The award was given during the 77th PVMA Annual Convention and Scientific Conference held last February 18 at the Villa Caceres Hotel in Naga City.
Dr. Mingala was recognized for his “significant contribution to government service as the head of Animal Health Unit and national research and development coordinator of the Philippine Carabao Center”.
His active participation and membership to numerous professional, government and scientific organizations were likewise recognized.
Dr. Mingala earned his Doctor of Veterinary Science and Medicine (DVSM) and Master of Veterinary Studies (MVSt) degrees at the Central Luzon State University under the CSC MS-Local Scholarship Program. He completed his PhD degree, major in infectious diseases at the Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine in Hokkaido University, Japan, under the Monbukagakusho (Japanese Government) Scholarship Grant.
He specialized in the field of large ruminant immunology, epidemiology and virology and his main research areas are on bubaline cytokine expressions and immune responses, including viral diseases and hemoprotozoon of large ruminants.
Dr. Mingala authored and co-authored scientific papers which were published in diverse international scientific journals. Among these papers were about Cytokine, Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Research in Veterinary Science, Basic Microbiology, Tropical Animal Health and Production, Acta Tropica and the Infection and Genetics and Evolution.
He is also an active member of the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association, the Philippine Society of Animal Science, the Philippine College of Ruminant Practitioners, the Nueva Ecija Veterinary Medical Association and the Society for the Advancement of Veterinary Education and Research.
Dr. Mingala was adjudged as an awardee based on the following criteria: contribution to the government (75%), length of service (5%), position (5%), trainings/post graduate (5%), and membership to NGO’s contribution (10%) together with supporting documents and endorsements from fellow veterinarians.