By Santosh Digal

Manila: Two-Manila-based civil society groups officially launched a programme to nominate individuals from the Philippines for their selfless love for all to give award the 31st “Saint Teresa of Calcutta Award” on April 12.

For 30 years, JCI Manila and AY Foundation has been honoring compassionate individuals with their extraordinary work in helping the poorest of the poor. This year, the event organizers are again looking for these unsung heroes.

The Saint Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award 2018 seeks to confer recognition on deserving individuals who have devoted at least 25 years of service to poor and underprivileged Filipinos.

Any living individual, regardless of race or religion, may be nominated.

The Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award, formerly known as the Mother Teresa Award, is a recognition dedicated to the late Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Nobel Peace Prize Winner in 1979 and known worldwide before her death in 1997 as the “Living Saint” because of her selfless humanitarian work and the ideals which she embodied in her entire life.

The award search and selection is an annual project of the Alfonso Yuchengco Foundation, Inc. and the Manila Jaycees since 1983. At present, the search committee is dedicated to seeking for lay individuals who, like Saint Teresa of Calcutta, have fully and selflessly dedicated to humanitarian work among “the poorest of the poor” and has served, and shall continue to serve, as an inspirational, living example to the world.

Recipients of the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award shall receive a plaque and cash award in simple ceremonies given in his/her honor.

The cash award of Php 1,000,000.00,(US$ 19,236) half of which should go to a charitable institution of his/her choice, may also be divided equally if in case there is more than one awardee.