Three of my more than a dozen FDA Awards-Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) award was my most treasured award.
Dr Janet Woodcock presenting my EEO Award Plaque, 1998
However, the award I will never forget is the CASH and Appreciation Award
I received for my leadership to alleviate the sufferings of thousands
of burnt victims during the terrorist bombing of the Pentagon and World
Trade Center, September 11, 2001.
https://hubpages.com/education/the-day-the-world-trembled
I retired on October 31, 2002 from the FDA. So by the end of this month it will be exactly 17 years
after my retirement from the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), Center of New Drugs, Office of New Drug Chemistry,
Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products in Silver Spring, MD.
Today, I feel that my mind is not
as alert compared to the previous years prior to my retirement. In
addition, I also missed my interaction with my fellow workers and my
Chemistry reviewers that I had supervised.
While writing this article
today, I feel very happy and accomplished as I reminisced my professional life and
career. It is rich and filled with pleasant memories, but not with Gold or Money.
My
life is not rich in terms of dollars or pesos, or material possessions(
luxurious villas or mansion here or abroad, and expensive cars) but in pleasant memories
and accomplishments.
https://whyretireinthephilippines.blogspot.com/search?q=afterglows
The
following are the reasons why I feel very accomplished although not
rich in gold, pesos or dollars and how it was attained. How was this
attained?
First,
I grew up in the 1940's in the midst of the Japanese-American War in
the Philippines. My father at that time was a Dental Officer for the
Philippine-American Guerrilla Forces in Panay and Romblon Islands. Thus,
I did have a lot of contacts with American GI's from all parts of the
US. These contacts initiated and triggered my desire and ambition to
someday see and visit the US. ( I had no desire or dream to reside in US
at that time)
https://hubpages.com/literature/my-childhood-memories-of-world-war-2
Second, my elementary and high school
years were also filled with accomplishments. I graduated with honors in
6th Grade and valedictorian in my high school class. Except for a
bullying incident in my freshman year, I had pleasant memories of my
elementary and high school years.
Third, my college
years at UP, Iloilo and Diliman, Quezon City were also filled with
scholastic achievements. I received the Fernando Lopez Scholarship in
Iloilo for attaining the highest grade in the whole university. In
Diliman, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry
missing 0.02 points to graduate CUM LAUDE(with honors).
https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2011/12/chapter-4-my-college-years-1951-1955.html
Fourth,
my graduate school years at the University Of Illinois in Chicago were
also filled with pleasant memories. Those years were the hardest years
of my life. Those years started with seeing my first snow in US,
followed by raising three children ( my 4th child was born after my
graduate school years) while a graduate and teaching assistant and
culminated with my doctorate degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 1964.
https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2011/12/fda-years-and-maryland-1990-2002.html
Fifth, my professional career working as a chemist
for 20 years for three private companies and later for the federal
government (FDA) for another 12 years ( as team leader) were
unforgettable. My years in FDA were filled with awards and challenges.
My 12 years in FDA was the most productive years in my professional
career. My superiors informed me that I was the first Filipino-American
Chemistry team leader in the Center of New drugs in the history of the
US Food and Drug Administration. My Involvement with the United States Pharmacopeia was also one of the professional achievements I will always treasure.
https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2017/02/my-involvement-with-united-states.html
Sixth, Macrine ( my
spouse of 62 years) and my involvement with the activities of the
Filipino-American Community in the Washington, D.C., Kansas City,
Missouri, Modesto and Pinole, California were memories that we will
treasure and will never forget as long as we live.
Last,
but not least were the civic, social and humanitarian projects that
Macrine and I had been involved since the early 1960's here in the
Philippines and US. Our involvement with the Marinduque International,
Inc medical mission projects since 1996 to the present are memories we
will never forget.
https://hubpages.com/politics/medical-mission-of-love-to-marinduque
Indeed,
my wife and I are not rich in GOLD or SILVER, but in MEMORIES,
ACCOMPLISHMENTS and relationships(thoughtful relatives and neighbors).
https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2019/10/a-thoughtful-relative-and-neighbor.html
For details of the above accomplishments and activities, visit my blog site at
http://theintellectualmigrant.blogspot.com
NOTE: Advance Happy and Safe Halloween to ALL!
This is a collection of true felt stories, poems, news, ramblings and musings from Marinduquenos all over the world and other miscellaneous topics close to my heart.
Welcome and Mabuhay
If you love Marinduque and want to contribute articles to this site, please do so. My contact information is in my profile. The above photo was taken from the balcony of The Chateau Du Mer Beach House, Boac, Marindque, Philippines. I love sunsets. How about you? Some of the photos and videos on this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention on infringing your copyrights. Thank you and Cheers!
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