AN ALUMNA of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines made history for being the first Filipino to receive the prestigious Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday Medal for helping create guidelines on how laws should be written for young people.

Monaliza Mamac, a Broadcast Communication graduate, was honored for her excellence in academics and for her contributions to projects that have a direct impact on people and communities.

After finishing her undergraduate program as Cum Laude from the university’s College of Communication, Mamac went to Australia to complete her master’s degree in Cross-Cultural and Applied Linguistics at the University of Sydney through the Australia Awards Scholarships.

The Halliday award was named after the founding professor of the Department of Linguistics of the University of Sydney — Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday — one of the most renowned linguists in the world, credited for creating the field of Systemic Functional Linguistics.

Mamac incorporated Applicable Linguistics, a view of linguistics developed by MAK Halliday, and Systemic Functional Linguistics theory, a model of language also developed by Halliday, in her graduate thesis titled, “Re-instantiating legal statute into public legal information texts for young persons: Are the texts accessible enough?”

Mamac said that her award was a product of small changes that she started within herself and her family.

“Makakatulong ito sa inyo now that you are in the times of uncertainty at walang nakakaalam kung kailan nga ba matatapos ang pandemyang ito. Buksan natin ang ating mga mata sa mga nangyayari sa paligid. Palagi tayong magpakita ng kabaitan sa sarili, sa pamilya, kaibigan, at komunidad. Kapag ginawa ninyo ‘yan, diyan mag-uumpisa ang pagbabago,” she said.