FIVE Boholanos who help perpetuate the memory of Bohol's most illustrious son and former Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia (CPG) earn recognition during the 114 th CPG Day, November 4. Chosen to exemplify the attributes of the Boholano president who was best known as a teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, statesman, sports enthusiast and guerilla leader, this year's CPG Awardees were for public service, education, arts and sports. Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio said an award for statesmanship was supposed to be handed out, but the committee couldn't find time to screen potential awardees.

Boholano president Garcia was schooled in Bohol, Cebu, Silliman University in Negros Oriental and the Philippine Law School where he passed the bar among the top. Despite the distinction, Garcia opted to be a teacher first rather than practicing law. He then threw his hat into politics and rose until peaking at the country's top political power seat. 114 years after his birth, Boholanos unite to commemorate the man who has popularized the patriotic Filipino First Policy and an Austerity Program that allowed government to save its scant resources. To facilitate the easy memory of the man, Boholanos who have excelled in different but distinctive fields of endeavor reap the CPG awards.

EDUCATION

Boholanos and Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Christopher and Ma. Victoria Bernido earned their CPG award their innovative implementation of the Dynamic Learning program. The equivalent of the Nobel Prize for Asia, the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation heaped praises to the Bernidos for opting to leave their lofty national posts to bring the much-needed change in the country's education system. The couple developed an efficient learning and teaching method via a student centered learning system, where teaching focuses on student activity rather than on traditional classroom lectures. Sources said that the set-up is 70% student activity–30% lecture/discussion, and usually national experts do the majority of the lectures via video, and the students learn independently, because each activity is provided with a clear, learning target. Students also understand lessons on their own by reading the concept notes and exercises in their portfolio of works which act as their schoolwork documentation. The Bernidos are also nationally acclaimed physicists and academicians having been assigned top positions at the country's premier state university.

PUBLIC SERVICE

The Local Civil Registrar of Loboc town here has been this year's Presidential Lingkod Bayan Awardee, after a search by the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Teodosia Bernaldez earned the annual national CSC recognition for outstanding public official and employees for their work performance in 2010 last September. The Lingkod Bayan is notably the country's Nobel Prize for public service. Bernaldez beat Governor Erico Aumentado to the position as the former was also nominated in his capacity as Bohol top public servant. Bernaldez won together with six other public officials and employees from across the country who were nominated to the prestigious search for this year.

ARTS

CPG awardee for the Arts is multi-awarded artist and cultural impresario Lutgardo Labad. A recent winner in the Aliw 2010 Awards, Labad romped with the Best Stage Director for a Philippine Educational Theater Association play billed “Post Office” and as a musical composer for the zarsuela “Baler sa Puso Ko.” The Aliw awards, one that recognizes the best in live entertainment is the latest addition to Labad's personal achievements. He took three FAMAS Awards, and the Best Film Scores each for Manunuri Award of the Film Academy of the Philippines, Manila Film Festival, Metro Manila Film Festival and the Golden Screen. Aside from those, Labad has been cited nationally and internationally for his theater work and cultural advocacy.

SPORTS

Best known as a child chess wonder from Bohol, Jedara Docena has piled her victories in a heap while pulling the limelight for Bohol in the world of chess. A native of Antequera, Docena impressed the country with a top ranking finish in the National Chess Championships two categories in 2006. Docena showed her competitive form at previous Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meets in Dumaguete City 2003, Danao City, 2004, Tagbilaran City, 2006, the Nat'l Age-Group Chess Championship for Asia in Mandaluyong, May 2004 and in the National Open Women's Division in Cebu City, 2005. She toppled equally competent chessers at the Palarong Pambansa in Naga City, May 2006, while ranking 3rd in the National Batang Pinoy, Puerto Princesa City, 2002. Her skill amazed international chess aficionados when she topped 40 rivals in the ASEAN Age-Group Chess Championship in Vietnam in 2004 and placed 7th in the Asian Championships in Singapore.

MUSIC

Failing to forget a popular Boholano novelty songs writer, lyricist, composer and performer, this year's committee also handed a posthumous award to Roman Tesorio Villame, popularly known as Yoyoy. A native of Calape, Bohol, Yoyoy has won the hearts and hit the tickle bone of the Filipinos with his witty parodies and social commentaries of the Filipino society, all in music. A gifted musician, drive and son of a fisherman, Yoyoy has a whole gamut of experience to put into his novelty songs. (racPIABOhol)