Doctor, anti-trafficking NGO bag top awards

CEBU, Philippines - A doctor from Mabinay, Negros Oriental and a non-governmental organization that focuses against trafficking and abuse of women and children won this year’s Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.’s Exemplary Individual and Outstanding Institution awards, respectively.

For winning the Exemplary Individual award, Dr. Chelsa R. Cacaldo, who is described as a “fearless doctor in the hinterlands,” received P400,000 cash prize and a trophy during the RAFI’s 4th Triennial Awards for the Visayas and Mindanao.

It was actually not the first for Cacaldo, a supervising physician of six community primary hospitals of the province of Negros Oriental, as she had already received several awards for her inspiring deeds.

Misty-eyed, Cacaldo shared to The FREEMAN that the first time she received an award was in October 2002, the Golden Leadership national award given by the United Group of Charities and Human Development Inc. that is based in Manila. Unfortunately, she was not able to personally receive the award as she had no money to spend in going to Manila. She recalled that she had also received a Galing Pook and the Hamis awards.

Cacaldo said she would be forever grateful to the award given to her by RAFI which she had always prayed for.

On the other hand, the Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc. (VFFI) bagged the award for the Outstanding Institution and also received a trophy and P400,000 cash.

VFFI is an NGO accredited by the DSWD to provide care, and community-based programs and services, such as anti-trafficking, anti-slavery for women and children, and support for migrant working children and their families, and domestic workers.

Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, president and executive director of VFFI, said that the gathering of exemplary leaders of change is a concrete manifestation that the home-grown warriors of good are found in the provinces and who are extra ordinarily committed to serve in the frontline.

As leaders of change, Oebanda said they would continue to do more and would be more relentless in “making the government accountable and the private sector responsible.”

“We will work together as a village of elders and runners to turn this nation’s dreams into reality. And along the way, remember that in every dream we revive, for every life we reconstruct and for every future we win back, we are closer to our collective dream of giving all Filipinos the quality of life they finally deserve,” she said.

The search committee that chose this year’s winners is composed of John Joseph Mercado, Fr. Carmelo Diola, Fr. Roderick Salazar Jr., Margarita Dela Cruz, Tina Arceo-Dumlao and Adoracio Avisado. — Johanna T. Natavio/WAB (THE FREEMAN)