ILOILO – Ann Rapunzel Ganzon, Social Welfare Officer IV at the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) of the Iloilo provincial government, was honored as a Presidential Lingkod Bayan Awardee by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).
The award was personally conferred by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the awards rites for the 2024 Outstanding Government Workers at Malacañan Palace on September 18.
The ceremony was attended by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, CSC Chairperson Atty. Karlo Alexie Nograles, Commissioner Atty. Aileen Lourdes Lizada, and Commissioner Atty. Ryan Alvin Acosta.
Ganzon was recognized for her significant contributions to enhancing the lives of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Iloilo through leading various projects, innovations, and initiatives aimed at empowering and safeguarding their health, wellness, rights, and privileges.
Accompanied by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and her father, Iloilo City’s Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, she received a gold-gilded medallion from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, a Presidential Plaque, and a cash reward of P200,000.
Additionally, Ganzon is entitled to an automatic promotion to the next higher position.
The Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award, the highest recognition given to public servants, honors exceptional contributions with a nationwide impact on public interest, security, and patrimony.
Ganzon is among 28 individuals and groups acknowledged by President Marcos this year, alongside recipients of the Outstanding Public Officials and Employees (Dangal ng Bayan) Award and CSC Pagasa Award.
In his address, President Marcos commended the awardees for their roles in boosting the economy’s efficiency and improving government operations and service provisions.
“You serve as the pillars upon which our government can draw its confidence and to build its momentum in achieving a Bagong Pilipinas. Let us remember that the impact of our work does not lie in the recognition that we receive or the laurels that we are given. It lies in the hearts that we have touched, the communities that we have reached, and the lives that we have changed. After all, government work is about making our people, our country, and our world better than when we found it,” he said.
The event also marked the culmination of the 124th Philippine Civil Service Commission Service Anniversary, celebrated every September. Prior to receiving her award, Ganzon, along with Provincial Agriculture’s Office chief Dr. Ildefonso Toledo, was recognized as a regional winner of the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award by CSC-6./PN
