[dropcap]A[/dropcap] barrio doctor who dedicated his life to medical service in the countryside, a teacher who toiled beyond her call of duty and a simple family of volunteers who offered themselves to nation-building were honored with the prestigious Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Filipino Awards, a recognition given by ABS-CBN and Ugat Foundation to ordinary Pinoys doing extraordinary deeds.

“We looked for ordinary folks who have sacrificed themselves for the betterment of their community. They have placed community-service above themselves,” according to Fr. Nilo E. Tanalega, Project Director of the awards which aim to honor outstanding Filipinos both here and abroad.

[dropcap style=”inverted”][/dropcap] Dr. Roel Cagape, (third from left) of Lagao, General Santos City is Bayaning Pilipino (individual).
Dr. Roel Cagape, a physician from Barangay Lagao, General Santos City, who spent most of his life helping his countrymen, received the award for the Bayaning Pilipino – Individual category for his commitment to providing services to rural and far-flung areas in GenSan and the hinterlands of neighboring Sarangani province.

Aside from giving free medical services in his clinic daily, he also conducts weekly medical missions in mountainous regions which are barely accessible by four-wheeled vehicles.  He also taught his community to use horses to transport patients during emergency situations through his project called “Ambulansyang Kabayo”.

Our hats off to you Doc Roel!  You are another general we should be proud of.

ABS-CBN Chairman and CEO Eugenio Lopez III announcing this year’s Bayaning Filipino Award honorees.

The Bayaning Pilipino – Guro category, meanwhile, honored Rebecca Ouano of Cebu City to recognize her 41 years of teaching, which she has spent on promoting and implementing an alternative learning system program to reach out-of-school youths, vendors and street children. She does voluntary teaching during weekends and conducts a daily supplementary feeding program to almost 200 street children.

The Gamez Family of Oriental Mindoro received the Bayaning Pilipino – Pamilya category award for their devotion to community service. Every member of their family has committed themselves to volunteer work and outreach programs.
The Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino Awards also launched this year the Bayaning Pilipino Global, which honors organizations that do extraordinary services abroad, for the first time since its inception in 1995.

Other awardees of the Bayaning Pilipino Global include Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture (Canada), Pusong Pinoy (USA), Kapit-Bahayan Cooperative Limited (Australia), Sagip Migrante (Japan), Network of Filipino Social Development Workers for Migrants in Japan (Japan), Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Company (United Kingdom), and Filipino Badminton Committee Kuwait Philippines Inc (Kuwait).

This year’s winners of both national and global categories were chosen by a prestigious Board of Judges headed by chairperson Sonia Roco, and members ABS-CBN Chairman and CEO, Eugenio Lopez III, Regina Lopez, Evelyn Caja, and Timothy Gabuna.

Watch the airing of the Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino Awards ceremony this August on ABS-CBN. Held in Dolphy Theater, it was hosted by Ariel Ureta and Giselle Toengi with special performances by Kapamilya artists Erik Santos, Bugoy Drilon, Marcelito Pomoy, Jovit Baldivino, Angeline Quinto, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, beauty queens Shamcey Supsup and Janine Tugonon, and Ka Freddie Aguilar.

 Check out the personal blog of Dr. Roel Cagape by clicking this —> Tulong Ko Sa Pasyenteng Pilipino