In their glamorous dresses and suits, the winners and nominees to the Fourth Dakilang Adhikain ng Ating Lahi—more popularly known as the Dangal Awards—took center stage on October 5 at the Unilab Bayanihan Center in Pasig City.
The annual Dangal Awards for Elderly Care is a partnership between the BusinessMirror and Unilab, with the support of Unilab Bayanihan Foundation (UBF) and RiteMed.
“The BusinessMirror and Unilab are still the only institutions giving this kind of recognition at the national level. We are now on our fourth year, and I’m proud to say that the Dangal Awards has become an institution in itself,” BusinessMirror President Benjamin V. Ramos said.
This year’s awardees included: Group Catergory—Mall Walkers Club, Philippine Ground Golf Association and the Taguig City Office for Senior Citizens Affairs; Individual Category—Violeta A. Reyes, Navotas City; Dr. Edgar Caballero, Parañaque City; Reverencia B. Ramos, Marikina City; Rita B. Carpio, Caloocan City; and Editha Santiago, Pasig City.
There were 11 finalists in the Individual Category, from which the five winners were proclaimed.
The Dangal Awards coincided with the nation’s celebration of the Elderly Week (October 1 to 7) that has as its 2016 theme “Pagmamahal at Respeto ng Nakababata, Nakapagpapaligaya sa Nakatatanda [The Elderly are Made Happy by the Love and Respect Showed to Them by the Young].”
Legacy
Ramos said the Dangal Awards is now part of the legacy of the BusinessMirror founder, the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, who directed that the awards be organized in 2013.
“Our former Editor in Chief Roy Acosta coined the branding—Dakilang Adhikain ng Ating Lahi or Dangal Awards. Our Managing Editor Max de Leon, Unilab External Communications Head Claire Papa and Carlos Gonzaga of UBF laid the groundwork; and since then, it has been a success,” he added.
UBF Executive Director Arthur Loyola noted that the Dangal Awards encouraged the senior citizen to lead an active lifestyle. “UBF, founded by UBF founder Jose Campos, offers support to retirees. We have reached out to the grassroot communities, recognizing outstanding senior citizens,” Loyola said.
He added that in the process, the Filipino value of respect for the elderly is preserved.
Honored guests
Hosts Marvin Estigoy, BusinessMirror vice president for advertising and sales, and Unilab’s Claire Papa welcomed former Senate President Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., actress/RiteMed brand ambassador Susan Roces and Tourism Assistant Secretary Frederick M. Alegre—the honored guests during the awarding ceremonies.
The father and mentor of current Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III crooned a lively “You are my Sunshine” that had the guests and awardees joining in the singing of the song’s refrain.
Pimentel said the Dangal awardees and nominees will never tire of doing good to others.
For her part, Roces thanked Unilab for choosing her as RiteMed brand ambassador, adding that she will bat for healthy lifestyles for the elderly. “Miyembro po niyo ako [I am a member]. Full-fledged senior citizen in all your activities.”
Music continued to delight the crowd as BusinessMirror Managing Editor Max de Leon played the guitar to Marketing Assistant Marie Diane Jamora’s soulful rendition of Filipino classics, like “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” and “Minamahal Kita”.
Carlos Gonzaga of UBF said the Dangal Awards aimed to promote the welfare of senior citizens in the communities.
He added that understanding community needs, innovations, relevance, sustainability of programs initiated and best practices form the criteria for choosing this year’s batch of winners.
Image credits: Trisha de Leon