Retired mediaman wins top prize

A 76-year-old widower who has remarried is the first prize winner of our Christmas Contest this year. Fundador Soriano sent in only one entry which was picked among 19 other lucky winners. He had the correct answers to our three questions – Asi Taulava the oldest PBA player (41), Timothy Bradley the man whom Manny Pacquiao beat to regain the WBO welterweight title and Crispa, San Miguel Beer, Alaska and San Mig Coffee the four teams to win five Grand Slams in PBA history.

Additionally, Soriano wrote an essay on why sports should be a priority in our national government agenda: “Sports is the greatest leveler between the most powerful and weakest nations of the world,” he said. “Because of Manny Pacquiao’s incredible and superior performances as a boxing champion, we became at par not only in popularity but also in integrity with the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Russia, Japan and China.”

Soriano said he graduated from the “school of hard knocks.” He attended UST only up to first year as a philosophy and letters undergraduate then began working with ABS-CBN as an 18-year-old radio performer on dzXL. Soriano said his father was a Sergeant in the Philippine military and he wanted to augment the family income. He later became a “ghost writer” for Eddie Ilarde in the radio program “Kahapon Lamang” where he was a director and producer. Soriano and the late Orlando Nebres conspired to write the scripts of the Channel 9 pioneering soap opera “Flor De Luna.”

Soriano has nine children and eight grandchildren. His second wife Mary Ann, 55, used to run their convenience store which they had to shut down due to slow business and is now involved in direct selling at the Marikina Shoe Expo. Today, Soriano writes political and entertainment stories for tabloids.

The first prize package includes P50,000 in cold cash. We are awaiting the delivery of a TV from Rain Or Shine and it will be part of a hefty first prize package that also includes donations in kind from Alaska, Blackwater/Ever Bilena, the MVP Group, Nestle, SBP, Shell, San Miguel Corp., Purefoods, Ginebra San Miguel, Emerald Headway, Rain Or Shine, Sonia Trading, Lamoiyan Corp., Nic Jorge and Manny Pacquiao Promotions.

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Here is the complete list of 20 winners:

1. Fundador Soriano, 76, retired mediaman, 11 Galvez St., Philamlife Village, Pamplona 2, Las Piñas.

2. Josephine Ramos, 41, schoolteacher, Lot 5, Block 71, AFP Housing, Bulihan, Silang, Cavite.

3. Roel Abe, 44, employee, BPI Novotas Northbay Branch, No. 306 Raha Lapu-Lapu St., Daang-Hari, Navotas City.

4. Dalton Chiong, 27, student, LLB graduate/Bachelor of Laws, No. 06 Pecson St., Poblacion, Anda, Pangasinan.

5. Augusto Mendoza, 66, retired employee, No. 5 Rosewood St., Laguna Bel-Air, Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

6. Tony Gioketo, 42, administrative officer, Gapan District Hospital, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija.

7. Joel Quinantoto, 48, housekeeper, Pahutan St., Pilar Village, Las Piñas.

8. Eduardo Isleta, 44, Jollibee restaurant manager, No. 1 Vancouver St., Cubao, Quezon City.

9. John Matthew de la Cruz, 17, college student, Lot 5, Block 23, Asia 1, Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna.

10. Benedicto Rivera, 69, retired employee, Lot 1, Block 6, Camella Lipa Heights, Lipa City, Batangas.

11. Angelique Agulto, 27, QA engineer, businesswoman, No. 7555 Santillan St., Pio del Pilar, Makati.

12. Francis Joseph Acop, 42, barefoot running coach, No. 37 Carmine St., SSS Village, Marikina.

13. Leslie Comon-Lituanas, 41, travel coach, No. 12H Basilio St., West Fairview, Quezon City.

14. Ariel Ian Clarito, 37, sales training manager, Abbott Laboratories, Greenhills Heights Condominium, Pinaglabanan, San Juan.

15. Santos Santos, 51, mason, No. 14 Sto. Niño, Hagonoy, Bulacan.

16. Ronald Pizarro, 38, employee, No. 11 St. Paul St., Perpetual Village, Taguig City.

17. Carmencita Lopez, 52, part-time businesswoman, travel agent, real estate broker, No. 26 Verbena St., Rivera Village, NAIA, Pasay City.

18. Lyndeen John Deloria, 41, government employee, Lot 4, Block 32, Emilio Jacinto St., New Capitol Estates I, Commonwealth, Quezon City.

19. Ann Blessie Nicolas, 28, store salesperson, Lot 20, Block 5, Cristina Village, Sipat, Plaridel, Bulacan.

20. Daryll Marcson Quinto, 36, engineer, No. 93 Santolan Road, Pallocan West, Batangas City.

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The second prize winner Josephine Ramos will receive P20,000 cash and a gift package.

The third prize winner Roel Abe will take home P10,000 cash and a gift package. The fourth prize winner Dalton Chiong will be given P5,000 worth of SM gift certificates and a gift package. The fifth prize winner Augusto Mendoza will receive P5,000 worth of Planet Sports gift certificates and a gift package. The sixth prize winner Tony Gioketo will get P5,000 worth of Planet Sports gift certificates and a gift package.

All other winners up to the 20th placer will be given lots of prizes. We are inviting the 20 winners to pick up their prizes at The Philippine Star office at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Please bring your IDs. We will personally hand over the cash and gifts. For details on how to claim prizes, please contact Ms. Babes Angat at Tel. No. 527-6007.

Thanks to the thousands of readers who joined our contest. Merry Christmas to one and all!