PUNCH EDITOR CITED FOR JOURNALISM

LINGAYEN—Professionalism and excellence.

These are the main common denominators shared by this year’s six recipients of the ASNA Awards, among them The Sunday PUNCH publisher-editor Ermin F. Garcia, Jr. for his work in journalism.

For the Balitok (Gold) awards, the highest of the ASNA Awards, this year’s honorees are Hilarion Henares, Jr. for National Economic Development and Atty. Gabriel C. Singson for Business/Banking and Finance.

The Balitok Award is given to Pangasinenses whose contributions have transcended the national and international arena.

Henares, an economist, educator, businessman and writer, is a grandson of Don Daniel Maramba, a revolutionary hero and the 7th governor of Pangasinan.

Singson, on the other hand, was a governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) who served during the presidency of another Pangasinense, Fidel V. Ramos, the first ASNA Balitok awardee of Pangasinan. .

The three other ASNA awardees are: Jose F. Datuin (Visual Arts), Amadeo R. Perez, Jr. (Government Service/Public Administration), and Ret. Gen. Jose Magno (Military Service).

Garcia, who has carried on the legacy of his father, Sunday Punch founder Ermin Garcia Sr, through the newspaper, is also a former publisher of the national daily Manila Times.

Datuin is an international visual artist.

Perez, currently the chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, served as mayor of Urdaneta for three terms and representative of the Fifth District of Pangasinan, also for three terms.

Magno served under President Ramos even after his retirement from the military.

SALT OF THE EARTH

“We take pride in your lives and works which have touched the lives of your provincemates and you make us all proud,” said Gov. Amado Espino Jr. said in his message to the ASNA awardees during the awarding night on April 11, coinciding with the 432nd founding anniversary celebration at the Sison Auditorium.

Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan said as ASNA is an old word for asin, meaning salt, from which Pangasinan derives its name, it also describes the good quality of a man just as salt defines the flavor of a dish and also alludes to a person’s expert knowledge of his profession.

The ASNA Awards was launched on April 5, 2010 during the first celebration of Pangasinan Day.

In their acceptance speeches, the six awardees expressed gratitude to the provincial government for recognizing their achievements.

The search and awards committee, chaired by Baraan, was composed of Dr. Lydia Buduhan (Pangasinan State University Vice-President for Administration and Planning); Mrs. Carmelita Duque (Pangasinan Federation of Non-Government Organizations President); Gabriel Cardinoza (Philippine Daily Inquirer Correspondent), Arabella Arcinue (Pangasinan Heritage Society President), Fr. Immanuel Norbert S. Escaño; and Ma. Luisa A. Elduayan (Provincial Tourism Officer).

Criteria in the selection process included: service with sincere commitment to the community/society, leadership qualities with pioneering innovativeness and professional excellence, integrity and achievements.

Aside from Ramos, previous Balitok awardees are National Artist for Literature Francisco Sionil-Jose, Former Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. and the late National Artist for Theater Design Salvador Bernal.

The first set of ASNA awardees in 2010 were Santiago Villafania (Arts and Culture), Rina Jimenez-David (Mass Communications), Dr. Westly R. Rosario (Aquaculture), Dr. Francisco Duque III (Medicine and Public Health), P/Supt. Eric Noble (Community Service), Reynaldo Villar (Government Service), Rodolfo C. Cardozo (Sports) and Menardo Jimenez (Business/Industry).

In 2011, the ASNA awardees were Marcelo E. Casillan, Jr. (Community Service), Alma Quintans-Kern (International Community Leadership), Bb. Joyce A. Bernal (Arts and Culture), Lt. Gen. Arturo B. Ortiz (Humanitarian and Military Leadership), and Leticia R. Shahani (Foreign Service).

Special recognition was accorded in 2010 to Jaime P. Lucas (now deceased), an Ilocano and an adopted son of Pangasinan, who organized Pangasinan writers to form the Ulopan na Pansiansiay Salitan Pangasinan to promote the use of the Pangasinan language.

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