STARmen feted in UST AB Gantimpala Awards

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine STAR vice president for advertising Lucien Dy Tioco, entertainment columnist Butch Francisco and sports editor Lito Tacujan will be feted in the first-ever UST AB Gantimpala Awards on March 13 as three of the outstanding alumni of the Faculty of Arts and Letters of the University of Santo Tomas.

According to Edgar Morada, president of the UST Arts and Letters Alumni Association, and Teddy Pereña, chair of the search and awards committee, 24 other former Artlets will be cited in the biennial awards to be held in glittering rites at the Rizal Conference Hall of the St. Raymond’s Bldg. of the Pontifical University.

Gantimpala is an acronym that stands for specific disciplines/fields of endeavor where the honorees excelled.

These are Government Service, Apostolate/Advocacy, Nation-Building, Teaching/Philosophy, Industry/Management, Law/Justice and Arts/Literature.

The theme of the awards night is “Ginto at Gantimpala” to underscore the fact that these graduates are worth their weight in gold and deserve the highest salutation from the school and the alumni association.

Expected to grace the affair are university and college officials led by Rev. Fr. Roland de la Rosa, OP, UST rector, and Prof. Michael Vasco, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

Tacujan is being cited for his work in sports journalism. He has covered several Olympics and other major international sporting events . He has also served in different capacities in the Philippine Sporstwriters Association ( PSA), the country’s premier sports scribes association.

Other awardees are Judge Oscar Herrera, Mayor Ramon Ilagan, Jose Javier, Rev. Fr. Jose Antonio Aureada, Glenda Gloria, Emmie Velarde, Sandra Aguinaldo, Luisa Mendez-Marshall, Osias Barosso, Cesar Apolinario, Loida and Cesar Viriña, Herman Salvador, Justice Esperanza Fabon-Victorino, Jose Garcia, Charlie Villaseñor, Ruben Nepales, Dean Nilo Divina, Edwin/Pennie Dela Cruz and children, Atty Liza Lopez-Rosario, Noel Albano, Khristine Gabriel, Dante Santiago, Emi Calixto-Rubiano and Avic Alcantara.

The UST AB Gantimpala is a special project of UST AAA in cooperation with the Faculty of Arts and Letters. Sponsors are The Philippine STAR, Burlington BioFresh, Kitaro, Tsoko.Nut Batirol and Pollen-B.