TWELVE outstanding senior citizens received the “Gintong Tala” Award for exemplary leadership in a program as part of the Silahis ng Pasko activities held December 29 at the Baguio Sunshine Park.
National Correspondents Club of Baguio president and former city councilor Narciso Padilla, who has been spearheading the 14-year old awards program, said the elderly honorees include Rev. Fr. Domingo Ledesma, parish priest of the Loakan Proper barangay parish and former spiritual adviser of the Shrine of the Brown Madonna along Km. 7 Asin Road in Tuba, Benguet.
Other awardees were husband-and-wife medical practitioners Drs. Edison and Purita Noble, for medical services; 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 for 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 for journalism; and Hector Begeo, a former member of Team Philippines Track and Field squad, sports.
Padilla said the awardees were 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)