Justice Singh Receives Manuel Luis Quezon Gawad Parangal Award 2023
January 9, 2024
Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh (second from left) receives the Manuel Luis Quezon Gawad Parangal Award 2023 for the category Justice and Law from the Quezon City government represented by Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte (2nd from right) at the city’s Flag Raising Ceremony held on January 8, 2024 at the Quezon City Hall. Joining them are Vice Mayor Gian Carlo G. Sotto and District IV Councilor Irene R. Belmonte. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh is one of the recipients of the 21st Manuel Luis Quezon (MLQ) Gawad Parangal Award 2023 conferred by the Quezon City government during the city’s Flag Raising Ceremony held on January 8, 2024 at the Quezon City Hall. The MLQ Gawad Parangal Award is the highest recognition given by the Quezon City Government.
In her keynote message, Justice Singh thanked the local government of Quezon City as she recalled her early days as a lower court judge in Quezon City (QC). Justice Singh started her judicial career when she was appointed Presiding Judge of Branch 31 of the Metropolitan Trial Court of Quezon City in October 2002. In June 2007, she was promoted to QC Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge, Branch 85, a post she held until her promotion as Court of Appeals Associate Justice in March 2014. She was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in May 2022.
Justice Singh emphasized the instrumental role of the QC government in judicial reform projects during her time as a lower court judge and until the present day. She took the opportunity to express her gratitude to the local government unit and called for their continued support in the reform projects presently being implemented under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), the Court’s blueprint of action for judicial reform.
Justice Singh cited the creation of the first ever Justice Zone in the Philippines in QC under the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) in 2014. The JSCC is a joint forum for dialogue on issues of common interest and mechanism for effective coordination and sharing of information in support of planning and implementation of joint initiatives among justice sector institutions specifically the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Justice Singh further highlighted how in the past years, QC was the chosen city for the pilot testing of most judicial reform programs.
She paid tribute to the lower court judges and judiciary employees for their dedication to their work, but, at the same time, challenged them to be better public servants. “You are already in a position to help. We can start with ourselves, then our families, our communities, then our barangays.”
Justice Singh reminded all those present of the Filipino term for “public servant,” lingkod bayan, which she said really encapsulates the true meaning and responsibility of being in the public service. She referred to the Panunumpa ng Kawani ng Gobyerno, which emphasized what being a lingkod bayan truly entails. She emphasized that it is more than its English counterpart of just being a “public servant.” The MLQ Gawad Parangal Awardee could not stress enough the meaning in the words itself and left this as a reminder “ikaw ang naglilingkod sa bayan. Hindi ikaw ang pinaglilingkuran.”
The Flag Raising Ceremony was led by Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte, Vice Mayor Gian Carlo G. Sotto, District IV Councilor Irene R. Belmonte, and other City Councilors.
After the flag raising ceremony, Justice Singh joined the judges from the Regional Trial Court and Metropolitan Trial Court of QC for breakfast at the QC Hall of Justice.
Justice Singh’s MLQ Gawad Parangal Award for the category Justice and Law was supposed to be given during the awarding ceremony in October last year but she was on official business in Brussels during that time. Thus, she was invited to join the QC LGU’s flag raising ceremony to allow the QC government to directly confer the award on her.
The MLQ Gawad Parangal Award is given by the QC government to outstanding individuals and institutions that have demonstrated dedication and excellence in their respective fields, particularly in Justice and Law, Science and Technology, Social Work, Business and Entrepreneurship, and Environment and Sanitation. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh highlights the instrumental role of the Quezon City (QC) government in judicial reform projects, as she expressed her gratitude to the local government unit and called for its continued support in the Judiciary’s reform projects presently being implemented under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 for her keynote message at the city’s Flag Raising Ceremony held on January 8, 2024 at the Quezon City Hall. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh (center, second row) poses for posterity with Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte (left of Justice Singh), Vice Mayor Gian Carlo G. Sotto (right of Justice Singh), Quezon City (QC) Councilors, and the QC judges (first row) after receiving the Manuel Luis Quezon Gawad Parangal Award 2023 for the category Justice and Law from the QC government at the city’s Flag Raising Ceremony held on January 8, 2024 at the Quezon City Hall. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh (seated, third from left) joins the Regional Trial Court and Metropolitan Trial Court judges of Quezon City (QC) for breakfast at the QC Hall of Justice after receiving the Manuel Luis Quezon Gawad Parangal Award 2023 for the category Justice and Law from the QC government at the city’s Flag Raising Ceremony on January 8, 2024. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)