Baguio City to honor outstanding elderlies

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city government will fete 12 outstanding senior citizens in ceremonies led by the office of the city social welfare and development office in partnership with the senior citizens organizations on Oct. 25, 1p.m. at the Baguio Convention Center.

To receive the prestigious Gintong Tala Luminary Award for exemplary leadership and extraordinary services in the city’s community development efforts are Jamal Makarangkat for spiritual and religious service; Coun. Elaine Sembrano for government service-legislative department; retired city general services officer Romeo Concio for government service-executive department; Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Mia Joy Oallares-Cawed for government service-judiciary; Opthalmologist Ronaldo Paraan for health and medicine; University of the Cordilleras officer-in-charge president Ray Dean Salvosa, education;

Baguio Museum OIC-executive director Stela De Guia for tourism and culture; businesswoman Nancy Alabanza for business and trade; Retired Philippine National Police Gen. Villamor Bumanglag for military service; OCSWADO officer Betty Fangasan for fraternal social and civic service; retired Radyo ng Bayan station manager Roger Mercado, journalism; and former city councilor Rufino Panagan, sports.

Awards committee chair former city councilor Nars Padilla said the awardees were recognized and cited for their individual “exemplary leadership, performance and achievement in their respective profession, vocation or career and for their outstanding participation in civic-social or environmental development activities for a better Baguio either as a club member-officer or as an individual volunteer.”

Rep. Marquez Go, Mayor Mauricio Domogan and Councilor Lilia Farinas will present the award.

During the program, the city will also present the Lakan and Lakambini elderlies with the ceremonial walk, presentation of medallions, flower crowns, trophies and bouquet with the corresponding “harana” and dance of the royal court.

A cultural show, awarding of winners in the poem-writing contest and community dancing will cap the celebration.  

              The program is jointly sponsored by the city government and the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in partnership with the Baguio Elderly Association, the Federation of Baguio Senior Citizen Associations (FBASECA), Veterans Federation of the Philippines, Blessed Association of Retired Persons Foundation Inc. (BARP), the Philippine Government Retirees Association (PGRA) and the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines-Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL).

The members of the awards committee are OSCA head Isaias Barongan, co-char; BARPF Prof. Federico Balanag; FBASECA Edita Ibarra; Philippine Information Agency Cordillera (PIA-CAR regional director Helen Tibaldo and Joseph Zambrano and the Public Information Office of the City Mayor’s Office.