Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has announced the activities lined up for the upcoming 447th Araw ng Maynila on June 24, highlighting the city’s numerous achievements and historical events.
The city chief executive said the celebration will start today, June 18, with the awarding of Outstanding Employees and City Service Awardees at the City Hall’s Bulwagang Villegas at 2 pm.
From June 19 to 21, the Division of City Schools leads the awarding of Outstanding Educators at the Century Park Hotel at 1 pm, and a youth concert to be led by the Manila Youth Bureau at the Rajah Sulayman Park at 7 pm. The concert is free and open to the public for them to appreciate and listen to the talents of the city’s homegrown bands.
The former President will also honor Manila’s senior citizens in the “Gabi ng Parangal Para sa mga Nakatatandang Manilenyo” (Awards Night for Elder Manileños) to be held at the Universidad de Manila starting at 4 pm.
On June 20, Mayor Estrada will also honor exceptional Filipino artists who have excelled in architecture, painting, and other art forms and culture through the yearly “Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Awards” (Arts and Crafts Awards). It will be held at the Ayuntamiento in Manila.
The following day, June 21, Estrada will bestow honors to outstanding city employees, teachers, judges, prosecutors, and police officers at the Manila Hotel at 7 pm.
He will likewise honor the Outstanding Taxpayers and Manilans with the Bureau of Permits and Manila Barangay Bureau as the lead division of the city hall, at the Manila Hotel at 7 pm on June 22.
On June 24, Estrada will grace a Thanksgiving Mass at the San Agustin Church at 7 a.m., right after the wreath laying at the Rizal Park.
On June 26, the much-awaited grand coronation night of the annual 2018 Miss Manila pageant will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center at 7 p.m.
Last year, Estrada also led the awarding of plaques to nine Outstanding Manilans of 2017 in rites at the Manila Hotel.
Honored were the late Juan Arellano, Sen. Sonny Angara, Ramon Orlina, Socorro Ramos, Auraeus Solito, Patrocinio Villafuerte, Boots Anson-Roa, Ben Farrales and Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio.
They were chosen for success in their respective careers, thus giving honor to Manila, Estrada said.
Anson-Roa was cited for her being a popular movie actress and a FAMAS awardee, while Angara was recognized for his public service.
On the other hand, Farrales is a well-known Filipino fashion designer while Orlina is the father of Philippine grass sculpture.
Villafuerte was honored for being a multi-awarded writer, linguist, and educator.
Solito is an award-winning filmmaker and indigenous people’s rights advocate and Ramos is the woman behind retail giant National Bookstore.
Lapeña-Bonifacio was honored for being the grand lady of Philippine puppet theater.
Estrada bestowed a posthumous award on Tondo-born architect Juan Arellano, who designed the Metropolitan Theater, the Legislative Building that now houses the National Museum and the Manila Central Post Office Building.
Estrada also awarded outstanding business and real property taxpayers.