DEPUTY Speaker Gwen Garcia was awarded as one of the outstanding lawmakers yesterday.
The Outstanding Congressman Award was given by SuperBrand Marketing International (SMI), an international arbiter of brands and branding.
The firm’s chairperson Karl Stuart McLean said they gave Garcia an award because “she toes the line on her own accord.”
After receiving the award, Garcia, in her speech, thanked McLean and Harry Tambuatco, president and chief executive officer of Superbrand, for the recognition given to her.
“I wish to thank you. You know, there is an Indian proverb that says ‘one cannot spill perfume on others without spilling some on yourself’ and this is exactly what you are doing,” she said.
Garcia said public service has been a thankless job.
“My colleagues and I realized that when we first started serving the public. You can’t seem to do everything right and when you do something right, nobody knows about it. And if you slip, the entire world talks about it,” she said.
Garcia said she wants to share her award with the almost five million Cebuanos whom she has served for more than nine years as a governor and more than four years now as representative of Cebu’s third district.
“I feel especially privileged to be among the 2016 oustanding congressmen and women. It is an honor to be counted among them for they have distinguished themselves with outstanding service and performance in each of their constituencies,” she said.
The awarding was held yesterday at the City Club, Alpha Land Building, Ayala Ave. in Makati City.