A student from Silliman University has been awarded as one of three most Outstanding International Students in the Philippines. The event was held in the University Hotel of the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City on 5 December.

Joseph Msafiri Mbilu, 23, a native of Tanzania and a 5th-year engineering student at Silliman University, said that the process of being considered for the awards was quite challenging. They took various tests that especially focused on the Philippine history and culture.

"The process involved categorizing schools, and the rule specified the need of having previous winners in certain schools, a criterion that Silliman University fulfilled. The primary qualification was having an international student, and the school had to select a representative. They chose me, and I was surprised they did. I saw it as an opportunity and was determined not to disappoint the university. I gave my best effort, and with God's blessings, we made it,"

"We had an interview, a talent portion, an extemporaneous speech, and a written exam. The exam covered Philippine history and culture, with questions specifically focused on these topics. I prepared for the exam, studying subjects such as Rizal and the Philippine independence, anticipating they would be asked during the test," Mbilu said.

Mbilu is joined by Health Science student from Nigeria, Flourish Oluwasifayo Awe of De La Salle University Medical and Health Science Institute; and Education student from Russia, Vladimir Zudinov of Saint Louis University. They were chosen based on their community involvement, talent, academic performance, speech, and knowledge of their host country as demonstrated in their written examination and panel interview.

When asked how it feels to ace the award, he said he felt pure happiness when he received the award.

"It is an amazing feeling, truly satisfying. At first, I was just trying to do my best. However, the outcome resulted in pure happiness, and the magnitude of it is overwhelming. Initially, I was simply getting involved, not expecting this level of success," he added.

Mbilu started studying at Silliman University in 2018 when his father migrated to the Philippines to teach at the Divinity School of the university.