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A modern farmer, an unassuming civic leader, an eminent educator, a veteran legislator, and a scrupled associate justice comprise this year's Outstanding Oriental Negrense Awardees. A highlight of the province's Buglasan Festival and in commemoration of Negros Oriental's 118th founding anniversary, the fitting ceremony was held in the open Sidlakang Negros grounds in Piapi, Dumaguete City, the new and permanent site of the festival and which will, henceforth, be held in the last 10 days of December each year. This is a departure from the past years' festival held in October at the Freedom Park in front of the Provincial Capitol grounds.

The 2007 Outstanding Oriental Negrense Awardees, who were confirmed in the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Dec. 20, 2007 through Resolution No. 972 authored by Board Member Lea Ga Bromo, are Ruperto C. Cadayday in agriculture; Monserrat Lopez Gonzales Magbanua in community service; Dr. Henry A. Sojor in education; Hon. Herminio G. Teves in government service; and, Justice Fortunato A. Vailoces in law.

Now on its sixth year, the Outstanding Oriental Negrense awardees were subjected to a rigid selection process, starting with a pre-screening by the Awards Preliminary Qualifying Committee chaired by Dr. Rosela Cid, after which the nominees were endorsed to the Sectoral/Discipline Awards Committee, later recommended to the Awards Executive Committee chaired by Dr. Victoria Dinopol.

Cadayday and Teves were nominated by the Hon. Ruben Melodia, municipal mayor of Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental. Magbanua was nominated by Dr. Josefina Cornelio, herself an Outstanding Oriental Negrense awardee last year. Dr. Sojor was nominated by Betty Aldecoa Caduyac, while Justice Vailoces was nominated by the Hon. Rosa Yap, municipal mayor of Bindoy, Negros Oriental.

Cadayday has been aptly honored by the Philippine Jaycees as an Outstanding Farmer of the Year in 1982, by the Ministry of Agrarian Reform as the Outstanding Agrarian Reform Beneficiary for Region 7 in 1983, by the province of Negros Oriental as the Centennial Endeavor Awardee in 1991, by the Young Professionals, Inc. as Outstanding Agri-Business Awardee in 1991, and by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office for Initiatives in Private Activities in 1995.

Magbanua, who was born in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, moved with her husband, the late Engr. Juanito Magbanua, to Dumaguete City from Manila in 1939, teaching at the South City Elementary School, then at the Silliman University Elementary School. Beginning in 1946, she involved herself in no less than 15 various civic organizations in the province and in the city. She served as the first chapter administrator of the Philippine National Red Cross in 1948-1951; for which she was awarded the Aurora Aragon Quezon Medal in 1993; president of the Silliman University Church Women's Association in 1946-1965; president of the Dumaguete Lionettes Club in 1968-1969; president of the Negros Oriental Federation of Women's Club in 1968-1972; president of the Negros Oriental-Siquijor Council of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines in 1968-1975; vice-president of the Dumaguete Auxiliary of Gideons International in 1982; and, more recently, secretary of the Dumaguete City Water District.

Dr. Sojor started his professional career as a faculty member of Silliman University in 1966. He became vice-president for administration of Dumaguete Cathedral College in 1974 and president of the Central Visayas Polytechnic College starting in 1991. He concurrently served as municipal councilor of Dauin, Negros Oriental in 1969-1986, and a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Oriental, emerging as number one Board Member, in 1986-1991. It was under his leadership that CVPC became the Negros Oriental State University by virtue of R.A. 9299.

Since 1993, Dr. Sojor received no less than 14 international awards by institutions in the USA , Canada , India , China and Brunei . These include the Distinguished Service to Educational Leadership Award by the Phi Delta Kappa International, Educators' Honor Society in New York City in 1996; the nomination for Man of the Year in 1999; and, the Millennium Leadership Gold Medal Award in 2000, both by the American Biographical Institute.

Teves was Congressman for the 3rd District of Negros Oriental from 1964 to 2007. Going by the tenet of “leadership as servanthood,” he is considered as a champion of the education of the youth, having given scholarships to a total of 2,551 college students, having authored the bill that created the Negros Oriental State University and having allotted up to 40 percent of the P100 million he obtained for his congressional district over the years for the construction and repair of more than 970 elementary and high school classrooms, and for the provincial school feeding program. Recognized as the Dean of All Legislators, he was the oldest member of the House of Representatives in his last three terms in Congress, and was also the most punctual with nearly perfect attendance in the sessions.

After passing the 1951 bar examination as No. 5 topnotcher, Justice Vailoces started government service in 1955 as Justice of the Peace of San Jose, Negros Oriental. He became Assistant Provincial Fiscal of Negros Oriental in 1956, Provincial Fiscal of Surigao del Norte in 1966, Judge of the Court of First Instance of Butuan City and Agusan del Norte in 1978, Regional Trial Court Judge in Cebu City and Cebu Province in 1983, and finally, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals from 1990 to 1993.

After retirement he briefly served as Regional Coordinator for Regions 6, 7, and 8 in the Judiciary Planning Development and Implementation Office of the Supreme Court. He was cited by various civic organizations, particularly as Outstanding Provincial Fiscal by the Department of Justice in 1971, Distinguished Zone Chairman by the Lions Club International in 1976, and Outstanding Regional Trial Court Judge by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in 1990.

On hand to confer the awards and citations on the five awardees were Gov. Emilio Macias II and Vice-Gov. Jose Baldado.