The Presidential Lingkod Bayan is among the CSC’s honors awards conferred to an individual or group of individuals for their exceptional or extraordinary contributions resulting from an idea or performance that had nationwide impact on public interest and national security.
Dr. Manigbas was recognized for his diligence and tenacity in developing the country’s first series of heat-tolerant rice varieties. His pioneering work alleviated the economic condition of farmers with high quality rice varieties. His collaboration with international agriculture organizations resulted to the acquisition of new instruments, equipment, and machines donated to PhilRice and to farmers’ associations in Nueva Ecija, Bohol, and Iloilo.
Dr. Michael A. Gragasin was recognized for his ingenuity, expertise, and resourcefulness as a science research specialist. He designed and spearheaded the development of the compact Corn Mill and the Impeller Rice Mill for white and brown rice, in line with PhilMech’s Agricultural Roadmap toward attaining food self-sufficiency of Filipinos. Compared with conventional mills, Dr. Gragasin’s modern designed enabled faster shift of milling from white rice to brown rice (and vice versa), higher product yield and lesser broken grains and wastage and cheaper milling cost. The mills have passed Philippine agricultural engineering standard are now being used in several barangays across the country. Dr. Gragasin is one of the newest member of the Philippine Association of Career Scientists (PACS) with the rank of Scientist I.
As a Lingkod Bayan awardee, Dr. Manigbas and Dr. Gragasin will receive a gold-gilded medallion, Presidential plaque and a cash reward of P200,000. He is also entitled to an automatic promotion to the next higher position pursuant to Section 5 of Executive Order 508 “Instituting the Lingkod Bayan Award as the Presidential Award for Outstanding Public Service.”
Dr. Manigbas and Dr. Gragasin are the 7th & 8th SCS scientists to be awarded the CSC’s presidential honors awards in the last eight years, with Dr. Lucille V. Abad (Scientist II) the Dangal ng Bayan Award in 2011, Dr. Roel R. Suralta (Scientist II) the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award 2013, Dr. Mudjekeewis D. Santos (Scientist II), the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award 2014, Mr. Mario V. Navasero (Scientist I) the Presidential Dangal ng Bayan Award in 2015, For. Arsenio B. Ella (Scientist III) the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award in 2015 and Dr. Maria Corazon De Ungria (Scientist II) Dangal ng Bayan Award in 2017.