THE premiere university in the country, the University of the Philippines (UP) has conferred the Gawad Oblation award on Tarlac Governor Susan Yap for his contributions to the university and to the province of Tarlac.
Gov. Yap thanked UP and UP President Danny Concepcion for the recognition.
“I will always be grateful for the tutelage of the University of the Philippines that helped me become the public servant that I am today. UP’s recognition of our hard and sincere efforts to heed the Oblation’s call of ‘selfless offering’ is very much fulfilling. Thank you to UP and Pres Danny Concepcion,” she said.
Gov. Yap received the award in a ceremony on January 17, at the UP Bahay ng Alumni in Quezon City.
Concepcion said Gawad Oblation is the highest honor UP can bestow upon its alumni and friends for extraordinary service or contribution.
Gov. Yap who is serving her third and final term as Tarlac governor. She previously served as the Representative of the second district of Tarlac from 2010 to 2016.
The lady governor’s programs for Tarlac are anchored on the programs dubbed as “Serbisyong MaYap” under which five pillars of governance are implemented. They are the “Pagkain Muna, Kalusugan Muna, Edukasyon Muna, Trabaho Muna and Kalikasan Muna.”
UP likewise conferred the award to 38 other alumni and friends for “extraordinary service with or in the name of the university.”
Other awardees include Senator Mark Villar, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, Tarlac Gov. Susan Yap, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor and former socioeconomic planning secretary Ernesto Pernia.
Also awarded were Manny V. Pangilinan, Ray Espinosa, Ramon Ang, Robina Gokongwei Pe, Orlando Vea, Januario Jesus Atencio, Ambassador Francis Chua, Michael Peiyung, Agnes Devanadera, Picaso Chen, Sonia Delen, Ignacio Gimenez, Vincent Henry Go, Rod Libunao, Ronald Mascariñas, Venus Navalta and Agaton Uvero, chairman of Grupo Uvero Inc.
Also receiving the Gawad Oblation were John Patrick Gregorio, Renan Dalisay, Lilia Ronquillo Bautista, Napoleon Concepcion, Polly Cortez, Virgilio Bautista, and Timothy Eing Ming Wu, Jaime V. Ongping Foundation Inc., Palawan Express, Wilcon Builders, Zuellig Family and the Zuellig Family Foundation.
The award is named after UP’s symbol, The Oblation, a sculpture by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino that was inspired by the second stanza of Jose Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios: “Sa kagalingan mo ay akin ding handog.”
The awardees received the UP Gawad Oblation medal, which was designed by artist, production designer and UP College of Fine Arts professor Leo Abaya. It features the Oblation surmounting the central image, which is a close up of the Oblation’s hand.
The UP Gawad Oblation medals were first conferred in 2017, at the end of the term of then UP president and now Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.—PIO
