By Manuel L. Morato
This coming November, there are 18 awardees of the Gusi Peace Prize for 2019 chosen from all over the world.
Allow me to mention the laureates, one by one.
From Argentina: Justice Ignacio Mahiquez
From Belgium: Ambassador Patrick De Beyter
From Germany: Dr. Bernhard Sabel
From Great Britain: Dr. Trevor Gibbs
From Great Britain: Dr. Mark Berelowitz
From Greece: Professor Jeffrey Levett
From Guatemala: Ambassador Mario Bucaro
From India: Dr. Dinesh Sharma
From Israel: Hon. Elibeer White
From Malaysia: Hon. Edward Khoo
From New Zealand: Dr. John Cook
From the Philippines: Dr. Caroline Enriquez
From the Philippines: The Honorable Mayor of Manila, Mayor Francisco (Isko) Moreno Domagoso
From Russia: Madame Margarita Parshukova
From South Africa: Former President Kgalema Motlanthe
From Thailand: Senator Teerakiat Jareonsettasin
From Turkey: Dr. Burak Kuntay
From the United States of America: Dr. Gary Dunbar
The awards night will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center or PICC on the last week of November as where the Gusi Peace Prize International is held yearly.
For nineteen years, the Gusi Peace Prize Award has awarded prominent awardees from all over the world that in the year 2004, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Presidential Proclamation 1476 naming every 4th Wednesday of November as the Gusi Peace Prize International Friendship Day.
For 19 years since its foundation, Ambassador Barry Gusi has held the Chairmanship of the Gusi Peace Prize together with his late wife, Dr. Evelyn Tamtangco Gusi, a reserve Colonel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and a Medical Doctor, a Pediatrician.
The elected president for a two-year term of the Gusi Peace Prize is elected among the members of the Board of Trustees of the various Committees of the Gusi Peace Prize.
Among the past Presidents of the Gusi Peace Prize International were President James R. Mancham of the Republic of Seychelles; President Arnold Ruutel of the Republic of Estonia; Steven Radonich of New Zealand; Jose Concepcion, Philippines; Dr. Manson Fok of China; and the present president is Hazim Dawud of Jordan.
The First President of the Gusi Peace Prize was the late Col. Julian Malonzo (retired), who was the first president of the Philippine Olympic Committee. I succeeded Col. Malonzo.
Up to the present, 26 current local personalities, and former President received the Gusi Peace Prize in the past. Among the distinguished awardees were President Fidel V. Ramos, Lea Salonga, Fernando Poe, Jr., Maximo Soliven, Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, Nora Aunor, Senator Cynthia Villar and then PNP Chief now Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa…
Among the foreign awardees: Supreme Master Ching Hai; Hollywood icon, Anthony Quinn, President Amos Sawyer of Liberia; President Constantinesco of Romania; President Landsburges of Lithuania; President of Kazakhstan…
The awards night will be held at the PICC on November 27, 4th Wednesday of November.
One of the awardees next month was the successor of President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, former President Kgalema Motlanthe who is also coming to Manila to receive the award.
Congratulations to all the awardees this year. The awarding ceremony is by invitation only.