Awardees and finalists of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. Triennial Awards for Exemplary Individual and Outstanding Institution in the Visayas and Mindanao, recently met to share their success stories and recommendations to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis.

The Triennial Xchange Series Forum held April 15 at Plaza Ma. Luisa Forum was the fifth of its kind but a first in Dumaguete City.

The winner in the Exemplary Individual category, Dr. Chelsea Cacaldo, discussed how wellness and health services are being promoted in community hospitals.

Cacaldo oversees operations of six community hospitals in hinterland areas in the province where she initiated the Neighborhood Family Health Care and Wellness Program, wherein community hospitals train groups of volunteers on primary health care.

Cacaldo’s award is significant, being the first winner to come from Visayas since the Triennial Awards, conferred every three years, was first conducted by RAFI in 1996.

In the same forum, other finalists Dr. Gerardo Maxino, Eddie Lantaca of the Perpetual Help Credit Cooperative, Inc. and representatives from St. Catherine Family Helper Project also share their inspiring stories.

RAFI program officer Alfred Domingo said finalists chosen for the award are all outstanding in their respective fields with track records for selfless commitment to serving the less privileged.

Domingo is hopeful that, through the Triennial Xchange Series Forum, more people will be inspired to rekindle hope for the future, nurture idealism and service and cultivate genuine citizenship even in the midst of a global economic crisis.

He said he also hopes that more deserving individuals and non-government organizations from Negros Oriental will be nominated for the Triennial Awards.

“We acknowledge that there are more NGOs and individuals out who are working unselfishly to bring about change and improvement to the lives of the less privileged and yet they do not seek the spotlight. Those are the people we want to recognize,” he said.

RAFI is accepting nominations for the next Triennial Awards in 2012 until the middle of next year.*JG

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