The TEODORA Awards (The Distinguished and Outstanding Rizalian Alumni Awards) is inspired by the life and virtues of Teodora Alonzo Rizal. It aims to recognize and honor the outstanding achievements of alumni of the Rizal High School, the premier educational institution named after her illustrious son and the Philippines’ National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal. The Awards also recognize and honor alumni classes and other sub-organizations affiliated with the Rizal High School Alumni Association, Inc. Through their exemplary lives, outstanding achievements and significant contributions to our Alma Mater, to the Alumni Association, to their communities and the society, they personify the noble role played by Teodora Alonzo Rizal in nurturing the national hero into becoming the greatest Filipino that ever lived.
An intelligent, hardworking, courteous, business-minded and well-read woman, she was the first and foremost teacher to the young Rizal. Most importantly, she led a life of selfless service and sacrifice for her family and her fellowmen - a fact that undoubtedly inculcated in the young Rizal the values of nationalism and unconditional love for his country. Just as she was a shining example and an enduring inspiration to the young Rizal, may the outstanding individuals and organizations that we honor with these Awards be looked upon as worthy role models who will inspire and challenge each one of us, especially the youth, into nurturing and emulating the ideals of Jose Rizal, and become active and committed partners in building a united, free, just and prosperous nation.
As a fitting representation for these virtues that we seek to extol through the TEODORA Awards, the RHSAAI Board of Directors and the Awards Committee commissioned Ms. Genalyn Tribdino-Bocar, Class 1981 alumnae and a TEODORA Awardee for the year 2005, to create the new TEODORA Awards logo that will be used in the medals and citations that will be awarded to distinguished RHS alumni. The logo shows the silhouette of Teodora Alonzo tutoring the young Rizal by the light of a gas lamp, a familiar scene that introduced countless generations of Filipinos to the virtues of a good education.
Henceforth, this logo shall be the enduring and constant representation of the role of Teodora Alonzo in the development of the young Jose Rizal into the Pride of the Malay Race and the Great Filipino - a role that each one of us is called upon to emulate in our development as a people, especially in providing the youth role models they can look upon as they take on the mantle of responsibilities as productive and responsible leaders and citizens of our beloved Philippines.
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The TEODORA Awards was conceptualized to provide a permanent and unique identity to the Outstanding Alumni Awards given out by the Rizal High School Alumni Association, Inc. (RHSAAI) as the highlight of its annual General Homecoming and Convention. As one of the major items in the Ten-Point Agenda adopted by the RHSAAI in 2004 during the incumbency of President Ronaldo Almestas, then 1st Vice-President Dennis E. Concepcion was tasked to review the existing awards and recognition program and provide recommendations on how it can be made more attuned to the times and become more pervasive in reflecting the school's proud legacy of excellence and service to others.
As part of this initiative, a new set of guidelines and regulations was developed to ensure continuity, uniformity and consistency in the search, evaluation and selection of the recipients of the award every year. Thus was born the TEODORA Awards as it is known today. The first set of awards were given in 2004 during the incumbency of 2nd-Vice President Rolando Feliciano as Chair of the Awards Committee, and has since been the highlight of the annual homecoming every first Saturday of December.
This online tribute to the outstanding alumni who have been honored with the TEODORA Award was launched in 2008 during the incumbency of RHSAAI President Myrna P. Neri and Awards Selection Committee Chair Gibet Cuevas.
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