Santa Ana LGU honors outstanding Pimpeños
The Sta. Ana Local Government Unit gave recognition to 15 individuals and one honorary institution for excellence in their respective fields during the 2026 Most Outstanding Pimpeños Award (MOPA), held on Saturday, January 18, 2026.
Now on its second year, the MOPA was initiated by Mayor Ferdinand “Dinan” Labung in partnership with the Sangguniang Bayan to celebrate the valuable contributions of Pimpeños to society.
The term Pimpeños refers to the residents of Sta. Ana town. The word was derived from the town’s ancient name, “Pinpin” or “Pimpin.”
The MOPA 2026 awardees include Priest Regnel “Among Ching” C. Fuertez for the Values and Religion and Community and Humanitarian Services fields; Priest Aristotle “Among Aris” Maniago for the Values and Religion and Agriculture and Farming fields; Dr. Leilani S. Cunanan for the Education and Academics field; Chef Howard Dizon for the Culture, Arts and Heritage, particularly the Culinary Arts field, Purisima ‘Lola Puring’ A. Mallari, for the Business and Entrepreneurship field, and Marvin S. Pangan for the Radio and Mass Media field.
The other awardees are Dr. Mairre James Gaddi for the Science and Medicine field; Elenita R. Ordonio for the Government and Public Services field; Lt. Col. Christopher Francis P. Siriban for the Law Enforcement field; Atty. Ferdinand G. Suba for the Judicial Services field; Club Sta. Ana of Southern California for being an Outstanding Model Organization; Sanford M. Vinuya for the Sports and Athletics field; Helen Gamboa Sotto for the Culture, Arts and Heritage in the Entertainment and Cinema; Michael Mark Soriano for the Promising Youth category; and Center for Kapampangan Studies as an Honorary Pimpeño.
Labung said the MOPA aims to "recognize and return the honor" brought by the awardees to the municipality and fellow Pimpeños.
He said the awardees were nominated by their respective barangay captains and underwent a screening process before being selected.
“Ang mga awardees na napili ay mula sa iba’t-ibang sektor and they all excel in their respective fields of expertise. ‘Yan ang tatak Pimpeño: mahusay at may impact sa mundo. Ipinagmamalaki po natin ang mga kababayan nating awardees dahil sa kanilang husay at galing. Kami po ay proud sa inyo,” said Labung.
Renowned Kapampangan chef Howard Dizon, who traces his roots in Barangay San Pedro, expressed gratitude to the local government for the recognition.
Although born in Angeles City, Dizon said his father’s hometown played a huge role in their family’s lives.
The town also served as the family's refuge during the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
“Binibiro ko nga po na sa bayan kung saan ako ipinanganak, hindi pa ako narerecognize pero sa bayan ng tatay ko ay narecognize na ako. Kaya parang tribute po talaga ito sa kanya at sa pagpapalaki niya sa amin,” Dizon said.
The MOPA 2026 was co-organized by the Municipal Tourism Officer and Casa Apu, a non-government organization promoting the culture and heritage of Sta. Ana.