Senate commends Filipino heroes

The Senate today adopted Senate Resolution No. 764 commending Robin Lim for being named as CNN's 2011 hero of the year.

The resolution was sponsored by Senator Pia Cayetano, head of the Health and Demography Committee.

Senate President Juan Ponce lauded the adoption of the resolution saying that Lim is a shining example to Filipinos.

"Robin Lim deserves to be recognized by her countrymen. She brings honor to the Philippines. She is living proof that we can always make a difference in this world and in our country," Enrile said.

A midwife, Lim was awarded Hero of the Year by the Cable News Network popularly known as CNN last December 27, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.

The CNN Hero of the Year was chosen by the public through online voting in CNN.com lasting for 11 weeks where Lim emerged as winner.

According to the resolution, Lim has been helping thousands of women "have healthy pregnancies and safe births through her non-profit, Indonesia-based maternal health clinic, Yasan Bumi Sehat (Healthy Mother Earth Foundation)."

Born of a Filipino-Chinese mother and an American father, Lim learned traditional medicine and healing practices from her maternal grandmother in Baguio City where she lived with her family before moving to Bali, Indonesia with her husband.

She has helped countless of Filipino women by offering them free prenatal and childbirth clinics in Baguio and Quezon City.

"Lim's selfless service and goodness of heart has earned her the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year award, bringing honor and recognition to the Philippines, given her Filipino ancestry," the resolution said.

Meanwhile, the Senate adopted two more resolutions--Senate Resolution 767 expressing sympathy over the death of artist Anita Magsaysay-Ho and Senate Resolution 765 recognizing the late Cornelio Balmaceda for his invaluable role in the establishment of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters in the country.

Both resolutions were introduced by Senator Franklin Drilon.

The Senate "expresses its deep sympathy on the demise of Anita Magsaysay-Ho and its highest respect and appreciation for her contribution to the development of Philippine arts and culture," SRN 767 said.

"It also recognizes former Commerce and Industry Secretary Cornelio Balmaceda for his selfless and able representation of the Philippines in several important capacities leading to the establishment of the Asian Development Bank as well as his invaluable role in the location of the ADB headquarters in the Philippines." SRN 765 added.

According to SRN 765, Balmaceda lobbied to have the ADB headquarters in Manila. He won the support of eight other Asian countries, namely China, Vietnam, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand.

On December, 1965, Manila prevailed over Tokyo as the permanent site of the ADB, winning by a margin of just one vote.

"The Filipino people owes a debt of gratitude to former Secretary Balmaceda for his nationalistic efforts and impeccable diplomatic poise and an even more profound debt for his services afterwards, including his functions as Special Adviser to the President on ADB affairs, chairman of the 14-nation committee on preparatory arrangements for the establishment of the ADB and the Philippines' first alternate director of the ADB," the resolution concluded. (Olive Caunan, PRIB writer)