Nation celebrates the 29th Annual Mother's Day

MANILA, Philippines – The entire Filipino nation joins the world in conferring the grand tribute to the world’s greatest lady – mother – today.

Now on is 29th year, Johnson Baby Products, Goldilocks, Giggles Baby Wipes, Mediapower Services and Dr. P in cooperation with the National Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Council and the Ideal Parents & Family Foundation (IPFF) will stage the 29th Annual Handog Kay Inay and the 2009 Huwarang Ina (Gintong Ina) Awards.

Overall chairmans are civic leader-journalist Jonathan Navea and noted educator Dean Amelia S. Mapagu.

The awarding of Outstanding Mothers through Huwarang Ina Award, acknowledged as the official and pioneer Mother’s Day Tribute since 1980, will be integrated with Father’s Day Awards on June 21 at the Gateway Oriental Mandarin Suites. Proceeds will benefit the Damayan Youth & Elderly Livelihood Program.

Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be conferred this year’s “Ina ng Bayan” Awardee.

A widowed mother of 12 successful children, Rosita Benito Vda. De Fajaro is the 2009 Ilaw Ng Tahanan Awardee. The late Maria vda. De Ejercito, mother of former President Joseph Estrada, will be conferred

the 2009 Huwarang Ina Posthumous Award. Noted media broadcasters Karen Davila and Cheche Lazaro, performing artists Claire dela Fuente and Kuh Ledesma together with legislator Darlene Antonino-Custodio and Quezon City Councilor Jane “Babes” Malaya and beauty specialists Pie Calayan and Ellen Lising, entrepreneur Tessa Prieto-Valdes, former Governor Tingting Cojuangco, interior designer and commercial model Charlene Gonzales lead

the 2009 Celebrity Mother Honorees. The 2009 Huwarang Ina Sectoral awardees are led by Justice Monina Arevalo-Zenarosa (Law and Judiciary), Noni del Mundo (Cultural Healing Industry); Esther Benito-Sales, Susan Robles-Posadas and Purificacion Malabanan-Echiverri (Community Serviceand Development) and entrepreneur Julie

Flores-Marquez (Business and Industry). The rest of the awardees are: Ilocos Sur Mayor Arlyn Apostol-Favis (Public Service); Rosalinda Valera-Dacanay (Community Service and Development); Visitacion Davila Yenko and Rowena Macrohon-Morales (Entrepreneurship). Estralla Noguera-Belwar and Norma Cruz Nueva (Socio-Civic/Religious); Yolanda Bernardo-Palma and Madam Helyn Cabaña Escaño (Professional); Fiscal Lea T. Castelo (Law and Judiciary); Onesima M. Gubnosen (Humanitarian Service); Cynthia U., Santiago (Media and Journalism); Dr. Rosalina Gutierrez-Reyes (Medicine and Allied Sciences), Cresencia Sebastian Santiago and Melba Barrios-Samson (Education); Susan Bella P. Cachapero and Teresita C. Melendez (Home and Family); For details, call or text: 437-4640/382-

5158/0922-231-6044 or 0906-4884787 or visit www.family-events.net (E-mail: info@familyevents.

net) Nomination for Outstanding Fathers is still going for the 2009 Father’s Day

Award on June 21. Mother’s Day was unknown in the Philippines until 1980 when civic leader-journalist

Jonathan “Jake” Navea with the support of noted businessman Samie Lim of the Philippine Chamber of Department Stores organized civic and commercial ventures enhancing the celebration of Mother’s Day. Later, Navea initiated the Father’s Day as tribute to the other half of parenthood. “Handog Kay Inay” is the country’s pioneer

and most prestigious Mother’s Day event since 1980 organized by the National Mother’s Day & Father’s Day Council and Ideal Parents & Family Foundation (IPFF) headed by Navea who was responsible for lobbying for Presidential Proclamation No. 266 issued by former President Corazon C. Aquino, superseding Proclamation No. 215

issued by the late Ferdinand E. Marcos, declaring Mother’s Day every second Sunday of May and Father’s Day every third Sunday of June as national events in the Philippines.