The recently concluded star-studded ABS-CBN Gawad Geny Lopez Jr “Bayaning Pilipino award”ceremonies honoured 10 deserving overseas Filipino community organisations for their outstanding voluntary program. Hosted by a group of TV personalities led by Ariel Ureta and G. Tongi, the ceremony was held at Dolphy Theater, ABC-CBN on Thursday, 19 July 2012.  

These modern-day heroes who continue to do good for others, whose life stories and video clips of their acts of kindness and dedication to their causes were flashed on screen while they received the awards, are inspiration for all to do the same, to do their part no matter how small, by touching the lives of other people in a manner they deem best.


Quoting from ABS–CBN Chairman and CEO Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III, he emphatically expressed “They have no special powers, no access to abundant resources, no network of influential connections but just the same they are the people who have lived up to the moral to do good within the sphere of their influence, within the limits of their reach and capability….. They created immeasurable and eternal change in the lives of the people they have touched”.


Father Nilo Tanalega, SJ, Project Director of UGAT Foundation and Eugenio Lopez III worked hand-in- hand with an independent panel of judges in selecting the awardees.  He said, “We looked for people who have sacrificed themselves for the betterment of their community.  These people placed community service above themselves.”
 

A very stringent selection procedure included: filling out a nomination form by the nominator and addressing the six selection criteria as follows:
 
 1.) Measurable impact: scope and number of beneficiaries with known effective results.
 2.) Highlight the value of unity/PAGKAKAISA (effective elimination of selosan, inggitan, siraan,   etc or has effectively dealt with these either through interventions or through innovative methods)
 3.) Focused on service and/or an issue (poverty, health, education, etc) as felt either in your country of work or in the Philippines
 4.) Transcend regionalism/parochialism
 5.) Participatory/people-oriented leadership (as shown in the manner they choose their leaders and their acceptance thereof)
 6.) Promote Filipino values and culture; Filipino heritage. Evidences of meeting the selection criteria, testimonies by recipients of the service, reference letters from community leaders were also required.
 
Nominated organisations had to undergo a validation process where an UGAT Foundation volunteer from Manila personally visited each of the nominees, met with their nominator, officers, members and referees, conducted recorded individual interviews and submitted recordings to the panel of judges.
 
Finally, a videographer from Manila was also sent to conduct a spot check of the organisations included as finalists and did another video interview of the officers and members of the vying organisation and took videos of their activities and projects.
 
We, the ALLIANCE OF PHILIPPINE COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS, INC. (APCO) is so proud and honoured to have one of our founding affiliates, the Kapit-bahayan Co-operative Ltd, receiving the premier ABS-CBN “GLOBAL BAYANING PILIPINO” AWARDS for Australia.
Mr Ruben Amores, the Founding President and his wife, Dr Cen Amores, Chair, Membership Development Committee of Kapitbahayan Co-operative Ltd. and APCO Founding President were asked by KCL  to receive the award on behalf of all officers and members of Kapit-bahayan Co-operative Ltd and of course, APCO.

We are also proud and honoured that another APCO founding affiliate, GLOBAL ILOCANOS INC., and SAMAHAN NG MGA FILIPINO-AUSTRALIAN SA GIPPSLAND in Victoria are finalists from Australia, out of 27 global finalists who missed out.

Following are the Winners for the Global Bayaning Pilipino Category:
 
1.) Kapit-bahayan Co-operative Ltd., AUSTRALIA – for organising and voluntarily managing the top tenant-managed comfortable yet affordable housing cooperative for low and medium income families in Sydney. 
 
2. ) Sagip Migrante, JAPAN , 3.)  NetFil, JAPAN – for continuing support to Filipino worker victims of tsunami.
 
4.) Filipino Badminton Committee, Kuwait-Philippine, Inc. – MIDDLE EAST- for organising sports function for OCWs to provide socialisation and to raise funds for Philippine charities.
 
5.) Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture – CANADA- for promoting Philippine cultural heritage.
 
6.) Pusong Pinoy Organisation –USA - for organising a worldwide network of book collection and donation to Philippine schools.
 
7.) Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Company – UK – for organising and performing Philippine dances and promoting Philippine cultural heritage
 
Local Individual Category:
 
8.) Dr Roel Cagape, a doctor from General Santos who have served by giving free medical to the poorest people from rural and far-flung General Santos villages for more than 25 years.
 
Local Guro Category:
 
9.) Rebecca Ouano of Cebu City, a teacher of Tejero Elementary School and who finds time to voluntary teach during week ends and provides free daily supplementary feeding program to 200 street children.
 
Local Pamilya Award:
 
10.) Gamez Family of Oriental Mindoro for their dedication to community service by doing voluntary work and outreach programs.

 

 

Munting Nayon News Magazine