Mayor Marco Aurelio Pérez highlights the "career and generosity" of the 11 award winners at the 2025 municipality's official honors and distinctions gala held by the City Council this Saturday in Maspalomas.
The San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council held the institutional ceremony this Saturday to award the municipality's highest official awards for 2025 to eleven distinguished residents. The solemn ceremony took place at the Maspalomas Cultural Center and was presided over by Mayor Marco Aurelio Pérez Sánchez.
As part of the program of events commemorating the 131st anniversary of the granting of the title of Villa to the municipality, the gala of honors and distinctions began with the performance of the Canary Islands Anthem by the Maspalomas Encantada Choir. Throughout the ceremony, short biographical videos of each of the awardees were shown before they received their respective decorations.
The mayor highlighted the ceremony as an act of homage, recognition, and gratitude from San Bartolomé de Tirajana "to the best of itself," and as "the pride of belonging to a land that, through the efforts of many, has become solid, diverse, and humane." This event, he said, "reminds us that towns are not built solely on infrastructure, but on people who dedicate their lives to a job well done, to commitment, culture, education, and public service as values that define us as a community."
“Today we celebrate careers that have left their mark, that inspire, educate, and teach us that perseverance, generosity, and passion are the true medals of everyday life. These awards don't honor perfect careers but rather persevering lives of silent work, social commitment, a culture that excites, a business with soul, science that inspires, and public service that leaves a mark,” said Marco Aurelio Pérez before briefly mentioning each of the honorees. “They reflect the very essence of our city,” he said.
The awards ceremony began with the naming of Pedro José Franco López (Maspalomas, 1951) as Favorite Son for his social work and commitment to the cultural and social life of Maspalomas, his defense and dissemination of the municipality's ethnographic and historical heritage, and "his determination to preserve the memory of Maspalomas and San Bartolomé de Tirajana as an example of commitment to this land." The mayor hailed him as "a living memory of Maspalomas, a master of the stage, of the archive, and of words," who "transformed local history into a shared heritage." His legacy, he said, "reminds us that a people who know their past walk firmly into the future."
Adopted Children
Following the Favorite Son award, tourism entrepreneurs Theo Gerlach and Andrés Ocón Guzmán received the distinction of Adopted Sons of the municipality, the latter posthumously, collected by their daughters Anouchka Gerlach and Noelia Ocón Jaime, respectively, for their ties to Maspalomas Costa Canaria. Gerlach's commitment to linking his life and work to this municipality and his pioneering vision in defending sustainable, quality tourism that contributes to the excellence of our destination were highlighted. Ocón Guzmán, who was director of the Hotel Parque Tropical for 18 years and an active collaborator with the Spanish Red Cross, was singled out for "his professionalism, capacity for innovation, dedication to the community, and contribution to the tourism, economic, and social development of San Bartolomé de Tirajana." Marco Aurelio Pérez praised Gerlach's "vision of tourism with values" and his appreciation of Maspalomas "not only as a destination but as a community with which to grow," and referred to Oscón Guzmán as "an example of professionalism and service, who brought innovation, employment, and humanity to this municipality."
Gold medals
After the naming of the Adopted Sons, the municipality's Gold Medals were presented. They were received by Ángel Marrero Rivero, founder of the Regional Bartenders Association of the Canary Islands, "for his ability to unite people and groups and for elevating the reputation of our municipality through culture and hospitality"; NASA aerospace technician Tatiana Mar Vaquero Escribano, who was received by her mother, Mercedes Escribano, "in recognition of her outstanding research and for her inspiring role as a leading female figure in science"; music teacher and founder of the Maspalomas Choir, Francisco Brazuelo Cañizares, "for his passionate dedication to teaching music and his invaluable contribution to the cultural heritage of San Bartolomé de Tirajana"; María Dolores Osés Merino, "Loly La Vasca," "for her tireless, generous, and determined dedication and example, and her profound love for this municipality"; Orlando Viera Morales, a healthcare worker and member of the Friends Against AIDS Association, "for his humanity and tireless dedication and commitment to the health and well-being of so many people in San Bartolomé de Tirajana"; Ann Kristin Ekstrand, a former honorary consul of Sweden in the Canary Islands, "for her tireless work as a cultural ambassador between Sweden and San Bartolomé de Tirajana"; and finally, Josefa Trujillo Abrante, a resident of Castillo del Romeral, "for her civic example and tireless dedication and community service in service to others."
Mayor Marco Aurelio Pérez also detailed the life and professional trajectories of each of the gold medal recipients. He highlighted Ángel Marrero's "drive for Canarian hospitality" and his dignified cocktail-making "by transforming training and craft into an art." He described Mar Vaquero as "an example of Canarian talent that has reached space," and specified that "her work on NASA missions demonstrates that science can also speak with the accent of this town of San Bartolomé de Tirajana." He highlighted Francisco Brazuelo, "the soul of the Maspalomas Encantada Choir," who "has sown generations of love for music and culture" in this municipality, and described "Loly La Vasca" as "the neighbor who creates a neighborhood and transformed joy and solidarity into community action." Regarding Orlando Viera, he emphasized "his unwavering humanity, his dedication to social and healthcare services, and his example of empathy in difficult times." Regarding former consul Kristin Ekstrand, he highlighted her role as "a bridge between cultures and a symbol of coexistence and understanding, through the Swedish Consulate and the connection with San Agustín." The mayor praised Josefa Trujillo as "a firm voice for Castillo del Romeral and a neighborhood leader who respectfully and consistently defended the rights of her people."
The awards ceremony concluded with the recognition of former councilor Benito Pérez Franco as "Honorary Councilor" "for a lifetime of dedication to social commitment, passion for sports, and dedication to the cultural and festive life of San Bartolomé de Tirajana." The mayor referred to his tenure as "an exemplary public servant who left his mark on sports, youth, festivals, and the spaces we enjoy today." He represents, said Marco Aurelio Pérez, "that generation that has worked without seeking prominence, but with visible and lasting results."
Gratitude
Favorite Son Pedro Franco López gave the acceptance speech on behalf of all those honored. “Receiving recognition from one's own people is something you won't forget, because it's not just an award, but a collective embrace, a 'thank you' that reaches us from every neighborhood and every school,” he stated before offering a few brief words about each of the honorees. He stated that Josefa Abrante Trujillo and María Dolores Osés “represent the neighborhood movement in its broadest sense, as the soul of our communities, people who, without seeking prominence, have managed to unite efforts to improve the lives of everyone. Their stories remind us that great changes don't always begin in offices, but in the streets and in assemblies, in the collective voice that refuses to give up.” Regarding Orlando Viera, he insisted that "his silent work and constant support for those most in need represent the best face of the social heart of our municipality," and regarding Ángel Marrero, he admitted that "he can be credited as a pioneer in dignifying the bartending profession, uniting training, friendship, and a community spirit." Hospitality professionals, he stated, "are often the first smile of a city and the last light that goes out each day."
Referring to Francisco Brazuelos, Franco López emphasized his use of musical language as a way of serving the community. “At the Municipal Music School, he sowed vocations, and with the Maspalomas Polyphonic Choir and the Maspalomas Encantada Cultural Association, he transformed his love of music into a shared life project, where art, education, and community went hand in hand.” Of Ann Kristin Ekstrand Celis, he highlighted “her commitment to this land, which she made her own without ceasing to love the land of her birth,” and that, from the Honorary Consulate of Sweden, “she built bridges between cultures, embodying the best of friendship between peoples.” Regarding Mar Vaquero Escribano, he stated that “she can rightfully be considered the pride of San Bartolomé de Tirajana and the entire Canary Islands. Her story demonstrates that dreams born with our eyes on the sky can end up changing the course of the stars.” He also referred to his Adopted Son, Andrés Ocón (Andy), as a prominent promoter of the Red Cross and noted that he played an active role in the twinning of this municipality with the city of Elche and a major contributor to the Maspalomas Regional Festival, for which he obtained accommodations from business leaders for participating groups. Regarding his other Adopted Son, Theo Gerlach, Pedro Franco stated that "he can be considered the businessman who placed Maspalomas on the map of luxury and elegance for his commitment to personalized tourism service delivered from the heart." He also spoke specifically about the "Honorary Councilor," Benito Pérez Franco, highlighting "the kindness and helping hand" he displayed behind the counters of the emblematic Maspalomas pharmacies in the San Fernando Village and the Mercurio Building, and his affable and friendly approach to the citizens in the various responsibilities he held as councilor for several terms since 1983.
The Favorite Son concluded his speech by asking for the "complicity" of those honored "to urge our public representatives and the social and cultural foundations of the municipality's major companies to spare no resources or efforts to promote and encourage associations and volunteering among citizens, especially among young people."
Plural achievements
Marco Aurelio Pérez closed the ceremony by remembering and thanking those honored and awarded in previous years and in 2025, "because true achievements are signed in the plural. Behind every project there is a team; behind every decision, trust; behind every success, community," the mayor stated. "This event is not a final point, but rather a renewed commitment to the values that define us: hospitality, culture, respect for our traditions, entrepreneurial drive, commitment to education, sports, science, and solidarity," he said, thanking the honorees, their families, friends, and neighbors, "demonstrating that effort, creativity, and commitment are the best legacy we can leave for future generations. Let us continue walking together with pride and hope so that this land continues to be an example of coexistence, development, and talent," he concluded.
The official ceremony for the presentation of honors and distinctions for San Bartolomé de Tirajana 2025, which featured the First Deputy Mayor, Alejandro Marichal, and the Councilor for the Presidency, Education, and Culture, Elena Álamo Vega, at the presidential table, concluded with an artistic performance by the Iván Quintana Trio and the official photo shoot.
