAP in 2019 along with other Board members including Atty. Francisco “Francis” Ed. Lim, Senior Partner of ACCRALAW, as VP; Atty. Benedicta “Dick” Du-Baladad, Managing Partner and CEO OF Du-Baladad and Associates, as Treasurer; Mr. Cesar G. Romero, Country Chair of Shell Companies in the Philippines, as Asst. Treasurer, and Ms. Maria Carolina “Carol” V. Dominguez, President and CEO of John Clements Consultants, as Secretary.
The other Board members are Mr. Jose Rene Gregory “Rene” D. Almendras, President and CEO of AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Mr. John Philip “Jp” S. Orbeta, Managing Director and Head of Corporate Resources Group of Ayala Corporation, Mr. Justo “Tito” A. Ortiz, Chair and CEO of UnionBank of the Philippines, and Gov. Amando “Say” M. Tetangco, Jr., Member of the Board of Directors of Philippine Airlines (PAL).
The doodle goes live on Tuesday, November 27, the 107th birth anniversary of ‘The Angel of Santo Tomas’
MANILA, Philippines – Google celebrates the 107th birth anniversary of Fe del Mundo by featuring the late Filipina physician in their signature doodle. Continue reading →
Maroon Love for Christmas, a blood donation drive for the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), will be held on Wednesday, 5 December 2018, from 9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m., at the Lobby of Palma Hall in UP Diliman.
The UAAP 81 Men’s Basketball Tournament will always be remembered as the time when the University of the Philippines finally broke through. Continue reading →
On Monday, November 19, 2018, family and friends of the late Dr. Salvador “Doy” Laurel, in celebration of his 90th birth anniversary is holding “Doy! A Night of Love with Family and Friends,” a musical benefit concert to support the Legal Aid Internship Program of the Salvador H. Laurel Foundation Inc.
This event will be held at the Maybank Theater of Performing Arts in 26th St., Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City at 7:30 pm but a cocktails reception will welcome the guests starting at 6 pm.
Since its founding in 2012, The Salvador H. Laurel Foundation Inc., has been helping indigent but bright young minds into entering the legal profession in furtherance of the late VP’s advocacy of according equal opportunities to our disadvantaged youth. In 2014, following the second placing of its very first scholar, Atty. Mark D. Oyales in the 2013 bar examinations, the foundation strengthened its partnership with the UP College of Law by expanding the program’s coverage benefits. Today, the partnership is also directed towards reviving a legal aid internship program to perpetuate another legacy of Doy which is the championing of the legal causes of our poor and marginalized fellowmen.
This musical tribute, under the baton of Maestro Rodel Colmenar of the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, will feature excerpts from Doy’s Best Broadway favorites like Camelot, South Pacific, Kismet, Evita, Man of La Mancha, Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, Carousel, Les Miserables, and the King & I, among others. Performing are the Laurels, headed by Cocoy, Iwi, Denise, Nicole Asensio, Franco, Ayen, Yanna, and Rajo & siblings Venisse,Gela & John. They are also joined by the Aldeguer Sisters, Miguel Faustmann, Armand Ferrer, and Pinky Amador.
FOR TICKET RESERVATIONS, PLS CALL:
THE SALVADOR H. LAUREL FOUNDATION,INC
Look for PEARLIE 09171666788
Five alumni of the University of the Philippines have been named National Artists for 2018, achieving the highest honors given to practitioners in the arts and culture. Continue reading →
Dangal ng Bayan (DnB) or the Outstanding Public Officials and Employees Award is conferred to an individual for performance of an extraordinary act or public service and consistent demonstration of exemplary ethical behavior on the basis of his/her observance of the eight norms of behavior provided under Republic Act No. 6713, otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Continue reading →
