One faculty member and four staff received the 2017 Service Awards from the UP Diliman (UPD) College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD) on Feb. 24 at the CSWCD Bulwagang Tandang Sora.

The CSWCD gives the awards to constituents who have rendered more than 10 years of service. This year, the awardees were Rosita S. Zamora, Administrative Officer III, 40 years of service; Fe. H. Ticzon, Administrative Assistant II, 35 years; Dr. Sylvia E. Claudio, Department Chair of the Department of Women and Development Studies, 20 years; Perfecto P. Solitario Jr., Administrative Aide II, 20 years; and Celeste F. Vallejos, University Extension Specialist II, 10 years of service.

“It is but fitting to grant the Service Awards to these persons who have exemplified not only the pillars of UP of honor and excellence, but moreover compassion in serving people,” UP President Danilo L. Concepcion said in his message. “Honor and excellence are our standards but compassion serves as our guiding principle in serving the college, the university and the country,” he added.

“In this College, you view compassion in a deeper sense and is sharing it to your students as you impart with them knowledge and practical lessons. You are teaching them to serve with purpose and meaning,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Claudio said “working for UP is, I believe, a call that we answered. I stayed in the University because it shared the same values I treasure. We are grateful for the award, but serving the people through UP is an honor already.”

In her message, former Department of Social Work and Development Sec. Corazon Victoria “Dinky” J. Soliman reminded the audience they are civil servants. “There is a common notion among outsiders, and even in UP, that civil servants (lingkod bayan) are only those working in government agencies and their attached offices, but remember that UP is a public office, thus, UP employees are civil servants.”