MOTHER'S DAY CELEBRATION
Handog kay Inay
The Grand Tribute to Mothers

MOTHER’S DAY HISTORY
         MOTHER'S DAY was first officially recognized in the United States in 1914 when the late U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday of May as the official date on which American families and children should recognize mothers,  which came about as  the results of the commendable efforts of American civic leader Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, USA.  
          Since then, Mother's Day became a vital family celebration in the United States and other European countries, but an unknown event  to  Asian countries, including the Philippines.
PHILIPPINES & ASIAN CELEBRATION
In the Philippines and other Asian countries, Mother's Day was unknown until  a  visionary businessman SAMIE LIM of the  Chamber of Philippine  Department Stores (CPDS) launched the Mother's Day Movement of the Philippines, together with other prominent business and civic groups in 1980.      
           Civic leader-journalist JONATHAN "JAKE" NAVEA was the leading advocate who readily supported Mother’s Day  and organized major events to commemorate a meaningful observance of the celebration.  His ardent love for his late mother Dean Nieves Nazareno-Navea, a retired graduate school educator, inspired him to stage the yearly  "HANDOG KAY INAY" (or The Grand Tribute to Mothers) for over two decades,  which is  now widely acknowledged as “Asia's pioneer and biggest Mother's Day event.”

HANDOG KAY INAY &  HUWARANG INA
          Navea founded  HANDOG KAY INAY featuring the Annual HUWARANG INA AWARDS (OUTSTANDING MOTHERS OF THE YEAR,  formerly GINTONG INA AWARDS) to serve as  the main highlight of  Mother's Day.  The celebration further gained popularity when  National  Bookstore and Hallmark published Mother's Day greeting cards,   together with  flower shops and other business establishments supported the celebration thru festive commercial activities.    Daily Express, Manila Times, Philippine Star and other noted publications also published special supplements to commemorate the celebration.
          Mother’s Day Celebration  further gained significant booster when a noted composer-educator  LOURDES “BING” PIMENTEL , wife of respected statesman Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., donated  “INAY,” a  Mother’s Day musical composition dedicated to mothers,  in the early 90’s.   This was followed by  “ITAY,” another poignant composition dedicated to ideal fathers to commemorate Father’s Day interpreted by no less than the undisputed entertainment superstar Nora Aunor. 

PROJECT OBJECTIVES & CELEBRATION  ACTIVITIES
         HANDOG KAY INAY  aims to enhance a meaningful observance of  Mother's Day,  Father's Day, Family Week, Grandparents  Day and other family-related events.  The project also further envisions  to promote ideal family living and parental respect in Asia-Pacific and other parts of the world, as well as motivate individuals to be achievers in their chosen fields thus contributing to their respective nation-building.
          Lest that the other half of parenthood be forgotten, Navea initiated Father's Day celebration every third Sunday of June, which is highlighted by the HANDOG KAY ITAY and the HUWARANG AMA AWARDS,  easily gaining support from the media and commercial establishments.    He formed  the  IDEAL PARENTS & FAMILY FOUNDATION (IPFF)and the NATIONAL MOTHER'S DAY & FATHER'SDAY COUNCIL which have become the consistent joint organizers of the  HUWARANG INA AWARDS, as well as  the  FLORAL OFFERING TO MAMA MARY, a popular religious patron of Filipino and Asian Catholics . 
         Outstanding mothers  from Asia-Pacific and  other countries are also honored during the event thru the ASIAN MOTHER-ACHIEVER AWARDS and  the  IDEAL MOTHER GLOBE AWARDS.  Other civic groups organize Mother’s Day Essay Writing Contest, Mother-and-Child Photo / Painting  Exhibits and other related activities to commemorate the celebration.  Even movie companies produce Mother’s Day movies.  

PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION NO.266 & OFFICIAL NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE
          In 1988, after the world-famous EDSA People's Power Revolution,  Navea, in  his strong desire to stamp national significance to the  celebration,  painstakingly lobbied for a Presidential Proclamation resulting in the historical signing of   PROCLAMATION NO. 266  by  former President CORAZON C. AQUINO "declaring Mother's Day every second Sunday of May and Father's Day every third Sunday of June as official national celebrations in the Philippines."
            The proclamation superseded the Proclamation issued by the late Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon and the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, which formerly declared both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to be celebrated on the first Monday of December.    The proclamation was not, however, devoid of  a string of arguments lodged by a veteran women’s group leading to a special Senate Hearing presided by the late Senator Raul Roco,  who eventually became a staunch supporter of Navea  in his Mother’s Day and Father’s Day universal crusade.        

NOW A POPULAR CELEBRATION
         Navea later initiated  Father’s Day every 3rd Sunday of June, Family Week Celebration held every last week of September, Grandparents  Day held every first Sunday of September, Consumers Month Celebration and other family and consumer-related events, and eventually lobbied for their respective official proclamations.
          Today, Mother's Day is undoubtedly one of the popular celebrations and a big family event, not only  in the Philippines, but also throughout Asia and  the world.  

OUTSTANDING MOTHERS AWARDS
          The HUWARANG INA AWARD (Outstanding Mothers of the Year, formerly GINTONG INA AWARDS) is conferred on  EXEMPLARY FILIPINO MOTHER-ACHIEVERS at least 50 years old who have made significant accomplishments in Business And Entrepreneurship, Education, Public Service, Humanitarian & Civic, Medicine & Allied Sciences, Home & Family and other major professional fields and at the same time manifested the ideals of excellent parenthood.

SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY AWARDS CITATIONS:

TOP FAMILY PRODUCS & SERVICE AWARDS (TFPSA)
          The TOP FAMILY PRODUCT & SERVICE AWARDS (formerly: FAMILY PRODUCT EXCELLENCE AWARDS), a project  jointly organized with the NATIONAL CONSUMER AFFAIRS FOUNDATION (NCAF) aimed at recognizing the contribution of  consumer products and companies to the welfare and well-being of the families, is integrated within the Handog kay Inay.  
          The following are the TFPSA AWARDS CRITERIA:  (1)  Contribution to the welfare or well-being of the families and consumers - 30%;      (2) Product Features or Quality - 30%;  (3)  Results of Public Opinion and Survey - 20%;  and  (4) Pricing - 20%.    The consumer product-awardees support the staging of  the  Mother’s Day projects. 

SPONSORSHIP & BENEFICIARIES
          Voluntary corporate and individual sponsorship & donations are earmarked to finance the preparation and promotion of the event, particularly the printing of the Annual  MOTHER'S DAY Yearbook.    Proceeds are all earmarked for  the  IPFF  Youth Scholarship & Livelihood Program, as well as the Senior Citizens and Home for the Aged Program.
          The EMCOR Learning Center (ESLC)  in Laguna and the JAYCEES Talent Center in Quezon City are among the civic ventures of IPFF to provide scholarship to  less- fortunate gifted and talented youths and children.   The foundation also envisions to construct  the GOLDEN HOPE HOME FOR THE ELDERLY  to take care of the senior citizens to be productive individuals despite their age.
          The Ideal Parents & Family Foundation (IPFF) later jointly ventured in AVP/ TVC Productions, Web Design & Hosting,  PR & Advertising , Special Events and corporate assistance service thru MEDIAPOWER SERVICES, the private marketing and corporate group of IPFF and NATIONAL CONSUMER AFFAIRS FOUNDATION, the business proceeds of which benefit the crusade of the foundation and its beneficiaries.  (For  Mediapower corporate & marketing assistance services, log-on at www.mediapowerservices.com).