A FAMILY from Dagupan City emerged as the winner in the 4th Annual Search for the Model OFW Family of the Year Award (MOFYA) in Region 1

Engineer Rolando Almonte and his family bested 29 other nominees in the land-based sector category in the search sponsored by the Department of Labor and Employment and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The awardees were honored last month in San Fernando City, La Union.

The recent citation follows a string of international and national awards previously received by the Almonte family from barangay Tapuac.

A civil engineer by profession, Almonte was adjudged outstanding employee of the Riyadh Water and Sewerage Authority (RWSA) in 1996, 2001 and 2002.

Now the Technical Manager in the National Water Company, a position originally reserved only for Saudi citizens, he was a recipient of the Presidential New Heroes Awards 2002, cited the Most Outstanding Citizen of Dagupan City and Most Outstanding Alumni of the Dagupan City National High School.

Almonte is married to the former Rosario Decena, with whom he has five children: Mary Asuncion Almonte-Datuin, a certified public accountant; Elmer, a licensed electronic and communications engineer; Mary Jean, an accounting graduate; Neil, a licensed civil engineer; and Allan, a licensed electronics and communications engineer.-LM