PDG Oscar "Oskie" C. de Venecia of D-3830, and past president of the Rotary Club of Makati West, was recently awarded the prestigious "Chevalier Dans L;Order National Du Merite" by President Jacques Chirac of the Republic of France. The award was given in recognition of "his contribution to the energy section and oil cooperation between France and the Philippines." As chairman of Basic Petroleum and Minerals, Inc., one of the pioneering Filipino oil exploration companies, and subsidiary of publicly listed Basic Consolidated, Inc., said company entered into a partnership with French state owned Aquitane OIl in 1976m thru its subsidiary Westrans Petroleum, Inc. The join venture did oil exploration projects in Sulu Sea and the Northwest Palawan Offshore resulting in the commercial oil discovery at the Matinloc Field.
THe citation, read by French Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Renee Veyret, also mentioned the civic activities of PDG Oskie in Rotary, more particularly his vital role in the eradication of polio in the Philippines as chairman of the National PolioPLus Eradication Committee of the Philippines for the past eleven years. Furthermore, PDG Oskie was also cited for his active participation in the promotion of friendly relations between France and the Philippines when he was the dean of the Consular Corps of The Philippines in 2003.
