Presidential Awards for overseas Filipinos launched

The search is officially on for outstanding overseas Filipino individuals and organizations following the Philippine government’s formal launching Saturday of the third annual Presidential Awards in the Northern Marianas.

A prestigious award that seeks to recognize the contributions of overseas Filipinos in the progress of their country and in advancing the cause of their communities abroad, the Presidential Award is administered by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

The award is also conferred by Malacanang on Filipinos overseas who have consistently pursued their work or profession with excellence and distinction.

Its formal launching on Saipan was attended by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, U.S. Office of Insular Affairs Saipan representative Jeff Schorr, an official from Manila’s Commission on Filipinos Overseas and members of the Filipino community in the island.

The Presidential Awards, was institutionalized in 1991 through Executive Order 498, has five categories that include Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino, Kaakabay ng Bayan, Kaanib ng Bayan, Banaag, and Pamana ng Pilipino.

Lingkod sa Kapwa is conferred on Filipino associations or individuals for significant contributions to Philippine national development efforts while Kaakabay ng Bayan is given to Filipino communities, groups of individual Filipinos, or Filipino associations overseas who have united for the common purpose of providing support to the progress and development of the country.

Kaanib ng Bayan is accorded to foreign organizations for their contributions to Philippine progress and development, Banaag Award is given to Filipino and foreign individuals or associations for contributions which have significantly benefited a sector or community in the Philippines , or advanced the cause of Filipino communities abroad, and Pamana ng Pilipino is conferred on Filipinos overseas who have consistently pursued their work or profession with excellence and distinction.

The CNMI, which is home to almost 20,000 overseas Filipino workers, is one of the eight countries where the Presidential Awards have been launched.

Awardees will be flown to Manila to accept their medal from Philippine President Joseph E. Estrada in Malacanang, adding that there were five nominees from the CNMI-based Filipinos last year. A Canada-based inventor bested nominees from other countries and chalked up the prestigious Presidential Award last year.

The first Presidential Awards were given by Corazon C. Aquino on December 1992 to 22 individuals and organizations. In 1996, Fidel V. Ramos gave recognition to 45 individuals and organizations while President Joseph E. Estrada conferred the awards on 30 recipients last year.