The 26th Annual Perlas Awards

CEBU, Philippines – "Bangon Pilipinas! Mabuhi!" cheers roared from the audience at SM Cinema One on November 26, evening. It was the 26th Annual Perlas Awards.

According to Philippine Foundation Inc. (PFI) President Fr. Ernesto Javier, S.J., in his welcome remarks, the Perlas Award is an annual event that honors Cebuano institutions that have contributed a significant amount of service to the community.

"This year," Fr. Javier said, "we honor institutions whose efforts of rebuilding communities devastated by Typhoon Yolanda, we hope, would inspire and move the younger generation to do the same when the time comes."

For her part, Dr. Milagros Espina, past PFI President, said that "we should celebrate life, and the lives that have been rebuilt after Yolanda ravaged the Visayas region." She cited how the awardee-institutions helped bring light when tragedy came, and then introduced this year's awardees: Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., University of Cebu, and SM Foundation.                 The awards night was well-attended by both high school and college students, who infused the event with high energy. They were mainly from the University of Cebu, University of San Jose-Recoletos, Cebu Normal University, Cebu Technological University, Sisters of Mary School, and Benedicto College.

Inspirational songs were rendered by the University of Cebu Chorus, Amparito Llamas Lhuillier Educational Foundation Scholars, and the Benedicto College Chorus at key points of the programme. The night closed with the Cebu Normal University Chorale's lively rendition of the classic Visayan Christmas song, "Ting-aling-aling."