The 57th founding anniversary of Bansalan, Davao del Sur, will be on September 18, 2009.
On this occasion Mayor
Edwin G. Reyes will bestow the coveted
Outstanding Bansaleño Award to five Bansaleños for their exemplary contribution and for excelling in their chosen professions.
The five awardees are:
Dr. Teofredo T. Esguerra:A medical doctor who is part of the Filipino team who scaled the world's highest peak, Nepal's Mount Everest, in 2006 as the team's lone physician. He stayed for the most part at the base camp, which was 18,000 feet above sea level.
Atty. Israelito P. Torreon:President of the Davao del Sur chapter of Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP). As such, he was cited "for being elected the youngest president ever." A law professor at the Ateneo de Davao University, he founded the Ateneo Forensic, the university's law debating club. Last June, the team became champion in the first International Humanitarian Law Debate held at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
Benjamin R. Lao:Is recognized "for being chosen as the Gawad Saka 2008 national awardee for coconut farming by the Department of Agriculture." He has proven that a barren land can be turned into productive farm. His farm is located in Eman, Davao del Sur. Aside from coconut, the Lao Integrated Farm is also teeming with various fruits like lanzones (more than a thousand trees), durian (700 trees), mangosteen, and rambutan. He is an advocate in organic farming.
Leila Noel-Rispens:She is cited "for leading the former residents of Bansalan now living abroad into a virtual community through the Association of Bansaleos Worldwide (ABW)."
Rispens-Noel is also one of the most sought speakers on such topics as migration, development, remittances, and capacity building of diaspora organizations. She is also a good source of information on links between remittances and development. She married a Dutch national, Willem Rispens, she used to live in the Netherlands but recently moved to Hong Kong.
Evelyn B. Laguidao:She was known as Evelyn Bautista. She grew up and studied in Bansalan. Later on, she migrated to the United States, where she now works at the World Bank headquarters.
