Manila: Filipino crew members of three foreign-flagged vessels that saved the lives of dozens of people, as well as citizens who provided a valuable contribution to their community led the ‘new heroes' list for 2011.
In ceremonies at the presidential palace in Manila yesterday, President Benigno Aquino conferred the 2011 Bagong Bayani (New Filipino Heroes) Awards to 15 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) as well as the Filipino crew of three vessels. The awards are a private sector-initiated search for the country's outstanding OFWs.
Imminent danger
It has several categories: Outstanding Employee, Culture and Arts, Social Works, and the Blas Ople Award.
For risking their lives while keeping their ships afloat during the earthquake and tsunami that hit the port of Sendai, Japan, the Filipino crews of the vessels MT Diamond Champ, MT Nichihiko and Daichi Shoei Maru No. 1 were given the Outstanding Employee Awards.
"Faced with imminent danger, their heroism and competence as seafarers saved precious lives and properties and averted potential environmental disaster… The Filipino seafarers onboard MV South Islander were also rewarded for their daring rescue of 27 crew members of fishing vessel Daichi Shoei Maru No. 1 which was engulfed by fire in the Pacific Ocean on April 17, 2011," the Bagong Bayani Foundation said.
Others in this category were Captain Autonomo A. Amano, Marcos Antonio M. Torres, Analiza Liezl Perez-Amurao and Jesefina Nocete Omalsa. The awardees for the culture and arts category were Rosalito Ceño Nebre and Elmer Ortega Dumlao.
The following OFWs were honoured in the community and social service category: Dr Celerino League Umandap, Dr Eduardo Parra Malagapo. Frank Chavez Jamandre, Irma Perez Tobias as well as Marilyn Roscales Kasimieh who was conferred the Presidential Banaag Award on December 14, 2010 for her assistance to distressed Filipino workers in the UAE.
Caregivers, Mercedes Joie Gabarda Aquino, Sandra Sajol Otacan, Gemma Floresca Juanay and Juliet Copatan from Fukushima, were distinguished for demonstrating loyalty and heroism.
