GMA confers gold medallion on 12 top teachers

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has conferred gold medallions of excellence on the 12 winners of this year’s Metrobank Foundation Search for Outstanding Teachers.

The Chief Executive, assisted by Metrobank Foundation chairman George Ty, Metrobank Foundation president Placido Mapa, Jr. and Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Ester Garcia, presented the awards to the 12 teachers in ceremonies held last night at Malacañang’s Heroes Hall.

The 12 awardees, who were chosen from a field of 222 teachers nominated by public and private schools all over the country, were the following:

• Elementary level: Gloria G. Tutica of the President Manuel A. Roxas Memorial School in Roxas City; Norma B. Ubaldo of the Batangas City East Elementary School in Batangas City; Agapita A. Nery of the Tanauan South Central School in Tanauan City; Ruth A. Larracas of the Isabelo de los Reyes Elementary School in Manila; Victoria M. Francisco of the Zamboanga East Central School in Zamboanga City.

• High School level: Rosanni L. Palma of the Sorsogon National High School in Sorsogon City; Luzminda B. Chan of the Aloran Trade School in Aloran, Misamis Occidental; Maria Jesusa C. Despojo of the Dumaguete City High School in Dumaguete City; and Erlinda D.G. Antaran of the Makati Science High School in Makati City.

• College level: Dr. Leoncio P. Deriada of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas in Miag-ao, Iloilo; Dr. T. Valentino S. Sitoy, Jr. of the Central Visayas Polytechnic College in Dumaguete City; and Dr. Lita M. Colting of the Benguet State University in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Metrobank Foundation said the winners were chosen for their outstanding contributions to the teaching profession through personal integrity and character, instructional competence, and professional and community involvement.

It further said that the formal awarding ceremonies for the 12 Outstanding Teachers will be held on September 6, 2002 at the Metrobank Plaza, which serve as the highlight of Metrobank’s 40^th anniversary celebration.

During the formal awarding rites, the outstanding teachers will each receive a trophy and a cash prize of P150,000. Of the total cash prize, P125,000 will go to the awardee while the P25,000 will go to the awardee’s school for its faculty development program.