Silliman alumni constitute the majority of the current crop of recipients of the Outstanding Dumagueteño Awards given June 28 at Brooke’s Place in Batinguel, Dumaguete, the SU said July 2.
The awards, which were given to 25 individuals, were spearheaded by the local government of Dumaguete, and was part of the celebration of the diamond anniversary of the city charter.
Among this year’s Outstanding Dumagueteño awardees were several prominent SU alumni, honored across all five categories.
In the Leaders and Statespersons category, the awardees included economist and Outstanding Sillimanian Awardee (OSA) Leonor Magtolis Briones, who was the former secretary of the Department of Education and former chair of the SU Board of Trustees; diplomat and OSA MacArthur Corsino; and former Negros Oriental governor and OSA Emilio Macias II.
In the Artists and Entertainers category, the list featured theatre artist and singer Evelyn Rose Aldecoa; poet and educator Merlie Alunan; screenwriter, director, and OSA Cesar Jalandoni Amigo; fictionist and cultural worker Ian Rosales Casocot; National Artist for Cinema and Broadcast Arts Eddie Romero; and National Artist for Literature and OSA Edith Lopez Tiempo.
Recognized under Builders and Titans was Josephine Bejar Ng, co-founder of Jo’s Chicken Inato, for her contributions to the local business and food industry.
Under Scientists and Thinkers, the honorees included philosopher Claro Rafols Ceniza; medical doctor Maria Salud Kho; sociologist and SU Research and Development Center director Enrique Oracion; and historian and former SU vice president for Academic Affairs T. Valentino Sitoy Jr., the SU added.
In the Heroes and Icons category, the awards were given posthumously to World War II heroes Placido Ausejo and Lorenzo Cimafranca, as well as to journalist and broadcaster Ely Dejaresco.
Rounding out the full list of 25 awardees were non-Sillimanian honorees, including tourism advocate and anesthesiologist Prospero “Rico” Absin and lawyer Marcelino Maxino (Leaders and Statespersons); visual artist and photographer Hersley-Ven Casero and APO Hiking Society member Boboy Garrovillo (Artists and Entertainers); businessman Julio Sy Jr. and Sans Rival founder Trinidad Teves Sagarbarria (Builders and Titans); church historian Fr. Roman Sagun Jr. (Scientists and Thinkers); and Bishop Epifanio Surban, the first bishop of the Diocese of Dumaguete (Heroes and Icons).
This is only the second time that the Outstanding Dumagueteño Awards were ever given by the Dumaguete LGU. The first awards were handed out in 1998 during the golden anniversary of the Dumaguete charter, also under the mayoralty of Atty. Felipe Antonio Remollo, the SU said.
In that awards ceremony, 16 Dumagueteños were honored, including Senator Lorenzo Teves, Canuto “Cate” Villariza, Jose “Tatang” Garcia, Ma. Concepcion Roble, Vicente Sinco, Dioscoro Rabor, Martin “Ting” Matiao, Ramon Fernandez Ponce de Leon, Obdulia Tangente, Agapito Cang, Caridad Aldecoa-Rodriguez, Venancio Aldecoa Jr., Angel Alcala, Dionisio “Bob” Flores, Norma Ybañez, and Mariant Escaño Villegas.
This year, 27 years after that first ceremony, 13 out of the 25 recipients are posthumous honorees.
The Awards Committee for this year’s selection was chaired by SU College of Law dean Atty. Mikhail Lee Maxino, with former SU VPAA Dr. Earl Jude Cleope, Negros Oriental State University president Dr. Noel Marjon Yasi, Foundation University chancellor Dr. Charlotte Cariño, former St. Paul University Dumaguete VPAA Sr. Helen Malubay, and assistant schools division superintendent of the Department of Education Dumaguete City Division Juditha Mapue serving as co-vice chairpersons. Diamond Jubilee chair, Dr. Dinno Depositario, also served as an ex-officio member of the selection committee. ||
