Seven Datu Bago awardees feted
Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio led yesterday's conferment of Datu Bago Awards 2018 at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.
The Datu Bago Awardees Organization, Inc. (DBAOI) earlier bared the awardees who will add to the list of the 161 persons conferred with the same award from 1969 to 2017.
This year's awardees are Brother Carlito Gaspar, Norma T. Javellana, Belen C. Laud, Aland David Mizell, Ricardo N. Obenza Jr., Beethoven N. Sur, and Nieto L. Vitto.
Datu Bago awardees were feted for valuable contribution in various areas outside of their
field of practice. "The awardees are recognized for their outstanding, exemplary, and selfless contribution to the growth and development of Davao city and for their invaluable contribution to the Dabawenyo culture and heritage," the organization said in a previous statement.
Gaspar gave a speech on behalf of all awardees.
"If I were to speak on behalf of my co-awardees, I assume they would want me to do this, I want to thank our parents, our siblings, children, and grandchildren our own or those who are our own or surrogate ones, friends confriars, and our associates and everyone who have contributed to helping us forged our identities making us worthy of this award, believing that perhaps our lives have been lived with the spirit of Datu Bago. I am truly proud of the list of six other distinguished Dabawenyos who are being honored today," Gaspar said.
Gaspar added that the symbols of Davao City and its meanings have parallels on the commitments that brought the seven of the awardees together.
"There are parallels with the meanings of these symbols and the commitments that brought all seven of us where we are today. This is if only we can modestly claim that we have contributed even in a small way to making this city a place where there is a little bit more kindness, compassion and recognition to the rule of law on our peoples democratic rights and civil liberties as well as genuine inclusive development and even radical change," he said.
He said that it is the thread that binds them together including the desire to reach out the wounded, by wounds he meant those things that happen to disadvantage children, the youth and many more.
"Norma Javellana's work with Tambayan, Alanf David' Mizell's minority care international, and Vitto's committment to set up special education of the youth are engagements to make sure that the children of our youth who are victims of the society will also have a chance of bright future. Like an eagle, these children can aim soaring high," he said.
"Wounds can also be referred