ShareThisAquino cites deserving achievers
By CLAIRE MORALES TRUE
MANILA (PilipinasNews) – President Benigno S. Aquino III conferred the Presidential Awards to 13 overseas Filipino individuals, seven organizations, three foreigners and one foreign group for their continued compassion, diligence and hard work, and efforts to help promote and uplift the image of the Philippines here and abroad.
OUTSTANDING OVERSEAS FILIPINOS, GROUPS. President Benigno S. Aquino III poses with the awardees of the 2010 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas on Tuesday night at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang. This year’s recipients are seven Filipino organizations, one foreign group, three foreigners and 13 Filipinos., including San Jose (California) International Airport Commissioner and FilVets Rondalla leader George Gange They came from United States, Hong Kong, South Korea, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Australia, Germany and Canada. The Awards is a biennial awards system which was institutionalized through Executive Order 498 signed by former President Corazon C. Aquino in 1991.
The Chief Executive urged the recipients of 2010 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (PAFIOO) to “remain united and keep the light of our country’s resurgence burning brightly, enough for the entire world to witness.”
“I congratulate [tonight’s awardees], not just for your awards, but also for your spirit of bayanihan. May you continue to wield the flaming torches of excellence, dedication and nationalism,” the President said after the awarding rites of Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino, Kaanib ng Bayan, Banaag and Pamana ng Pilipino awards to this year’s recipient of PAFIOO.
One of the awardees, George Gange, is a commissioner of the San Jose (California) International Airport Commission and leader of Filvets Rondalla which is spearheading the promotion of Filipino music and culture in California and elsewhere, including the Philippines through the rondallas it organized there. Gange, an outstanding alumnus of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, is also contributor to Philippines Today and other publications in the United States.
This year’s awardees came from the United States, Hong Kong, South Korea, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Australia, Germany and Canada The President said that this year’s recipients of PAFIOO are testaments to the enduring spirit of Bayanihan because of their compassion, diligence and hard work to promote Filipinos, here and abroad.
“As we celebrate the Month of Overseas Filipinos and the International Migrants’ Day, it is my fervent hope that you continue your dedicated service and efforts toward the advancement and improvement of the lives of Filipinos,” he noted.
Speaking on behalf of the awardees, world-renowned fashion designer Ramon Felix “Rafe” Totengco said that it is essential for all Filipinos working and currently living abroad to maintain and expand “our excellent educational and vocational systems because we are preparing the future citizens of the world.”
“Live and let live is our motto. I trust that your Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III will do everything in his power to advance the excellence the Philippines has exported to the world,” Totengco said.
Aside from Totengco, the recipients of Pamana ng Pilipino Awards are Lilac L. Caña (Canada), Angelito David, Fred De Asis, Bernard Randy Gener, and Lilibeth Navarro (all based in the United States)
Among the Banaag awardees are the Computer Society of Filipinos International (COMSOFIL) based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Congress of Visayan Organizations (COVO) in USA; Federation of Filipino Communities in Israel; Dr. Emely Abagat based in South Korea; George Gange and Sindaw Kinding both based now in USA; Marilyn Kasimieh of the United Arab Emirates; Sister Lucia Olalia in South Korea and Evangeline Ybo in Jordan.
The Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL) awardees are Teresita Alarcon (USA), Ruth Martinez (Australia), North Central Virginia Association of Philippine Physicians (USA), Philippine-American Association of Connecticut (USA), and Philippine-German Community Oberberge e.V.
The Kaanib ng Bayan awardees are Caritas Lebanon Migrants Center (Lebanon), Phoebe Lam Bik Che and Sunny Lam Kai Chor (both from Hongkong), and Simha Salpeter (Israel).
The PAFIOO is a biennial awards system institutionalized through Executive Order No. 498 which was signed by the late former President Corazon C. Aquino, in recognition to the outstanding achievements and significant contributions of Filipino individuals and organizations that advances the cause of Filipino communities overseas.
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), being the Awards Secretariat, has received 110 nominations from 23 countries. The nominees underwent screening of three different committees with representatives from government agencies, media, academe, religious and business sectors.