Doc, NGO head get Triennial awards

CEBU, Philippines —  The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) separately awarded the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) and the Davao City-based trauma surgeon for showing efforts in providing positive change to the people who are part of their causes.

In the 7th RAFI Triennial Awards, the PEF bagged the Eduardo Aboitiz Award for Outstanding Institution besting four other finalists in this category.

Dr. Jayson Ibanez, PEF director for Research and Conservation, dedicated the award to all their partners in the upland communities who are mostly indigenous people.

“We are very much honored and this very important award. It inspires us to move forward and do more for our national bird and for the country,” Ibanez said.

The Davao-based foundation has organized over 700 local forest guards watching over the Eagles and their habitat that covers over 74,000 hectares of forests and watersheds.

They have served as forest guards in taking care of the eagles. Ibanez also dedicates the award to their partners in the local government unit, non-government organization (NGO) partners and volunteers.

"This is dedicated to the many unsung conservation heroes of the past and present. Mabuhay po tayong lahat and thank you very much," he said.

PEF has been conserving and protecting the Philippine eagle for more than 30 years. Its initiatives are inclined to the Culture-based conservation.

The Community-Based Health Program of the Diocese of Ipil, the Negrense Volunteers For Change Foundation, Inc., the Process-Bohol, Inc. and the Tuburan for Rural Women Empowerment and Development, Inc. are the other finalists chosen by RAFI under this category.

As for the Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual, Doctor Benedict Edward P. Valdez of Davao City, Davao del Sur was chosen over other finalists Dr. Noel Cagape of General Santos City and educator Sarah Cubar of Davao del Norte.

Fish warden Norlan Pagal of San Remigio, Cebu and Mateo Quilas of Bohol, who campaigns for the enforcement of the accessibility law and the universal design for persons with disabilities were also finalists of this year’s awarding ceremony which is done every three years.

Valdez, who was dubbed as the “Tireless Volunteer”, is the president of the Maharlika Charity Foundation, Inc., who has brought back the beautiful smiles of about 1,500 cleft patients since 2009.

In his acceptance speech, he admitted that he did not see himself standing on stage receiving the award.

“I know every one of us are leaders already and we made an impact in our communities,” Valdez said.

He believed that providing 30-minute surgical procedures for the cleft patients make them more sociable.

“And with that operation it can make a person very sociable as we ourselves are social beings,” he added.

Aside from his passion to serve cleft patients, he also wanted to share his goal of instituting free hospital care in the country.

“This is the beginning of how we could actually save more lives in the future. In behalf of the Maharlika Foundation, para ni sa mga tanan beneficiaries sa Mindanao and Visayas and to those who believe in me and to the foundation where I represented, daghang salamat,” he said.

The winners for both awards will receive P500,000 while those chosen finalists will receive P200,000 each.

The RAFI Triennial Awards was launched in July 1996 during the foundation’s 30th anniversary in honor of Don Ramon Aboitiz and his son Eduardo Aboitiz for their philanthropic accomplishments. — MBG (FREEMAN)