Puentevella wins Iloilo-based award

Bacolod City Councilor Claudio Jesus Raymundo “Kalaw” A. Puentevella won the Iloilo-based “Keep On Talking” Award for Outstanding Men and Women of Western Visayas held at an event in SM City Iloilo last December 3, 2022.

The 12-year-old “Keep On Talking” award started as a popular Iloilo-based cable television talk show hosted by Jorge Favila Lopera and eventually metamorphosed into a non-government organization (NGO) award-giving tradition aimed at rewarding those who excel in their fields of endeavor in Western Visayas.

Very recently, 15 individuals coming from the fields of politics, government agency heads, a medical doctor and businessmen, among others, bagged the Keep On Talking awards and for the first time, a Councilor and a Mayor outside of Iloilo City and Province were given awards.

Puentevella and Hinoba-an Mayor, Daph Anthony Reliquias, from outside Iloilo were given the award.

Favila who was in Bacolod City around two months ago had observed that Puentevella, as a public official, emerged as a shining beacon true to his name “Kalaw”, an endemic hornbill species referred to as “the clock-of-the-mountains” due to its loud hourly booming call.

Reliquias, on the other hand, was nominated by Sipalay Councilor Leslie Alejano.

Puentevella is known for his famous tagline, “Abyan sang Tanan”, presently Chairs the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Committees on Health and Sanitation, Environment and Ecology, Energy and Public Utilities and is a staunch advocate of good governance in accord with transparency and public accountability and against corruption.

He said that he is grateful for this “Keep On Talking” Award which is a testament to his hard work and sincere service as a legislator; this award will inspire and motivate him to do more, to do his best, to achieve the most in improving the lives of the Bacolodnons.* (GABS)