Mayor Olivarez receives National Maagap Award for Local Government

Parañaque City Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez has been named one of the recipients of the 2013 National Maagap Awards by the Organized Response for the Advancement of Society or ORAS Movement, a respected 17-year old private organization dedicated to the promotion of punctuality and civility in society.

And, in a rare double win, Barangay Chairman Daniel S. Santos of Sun Valley, Parañaque was also named winner in the barangay sector, giving the city two out of the eight National Maagap Awards for the year. Mr. Santos was recently reelected chairman of Barangay Sun Valley which is in Parañaque’s second district.

“This is indeed a great honor for the city of Parañaque, and it is an affirmation of what we have been espousing all throughout my political career,” the mayor said. “We in Parañaque do take pride in being punctual and professional, as well as in being civil and respectful of the rights of others, because there are virtues that have been handed down to us from generation to generation.”

Aside from punctuality and civility, Mayor Olivarez was cited by ORAS for his outstanding achievements in local governance. Although he has been in office for less than five months, the search committee took note of the many changes and reforms he has instituted that have reflected positively on the people of the city.

Founded in 1996 by the late Supreme Court Justice Emilio Gancayco, ORAS strives to change the concept of Filipino time, which used to mean tardiness or being late. Its battle cry is “Laging Nasa Oras Ako”.

Other awardees for 2013 include Dante Francis Ang II for the media sector; Dean Amado Magsino for the academe; Sr. Ma. Alma Immacolata Mangahas, SFSC, for the education sector; Dr. Enrico Aurelio Torres for the business sector; Police Chief Supt. Jose Erwin Villacorte for law enforcement; and Ambassador Alfredo Yao for the private sector.

Atty. Miguel Varela, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was presented the Justice Emilio Gancayco Award 2013 as the Most Outstanding Achiever during the awards rites held last November 26 at the Camelot Hotel in Quezon City.