TWELVE outstanding elderlies will receive the Gintong Tala Luminary Award for exemplary leadership and extraordinary services in the city’s community development efforts in a program as part of the Silahis ng Pasko activities set December 29, 9 a.m. at the Baguio Sunshine Park.

Rev. Fr. Domingo Ledesma, parish priest of the Loakan Proper barangay parish will lead the awardees, also composed of husband-and-wife medical practitioners Drs. Edison and Purita Noble.

Rev. Fr. Ledesma who was the former spiritual adviser of the Shrine of the Brown Madonna along Km. 7 Asin Road in Tuba, Benguet and of the National Correspondents Club of Baguio from 2003 to 2016 will receive the award for spiritual and religious service while the doctor couple will get the plum in the field of medicine.

The other awardees are former Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan and retired City Environment and Parks Management Officer Cordelia Lacsamana for government service; Dean James Malaya, founder-president of the Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) in La Trinidad, Benguet education; retired city tourism operations officer Benedicto Alhambra, tourism and special events; national artist Ben Cabrera of the BenCab Museum, arts and culture; Rebecca Domogan of the Soroptimist International civic-social and fraternal community development; Ompong Tan of Colorworld Graphics Processing, business and trade; Kathleen Okubo, editor of the Northern Dispatch journalism; and Hector Begeo, a former member of Team Philippines Track and Field squad, sports.

Begeo is an original member of the Gintong Alay rank and file and was with the Philippine delegation to Barcelona, Spain, North Korea and Los Angeles during the Olympics. He hails from Besao, Mt. Province but is presently residing in Baguio.

NCCB president former city councilor Narciso Padilla said this will be the first time in the history of the 14-year-old awards project that a couple will simultaneously be given a distinction.

Padilla said the awardees will be recognized for their individual “exemplary leadership, performance and achievement in their respective profession, vocation or career and for their outstanding participation in civic-social or environmental development activities for a better Baguio either as a club member-officer or as an individual volunteer.” (PR)