Congratulations to The Freeman and NSO!

We happily salute our Freeman colleagues Fr. Roy Cimagala, Sirs Bobit Avila, Jerry Tundag, Eladio Doko, editorial cartoonist Ramesh Rosillo, and, feature writer Archie Modequillo for their well-deserved CAMMA awards! We also congratulate the other media winners!

We also applaud all other media practitioners and staff who, with awards or not, continue to serve the public in their own simple, varied ways. I am sure, many of us want to congratulate Ms. Debbie Duraliza, our very kind and patient Opinion Editor, for always finding ways to let us be with our columns, views, and styles! We also want to thank The Freeman management for allowing all of us to express our perspectives as freely, as independently as we wish to.

Perhaps our readers have noticed that columnists of The Freeman have their own respective views and opinions. Often in one page, the same topic may be discussed from different perspectives and persuasions. This freedom to express freely as well as the respect for diversity of views makes us so proud to be part of The Freeman family!

Of course, we also want to thank our readers for their time and attention. We especially appreciate those who communicate with us about their views, opinions, and requests. May all of us in media continue to be inspired to render service to the Filipino people!

We would also like to take this occasion to congratulate the National Statistics Office (NSO) on their 65th anniversary. This is one government agency that has, since the able leadership of our award-winning colleague, Tomas "Butch" Africa, turned around from being a slow service provider to one of the most efficient government offices at present. We congratulate the NSO present leadership who has continued moving towards more efficient delivery of services to our people!

We also want to show our appreciation to NSO-7, most especially to NSO Regional Director Atty. Lilia Tandoc and Provincial Statistics Officer Fermo Diputado for their active leadership of providing alternative/supplementary income-generating opportunities for their personnel and staff.

In a creative celebration of their office anniversary, NSO-7 actively planned a whole day eco-seminar for their employees, Friday, August 26. Through the very active efforts of NSO's Statistics Coordinating Officer, Ms. Rowena Bornia, a whole day Paper Craft session had been arranged for them by the Solid Waste (SOW) Center Inc.

Inspired by NSO's eco-friendly attitude that their waste items are resources awaiting further productive use, SOW Center Inc. tapped various trainors who demonstrated various creative ways to deal with paper, the bulk of NSO's waste. Rather than just selling used paper, the whole day activity offered alternative, artistic, and income-generating alternatives from paper waste.

Sir Ramon Quisumbing, the creative President of SOW Center Inc., demonstrated how to prepare gift items from used boxes. SOW Center trained trainors from their Cebu Port Paper Project led by Nene Jarantilla and Regina Villamor showed how, through varied types of paper weaving, wedding giveaways and beautiful, useful, stylish paper bags can be made! Ms Gigi Bacus of the Stella Maris Seafarers' Center dropped by to share her expertise in doing Jesus and Angel images through paper mache. Finally, SOW Center partner and FORD Philippines awardee, Garing National High School with teachers, Rene Cortes and Risa Palang, with six of their students led the NSO personnel through easy steps to make their own recycled writing papers, folders, and envelopes.

Before and after the enjoyable hands-on paper craft session, I reminded everyone about the unnecessary health, economic, and environmental costs of improper waste management and the need for all to simply take care of the waste that they produce through reduction, segregation, reuse, and recycling. Prof. Bien Fernandez II came too with his UP Mass Comm students to document the paper craft session.

We commend NSO officials for their creative, supportive eco-friendly ways to bring their personnel out of the present financial crisis affecting our people these days.

May all offices and leaders have the same vision for their employees and for the environment!

Mabuhay NSO! Galing NSO! Thank you too for a wonderful, fun afternoon!

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