KEY personalities in the 7th Dakilang Adhikain ng Ating Lahi (Dangal) Awards emphasized the role and sacrifices made by senior citizens to ensure a bright future for the country and the younger generation.
This year’s recipient of the award showcase’s highest honor, Education Secretary Leonor “Liling” Magtolis Briones, and keynote speaker Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian both took time to recognize the societal contributions of the elderly, as well as their capacity to do more, even at an advanced age.
“Who here think of themselves as old?” the 78-year-old winner of the 2019 Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Dangal ng Lahi Award asked on Wednesday to a roomful of spry senior citizens, blooming in vibrant Filipinianas at the Unilab Bayanihan Center. “For as long as your brain functions, for as long as you are surrounded by love and security, for as long as there is respect for you, you don’t feel old at all.”
“At this time of our lives,” she added, “there are still so many new things that one can learn, so many new ways of viewing life.”
Gatchalian, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude to “our lolos and lolas” for their part in shaping the world into what it is today.
“Our beautiful buildings, healthy economy and numerous government projects are all made possible by the contributions of the elderly,” said the senator, who filed a bill pushing for a government-sponsored elderly care center across the country. “Like our seniors, I believe that our true responsibility is to serve the future generation. We are not here to serve ourselves, but to ensure a bright future for them.”
Dangal’s beginnings
The Dangal Awards is a joint undertaking between the BusinessMirror, Unilab Inc., United Bayanihan Foundation and RiteMed Philippines Inc. to honor senior citizens for their outstanding role in the community. The event is an offshoot of the pioneering retirement program Unilab launched for its employees in 1959 called the United Retirement Plan, and has grown to become the biggest annual awards showcase in the country dedicated to the elderly.
“My father, the late Ambassador Cabangon Chua, thought of instituting the Dangal Awards to recognize and highlight exemplary senior citizens and senior organizations at the national level so their stories can inspire others,” BusinessMirror Publisher T. Anthony C. Cabangon said.
This year’s edition of the Dangal Awards is the largest one to date. Recognized were a record-setting 10 individual winners from a list of 28 nominees, along with five senior citizen organizations.
One of the individual awardees was Nuna Almanzor, a 70-year-old retired engineer and civic leader who helped organize the senior citizens’ association in their village in Parañaque City, inspiring nearby subdivisions to establish their own. Another was Lilian Enriquez, 72. The retired teacher is the president of Parkhomes Senior Citizens’ Association in Tunasan, Muntinlupa City, where she was adjudged this year as Ulirang Ina for treating members as her own children.
Also recognized were organization presidents 72-year-old Ofelia Magat of Malabon City; Angelina Osorio, 82, of Taguig City; and Zenaida San Diego, 73, of Quezon City. The rest of the winners are Osca head Estelita Santos, 64, of Pampanga; senior citizen leader Hernando Salvador, 75, of Quezon City; civic leader Diwa Tee, 68, of Laguna; radio host Noli Villafuerte, 80, of Makati City; and Corazon Cortez, 78, of Valenzuela City.
Cortez is the president of the Alliance of Senior Citizens and the Catholic Women’s League in their locale. She works for laws and ordinances to address abuse against elderly persons, as well as the establishment of help desks for their welfare.
“I did not expect this award,” Cortez said in Filipino. “As president of our seniors’ organization, I face criticisms over my decisions. I wanted to resign, but this award is the Lord’s way of telling me that I am where I’m meant to be. I am now more inspired to work harder.”
Gatchalian cited Cortez in his keynote address, lauding the Dangal awardee as one of the better councilors of Valenzuela. Before being elected senator, Gatchalian was mayor for nine years of Valenzuela, and later its congressman.
BusinessMirror Publisher Cabangon, in introducing Gatchalian as the Seventh Dangal keynote speaker, cited his passion for public service in all his roles in government before serving in various capacities as private sector executive.
“First, as chief executive of Valenzuela City, which progressed by leaps and bounds during his nine years at city hall. As mayor, he set in motion a holistic education program for his constituents, including developing a world-class Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science. He championed accessibility to college education; and a school-based feeding program that mobilized communities. His vision of education as a mayor transcended all ages and sectors. Parents were empowered under a Nanay-Teacher Program; and teachers were provided with sustained skills mastery programs. It thus came as no surprise that after his mayoral stint, his city’s education system had become one of the nation’s best.
“During his mayorship, Valenzuela City received awards from Galing Pook, which recognizes exemplary local governance, and from the DILG for good housekeeping; and from the Philipine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for being among the most business-friendly LGUs,” Cabangon said of Gatchalian.
As Valenzuela’s First District representative in Congress, it was he who filed, in 2015, the original version of the bill that radically expanded access to college education for millions of Filipinos. House Bill 5905, or the Free Education Act, later evolved into Republic Act 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality tertiary Education Act when it finally was signed into law in 2017 by President Duterte.
As senator, he has also championed reforms in information and communication technology—among others, promoting competition in telecoms; and improving Internet speeds while lowering costs.
Group awardees
Meanwhile, the awardees from the group category were the Council of Senior Citizens, Barangay San Lorenzo Chapter in Makati City; Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines-Guagua Chapter in Pampanga; Malabon Senior Patrollers in Malabon City; Samahan ng Senior Citizens- St. Niño Village Chapter in Muntinlupa City; and the Tanza Navotas Senior Citizens Association Inc. in Navotas City.
This year, two former BusinessMirror editors were also posthumously awarded for their contributions to the Dangal Awards: former editor in chief Rosauro Acosta and section editor Efleda Campos.
Acosta conceptualized the concept and meaning of Dangal’s acronym, while Campos extensively covered the proceedings of the recognition, being the BusinessMirror’s editor for “Our Time,” the section dedicated to senior citizens.
The highest honor bestowed at the Dangal is the Special Amb. Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Dangal ng Lahi Award, reserved for icons and living legends whose works resonate nationally. Previous recipients of the special citation are National Artist Frank Sionil Jose and prominent TV and radio personality Kuya Eddie Ilarde.
According to Unilab External Affairs and Social Partnerships Head Claire Papa, this year’s special awardee, Briones, epitomizes the perfect role model for senior citizens. Papa said that the Education secretary “continues to share her God-given wisdom and talent in leading national-government programs for the optimal development of Filipino children at the Department of Education.”
Briones has spent most of her life as a teacher. She was professor emeritus of public administration at the National College of Public Administration & Governance of the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and was chairman of the board of directors of Siliman University in Dumaguete City, where she obtained her degree in Bachelor in Business Administration, major in Accounting, magna cum laude, before pursuing higher studies in UP, Leeds University England and Harvard University.
The 2019 Special Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua awardee also has a wealth of experience in administering public institutions. She was secretary to the Commission on Audit, and served as treasurer of the Philippines.
‘National treasure’
“This national treasurer is truly a national treasure,” said BusinessMirror President Benjie Ramos, who introduced Briones for the award. Briones served as national treasuer from 1998 to 2001.
“I thank the people behind Dangal for bringing to the fore a very special Asian and Filipino trait, which is respect for the elders and taking care of the older generation,” Briones said.
After her acceptance speech, Briones was surprised with a cake and a song for her upcoming 79th birthday next week.
“What you said to your critic who questioned your physical capability of serving in office—‘The state of my knees has nothing to do with the state of my mind’—I agree completely with that,” said BusinessMirror Editor in Chief Lourdes M. Fernandez. “But having known you through the years, the most important thing is the state of your heart. You are the most generous, most loving person I have ever met. Your love for country is boundless, and I wish you could live a thousand years.”
Briones, who in her speech referenced the book of Yuval Noah Harari, titled Homo Deus about the evolution of humans, said historians and anthropologist already speculate that the lifespan of humans may soon reach 150 years.
“If that’s the case,” the astute awardee said, “then I still have 71 years to go. I’d like to apologize to my critics: Sorry, but I will still be around.”
Image credits: Bernard Testa