Bol-anons Are Brilliant In Physics

Q: What does Christopher Bernido, Caesar Saloma and Mikaela Fudolig have in common?

A: All traces their family roots in Bohol, studied in University of the Philippines (UP) and are brilliant in Physics.

Christopher Bernido
He is a son of the late Bohol Governor Esteban Bernido of Jagna town. He finished his BS Physics at UP Diliman in 1977 and went to the United States for his MS and PhD degrees in Physics (State University of New York - Albany).

Bernido was a recipient of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Outstanding Young Scientist award in 1989 in "... recognition of his research achievements in Theoretical Physics as shown by his many publications on the path integral approach to quantum mechanics in flat and curved spacetimes...", among other reasons.

He is also equally noted in the field of education. Together with his wife, also a PhD in Physics and fellow UP graduate, they developed a teaching method, Dynamic Learning Process (DLP), which have raised the academic performance of Central Visayan Institute, a high school in Jagna. The couple both ran this school as principal and director of studies (Christopher).

Caesar Saloma
He grew up in the town of Baclayon (my hometown, too!) and finished high school at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran City. He went on to obtain a BS Physics at UP Diliman in 1981, where he also got his MS and PhD degrees. Saloma is currently the Dean of the College of Science at UP Diliman after serving two terms as Director of the National Institute of Physics where he is still a professor.

Saloma was recognised as a NAST Outstanding Young Scientist (Applied Physics) in 1992. Afterwards, he had garnered numerous prestigious national and international awards in Physics. The latest award he received was in July this year wherein he was named ASEAN's Outstanding Scientist and Technologist.

He was inducted as an Academician into the NAST in July 2005. This was partly in recognition of his outstanding researches and accomplishments in the field of instrumentation physics. In fact, the columnist Juan Mercado described him as "probably the most published author in internationally refereed journal the last five years."

Mikaela Fudolig
She is the youngest among these three brilliant Bol-anon physicists. She traces her roots also in Bohol, her father being from Tagbilaran City. She finished her BS Physics also in UP Diliman in 2007. She not only graduated summa cum laude (general weighted average of 1.099) but she was only 16 years old at that time, the youngest to graduate from UP in recent years. She is also one of only two that was admitted to UP without a high school diploma and without taking the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT). Remarkable!

Although a bonafide child genius, Fudolig is just like any other girl - unassuming, bubbly, smiling and happy. Her entry to UP is a remarkable story in itself.

She now teaches Physics at UP Diliman, as she had vowed in her valedictory speech last year. If you want a glimpse of her genius and maturity, she has a blog, take not the road less traveled, which is a collection of her speeches.

Q: What do I have in common with these three brilliant minds?

A: Bol-anon, UP graduate and brilliant in Physics (liar!)

Yes, I am proud to be their fellow Bol-anon and UP graduate (less brilliant kind) but Physics? I am their opposite on this field of science, I'm afraid. In my senior year in high school, Physics was my poorest subject in terms of grades. And I was one of the group leaders in class! In college, suffice it to say that I struggled and barely pass in each of the two Physics classes I took as major courses for my BS Biology degree.

I guess my theory that Bol-anons are brilliant in Physics had been completely debunked by the evidence I presented from my case.