Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos Urged to Serve Nation Beyond Excellence

MANILA, Philippines — Use your skills and talents not only to achieve personal success but also to improve the lives of others and serve the country, Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III urged the awardees of the 2026 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos, which had the theme “Beyond Excellence.” “Excellence is being good at what you do. ‘Beyond excellence’ is when the good you do benefits others. When you go beyond the call of duty to serve our kababayans,” Dy said on Monday in his sponsorship speech for a resolution honoring the 10 awardees for their “dedication, exemplary performance, and contributions to nation-building.” “This is beyond excellence — to go beyond what is expected of us, to give without asking in return, to value service above self.” The Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos recognizes teachers, soldiers, and police officers who demonstrate excellence in their professions and render service beyond the call of duty. This year’s awardees are: Award for Teachers Award for Soldiers Award for Police Officers Dy said the honorees showed how professional excellence could be transformed into meaningful service to the Filipino people. “In your deeds, you have shown that excellence can be a way to serve. Talent can become caring. And one person’s success can pave the way for the majority to rise,” he said in Filipino. He stressed that Filipinos can use their abilities to complement government programs and major policy decisions to work for the common good. “The progress of the Philippines depends not only on big programs or decisions. It also depends on millions of Filipinos who use their abilities not only for their personal benefit but also to help us lift the people,” Dy said. Historical figures, he pointed out, are not the only ones who have shown heroism but also “teachers who refuse to give up on their students, police officers who protect communities, soldiers who serve far from their families, and ordinary Filipinos who act even without recognition.” “Every day, silent Filipinos doing good and heroic deeds,” Dy said. “There are ordinary Filipinos who don’t wait for others to act. They themselves find a way to serve others — even without being seen, even without applause, even without recognition.” He urged the awardees to continue inspiring other Filipinos to pursue excellence with compassion and a sense of responsibility toward others. “Because the Philippines we want to build will be shaped by millions of Filipinos choosing to do their part for the benefit of others. Let’s make our excellence more meaningful by making positive changes in the lives of others,” he said. “May you continue using your excellence to serve, give hope, and open opportunities for more of our countrymen.” /atm