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Program Implementing Partners

4/F Executive Offices, Metrobank Plaza, Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, 1200 Makati City, Philippines Telephone Nos.: (+632) 857-5918 / (+632) 898-8855 Telefax Nos.: (+632) 818-5656 / (+632) 750-0837 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.mbfoundation.org.ph

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The pursuit of service excellence is a path strewn with boundless opportunities to make a difference.

But it is not for the faint of heart: to achieve anything excellent for the nation requires a sustained commitment to serve beyond one’s self, and the grit to weather failure and setbacks along the way.

Excellence takes time. It is the outcome of years upon years of working without waning: because there is no effort achieved without error, as much as there are no lessons learnt without losses.

Excellence demands fullness of character. It requires the integrity of heart, the will of mind, and the skillfulness of hands to work in tandem in serving the nation. All three values must be exercised, synchronously, with no room for compromise or complacency.

Above all, excellence for the nation is a matter of collaboration. It is not the toil of one person, rather the responsibility of a collective: marching shoulder-to-shoulder in mutual aid and respect towards the common good.

The Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos have consistently raised the bar of excellence in their fields. Their unsung narratives of triumph and resilience are our nation’s hope and inspiration—reminding us that all our actions, whether great or small, will yield lasting transformation as long as it is done for the right reasons.

This is why we at the Metrobank Foundation continuously strive to amplify the reach of their vision.

We provide our Outstanding Filipinos with a platform for their voices to be heard across the nation and open avenues for cooperation between like-minded individuals. We trust that with each person they inspire to act, we press closer and closer towards the attainment of our common goals for the nation.

The FLAME represents our Outstanding Filipinos’ tireless zeal to serve without counting the cost. It is excellence refined through seasons and struggles, shining brightly to touch hearts and transform minds. The FLAME is an inspiration and a challenge to become beacons of light for a better nation.

Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos 1

My warmest greetings to the recipients of the 2018 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos Award.

Nation-building requires each of us to uphold patriotism, integrity and social responsibility as we contribute to our communities in our own little ways. I am thus delighted to know that the recipients of this prestigious award have embodied these values throughout their careers, thereby serving as good examples for our fellow Filipinos.

May this milestone inspire the awardees to further engage the public in open dialogues so that they may share their best practices in their respective fields. I trust that they will continue to be agents of hope as they demonstrate their brand of service and help propel the Philippines to greater heights.

You are truly living heroes who walk among us, blazing our path to real and lasting change. May you never cease to instigate excellence and dedication in your endeavors as we forge a brighter and better future for all.

Congratulations and I wish you the best in your future undertakings.

MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA

RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

MANILA August 2018

THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

Beyond Excellence 2

C ongratulations to all the awardees of the 2018 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos!

Filipinos are known to be a resilient race. We thrive amidst challenges with dignity and confidence and we continue with our lives bearing a positive attitude in almost all situations.

There are some of us, however, that are cut among the rest—those who choose true service, patriotism, dedication, and courage in favor of others. They are our everyday heroes who seek to achieve long-lasting impacts, whether big or small, in the line of duty. They are outstanding Filipinos who are our partners in nation building.

Consistent with Metrobank Foundation roadmap—Excel. Engage. Empower. – our Office commends and appreciates the initiative of recognizing our fellow kababayans who have made concrete contributions to the onward development of our communities. Indeed, their exemplary efforts and commitment towards service are commendable.

Let this day be a constant reminder that there is always more to do for our fellow Filipinos, and that as long as we work together, we will be able to bring sustainable development and inclusive growth to our shores.

Mabuhay kayong lahat!

LENI ROBREDO Vice President Republic of the Philippines


T o the 2018 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos:

My sincerest greetings to the awardees for the 2018 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos! Congratulations!

As this year’s Chairperson of the Final Board of Judges, it has been an honor to be part of recognizing exemplary Filipinos who have left a positive impact on their communities and their respective professions, hence the country.

Moreover, the nominees’ stories of academic excellence, ingenuity, perseverance, bravery, and heroism in the face of challenges have inspired me – and will certainly inspire many others – to keep pushing to make this nation great. In these trying times, shining role models are direly needed to push others to try, even in their own little ways, to contribute to their communities.

That being said, allow me to commend all those who made this year’s awards possible – from the Metrobank Group led by Chairman Dr. George S.K. Ty and Foundation President Aniceto Sobrepeña, to the Final Board of Judges, and to the numerous participants and nominees who have extended their invaluable time, effort and expertise. It is my hope that you will keep your fervor of bringing to light our country’s notable professionals and public servants.

Rest assured that, as your Senator, I will continue to push for measures and programs that will give every Filipino around the world a chance to succeed. Again, I congratulate this year’s awardees and I wish you continued success in the years ahead. Mabuhay kayong lahat! Maraming salamat po!

JUAN EDGARDO ”SONNY” M. ANGARA Senator Republic of the Philippines Chairperson, Final Board of Judges 2018 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos

NOEL G. TIJAMAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the PhilippinesCo-Chairperson, Final Board of Judges2018 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos

Beyond Excellence 4

F or 33 years, the Metrobank Foundation has continuously searched for Outstanding Filipinos from the academe, the military, and the police sector, in consonance with its master plan of excellence, engagement, and empowerment. In doing so, the Metrobank Foundation succeeds in encouraging, creating, and nurturing a habit of excellence among

Filipinos, especially those who have dedicated themselves to public service, to the end that excellence becomes the rule, rather than the exception. It is in this celebratory spirit that we extend special recognition to the rightful recipients of the 2018 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos Award. The accomplishments of the awardees are all relevant, timely and socially applicable.

To the 10 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos, you all merit the success you reap today. Your dedication and discipline, coupled with enthusiasm and devotion, has led you to this moment. Your hardwork is indeed the progenitor of your success.

Let me end with a challenge. Now that you have achieved your first humble step at greatness, do not be complacent and forget to take the next. Complacency will derail what you have yet to accomplish. Disabuse yourselves from thinking that you have come full circle, because there is always more to be done and by tomorrow, tonight’s accomplishment would have been a thing of the past. I therefore challenge our Outstanding Filipinos to not let this night be the culmination of your work, but the beginning of better, bigger, and brighter accomplishments to come.

Congratulations and may God’s wisdom be your constant companion in your journey beyond excellence.


O ur warmest congratulations to the 2018 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos!

You are indeed shining examples of the inimitable Filipino character: courageous, resourceful, and ever sacrificing.

This year’s awardees show that heroism need not always be bold or brazen. Heroism presents itself best in the everyday—in the silent acts of clocking in more work hours to finish a task, reaching out to people in the grassroots, and laboring through worthy causes heedless of reward or acknowledgment.

They breathe life to the unrelenting commitment of the Metrobank Group: to always keep our people in good hands, through the virtues of honesty, integrity, and a great sense of responsibility and heart for the community. In the lives of these 10 exemplars are inspiring lessons for those of us who share in the mission to serve fellow Filipinos at all costs.

Thank you to the awardees for going beyond excellence in whichever task, mundane or daunting.

For all those years in service, for every sacrifice and innovation made, this singular honor is something you truly deserve.

We look forward to witnessing higher levels of excellence and stronger chains of collaboration that will emerge from this day onward.

DR. GEORGE S.K. TY Honorary Chairman and Founder Metrobank Foundation, Inc. Chairman Emeritus and Founder Metrobank

ARTHUR V. TYChairman Metrobank and Metrobank Foundation, Inc.

From left to right:

Lt. Col. Thomas Ryan R. Seguin PAF

Alma S. Janagap, Ed. D.

Aimee Marie C. Gragasin, Ph. D.

PSInsp. Dennis S. Ebsolo, Ph. D.

SPO1 Aida L. Awitin

From left to right:

Lt. Col. Francis A. Señoron PA

Lt. Col. Danilo T. Facundo PN (M)

Mary Jane S. Ramo

Carla B. Dimalanta, Ph. D.

PSSupt. Pascual G. Muñoz, Jr., Ph. D.

M A R Y J A N E S . R A M O

Master Teacher II Tonggo Elementary School

Tudela, Misamis Occidental

Years in Service: 23

Field of Specialization: English

Misamis Occidental’s Culture and Environment Heroine

“Nothing compares to the happiness and fulfillment I feel every time I see young Subanen learners perform Subanen dances, wear their Subanen attire, and be proud of their own culture. I get goose bumps every time I think of my advocacy bearing fruit and creating impact in the lives of these children.”


Mrs. Mary Jane S. Ramo may have not come from the same bloodline, but her heart beats with passion for what could’ve been a forgotten culture of the Subanen tribe in Tudela, Misamis Occidental. She has focused her life’s work onto the promotion of

indigenous peoples (IP) education, recognizing its significance not only to Subanen learners and the people in the community, but the country as a whole.

Dubbed as an ‘honorary Subanen’ of the said IP group largely settling along the rivers of the Zamboanga Peninsula, Mrs. Ramo is said to have been instrumental in bringing back the locals’ self-worth and adoration for their native culture.

Back when the Subanen themselves stopped speaking Ginasalugan, the Subanen language, at home, Mrs. Ramo reintroduced indigenized learning resources to where she can implement and assert her innovations most: the school she is currently in charge of.

Learners of Tonggo Elementary School were brought closer to their roots through the creation of a makeshift IP room which showcases traditional household objects and musical instruments. Nine Tabobong models or miniature Subanen houses were also built in the school grounds.

And within the walls of these Subanen havens, select students are trained by a tribal elder to play music, recite chants, and discover folklores, among others.

Subanen attire, woven and colorfully dyed mostly in black and red, are also mainstreamed in their regular school hours. Students and teachers wear indigenous clothing every Friday or when occasion with guests arises.

Not only does Mrs. Ramo effectively integrates IP education in school premises, she also reaches out to parents through “Mama Ko, Papa Ko, Titser Ko,” a program which pushes for shared responsibility within the household, and encourages parents to take part in helping their children improve school performance especially in reading.

Through these strengthened platforms of presenting the culture in the school and community, most natives today speak the language and proudly showcase their customs and traditions not only during festivities and IP month celebrations, but in their everyday routine.

Besides her proactive stance in ensuring that indigenous traditions are kept alive, Mrs. Ramo is known to be aggressive when it comes to environmental protection in her immediate community. She recognizes that in order to reinforce the values and principles of the IPs, one must take care of nature, which is an integral element of the Subanen culture.

Her clean and green initiative, dubbed as the “Basura Ko, Tulubagon Ko,” was borne out of her desire to educate the growing Subanen population with little to zero knowledge on waste management. Students and residents would call her “Ma’am Cellophane” as she’s known to be vigilant in picking up trash wherever she’d go. Inspired by her example, residents have now become more disciplined in reducing their environmental impact.

Mrs. Ramo also encouraged the creation of a material recovery facility in the community from funding support of her friends and network in Manila and abroad.

This year, she is spearheading “Let’s Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,” which encourages each schoolchild to build their own eco-bricks. The gathered eco-bricks will then form the foundation of their recycled Christmas tree when December comes.

Mrs. Ramo has consistently been receiving recognitions in the past three years: in 2016, as the Most Outstanding Teacher II in the Division of Misamis Occidental; in 2017, as the Most Outstanding Master Teacher II in Region X; and most recently, in 2018, as the Most Outstanding Public School Teacher in Region X, sponsored by the Rotary Club of West Cagayan de Oro in partnership with Department of Education Region X.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, English, at Immaculate Conception College in Misamis Occidental and her Master of Arts in Education with specialization in Educational Management at Southern Mindanao Colleges, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. Mrs. Ramo is a devoted wife and a mother of two.

“I will not trade being a teacher with anything else. Knowing that my students lead empowered lives anchored on moral values gives me real pride and joy. I’m inspired of a quote from Emily Dickinson: ‘If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.”’

A L M A S . J A N A G A P , E d . D .

Master Teacher IIPavia National High School

Pavia, Iloilo


Field of Specialization: English & Educational Leadership and Management

Iloilo’s Literacy Crusader


Dr. Alma S. Janagap could have been sipping her cup of coffee inside Iloilo’s Department of Education’s Regional Office. As a teacher for almost three decades, her service would have warranted her an administrative position of supervising schools and programs in large scale,

but she chose otherwise.

She insisted on staying as an English teacher and a remedial adviser of the students of Pavia National High School, the only public high school in the municipality of Pavia. Being a teacher is a dream she has kept since elementary—and she’s determined to remain so for life.

Dr. Janagap was assigned in the Remedial Reading Program in 1997. She has since been holding reading sessions for Grades 7 and 8 students struggling with the regular academic load. Because of her efforts, the program was recognized as the Most Effective Remedial Reading in the province of Iloilo, and she earned the title Most Outstanding Remedial Reading Teacher in Iloilo in 2013.

Whilst implementing the program to generations of struggling high school students, Dr. Janagap furthered her advocacy by fostering a culture of reading inside the school. And so, in 2012, she developed a Reading Clinic, first of its kind in Region VI. The Reading Clinic is a one-room reading haven equipped with books and multimedia materials ranging from interactive videos, charts and games.

The clinic provides a conducive, reader-centric environment for academically struggling students in hopes to improve not only their reading, but skills applicable in non-academic situations as well.

However, like most personal-led initiatives in a public school, Dr. Janagap’s Reading Clinic is not without its difficulties. Dr. Janagap started using a corner of her room to officiate the program—which would soon cannot accommodate the overwhelming number of students. Initially, she also shouldered the expenses for the acquisition of the books and even wrote some of the materials herself.

Results were outstanding: 98 percent of the students who took the remedial classes moved up to Senior High School with ease and those who went to the clinic even became tutors themselves.

Dr. Janagap’s legacy through the Reading Clinic resulted to a zero dropout rate in Pavia National High School, which houses more than 5,000 learners every school year. The innovation eventually became a benchmarking model in the Division of Iloilo and has been replicated by 149 out of 179 schools.

In fact, she has helped facilitate trainings for more than 240 reading coordinators in Iloilo and encouraged them to put up their very own remedial reading programs.

And for more than two decades, her famous remedial classes have also extended through the immediate communities surrounding the school. Coming from a poor family herself, Dr. Janagap was well-aware of the growing literacy gap in the academic development of children in rural communities. And so, she conceptualized the “The Project Mind, Body and Soul (MBS)” to further her advocacy.

The MBS proactively promotes improvement in reading and writing skills, hygiene and nutritional needs, and building of spiritual character of beneficiaries translated in their day-to-day routine.

MBS stems from Dr. Janagap’s evaluation after personally visiting houses in the neighborhood to give a quick oral exam to graduating elementary students. The idea is to give children with low reading proficiency an advanced remedial class before entering secondary schools.

Beneficiaries accounted are around 2,000 elementary children together with their parents, most of whom are living in poverty.

Outside her reading advocacy, Dr. Janagap actively promotes responsible parenthood and successful marriages among families through the conduct of seminars in the local parish. To date, around 300 couples and 4,000 families have been served by this advocacy which started last 2012.

Dr. Janagap graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, Cum Laude, at West Visayas State University, Iloilo City. She earned her Master’s degree in Education and Doctor of Education degree with specialization in Educational Leadership and Management at the University of Visayas, Cebu. She earned the citations, Pambansang Ulirang Guro 2016 and the Most Outstanding School Paper Adviser of the Philippines. She is married and a mother of four.

“Getting this recognition would mean a confirmation, and somehow, a license to continue with the programs I have started to propagate a culture of science in the school and the community. It would also mean so much to my family, sealing in a stamp to our legacy of being a family of teachers.”

AIMEE MARIE C. GRAGASIN, Ph. D.

Special Science Teacher VPhilippine Science High School - Cagayan Valley Campus

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya


Field of Specialization: Physics and Research

Nueva Vizcaya’s Science Education Innovator


Coming from a lineage of Science teachers, Dr. Aimee Marie C. Gragasin’s 24-year legacy in teaching Physics and Research goes beyond textbook lessons and classroom walls—quite literally, as she lets her students at the Philippine Science High School Cagayan Valley

Campus (PSHS-CVC) immerse themselves in actual research and working contexts.

With a supportive administration, Dr. Gragasin was able to propose and implement an annual Summer Internship Program (SIP) back when she was Curriculum Instruction Services Division Chief in 2010. The program, which aims to give junior students a preview of the field, also became an immersive experience which exposes the interns to the realities and inner workings of science application in the country.

The students undergo a two-week internship program in various government and private institutions in Nueva Vizcaya, neighboring provinces, and as far as Metro Manila—where established national institutions reside, such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), and National Physics Institute at the University of the Philippines Diliman, among others.

Participating partners provide hands-on taskings, with the number of experts growing from seven to 20 partner institutions in the last decade.

Not only does SIP provide students a glimpse of their possible future as scientists, but early in this stage of their careers, they get to establish networks of field experts and potential colleagues from other schools and institutions.

Eight years after its inception, Dr. Gragasin’s SIP has since developed into a required activity integrated in the curriculum of PSHS-CVC. The program is also the first to send its students outside the region, opening up more choices for the students to explore and navigate.

Today, the SIP is adopted as a program for the whole PSHS system. The DOST has long been acknowledging the program for its promising contribution not only to the interns, but also for the local science institutions and its endeavors. It also fits well in the implementation of the K to 12 program, which requires workplace immersion for senior high school students.

Dr. Gragasin’s passion for teaching does not only benefit her students, but her co-faculty members as well. To inspire fellow teachers to strive better in their professions, she devised a year-round series of educational sessions which serves as an open venue for academic discourse. Through these sessions, young educators are given the platform to share their strategies and best practices as proven effective in their respective classes.

As a gender and development advocate, Dr. Gragasin organized activities for PSHS-CVC teachers and employees that heightened their awareness and involvement in gender-based activities and issues. She initiated school-wide activities such as career talks with female resource speakers who lead careers in male-dominated professions.

Dr. Gragasin earned her Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Physics, Cum Laude, and Master of Science in Teaching Physics at Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City. She received her Doctoral Degree in Educational Management with dissertation distinction at Saint Mary’s University, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.

Originally teaching at the PSHS–Southern Mindanao Campus, Dr. Gragasin has proven that her passion for teaching knows no bounds. She transferred to PSHS-CVC when she married a math teacher from Nueva Vizcaya. They have a son interested in the arts.

“I want to be remembered as someone who embodies the different roles a teacher has to play in today’s world: a mentor who shapes students’ minds and shares her knowledge to her colleagues; a researcher who contributes to the generation of new knowledge; and a public servant who uses geophysics as a tool to empower communities and solve pressing societal problems.”

C A R L A B. D I M A L A N TA , Ph. D.

Professor 10 University of the Philippines Diliman

Quezon City


Field of Specialization: Exploration Geophysics

Philippines’ First Female Exploration Geophysicist with a Doctoral Degree


As the only female Exploration Geophysicist with a Doctoral Degree in the country, Dr. Carla B. Dimalanta’s 25-year service comes with not merely academic prestige but an overwhelming desire to provide students with an appreciation of this highly technical branch

of science.

A professor at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, her work delves in intensive information and education campaign to further mainstreaming of issues accounted in a specific community, majority of which are published internationally.

Significant research undertakings include the application of geophysical methods in identifying possible sources of groundwater for the coastal communities in Romblon in 2009; the assessment of landslide hazards in Mindoro in 2017; and just recently, the use of geophysics tools in investigating gold mineralization in the Masara Gold District in Eastern Mindanao.

Meanwhile, some of Dr. Dimalanta’s notable works are in coordination with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in carrying out ground penetrating radar surveys post Bohol earthquake in 2013; and the initial Law of the Sea initiative that looked at the geophysical data used to support the country’s claim to delineate its territorial boundaries.

Not only did her researches probe timely issues concerning localities, it also placed premium to providing answers to geoscientific problems in the Philippines, which is of global interest as well. Her publications—referenced by both international geoscientists and experts from other science branches—installed her name as one of the most highly cited scientists in the country.

But among a bountiful stretch of honors, Dr. Dimalanta takes most pride in her students’ achievements. She has mentored and advised 15 students towards the completion of their

Masteral Degrees in Geology. Five of her students are now pursuing their doctoral studies abroad, specializing in Geophysics. Furthermore, several of her previous mentees are now her co-faculty at UP Diliman’s National Institute of Geological Sciences and UP Los Baños. They are mentoring students of their own, adopting the same work ethic and research culture that Dr. Dimalanta has instilled in them.

It has been a known fact that the Philippines, falling under the Pacific Ring of Fire, is naturally susceptible to disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Adding to these are growing studies in climate change and its devastating effects, which draws out alarming concerns for local communities.

Consuming this topic on a day-to-day basis as a teacher and researcher at the country’s premiere national university, Dr. Dimalanta hopes to provide concrete measures on climate change adaptation and disaster risk management for the Filipino people.

Today, her work on climate change and disaster risk reduction is integrated into UP’s General Education courses, such as in the Principles of Geology and in Global Studies: Cultures of Disaster—all taken by undergraduate students at UP Diliman.

Dr. Dimalanta is currently juggling her duties as a professor, researcher, and university administrator for academic affairs, but her passion to serve the people remains as strong as ever. She turned down higher paying opportunities and a chance to permanently reside in America simply because she has vowed to render her service to the community.

Dr. Dimalanta was conferred the University Scientist title in 2006, a title which she holds up to now. She was a Gawad Tsanselor sa Natatanging Guro awardee in 2010. She earned her undergraduate and masteral degrees in Geology at UP Diliman and received her Doctorate Degree in Earth and Planetary Science from the University of Tokyo, Japan.

“If I was able to design and develop devices for AFP despite the limited resources I had at the time, then I am certain there are equally capable Filipinos working in the public and private sectors that could work together given the appropriate support and management for the same purpose. I have always strongly advocated for this brand of self-reliance. I believe our country has the potential to do better.”

F R A N C I S A . S E Ñ O R O N P A

Assistant Division Chief, Logistics Management Division Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, OJ4

Armed Forces of the Philippines, Camp Aguinaldo

Quezon City


Philippine Army’s Explosives Engineer

L I E U T E N A N T C O L O N E L

The awardee was recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He ranked Major at the time of nomination.


In an ordnance service career that spans more than two decades, Lieutenant Colonel Francis A. Señoron is acutely aware of the inherent and expected risks he has to face. Danger, even death, could take place at a moment’s glance. Terrorists-laid improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are unstable by their very essence,

and can detonate at the slightest touch.

Armed with goal to prevent and control these hazards, Lt. Col. Señoron has focused his career onto developing counter-explosive tools and conducting sector-specific trainings to various stakeholders. His efforts have made the overall process of bomb disposal and management more efficient and safer for his comrades and civilians in the line of fire.

In 2006, during his stint as a young Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Battalion Intelligence Officer in Central Mindanao, Lt. Col. Señoron designed and constructed several specialized tools designed to counter IEDs. Among which are the Electric Blasting Galvanometer and the IED Disruptor—alternative devices he put together using readily available, locally sourced materials.

These counter-explosives are extremely expensive when procured from foreign countries—one blasting galvanometer alone commercially costs at least PhP 200,000; while an IED disruptor costs around PhP 850,000. Yet because of Lt. Col. Señoron’s ingenuity and background in electronics, he was able to devise the galvanometer and the disruptor with the same performance and function but is exponentially cheaper and more sustainable than their imported equivalents. His models of the galvanometer and the IED disruptor only costs PhP 1,500 and PhP 600, respectively.

The Philippine Army later decided to adopt Lt. Col. Señoron’s design and funded the mass production of the local blasting galvanometers and IED disruptors. Until today, these two revolutionary devices are being used by various EOD units nationwide.

After the infamous Maguindanao Massacre on November 23, 2009, Lt. Col. Señoron and his men were instrumental in the detection, neutralization, and safe recovery of numerous assorted high-powered firearms,

ammunitions, and other war materials of the Ampatuan Private Armed Group. The successful operations were crucial in dismantling the armed group and moving justice forward for the 57 victims of the massacre.

Knowing the threats of living in conflict zones and highly politicized environments, himself being deployed in one, Lt. Col. Señoron facilitated numerous capacity-building trainings and seminars on IED awareness and bomb threat management in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and North and South Cotabato. Hands-on exercises and scenarios involving actual explosive operations were conducted during these trainings. Well-attended by soldiers, authorities, and civilians alike, this series of trainings greatly helped in laymanizing the highly technical nature of the military’s bomb neutralization efforts.

In 2011, Lt. Col. Señoron was taken out of the Central Mindanao battlefield to be deployed as the EOD Battalion Operations Officer in the Army’s EOD Battalion Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila. With his new capacity, Lt. Col. Señoron initiated the large scale disposal operations of unserviceable ammunitions in the Army warehouses. A total of 64,640 high explosive ammunitions and landmines were safely disposed, thereby eliminating the hazards it posed to Army personnel and civilians living close to the ammunition storage facilities.

Lt. Col. Señoron graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Management from the Philippine Military Academy in 2000 and earned his Master’s degree in Public Management from the Ateneo School of Government in 2016, graduating valedictorian of his class. His dissertation focused on assessing the implementation of safety policies and procedures of the Army’s EOD Battalion.

Lt. Col. Señoron has achieved much at 40 years old. He has received 51 Military Merit Medals for combat, non-combat, and administrative functions; 29 Bronze Cross Medals for counter-IED operations; 21 Military Commendation Medals for various achievements; an Outstanding Achievement award; one Gawad sa Kaunlaran; two Sagisag ng Ulirang Kawal; 11 Anti-Dissidence and Campaign Medals; and 19 badges and plaques. Lt. Col. Señoron is married and has two kids.

T H O M A S R YA N R . S E G U I N PA F

Squadron Commander 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron

5th Fighter Wing, Basa Air Base

Floridablanca, Pampanga


Philippine Air Force’s Warfighter


“As an instructor pilot and squadron commander, fulfillment comes in knowing that I have done my part to bring back the fighter operation competency of the Philippine Air Force. I have endeavored to achieve this by instituting training systems and develop a safety culture within my crew. I envision these in-place systems to eventually perpetuate and continually develop even after my time in the force.”

During the five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi last year, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Ryan R. Seguin, a Philippine Air Force (PAF) fighter pilot, was among the dauntless few who directed aerial missions instrumental in scoring back victory against the Maute group.

In the face of overwhelming odds, Lt. Col. Seguin masterfully exemplified composure under fire—flying 134 out of the 156 total air-to-ground attack missions over Marawi’s main battle area. Given the limited number of pilots equipped for command, Lt. Col. Seguin had to steer these missions day and night, over bodies of water, despite the impending risks brought about by unfavorable winds and weather conditions, and limited air visibility due to nighttime darkness and ground fires. The missions marked a milestone in his 23-year career service, holding the most number of missions ever achieved by a pilot in the entire PAF history.

As the flight leader of these missions, Lt. Col. Seguin facilitated the rigorous planning, precise execution, and accurate delivery of air munitions on the predetermined targets. He ably dropped a total of 268 bombs over the battlefield, equivalent to 134,000 pounds of explosives.

The missions provided a strong close-air support for the ground troops to advance their positions and seize enemy strongholds—consequently leading to the neutralization of numerous local and foreign terrorists, including leaders of the long-standing Abu Sayyaf Group and the ISIS-inspired Maute Group.

Lt. Col. Seguin’s dedication in service manifests itself beyond his air fighting duties. As Squadron Commander of the 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron under the PAF’s 5th Fighter Wing, he committed himself to teaching and training a new generation of PAF troops to become qualified pilots of fighter aircrafts. This was an urgent necessity given the apparent shortage of fighter pilots within the force, especially as many of whom already retired from their post or eventually got recruited by commercial aviation companies.

Determined to break this trend, he ensured to instill the values of nationalism and service in the curriculum of military aviation education. Lt. Col. Seguin provided educational

enhancements by developing and implementing new training programs and preparing manuals for pilots-in-training. He also worked to provide flight simulation facilities and programs to improve the knowledge, flexibility, and productivity of aviation students.

His efforts to enhance and intensify pilot training resulted to a total of 25 combat and mission ready pilots in PAF’s 5th Fighter Wing. This benefited not only the careers of these pilots as they progressed in the qualification ladder, but also the operational readiness of PAF—having significantly augmented their current roster of professionally trained pilots responsive to air operations for national defense.

Outside his usual duty, Lt. Col. Seguin spearheaded the planning and implementation of the Adopt-a-Barangay program for the Aeta community of Barangay Nabuclod in Floridablanca, Pampanga. Under this program, various community development projects have been conducted to address the pressing needs of the Aeta residents in the barangay. Among which are the supplication of a potable water system, medical and dental services, feeding programs, donation of goods, tree planting activities, and the occasional children’s parties and storytelling activities.

What sets Lt. Col. Seguin’s program apart from similar civil-military operations is the continuous monitoring and visitation of their team in the barangay. The program started its rollout in 2013 and is still going on until today. In so doing, their team was able to forge a closer relationship with the Aeta community, who used to harbor cynicism due to previous conflicts with the military but has since regained back their trust.

The regular visitations were also instrumental in securing community safety. The area was once notorious for rebel movements; but since the program started, there has been no incidence of communist sightings or encounters in the area.

Lt. Col. Seguin is a graduate of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1999, ranking 4th among his batch. In 2010, he earned his Master’s degree in Public Management from the Asian Institute of Management. He is married and has two kids.


“The joint and interagency approach is something I have spent my career working on, because it essentially means bringing everyone to work in unison towards a common goal. While different agencies may differ in functions and priorities, I believe we still have commonalities and are aligned towards creating conditions conducive for sustained economic development.”

D A N I L O T . F A C U N D O P N ( M )

Director, Mobile Training and Exercise Unit Marine Corps Force Development Center

Philippine Marine Corps

Taguig City


Philippine Navy’s Jointness and Interagency Champion


Cooperation, not competition, must prevail in the quest for true and lasting peace. This is the guiding principle that has steered Lieutenant Colonel Danilo T. Facundo—a Marine Corps officer for 24 years—to champion initiatives that uphold diversity and equal opportunity within the

military and among the communities he has vowed to serve.

During his stint as the Commanding Officer of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 4 (MBLT4) in Northern and Southern Palawan, Lt. Col. Facundo led various cooperation-driven inter-agency interventions to combat widespread insurgency and terrorism in the province. By so doing, he and his men were able to secure zero kidnapping and zero terrorism related activities in Palawan in the entire duration of his term.

Lt. Col. Facundo conceptualized and facilitated the creation of the Sustained Multi-Agency Assistance in Resorts and other Tourist Areas (SMART-MARINES) and the Joint Interagency Task Unit Brooke’s Point, Batazara, Rizal, and Balabac (JIATU-BBRB), which dictated the operational tempo of all their counter-insurgency campaigns. These two multi-agency groups—composed of members from the military, local government units, and the private sector—provided a holistic and inclusive measure to secure the well-being of Palaweños and instill among various stakeholders that they all share a responsibility to stop terrorism. Equally important, the SMART-MARINES and JIATU-BBRB strengthened the information sharing protocol of the military with local authorities and business officials in the province.

The several strategic meetings, planning sessions, and specialized trainings conducted under the SMART-MARINES and the JIATU-BBRB were instrumental in the takeover of four enemy camps of the New People’s Army (NPA); recovery of 35 firearms and various subversive documents and war materials; and the voluntary surrender of 11 former rebels.

Consequently, the neutralization of communists and other criminal groups contributed greatly to the development of the province’s economy—evidenced by the influx of tourists and increasing number of investors and businesses since these multi-agency groups were established.

Aside from fortifying close-knit collaborations among key stakeholders, Lt. Col. Facundo strongly advocated for the advancement of the interests of indigenous peoples (IP) and youth sector in Palawan. He acknowledged that these sectors are often subject to societal segregation and lack of education, hence making them easy targets of harassment and extortion of the NPA.

As such, Lt. Col. Facundo persistently brought his troops and some representatives from the local government to the IP communities in remote areas to deliver basic social services, such as medical and dental missions, and distribution of educational materials to children. Their team also led the conduct of Tribal Olympics, Lakbay Aral (field trips), and leadership summits to inculcate the principle of culture-based patriotism among the youth.

These regular community visits gave the IP populace an opportune time to convey their needs and concerns, which accordingly resolved the service and communication gaps between them and their local authorities.

On an administrative level, Lt. Col. Facundo challenged existing norms within the Marines by initiating programs on bottom-up leadership and gender mainstreaming. A staunch advocate of decentralized decision-making within the military, he introduced leadership programs for junior officers and non-commissioned personnel, particularly among the Marines’ tactical units at the grassroots.

Lt. Col. Facundo also led enhanced gender and development programs in the battalion, in which female Marines were empowered to lead the conduct of community engagement programs and command rifle companies in the frontlines. Outside military ranks, he facilitated gender sensitivity training workshops for various community stakeholders.

Lt. Col. Facundo is a graduate of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1998, ranking first in the Marine Platoon Commanders Course; and a graduate of Joint and Combined Warfighting Course at Joint Force Staff College in Virginia, USA, where he received the Distinguished Joint Planner award. He is married and has three kids.


“Being deployed in the terror-threatened hinterlands of Malita, Davao Occidental made me realize that my role as a police officer is not only to enforce laws, but to educate the people. This is the backbone of sustainable peace and order: a strong bond between the police and the community.”

A I D A L . A W I T I NDavao Occidental’s Enforcer-Educator

Assistant Police Community Relations PNCODavao Occidental Police Provincial Office

Malita, Davao Occidental


S E N I O R P O L I C E O F F I C E R 1


Senior Police Officer 1 Aida L. Awitin was set to dedicate her life’s work to being a teacher. In 2005, she was teaching at a small-town elementary school in Davao del Sur when the calling to serve as a police officer suddenly struck her. Lo, it was an epiphany she was fated to pursue.

A daughter of two retired police officers, SPO1 Awitin has since been in the police service for 12 years. For the majority of her career, she has worked as an investigator of the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) of various units in the Davao Region. Her being a licensed teacher and a mother proved to be advantageous in this capacity. She harnessed her teaching background and inherent maternal compassion in handling sensitive cases of violence and abuse against women and children.

A staunch advocate of police-community relations, SPO1 Awitin was the moving force behind the institutionalization of the Lingap Mamamayan program (loosely translated as “Care for the People”) in the rebel-tagged municipality of Malita, Davao Occidental. Lingap Mamamayan is a community-based, anti-criminality, counterinsurgency initiative implemented mostly in Malita’s far-flung communities, which do not usually receive basic social services and are susceptible to crime incidences and infiltration by communist rebels.

Through Lingap Mamamayan, the delivery of social services to underprivileged communities became more efficient. Poor families living in mountainous areas far off the city center were provided with life’s basics, such as daily food items, personal hygiene kits, school materials for children, and medical and dental services.

SPO1 Awitin tapped the support of key government institutions and private organizations to sustain the funding and expansion requisites of the program. These regular community visits positively impacted local community welfare, resulting to improved public service processes and community policing in the area.

The program also became the springboard for Akyat Aral (loosely translated as “Education in the Mountains”) which aimed to provide basic literacy lessons for out-of-school youth and unschooled adults in the community. Akyat Aral also served as a platform for information dissemination on crime-related policies and counterinsurgency strategies already in place.

By incorporating these information campaigns and sensitization sessions, community members have now become aware of their rights and responsibilities as law-abiding citizens. The same communities have also initiated their own version of Alsa Masa (Masses Arise)—borrowing from the concept of the anti-communist vigilante group with the same name that started in the 1980s in Davao City. The local Alsa Masa has allowed citizens to be more involved in eliminating drugs and crime by helping the police gather intelligence and information at the grassroots level.

Because of these concerted efforts, a total of 128 former New People’s Army rebels have voluntarily surrendered to the police. A majority of the surrenderees are relatives of the said Alsa Masa group. They were the ones who persuaded their NPA-indoctrinated family members to turn a new leaf through recovery and rehabilitation activities.

Recognizing the importance of engaging the youth in crime prevention and solution, SPO1 Awitin established the Junior Police (J-Police) program in 2017. In its pilot run, the J-Police assembled 112 high school students from six schools to serve as the young counterparts of police officers in their respective barangays.

By recruiting high-performing students alongside those with disruptive and problematic behaviors, the program was able to create a platform for these groups to resolve their differences and work together instead. Organizing them into J-Police proved to be a good strategy as their actions instantaneously cascaded to their circles of influence, thus creating a ripple effect.

Barely a year since its implementation, the J-Police program has contributed to the marked decrease of dropout rates, crime incidences, and other forms of disturbances in schools and contiguous communities. It has also positively affected behavioral changes among the students, who have since gained better appreciation of law enforcement work.

SPO1 Awitin graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the Cor Jesu College in Digos City, Davao del Sur. She is married and has two kids.

“People may think that the badge of a police officer represents power and authority; but for me, it signifies selflessness and service to the community and the country. With each new day that I serve, I am reminded to always go the extra mile, to always make myself available especially to the most vulnerable—even if it means putting my life on the line.”

D E N N I S S . E B S O L O , Ph. D.

Chief of Police Villanueva Municipal Police Station

Villanueva, Misamis Oriental


Misamis Oriental’s Horse-Mounted Cop

P O L I C E S E N I O R I N S P E C T O R


In today’s modern age where new technologies and gadgets abound, Police Senior Inspector Dennis S. Ebsolo chooses to preserve an old-fashioned policing technique: the heritage of mounted patrol, or simply, cops on a horse.

During his stint as the station commander of Cagayan de Oro-Police Station 8 (CDO-PS8) in 2015, PSInsp. Ebsolo initiated the use of horses in patrolling the 12 hinterland barangays covered by his station. With a total land area of about 12 thousand hectares, these barangays are composed mostly of uphill regions, marshlands, farms, and untouched rainforests which could not be accessed by automobiles. Roughly 80 percent of the residents living in the barangays are disadvantaged lumads (indigenous peoples from various tribes). The mounted horse patrol hence became the solution to fix the issue of access to these barangays.

PSInsp. Ebsolo sought stakeholder support and approval through the conduct of both formal and informal meetings with key local authorities and civil service leaders. He also pitched the idea to revered businessmen and high society families in Cagayan de Oro City, who supported him primarily by giving financial provision necessary in the acquisition of the horses.

The regular implementation of the mounted horse patrol paved the way for successful police operations thereafter. It was instrumental in the arrest of a total of 75 suspects of robbery and murder cases, several of whom had been in Cagayan de Oro’s most wanted persons list for a long time. It also led to the crackdown of illicit activities such as illegal mining and illegal logging operations; and the suppression of ridos (tribal wars) and other local conflicts in the area.

Under PSInsp. Ebsolo’s competent direction, CDO-PS8 accomplished the most number of buy-bust operations and identified drug personalities in the police station’s history. He and his troops were able to capture a total of 83 drug offenders—including elusive high-profile targets involved in the large-scale drug trade within the province—and seized millions worth of illegal drugs, high powered firearms, and various explosives.

By tirelessly patrolling the barangays day in and day out, PSInsp. Ebsolo and his personnel were able to forge close community relationships and gain the buy-in of the residents. Witnessing PSInsp. Ebsolo’s dedication to his work enabled the residents to be empowered and regain their respect and confidence in the police and the government, which was a remarkable turnaround given the tattered reputation of the police before PSInsp. Ebsolo’s administration.

PSInsp. Ebsolo would even go as far as giving out his personal number to barangay officials, teachers, business owners, and church leaders—encouraging them to reach him whenever there is an emergency, big or small, in their respective barangays. This led to the mobilization of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team and the Barangay Intelligence Network—civilian-led action groups which served to file reports, provide information about crime in their neighborhoods, and work with the police to devise solutions to persisting peace and order problems.

Notwithstanding these law enforcement operations, PSInsp. Ebsolo spearheaded the Suroy Bata (loosely translated as “Fieldtrip for the Children”) in his areas of jurisdiction since 2015. Through the Suroy Bata, the entire police force treats the children—coming from lumad families and marginalized communities in the hinterlands—to a day of learning and enjoyment by touring them to places in the Cagayan de Oro metropolis, and letting them gain social experiences such as eating fast-food meals, playing on parks and playgrounds, and watching movies for the first time.

PSInsp. Ebsolo plans to replicate the use of horses in patrolling the areas covered by his current station in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Criminology from the Cagayan de Oro College; and his Doctorate degree in Criminology from the Philippine College in Criminology, where he received a Meritissumus Award for his dissertation. He serves as a part-time instructor to BS Criminology students in different colleges and universities in the city during his off-duty hours. PSInsp. Ebsolo is married and has three kids.

“In my almost three-decade service, I have embodied the PNP core values of being Makadiyos, Makakalikasan, Makatao, at Makabansa—a police officer who, under the graces of God, has served the people and impacted a positive change in my organization and the communities, in the pursuit of protecting people’s lives and dignity and the environment they live in.”

PA S C U A L G . M U Ñ O Z , J r. , P h . D.

Chief, Supply Management Division Directorate for Logistics

Philippine National Police, Camp Crame

Quezon City


Camp Crame’s Operations Game-Changer

P O L I C E S E N I O R S U P E R I N T E N D E N T


PA S C U A L G . M U Ñ O Z , J r. , P h . D.

When one thinks of an effective police officer, the image that comes to mind is that of a proactive cop in the operational frontlines, arresting the most notorious of criminals or dismantling the most number of illicit deeds. Often downplayed though is the

police officer in the administrative division: a policymaker, a financial manager, an internal game-changer.

In his 28-year career experience in police service, Police Senior Superintendent Pascual G. Muñoz, Jr. has proven himself exceptional in all these capacities and more.

When PSSupt. Muñoz assumed his post in 2012 as the Provincial Director of the Laguna Provincial Police Office (LPPO), the magnitude of the drug trade and proliferation of organized crime groups in the province led him to conceptualize new operational strategies to curtail the problem. Intelligence operations were intensified and close collaborations with local government officials and sectoral leaders in the community were set in place.

This multi-sectoral, service-centric approach to widespread criminality resulted to the arrest of 153 drug offenders, and the dismantling of seven shabu tiangge (drug dens) in Biñan City, San Pedro City, San Pablo City, Santa Cruz, and Lumban. Several organized crime groups that had been undertaking extensive, illicit activities for a long time were finally neutralized, which include the notorious Balba Robbery Hold-up Group, Mayon Robbery Hold-up Group, and the Dela Cruz Carnapping Group, among others.

Under PSSupt. Muñoz’s watch, the province of Laguna has seen marked improvements in environmental protection through the adoption of Operation Plan BERDE (Boost our Environment Reserves for the Development of our Ecosystem). Oplan BERDE was formed to stop rampant illegal logging activities and large-scale deforestation in the 1,300 hectares of public forestland in Laguna.

PSSupt. Muñoz introduced new strategies, such as technological mapping through Google Earth and the use of helicopters for air reconnaissance and air-to-ground operations, to instigate aerial surveillance of hotspot areas and the eventual search and apprehension of ground targets. He pushed for continuous coordination between all concerned institutions—including the provincial office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Army’s 202nd Brigade—to apprehend violators and implement a concrete environmental protection and forest preservation plan for Laguna.

Aside from successfully neutralizing illicit operations and confiscating thousands worth of lumbers, Oplan BERDE contributed to the prevention of soil erosion and flood occurrences, thus alleviating its once-disastrous effects to the townsfolk.

As a response to gruesome crime incidences within the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB): PSSupt. Muñoz initiated the community-wide “UPLB Ko, Bantay Ko” program. It was a monumental stride that institutionalized the safety and security measures of the campus, which covers 5,445 hectares of land encompassing the entire Makiling Forest Reserve and surrounding areas.

In 2017, when PSSupt. Muñoz was lifted out of frontline duty to serve in the Camp Crame Headquarters, he did not falter in blazing trails towards the improvement of police services. He knew that though the capacity was different, the end goal to “serve and protect” remained the same.

As the Head Secretariat of the Procurement Management Committee, PSSupt. Muñoz formulated policies streamlining service procedures for retirees and two support programs for a more expedient procurement of goods within the force.

The changes he implemented in the clearance issuance system of retirees—which include reducing the number of requisite documents and signatories, assigning of clearance officers, and designation of dedicated email addresses for all units—made the entire process more efficient and transparent.

PSSupt. Muñoz also formulated circulars to resolve procurement issues characterized by intense red tape and corruption. With new regulations on inspection and imbursement processes in place, the delivery and payment of procured goods has never been more optimal than ever. It led to the acquisition of PhP10 billion worth of police equipment, thus enhancing the overall arm capability of all units and troops nationwide.

Nearing retirement in three years, PSSupt. Muñoz graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1990; earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Assumption in Pampanga in 1999, and was conferred with a Doctorate degree in Peace and Security Administration at the Bicol University in 2009. He is married and has two kids.

Chairperson SENATOR JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA Republic of the Philippines

Co-Chairperson ASSOCIATE JUSTICE NOEL G. TIJAM Supreme Court of the Philippines

To provide opportunities that empower every Filipino family is the overarching goal of every measure and policy being pushed by Senator Sonny Angara.

He is one of the most hardworking and productive members of Congress, having sponsored or authored more than 80 laws in his 14 years as legislator—as Aurora representative from 2004 to 2013, and as senator from 2013 to present.

Like his father—the late Senator Edgardo Angara—he is a known advocate for education. He believes that the best way out of poverty and towards a good life is quality education. While his father authored the Free High School Act, Senator Angara is one of the authors of the Free College Law, the Free Kindergarten Law, and the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education or the UNIFAST Act that aims to ensure that poor and deserving students benefit from government scholarships.

He is now pushing for the passage of laws increasing teachers’ salary, and granting student discount to the poor to help families with daily school expenses.

Associate Justice Noel Tijam is the 176th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017. Justice Tijam started as a legal consultant at the Philippine Senate before acting as a Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City in 1994. Soon after, he served as President of the Quezon City RTC Judges Association. In 2003, he was promoted to the Court of Appeals where he was designated Chairperson/Editor-in-Chief of the Court of Appeals Journal while serving, at the same time, as member of the Committee on Rules. Justice Tijam is also a Professorial Lecturer II at the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA) assigned to the Remedial Law Department where he teaches Pre-trial and Trial skills, Searches and Seizures, Legal Ethics, Oral Advocacy, Legal Writing and Remedial Law, in various seminars organized by the PhilJA, the UP Law Center, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and several law firms under the Mandatory Continuing Legal Excellence (MCLE).

Senator Angara is currently the chairman of the Senate committees on local government, and ways and means. To put dignity into the country’s premier police force, he principally authored the Magna Carta for the Philippine National Police that aims to strengthen existing rights and raise the benefits and allowances of the police force.

Moreover, in recognition of our soldiers’ vital role in the protection of the country’s integrity, he has been pushing for higher hazard pay for all Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, and for the increase in education, health and housing benefits for military dependents.

More importantly, Senator Angara is now leading the call in the Senate to make check-ups, laboratory tests, and primary medicines free for all Filipinos under the proposed Universal Health Care bill.

Senator Angara graduated from Xavier School, London School of Economics, University of the Philippines College of Law, and the Harvard Law School.

For his known skill and zeal as an effective and competent speaker, he has been consistently invited to speak on various topics by a number of organizations and associations. Justice Tijam is a recipient of the 2018 Ulirang Mandaleño (Government Service) for his exemplary leadership and selfless dedication to his profession. He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Majors in Philosophy and Political Science at the San Beda College in 1967. In 1971, he graduated cum laude and class salutatorian from the San Beda College of Law. He passed the Bar Examinations in the same year at the age of 22. In 2018, he was conferred the Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa by the University of Saint Anthony (Iriga City) in recognition of his outstanding achievements as public servant, lecturer, examiner, educator, lawyer and judge.

“Each of the awardee is a hero, a true public servant whose stories need to be told. Hopefully we can repeat these stories of heroism, service, and sacrifice when we file a resolution in the Senate and in the House.”

“All of the awardees are the best of the crop because of their excellent credentials and impressive work experiences. When the awardees shook my hands, I also felt outstanding and excellent.”

FINAL BOARD OF JUDGES2018 METROBANK FOUNDATION OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS

With an impeccable record of service under the Executive Branch, Secretary Menardo Guevarra was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to the Department of Justice in April 2018.

Prior to his current appointment, Sec. Guevarra was Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs (DESLA) at the Office of the President. As DESLA, Sec. Guevarra reviewed all legal matters falling within the purview of the Office of the President, including appeals from certain quasi-judicial agencies of the government, enrolled congressional bills for presidential action, investigation and resolution of administrative and disciplinary cases involving presidential appointees and high-ranking local government officials, and all executive issuances and presidential actions on matters of general government administration.

Previously, he was appointed as a Commissioner of the newly created Philippine Competition Commission in February 2016, a quasi-judicial and anti-trust agency attached to the Office of the President, and he served therein until his appointment as Senior Deputy Executive Secretary (SDES) of the Office of the President in June 2016.

Mayor Mar-Len Abigail Binay-Campos previously served as two-term representative of the 2nd District of Makati City, taking her ground as one of the youngest legislators among her contemporaries at the Congress. She was instrumental in the passage of existing laws and policies such as the Reproductive Health Law and others that concern the welfare of women and children. In 2016, she got elected as mayor of Makati City. The fourth Binay to be elected in the position, she prioritized the city’s education sector by not only providing free school supplies and uniforms to 90,000 public school students but through the establishment of new school facilities and installation of technical-vocational laboratories in 12 senior high schools and the first biotech laboratory at Makati Science

Member SECRETARY MENARDO I. GUEVARRA Department of Justice

Member MAYOR MAR-LEN ABIGAIL BINAY-CAMPOS City Government of Makati

As SDES, Sec. Guevarra directly assisted the Executive Secretary and, indirectly, the President in the management of the affairs of the Government. In addition to his designation as representative of the Office of the President (OP) to the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) Board of Trustees, Sec. Guevarra also served as OP oversight representative to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Board of Directors, and as representative of the Executive Secretary in various National Economic and Development Authority cabinet-level committees, and in the Cabinet Cluster on Justice, Security, and Peace, the Anti-Terrorism Council, the Strategic Trade Management Committee, and the National Coast Watch Council.

Sec. Guevarra graduated magna cum laude from the Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, major in Political Science, in 1974. While working full-time in key government institutions, he took up Law in the evening at the Ateneo School of Law in Makati. He finished the course (Second Honors) in 1985 and went on to lead his class in the Bar Examinations, placing second overall among 700 successful examinees.

High School. Makati residents, who are 70 years old and above, are also encouraged to enroll in college or graduate school free of tuition. Under Mayor Binay-Campos’ administration, a push for modernization through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) gave citizens access to a unified, multi-purpose government-issued citizen ID that consolidates all health and social benefits for over 500,000 residents and city hall employees. Also called “Makatizen Card,” holders can avail digital and mobile services including cashless transactions. Free WiFi access and installation of mobile signal boosters on some 3,000 city-owned lamp posts were also launched as part of this vision. Mayor Binay-Campos earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo School of Law.

“This award inspires and gives a lot of hope and recognition to very humble people. And it is because of the Metrobank Foundation that these Outstanding Filipinos are properly commended.”

“The level of commitment, passion, and compassion for public service of the awardees is unbelievable. They had several opportunities to have a better future and yet they sacrificed by serving our country.”

FINAL BOARD OF JUDGES

Member BR. ARMIN A. LUISTRO, FSC President, De La Salle Philippines

Member MANUEL V. PANGILINAN Chairman, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP)

Mr. Manuel Pangilinan founded First Pacific in 1981 and serves as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Within the First Pacific Group, he holds the positions of President Commissioner of P.T. Indofood Sukses Makmur, the largest food company in Indonesia.

In the Philippines, he is the President and CEO of PLDT Incorporated, the country’s dominant telecom company and Smart Communications Incorporated–the largest mobile phone operator in the Philippines, and continues to serve as their Chairman concurrently. He also serves as Chairman of Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Maynilad Water Services Incorporated (Maynilad), Mediaquest Incorporated, Associated Broadcasting Corporation (TV5), Philex Mining Corporation, Philex Petroleum Corporation, Manila North Tollways Corporation, Landco Pacific Corporation, Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings, Inc., Makati Medical Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Digital Telecommunications Phils., Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc., PLDT Communications & Energy Ventures Inc. In 2012, he was appointed as Vice Chairman of Roxas Holdings, Incorporated which owns and operates the largest sugar milling operations in the Philippines. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the San Beda College. In August 2016, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) – the National Sport Association for basketball requested Mr. Pangilinan to be its Chairman Emeritus after serving as President since February 2007. Effective January 2009, Mr. Pangilinan assumed the Chairman of the

Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP), a governing body of amateur boxers in the country. In October 2009, Mr. Pangilinan was appointed Chairman of the Philippine Disaster Resiliency Foundation, Incorporated (PDRF), a non-profit foundation established to formulate and implement a reconstruction strategy to rehabilitate areas devastated by floods and other calamities. Mr. Pangilinan is Chairman of Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the largest private sector social action organization made up of the country’s largest corporations. In June 2012, he was appointed as Co-Chairman of the US-Philippines Business Society (USPS), a non-profit society which seeks to broaden the relationship between the United States and the Philippines in the areas of trade, investment, education, foreign and security policies and culture.

Mr. Pangilinan graduated cum laude in 1966 from the Ateneo de Manila University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. He received his MBA degree in 1968 from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Procter & Gamble Fellow.

After graduating from Wharton, he worked in Manila for Philippine Investment Management Consultants Inc. (the PHINMA Group) and in Hong Kong with Bancom International Limited and American Express Bank, and thereafter with First Pacific Company Limited.“Participating as part of

the Board of Judges of the Outstanding Filipinos is in the sense a retreat for me, because it uplifts my spirit and gives me hope that there are individuals where the country can actually rediscover its lost spirit.” “Despite all of the issues

that we hear about, the record is so encouraging that it does give hope. I think it’s what this country needs.”

Br. Armin Luistro brings with him over 33 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. He served as the Secretary of the Department of Education from June 2010 to 2016 where he led the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program. Prior to this, Br. Armin was at the helm of De La Salle University, serving as its President from April 2004 to June 2010. In previous years, he also served as President of De La Salle Philippines, De La Salle University System, and several other La Salle schools. Currently he is the President of De La Salle University Science Foundation and De La Salle Philippines. He is also the President of Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the country’s largest, business-led non-governmental organization.

Br. Armin also served in various capacities in other government and intergovernmental organizations. These include the National Youth Commission (NYC) Advisory Council, UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) Board, National Economic and

Development Authority Social Development Committee, Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster of the Philippine Cabinet, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). He has likewise been an active member of the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC), Knowledge Channel Foundation, Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), and the Sidhay Foundation for Street Children. Br. Armin is a professed member of the De La Salle Christian Brothers. An educator at heart, Br. Armin began his teaching profession at De La Salle Lipa in Batangas where he worked as a religion teacher, homeroom adviser and campus minister from 1983-1986.

Br. Armin holds a doctorate degree in Educational Management from the University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod, as well as a Master’s degree in Religious Education and Values Education degree from De La Salle University in Manila. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Letters degree also from

2018 METROBANK FOUNDATION OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS

Member NESTOR J. PADILLA President & Chief Executive Officer, Rockwell Land, Inc.

Member MA. TERESA “MARITES” D. VITUG Veteran Journalist

“We know of their institutions but through this competition, the Outstanding Filipinos, we get to know them as human beings, what they do in the field. This is a good first step in letting us know that there are such stories, there are such lives that need to be recognized. We might even be more inspired if we read about these people.”

“Meeting the Outstanding Filipinos in person makes you feel how passionate they are, not just in their field but in the community. I think the Foundation has done a great job not just of recognizing these people but also for giving them an opportunity to be recognized.”

For more than two decades, Mr. Nestor Padilla is the President, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Rockwell Land Corporation, one of the top real estate development companies in the country. Under Mr. Padilla’s administration, Rockwell’s operations expanded into three segments — residential development, office and retail and most recently their venture in hotel operations through the launching of “Aruga”. Before shepherding Rockwell in its success today, Mr. Padilla’s expertise in property development was sharpened in his stay at Lippo, a conglomerate company in Indonesia known for various large-scale projects with operations internationally.

Mrs. Marites Danguilan Vitug has been a journalist for more than three decades, making her one of the country’s most accomplished journalists. She is also a bestselling author, who has written eight award-winning books on Philippine current affairs. Among these: “Endless Journey,” a memoir of retired general and former national security adviser, Jose Almonte; “Before Dawn: The Fall and Uncertain Rise of the Philippine Supreme Court;” and “Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court.” Her latest book, “Rock Solid: How the Philippines won its maritime dispute against China Sea” was released in July 2018.

Her works have been published in a number of periodicals such as the Nikkei Asia Review, Nieman Reports, International Herald Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Newsday, Newsweek and Asahi Shimbun, and books and journals, including The Politics of Environment in Southeast Asia (Routledge: London and New York) and The Journal of Environment and Development (University of California in San Diego).

In 2006, a global risk consultancy firm, Eurasia Group, ranked Vitug 45

among 50 Global Leaders, mostly heads of states, for her work in Newsbreak.

The former editor of the pioneering political magazine Newsbreak, Mrs. Vitug is currently the editor-at-large of Rappler. Among others, she received the Courage in Journalism Award from the US-based International Women’s Media Foundation for her reportage on the plunder of Palawan’s forests; the Journalist of the Year (JOY) award (2015) from the Metrobank Foundation, the Ozanam Award from the Ateneo University in 2011, for her body of work; the University of the Philippines Outstanding Alumni Award in 2010; and the Ten Outstanding Young Filipinos award (in the field of journalism).

In 2016, she was a visiting research scholar at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo and, before that, in 2014, in Kyoto University. In 1986, she was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University after which she earned a diploma in world politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science and graduated with Merit. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Communication from the University of the Philippines.

He served as the President of Lippo Pacific Finance and Lippo Securities before acting as Chief Executive Officer for Lippo Village and Lippo Land. Mr. Padilla earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Ateneo De Manila University.

SEARCH HIGHLIGHTS2018 METROBANK FOUNDATION OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS

Beyond Excellence 34

BOARD OF ASSESSORS

BASIC EDUCATION

AWARD FOR TEACHERS

HIGHER EDUCATION

ChairpersonMARILETTE R. ALMAYDA, Ph. D. Director III & Officer-in-ChargeBureau of Learning Delivery Department of Education

ChairpersonDINA JOANA O. CRISTOBAL, Ph. D. ProfessorCollege of EducationUniversity of the Philippines Diliman

MemberAMELIA A. BIGLETE, Ph. D. Director IVOffice of Programs and Standards DevelopmentCommission on Higher Education

MemberALLAN B. DE GUZMAN, Ph. D.DeanCollege of EducationUniversity of Santo Tomas

MemberANTRIMAN V. ORLEANS, Ph. D.Officer-in-Charge & Dean College of Graduate Studies and Teacher Education ResearchPhilippine Normal University

MemberGRACIANO P. YUMUL, JR., Ph. D. Executive Vice President & DirectorApex Mining Co. Inc.

2018 METROBANK FOUNDATION OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS


AWARD FOR SOLDIERS

AWARD FOR POLICE OFFICERS

CYRIL E. RAMOSDeputy OmbudsmanOffice of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement OfficesOffice of the Ombudsman

LEOPOLDO ROBERTO W. VALDEROSACommissionerCivil Service Commission

WILFREDO G. REYESManaging EditorBusiness World

REAR ADMIRAL ROBERTO Q. ESTIOKO (RET.)PresidentNational Defense College of the Philippines

RENATO C. DE CASTRO, Ph. D. Full ProfessorDepartment of International Studies De La Salle University

FR. JEROME R. SECILLANOExecutive Secretary Permanent Committee on Public Affairs Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

Beyond Excellence 36

Founded on October 26, 1997, the Metrobank Foundation Network of Outstanding Teachers and Educators (MBFI-NOTED), Inc. is an honor society composed of all the winners of the Metrobank Foundation’s Search for Outstanding Teachers (SOT) since 1985 and the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos Award for Teachers since 2017.

With its philosophy, “Outstanding Teachers: Us for Others in the Service of the Nation,” NOTED aims to serve as a conduit of Filipino teacher excellence, engagement, and empowerment by providing responsive and functional excellence-driven programs and projects to teachers and educators across levels of education.

The Organization of Philippine Soldiers with Outstanding Leadership, Dedication, Integrity, Excellence, and Responsibility to Society (TOPSOLDIERS) is an association of all members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who have been recognized under the Metrobank Foundation-Rotary Club of Makati Metro Search for The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS) and the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos Award for Soldiers since 2017.

The TOPSOLDIERS envisions its members to grow as disciplined, focused and committed individuals responsive to the needs of the nation and concern for the consequences of its actions. TOPSOLDIERS seek to excel by constantly seeking self improvement and professional advancement among its members, committed to live morally upright lives and genuinely serve the Filipino people, to promote a culture of excellence and transformation among ourselves and within their institution, to promote organizational and management excellence in the communities where they serve, and to undertake meaningful social, economic, and civic projects.

TOPSOLDIERS

NOTED

Police Officers Responsible for Organizing, Transforming, and Empowering Communities (PROTECT) is an alumni organization of awardees previously recognized by the Metrobank Foundation-Rotary Club of the New Manila East Search for the Country’s Outstanding Police Officers in Service (COPS) and the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos Award for Police Officers since 2017. PROTECT aims to promote a culture of excellence in the police force by conducting programs that advocate responsible citizenship, not only in the Philippine National Police but more importantly, in their respective communities as well.

PROTECT also has internal programs that benefit its members. These projects include Theory of Change: Genuine Transformation in the PNP and Community Mobilization. The programs ensure personal and professional development of all the members of PROTECT.

PROTECT

ALUMNI ORGANIZATIONS

VISION To be the country’s premier corporate philanthropic foundation contributing a significant impact on social development.

The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) was established on January 8, 1979 by Dr. George S. K. Ty, 16 years after he founded the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank). As the corporate social responsibility arm of the Metrobank Group, the Foundation implements various programs that recognize excellence among key professions, education, arts and culture, and healthcare. It also maintains a dynamic partnership with other organizations that likewise provide services for the underprivileged and marginalized sectors of society and remains responsive to aid survivors of natural calamities in the Philippines and in Asia through relief and rehabilitation efforts.

I. RECOGNITION PROGRAMS

• Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos recognizes exemplary teachers, soldiers, and police officers for rendering service above and beyond their call of duties, guided by the theme “Beyond Excellence”. An Outstanding Filipino is recognized for his/her accomplishments that have inspired and influenced their peers as well as the people in their respective communities. Their works must have transformed a community with a lasting positive impact on people and to the country.

• Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) hails Filipino artistry and creativity through the annual competitions in painting and sculpture.

• Professorial Chair Lectures, in partnership with government and academic institutions aim to strengthen key professions in the areas of law, health, public service and governance.

II. EDUCATION

• Metrobank-MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge (MMC) raises the

Board of TrusteesDr. George S.K. TyArthur V. TyFabian S. DeeAniceto M. SobrepeñaAlfred V. Ty Marixi R. PrietoMilagros G. DrilonAnjanette T. Dy BuncioDr. Sergio S. Cao

Board of Advisers Hon. Artemio V. Panganiban ChairmanHon. Albert F. Del Rosario Senior AdviserDr. Placido L. Mapa, Jr. AdviserJames Go AdviserAlfonso A. Uy AdviserMary V. Ty AdviserElvira Ong Chan Adviser

Officers: Dr. George S.K. Ty Honorary ChairmanArthur V. Ty ChairmanAlfred V. Ty Vice ChairmanAniceto M. Sobrepeña PresidentAnjanette T. Dy Buncio Senior Vice PresidentAlesandra T. Ty Corporate SecretaryZandra M. Ty Vice PresidentMelissa K. Gabor Assistant Corporate SecretaryNicanor L. Torres, Jr. Executive DirectorIrene D. Labitad Assistant Executive Director Marilou C. Bartolome ControllerAntonietta O. Chua TreasurerPamela N. Gardaya Assistant Treasurer

The Foundation shall endeavor to be the country’s premier corporate philanthropic foundation contributing a significant impact on social development. As a development organization, we aim to uplift individuals and the sectors they represent and strategically link with institutions for a shared-purpose. By creating and propagating a culture of excellence and providing solutions to stakeholder’s needs, we continuously expand our scope of reach and be at the forefront in serving communities. “Excel. Engage. Empower.” or the 3Es shall remain our roadmap.

MISSION As the heart of the Metrobank Group, we live up to our “Excel. Engage. Empower.” roadmap that embodies who we are and what we do.

mathematical competitiveness of elementary and high school students nationwide through the annual mathematics competition in partnership with the Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

• Metrobank Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to underprivileged but academically-deserving students, while instilling among scholars the value of ‘paying-it-forward’ the gift of education they have received.

• National Teachers’ Month encourages the different sectors of the society to pay tribute to the teaching profession in line with Presidential Proclamation No. 242 declaring September 5 to October 5 as National Teachers’ Month.

III. HEALTH

Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH) serves as the healthcare arm of the Foundation, offering a wide array of social services such as subsidies for in-house patients, outreach programs, medical missions, and other health-related interventions in adopted communities.

IV. GRANTS

Financial and In-kind Grant Assistance is extended to socio-civic and non-government organizations, as well as, local and national government agencies whose projects/programs are aligned with the thrusts of the Foundation in health, education, arts, and livelihood, including the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

V. DISASTER RESPONSE

The Foundation remains responsive to aid survivors of natural calamities in the Philippines and in Asia through relief and rehabilitation efforts.

program implementing partners...program implementing partners 4/f executive offices, metrobank...

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