Cobra Pinoy Heroes named

MANILA, Philippines -  Four Filipinos of different backgrounds but with the same desire to be of service to their countrymen were named Cobra Pinoy Heroes of 2013.

Nineteen-year-old Arriza Ann Nocum, a junior Industrial Engineering student at UP-Diliman under an Oblation scholarship, was Cobra Pinoy Hero Youth Awardee for leading the establishment of the Kristiano-Islam (KRIS) Peace Library project that set up libraries in Muslim communities where Muslim and Christian children can enjoy reading books and pursuing knowledge.

Veterinarian-businessman Anton Mari Lim, 46, of Zamboanga City was the Cobra Pinoy Modern Day Hero Awardee for his role in founding the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation that has helped small island communities build boats to send their children to school, instead of them wading or swimming through stretches of sea, aside from having to walk one to two kilometers.

While not a scientist or engineer, visual artist Frederick Epistola was the heart and brain of the Solar Power Initiative (SPIN) project, as well as inventor of a solar home lighting system that has helped poor communities in urban and far-flung areas light their homes, particularly enabling schoolchildren to read books and study for school even at night.

Epistola was Cobra Pinoy Hero Service Awardee.

The Cobra Pinoy Workforce Awardee is Roy Torrentira of Inabanga, Bohol, who provides free legal aid to poor residents of depressed communities in Tondo, Manila. Torrentina has successfully attained his dream of becoming a lawyer despite coming from a poor family by working at a variety of jobs, from being a houseboy in Bohol where he completed his pre-law degree of Political Science at the University of Bohol, to going to Manila where he worked as taxi driver, all-around canteen worker, and a other jobs just to be able to finish his law studies at the Adamson University. He passed the Bar earlier this year.

Abe Cipriano, Asia Brewery vice president for marketing of the non-alcoholic beverage division, said Cobra Energy was proud and honored to give recognition to “Filipinos who go the extra mile to make our country strong-er” through the Cobra Pinoy Heroes Awards.

“This is very important to us,” Cipriano said in the awards ceremonies held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City last week.

Cipriano said that the Cobra Pinoy Heroes Awards project allowed them to inspire more Filipinos to be “better, stronger, and more united.”

This year is just the second year that Asia Brewery and its Cobra Energy Drink group has undertaken the Cobra Pinoy Heroes Awards, after the successful launch of the program in 2012.

This year, Cobra Energy has already opened up the competition to more cities, – 20 cities this year from last year’s nine cities.