HOUSTON, Texas    --- The combined celebration of the Dr. Jose Rizal Excellence Awards for Rizal's 151st birthday and Kalayaan Ball for the 114th anniversary of Philippine independence was observed here successfully by the Filipino American community.

Honored were Carmen Sarino-Roy, M.D., medical service; Eufemia S. Chua, BSN; Dolores C. Mangahas, M.A., entrepreneurship; Erlinda L. T. Demeterio, Ph. D, humanitarian service and Benjamin C. Ongoco, MBA, community service, recipients of the 2012 Dr. Jose Rizal Excellence awards in their respective careers and community involvement.

The event under the auspices of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, Houston Chapter and the umbrella organization Filipino American Council of South Texas(FACOST) was held at Hilton Southwest Regency Ballroom located at 6780 Southwest Freeway at Hillcroft in southwest Houston. The program was ushered in by the entry of the Color Guard of the Knights of Rizal(KOR) led by Chapter Commander Meliton Garraton and other knights assigned for the duty.

The national anthems were sung by Miss Rizal Day 2010 Joy Nisnisan while the invocation was delivered by Fr. Isaias Ginson of the Episcopal Church who is also a member of the Houston Chapter and who might join a Guam chapter when he is temporarily reassigned there.

Atty. Mel Garraton welcomed the guests, participants and honorees with passion and encouragement in nationalism. Carla Lacap de Leon, a singer from Houston Community College entertained the audience during the dinner time.

Randy Datu, past Dr. Jose Rizal Excellence awardee for entrepreneurship , incoming FACOST Chair and current president of the Tagalog Association of Texas, a prime mover in the Miss Rizal Day pageant competition raising funds for scholarship for poor but deserving technical college students recognized the different presidents of organizations and important personalities of the community.

Judge Toni Ingversen, past awardee for public service inducted the new set of officers of FACOST, led by Datu while Atty. Arlene Machetta, past National Federation of Filipino American Associations(NaFFAA) Region 6 Chair inducted the new officers of the Houston Chapter of the Order of the Knights of Rizal led by Garraton vice Lope Lindio.

Outgoing FACOST Chair Marie Mercado, who became Houston Fil-Am Lions Club president, delivered a message of thanks for those who supported her for three years of her incumbency and urged the community to support the new officers for the task of community building.

A very dynamic inspirational talk by past Chapter Commander Atty. Lope Lindio traced the history of the nation from the days of Lapulapu and other heroes and justified the choice of Dr. Jose Rizal as the national hero Presenters of the excellence awards were Mel Garraton, Roland Rasos, Randy Datu, Jun Volante and Nelson Ventura of the Knights of Rizal who read the encapsulated bio sketches of the awardees.

Rolando Rasos, deputy chapter commander of the Knights of Rizal in his closing remarks thanks those who supported the event and quoted Rizal for his legacy in the life of the Filipino.

Emcee was Arlita Pang of Houston Millennium Lions Club and People Caring for the Community, Inc.(PCCI) and music provided by Ehgay Solis for an all night dancing.

 

 

Munting Nayon News Magazine