Ghizlane Zerzkhane | Contributor
Featured Image: Professor Patrick Alcedo accepted the Golden Balangay Award for his research. | Courtesy of YFile
Patrick Alcedo, a professor of Dance at the School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design at York, has won a prestigious award as a result of his outstanding work as a Filipino immigrant. Alcedo received the Golden Balangay Award, which aims to recognize and celebrate outstanding Filipino individuals who have made a historical impact on the Filipino community.
Alcedo is also a faculty associate at the York Centre for Asian Research, known for his hard work and commitment to the Arts.
The Golden Balangay Award is meant to highlight the successes of Filipino immigrants. Alcedo migrated from the Philippines to the United States in 1996, and later came to Canada after accepting a job as an assistant professor at York. Alcedo has described his immigration to a foreign country as a difficult experience.
“As a Filipino immigrant, I faced many challenges when I first moved here; even though immigration to Canada by myself did not scare me, I suffered from pangs of loneliness in the beginning. Unlike most Filipino immigrants, I didn’t have any family members,” he said.
Alcedo has had several accomplishments in his career within the Arts. A majority of his projects revolve around the globalization, gendering, and folklorization of religion.
Alcedo earned his PhD from the University of California and is a former Rockefeller Humanities Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution. In addition, his film publications appeared in the New York Times in 2009.
The Golden Balangay Award’s objective is to promote members within the Filipino community to make positive contributions within it. It recognizes Filipino peoples’ successes, culture, and memorable achievements.
