He was cited for his exemplary performance as village leader and as an advocate of eco-cultural programs.
He is the executive chairman of the Mt. Ugo Summer Climb and project coordinator of the School of Living Traditions on Ibaloi Performing Arts, which the provincial awards committee said has brought the province into the limelight.
Pacio initiated programs and events, which bridged the cultural gaps among the people of Benguet.
He helped organize the annual Mt. Ugo Summer Climb, which was the choice of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines for nature and Sports in 2006 and the best tourism event in the Philippines for 2007 and 2008.
The performing arts of group of children funded by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, which Pacio also helped organize, continues to put the province on the map. The group won in the best cultural presentation during the 2008 Timpuyog Festival in Isabela.
Atok Mayor Concepcion Balao, meanwhile, was conferred the Achievement Award for her being the epitome of an empowered woman, as reflected in the kind of governance she displays.
Balao was awarded a Gantimpala Agad Award for her consistency in delivering quality service to her constituents in Atok. Her programs focus on the upliftment of women and children in the society.
Also obtaining an award is Dra. Violeta Salda for her achievements in the field of agriculture. Her projects focus on the provision of better income for farmers.
She garnered various national awards including the Gawad Pag-asa Award by the Civil Service Commission and the Regional Gawad Lingkod Bayan Award.
She also spearheaded the establishment of the Benguet Vegetable Processing Center, which now produces the famed vegetable noodles.
Another Achievement awardee is George Segundo Jr. for winning two gold medals in Karatedo for the Ozawa Cup held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game is one of the prestigious traditional and largest karate games played in several countries.
He also garnered several medals from karatedo games played locally and abroad.
Student Mary Lorraine Fernandez also garnered the same award for her exemplary performance in the 2007 National Career Assessment Examination given to graduating students.
Fernandez is the first Benguet student to become a member of the Department of Education's Elite 99+ Club for garnering a 99+ percentile rank in the general scholastic aptitude and in the technical-vocational aptitude test.
The Philippine Institutional University Cooperation Program (PIUC) or the Vlaamse Inter Universetaire Raad got the Benguet Everlasting Award.
The institution, which is a network of the Benguet State University, the Saint Loius University and the Flemish Universities of Belgium, has helped on the provision of livelihood programs for the people in Benguet.
PIUC also maintains agricultural research and extension on agricultural technologies and issues for farmers in Benguet and in the region. Updates are continuously aired over local radios.
The Benguet Provincial Government issued certificates of recognition to all other nominees in the provincial awards. (JC)
