HE is a husband and father of three children. He holds two Master’s degrees — one in Education, major in Mathematics, and another in Public Administration. And he fought in Marawi.
Lieutenant Colonel Elmer B. Suderio, assistant chief of staff for Operations, G3 operations officer of the Joint Task Force Marawi, is one of the Outstanding Filipinos named by the Metrobank Foundation.
Started in 1985, the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos Awards pay tribute to exemplary Filipino teachers, soldiers, and police officers, who are, as the Foundation profile puts it, “ordinary individuals who have dedicated themselves to a lifetime of service to fellow Filipinos.”
Aniceto M. Sobrepena, president of the Metrobank Foundation, presented Lieutenant Colonel Suderio and two other awardees at the Bulong Pulungan media forum at Hotel Sofitel on January 16, 2018.
Sobrepena said the Metrobank Awards have been inspired by the philosophy of the bank’s chairman and founder, Dr. George S. K. Ty, “that the success of a nation begins at the most basic level such that citizens lead dignified and productive lives.”
He added: “The Metrobank Foundation was established in 1979 to demonstrate the bank’s commitment to nation-building by assessing and targetting the needs of the underserved sectors and cultivate a culture of excellence among Filipinos through its annual recognition programs.”
Metrobank Foundation named Lieutenant Colonel Suderio as one of its Oustanding Filipinos not only for his bravery as a soldier, but also for his achievements as administrator, academic, and development worker.
Lt. Col. Suderio led a series of armed operations against terrorist groups, transformed a “problematic” Scout Ranger group into a disciplined and cohesive unit, and even led a group creating a curriculum for Philippine Military Academy preparing cadets to tackle administrative functions in a military unit.
Metrobank Foundation awarded Lt. Col. Suderio also for his contributions to maintain peace and order by “winning hearts and minds” through livelihood opportunities for rebels as well as medical missions and community support programs.
Manila Police District’s Finest Officer. That’s how Metrobank Foundation tagged Police Chief Inspector Rosalino P. Ibay, Jr.
Ibay has been chief of the Manila District Intelligence and Operation Unit for 20 years now.
Born in Tondo, Ibay desired to become a policeman to transform the place into a peaceful community. Fulfilling his dream to be a police officer, he has led numerous operations to quell the most notorious crimes in Tondo—robbery, murder, human trafficking, syndicated illegal recruitment, prostitution, counterfeiting of diplomas and licenses, and most notable, carnapping.
Ibay developed the Manila CRAV Facebook Page— posting pictures of stolen vehicles, notifying netizens developments on various cases real time.
Metrobank also recognized Ibay’s community leadership, especially the Barangay Management System – a record of personal information of all barangay residents in Tondo, complete with ID system to promptly track people violating laws.
Another feather on Ibay’s cap is Buklod ng Alyansang Nagkakaisang Anak ng Tondo (BANAT), which implements humanitarian projects such as medical missions, feeding programs, and distribution of goods to residents.
Ibay holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration, plus awards such as Best Provincial Chief during his stint in Davao del Norte’s Regional Highway Patrol Group in 2011, and Best Junior PCO in 2013 and 2015. He is married and has two children.
Metrobank Foundation named Alonzo A. Gabriel, Ph.D., Diliman’s Food Security Advocate.
Alonzo earned his degree in Food Technology and Master’s degree in Food Science from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biofunctional Science and Technology, major in Food Microbiology and Hygiene, from the Hiroshima University.
He has been a UP full professor and University scientist for 14 years now.
Dr. Alonzo led the establishment of the country’s first and only Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Hygiene in UP which has been opened to students and faculty even outside the University to be able to complete their laboratory experiments.
He has pioneered technologies such as the use of plasma and ultraviolet radiation in killing bacteria in food without destroying the nutrients. He is a member of the Philippine Food Defense Core Technical Working Group convened by the Department of Agriculture and the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2011 in response to threats of bioterrorism that contaminates food as a means to harm mankind.
He has also developed teaching materials and conducted awareness drives and nationwide public consultations on food defense.
Congratulations to these, our modern-day heroes!
Happy Birthday!
Bulong Pulungan and Metrobank Foundation guests celebrate January birthday girls, from left: Aniceto M. Sobrepena, president of the Metrobank Foundation; Police Chief Inspector Rosalino P. Ibay, Jr. presenting cake to Rina David of Philippine Daily Inquirer; Cynthia U. Santiago of cnewsmagazine.com and Woman Today receiving cake from Lieutenant Colonel Elmer B. Suderio, assistant chief of staff for Operations, G3 operations officer of the Joint Task Force Marawi; Dr. Alonzo A. Gabriel, Ph.D., Food Security Advocate; and Mila Alora. Back row, from left: Pete Dacuycuy, Frank Evaristo, Deedee Siytangco, Domini Torrevillas, and Alice Reyes.
–Cynthia U. Santiago Photos by Ed L. Santiago
C! 
What a blessing to have outstanding people to bless your birthday with their presence and their gifts. That’s a very good sign, outstanding friend. Thanks for sharing this inspiring article.