MARAWI CITY,
Lanao del Sur, Sept. 1 (PIA) --- Deaf and aged, Kado Esmail, 70, still
literally shakes a leg to become the model worker of the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), topping over 40 thousand other employees of the
regional bureaucracy.
Esmail was
awarded a certificate of appreciation in paper, as well as on tarpaulin to
immortalize his lifetime achievement of keeping the ARMM capitol grounds here
clean and green in over three decades.
In addition, he
received a cash reward from money contribution raised by regional officials led
by ARMM Officer-In-Charge Governor Mujiv S. Hataman.
“For his
exemplary service through exceptional trait of sheer hard work, the present
administration hereby recognizes his contribution in the field of public and
civil service,” reads the certificate of appreciation in Filipino that Hataman
and top officials of the Executive and Legislative Branches of ARMM government
handed over to Esmail.
Hataman said he
wanted all ARMM employees and officials to emulate the honesty and hard work
that Esmail and 21 other utility person-awardees have exuded in the name of
public service.
Esmail, noted
consistent to work as utility person sweeping a huge part of the 20-hectare
capitol ground, was once caught in a photo sweeping the grounds amid heavy
rain, by Myrna Jo Henry, a senior employee of the ARMM’s Bureau of Public
Information, who quickly posted it on her Facebook.
The FB photo of
Esmail by Henry spread fast among residents and ranking officials, including
Hataman himself who met his immediate staff in the thought of awarding the old
man.
Still physically
strong at his age, Esmail who only speaks Maguindanaon, couldn’t say anything
but “salamat” and “sukran” (Arabic for “thanks”).
Esmail said he
keeps his family's hand-to-mouth existence by working with a “job-order”
appointment which entitles him to up to P 9,000.00 monthly, depending on the
“compassion” of leaders at the helm of the regional government.
He said he could
not retire even at his age, lest he suffer frequent body aching, and that he
would have nothing to reap in terms of retirement benefits, just the same.
From his meager
earning, starting with P 15.00 daily wage, Esmail had sent to school his now
adult and married children—and is still helping bear school expenses for his
grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was profoundly thankful, saying in
Maguindanaon that the P 50,000.00 cash reward was a big help to his
family.
Assemblymen joined
Hataman in paying tribute to the region’s 22 lowly workers, who were also given
awards recognizing their labor.
Most of the
awardees have worked on their job during the past 20 or 30 years from the
tenure of ARMM’s forerunner—the Office of the Regional Commission and Lupong
Tagapagpaganap ng Pook in the 1970s.
Hataman said his
administration will continue the awarding system to cover other departments,
offices, bureaus and commissions under the regional government.
He appealed to
workers, officials and visitors of the regional capitol to observe cleanliness
and to help keep the ground clean even by refraining from littering around.
Hataman warned
that in the same manner, the ARMM government will also give humiliating
“awards” to littering officials and employees.
Aside from
Esmail, other awards recipients were Marcelina Gomez-Vasay; Domin Manayol;
Jasper Villamor; Faisal Gaos; Guiamad Abubakar; Isidro Zafra; Abdulnasser
Ibrahim; Peter Morales; Erlinda Flores; Solaiman Gaos; Mama Kasuyo; Tito Beloy;
Narlito Flores; Nguda Ali; Sali Moldin; Simeon Ulama; Nida Salva; Wahid Atin
Manguda; Email Manial; Ebrahim Abedin, and Lester Najiv Ahmad. (BPI-ARMM/PIA-10)
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