Seven Filipinos in the UAE were honoured on June 11 with the Dakilang Bayani (Noble Hero) Awards, the highest honour conferred by the Office of the Consul General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates to exemplary Filipino expats in the UAE.
The award ceremony, which was held ahead of the 123rd Philippine Independence Day celebrations, highlighted success stories of overseas Filipinos for inspiring and bringing the expat community together.
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The awardees include: Michael Cinco, internationally-renowned fashion designer; Dr. Mary Jane Alvero Al Mahdi, Group CEO, Prime Group of Companies; Angel Tesorero, journalist; Vhie Laurilla, entrepreneur; Lalaine Chu-Benitez, founder, Illustrado Magazine; Josie Conlu, community champion; and Ace Quijada, financial consultant.
The Dakilang Bayani Selection Committee is chaired by Dr. Rommel Sergio from the Abu Dhabi School of Management. He is joined by three Filipino educators in the UAE including Dr Niño Decenorio of Bath Spa University, Dr. Ben Lebig, Jr., and Dr. Rex Bacarra, campus academic head and director for administrative services at Southville-RAK, the first Filipino college in the UAE.
The evening also witnessed a special tribute for the Philippine Consul General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, H.E. Paul Raymund Cortes, who will be finishing his tour of duty this year.
ConGen Cortes led the Philippine Consulate with a stellar record of accomplishments and accolades through the years, including Best organisation in 2017; Best Assistance-to-Nationals Unit in 2018; and One of the Best Performing Units in 2019. In addition, ConGen Cortes himself was also recognized by President Rodrigo Duterte and was conferred with the Gawad Mabini Award with the rank of Dakilang Kamanong (Grand Cross) in 2018. (AW)
