Duterte congratulates TOFIL awardees

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the Freedom Residences in Tagum City on July 16, 2019. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has extended his congratulations to the six recipients of this year’s The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Awards as models of excellence through hard work to uplift the economic development of the country.

TOFIL 2019 National Chairman and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Senator Melandrew T. Velasco revealed this to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Sunday.

The TOFIL awardees are San Miguel Corporation (SMC) President & CEO Ramon S. Ang for Business/Entrepreneurship category); Dr. Glenn S. Banaguas (Environment Conservation and Science Diplomacy); Dr. Joselito R. Chavez (Medicine); Dr. Virgilio L. Malang (Science and Technology); Legazpi City Mayor Noel E. Rosal (Government/Public Service); and Nelly Siababa-Aggangan (Agriculture).

In his message to Velasco, Duterte recognized the JCI for honoring distinguished Filipinos in various fields for being models of excellence and hard work in their respective professions.

“I thus congratulate this year’s awardees for their vital contributions in uplifting the welfare of our people,” Duterte said.

“May this gathering inspire everyone to a greater commitment in our shared task of nation-building so that future generations can enjoy a country where hope, equality and optimism abound,” he said, urging everyone to take “further strides in the path towards inclusive progress and genuine change for a better and brighter tomorrow for our people”.

The TOFIL awarding ceremonies will be held at Manila Hotel Monday night (December 2).

Velasco said this year’s awardees were chosen from a short list by the TOFIL Board of Judges led by Supreme Court Administrator Justice Jose Midas Marquez.

Other members of the Board were TOFIL Foundation Chairman JCI Sen. Rogelio “Bicbic” Garcia; JCISP President Domingo O. Roque, Jr.; 2010 TOFIL Awardee Dr. Shirley Halili Cruz and PCCI Chairman Emeritus Dr. Francis Chua.

This year, the JCI Senate Philippines are also recognizing six distinguished Filipinos who served as JCI World Presidents with the TOFIL Excellence Awards. They are JCI WP Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. (1951); JCI WP Roberto T. Villanueva (1953); JCI WP Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr. (1976); JCI WP Victor Jose I. Luciano (1985); JCI WP Crispin C. Dy Jr. (1997); and JCI WP Marc Brian C. Lim (2018).

The TOFIL award is an annual undertaking of the JCI Senate Philippines and is now on its on 30th year in partnership with ANSA Foundation.