Dodong Gullas, 54 others get Charter Day awards

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government the other day recognized 55 “outstanding and dedicated” individuals and institutions during the 78th Cebu City Charter Day testimonial dinner and awarding ceremony at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel.

The awardees, who each received a Plaque of Recognition, were chosen for their contributions to the development of the city’s history, economy and governance.

The individual awardees include Dr. Jose Gullas (education, culture and arts); Police Superintendent Romeo Santander (peace and order); former senator Rene Espina (governance); lawyer Napoleon Rama (government services); John Robinson Gokongwei Jr. (business and industry); Dr. Suga Sotto Yuvienco (public health); Mancao VDA. De Sandiego and Alvan Claude Evangelio (culture and arts); and Adela Avila Kono and Hernando Streegan (community service).

Gullas, chairman of The FREEMAN publications, has been an advocate for the preservation of Cebuano culture and arts through the establishment of JRG Halad Museum as repository of musical and artistic tradition of Cebu. Because of this, he was given the name “Purveyor of Cebuano Classics.”

Together with his wife Nena and son John Vicente, Gullas received the plaque of recognition for the Outstanding Individual Award handed over by Mayor Michael Rama.

Last year, Gullas also received two special awards for Halad Museum, the only musical museum in the country, and for the multi-awarded University of the Visayas (UV) Chorale, which is dedicated at promoting Cebuano culture through exemplary musical performances all over the world.

The remaining 31 recipients of the Mayor’s Special Awards came from a diverse background and fields. They include Cebu’s sister city of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture of Yokohama City, and Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi (ecology and environment).

Yokohama was included for its commitment in promoting environmental preservation, efficient resources utilization, and sustainable development; for ecology, environmental protection and for remarkable role in providing technical assistance to promote eco-development, among others.

Among the mayor’s special awardees were The FREEMAN columnist Atty. Clarence Paul Oaminal for community service and Banat News associate editor Rene Borromeo for media.

Other recipients of special awards include Golden Arches Development Corporation, Cokaliong Shipping lines Inc., and Vicente Ayllon for business and industry; Engineer Oscar Tabada, lawyer Emmanuel Gimarino, Sylvan Jakosalem, Punta Princesa Barangay Captain Jose Navarro, Cebu City Legal Office, and lawyer Jocelyn Pesquera for government service.

Community service awardees: National Commission on Muslim Filipino-Visayas, Antonio Del Mar, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co, Stella Domingo and Teresa Fernandez.

The city also gave special citations to Cebu Gualandi Volunteer Service Program,Zonta Club of Cebu I and Zonta Club Cebu II for community service; and Cebu Eastern College and Cebu Norman University for education.

Posthumous awards were likewise given to the late Estelita “Tetang” Diola, Basak San Nicolas Barangay Captain George Rama, Renato V. Osmeña, Alan Jayme Rabaya and Daisy Baad and received by their respective families.

Four of the oldest residents in Cebu City,  or those with ages 100 years or more, were given the Centenarian Award, which came with a plaque of recognition and P100,000 in check as financial assistance.

In his speech, Mayor Rama challenged the awardees and all Cebuanos to “give their whole-hearted support and cooperation to our administration and to our system of governance so that we may achieve our dream of a beautiful and progressive citya as we jointly steer it towards a better and brighter future.” — (FREEMAN)