12 March 2014 - Education Undersecretary Mario Deriquito congratulated Filipino student and teachers awardees during the Department of Education hosted 2013 Peace and Cooperation Award on Friday, February 28, at the Bulwagang Karunungan of the DepEd Complex in Pasig City. Over 100 guests were invited to the awarding ceremony.
The Peace and Cooperation School Award is an international school competition organized by the Spanish-based Peace and Cooperation Foundation, an NGO founded by educator and social activist Mr. Joaquin Antuña, to promote non-violence through creativity.
In his keynote address, Undersecretary Deriquito said: “The Department of Education operates on four pillars namely: to learn, to do, to give and to live. The DepEd supports enhanced learner center curriculum in art.” He also noted extensive cooperation in the field of education between the Philippines and Spain.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Office of European Affairs Director Bernadette Fernandez, President of the Peace and Cooperation School Award Mr. Joaquin Antuña, Spanish AECID Coordinator Mr. Vicente Selles (representing Ambassador Jorge Domecq who was taken ill) and Iranian Pars Culture Makers Institute for Children Founder Ms. Sousan Nikzat participated in the event.
Over 40 Grade School and High School student and teacher individual and group awardees from as far as Bataan, Aurora, Iloilo and Zamboanga made their way to DepEd to personally receive their awards and to take part in the ceremony.
In addition to the certificates, caps, shirts and posters which were personally distributed by Mr. Antuña to the awardees, cash gifts in euros from the Peace and Cooperation Foundation were handed to the top four awardees, namely: Master Erl John B. Castaños, Ms. Annie Rose Batayola, Ms. Jun So Hyun, Ms. Dabereth Baller (teacher). As a tribute to Juan Luna, the famous Filipino hero and painter who lived in Spain, Philippine Ambassador to Spain Carlos Salinas generously donated 10,000 pesos each to the four awardees plus a glass commemorative tablet/plaque. The said awards, known as the Juan Luna awards, were conferred by the DFA and DepEd on behalf of Ambassador Salinas.
Mr. Antuña was touched by the granting of awards from the personal funds of the Philippine Ambassador and expressed hope that the Juan Luna Award would be linked to the 2014 Peace and Cooperation Award, with the theme “Family Rights and Future: Family: Natural and Fundamental Element of Society,” the awarding ceremony of which will be held in 2015 in Algeria. END