By Rey Anthony Chiu

Two Boholanos earn the brightest spots in service excellence in their respective careers, a recognition that could prop up and light flickering hopes of Bohol rising after the megaquake. Police Chief Superintendent Louie T. Oppus and physicist scientist and professor Dr. Cesar Saloma are among this year's recipients for Metrobank's Award for Continuing Excellence in Service (ACES), a fest they get for consistently showing the way for selfless service to God and country. It may be recalled that MetroBank Foundation Incorporated (MBFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of Metrobank, in partnership with Rotary Club of East Manila put in the search for the Country's Outstanding Police in Service (COPS) as early as 1998, where every year, for four commissioned and 6 non-commissioned officers as an off-shoot of the best Community Oriented Police. The award seeks to identify gallant men and women in the police force who are able to work with the community to prevent and solve crimes. Born in Tagbilaran, Oppus studied at the Holy Name and went to the Philippine Military Academy where he bolstered his public service record from the elite Special Action Force of the defunct Philippine Constabulary which kept him visible especially during the EDSA revolution days.

Picked as aided-de camp of then Defense Secretary and the President Fidel Ramos, Oppus then went into the distinguished Presidential security Group as among the top ranking officers, which peaked in a Presidential Medal of Honor which President Ramos personally handed in 1998. Nagged with the desire to serve his hometown, Oppus politely refused key posts in Manila and settled for a Tagbilaran City Police post as chief in 1999 and immediately rolled on his sleeves to stabilize peace and order here believing that it forms the bedrock of sustainable development. His proactive community policing system ushered the bemedalled and muti-awarded police officer into the Country's Outstanding Police in Service COPS which President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo handed in 2003. On the other hand, in the Search for Outstanding Teachers (SOT) which MetroBank launched in 1985 to show the Foundation's commitment to promote a culture of excellence in education by recognizing the country's best mentor models, another Boholano sneaked into the list in 2007.

Baclayon resident Dr. Cesar Saloma, dean of the University of the Philippines College of Science and former director of the National Institute of Physics, showed to the country the resilient and relentless spirit of knowledge hungry Boholano. A professor and scientist, the Galileo Galilei awardee and holder of national and international patents as inventor is into photonics, signal processing, complex adaptive systems, management of research and development institutions in emerging economies. Dr. Saloma also keeps the country's highest rank as a scientist and multi-awarded researcher greatly contributing to science and education while led him to Metrobank's SOT for higher education in 2007. Since then, both Boholanos have consistently lived lives worthy of emulation by Boholanos and the countrymen as well. Both have also shown to the Boholanos something to aspire for, despite difficult times.