The Philippine Emergency Nurses Association (PENA) will be hosting their fifth annual Lantern Awards this Friday, 3 October 2025 at the Novotel Manila. The award ceremony celebrates a wide array of exceptional achievements in the field of emergency nursing.

“We recognize individuals who have not only excelled in their professional practice but have also dared to innovate, lead with vision, and advocate with passion. These are the individuals whose actions inspire, whose guidance shapes careers, and whose expertise defines the very best of emergency nursing,” PENA said in an official statement on their website.

Categories for this year’s awards celebrate achievements made in the fields of nursing management, research, and education, while the “Rising Star” award recognizes a nurse or emergency medical technician (EMT) for outstanding overall practice in the field.

Finalists for the “Rising Star” award include Julius Lawrence S. Villaluz of Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Cornelio G. Judan Jr. from Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center (PJGMRMC), and Roni Candy A. Garcia of Makati Medical Center.

For the most outstanding researcher/educator category, the nominees are Maurice Joy G. Gudal of the Global Society for Philippine Nurse Researchers, Inc. (GSPNRI) KSA-UAE Chapter and Lloyd Charles I. Dallo, also of PJGMRMC.

The nominees for outstanding management are Jonathan Jose C. Fernandez of Bicol Medical Center, Clar Hanzel I. Bombase of PJGMRMC, and Danilo D. Datu of Veterans Memorial.