In recognition of their contributions to the country, President Arroyo on Tuesday led the awarding ceremonies for The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines to six honorees in Malacañang.

The TOYM Awards is the country’s most prestigious recognition for young men and women who have significantly contributed to the country in their respective fields of endeavor.

The six honorees were chosen out of 50 nominees and will be joining the roster of 418 TOYM awardees in the country since it began in 1959.

This year’s awardees are Mary Joy Canon-Abaquin for education, particularly for pioneering the Multiple

Intelligence Education Institution, which serves preschool to high school students who have a specific thrust for leadership and entrepreneurship; Jose Roberto Alday Alampay for democracy and human rights advocacy; Ma. Anthonette Velasco-Allones for career executive service.

Allones, who is currently the Executive Director of the Career Executive Service Board, is being recognized for strengthening human resource development in the government, as well as in fighting for the welfare of disadvantaged government personnel, among them the soldiers, ordinary employees and demoralized career executive officers. She is the only TOYM awardee from the government this year;

Also included as this year’s TOYM awardees are Maria Victoria “Vicky” Morales-Reyno for broadcast journalism; Raymund Joseph “Rajo” Laurel for arts/fashion design; and Dr. Eliseo Lucero Prisno for maritime and global health and science promotion.

Prisno is a long-time advocate of Filipino seafarers, with his calls for reforms in the maritime industry and social corporate responsibility from ship owners. He is the first Filipino to receive the United Kingdom’s Shine International Student Award in 2008 and is also a recipient of two international health research awards in Europe in recognition of his research works concerning the health and welfare of seafarers earlier this year.