Aquino confers posthumous outstanding official award on Robredo

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III conferred Wednesday the 2012 Outstanding Public Officials and Employees award to 28 individuals and groups, including the late Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, in a ceremony in Malacanang.

Robredo was posthumously conferred the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award by Aquino for his exemplary service as mayor of Naga City and head of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Robredo's eldest daughter, Aika, accepted the award on behalf of her father.

In his keynote speech, the President said the outstanding government workers this year embody the new face of government who commit and dedicate their work to the fulfillment of service and the upliftment of fellow countrymen's lives.

He lauded the awardees for putting priority on the people's interest rather on their own advancement.

He also thanked them for their dedication to serving the people, as he hoped that they continue with their advocacy of achieving government excellence.

The 2012 Outstanding Public Officials and Employees award is composed of three types: the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award, which is conferred on an individual or group for exceptional contributions resulting from an idea or performance that has nationwide impact on public interest; the Dangal ng Bayan Award, which is given to an individual for performing an extraordinary act or public service; and the Pagasa Award for any individual or group’s outstanding contribution that directly benefits more than one government department.

Another notable awardee of the Lingkod Bayan Award was Actress and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos.

The government recognized Santos’s effort in addressing fish kill in Taal Lake, development of roads in Batangas and modernizing district hospitals.

Also awarded was the rumored successor of former DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno, Police Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac Jr., as he was named as "Father of the Modern PNP Crime Laboratory" for modernizing crime laboratory operations and upgrading skills and competence of its forensic experts.

Other Lingkod Bayan Awardees were Major Harold Cabunoc (Public Affairs chief, Philippine Army); Jose Enrique Garcia III (Balaga City mayor, Bataan); Aminoding Macarampat (chief revenue officer, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Marawi City, Lanao del Sur); Jaime Montoya (executive director III, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development); Oscar Rodriguez (Mayor, San Fernando City, Pampanga); Brigadier General Romeo Tanalgo (chief, Armed Forces of the Philippines Command Center); Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Libya Team Department of Labor and Employment); and Philpass Remit System (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas).

The Dangal ng Bayan Awardees were: Jocelyn Cariño (Alternative Learning System Mobile Teacher, Department of Education, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan); Melania Dirain (Ecosystems Management Specialist II, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region II, posthumous); Crisostomo Ibarra (Administrative Aide I, Antipolo Social Welfare and Development Office); Editha Magallanes (president, Capiz State University); Haydee Pasuelo (State Auditor IV, Commission on Audit Regional Office 6); and Welthy Villanueva (Medical Officer III, Roxas Medicare Hospital, Palawan).

This year’s Pagasa Awardees were: Maribel Blanco (chief administrative officer, DSWD Field Office III); Claire Caberoy (Pharmacist I, Capiz Provincial Health Office); Cesar Colina Sr. (Mayor, Maragusan, Compostela Valley); Marilou Dungog (Public Relations Officer II, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority); Catalino Leyva (Barangay chairman, Antipolo City); Josephine Salazar (Division manager, National Irrigation Administration, Cabanatuan City); Dominador Sayre (Information Officer IV, San Fernando City, Pampanga); Balanga City Agriculture Office; Office of the Antipolo City Assessor; Orani Water District Operation and Management Excellence Team; and the Capiz Provincial Health Office. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)