A high 555 for Palaban 5
MANILA, Philippines - During 555 Tuna’s “Parangal sa Katawang Palaban,” Robin Padilla wholeheartedly shared the limelight with people whom he had just met, but whom he thinks deserve as much attention as himself.
What’s surprising is that these people aren’t celebrities like him. They are workers whose jobs and daily tasks entail manual labor and depend on their physical strength. Dubbed “Katawang Palaban,” they are actually Filipino workers whose extraordinary life stories narrate their commitment to their jobs, to their families, and to their dreams.
In the award-giving program that was conceptualized both by 555 Tuna and Robin Padilla, five Pinoy workers collectively known as Palaban 5 were given recognition for the following qualities: value for their work, dedication to help and serve others, care for their health, positive work attitude, and responsibility to their respective families. These exceptional Pinoy workers are Lilia Miniano, Margarito Reyes, Juanita Dagumay, Adrian Cobardo, and Joel Navarez.
“Maraming-maraming salamat po sa pagkakataong ito na makilala ang mga mabubuting taong tulad ng Palaban 5. Alam po ninyo, ang bida rito ngayon, at maging doon sa ginawa naming commercial, ay ang mga manggagawang Pilipino. Suporta lang po ako. Sa inyo pong lima, hanga po ako sa galing ninyo. Inspirasyon po kayo sa aming lahat. Mabuhay kayo (Thank you very much for this opportunity to meet people like you. I would like everyone to know that the real stars of today’s event, and even of the commercial we made, are the Filipino workers. I only play a supporting role. To the Palaban 5, I admire you. You are an inspiration to all of us. More power to you.),” said Robin during the Parangal sa Katawang Palaban held recently at Annabel’s Restaurant in Quezon City.
“Today marks the highlight of our campaign. In line with 555 Tuna’s goal to give back to all Filipino workers, we are here to acknowledge the Palaban 5 and to recognize their hard work. More importantly, we are also here to get inspiration from their life stories,” said Century Canning Corp. VP and general manager Greg Banzon.
What is common with the Palaban 5 is that they didn’t let their daily struggles get the best of them. Lilia Miniano, the first Palaban, is an assistant plant manager at Century Canning Corporation whose dedication to her job didn’t falter even when she had a serious illness. Out of loyalty to her work and to her colleagues, she now makes sure that her health isn’t compromised so that she wouldn’t have to miss a day at work. Margarito Reyes, the next Palaban 5, better known as Quezon City’s dancing traffic enforcer, is a constant source of happiness even in the midst of heavy traffic.
Juanita Dagumay, another Palaban, is a widow and mother of nine whose devotion and unconditional love for her family never wavered through the years. She now works as a feeding volunteer at the Philippine Christian Foundation Technical College. Adrian Cobardo, the next Palaban, is the founder of “BangKarunungan,” a project where he uses a motorized bangka as a mobile classroom and travels to nearby islands to bring knowledge and education to children in distant communities. The fifth but definitely not the least Palaban is Joel Navarez, an honest taxi driver who returned cash and important documents left in his taxi to their rightful owner.
As a reward and recognition for all their hard work and exemplary work attitude, each of the Palaban 5 received a cash prize, a plaque, and a gift basket from 555 Tuna.
555 Tuna is the perfect partner for hardworking and dedicated Pinoy workers like the Palaban 5. It not only has a delicious taste, but it also has nutritional benefits such as Omega 3, protein and vitamin A that help provide Pinoys with proper nourishment. 555 Tuna can also be enjoyed every day as it has 14 tuna variants including Filipino favorites like afritada, adobo, sisig, kaldereta and laing.
