By Leilani Junio
MANILA, (PNA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in cooperation with Jollibee Food Corporation (JFC) hailed Tuesday evening new batches of outstanding Filipino families at the Crowne Plaza, Manila Galleria in Pasig City.
According to DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman said she was very grateful to JFC for being supportive to DSWD’s advocacy on the importance of strengthening Filipino families, their values and relationships with other people in their respective community by giving Family Values Awards.
Soliman said the awards ceremony, now on its 3rd year, aims to give honors to outstanding families who made notable difference in lives of people in their community and also of fellow Filipinos.
With Joseph C. Tanbuntiong, Jollibee Philippines president, and Grace Tan Caktiong, Jollibee Group Foundation president, they awarded the outstanding families who were judged as winners out of the more than 1,400 nominations across the country and also in other parts of the world particularly the OFW families who, despite their distance, created various advocacies for the betterment of fellow Filipinos.
From the 1,400 nominees, the number was trimmed down to at least 20 during the pre-judging until about seven were declared as winners who were awarded each with cash prize and trophy with LED-TV from Sony Philippines.
The five winners hailed as this year’s most exemplary families were: Mr. and Mrs. Danilo and Jaqueline Rayo from Sta. Ana, Manila; Mr. and Mrs. Rex and Marissa Bernardo from Camarines Norte; Mr. and Mrs. Jose and Gloria Supanga from Camarines Sur; Drs. Egidio and Thelma Elio of Antique; and Mr. and Mrs. Anton and Marie Joyce Lim of Zamboanga City.
According to the judges, the awardees all displayed good deeds as a family who worked hand in hand in creating their community a better place for the less fortunate by sharing their blessings, access to opportunities especially to the needy and vulnerable.
They all received a cash prize worth P100,000.00 tax-free each and 32-inch Sony Bravia LCD television, Jollibee gift certificates and Jollibee Padala vouchers .
Aside from the five winners of the 3rd Family Values Awards, about two Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) families on the other hand, were bestowed with special citations too.
Mr. and Mrs. Cirilo and Vilma Carmona, with their children who are all working in different countries as OFWs, were also given special citation for their inspirational contribution in promoting the welfare of the people in their hometown in Oriental Mindoro.
The family received P 100,000.00.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Glenda Duque, with their family in the United Kingdom, were chosen as the first recipient of the “Global Pinoy Family of the Year Award,” for doing projects that benefitted not only their hometown but other fellow Filipinos in UK.
The family received P35,000.00 in cash, and Jollibee vouchers worth P5,000.00.
“Cherished Filipino values are always alive in many Filipinos, wherever in the world they may be,” said Tanbuntiong.
“Every Filipino family who honed good values and relationship with other people in the society towards nation building through inclusive development are winners too,” said DSWD Secretary Soliman.
She told the winners to keep on doing the good job so that they can inspire others to follow.
“If we will all join hands in strengthening the family ties and relationship while giving chance and opportunities for the betterment of all we can reach the goal of progressive and just society for all,” she added.
The 3rd JFVA was made possible with the support of other partners like Coca-Cola, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sony Philippines and others.