888 Forum celebrates fifth year

The 888 News Forum marked its fifth anniversary on Aug. 8 by giving special awards to individual and institutional achievers, ranging from eco-tourism champions  to the oldest school in the country.

Forum host Ricky Poca  thanked media practitioners and the legion of news makers—public officials and private citizens—who have made  the weekly forum a venue for spirited discussions of  burning issues of the day.

Marco Polo Plaza is the venue for the forum every Tuesday.

The idea of an 888 News Forum grew out of coffee chats she had with local journalists, said Jenny Franco of Travelvision.  It later attracted other supporters in the tourism industry like Bobby Joseph, president of the National Association of Independent Tour Operators (Naitas) who suggested its name “888.”

Puerto Princessa  Mayor Edward Hagedorn, who was the anniversary guest speaker, presented the turnaround story of his  city’s growth as the “cleanest and greenest” city in the country.

Hand-carved wooden Sto. Niño icons were given out as awards by the 888’s core group members to

-Mayor Hagedorn for his leadership in making Puerto Princesa a global model for environmental protection;

-Engineer Nestor Archival, whose House Close to Nature, showcases his passion of eco-friendly practices in his Talamban residence;

-Aloguinsan Municipal Vice Mayor Cynthia Moreno for her leadership in developing the community-based Bojo River Eco-Tour in 2009 in midwest Cebu when she was the town mayor;

-Marco Protacio, former general manager of the Waterfront  Cebu City Hotel and Casino, for his high standards of professionalism, and leadership as president of the Hotel Resorts and Restaurant Association of Cebu;

-Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, for her promotion of Cebu as a wholesome premier tourist destination and being in the forefront of the battle against exploitation of women and children with legislation to mitigate the adverse impact of lingam spas, human trafficking and cybersex pornography;

-the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., for its commitment to social development through community organizing, networking and advocacy;

-Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital, which has positioned itself to cater to medical travelers through upgrading with state-of-the-art medical facilities and the establishment of specialty centers;

-the University of San Carlos, the oldest surviving school in the Philippines, which through the years has “molded competent and socially responsible professionals”;

-Hans Hauri, country manager of Marco Polo Plaza for his generous support in hosting the 888 News Forum in Cebu’s only five-star hotel; and

-Boy Solomon, veteran radio and TV broadcaster, for his steadfast support  in covering the weekly news forum.