Dr. Jovelle B. Laoag-Fernandez, an obstetrician-gynecologist from the Philippines, was awarded by president of the Republic of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Outstanding Filipino Individual Overseas Pamana ng Pilipino Award (Heritage Award) for excellence and distinction in the field of medicine. This is a biennial search established in December 1991 to recognize the exemplary work of overseas Filipinos. The Presidential Award was conferred last December 15, 2004 at Malacanan Palace, Philippines.
Dr. Fernandez joined Kobe University as a Japanese government scholar last April 1998, where she had her Japanese language course at the International Student Center for 6 months, then she joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine as a research fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility under the excellent supervision of Professor Maruo Takeshi. She then entered the Ph.D course, where she graduated last March 2003 major in Surgical Sciences.
She had published numerous papers in internationally-renowned journals encompassing the topics of endocrinology and oncology. Because of these creditable achievements, she was invited as a JSPS post-doctoral fellow after she obtained her Ph.D degree. She continues studying as a research assistant of the Graduate School of Medicine from April 2003 and is due to return to her country on April 2005.
She was also awarded the Certificate of Advanced Clinical Training in Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility and Oncology, and this was issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, a temporary license issued to foreign doctors which is tedious to obtain.
She speaks that "I wish to share this presidential award to my professor, my colleagues in the department, my mentors in Japanese language classes and of course, to my alma mater, Kobe University."