The 2019 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos were awarded in a ceremony held on Sept. 4, 2019 at the Metrobank Plaza Auditorium, Makati City. As one of the highlights of Metrobank’s 57th anniversary celebration, four teachers, three soldiers, and three police officers were each conferred with a gold medallion, “The Flame” trophy, and P1 million (net of tax) cash prize.
Metrobank chairman Arthur Ty, together with Metrobank Foundation (MBFI) trustee and Federal Land Chairman Alfred Ty, Metrobank president Fabian Dee, and MBFI president Aniceto Sobrepeña led the awarding ceremonies. Distinguished officials from the government, business, civil society, academe, and diplomatic community graced the event. Speaker of the House of Representatives Alan Peter Cayetano delivered the key note address as the Guest of Honor.
A Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino is steered by the value of “Beyond Excellence,” raising the bar of excellence in their respective fields. Their contributions speak of service beyond one’s self – but to their sectors and in the larger community, inspiring their peers. Their service and community involvements have helped shape better communities and created a lasting positive impact upon the people.
Recipients of the 2019 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino Award for Teachers are : (1) Dorothy S. Tarol, Ph.D., Master Teacher II, Special Education-Integrated School for Exceptional Children (Iloilo City); (2) Cristina B. Cristobal, Ph.D., Special Science Teacher 5, Philippine Science High School Main Campus (Quezon City); (3) Ricardo T. Jose, Ph.D. Professor 12, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman (Quezon City); and (4) Eva Maria C. Cutiongco-Dela Paz, M.D., Professor 10, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila (City of Manila).
Recipients of the 2019 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino Award for Soldiers are: (5) Master Sergeant Ramil A. Caporas Philippine Army (PA), Team Supervisor/EOD Technician, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, Army Support Command, Philippine Army, Camp Servillano S. Aquino (Tarlac City); (6) Major Romulo G. Dimayuga II PN (M), Operations and Training Officer, Force Reconnaissance Group (formerly Marine Special Operations Group), Headquarters Philippine Marine Corps, Fort Bonifacio (Taguig City); and (7) Lieutenant Colonel John Paul D. Baldomar PA, Chief, Current Operations Branch, Internal Security Operations Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo (Quezon City).
Recipients of the 2019 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino Award for Police Officers are: (8) Police Chief Master Sergeant Marsha T. Agustin, RSW, Investigator/ Social Worker, Women and Children Protection Center, Philippine National Police Headquarters, Camp Brigadier General Rafael T. Crame, (Quezon City); (9) Police Major Robert A. Reyes, Technical Support Officer, Counter Intelligence Task Force, Philippine National Police Headquarters, Camp Brigadier General Rafael T. Crame (Quezon City); and (10) Police Colonel Edwin A. Quilates, Provincial Director, Batangas Police Provincial Office, Camp Miguel C. Malvar (Batangas City).
Delivering a response on behalf of the awardees, Lt. Col. Baldomar said “there is no higher calling than to serve our country in any capacity that we can. There is nothing more fulfilling than to see the impact of our service in the lives of others. Sometimes we are called upon to serve our country in ways we didn’t expect. But we do our job beyond excellence because our country is worthy of our excellence.”
Lt. Col. Baldomar, AFP’s (Armed Forces of the Philippines) Community and Organizational Transformation Warrior, was assigned in 2001 with Bravo Company, 37th Infantry Battalion, 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army and subsequently became its Company Commander. In this capacity, he rallied his troop in responding to the plight of the 95 internally displaced Tiruray families at Sitio Kyamko (Hill 224), Barangay Maitumaig, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao.
In 2014, he was designated as Chief of the Strategic Communications Branch under the AFP’s Office for Strategic Studies and Strategy Management. He, together with the team, steered the development and implementation of the AFP Transformation Roadmap strategic communication plan called “Horizon 1.”
The legacy of Dr. Cristobal, Quezon City’s Veteran Innovator in History Instruction, in the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) can be best captured by her initiative to inspire changes to the students’ perspective towards learning history. She introduced a teaching strategy that requires grade seven learners to use primary sources in studying history.
Outside the system, Dr. Cristobal actively engages in providing teacher-training for Islamic teachers. Together with Ateneo de Davao University, she organized “Buklod Guro,” a program where best teaching practices of PSHS teachers are shared to madaris (Islamic schools) in several schools across Mindanao.
P/Col. Quilates, Batangas’ Vanguard of Public Safety, paved the way for the launch of Oplan Iron Curtain, colloquially known as “lockdown,” in 2018. Premised on unified command and coordination, this approach is hailed as best practice, and is the key to the successful arrests of notorious criminals, resulting to lower crime rate in the province and in the entire CALABARZON region.
Wearing his hats as both officer and legal practitioner, he initiated the Agapay Kabayan campaign which involves community extension programs that aim to provide indigent communities’ basic needs as well as make legal assistance available to the public, among others.
The awardees underwent a rigorous selection process and were chosen from hundreds of nominations. A Board of Assessors, composed of members from the government, academe, military, and NGO sectors, identified semi-finalists through a review of documents submitted. Eighteen (18) finalists were chosen whose accomplishments in service and community underwent the field validation process spearheaded by third-party organizations – the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) and the Career Executive Service Board (CESB). This process verified the significant contributions of the finalists to their respective fields and communities of influence.
The 19 finalists were interviewed by a multi-sectoral Final Board of Judges chaired by Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian and co-chaired by Supreme Court of the Philippines associate justice Alexander Gesmundo. The members include: Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development secretary and Task Force Bangon Marawi chairman Eduardo Del Rosario; University of Asia & the Pacific president Dr. Winston Conrad Padojinog; Military Ordinariate of the Philippines bishop Most Reverend Oscar Jaime Florencio, D.D; PHINMA Corporation president and vice chairman and Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) chairman Ramon Del Rosario, Jr.; Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc. treasurer Jaime Bautista; Management Association of the Philippines president and Sun Life Financial Philippine Holding Company chairman Rizalina Mantaring; and GMA Network, Inc. vice president for professional development and broadcast journalist Horacio “Howie” Severino.
Since 1985, the Metrobank Foundation has honored a total of 665 Outstanding Filipinos. The program is held in partnership with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, PSBank, Rotary Club of Makati Metro, and the Rotary Club of New Manila East.
