Former Senator Anna Dominique Marquez-Lim Coseteng, described as a “distinguished public servant, educator and cultural and sports advocate,” will be honored next week as a Hall of Fame laureate at the 5th Award for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding (APPCU).
Coseteng leads 11 other laureates who will be honored in three other categories, announced Monday by Raul Lambino, chairman of the Association of Philippines-China Understanding (APCU), at a press conference.
The awards night will be held on June 3 at the Manila Hotel, marking the fifth year since the award was founded, Lambino said. Senator Christopher Go is scheduled to be the guest speaker.
The event also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of official diplomatic ties between the Philippines and China.
Lambino said APPCU is a joint undertaking of APCU and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Manila. It was founded in 2021 by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the inauguration of the Manila Forum for China-Philippines relations.
The other APPCU laureates, honored for Outstanding Contributions, Major Contributions, and the newly-created Amity Award, were chosen for the impact of their achievements and contributions in promoting Philippines-China understanding and enhancing bilateral relations, Lambino said.
For Outstanding Contributions, the honorees are Dominic Edgard Cabangon, chairman of ALC Group of Companies and Maynard Ngu, special envoy of the President to the People’s Republic of China for trade, investments and tourism
Major contributions awardees include Quezon City Mayor Ma. Josefina Tanya Go Belmonte Alimurung; Ng Siu Seng, president of Asahi Hi Quality Food Mfg. Inc.; Joaquin Sy, multi-awarded writer-translator in Filipino, English and Chinese; and Teodorico Nebres Dofiles, executive assistant of the city mayor of Digos City on international affairs.
The five laureates for the new Amity Award category are Marianne Lourdes Leonor, a Filipino English teacher in China; Nelson Garcia Santiago, a PNP staff sergeant who died while rescuing Chinese citizens (posthumous); Eden Batangoy Accad, a PNP chief master sergeant injured in the rescue of Chinese citizens; Dr. Shirley Agrupis, CHED Commissioner and former president of Mariano Marcos State University; and Justin Clarence Lao Tembreza, a TikTok content creator who produces videos promoting the Minnan dialect.
Lambino said APCU’s role is “non-political and non-government” and is limited to “cultural and people-to-people exchanges.”
“We’re just focused on bridging the divide between the Filipino and Chinese peoples,” Lambino said.
He said relations between the Philippines and China have turned icy in recent years, a stark departure from the 2016-2022 term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
