GMA invited to grace PSA Annual Awards

MANILA, Philippines - President Macapagal-Arroyo has been invited as special guest of honor when the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) honors the best and the brightest of 2009 during its Annual Awards Night presented by Coca-Cola.

Set on March 1 at the Manila Hotel, the event is the last Awards Night to be held under the term of the President.

Mrs. Arroyo shares the stage with an all-woman group composed of billiards player Rubilen Amit, long jumper Marestella Torres and taekwondo jins Rani Ann Ortega, Janice Lagman and Camille Alarilla, who had been conferred the highest award handed out by the country’s sportswriting fraternity.

To be honored, too, during the colorful, hour-long program also presented by Smart, Pacific Online System Corporation, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Harbour Centre and PCSO is boxing great Manny Pacquiao, named Athlete of the Decade by the country’s oldest media organization composed of editors and sportswriters from the daily broadsheets and tabloids.

Meanwhile, 19 personalities make up the year’s major awardees. They are women’s boxing champion Annie Albania, young chess whiz Wesley So and celebrated pool sharks Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes and Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante.

Rodel Mayol, Marvin Sonsona, Donnie Nietes, Brian Viloria and Nonito Donaire Jr. all of whom reigned as world boxing champions in 2009, will also be feted with a major award alongside Jayjay Helterbrand (pro basketball), Cecil Mamiit and Francis Casey Alcantara (lawn tennis), Chihiro Ikeda (women’s golf), Elmer Salvador (men’s golf), Jesse B. Guce (horseracing), Joel Calderon (cycling), Arniel Ferreira (athletics) and John Baylon (judo).

No major award yet has been given by the PSA for Horse of the Year.

Still to be named are the National Sports Association of the Year, the Tony Siddayao award, the President’s award and the numerous citations on sports personalities and entities.