Thursday, May 19, 2022
Erap APPCU Hall of Fame awardee
FORMER president Joseph "Erap" Estrada has been chosen as one of the 2022 Awardees for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding (APPCU) Hall of Fame honorees.
The other Hall of Fame winner was the former ambassador to China, Francisco Benedicto, the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU) and the Chinese Embassy in Manila said as they announced the 10 APPCU laureates for 2022.
The APPCU committee on Wednesday also said that it extended a special award posthumously, the Gawad Sultan Paduka Pahala, to the late Philippine ambassador to China, Jose Santiago "Chito" Sta. Romana, who died on April 19.
APCU said the APPCU pays special tribute to Filipinos who have promoted mutual understanding between the Philippines and China using their advocacies and expertise in mass media and public service; trade and commerce; and arts, culture and the sciences.
The awardees for the APPCU Outstanding Contributions category are Wilson Lee Flores, honorary chairman of Anvil Business Club and moderator of Pandesal Forum; Rodrigo "Rod" Kapunan, Manila Standard columnist and contributor of China Daily Global Edition; Mauro Gia Samonte, The Manila Times columnist and book author; and Princess Jacel Kiram of the Sultanate of Sulu, co-founder and president of the International Center for Peace, Reconciliation and Development.
For the Major Contributions category, the awardees are Paul Gutierrez, columnist/reporter for the Philippine Journalists Inc. (PJI); Prof. Cavin Franco Pamintuan, director of the Confucius Institute at Angeles University Foundation; Prof. Celso Cainglet, senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines Visayas; and April Marie Dayap, chief of the Davao City Investment and Promotions Center.
The awarding ceremony will be held on June 10. All the awardees will receive a trophy, a recognition plaque and a certificate. Prize money will also be given to each awardee for the Outstanding Contributions and Major Contributions categories.
Since the launch of the second year of APPCU in January 2022, APPCU said its members have streamlined its search for deserving individuals whose works have fostered amity between the Philippines and China.
It added that the 10 awardees have passed the three-stage selection and judging process from a list of nominees beginning the early quarter of this year.
"Their works' prestige, nature and extent are essentially the bases for identifying their respective awards category," the APPCU committee said.