Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award
The Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award, formerly known as the Mother Teresa Award, is a recognition dedicated to the late Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Nobel Peace Prize Winner in 1979 and known worldwide before her death in 1997 as the "Living Saint" because of her selfless humanitarian work and the ideals which she embodied in her entire life.
The award search and selection is an annual project of the AY Foundation, Inc. and the Manila Jaycees since 1983. At present, the search committee is dedicated to seek for lay individuals who, like Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, have fully and selflessly dedicated at least 25 years of their lives to humanitarian work among "the poorest of the poor" and have served, and shall continue to serve, as an inspirational, living example to the world.
Recipients of the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award shall receive a plaque and cash award in simple ceremonies given in his/her honor. The cash award of Php 1,000,000.00, half of which should go to a charitable institution of his/her choice, may also be divided equally if in case there is more than one awardee.

Awardees
1983 ANTHONY HOFFSTE, OP
Parish priest of Tondo who devoted 35 years of his life attending to the physical and spiritual needs of the Hasenites at the Tala Leprosarium.
1986 MS. LILIA CASTRO, RN
First lay person to receive the Mother Teresa Award. A former nurse who dedicated more than 30 years of her life serving a minority community in the hinterlands of Surigao del Norte.
1989 FR. ALOYSIUS SCHWARTZ, SDB
Parish priest who founded the Boystown and Girlstown complexes in Bacolod, Sta. Mesa for orphans and children of underprivileged families.
1990 DR. MIGUEL C. CRUZ, MD
Physician who has devoted his days rendering free medical services to the needy villagers of far-flung barrios in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental.
1991 SR. TERESITA K. ARANDIA, ICM
Nun from St. Theresa’s College in Quezon City who devoted her life to the needs of paraplegics in Bahay Pangarap, Bahay Kakayahan, and Bahay Liwanag, as well as several other homes for the disabled
1992 DR. ALELI G. QUIRINO, MD
Founder and director of the St. Martin de Porres Clinic in 1959, which later on became St. Martin de Porres Hospital.
1993 SR. EVA D. MAAMO, SPC
Physician who lead several medical missions all over the country and provided free medical clinics and feeding centers to depressed areas.
1994 SR. SOLEDAD L. BERSAMINA, RVM
Catholic nun who was hailed as the comforter of the forgotten and displaced Aetas at Floridablanca and Porac, Pampanga.
1995 FR. PIERNO ROLLIARDI, SVD
Parish priest who was dubbed as the “Builder of the Emmaus Village” in the depressed areas in Moonwalk, Talon, Las Piñas.
1996 ATTY. ESPERANZA G. VALENZONA
Lawyer who championed the cause of juvenile delinquents and street children in Cebu City.
1998 FR. PIERRE T. TRITZ, SJ (Co-awardee)
Jesuit missionary who founded the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation. Through ERDA, has helped maintain the schooling of 85,000 school children from indigent families.
1998 SR. MILAGROS A. DAYRIT, RA (Co-awardee)
The moving spirit behind the Mother Rosa Memorial Foundation (MRMF), an NGO dedicated to provide the poor with opportunities for socio-economic empowerment and uphold their dignity as human beings.
1999 SR. M. PAULA VALERIANA V. BAERTS, ICM (Co-awardee)
Belgian-born missionary who devoted much of her life nursing the disabled at the National Orthopedic Hospital and Tahanang Walang Hagdanan.
1999 SR. MILAGROS B. ALARCON, FMM (Co-awardee)
Filipino missionary who co-founded the Catholic Tokyo International Center. She personally addressed the needs and takes care of Filipino migrants in Japan, both materially and spiritually.
2000 FR. GRATIAN MURRAY, AFSC (Co-awardee)
A La Salle brother turned priest who founded the Bacolod Boy’s Home and St. Joseph’s High School. He is a guardian and breadwinner to thousands of street children and orphans of Bacolod City.
2000 SR. MAGGIORINA N. ARENAS (Co-awardee)
After 25 years of religious life, she left the congregation of the Daughters of St. Paul to live a new life with the Mangyans in the mountains of Oriental Mindoro and attend to their spiritual and socio-economic needs.
2001 MOST REV. CHARLES VAN DEN OUWELANT, MSC (Co-awardee)
The Bishop Emeritus of Surigao, he founded “A Chance for The Poor Foundation” which provides free medical, surgical, and hospitalization services to the indigenous people of Mindanao – particularly the Lumads.
2001 JUSTICE LEONOR INES-LUCIANO (Co-awardee)
Championed the rights of the poor, underprivileged and oppressed since 1960’s and organized various programs for youth offenders, abused women and abandoned children.
2002 LAUREANA A. FRANCO (Co-awardee)
Fondly called “Ku Luring”, Ms Franco has devoted her life teaching catechism to children in public schools, seminarians, and lay people in the archdiocese of Manila. She was awarded “Pro Ecclesia Et Ponte” in 1990 by no less than Pope John Paul II in recognition of her outstanding services to the catholic church.
2002 SR. CARMEN V. LOCSIN (Co-awardee)
A Filipina missionary nun in Japan for close to 30years. Sr. Carmen (also known as Sr. Remedios) has ministered to the spiritual and psychological needs of Filipino migrants and entertainment workers in Japan, especially those who were abused by their Japanese employers and husbands.
2003 DR. HELENA Z. BENITEZ
Educator, legislator, diplomat, civic leader, promoter of art and culture, human rights advocate, and a true servant of the poor.
2004 JAIME L. CARDINAL SIN
The Philippines’ most influential cleric, he was instrumental in the defeat of the Marcos and Estrada regimes and in the installation of two women presidents, first in 1986 and later 2001. Throughout his life, Cardinal Sin worked for the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden and did not hesitate to voice his opinions when the rights of the poor are trampled.
2005 LUCINA C. ALDAY
Advocate of the underprivileged youth and women for more than 65 years. Manned different public offices and implemented programs for out-of-school and delinquent youths and women most susceptible to exploitation.
2006 RUFINO G. TIMA, SR.
Anthropologist who has actively advanced the rights and welfare of the Aetas of Zambales. Assisted the Aetas in securing and developing their ancestral land and reestablishing their cultural roots.
2007 FR. RUBEN J. VILLOTE
Dedicated priest who founded the Center for Migrant Youth (CMY) in 1982 to house and care for migrant youths and provide them a fighting chance at life in Manila.
2008 DR. FE. DEL MUNDO, MD
A pediatrician, scientist, educator, author, public health advocate, humanitarian who has devoted more than 60 years of unconditional service to others. She founded several children’s health and welfare institutions, most notable of which is the Children’s Memorial Hospital (1957).
2009 IRENE K. YUSINGCO
A devoted charity giver who organized and motivated numerous charity organizations to expand their care for street children. The urban poor, women in crisis, and families and individuals dispossessed by society.
2010 MO. MARIA N. FRACASO, FDCC
Italian-born Canossian nun who has been serving impoverished Filipinos since 1962, establishing and conducting various programs in education, livelihood, health, evangelization, lay empowerment, and spiritual formation among the poor.
2011 MA. DOLORES PITA
Spanish educator who has dedicated herself to the rehabilitation and education of poverty-stricken Filipino youth through the Makabata School Foundation, Inc., which offers its students free basic education, textbooks, supplies, uniforms, transportation and meals as well as support and livelihood programs for their parents.
2012 REYLINDO E. ORTEGA
Lay person who spent more than 43 years in giving scholarships to underprivileged youth, providing shelter to abandoned children and mothers in crisis together with their babies. These he made possible by establishing Pag-asa ng Pamilya Scholarship Foundation, Inc., Tahanan ng Pagmamahal Children’s Home Inc., and Grace to Be Born, Inc.
2013 DR. ROEL Z. CAGAPE, MD
Physician and philanthropist who has provided medical assistance to tribal communities in remote areas. His notable projects include “Ambulansyang Kabayo”, “I-txt Si Doc” consultation through mobile phone, and child feeding programs in the mountains of his hometown Sarangani Province.
2014 MARIA ANGELES PEYPOCH FULLERTON
Founded the Chosen Children Village Foundation, which cares and provides rehabilitation to the mentally and or physically challenged children. For 26 years she had been a mother to hundreds of children who were less wanted for adoption because of their condition.
2015 DIVINA T. FABRA
A missionary from New Tribes Mission who gave up her life in the city and lives instead with the Aetas of Banauen, Zambales – teaching them to read and write and improving their healthcare.