SYDNEY - The Philippine Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has recently announced the opening of nominations for the 2008 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas.

The Presidential Awards is a biennial search to recognize exceptional individuals and organizations for their outstanding contribution to Philippine progress and development. The Awards are also conferred on overseas Filipinos who have shown excellence and distinction in their work or profession.

Instituted in 1991, it has so far been conferred on 283 overseas-based individuals and organizations.

There are four categories of awards, namely:

1. Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL) Award. Conferred on Filipino associations or individuals for their exceptional or significant contribution to reconstruction, progress and development in the Philippines.

2. Banaag Award. Conferred on Filipino individuals or associations for their contributions which have significantly benefited a sector or community in the Philippines, or advanced the cause of overseas Filipino communities.

3. Kaanib ng Bayan Award. Conferred on foreign individuals or organizations for their exceptional or significant contribution to Philippine reconstruction, progress and development, or have significantly benefited a sector or community in the Philippines, or advanced the cause of overseas Filipino communities.

4. Pamana ng Pilipino Award. Conferred on Filipinos overseas, who, in exemplifying the talent and industry of the Filipino, have brought the country honor and recognition through excellence and distinction in the pursuit of their work or profession.

Nominations from individuals and/ or organizations based in New South Wales are to be submitted to the Philippine Consulate General Sydney for screening of documentary compliance and endorsement of the submissions to the CFO.

Previous nominees who were not award recipients may be re-nominated under the same or another category. An individual or organization may not be nominated in more than one category at any one time. In cases where there are separate nominations for an individual and the organization where he/she belongs to the same award category, the primacy of the organization will be upheld. The Awards Secretariat reserves the right to change the category of the initial nomination for that individual or organization as appropriate.

Former awardees, either in the same or other categories, are disqualified from nomination.

Copies of the primer, nomination, endorsement forms and further information are available at the Consulate or through the CFO website at www.cfo.gov.ph.

The completed nomination, endorsement forms and supporting documentation must be submitted on or before 30 May 2008. The Awards Ceremony will be held at the Malacañan Palace in December 2008.
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