Monday, August 13, 2007

‘Garbo sa Sugbo’ awards and more…

Cebu, Philippines (10 August)—Seven personalities and institutions from the academe, arts and the environment were this year’s recipients of the ‘Garbo sa Sugbo’ (Pride of Cebu) awards that were given as part of the province’s 438th founding anniversary celebrations over the weekend during the Governor’s Night.l

This annual award is given to Cebuanos who brought pride to Cebu locally and internationally as well.

Nicolas Pacana, one of the awardees is acclaimed as one of the world’s finest classical dancers who is presently the only Filipino who has served as co-artistic director of the Atlanta Festival Ballet and the Festival Ballet School in Stockbridge, Georgia, USA in 1984.

Environmental conservationist Antonio Oposa, Jr. was recognized for his pioneering practice of environmental law in the country. He is the team leader of the Visayan Sea Squadron and heads the Law Nature Foundation. For his efforts, he was mentioned in the UN Environmental Programme Global 500 Roll of Honor.

Businessman Steve Benitez was given the award for bringing the Cebuano ingenuity and entrepreneurial energy into the realm of the coffee drinking business. Benitez owns the string of Bo’s Coffee franchise in the country. He started the coffee business 11 years ago at the Ayala Center in Cebu, and has now expanded to 33 coffee shops nationwide.

The provincial artistic director, Junjet Primor who directed the 3-hour Governor’s night program was also recognized for his contribution in the promotion of the culture and heritage of Cebu.

The University of the Philippines-Cebu Campus High School department (UP High School) was awarded for winning in the International Schools Cyberfair Competition held in San Diego, California, USA. The winning design “Calles de Cebu: Gateway to a Nation’s History” won second place and got the gold award in the historical landmarks category last year.

Ambassador Marciano Paynor, Jr. and a Non-Government Organization (NGO) received citations from the province. Amb. Paynor was recognized for his achievements and his belief in the strong and indomitable spirit of the Cebuano people and for the resounding success of the 12th ASEAN and 2nd East Asia Summits in Cebu.

The Cebu-Citizens Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-CIMPEL) was also give a citation for the courage of its volunteers I ensuring the inviolability of the ballots, and in upholding the integrity of the electoral process.

The municipalities of Liloan and Badian were given plaques of appreciation while Barangays San Roque in Liloan and Cabadiangan in Compostela received plaques of recognition not just for planting large number of jackfruit trees but also protecting and maintaining them.

Special numbers given by the capitol employees through their presentations of various Cebuano folk dances; the ‘dancing inmates’; agri-trade fair and special bonuses to employees marked the province’s founding anniversary celebration on August 6 this year.

Governor Gwen Garcia highly commended the presentations and said that those Cebuano folk dances showed elegance and grace, simplicity and modesty, values that have made the Cebuanos a great people.

“You also saw the discipline and the industry. Those are the values that all of us will emulate and show to the rest of Cebu, the rest of the country that we will be sterling examples of a great Cebuano people,” the governor added.

“For bringing Cebu to the eyes of the world,” Governor Garcia rewarded the provincial prisoners known as the ‘dancing inmates’ of the CPDRC with a special bonus of P1000 each that will be deposited to their respective savings accounts at the CFI Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

“Good work will be rewarded,” Garcia said as she announced that employees of the top five performing departments will also received additional cash bonuses.

All employees of the Provincial Health Office, Social Welfare Office shall receive P5000 and P4000 each respectively while the Provincial Engineering Office’s personnel will get P3000 each and P2000 for the Provincial Administration Office personnel and each member of the Provincial Treasurer’s Office gets a P1000 bonus.

All in a week’s festivities, the province of Cebu has once again showed its capability of organization, governance and merrymaking too! (PIA-Cebu/MBCN)

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