DFA Receives 3 Pasidungog Awards from The Office of The Vice President

The 3 Pasidungog awards under the Institutional Support category given to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen, and the Department of Foreign Affairs - Consular Office in Cebu (Photo by HCO Fernandez)

CEBU 02 July 2024 – The Department of Foreign Affairs received three (3) Pasidungog (give recognition) Awards from the Office of the Vice President (OPV) on Saturday, 29 June 2024, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City.

The Pasidungog Award - Institutional Support Category was given to the Department of Foreign Affairs for the deployment of detailed personnel to the Office of the Vice President. The Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen, China and the Department of Foreign Affairs Consular Office in Cebu were also given the Pasidungog Awards for extending Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) services to a Filipina mother residing in Cebu, allowing her to regain legal custody over her minor child.

Receiving the awards were Atty. Anika A. Fernandez, Head of the DFA Consular Office in Cebu, Mr. Albe Rey M. Mateo, Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer of the Philippine Consulate General in Ziamen, China on behalf of Consul General Maria Antonina M. Mendoza-Oblena, and Ms. Jellian A. Legitimas, ATN Officer of the DFA Consular Office in Cebu.

In his welcome remarks, OVP Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Mr. Lemuel G. Ortonio said that Pasidungog means to “give recognition” in Visayan, but the term is not just mere recognition, as it comes with a sense of celebration for the partners of OVP for joining in its journey of serving the nation.

OVP Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika T. Lopez in her speech said that the Office of the Vice President Pasidungog is dedicated to recognizing and honoring its esteemed partners in specific categories: Disaster Operations Category for partners who have contributed to planning and executing disaster operations across the Philippines; Institutional Support Category for individuals and institutions that have significantly enhanced the stability, growth, and efficiency of the OVP; and Special Projects Category for partners who have successfully contributed to implementing OVP projects and programs over the years.

In her Keynote, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte updated the audience on the notable accomplishments of her Office over the past year. Vice President Duterte commended all Pasidungog recipients, underscoring that the OVP’s programs and projects were made possible and successful through the support of its partners in the public and private sectors. Vice President Duterte likewise reminded the awardees of the more significant challenges ahead, as the OPV and its partners continue to commit themselves, through service and dedication, to honoring their social contract with the Filipino people.

The Pasidungog was established in 2023 to acknowledge the partners of the OVP and to highlight the OVP as a dynamic institution in nation-building, committed to providing only efficient, accessible, and responsive public service to uplift the lives of all Filipinos. END

Left to Right: Mr. Albe Rey M. Mateo, Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer of the
Philippine Consulate General in Ziamen, China on behalf of Consul General Maria
Antonina M. Mendoza-Oblena, Atty. Anika A. Fernandez, Head of the DFA
Consular Office in Cebu, and Ms. Jellian A. Legitimas, ATN Officer of the DFA
Consular Office in Cebu receive the Pasidungog on behalf of the DFA (Photo from OVP Facebook Page)