Ten Outstanding Boy Scouts of the Philippines named

The Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP), in an exclusive partnership with Coca-Cola Philippines recently named the winners of the 2013 Search for the Ten Outstanding Boy Scouts (TOBS) of the Philippines at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
 
This year’s winners of the prestigious search include Hans Juris A. Artillero (Capiz Council), Hanns Christian J. Chua (Manila Council), John Dennhel Y. Cruz (Bulacan Council), Elmer L. Delen (Batangas City Council), David Leonard P. Guzman (Cagayan North – Tuguegarao City Council), Justin Mikhail E. Hermosisima (Cebu Council), John Carlo P. Prieto (Marinduque Council), Kleio Alfric S. Tobias (Iloilo Council), Adrian Paul S. San Andres (Bulacan Council) and Francis Eirick A. Tamayo (Dagupan City Council).
 
TOBS National Selection Committee Chairman and BSP Member Emeritus Maximino J. Edralin said, “This is more than just a ritual.  We are in fact building up a core of potential leaders steeped in the principles of Scouting for our more than 2 million members to look up to and emulate.”
 
“Contrary to the impression that continues to linger in the minds of some people, Scouting is not just an organization of young people having fun in jamborees. They are trained to imbibe the proper moral values by observing the scout oath and law and to acquire special skills that they would find useful in their adult life”, he added.
 
The winners were chosen from among the 23 national finalists coming from 117 local councils and 10 scouting regions of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines whose membership is approximately at 2 million, the largest youth group in the country.
 
The Search is also in partnership with the Ten Outstanding Boy Scouts of the Philippines Association. It is by far, the biggest and most sought after scouting event of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines every calendar year, marking the opening of the Scouting Month in October.
 
The Search process begins at the school level selection in July and finally culminates at the national level selection late September in Manila. They are selected based on their competencies on scholastic achievements, community service projects and leadership performance.
 
Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, in his speech, urged the outstanding young men to stay within a state of preparedness, “As President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, I can only urge you to stay within that state of preparedness armed with knowledge as well as courage.”
 
“You, and the spreading of good acts all around, are sweetest fruits of scouting’s labor,” he added.
 
For fifteen years now, Coca-Cola Philippines has been the exclusive partner of the search in a show of its strong investment and support for youth development through the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. It has helped and is continuing to help over 130 previous winners go through college through its scholarship grants. Several of those who received the award have already graduated from college with high distinctions from the top performing colleges and universities in the country. A great number of the awardees are now engineers, architects, bankers, auditors, nurses, medical technologists, political scientists, among others. Some are currently pursuing post-graduate studies in law, medicine and master’s degree here and abroad.
 
Guillermo Aponte, President and General Manager of Coca-Cola Philippines, expressed his firm belief in the partnership between Coca-Cola and the Boy Scouts, “Our sustainability journey is built on the same foundation as the Boy Scouts. It is about improving people’s lives, addressing our collective challenges and creating enabling environments for the youth, women and communities to thrive so that no one will be left behind.”
 
Aponte sees the Boy Scouts of the Philippines as a pivotal instrument towards the delivery of several of its projects in giving back to the community, in creating a better world. Coca-Cola and the BSP share the same vision on sustainability in various prongs – the creation of a sustainable environment through programs that positively impact the lives of other people, the empowerment of its stakeholders, building strong communities, and providing education to the less and to those who are deserving.
 
“I always say that the Search for the Ten Outstanding Boy Scouts is preparing the future professionals and leaders that this country needs at the present and for the future. The Boy Scout has taught us that we need to embody excellence, trustworthiness, selflessness, and passion to give back to our fellow countrymen, to our communities, and to the environment”, he said.
 
Coca-Cola and the Boy Scouts, thus, share the same fundamental value towards nation building.
 
Each of the winners receives cash prize, college scholarship grant, plaque of recognition and the TOBS medallion courtesy of Coca-Cola Philippines.


Press release and photo from GreenBulb Public Relations