Abiera Leads In The Most Outstanding Maasinhons Awards 2009

Feb. 1,2010
Abiera Leads In The Most Outstanding Maasinhons Awards 2009
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Naturalist Salvador “Boy” Abiera, Sr.,of Arts and Culture category, has led in the awarding ceremony of the Most Outstanding Maasinhons held recently at the city gymnasium during the 9th year Charter Day anniversary celebration of the City of Maasin.
The MOMs award was established by the city government to selected Maasin-born individuals of good track records in their respective fields of endeavor where they have excelled in their services for years.
Abiera, an architect by profession but an in-born artist by vocation, is an erstwhile undefeated third-termer councilor of Maasin when the new city was still a municipality. During his ten years in office, he has had received 8 awards from different organizations in the country. These include 2 Print Media and Gawad Media awards. The awards bestowed on him were consistently as the Most Outstanding Councilor of the Philippines in the Visayas regions category.
Residing in brgy.Tagnipa his house now served as a Museum of Arts. It houses, among others, his wide miscellaneous collections of artifacts starting from the time of Ferdinand Magellan, World War 2,stamps from various countries, coins and bills from 78 countries, his drawings and paintings (done either in oil,pastel,pencil and ink or charcoal),shells of various types, taxidermied fishes,birds,snakes,reptiles,wild cats,fossils,spears and arrows, old clocks.
Each collection has its own description. It provides some historical background of its past existence.
Boy,63, as he’s fondly called by his friends and folks here always wears a smile. Most probably it is one of his secrets in maintaining his youthful looks, making his age more senior than his physical and facial features.
He revealed that one of his numerous visitors who is a foreigner offered him to buy all his entire collections for a whopping P36M in cold cash.However, he declined the tourist’s offer, he said. He confessed he cannot exchange his wide variety of artifact collections with millions. His love and passion for the arts and culture is inequitable with any material benefit being offered.
“I have started making collections of artifacts since I was 21 years old”, he intimated. “For 4 decades I have done these collections on my own efforts without outside help from any government agency or private organization. I cannot just give it up for the sake of money because selling my wide variety of collections is like selling Maasin. Besides, I want my collections to be a legacy for the next generations so that they can have some knowledge about our past”.
Abiera further divulged that his Museum of Arts have attracted numerous students from different learning institutions in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Two Manila-based giant TV networks’ crews like the ABS-CBN and GMA have also visited his place.
A Canadian tourist who has visited his residence and took some pictures of his Museum of Arts have put the pictures in his website. Thus some of his visitors came from other countries who have the interest to behold his collections.
Due to his good track records in the public service, from time to time he would be consulted by some aspiring neophyte candidates in the city for some campaigning tips scheme during elections.
Other awardees of the Most Outstanding Maasinhons were:1)Dr.Macario Dajao-Medicine/Health;2)Atty. Violeta Ortiz-Bantug-Commssioner-National Labor Relations Commission-Law/Human Rights;3)Nicasio Espina-NGO Representative-Community Development;4)Eduardo Sibi-School Administrator-Community Delopment;5)Engr. Esperanza Samaco-Retired DPWH District Engineer-PublicWorks;6)Crispin Arong,Sr.-School Administrator-Education;7)Valdemar Uy-Businessman-Trade and Commerce;
8)Honorato Paloma-Cacao Mountain Resort-Tourism;9)General Bonifacio Ramos-Retired AFP-Peace and Order;10)Alejandra Roa-Dance Instructor-Art and Culture;11)Teodulfo Olamit,Sr.-Farmer-Agriculture;12)Cardiño Lapac,Jr.-Fisherman-Agriculture;13)Afrodicio Abiera-Active Officer-Cooperatives;14)Dionesio Llido-Active Officer-Cooperatives;
15)Dr.Candelaria Demeterio-School Admiinstrator-Education;16)Felipe Santiago-Abaca Industry-Industry;17)Sr. Grace Gerong,OSF-Values Education Advocate;18)Hon.Conrado Galeon- Councilor Elect-2001-2010;19)Hon.Ma.Essie Espina-Garvez-Councilor Elect-2001-2010; 20)Mr. Celso Ichon-3 terms Brgy.Captain;21)Melodina Orit,CPA-COA-State Auditor-Finance/Budget/Appropriation. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)