ANGELES CITY – The Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) conferred national awards to Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno, Councilor Ricardo Zalamea and School Division Superintendent Dr. Antonieta Tiotuico during the 54^th Annual National Council Meeting of the BSP held at the Amigo Terrace Hotel in Iloilo City on March 4 to 6.

A National Court of Honor was conducted March 5 after the 1^st Plenary Session to honor extraordinary deeds and heroism of the country’s selected scouts and scouters.

The awards were given to individuals who rendered praiseworthy service to the Scouting movement. The BSP National Committee on Awards was unanimous in its decision to confer Nepomuceno and Zalamea with the Silver Usa Award whereas Tiotuico received the Bronze Usa Award.

According to Nepomuceno, the Angeles City government derives inspiration from the Boy Scouts.

“It’s always better to be prepared especially in times of calamity,” said Nepomuceno as he emphasizes the importance of preparedness.

“The Angeles City government adapts the ‘Boy Scout approach’ in addressing issues. We deter potential crisis through foresight, effective planning and materializing preventive measures. Dapat lagi tayong handa. We should not be reactive in our approach to problems because by the end of the day, wala tayong ibang masisi kundi ang mga sarili natin,” added Nepomuceno.

Nepomuceno, Zalamea and Tiotuico are very grateful to the scouting community for recognizing their efforts. The three awardees guarantee continued support to the Scouting movement. They would also like to call on more individuals especially public figures to support the Scouting movement.

The BSP annual council meeting is where the major policies approved by the National Executive Board are presented to the BSP body for final approval. The 3-day event was attended by approximately 400 scouts from all over the country.

Other notable personalities who were in the conference include Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas Sr., Leganes Mayor Adolfo Jaen and DepEd Secretary Jesli A Lapus, among others.