Dr. Christian A. Rosales, an assistant professor at the Department of Human and Family Development Studies (DHFDS) of the College of Human Ecology (CHE) received the prestigious 2023 Virginia A. Miralao (VAM) Excellence in Research Award from the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC).
His winning entry, “Pigs and ritual-hunting among the highland Tau-Buhid in Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park, Philippines,” explores the relationship of Tau-Buhid, a Mangyan community, with domesticated pigs through a combined multispecies ethnography and political ontology.
The paper bested several scientific works from other young social scientists across the country for its contribution to the indigenous community. It showed the cultural activities and traditional resource management integral to the sociality of the of Tau-Buhid who are commonly faced with political struggles.
Dr. Rosales is the first UPLB faculty member to receive the award with a statuette especially designed by noted Filipino artist Toym Imao.
The conferment ceremony took place on April 18, 2023, at the UPLB Rural Economic Development and Renewable Energy Center (REDREC) Auditorium. Also present at the event was Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr., who is a former board member of PSSC.
The PSSC, a long-standing umbrella organization of professional social science groups in the Philippines, founded the VAM award in 2010 to honor the finest article, book chapter, or book written by a promising young scholar in the profession. (Janine R. Lardizabal)