The Philippine Normal University, the National Center for Teacher Education, conferred the prestigious title of Professor Emeritae on two of its most accomplished faculty members, Dr. Wilma S. Reyes and Dr. Erminda C. Fortes, in a solemn ceremony held on September 2, 2025, at the PNU Gymnasium in Manila.

The Emeritus Award is one of the highest distinctions the University can bestow upon its retired faculty. Reserved for those who have reached at least the rank of Professor IV, rendered a minimum of 25 years of exemplary service—15 of which must have been dedicated to PNU—and demonstrated outstanding scholarship, leadership, and service, the title is conferred by the PNU Board of Regents upon the recommendation of the University President.

Dr. Reyes was recognized as Professor Emerita in Curriculum and Instruction, Values Education, and Educational Research, honoring her more than three and a half decades of exceptional service to teacher education. She previously served as PNU’s Vice President for Research, Planning, and Quality Assurance, and played a pivotal role in strengthening the University’s global standing through her leadership as President of the Philippine Higher Education Research Consortium (PHERC) and as Executive Director of the Association of Southeast Asian Teacher Education Networks (AsTEN). A prolific scholar, she has published extensively in international journals indexed in ISI and Scopus, authored values education textbooks, and mentored countless teachers nationwide. Her dedication has been recognized through the PNU Loyalty Award for 35 years of service, the Outstanding PNU Alumna distinction, and the Outstanding Australian Alumna Award.

Dr. Fortes, meanwhile, was conferred the title of Professor Emerita in Mathematics Education in recognition of her 27 years of devoted service to PNU. Renowned for inspiring generations of students with both rigor and appreciation for mathematical logic, she has authored textbooks and scholarly works that enriched Mathematics education across the country. As the University’s Lead Internal Quality Auditor and ISO Coordinator, she spearheaded the initiatives that led to PNU’s ISO 9001:2015 certification and the Philippine Quality Award for Proficiency in Quality Management in 2024. She also introduced institutional innovations such as the four-day work week and trimester schemes and elevated graduate mathematics education programs to the highest levels of AACCUP accreditation. Beyond PNU, she contributed as a Philippine Quality Award Assessor, DepEd curriculum validator, and consultant for national examinations.

Both honorees earned an exceptional 14 out of 15 points in the rigorous evaluation conducted by the Emeritus Awards Committee, which assessed candidates based on outstanding achievement in their field, national and international recognition, membership in learned societies, reputation within the PNU community, and contributions in other areas of interest.

Since the award’s inception in 1963, only 15 retirees had previously been honored with the title of Professor Emeritus or Emerita. For over three decades, however, no such recognition was granted until PNU revived and updated the guidelines in 2024. With this year’s conferment, the total number of PNU Professor Emeriti rises to 17, making Dr. Reyes and Dr. Fortes the first awardees in more than 30 years.

The ceremony was made even more meaningful as it coincided with the celebration of PNU’s 124th Foundation Anniversary and the start of the countdown to its 125th year of service to Philippine education in 2026. In her message, Vice President for Academics Dr. Marilyn U. Balagtas emphasized that the conferment represents “the highest honor we can bestow upon our honorees for their lifetime of profound dedication to transformative teaching, groundbreaking research, selfless mentorship, and administrative leadership.”

Through this recognition, PNU not only honors the enduring legacies of Drs. Reyes and Fortes but also reaffirms its mission as the nation’s premier institution for teacher education—continuing to celebrate educators whose lives and work embody truth, excellence, and service to the Filipino people.