President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday honored this year?s awardees of the Ten Most Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) led by boxer Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao and movie actress Sharon Cuneta Pangilinan.
The President, assisted by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., handed over trophies and medals to the nine TOYM awardees in a simple ceremony at the Heroes? Hall in Malaca?ang. Pacquiao was not present to receive his award.
Cuneta, 38, is TOYM awardee for arts and movie industry. She was accompanied by her husband, Senate Majority Leader Francisco Pangilinan, a known ally of the President in the Senate.
Other awardees are Finance Undersecretary Emmanuel Bonoan for public service; GMA 7 vice president for news and public affairs Marissa Flores for broadcast management; International Rice Research Institute scientist Glen Borja Gregorio for plant breeding and genetics;
Marie Carmela Mortillero Lapitan of the Philippine General Hospital for urologic surgery; architect and University of the Philippines professor Gerald Rey Astilla Lico for arts and culture; Lawyer Maria Paz Luna for environmental law; Jose Jonas del Rosario of the UP College of Medicine for interventional pediatric cardiology; and businessman Bienvenido Tantoco III for business entrepreneurship.
Meanwhile, the 25-man Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed yesterday the ad interim appointments of Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye and Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita and 31 ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) before it went into a three-week Christmas recess starting today.
Senate President Franklin M. Drilon, concurrent CA chairman, said Malaca?ang thus needs to re-appoint several presidential appointees, particularly 15 members of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?s Cabinet, after they were bypassed by the constitutional body.
They are Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, SocioEconomic Planning Secretary Romulo L. Neri, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Defense Secretary Avelino J. Cruz Jr., Science and Technology Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro, Trade and Industry Secretary Cesar V. Purisima, Labor and Employment Secretary Patricia A. Sto. Tomas;
Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez, Finance Secretary Juanita D. Amatong, Budget Secretary Emilia T. Boncodin, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Michael T. Defensor, Energy Secretary Vicente S. Perez, Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza, and Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap. (with Mario B. Casayuran)
