Filipino Expat Group Awards Most Outstanding Pinoys in HK
Consul General in Hong Kong Antonio A. Morales delivers his congratulatory remarks at the Philippine Association of Hong Kong (PAHK) Charity Ball 2018 at the Marco Polo Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong’s Kowloon District on 09 June 2018. (PAHK photo)
HONG KONG 28 June 2018 – The leading Filipino expatriate community group gave recognition to the five most outstanding Hong Kong-based Filipino nationals for exceptional contributions in their respective fields, at its annual charity ball at the Marco Polo Hotel in Hong Kong’s Kowloon District on 09 June 2018.
The Philippine Association of Hong Kong (PAHK) gave awards at the PAHK Charity Ball to the Most Valuable Pinoys (MVP) of Hong Kong in the following fields: Myrna Padilla (Technology), Leo Selomenio (Community Development), Dr. Michael Manio (Education), Lulu Salazar (Business and Professional Practice), and Xyza Bacani (Arts).
In his congratulatory remarks, Consul General Antonio A. Morales noted that the awardees deserved to be recognized for helping advance the image of the Philippines and of Filipinos in Hong Kong at the special ball that took the theme “Celebrating Global Pinoys,” on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of Philippine independence.
“The MVP tribute is the first of its kind. It celebrates the success of Filipinos in Hong Kong and their invaluable contribution to the Filipino community and to the country,” PAHK Chair Franco Villanueva added.
The PAHK Charity Ball featured popular entertainer Ogie Alcasid, The Voice of the Philippines Champion Jason Dy, Filipino-American stand-up comic Rex Navarrete, and Rivermaya frontman Jason Fernandez.
PAHK raised funds for the Hong Kong Bayanihan Trust, a charity organization that provides facilities for skills upgrading and recreation for overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong.
Among the attendees were PLDT Global President and CEO Katrina Luna-Abelarde, and Smart Communications Wireless Consumer Division Head Alex Caeg.
PAHK was founded in 1961 as the Philippine Hong Kong Association, with the encouragement of the Consulate General. There were only some 200 Filipinos living in Hong Kong back then, whose main concern was to provide venues for social interaction. The PAHK Charity Ball has its origins as one of the PAHK’s main events.
With Hong Kong’s rise as a financial hub, the association took on a new role as a de facto Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry dedicated to promoting business, trade and tourism in the Philippines. The membership changed to: from mostly executives of multinational companies, to a more diverse and open membership from all walks of life. END
Consul General in Hong Kong Antonio Morales and Philippine Association of Hong Kong (PAHK) Chair Franco Villanueva present the Most Valuable Pinoys of Hong Kong awards for outstanding contributions in their respective fields to (from left) Myrna Padilla in Technology, Leo Selomenio in Community Development, Lulu Salazar in Business & Professional Practice (accepted by BDO’s Joel Almeda), Xyza Bacani in the Arts (accepted by Edwina Antonio), and Dr. Michael Manio in Education at the Philippine Association of Hong Kong (PAHK) Charity Ball 2018 on 09 June 2018 held at the Marco Polo Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong’s Kowloon District. (PAHK photo)
For more information, visit www.hongkongpcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinHK/.