The plenary session of the Tegueste City Council, held yesterday, agreed to award two Municipal Gold Medals to Tomás Galván, popularly known as ‘Tomás el de las Costillas’, and Juan Gutiérrez Afonso. These awards recognize their careers and their decades-long contribution to the social, cultural, and community life of the town.
The mayor of Tegueste, Norberto Padilla, highlighted the importance of these distinctions, stating that both honorees “represent two different ways of working for Tegueste, but they share something fundamental: decades of commitment, dedication, and service to their community.” He added that “they are people who have contributed to building the municipality from different fields, but always with closeness, generosity, and a willingness to collaborate.”
The Tegueste Municipal Gold Medal was approved for Tomás Galván, ‘Tomás el de las Costillas’, for his decades-long commitment to his environment and the Tegueste society. At the helm of Bodegón Casa Tomás since 1977, alongside his wife, Verísima García, and his son, Víctor Galván, he has transformed the establishment into a benchmark for traditional Canarian gastronomy and a space closely linked to the identity of Tegueste.
The proposal for recognition also highlights his constant collaboration with neighborhood, cultural, festive, sports, educational, and solidarity initiatives, as well as his contribution to job creation and social cohesion, especially in El Portezuelo. The mayor stated that Tomás Galván represents a way of understanding family business activity deeply linked to the community, opening the doors of his business to neighbors and associations.
The second award went to Juan Gutiérrez Afonso, for his work in preserving the popular culture, traditions, and social life of Tegueste. His career has been marked by the defense of traditions, particularly through folk music and the neighborhood movement.
Juan Gutiérrez Afonso was one of the founders, in 1986, of the folk group El Naciente, which has actively participated in festivals and cultural events. He has also collaborated in organizing popular festivals, creating traditional carts and carpets, neighborhood activities, and served as a councilor in the Municipal Corporation.
The mayor emphasized that Juan's career is that of someone who has dedicated a significant part of his life to keeping traditions alive and working selflessly for his neighborhood and town, being fundamental for new generations to know their origins.
With these two Gold Medals, the Tegueste City Council publicly recognizes two careers built over decades based on commitment to the community, also acknowledging all those who work to keep the identity of the municipality alive.
