BACOLOR -- Pampanga’s most outstanding men and women were named during the culmination of the 443rd Pampanga Day celebrations in grand rites here.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Rafael Yabut led this year’s most outstanding Kapampangan awardees - being the best among the Kapampangans in the field of government service for 2014.
Yabut, an engineer by profession, started as a daily wage laborer of the DPWH in 1975 until he obtained his current position. He is a rank one career service officer, currently the undersecretary for the Unified Project Management Office Operation for both Foreign Assisted and Locally Funded Projects of the DPWH.
Yabut has never tainted his career with corruption and anomalies in the government particularly in the DPWH. Instead, he became an inspiration to many Kapampangans with his determination, competence, integrity and hard work in the field of government service.
A native of Candaba, Pampanga, Yabut was a recipient of various commendations and awards both from government and private sectors.
This year’s MOKA awardee in the field of Sports is Annyka Channel Pineda-Cayabyab. The youngest awardee and achiever comes from a family of sports enthusiasts. Her father, Archen Cayabyab, was an established Philippine Basketball League player. Her mother Mayor Mylin Cayabyab who plays golf as her leisure is actually the first who introduced her to the game.
Annyka’s most recent victory was being champion in the Girls’ 9-10 Year Age category division of the Future Champions of Golf International Junior Golf Championships at Riverwalk, Golf Club in San Diego, California. She is now continuously dreaming and working of becoming a world champion someday.
Johnny Uy, fondly called “Papa Johnny” by locals, is a person with a good heart, a loving father and husband to his wife, a leader in the community, and a true Rotarian, is also one of the awardees as Honorary Kapampangan.
Even if he is of Chinese origin, Papa Johnny’s heart belongs to the Kapampangans and considered a true blooded Kapampangan with all his contributions to help other people to overcome hardships in life.
The other awardees include Dr. Nicolas Capulong (education); Alexander Maynardo Castro (Arts); Rosario “Sau” Del Rosario (Culture); Maria Concepcion Arcega (Agriculture); H.E. Leonida Vera (Religion); Sylvia Ordonez (Social Service); Dr. Edgardo D. Gomez (Science and Techonology); Marlong Aguilar (Youth Service); and Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta (Judicial Service).
Recognized with special citations from the provincial government were Most Reverend Archbishop Emeritus Paciano B. Aniceto D.D., Lt. General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr, Sergeant Sherly P. Toribio, PO3 Comet Dimla Dumangeng and Commander Simeona Punsalan Tapang, a.k.a. “Kumander Guererro” of the Hukbalahap Movement.
Lawyer Cesar Villanueva, a past awardee and the guest speaker during Thursday’s ceremonies, said that the unity, cooperation, compassion of the Kapampangans and the burning desire to contribute to humanity are the engines and driving factors for them to work in an outstanding manner.
Governor Lilia Pineda said the annual search for most outstanding Kapampangan of the provincial government is a manifestation of its serious efforts to instill the values of high performances and excellence that must prevail in our society – standards that are essential to nation-building and development. (Joel P. Mapiles/Pampanga PIO)