DAUGHTERS OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS
Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco
Philippine Province
P E R L A S A W A R D E E
for
MOST VALUABLE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION
The Philippines Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization of socio-civic and business leaders whose goal is to acknowledge achievers and role models, who, in some moments in their lives, have demonstrated sterling virtues, or exemplary achievements or leadership, which have touched the lives of people in the community they serve. This prestigious award-giving body confers the PERLAS AWARD on VALUABLE FILIPINOS AND INSTITUTIONS.
In response to the current global recession, the underlying theme of the 22nd PERLAS AWARDS centers on Transforming Crises into Opportunities.
It is with great honor that the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians was unanimously chosen by Philippines Foundation as the Perlas Award for Valuable Religious Institution, for the development of technical courses to prepare the needy and the skilled youth in gainful livelihood, instilling in them the value of hard work and the dignity of labor. This award is given with the following citation:
PHILIPPINES FOUNDATION, INC.
PERLAS AWARD
On
THE DAUGHTERS OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS,
Valuable Religious Institution,
for its work in developing the academic and technical skills of the youth
in their engineering and technology courses in Cebu.
Along with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, four individuals and three other institutions were also honored. They were acknowledged as: Valuable Socio-Civic Institution, Valuable Institution in Business and Advocacy, Valuable Charitable Institution, Valuable Leader in Education, Valuable Philanthropist, Valuable Role Model in the Media Profession, Valuable Journalist and Perlas Citation for Honesty.
The formal, elegant and very inspiring 22nd Perlas Awards on Valuable Persons and Institutions conferred by the Philippines Foundation took place on March 5, 2009, 5:30 p.m. at SM Theater One.
The 1,500-seater theater was filled with young people, businessmen and women, educators, socio-civic leaders, media, guests, past and present awardees who witnessed this wonderful and inspiring occasion. We, on our part, were very happy to have with us the representatives of our Educating Community: students and parents from the Basic Education, trainees, in-plant trainees and past pupils from the Technology Center and faculty from both schools, who came in full support.
Rev. Fr. Ernesto Javier, S.J., president of the Philippines Foundation, Inc. gave the rationale of the event, “…In the midst of this financial darkness, we gather this evening not in sadness but in celebration. Celebration of the capacity of the human being and human institutions to rise above the mess we create and out of our man-made disasters to create a newer better world. This evening, we celebrate our capacity to transform crises into opportunities…” He was even happy that majority of the evening’s audience are Cebu’s young people. He addressed them, “As you watch the awards being given, you will see for yourselves fellow Cebuanos and Cebuano organizations whose spirit points to the solution to our world’s disaster. Just as human greed and selfishness have brought upon this disaster, so it will be human generosity and concern for others that will bring us to recovery and a better world. The world we of older generation would like to leave for you and the generations after you.” In closing, he said, “This evening’s Perlas Awards may not have the polish and glitter of the recently held Oscar Awards, but long after the Oscar statuettes have tarnished, these Perlas awards will continue to shine because generosity is more lasting than glamour, service of others is more durable than self-centeredness and love is more enduring than vanity.”
Rev. Mo. Provincial Sr. Alice Fulgencio, FMA, with our Directress, Sr. Mabel Pilar, FMA, our Technical Directress, Sr. Aurora Roble, FMA and the Basic Education principal, Sr. Marita Cedeño were called onstage to receive the award to the applause of everyone and the standing ovation of our Educating Community.
More than the media coverage and mileage, varied newspaper articles and applause from different people, this award means so much to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. As we are about to celebrate our 25th year of presence here in Cebu in 2010, this Perlas Award for Valuable Religious Institution is a fitting gratitude to God and to Mary Help of Christians for making us humble instruments of transforming our mission of education into opportunities of hope, value and Christian formation and academic and skills training, that our young people especially young women who are at risk, may truly be empowered to be actively and socially involved in the promotion of Gospel centered values and the common good in their families, company / work places, society and the world at large. This is the vast and challenging field entrusted to us by God, and we, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians will cultivate it all the more in spite of many setbacks, difficulties and limitations particularly of resources, that we may offer the Lord a bountiful and fruitful harvest.
- Sr. Ann Lyn Magno, FMA
