Monday, April 14, 2008 City lauds top students as community models
THE Cebu City Government yesterday afternoon honored 200 students who excelled in school during the annual Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Academic Excellence Awards.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña was all praise, calling them “an inspiration for all of us, great models of the community.”
“I don’t (even) have to give them a message. They are the ones who are giving me a message. They are models of excellence,” the mayor told reporters.
He joined Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north), City Councilors Arsenio Pacaña, Gerardo Carillo, and education officials, among others, in recognizing the academic achievements of high school valedictorians and elementary first honors from both public and private schools in the city.
And though he was not in the honor rolls of his school, the Cebu City National Science High School, one student was among those whom the city recognized.
Family pride
William Robert Yasi, 16, brought pride to his family and the Cebuanos as a new member of the Department of Education’s elite Club 99+, whose members scored at least 99 percent in the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE).
The NCAE measures the students’ general scholastic abilities; and in other areas like occupational interest, and technical-vocation and entrepreneurial skills.
Yasi, a Barangay Lahug resident, plans to pursue a Physics degree at Silliman University and become a doctor and a teacher.
Confidence vote
And like the other awardees, he has del Mar’s vote of confidence.
“We expect the elementary and secondary honorees to excel in their chosen college courses. It is just a matter of time. Their achievement opened many opportunities for them. Many of them will be having offers,” said del Mar.
Zubiri, who celebrated his 39th birthday yesterday, was the keynote speaker of the event.
“To a great degree, you are not only foremost in scholastic achievement, you are also the pool from which society will choose its future leaders,” he said.
Axel Bordario, a Marantha Christian Academy Inc. of Cebu first honors recipient, reminded the students that every award they receive comes with a corresponding responsibility.
“We need to be a role model to other students both in academics and in character. Excellence should be seen not only in school but also at home and in the community.
Let us not stop aspiring to do our best in everything, for this will lead us to our success,” he said.
The 20th awarding rites carried the theme: “The Filipino graduates: celebrating achievements, pursuing opportunities.” (NRC)
