RAFI: Awarding those who have stories to tell

Tomorrow is the 12th Anniversary of Straight from the Sky and traditionally, I always come up a collage of our best interviews in the past years. However for our 12th year, I’m breaking tradition and give way to a more important event to talk about, the 5th Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) 5th Triennial Awards.

 I have always maintained that a talk show is not about the anchor or the talk show host… but it is about his guests who have a story to tell.

 This is exactly what the Triennial Awards are all about… it gives recognition to the many institutions and individuals who make us proud to be a Filipino. These organizations or individuals will never make into the front pages nor even the inside pages of our newspapers, yet their stories need to be told in order to show them as an example to the rest of our brethren who should know that even in their poverty, it is never hopeless. Institutions like SOS Children’s Villages represented by Leonilo “Bem Bem” Rivero of SOS Village Davao gives orphans a chance to succeed even without their parents.

 Stories of individuals like Fr. Dennis G. Tamayo and what he has done for the Badjao people in Basilan is a story worthy of a front-page news. They are our special guests tonight together with RAFI’s Ms. Evelyn Nacario-Castro, Executive Director of the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center (EADSC). As this just happens to be our 633rd show, allow me to thank the people behind our longest running show… our SkyCable TV Crew led by my Director Albert Dajab, Christopher del Mar, James Remulta, Allan Aliviado, Johan Barrios and Lanina Miano and of course SkyCable‘s top honchos Ronnie Pacio, Glynda Descuatan and James Boyles for supporting us in the last 12-years.

 So watch this very heart warming story of the outstanding institutions and exemplary individuals who won the 5th Triennial Awards on SkyCable’s channel 15 at 8:00 p.m. with replays at 9:00 p.m. on MyTV channel 28.

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 Last Thursday we witnessed the formal awarding of the 5th Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) Triennial Awards for Exemplary Individual and Outstanding Institutions in the Visayas and Mindanao. This is the most prestigious award given in the Visayas and Mindanao as it only comes once every three years and no other awards come close to what RAFI has given.

 The five finalists for the Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual are Fr. Angelo R. Buenavides, a priest who is a radio broadcaster in General Santos City; Prof. Estrella A. Cantallopez, a teacher in Cotabato City and wife of a soldier who took upon herself to do her own peace talks with the Muslims in her locality; Apolinario “Pol” Leyson, a street kid who grew up in Carbon Market and became a Scout Leader with the sons of rich families taking up scouting under his leadership and transforming them to be good citizens of our country; Fr. Dennis Tamayo, a Claretian priest who took care of the Badjaos in Basilan and even built a wooden bridge to connect their village to the main island; Then there is Rene “Tatay Ete” Vendiola, a former slash and burn farmer who turned forest guardian and save our forest, long before those self-proclaimed environmentalists were born.

 For the Ramon Aboitiz Outstanding Institution Awards, we had the Agri-Aqua Development Coalition Mindanao; the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc.; the Negros Women’s For Tomorrow Foundation, Inc.; the Great Physician Rehabilitation Foundation, Inc.; and the SOS Children’s Villages, Philippines.

 To be totally honest, I just can’t fit the stories of these great people inside one column. Hence it leaves me with no choice but to present to you a short version of these awardees.

 These ten finalists were chosen from a hundred nominees, hence they are considered the “best amongst the best” however one amongst the five individuals had to be chosen and the Exemplary Individual Award goes to Rene “Tatay Ete” Vendiola and for the Outstanding Institution Award, the best of the five was bestowed upon the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc. represented by Manuel Margate. Kudos to all these finalists and may your tribe increase a hundredfold.

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 My heartfelt condolences to the family of retired Judge and Freeman columnist Lorenzo A. Paradiang, Jr. who died last Thursday. At the age of 79, Judge Paradiang had lived a full life and now he awaits the reward prepared for him by our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. Judge Paradiang belonged to a bygone era when judges saw it as a duty to dispense justice as equitably as he could find. I’m honored to have been a fellow columnist to his good man. May we ask the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul.

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