GMA News correspondent wins Gawad Bayani Award in the Netherlands

GMA News correspondent Hon Sophia Balod won the 2019 Gawad Bayani Award for the Outstanding Media Practitioner category.

Sophia received her award at the Church of our Savior (COS) in The Hague, Netherlands on October 19.

On Sophia's Facebook post she expressed her gratitude for receiving the recognition.

"Thank you for the recognition and honor. Wouldn't be possible without my supportive editors and producers in GMA News and to my tireless cameraman Carlos Lorenzo," she wrote. "Salamat po Bhong Leonidas, the entire MCVO team and Philippine Ambassador Jaime Ledda. Padayon!"

According to the Media Correspondent Volunteer Organization (MCVO), the Gawad Bayani Award "recognizes Filipino individuals and organizations for their exemplary contributions to the Filipino community through their talents, dedication, and voluntary services."

MCVO said it is the first recognition that they will be giving which is "dedicated to extending humanitarian services to the most needed community in the Philippines to Filipino Overseas Workers."

"The objective of the award is to recognize the contributions and services of Filipinos in  the Netherlands and encourage other Filipinos living abroad to be active in the community," MCVO founder Bhong David said.

Also present in the event was Philippine Ambassador Jaime Ledda.

"This is the beauty of Filipino communities. Each organization compliments each other. In the end, everybody gets together because we want to celebrate the skills and excellence of  Filipinos in the Netherlands," he said.

Sophia's award was one of the six category awards given to Filipino individuals.

    Outstanding Entrepreneur Award: Irene Esquibil Looze
    Outstanding Advocate for Human Rights Award: Jille Belisario
    Outstanding Advocate for Education Award: Florisa Almodiel Lutejin
    Outstanding Organization for Women's Rights Award: Stichting Bayanihan
    Outstanding Organization for Culture Award: Myra Colis

Sophia is former GMA News segment producer, who now contributes to GMA News on TV. On GMA News Online, she writes heartwarming stories that remind OFWs of home. Read some of them below:

• Filipino bakery in the Netherlands offers OFWs a taste of home
• Mae Paner's one-woman play 'Tao Po' tours Europe
• Entre-Pinoys featured in Embassy Festival in the Netherlands

— Jannielyn Ann Bigtas and Ma. Angelica Garcia/LA/JST, GMA News