The Diplomat
Last Monday, the Embassy of the Dominican Republic held, at Casa de América, the ceremony for the seventh edition of the Padre Billini Awards, that this year recognized the gastroenterologist Luis Esteban Abreu García and the Cultural Association and Development Cooperation Library Dominican Republic (ACUDEBI). The event was chaired by the Dominican ambassador to Spain, Tony Raful.
Instituted in 2015, the Padre Billini Awards are named after the priest, teacher and philanthropist Francisco Xavier Billini, an emblematic figure of the nineteenth century and a symbol of the vocation of service, as well as the promotion of education and health in Dominican society, who in 1869 founded the Casa de la Beneficencia -today Hospital Padre Billini- in Santo Domingo, as well as the Lottery of the Board of Charity, origin of the current National Lottery, in order to finance social welfare projects.
These awards are intended to recognize individuals and non-profit institutions who have done outstanding work for the benefit of the Dominican Republic and its citizens. They also celebrate the trajectory of Dominicans living in Spain who, for their achievements and professional merits, become benchmarks of excellence and exemplary citizenship for the diaspora.
During the event, the Dominican ambassador noted that “the Padre Billini Awards contribute to recognizing, making visible and strengthening the social fabric of our diaspora, while projecting a worthy and valuable image of the Dominican Republic in the world”.
In the Solidarity category, recognition was given to ACUDEBI for its tireless work in promoting Dominican cultural identity through educational, literary and international cooperation initiatives. Since Madrid, ACUDEBI has built bridges of dialogue and creativity between generations, communities and territories, actively contributing to the cultural strengthening of the diaspora.
In the Excellence category, it was awarded to Doctor Luis Esteban Abreu García, a gastroenterologist born in La Vega, whose outstanding professional career has developed in Spain. Currently, he is head of the Gastroenterology Service at the Puerta de Hierro University Hospital in Majadahonda and associate professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Author of more than 200 scientific publications, Dr. Abreu has previously been distinguished with the Order of Merit Duarte, Sánchez and Mella, in recognition of his commitment to medicine and academic training.