SUNDAY at 2 o'clock in the afternoon at the Burgos Gym of Saint Louis University, 70 pioneer families of Baguio headed by their family patriarchs will be presented the Baguio Builders Award by the City of Baguio and the Baguio Centennial Commission in recognition and grateful appreciation of their positive contribution to the growth and development of Baguio in connection with the city's observance of its 100th charter day.

The awards will be presented by the Acting Mayor Daniel Farinas in behalf of the city and Dr. Virgilio C. Bautista, chair of the Baguio Centennial Commission.

Sun.Star accepts donations for victims of Typhoon Ondoy

The awards being recognized and honored due to their positive contribution to the growth and development of Baguio in the span of the past 100 years.

The awardees will each receive the specially designed Baguio builders trophy. The awarding ceremonies brings together Baguioates who, in one way or another, helped in the promotion and development of Baguio from its early Kafagway days into what it has become after a century as a highly urbanized city.

During the next two Sundays of the month, similar awards will also be given to two sets of 100 institutional and individual awardees but in different venues. Institutional builders awardees will be presented with their awards also at 2 o'clock in the afternoon at the University of Baguio gym. The individual awardees will liikewise be given their awards again, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon at the University of the Cordilleras Theater.

The awards presentation brings to a climax the centennial celebration of the city which culminated on September 1, 2009. Baguio's centennial year ends on December 31, 2009.

As a fitting tribute to the awardees, their names will be inscribed in a granite wall of remembrance and recognition which will be set up in an appropriate area within the newly designated Centennial Park (formerly Baguio Botanical Garden) along Leonard Wood Road.

As recognized by the Baguio Centennial Commission, the list of builder-honorees is not complete. Other deserving people may have been overlooked. The Commission says succeeding City Administration, on their own, may add other awardees in the years ahead to be extended similar honors.

Meanwhile, last Saturday Nov. 7, also as part of Baguio centenary, a beautifully crafted coffee table book full of remembrance of Baguio in pictures and narrative commentary was launched at 4 o'clock in the afternoon in rites at the front city hall grounds, The 240-page book has been officially published by the centennial commission. Commissioned to work on the book is writer-editor Bona Elisa Resurrecccion with award winning phot journalist Noli Gabila handling the photography.

Copies of the book were made available for public sale after the launching ceremonies preceded by a press conference. Purchases of the book are also available at the office of the Commission at the Baguio Convention Center and at the Commission's souvenir shop at the lobby of the Convention Center.
One other memorable event marking the Baguio's centennial year was the celebration on

October 15 of the first ever Fil-Japanese Friendship Day in Baguio. With the exception of Manila which marks the event every year, Baguio has not marked the day since the issuance of a proclamation to that effect by President Gloria Arroyo on June 7, 2005 designating July 23 as the annual observance of the event.

Through the initiative of former Baguio councilor Narciso "Nars" Padilla, president of the local Baguio Elderly Association (BEA) and the National Correspondents Club of Baguio (NCCB), Fil-Japanese Friendship Day was a day-long activity in the city. Other organizations who actively took part in the event in partnership with the City Government and the Baguio Centennial Commission are the Filipino-Japanese Foundation of Northern Luzon, Inc., and the City Social Welfare Office under Ms. Betty Fangasan.

The local observance included homages at the Dr. Jose Rizal monument at Burnham Park and the Fil-Japanese Memorial Garden near Home Sweet Home. A convocation was also held at the auditorium of the Baguio National City High School (BCNHS) featured by the coronation of Miss Peace, Leila Summer Padilla; Nieves Bangkoto. Miss Solidarity; and Reiko Tanaka, Miss Friendship.

This writer in behalf of the Baguio Centennial Commission was the convocation guest speaker.

Later, members of the talented and artistic Cultural troupe of BCNHS performed various ethnic dances and other cultural presentations.

After more than 50 years since the termination of World War II in the Pacific area, the observance of Fil-Japanese Friendship Day should serve as a bridge to weld both sides of the Pacific conflict, particularly in Baguio and the Cordilleras in a fitting atmosphere of peace, solidarity and friendship.

In fact, the past halfcentury has shown the development of Fil-Japanese partnership in various diplomatic, social, cultural, educational and industrial/business undertakings.

It's time the animosities, bitterness and hurt feelings spawned by the last World War set aside in the name of peace and world brotherhood as well as development. In a sense, both Filipinos and Japanese have to move on and in so moving on, set the pace and the tone for sustained peace and friendship.

This first marking of Fil-Japanese Friendship Day in Baguio can presage other similar celebrations in the future on every July 23 as envisioned by Presidential Proclamation no. 854 issued on June 7, 2005.