Senate establishes PH Senate Medal of Excellence

The Senate building at the GSIS Complex in Pasay City. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Monday adopted a resolution establishing the Philippine Senate Medal of Excellence.

During the plenary session, the senators adopted Senate Resolution No. 781, which seeks to create the Philippine Senate Medal of Excellence in order to “recognize, honor, and commend outstanding Filipinos for their exemplary service, outstanding achievements, and invaluable contributions to nation-building.”

Under the resolution, the medal will be given to Filipinos awarded with a Nobel Prize, a Pulitzer Prize, an A.M Turing Award, a Ramon Magsaysay Award, or an Olympic medal.

“It is very restrictive and it would automatically confer the Senate medal of honor to the recipients of the five awards,” said Senator Francis Tolentino, one of the sponsors of the resolution.

The resolution directs the Senate Committee on Rules to recommend to the Senate president the “criteria and guidelines for the nomination and conferment of the Philippine Senate Medal of [Excellence] to Filipinos and Philippine institutions who have rendered exemplary service to the nation in such a manner and such a degree as to add prestige to the Republic of the Philippines, or as to contribute to the lasting benefit of its people.”

“I’m working with office of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on how we can craft the language so we can place to our rules, this has to be adopted by our rules, so as it is not only in this Congress that we have this medal but we will try to institutionalize it for the future generations of senators to come,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, chairman of the rules committee, said.

Drilon, meanwhile, proposed an amendment which would require the unanimous vote from the members of the chamber before a Philippine Senate Medal of Excellence can be conferred.

Drilon’s amendment was adopted.

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JPV