MikeLigalig.com

By June S Blanco

Cambodian Somaly Mam went home 25,000 euros richer after winning the 2007 edition of the Premio Alta Qualita, the annual worldwide search for "persons of value" conducted by the City of Bologna, Italy.          

Mam was Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado's choice, not because she is a fellow Asian, but because her steely determination made her overcome such blows during her tender age, as being thrice sold into sex slavery.

Aumentado was an international juror for the search, being the governor of one of the local government units that has "relations" with Bologna.

Together with Vaxjo, Sweden and Guntur, India, Bologna and Bohol are partners in the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI).

Vaxjo and Bologna teach eco-budgeting to their "small brothers" Guntur and Bohol, respectively. Eco-budgeting is similar to financial budgeting except that in the former, instead of money, environmental resources are being budgeted.

Given vantage balcony seats at the theater during the awards night, Aumentado and lawyer Juanito Cambangay, former provincial planning officer and now the governor's consultant on Official Development Assistance (ODA) and international relations, felt a surge of pride when Mam was called upstage to receive her prize.

Mam had gone on to become founder of AFESIP, a foundation that helps women and children in distressing situations.

She has led or organized countless rescue missions - plucking women and children from brothels and giving them education with which they can start life anew.

In choosing her over two other finalists, Aumentado said it does not mean that the runners-up were less brave or less determined. It was just that she had to start with very little.

Her contenders were a newspaper writer and reporter, and a lady magistrate, both Italians.

Roberto Saviano went on to expose a criminal organization earlier believed to be no longer existent. He exposed its members, their grasp and extent of influence over government officials and regulatory agencies through bribes, for which he earned hoards of death threats.

On the other hand, Ilda Boccassini handled, among others, high profile cases. She did not hesitate to render guilty verdicts where she found the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt, no matter how prominent they may be. She, too, earned piles of death threats as well as heaps of bribery attempts but she has remained firm.

But Aumentado said Saviano and Boccasinni were merely doing their jobs.

Mam, who could have led a quiet and risk-free life after being rescued and educated, went beyond her way and trekked that extra mile to save otherwise helpless women and girls from the clutches of sex slavery, provided them with medical attention and above all, equipped them with education to face life squarely.

The regulations of the search provide that Mam can use her prize for projects in line with her work.

Meanwhile, on the day before and still half a world away, Aumentado, Cambangay and Guntur Mayor Kanna Nagaraju, among others, made PowerPoint presentations for Bologna officials.

Cambangay prepared the PowerPoint presentation while Aumentado delivered it - a piece promoting Bohol tourism and investment.

From Italy, the return flight made a stop over in Hongkong. Again, the governor and his consultant promoted Bohol tourism and investment as well as personally thanked the Bohol Hongkong Association headed by Flor Virtudazo for donating two sets of brand new computers for the Cambague-Calinginan Norte High School in Sevilla town and the medicines used during the civic action in Barangay Bayawahan also in Sevilla conducted last month by the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) chaired by Aumentado.

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