SARIAYA, Quezon – This town’s Sangguniang Bayan (town legislative council) approved a resolution conferring the local government’s posthumous tribute to the town anthem composer and retired teacher Esther Dedace Alcala who died on Jan. 14 at the age of 98.
Councilor Teodorico G. Dela Peña authored the legislative measure, citing the town’s gratitude and honor to be accorded to the near centenarian who composed the Sariaya Municipal Anthem and her immense contribution in the field of Arts and Culture.
Although short of two years for the town’s centenarian award for the anthem composer, Alcala had already been honored for a string of achievements and distinctions by other award-giving bodies making it proper for a grateful town to confer the tribute she deserved, said Dela Peña.
The town legislator said that Alcala was conferred in 2003 the “Natatanging Kababaihan” (Extraordinary Woman) award by the Sariaya Municipal Gender and Development Council; a UP Diliman recognition; and the commendation award of the Sariaya LGU as one of the panel reactors for the “In Search of the Spirit of Peace” forum in 2008.
Dela Peña also said that the LGU Sariaya and Sariaya Tourism Council also honored Alcala for her exemplary service and contributions to the development of arts and culture and as composer of the Sariaya town hymn in 2015.
Alcala was born on Sept. 16, 1919 and was a long-serving dedicated teacher and had retired from the teaching profession yet had been active in arts, socio-civic and cultural engagements. (Gideon Belen/PNA)
