The 14th Gawad Anak OFW Awards celebrated the triumph of youth shaped by sacrifice and resilience as it honored the Ten Outstanding Sons and Daughters of OFWs Student Achievers (TOSDOSA) on Friday, May 30, in Manila.
Organized by the CBCP Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (CBCP-ECMI), the event was not just an awards ceremony but a tribute to courage, family, and faith.
Young achievers from elementary and high school levels were recognized for excelling in academics, leadership, and community involvement, while carrying the emotional weight of growing up with one or both parents working abroad.
A tribute to resilience, sacrifice
Scalabrinian Fr. Roger Manalo, ECMI executive secretary, opened the ceremony with a welcome address that reflected the emotional challenges faced by children of overseas Filipino workers.
“We all know that migration poses significant challenges for Filipino families,” Manalo said. “While remittances can alleviate poverty, separation can lead to long-term psychological and social consequences, especially for the children left behind.”
He added that the awards also honored the love and sacrifices of OFW parents.
“We also celebrate the love and sacrifices of their OFW parents. We celebrate the victories that come with hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance,” Manalo said.
More than medals
CBCP secretary general Msgr. Bernardo Pantin, the event’s keynote speaker, called the awards a “sacred moment of thanksgiving.”
“Your achievements are not only academic,” he told the honorees. “They are triumphs of character refined by distance, of resilience rooted in love. You are the stories your parents tell their coworkers about. You are their answered prayers.”
Pantin reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to supporting migrant families, saying, “Every migrant, and every family they leave behind, matters deeply to God.”
TOSDOSA 2025 Awardees
Twenty student achievers were selected from nominations nationwide, with 10 each from the elementary and high school categories.
Top 10 high school student achievers
1. Daniella Galang – Angeles University Foundation, Pampanga
2. John Thomas S. Marqueses – De La Salle Lipa
3. Rhian Margharet U. Lingao – Canossa Academy, Lipa
4. Dominique Julliene H. Rosales – De La Salle Lipa
5. Jaspher Rey A. Ordaz – Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, Roxas
6. Ericka Nicole P. Dacumos – Christ the King College, San Fernando, La Union
7. Ira Gabriel E. Mantes – Marikina Science High School
8. Alan Rein L. Berja – St. Mary’s Academy of Guagua
9. John Andrei DC. Padua – Marikina High School
10. Alliyah Fatima S. Pelingon – Cupang National High School, Antipolo
Top 10 elementary student achievers
1. Prince Ivan B. Garcia – Holy Family Academy of Angeles
2. Yuan Adriel C. Conti – Sta. Teresa College, Bauan
3. Fatima Grace F. Sebolino – University of the Assumption, Pampanga
4. Andrea Gabrielle R. Tomeo – Our Lady of Peace School, Antipolo City
5. Alyza Gabrielle G. Macatuno – St. Augustine Academy, Floridablanca, Pampanga
6. Arju Mhar S. Quince – Doña Susana Madrigal Elementary School, Binangonan, Rizal
7. Giorgio Alexander M. Sta. Teresa – De La Salle Lipa
8. Brysiel R. Erasmo – Kalumpang Elementary School, Marikina
9. Blessed Jashlorddeine D. De Chavez – De La Salle Lipa
10. Shane Lhendly G. Bernaldez – Manuel Luis Quezon Elementary School
Honoring future torchbearers
Manalo reminded the honorees that success is not measured solely by awards, but by one’s impact on others.
“Success is not measured solely by accolades but by the impact we make on the lives of others,” he said.
To support OFW families, the ECMI has run the Sons and Daughters of OFW Value Formation Program in parishes and schools for more than 20 years now.
The Gawad Anak OFW initiative, also known as TOSDOSA, was later established to recognize exemplary youth shaped by the migration experience.
