Silahis ng pasko awards 12 outstanding elderlies

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY - Twelve outstanding elderlies received the Gintong Tala Luminary Award for exemplary leadership and extraordinary services in the city’s community development efforts in a program here Dec. 30 as part of Silahis ng Pasko activities at Baguio Sunshine Park.

Rev. Fr.  Domingo “German” Ledesma, parish priest of the Loakan Proper barangay paris led awardees who included husband-and-wife medical practitioners Drs. Edison and Purita Noble.

Rev. Fr. Ledesma who was the former spiritual adviser of the Shrine of the Brown Madonna along km 7 Asin Road in Tuba, Benguet and of the National Correspondents Club of Baguio from 2003 to 2016 received the award for spiritual and religious service while the doctor couple got the plum in the field of medicine.

Other awardees were former Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan and retired City Environment and Parks Management Officer Cordelia Lacsamana for government service; Dean James Malaya, founder-president of the Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) in La Trinidad, Benguet  education; retired city tourism operations officer Benedicto Alhambra, tourism and special events; national artist Ben Cabrera of the BenCab Museum , arts and culture; Rebecca Domogan of the Soroptimist International civic-social and fraternal community development; Ompong Tan of Colorworld Graphics Processing, business and trade; Kathleen Okubo, editor of the Northern Dispatch journalism; and Hector Begeo, a former member of Team Philippines Track and Field squad, sports.

Begeo is an original member of the Gintong Alay rank and file was in Team Philippines delegation to Barcelona, Spain, North Korea and Los Angeles. 

He hails from Besao, Mt. Province but is presently residing in Baguio.

NCCB president former city councilor Narciso Padilla said this was the first time in the history of the 14-year old awards project that a couple were simultaneously given the award.

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

Award presenters were Mayor Mauricio Domogan. Rep. Mark Go, Vice Mayor Edison Bilog, Councilors Benny Bomogao and Faustino Olowan, City Administrator Carlos Canilao and Filipino-Japanese Foundation of Northern Luzon under director Arnel Cabanisa.