Another success story from a #ProudViscan; Dr. Jerry D. Imbong, a faculty at the newly established Department of Philosophy and Social Science (DPSS) made it to the Alper-Doger (AD) Scientific Index ranking. The man who discovered his love for Philosophy as a young man upon his entrance into the seminary in 1997, now brings pride to the Viscan community as he ranks as one of the top scientists in the Philippines.
It begins with curiosity
Dr. Jerry D. Imbong is a master's and doctorate degree-holder in Philosophy from De La Salle University, currently teaching social sciences, general subjects, and philosophy at the Visayas State University, with plans to be a multidisciplinary researcher in theology and climate justice. His area of expertise revolves around Critical Theory, Liberation Theology, Political Economy, and Indigenous Peoples.
Dr. Imbong is a champion and advocate for justice and peace movements, with a prime interest in worker’s rights, peasant issues, and our indigenous people’s struggle for self-determination. In fact, his various research projects were dedicated and inspired by the struggles of the marginalized sector as well as his aspirations for the said groups. Little did he know that his advocacies would bring him great recognition among many decorated intellectuals of his caliber.
Like a true philosopher, Dr. Imbong had a lot of questions in mind as he found it incredulous when a friend informed him that he made it to the list of the top-performing Filipino Scientists in the Fields of History, Philosophy, and Theology. This list was by the AD Scientific Index, which is a “ranking and analysis system based on the scientific performance and the added value of the scientific productivity of individual scientists.”
More than happy, he was thankful to God and VSU for the immense support for the completion and success of his works, as well as the university’s emphasis on the importance of research.
You don’t become a seasoned researcher overnight
Dr. Imbong profoundly stated that you have to learn to love research because not everyone can embrace it, instead, you must have perseverance as rejection is nothing new for journal proposals, for the most part. If you have the perseverance, you can jump from one journal to another without dwelling on the rejection. He also added that one should know the greater goal of the study, the aspect that is beyond personal gains, and continue doing so until the work is published.
Dr. Imbong bids, “If you want to flourish, listen to the poor, because researchers from the academe learn a lot from them.”
It's not just Dr. Imbong, several other scientists, researchers, and faculties from the Visayas State University have also made it to the list in various categories, a feat that the university hopes to constantly achieve.