Dr. Ellen H. Palanca, director of the Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University, will be given the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Awards for Excellence, an award recognizing noteworthy Chinese-Filipinos who have contributed to the country's economic growth, social progress, and political stability.
         Palanca, who is being recognized for her contribution in the field of education, will attend the awarding ceremony on June 19, 2010 at the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center in Intramuros.
         In Ateneo, she is professor at the Department of Economics. She also served as the director of the Chinese Studies Program in the past. Her body of research focuses on contemporary China, particularly its economic development and regional impact, as well as on the ethnic Chinese business in Southeast Asia. 
         Palanca has published a number of research works on China and the Philippines, some of which are “Structure of the Philippine Economy: A comparative study of the 1961 and 1965 input-output tables,” “China's economic growth : Implications to the ASEAN and the Philippines : An integrative report,” “Inheritance, wealth, income, education and occupation : Transfer of status across family generations,” “China's WTO entry : Effects on its economy and implications for the Philippines.” 
         She is also a part of the ChinaWorld Reseach Network, a global network of cross-disciplinary researchers in the social sciences. The group monitors current research initiatives and developments on Chinese business practices among Chinese entrepreneurs, as well as notions of Chinese-ness and how it is spelled out in different societal contexts throughout the world.
         The Dr. Jose P. Rizal Awards for Excellence, now on its seventh year, is given by The Manila Times.