6 Baguio elderlies to get TALA leadership award

By Pigeon Lobien

BAGUIO CITY -- Six Baguio elderlies will receive the TALA Leadership Award on Monday in one of the culminating events of the 46th Silahis ng Pasko project.

A journalist, an artist, a businessman, a former Gintong Alay member, a former educator and a man involved in civic services will be this year’s TALA awardees during a simple ceremony on Monday at the Ridgewood Hotel.

The TALA awards is held with the KISLAP or Kafagway/Kordillera International Sports Luminary Award Podium for excelling athletes from Baguio and the region.

Businessman Mike del Rosario will be the TALA awardee for business. Del Rosario belongs to a clan that runs the Sunshine Grocery, a pharmacy and the McDonalds franchise here.

Veteran journalist Eliral Refuerzo will be the awardee for journalism. Refuerzo is a former radio broadcaster who later started the Baguio Reporter wherein he was publisher and editor.

Former University of the Cordilleras vice president for administration Leonarda Aguinalde is the lone female awardee as the former college professor was named TALA awardee for Education.

Former Gintong Alay member Eduardo Laureano who went on to coach the University of Baguio athletics team before he was named athletic director of UB until his retirement two years ago is the TALA awardee for sports.  

Laureano is now the athletic director of the Cordillera Career Development College in la Trinidad, Benguet.

Former radio broadcaster Victorino Agcaoili who spent more than 20 years in the United States is this year’s awardee for civic services. Agcaoili is the president of the Rotary Club of Baguio – North, but his work with the Bishop Carlito Cenzon Foundation as its president makes him stand out as they are behind the Bishop Cenzon Cup which raised a goodly sum to fund a small church in Buguias, Benguet.  

It will be the sixth church the organization will help fund.

Artist Roland Bay-an will also receive an award as this year’s top artist of the city.  

An Impressionist, Bay-an focuses on his Ibaloy roots where he tries to capture the Ibaloys of old in his works.  

Bay-an is considered one of the city’s masters in visual arts and is this year’s awardee after last year’s Benedicto Cabrera. 

The KISLAP/TALA awards is the sixth event of the month long, seven event Silahis ng Pasko and it comes after the Lucky Christmas Baby and Lucky New year Baby.