Outstanding Dignitary Award

OUTSTANDING DIGNITARY AWARD

2012

www.outstandingdignitaryph.com

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CREDITS

CHAIRMAN SUPERBRAND MARKETING INTERNATIONAL INC. Karl McLean PRESIDENT & CEO SUPERBRAND MARKETING INTERNATIONAL INC. Harry Tambuatco MARKETING DIRECTOR SUPERBRAND MARKETING INTERNATIONAL INC. Nick Quiason CREATIVE DIRECTOR Danilo Barrameda, Jr. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Richelle Lim Mikhaela Marie Regala MARKETING STAFF Cristy Carigtan Corazon Villanueva FINANCE Nelia Villarete PUBLISHED BY Superbrand Marketing International Inc. 1908, 88 Corporate Center Valero St. cor. Sedeño St. Salcedo Village, CBD Makati City PRINTED BY Infinite Labels The logo is subject to copyright of Superbrand Marketing International Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recordaing or any other storage or retrieval system relating too all or part of the text, photographs, or logo types without written permission of the publishers.

ISSN 2244-2987

foreword

FOREWORD

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randing is all about the product and/or service deliverables: it must be with absolute consistency.

In case of a brand failure, excuses can only be blamed on oneself and on no other party. Excuses are neither necessary nor acceptable. While addressing inevitable issues head-on is a matter of strategy, and thus, optional, strategic management and control in brand management dictates that consistency must be forthright.

Only with consistency can integrity be developed.

There is a dire need to generate an awareness for the brands that are established over years of service for our country. While there are multiple award-giving bodies in the Philippines there stands a dearth for the global brand arbiter to identify and celebrate our dignitaries.

Enter SMI. A Dignitary is a person of high position or rank usually in government and or the church. Noted to be a panjandrum, a Very Important Person or VIP, whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events, is part and parcel of the character of a leader, a nation builder, a statesman or a diplomat representing a foreign government.

A Dignitary can be identified with a foreign Embassy and its staff staged in the Philippines, a consulate representing the rest of the world or a Non-Government Organization whose advocacies promote universal values above all.

The academe plays a vital role in the development of our dignitaries zeroing on international studies. Our Executive Secretaries charged with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Tourism are pivotal towards our international relations.

The Outstanding Dignitary Award is the first of many annual events that will be staged by SMI. Its objective is to promote the work of the many Individuals and Embassies represented in our country. This is the objective of this award and the effort to cite them, their achievements and their information to promote their countries, their success and contributions that painstakingly piece together what we enjoy in our country today.

These awards and citations have a singular purpose— to educate and inform the publication’s readers. We hope the award, in at least a small way, will encourage these individuals to continue their good work and to inspire others to do likewise. Unlike many of today’s publications that criticize but offer no solutions, we look for the good.

We hope the publication demonstrates that good deeds, with adequate exposure, can spawn even more good deeds. If that comes to pass, we will have succeeded.

contents Contents

Albert F. Del Rosario Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary

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Embassies:

Indonesia

8

Malaysia

10

Singapore

12

Thailand

14

Vietnam

16

Australia

18

United Kingdom

20

United States of America

22

Roberto R. Romulo

Gemma Cruz Araneta

Santanina Tillah Rasul

Former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary

Former Department of Tourism (DoT) Secretary

Former Senator

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26

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Ambassadors:

Jose V. Romero

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Reynaldo O. Arcilla

32

Roy Villareal Seneres

34

NGO'S

The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

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The Futuristics Center

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The Lyceum of the Philippines University

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Manila Business College

42

Amina Rasul-Bernardo

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Consulates:

Francis Chua

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Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

ALBERT F. DEL ROSARIO Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary

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he Honorable Albert F. del Rosario was born in Manila on November 14, 1939 and has worked for both the private sector and government. Secretary Del Rosario's business career spanned a vast field which included insurance, banking, real estate, shipping, telecommunications, consumer products, retail, pharmaceutical, and food industries, among others. He was member of the Board and director of various firms prior to entering public service as Philippine Ambassador to the United States in Washington D.C. The Secretary's experience in the private sector included positions as chair of Philippine Stratbase Consultancy, Inc. and Makati Foundation for Education; president of Gotuaco, Del Rosario Insurance Brokers, Inc. and Philippine Telecommunications Investment Corporation (PTIC); director in various companies and non-profit organizations, including the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation, First Pacific Company (Hong Kong), PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk (Indonesia), Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), Philex Mining Corporation, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corporation (MPTDC), Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC), ABC Development Corporation (ABC 5), Asia Insurance (Philippines) Corporation, Philippine Cancer Society, Cultural Center of the Philippines Foundation, Incorporated (CCPFI); trustee of PinoyME Foundation, Inc.; member of the Asia Society's International Council and of the Board of Governors of International Graduate University (Washington, DC).

In addition, the Secretary headed the development of Pacific Plaza Towers, Metro Pacific Corporation's signature project at Fort Bonifacio, Global City.

President Benigno S. Aquino III appointed former Philippine Ambassador to the United States Albert F. Del Rosario as acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs to succeed Secretary Alberto G. Romulo. The new Secretary

of Foreign Affairs took his oath of office before President Aquino on 24 February 2011 and assumed the post as the top diplomat of the Republic of the Philippines. With his extensive experience in the business sector, Philippine foreign policy under Secretary Del Rosario is widely expected to provide renewed focus on economic diplomacy. Secretary Del Rosario attended Xavier High School in New York City and graduated from New York University with an economics degree.

As Philippine Ambassador to the United States, he was instrumental in securing US$1.2 Billion U.S. funding assistance for the Philippines, bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism and peace and development in Mindanao, investments in the country's Business Process Outsourcing industry, and greater access for Philippine exports.

His enduring legacy which continues to benefit the Philippines includes the formation of the Philippines-US Congressional Friendship composed of over 80 legislators from the US House of Representatives, retaining the Philippines in the list of approved investment locations in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), development of the Reform Program for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pioneering the Ambassadors/Consuls General Tour of the Philippines, and Bayan Ko-Bahay Ko Program.

In September of 2004, he was conferred the Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Datu by H.E. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for his outstanding efforts in promoting foreign relations.

In early 2001, he received the EDSA II Heroes Award from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in recognition of his efforts in promoting Philippine democracy. He also received the Philippine Army Award from President Corazon Aquino for his initiatives as Chairman of the Makati Foundation for Education in 1991. He was elevated to the Xavier Hall of Fame in New York City in 2006.

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Secretary del Rosario is married to Gretchen de Venecia. They have five children and six grandchildren.

25 June 2012 - The Secretary of Foreign Affairs undertook his first official working visit to Japan from June 27 to 29, on the invitation of his Japanese counterpart, Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba. The visit of the Secretary is a follow-up to President Benigno S. Aquino III's visit to Japan in September 2011, during which the bilateral strategic partnership was forged. Both Foreign Ministers discussed vital issues relating to bilateral economic relations, cooperation in the field of maritime security, the Mindanao Peace Process, as well as regional issues such as regional security and cooperation.

Apart from the bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Gemba, Secretary del Rosario also called on Deputy Prime Minister Katsuya Okada and meet with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Akihiko Tanaka and officers of the Japan-Philippines Parliamentarian Friendship League (JPPFL), among others, to discuss the advancement of bilateral relations and exchange views on issues of mutual interest.

INTRODUCING THE NEW DFA 1. Our beloved President, as you know, is the architect of our foreign policy and the DFA merely implements.

Let me take a minute or two to introduce the DFA. Let me begin, if you will, by posing a quick question to this body and the question is, "if there are 10 unknown government officials in a room, and I were to tell you that one of them is from the DFA and to please point him out, how would you do that?"

I give you 5 seconds. The answer is, I think you would not be wrong if you chose the person with the heaviest eye bags. Why, because the DFA is known as the 'department that never sleeps'.

2. Having distinguished the DFA from other Government Departments, I would also like to manifest that the DFA has been undergoing a positive transformation in terms of: a) Restoring morale. Morale has been restored in the DFA by the appointment of 34 career

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

people as AEP with the exception of only one political appointee since we were sworn in; b) Upgrading the skills of our senior officials. This has been done through expanded and more intense training; c) Putting merit over seniority. We now emphasize that meritorious performance, and not seniority is the way to advance one's career; and d) Working and making the Department smarter, meaner and leaner.

We are working to make the Department not only smarter and meaner but also leaner as we undertake a rational program resulting in the closure of 10 posts so that we can allocate limited resources to areas of greater need. I believe these initiatives will enable us to more effectively focus on our foreign policy which consists of 3 pillars.

These are promoting national security, enhancing economic diplomacy and protecting the rights and welfare of Filipinos overseas.

ON PROTECTING OUR FILIPINOS ABROAD As you know within hours after we were sworn in, we were off for Libya on the first of several trips to repatriate our people affected by the Arab Spring.

We repatriated over 10,000 Filipinos from many countries including Libya, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq, and Japan.

We also provided help to many of our people overseas including watching over 80 who are in death row and towards providing assistance in the release of nearly 800 seafarers who have been held hostage by pirates in Somalia. In keeping our people safe, with prayers, we have not lost a single life that was within our control. A few weeks ago, I felt compelled to submit a courtesy letter of resignation to the President.

Why? Because I was absolutely certain that a life would surely be lost and the government would be blamed. I felt that the President should not be blamed when it is I who should assume the responsibility and the buck stops with me. We were informed at midnight by one of our Embassies in the Middle East that an execution of a Filipino drug mule would take place within 5 hours or 5 a.m. our time. With the President's most kind help, and with the proactive assistance of the Middle Eastern Ambassador, we were able to obtain a "stay" before 5 a.m. and so both the accused and myself were both miraculously granted a "stay".

The President, for whom I have great affection and respect, has asked me several times not to place my life at risk by going to dangerous places. My response to him was "I must go to these places to stay ahead of the curve as someday a life will be lost and our only defense is to be able to say factually that - at all times - we did all the best that we possibly could".

ON ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY The platform of the President is to address poverty alleviation and the creation of employment through good governance. What is the role of the DFA? In our relations with all nations, we are undertaking a planned program for generating foreign investment, boosting trade, increasing tourism and enhancing possible official development assistance. How do we do this? By making sure that our people all over the world are actively selling the country. Economic diplomacy requires an upgrading of skills. As such, we have entered into a formal partnership with AIM so that our Ambassadors are 7

properly trained before they assume their Posts. Our Career Ministers must pass a specially-designed full-time course work before they are promoted.

We have worked with the diplomatic corps in conducting business fora and have coordinated with different foreign chambers of commerce. Believing that systematic inputs will ultimately result in positive outputs, we have set input targets and are closely monitoring the performance of our Posts. Although it has not been done before, we intend to recall non-performing Ambassadors.

ON PROMOTING NATIONAL SECURITY Our major concern should be to build a safe and a strong regional neighborhood using ASEAN. Through ASEAN and on our own, we must engage regional powers such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia in mutually beneficial security dialogues. This includes, of course, an enduring defense partnership with the U.S. Our country must also continue its vibrant relations with countries in the Middle East in resolving the Mindanao problems, the Palestinian issues, and global terrorism.

Since the Philippines is less likely to effect security arrangements on its own, it makes sense for us to do so in concert with others. We have, for example, the ASEAN Regional Forum and the United Nations to help in promoting global peace and development. Our over-all objective is to avoid foreign problems from spilling over into our home land or into our region.

Disclaimer: All contents are public information from features on website

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Indonesian Embassy in the Philippines

Ambassador: DRS. YOHANES KRISTIARTO SOERYO LEGOWO AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY

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ince 1949, the Indonesian Government has opened its representative office (Consular Office) in Manila but it was not until the early 1950’s that a diplomatic office (Embassy) was established headed by an Ambassador. To institutionalize the relation between the two countries, a treaty of friendship was signed on June 21, 1951. This Treaty constituted the basic relationship of both countries, covering several aspects such as maintenance of peace and friendship, settlement of disputes by diplomatic and peaceful means, traffic arrangements for citizens of both countries and activities to promote cooperation in the area of trade, cultural, shipping, etc. which include the political, social-economic and security matters of both countries.

Vision - "to advance the national interest of Indonesia and Indonesian People in the Philippines" Mission - To strengthen the relations between Indonesia and the Philippines in all aspects. To Seek and utilize all opportunities in the Philippines for the interest of Indonesia. To create a positive image of Indonesia in the Philippines. To Fight for and protect all interest of Indonesia in the Philippines.

The Period of Hindu Kingdoms Many well-organized kingdoms with a high degree of civilization were ruled by indigenous kings who had adopted the Hindu or Buddhist religion. This explains why this period in history is called the Period of Hindu Kingdoms.

It lasted from ancient times to the 16th Century AD. Because the culture and civilization, which emanated from the Hindu and Buddhist religions, were synchronized with the local cultural elements, the period was also referred to as the Hindu- Indonesian period.

Indian culture and customs were introduced, such as the system of government in a monarchy, the ancestry system, the organization of military troops, literature, music and dances, architecture, religious practices and rituals, and even the division of laborers into castes or varnas. The Hindu literary works known as Vedas and the "Mahabharata" and "Ramayana"

epics were also introduced through the wayang, or shadow-play performance, which is still very popular in many parts of present day Indonesia.

The first Indian Buddhists arrived in Indonesia between the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD. They brought with them Buddhism in its two sects, Hinayana and Mahayana. The latter became more advanced in the 8th Century AD. With the spread of Buddhism to China many Chinese pilgrims sailed to India through the Strait of Malacca. On there way, some stopped and temporarily stayed in Indonesia to learn more about Buddhism. In 144 AD a Chinese Buddhist saint, Fa Hsien, was caught in a storm and landed in Java-Dwipa, or Java Island, where he stayed for five months. The northern part of the island was then ruled by an Indonesian Hindu King named Kudungga. Kutai, on the island of Borneo, was successively ruled by the Hindu kings Devawarman, Aswawarman and Mulawarman.

When the Greek explorer and geographer, Ptolemy of Alexandria, wrote on Indonesia, he named either the island of Java or Sumatra "abadiou". His chronicles described Java as a country with a good system of government and advanced agriculture, navigation and astronomy. There was even mention of the "batik" printing process of cloth that the people already knew. They also made metal ware, used the metric system and printed coins.

Chinese chronicles of 132 AD described the existence of diplomatic regions between Java-Dwipa and China. Ink and paper had already been in use in China since the 2nd Century AD. Around 502 AD Chinese annals mentioned the existence of the Buddhist Kingdom, Kanto Lim in South Sumatra, presumably in the neighborhood of present-day Palembang. It was ruled by king Gautama Subhadra, and later by his son Pyrawarman of Vinyawarman who established diplomatic relations with China. Because of a spelling or pronunciation difficulty, what the Chinese called "Kanto Li" was probably Crivijaya, a mighty Buddhist kingdom. On his way to India, 8

the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, I Tsing, visited Crivijaya in 671 AD to study the Sanskrit language. He returned 18 years later; in 689 AD Crivijaya was then the center of Buddhist learning and had many well-known philosophy scholars like Sakyakirti, Dharmapala and Vajabudhi.

The kingdom had diplomatic relations with the south Indian kingdom of Nalanda. The Crivijaya mission built a school on its premises where Indians could learn the art of molding bronze statues and broaden their knowledge of the Buddhist philosophy. With the spread of Buddhism, Crivijaya's influence reached out to many other parts of the archipelago.

Another known Buddhist kingdom was Cailendra in Central Java. It was ruled by the kings of Cailendra Dynasty.

During their rule (750-850 AD) the famous Buddhist temple, Borobudur, was built. In 772 AD other Buddhist temple were also build. They include the Mendut, Kalasan and Pawon temples. All of these temples are now preserved as tourist objects near the city of Yogyakarta. The Cailendra kingdom was also known for its commercial and naval power, and its flourishing arts and culture. A guide to team singing, known as the Chandra Cha-ana, was first written in 778 AD. One of the Pallawa language-stone inscriptions of 732 AD mentioned the name of King Sanjaya, who was later identified as the king of Mataram, a kingdom that replaced Cailendra in Central Java.

The Prambanan temple, which was dedicated to Lord Civa, was started in 856 AD and completed in 900 AD by King Daksa. Earlier Civa temples were built in 675 AD on the Dieng mountain range, southwest of Medang Kamolan, the capital of the Mataram Kingdom.

In West Java were the kingdoms of Galuh, Kanoman, Kuningan and Pajajaran. The latter was founded by King Purana with Pakuan as its capital.

It replaced the kingdom of Galuh. The kingdoms of Taruma Negara, Kawali and Parahyangan Sunda came later.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

At the end of the 13th Century, the Crivijaya Empire began to fall as a result of severance by its vassal states and frequent attacks by the south Indian kingdom of Chola and by the Majapahit Kingdom. In the end, Crivijaya was completely conquered

by Majapahit with the support of King Aditiawarman of the Melayu kingdom.

Earlier, Majapahit had conquered the kingdom of Jambi in East Sumatra and, by moving its expansion along the rivers; it finally annexed the kingdom of Pagar Ruyung in West Sumatra. Thus, all of Sumatra came under Majapahit's rule. Meanwhile, for unknown reasons, the mighty kingdoms of Central Java disappeared from historic records and new prosperous kingdom emerged in East Java. King Balitung, who ruled between 820 and 832 AD, succeeded in uniting the Central and East Java kingdoms. The disappearance of records was presumably caused by a natural disaster or an epidemic.

At the end of the 10th Century (911-1007 AD) the powerful kingdom of Singasari emerged in East Java under King Dharmawangsa. He codified laws and translated into Javanese the "Mahabharata" epic and its basic philosophy, as exposed in the Bhisma Parva scripture. He also ordered the 12 translations of the Hindu holy book, the Bhagavat Gita.

Meanwhile, the island of Bali was ruled by King Airlangga, known as a wise and strong ruler. He had waterworks built along the Brantas River that are still in use today. Before his death in 1409 AD he divided his kingdom into the kingdoms of Janggala and Daha or Kediri. These were to be ruled by his two sons. Under Airlangga's rule literary works flourished. The Panji novels written during this period are still popular today. They are even taught in the art faculties of the universities in Thailand, Kampuchea and Malaysia.

King Jayabaya of Kediri 1135-1157 wrote a book in which he foretold the downfall of Indonesia. Subsequently, so he wrote, the country would be ruled by a white race, to be followed by a yellow race. His prediction turned out to be Dutch colonial rule and the Japanese occupation of the country during World War. However, Jayabaya also predicted that Indonesia would ultimately regain her independence. During the golden period of the Kediri Kingdom many other literary works were produced, including the Javanese version of the Mahabharata by Mpu (saint) Sedah and his brother Mpu Panuluh. This work was published in 1157.

The kingdoms of East Java were later succeeded by the Majapahit Kingdom, first ruled by Prince Wiiaya who was also known as King Kartarajasa.

The Moghul emperor, Kubilai Khan attempted to invade Majapahit. His 9

troops, however, were defeated and driven back to their ships. As Majapahit grew to become a powerful empire, it conquered the kingdom of Crivijaya in South Sumatra. As mentioned earlier, this kingdom has once been attacked by the Indian kingdom of Chola. Under King Hayam Wuruk the Majapahit Empire became the most powerful kingdom in the history of Indonesia. It had dependencies in territories beyond the borders of the present archipelago, such as Champa in North Vietnam, Kampuchea and the Philippines (1331-1364).

King Hayam Wuruk, with his able premier Gajah Mada, succeeded in gradually uniting the whole archipelago under the name of Dwipantara. During this golden period of Majapahit many literary works were produced. Among them was "Negara Kertagama," by the famous author Prapancha (13351380). Parts of the book described the diplomatic and economic ties between Majapahit and numerous Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, Thailand, Tonkin, Annam, Kampuchea and even India and China. Other works in Kawi, the old Javanese language, were "Pararaton," "Arjuna Wiwaha," "Ramayana," and "Sarasa Muschaya."

These works were later translated into modern European languages for educational purposes.

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Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Embassy of Malaysia

H.E. Dato’ Seri Dr. Ibrahim Saad Ambassador of Malaysia

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istorically, the official diplomatic representation in the Philippines by Malaysia as a sovereign state was established on 18 May 1964. Initially, it was only a consulate and was later upgraded to a full Embassy in 1966. The first Ambassador was H.E Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Haji Jumaad.

The first chancery building was set up in a residential area along Roxas Boulevard. The chancery was later moved to various premises around Metro Manila before it was finally transferred to a 7-storey building at 107 Tordesillas Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City after the Government of Malaysia bought the building in 1985.

The current chancery building was officially opened on 11 April 1985 by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Y.M Tengku Ahmad Rithaudeen. The chancery building’s construction which started on August 1982 and completed in June 1984. It was designed by a Filipino architect and was decorated by a Malaysian firm.

Clients’ Charter We promise to deliver quality, efficient, accurate and within reasonable time frame for the following services: • To furnish information that is complete inclusive of summaries, discussion notes and draft speeches and to plan for and implement state visits to improve bilateral relationships and national interests.

• To act as a responsive focal point for foreign embassies in terms of bilateral activities and to instruct as well as provide directions to our embassies on policy matters to improve bilateral interests.

• To implement and facilitate management services in consular, human resource, general administration and security, ICT, finance and development matters.

• To make available and to disseminate accurate information about Malaysia, especially on foreign policies to the media, Malaysians and the international community.

CORE VALUES In pursuit of the objectives of the Ministry, the Core Values of the Malaysian Administrative and Diplomatic Service will serve as the guidelines for the Ministry as well as its officials in the conduct of its work.

These values will be the creed of the Ministry and will serve as a reminder of the Ministry’s firm commitment to serve the people and the Government of Malaysia.

• Loyalty - Loyalty to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and the Country • Integrity - Serving with integrity, ethics and accountability • Dedication - Aiming to serve the nation and the people above all else • Professionalism - Serving by virtue of knowledge and competence • Innovation - Constantly striving for excellence YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad former Prime Minister of Malaysia, who is in Manila, Philippines for a visit in conjunction with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) end of Quadriccentennial and welcoming the Neocentennial celebration, was conferred an Honorary Professorship by UST on 11 June 2012. The title is bestowed upon distinguished foreign individuals who have achieved exceptional international distinction in their respective fields of expertise. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is the third recipient of the title. Previous recipients included a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and a Chancellor from the Vatican. The theme of his Keynote Lecture is “Good Governance, Poverty Alleviation, and the Role/Importance of Foreign Direct Investment”. YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad later handed over the autographed copies of his book “A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad” to UST. H.E. Dato Seri Dr. Ibrahim Saad, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Malaysia to the Philippines end his tour of duty on 5 July 2012 after serving two years in Manila. H.E. Dato’ Seri arrived in Manila on 28 June 2010 and presented 10

his Letter of Credence to H.E. President Benigno S. Aquino III on 13 July 2010.

H.E. Ambassador was also accredited to the Republic of Palau and presented Letter of Credence to H. E. President Johnson Toribiong on 23 June 2011.

In viewing his excellent contribution during his term and strengthening bilateral relations between Malaysia and Philippines, President Benigno S. Aquino III has conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu (Grand Cross, Gold Distinction) to H.E. Dato' Seri Dr. Ibrahim Saad in a special function at the Malacanang Palace held on 22 June 2012.

SPEECH BY TUN DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD AT THE UNIVERSITY SANTO TOMAS' SPECIAL CONVOCATION AND CONFERMENT OF HONORARY PROFESSORSHIP AND THE NEO-CENTENNIAL LECTURE IN MANILA, PHILIPPINES ON 11 JUNE 2012 1. We are living in a tumultuous world, in a world of political turmoil, in a world of economic turmoil, in a world of social turmoil.

2. We are seeing the collapse of moral values and of beliefs.

3. All the things that we used to value are being questioned, scrutinised and in many cases rejected, to be replaced by what is called freedom, freedom which is enjoyed by some at the expense of others, often at the expense of the community as a whole.

4. We are seeing advances in technology, advances which bring great benefits but which are also open to abuses, negating much of the benefits.

Privacy is being invaded. Secrets, including sensitive military secrets are being leaked in the name of freedom of information. The whistle-blowers are hailed as heroes. Nothing is sacred any more.

5. But like them or not we have to live with them. We have to know how to handle them, to try to maximise the benefits and build firewalls to protect us from the disasters which threaten us.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

6. We applaud democracy as the best system of governance ever devised by man. But democracy works only when the people understand the limitations of democracy. When people think only of the freedoms of democracy and know nothing of the implied responsibilities, democracy will not bring the goodness that it promises. Instead it will result only in instability and instability will not permit development to take place and the people to enjoy the benefits of freedom and the rights that democracy promises.

7. I am not trying to be philosophical and erudite. I am merely trying to relate the things I observed in my country and in many other countries, particularly in the new democracies desperately trying to practise democracy only to obtain negative results.

8. One of these countries has been unable to progress because of too much democracy. No sooner is a Government elected when the losers would hold demonstrations and general strikes accusing the Government of malpractices. The Government had to deal with these disruptions and neglect the work of governing and development that it is expected to carry out. The disruption could be so serious as to force the Government to resign.

Another election is held and a new Government is elected. Immediately the losers, the former Government party, would hold general strikes and violent demonstrations and prevent the newly elected Government from carrying out the proper administration and development that it wants to do.

9. And so once again the Government is brought down and new elections would be held - only to end with the same results.

10. No doubt democracy is being practised by this country. But is it really what democracy is all about? Is democracy the end or the means?

11. If we think that democracy is the end, then well and good. But why did we change from autocracy to democracy?

Wasn’t it because autocracy had failed to deliver the good life that we wanted?

We believed that since it is the people who disapproved of autocracy, then if the people were to rule the country, then surely they would rule themselves well.

But as we have seen in the example I mentioned above, democracy or the rule of the people, by the people and for the people has not resulted in the people enjoying a better life than when they were under autocratic rule.

12. Why has democracy not delivered the good life we expected of it? Simply put, it is impossible for the people to rule themselves. There are too many of them and they cannot agree on anything. Government of the people, by the people and for the people would result in a stalemate, in no Government at all, in anarchy.

13. And so the democrats opted for Government by representatives chosen by the people. But what if the representatives cannot agree on anything, cannot achieve consensus?

And so we opted for Government by the majority. To achieve this we have to form political parties so that likeminded people can be elected who hopefully, would make up the majority.

There may be more than two parties.

Then another system will be needed.

14. So democracy is reduced to Government not by the people but only by representatives of the majority of the people defined as 50% plus of them.

15. That may mean a substantial percentage of the people, up to 49% who would not be ruling themselves.

To be fair we create minority rights.

This sort of undermines Government of the majority.

16. But to make matters worse we invent human rights and freedoms, which must be upheld by the elected 11

Government. With the passage of time we add new rights and new qualifications so that much of the authority of the elected Government is subverted. And as pointed out in the example earlier the elected Government can be so subverted that it cannot function well, it cannot develop the country and it cannot ensure the well-being and prosperity of the people.

17. So what do we do? Do we accept the failures of democracy or de we make some adjustments and sacrifice some of the liberalism of democracy so we may extract something from the system?

18. I will admit freely that Malaysia is not a liberal democracy. We see democracy principally as providing an “easy way” to change Governments.

No revolution, no civil wars, no Arab spring. Just vote and the Government will be brought down or re-elected according to the wishes of the people.

19. In Malaysian elections, the candidates of the opposition parties can win. Indeed they have captured many of the State Governments, the equivalent of provincial Governments in other countries. In 2008, the opposition captured five of the 13 States and reduced much of the ruling party’s majority in the Federal Parliament.

Clearly if the people so wish they can overthrow the ruling party under the present election system.

20. Generally the people gave the ruling party a good majority. This ensures a strong Government at the central level. The opposition can oppose in Parliament and in other fora but cannot disrupt and cause the Government to be brought down.

Disclaimer: All contents are public information from features on website

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Singaporean Embassy

Ambassador: Hirubalan VP

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he Singapore Embassy was set up in 1973. It is currently located at No. 505, Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, 1634 Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

The fundamental principles of Singapore’s Foreign Policy are: • As a small state, Singapore has no illusions about the state of our region or the world.

• We need to maintain a credible and deterrent military defence to underpin our foreign policy.

• We must promote and work for good relations with our neighbours in all spheres.

• We are friends with all those who wish to be friends with us.

• We stand by our friends who have stood by us in times of need.

• We fully support and are committed to ASEAN. • We work to maintain a secure and peaceful environment in and around Southeast Asia and in the Asia Pacific region.

• We must work to maintain a free and open multilateral trading system.

• We are ready to trade with any state for mutual benefit and will maintain an open market economy.

• We will support and be active in international organisations such as the UN. Singapore – Philippine Relations Singapore and the Philippines enjoy warm and friendly relations. Both countries cooperate well on a range of issues at the international and regional forums. Bilateral ties are wide ranging, from an exceptionally strong economic relationship to a flourishing arts and culture scene.

Established in 1998, the PhilippinesSingapore Action Plan (PSAP) is a broad-based and comprehensive umbrella framework that covers cooperation in various areas including trade and investment, information technology, capital market development,

education, culture, defence, and people-to-people exchanges. Under the PSAP, there are now frequent peopleto-people exchanges, joint agreements in culture, joint marketing efforts in tourism and institutional linkages for IT cooperation.

Economic Relations Singapore maintains good trade links with the Philippines. The Philippines is currently Singapore’s 12th largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totaling S$ 22.3 billion in 2010. Electronics accounts for a large proportion of bilateral trade.

Singapore is the Philippines’ 4th largest trading partner (after Japan, China and the US) and its top trading partner in ASEAN (after Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia).

Singapore is a sunny, tropical island in South-east Asia, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. The city-state is 710 square kilometers and inhabited by five million people from four major communities; Chinese (majority), Malay, Indian and Eurasian. Since its independence in 9 August 1965, the country has adopted a parliamentary democracy system. Currently, the government and the cabinet are led

by Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong while President Tony Tan Keng Yam is the Head of State.

Ideally positioned in South-east Asia, where the rest of the region is just a hop, skip and jump away, Singapore is a thriving metropolis offering a worldclass infrastructure, a fully integrated island-wide transportation network, dynamic business environment, vibrantliving spaces and a rich culture largely influenced by the four major communities in Singapore with each offering different perspective of life in Singapore in terms of culture, religion, food, language and history.

One of the reasons that Singapore proves to be such an attraction as a home is the ease of living, particularly in terms of residence, transportation and governance system. Over the years, Singapore has made significant strides in many areas and has attracted an encouraging number of international 12

accolades which recognize the city as vibrant and world-class. So whether it's the arts and cultural exchanges, the creation of cutting-edge innovation to enrich the lives of the communities at home or abroad, or the coming together of world-class minds to spark new business opportunities locally and internationally, Singapore is simply, the place where worlds meet.

• Singapore made a contribution to the Singapore Red Cross' relief efforts in the Philippines following Tropical Storm Washi in December 2011. The Singapore Red Cross sent a team to distribute immediate relief items and food supplies to survivors of the tropical storm.

• Minister for Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam made an introductory visit to the Philippines from 11 to 12 August 2011 at the invitation of Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. Del Rosario. Minister Shanmugam called on and was hosted to lunch by Secretary Rosario. He also met other Philippine Cabinet Secretaries, business leaders and eminent personalities.

• Philippine President Benigno Aquino made a State Visit to Singapore from 9 to 11 March 2011. President Aquino called on and was hosted to a State Banquet by President Nathan.

He also met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who hosted him to lunch.

• Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo made an official visit to the Philippines from 19 - 22 November 2009 at the invitation of Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo.

He called on Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as well as Secretary Romulo. In conjunction with the visit, Minister Yeo also attended the 10th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention (WCEC) as a keynote speaker and received the WCEC flag on behalf of Singapore, which will be hosting the 11th WCEC in 2011.

The Philippines and Singapore enjoy a warm bilateral relationship, and both countries have worked well in various regional and multilateral fora.

As members of ASEAN, Singapore and the Philippines have good cooperation

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

in advancing ASEAN’s interests.

Economic links betweenSingapore and the Philippines are strong. Singapore is also a major investor in the Philippines, and we have robust bilateral trade relations. In the area of technical cooperation, the Philippines is among the top 10 recipient countries under the Singapore Cooperation Programme.

The Government has appointed Mr A. Selverajah as Singapore's next Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines. He will assume post on 29 August 2008.

Prior to his posting to Manila, Mr A Selverajah was Singapore's Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany from August 2003 to July 2008.

Mr A. Selverajah joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 1979. He served as First Secretary and later as Counsellor at the SingaporeEmbassy in Bangkok from August 1987 to August 1990. From September 1990 to January 1994, he was Deputy Director and later Director of Policy, Planning and Analysis Directorate II (North America and Europe). He was Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission at theSingapore Embassy in Washington D.C. from February 1994 to March 1997. On his return to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

he was appointed Director of Policy, Planning and Analysis Directorate II (North America and Europe) from November 1997 to June 1999. Mr Selverajah wasSingapore's Ambassador to the European Communities, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the Holy See from July 1999 to July 2003.

He was also Singapore's Ambassador to the Republic of Greece from April 2004 to January 2006.

Mr Selverajah was awarded the Public Administration (Silver) Medal in November 2000. He was conferred the decoration of the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Gregory by Pope John Paul II in October 2002.

Mr Selverajah was born in Johore, Malaysia, on 21 December 1953. Mr Selverajah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours (Class II Upper) degree in History from the National University of Singapore in 1979. He obtained a Master of International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, New York in 1985.

Mr Selverajah joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 1979. He served as First Secretary and later as Counsellor at the SingaporeEmbassy in Bangkok from August 1987 to August 1990. From September 1990 to January 1994, he was Deputy 13

Director and later Director of Policy, Planning and Analysis Directorate II (North America and Europe). He was Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission at theSingapore Embassy in Washington D.C. from February 1994 to March 1997. On his return to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was appointed Director of Policy, Planning and Analysis Directorate II (North America and Europe) from November 1997 to June 1999. Mr Selverajah wasSingapore's Ambassador to the European Communities, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the Holy See from July 1999 to July 2003.

He was also Singapore's Ambassador to Greece from April 2004 to January 2006.

Mr Selverajah was awarded the Public Administration (Silver) Medal in November 2000. He was conferred the decoration of the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Gregory by Pope John Paul II in October 2002.

Mr Selverajah is married to Mdm S Saandhamma and they have two sons.

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Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Ambassador of Thailand to the Philippines H.E. Prasas Prasasvinitchai

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n 8 June 2012, H.E. Prasas Prasasvinitchai, Ambassador of Thailand to the Philippines, attended the Turn-Over Ceremony of scholarships under the project “SCG Sharing the Dream 2012” to 150 students from First year to Third year from Taguig, Batangas and Bulacan which was organized by Mr. Wichan Jitpukdee, UPPC President at the Taguig City University Auditorium.

Atty. Shelah Mae W. Famador, Chief of Staff , Office of the Mayor, Taguig City and Mr. Armenius O. Silva, Vice Mayor, Municipality of Santo Tomas, Batangas were also guests of honour in the event.

SCG initiated the “SCG Sharing the Dream” programme in 2008. To date, there have been 500 scholars granted scholarship under the programme.

Thailand’s private sector investments in the Philippines span a wide variety of industries, from banking, healthcare, and paper, to ceramics, energy, and airlines, among others not to mention the numerous popular Thai restaurants throughout the country. Thai businesses have been able to leverage the skill and potential of the Philippine workforce, for the high level of training, international exposure, and language capabilities, as well as the strategic location of the Philippines in bridging South East Asia and East Asia, including the regional trade relations therein. Many of the foreign direct investments from Thailand have been continually developing themselves in the Philippines for decades, practicing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and returning the benefits to the Philippine local communities and society through various programs, including scholarships, livelihood, public health and worthwhile activities for the youth.

Examples of these endeavors are the scholarships provided by the Royal Thai Embassy to university students as well as the construction of Day Care Centers in Muntinlupa that provide quality primary school education to children from less privileged communities.

Also notable is the SCG Sharing the Dream? Scholarship Program, as part of Siam Cement Group’s commitment

to CSR. Presently, Thailand is expanding opportunities to create more investments through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding which is envisioned to provide more opportunities to invigorate trade and investments in the future.

Having visited his subjects in all the regions of the Kingdom, His Majesty the King is acquainted with their many problems and struggles especially in agriculture occupations that are respected as the backbone of the country. Determined to solve the problems, His Majesty the King initiated the “Royal Chitralada Agricultural Projects” within the compound of his residence, Chitralada Villa. Since 1961, the RoyalChitralada Projects have been implementing a diverse range of agricultural activities for experimentation and demonstration purposes. In addition, the projects operate on a non- profit basis.

In the implementation of the Royal Chitralada Projects, emphasis is placed on implementing His Majesty the King's initiatives called “Sufficiency Economy” that encourage the villagers to become self-sufficient and improve their long-term quality of life.

Moreover, issues regarding optimal utilization of the natural resources and agricultural input available in Thailand as well as agricultural byproducts and wastes are also emphasised.

The projects rely on scientific and technological progress in conducting studies, research and experimentation.

They are fully operational in order to promote and disseminate the knowledge by demonstration of simple methods suitable for individual farmers and all people who are interested.

The projects can be divided into two types: • Non-profit projects: They are undertaken to implement His Majesty the King's initiatives for increasing efficiency of the agricultural activities.

Main focuses are improving the longterm quality of life of the villagers especially encouraging them to become self-sufficient. In addition, issues regarding natural resources 14

conservation are also emphasised. The activities are supported by government agencies as well as private sectors.

• Semi-profit projects: They aim to promote public consumption of good quality but inexpensive products produced in Thailand.

According to profit-oriented basis, the profit earned is used to sustain and develop the projects.

Non-profit projects are undertaken to implement His Majesty the King's initiatives for increasing efficiency of the agricultural activities. Main focuses are improving the long-term quality of life of the villagers especially encouraging them to become selfsufficient. In addition, issues regarding natural resources conservation are also emphasized. The activities are supported by government agencies as well as private sectors.

Non-profit projects include: • Experimental Rice Fields • Demonstration Forest • Culture of Nil Fish • Wind Mill • Cold Water Production by Means of Heat Energy from Husk • Solar Energy House • Solar Cell-Powered Water Pumping System • Electricity Generation by Wind Power • Sa Mulberry Paper Production • Plant Tissue Culture According to the main aim of the Royal Chitralada Projects to be a demonstration project, there are on-going activities on research and development to improve the quality of the products as well as to produce new products.

Research and Development Unit was established, in 1983, for undertaking research on developing new products for the Royal Chitralada Projects. The unit also investigates the benefits of utilising agricultural wastes as raw materials for various products.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Examples are research on producing pasteurised fruit juice, cannery fruit juice, dried fruits, processed fruits, spilurina crackers, granule instant drinks, cannery rice porridge, organic fertiliser and scented candles.

Quality Control Unit is responsible for monitoring and regulating the quality of raw materials and products of the Royal Chitralada Projects, to obtain products with consistent quality in compliance with standard specifications (the Thai Food and Drug Administration

standards). There are three types of tests to analyse and measure quality factors i.e. physical tests, chemical tests and microbiological tests.

Quality Assurance Unit takes responsible for inspecting raw materials, controlling production processes, inspecting the sanitation of plants and personnel hygiene, storage of raw materials prior to production, and storage of finished products as well as logistics storage prior to reaching consumers. The unit also coordinates 15

with plants to improve facilities in adherence to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) policies for food products. This is to assure that products of the Royal Chitralada Projects have consistently good quality according to product specifications.

GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Unit is responsible for all documents and procedures regarding GMP in food production.

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Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Nguyen Vu Tu

Thirty-five years of diplomatic relations between his country and the Philippines.

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iet Nam is located in a region considered a cradle of mankind, one of the earliest agricultural centres practicing wet rice farming, where the stone and metallurgical revolutions took place. On the basis of socio-economic development in the time of the Dong Son culture and given the struggle with nature and against aggression, Van Lang State, the first State in Viet Nam was established in the 7th century B.C. Thanks to their hard work and creativeness, Van Lang (and then Au Lac) residents created a civilization that influenced the entire Southeast Asian region. Together with the formation of the first State in Viet Nam’s history was the evolution of a diverse economy and advanced culture known as the Red River civilization (or Dong Son civilization) symbolized

by Dong Son bronze drum, a heritage reflecting the quintessence of the lifestyle, traditions and culture of the ancient Vietnamese.

In the cause of national building, the Vietnamese also had to cope with the foreign aggression. During 12 centuries from the resistance against the Qin dynasty in the 3rd century B.C until late 20th century, the Vietnamese had to endure hundreds of wars and uprisings against foreign aggression.

The tactic, as stated in the Proclamation of Victory over the Wu “Binh Ngo Dai Cao,”... Relying on surprises, we placed our weak forces before much stronger ones; In skillful ambushes, our few troops destroyed large units,” has become the rule of thumb for the wars to safeguard the Fatherland of the Vietnamese.

Since the 2nd century B.C, Viet Nam had been dominated by different Chinese dynasties for more than a thousand years. During this period, the existence of the nation had been challenged which helped give rise to the spirit of indomitability and staunchness of the Vietnamese in the struggle to maintain the nation’s vitality, preserve and build on the quintessence of its culture and the determination to gain national independence.

Despite many vicissitudes, from Van Lang, Au Lac to Van Xuan, Dai Co Viet and Dai Viet, the Vietnamese nation continued to develop in all fields, reflecting its strong vitality and unceasing evolution.

A typical feature of Vietnamese culture is the village culture. It is Vietnamese villages that have nurtured and fostered the quintessence of the traditional culture, the spirit of unity among the Vietnamese in the struggle against the domination of the North and the policy of assimilation of Northern dynasties to gain national independence, maintaining the nation’s traditions and cultures.

The Bach Dang victory in 938 opened up a new era in Viet Nam’s history – the era of development of an independent feudal state, national construction and defense. As a result, the centralized-administration state was established under the Ngo (938965), Dinh (969-979) and earlier Le (980 - 1009) dynasties.

Then, Viet Nam entered the period of renaissance and development under the Ly (1009-1226), Tran (1226-1400), Ho (1400-1407) and Le So (14281527) dynasties. Dai Viet, the name of the country under the Ly-Tran-Le So dynasties, was known as a prosperous country in Asia. This period marked the golden age of Viet Nam’s history.

Economically, this period saw the development of agriculture, irrigation (with the construction of the Red River dike) and the formation of traditional handicrafts. In terms of religion, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism were considered the three co-existing official religions exerting great influence on people’s life. One important achievement in the Ly-Tran dynasties was the introduction of Nom scripts, Viet Nam’s own writing system based on the reform of Chinese Han scripts.

In addition, this period also marked the splendid development of education, science, culture, art, history and law etc (such as the establishment of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam– the first university of Viet Nam, the introduction of Hong Duc Code and Complete History of Dai Viet 16

etc). This period was called the Civilized Age of Dai Viet. Thang Long (the old name of Ha Noi capital) was officially recognized as the imperial city of Dai Viet according to the Proclamation on the transfer of the capital to Hanoi in 1010 by Ly Thai To. From the 16th century, the backwardness and weakness of the feudal regime under Confucius ideology were revealed, feudalism fell into a decline. While many nation states in Europe were moving to capitalism, Dai Viet was bogged down in internal wars and divisions, which heavily impeded the country’s evolution despite certain developments in the economy and culture, the establishment of towns and ports and the growth of trade and exchanges between the 16th and 18th century.

In the 19th century, Western capitalist countries entered the period of imperialism and colonialism. Through missionaries and trade, the French gradually dominated Viet Nam. For the first time in history, the Vietnamese nation had to cope with the invasion of a Western country. In that context, some Vietnamese intellectuals were aware of the need to carry out reforms in an effort to bring the country out of stagnation and save national independence.

Many plans of reform were proposed, yet rejected by the Nguyen dynasty.

Subsequently, the country was driven into backwardness and deadlock. Viet Nam became a semi-feudal colony for nearly 100 years from 1858 to 1945.

After setting up the colonist rule in Viet Nam, the French colonialists quickly began large-scale exploitation in the country. Capitalist production relations infiltrated in Viet Nam, stimulating the formation and evolution of internal capitalist factors, and as a result, narrowing and breaking up the existing feudal production relations.

Viet Nam’s economy thus moved from a backward and self-sufficient economy to a colonized one totally controlled by the French capitalists. A new social structure evolved along the line of capitalism, and subsequently the division between landlords and farmers

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

was deepened while new forces, such as the working class, the bourgeoisies and petit bourgeoisies gradually came into being. Eventually, the struggle against the French colonialists was initiated by two forces i.e. the bourgeoisies (represented by Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang and Yen Bai revolt in early 1930) and the proletarians led by the Communist Party of Viet Nam. The formation of the Communist Party of Viet Nam marked the prevailing strength of the working class and revolutionary movements led by the proletarians. In August 1945, under the leadership of the Communist Party headed by Nguyen Ai Quoc (later known as President Ho Chi Minh), the Vietnamese people and the Armed Propaganda Unit for National Liberation (now the People’s Army) successfully launched a general uprising to seize power. With the Proclamation of Independence on 2nd September 1945, the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam came into being.

The globe-shaking victory of Dien Bien Phu (May 1954) and the Geneva Accord (July 1954) put an end to the war of resistance against the French colonialists, opening up a new era of independence and freedom for the Vietnamese nation in which North Viet Nam embarked upon the transitional period towards socialism. According to the Geneva Agreement, South Viet Nam was under the temporary control of the French and the Americans in the run-up to the general elections. Nevertheless, the general elections could never be

held due to the interference of the United States. The Republic of South Viet Nam headed by Ngo Dinh Diem was established by the United States.

Viet Nam continued to be divided for more than 20 years.

Between 1954 and 1975, Viet Nam had to fight another war for national liberation and unification. With untold hardships, the war came to a successful end following the victory of the historic Ho Chi Minh Operation in 1975. Since then, the unified Viet Nam has ushered into a new era of peace, unification and national construction.

However, in the first ten years of this period, many socio-economic targets were not achieved due to both internal and external reasons. Viet Nam’s economy fell into crisis and stagnation and people’s lives were difficult.

At the 7th Congress of the Communist Party in 1986, the Doi Moi (reform) policy was launched with the focus on economic reform.

This marked an important milestone in the new stage of development of the Vietnamese nation. The Doi Moi policy was consistently reaffirmed throughout the later Party Congresses.

With the implementation of four fiveyear socio-economic development plans, Viet Nam, from a food importing country, has become the second largest rice exporter in the world. Viet Nam also exports a lot of other commodities with well-known brands. The economy attained high growth rate in the late 20th century and the early years of the 21st century, people’s lives have 17

been significantly improved; social policy received greater attention, the legal system has become increasingly complete and social management based on the rule of law put into place.

Looking back on the formation and development of the Vietnamese nation, we can see that patriotism, self-reliance, tradition of unity and the willpower to fight for the righteous cause of the nation are the most important features and the moral standards of the Vietnamese.

The tradition of industriousness, creativeness and patience originated from the life full of hardship of the Vietnamese people. The need to stand united to cope with difficulties and challenges has created close bonds between the people and the nature and among the people in the family and in the community in the familyvillage-nation relations. Throughout history, the Vietnamese people have been characterized by the traditions of mutual assistance, ethic-based lifestyle, benevolence, one-mindedness and sharing of hardships in needy times, flexible ways of behaviour, the tradition of eagerness to learn, respect for righteousness and tolerance. These are the powerful and endless endogenous strengths for the Vietnamese nation to embark on the cause of national construction towards the goals of strong country, prosperous people, just, democratic and advanced society.

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Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Bill Tweddell

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ustralia is a unique and diverse country in every way - in culture, population, climate, geography, and history.Australian culture is as broad and varied as the country's landscape. Australia is multicultural and multiracial and this is reflected in the country's food, lifestyle and cultural practices and experience.

Australia has an important heritage from its indigenous people, which plays a defining role in the cultural landscape. This diversity of influences creates a cultural environment in Australia that is lively, energised, innovative and outward looking. As of February 2010, Australia's population is roughly 22 million people. The most populous states are New South Wales and Victoria, with their respective capitals, Sydney and Melbourne, the largest cities in Australia.

Australia's population is concentrated along the coastal region of Australia from Adelaide to Cairns, with a small concentration around Perth, Western Australia. The centre of Australia is sparsely populated.

The majority of Australia experiences temperate weather for most of the year. The northern states of Australia are typically warm all the time, with the southern states experiencing cool winters but rarely sub-zero temperatures.

Snow falls on the higher mountains during the winter months, enabling skiing in southern New South Wales and Victorian ski resorts, as well as the smaller resorts in Australia's island state, Tasmania. Australia is an island continent and the world's sixth largest country (7,682,300 sq km). Lying between the Indian and Pacific oceans, the country is approximately 4,000 km from east to west and 3,200 km from north to south, with a coastline 36,735 km long. Canberra is Australia's capital city. With a population of approximately 320,000 people and situated in the Australian Capital Territory, Canberra is roughly half way between the two largest cities Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia has 19 listed World Heritage properties. Australia is also famous for its landmark buildings including the Sydney Harbour Bridge; its ancient geology, as well as for its high country. Australia's first inhabitants, the Aboriginal people, are believed to have migrated from some unknown point in Asia to Australia between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. While Captain James Cook is credited with Australia's European discovery in 1770, a Portuguese possibly first sighted the country, while the Dutch are known to have explored the coastal regions in the 1640s. The first European settlement of Australia was in January 1788, when the First Fleet sailed into Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. Originally established as a penal colony, by the 1830s the number of free settlers was increasing. Transportation of convicts to the eastern colonies was abolished in 1852 and to the western colonies in 1868.

Australia follows a Westminster system of government and law inherited from the British who originally colonised the country. There are two main political parties and a number of minor parties, which make up the Commonwealth Parliament.

Each state and territory also has its own government.

Australia’s formal name is the Commonwealth of Australia. The form of government used in Australia is a constitutional monarchy – ‘constitutional’ because the powers and procedures of the Australian Government are defined by a written constitution, and ‘monarchy’ because Australia’s head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 when six independent British colonies agreed to join together and become states of a new nation. The rules of government for this new nation were enshrined in the AustralianConstitution, which defined how the Australian Government was to operate and what issues it could pass laws on.

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The birth of our nation is often referred to as 'federation'. This is because the Constitution created a 'federal' system of government. Under a federal system, powers are divided between a central government and individual states. In Australia, power was divided between the Australian Government and the six state governments.

The Australian Government, formerly known as the Commonwealth Government or the federal government, passes laws which affect the whole country. Section 51 of the Constitution defines a number of issues that the Australian Government can make laws on.

There are three ‘arms’ of the Australian Government: the legislature (or parliament) is responsible for debating and voting on new laws to be introduced under the power of section 51. The executive is responsible for enacting and upholding the laws established by the legislature. Certain members of the legislature (called ministers) are also members of the executive, with special responsibilities for certain areas of the law. The judiciary is the legal arm of the Australian Government. It is independent of the other two arms, and is responsible for enforcing the laws and deciding whether the other two arms are acting within their powers.

Although the six states joined together to form the Commonwealth of Australia and the Australian Government, they still each retain the power to make their own laws over matters not controlled by the Commonwealth under Section 51 of the Constitution. State governments also have their own constitutions, as well as a structure of legislature, executive and judiciary.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Territories are areas within Australia’s borders that are not claimed by one of the six states. Territories can be administered by the Australian Government, or they can be granted a right of self-government. Selfgovernment allows a territory to establish its own government in a similar

manner to a state. The Constitution of Australia allows territories to become states with the approval of the Commonwealth legislature.

Local governments are established by state and territory governments to take responsibility for a number of community services. Local government 19

has a legislature and an executive but no judiciary. Their powers are defined by the state or territory government which established them.

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Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

British Embassy Manila

Ambassador: Stephen Lillie

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he British Embassy is located in Fort Bonifacio and looks over the American Cemetery.

Its distinctive design incorporates many innovative features that make it environmentally friendly – a clear demonstration of the UK’s commitment to a cleaner greener future. Solar panels on the roof heat our water, large windows and skylights provide natural light throughout the building, we have a water recycling system and motion sensitive lighting that automatically switches off when people are not around. The building was the first in the Philippines to be awarded an ‘Excellent’ rating by BREEAM, which assesses buildings for sustainable design.

The Embassy is headed by Ambassador Lillie. Her Majesty's Ambassador Stephen Lillie arrived in the Philippines last 11 August 2009.

He was the Head of the Far Eastern Group in the Asia Pacific Directorate at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London before coming o the Philippines.

Previous positions include: • 2003 – 2006 New Delhi, Counsellor (Economic) and Director of Trade & Investment • 1999 – 2003 Guangzhou, Her Majesty’s Consul-General • 1998 – 1999 FCO, Deputy Head, China Hong Kong Department • 1997 – 1998 FCO, Head of Section, Hong Kong Department • 1996 – 1997 FCO, Head of Section, European Union Department (Internal) • 1992 – 1995 Beijing, Second, later First, Secretary (Economic & Political) • 1989 – 1991 Full-time Mandarin language training in London and Hong Kong • 1988 – 1989 FCO, Assistant Desk Officer, Middle East Department

HM Ambassador Lillie is married with two children.

The current building was opened on 20 October 2008 by Foreign Secretary Romulo and the date of the annual UKPhilippines Friendship Day was changed

by Executive Order to commemorate its opening. The Embassy had previously been in various locations, most recently in Makati.

The Embassy carries out a wide range of functions and has several teams.

Our Consular team works to assist British Nationals in the Philippines, particularly when they are in trouble.

Our Policy, Projects and Communications team work with the Philippine government and civil society on a whole range of issues including economic reform, climate change, human rights and the Mindanao peace process.

The British Embassy Manila is part of a worldwide network covering 184 countries. We aim to promote Britain's interests and values and encourage cultural exchange between the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

The Philippines and the UK enjoy good relations as longstanding partners and allies. Both are outward looking island nations committed to democracy, trade and investment, and support for the United Nations. As well as close government-to-government relations the two nations have contacts at all levels of civil society. The British Embassy in Manila aims to develop the already close and substantive bilateral relationship by focusing on several key areas of co-operation: Working with the Philippine Government on issues of common concern, such as human rights issues, environment, economic development, disaster planning, international crime and kidnapping Maximising commercial opportunities for British business.

Britain has major investments in the Philippines concentrated in power, energy, agri-business, transport, water and financial services. Bilateral trade 20

is worth around US$2bn annually, with the balance in the Philippines' favour.

The UK is one of the largest foreign investors in the Philippines Supporting the work of the Philippine Government and NonGovernmental Organisations in conflict prevention and peace building Providing assistance and sharing knowledge on combating domestic and international terrorism Promoting inter-faith dialogue between Muslims, Christians and Indigenous Peoples The British Council has an office in Manila and the Council is an active partner in the Philippine Government's reform agenda. Aside from close collaboration with the British Embassy, the Council works with the Commission on Higher Education, the Asian Development Bank, various government departments, universities and NGOs on projects in the areas of education, English language teaching and governance. By promoting British education and UK qualifications, they aim to help make Filipinos more competitive in the global market. The Council uses the arts to tap the potential of young Filipinos, facilitating intercultural exchange and demonstrating the quality and cutting edge nature of British design, film, literature, music, theatre, dance and the visual arts.

Economic reform The UK supports economic reforms that fosters accelerated growth of the Philippines. Growth is not the goal in itself --better standards of living for the general population is not possible without striving for the benefits of growth to be more widely shared.

Projects for Economic Reform are funder under: 1. Prosperity Fund - focuses on regional projects that support growth in the region or a particular country in the region.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

2. Bilateral Programme Fund funds projects in the Philippines.

Important reminder to those who are bidding for projects under the Prosperity Fund or the Bilateral Programme Fund: Before you fill up the full proposal, please send a concept bid form to Mark.

Canlas@fco.gov.uk so we can level expectations on whether your project

concept fits any of the funds' objectives or not.

Climate change Climate change is not just an environmental challenge - it is a threat to the global economy and security.

The UK has been engaging with the Government of the Philippines on climate change, which is an 21

issue of increasing importance, as the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change. The British Embassy Manila works with several Philippine partners to promote a low carbon, high growth, global economy.

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Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

The U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Ambassador: Harry K. Thomas, Jr. presented his credentials to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on April 27, 2010.

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mbassador Thomas is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and served most recently as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director for Human Resources of the U.S. State Department. Prior to that, he served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department.

As Executive Secretary, he led the State Department Task Force that resulted in the safe evacuation of over 15,000 people from Lebanon in the fall of 2006.

Ambassador Thomas joined the Foreign Service in 1984, and served as U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005. He also served in the White House as the Director for South Asia at the National Security Council from 2001 to 2002. His other postings include: New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru. Ambassador Thomas speaks Spanish, Hindi, and Bangla and is learning Filipino. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and pursued further study at Columbia University. He holds an honorary doctorate of Philosophy from Loyola University of Maryland and formerly served as member of the Board of Trustees of the College of the Holy Cross and the Board of Governors of the National Defense University.

Since the Republic of the Philippines gained its independence in 1946, the United States government has been represented in the Philippines by the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The Embassy exercises many different functions in its official representation to the Philippine government. These include political, administrative, economic, public diplomacy, and consular affairs managed under the Ambassador by counselors from the Department of State. The U.S. Agency for International Development manages bilateral development projects. Military affairs are handled by the Defense Attaché’s office at the Embassy. The U.S. Veterans Administration has its only overseas office at the Embassy in Manila.

This office takes care of veterans affairs for the many American

and Filipino veterans residing in the Philippines.

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the United States Government (USG) have agreed to the new Partnership for Growth (PFG). This partnership mobilizes the resources of both governments to address the most serious constraints to economic growth and development in the Philippines. Through this enhanced bilateral engagemeant, the PFG will assist the Philippines achieve the goal of moving from a low growth path to a higher, sustained and more inclusive growth trajectory in line with other highperforming emerging economies. The GPH and USG plan to work together to accomplish this goal through the following objectives: • Create a more transparent, predictable, and consistent legal and regulatory regime in the Philippines, one that is less encumbered by corruption; • Foster a more open and competitive business environment with lower barriers to entry; • Strengthen the rule of law that is grounded in an efficient court system capable of delivering timely justice; and • Support fiscal stability through better revenue administration and expenditure management.

Led by key economic officials from both governments, the PFG spearheaded extensive consultations in developing this five-year PFGJoint Country Action Plan (JCAP), which the two governments intend to implement in accordance with their respective laws and regulations. Informed by current research and field assessments, a GPH and USG economic team conducted an analysis of the binding constraints to growth in the Philippines to prioritize key interventions to be undertaken by the PFG. The growth diagnostics and constraints analysis study provided a guide in developing a focused strategy intended to maximize the impact of development efforts.

This assessment identified weak governance and narrow fiscal space as 22

the two binding constraints to growth.

These findings align with the priority reform areas of the GPH’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016.

Based on this constraints analysis, this PFG country plan consists of three inter-related themes of development intervention: Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, and Fiscal Performance.

For regulatory quality, the PFG seeks to promote an environment attractive for investment, trade, and private sector growth. The GPH seeks to attract more investment and boost trade by reducing the cost of doing business, encouraging market contestability, easing regulatory processes, and engaging the private sector in economic reforms. The GPH strategy targets growth in priority sectors, such as tourism, agribusiness, infrastructure, logistics, mining, and manufacturing. In response, PFG initiatives seek to support measures to reduce the cost of doing business, improve the investment climate, ensure GPH import regulations are consistent with internationally accepted standards, enhance human capacity to support high-growth sectors, and ease restrictions to market entry. In addition, PFG efforts aim to facilitate economic integration and meet the country’s commitments under the ASEAN Economic Blueprint, which outlines concrete targets for establishing a single market and production base in the ASEAN region by 2015. Other PFG efforts include support for trade and investment-related policy reforms needed to improve Philippine readiness to qualify for entry into other multilateral and bilateral trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. These PFG activities expect to contribute to an enhanced investment climate and cross-border trade for the Philippines.

To strengthen the rule of law, the PFG seeks to enhance judicial efficiency. The GPH undertakes to improve the timely resolution of court cases, particularly those that significantly undermine trade, the investment climate, and business confidence. This PFG component aims to support the GPH in implementing

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

a comprehensive docket cleansing effort to identify priority areas for court decongestion. PFG efforts seek to enhance the ability of justice sector institutions in resolving commercial disputes and financial crimes. PFG initiatives will also aim to assist the GPH in improving contract enforcement and enhancing avenues for alternative dispute resolution. PFG initiatives also strive to strengthen accountability mechanisms in the justice sector. This support for the rule of law is intended to contribute to a more efficient court system and timely delivery of justice.

The PFG seeks to lower the incidence of public sector corruption.

The GPH seeks to reduce opportunities for corruption and increasing its punitive risks, particularly for largescale cases. As a member of the Open Government Partnership, the Philippine government intends to strengthen transparency and accountability mechanisms by expanding avenues for citizen participation. In response, activities in this PFG component seek to enhance anticorruption institutions.

In addition, PFG efforts endeavor to expand integrity initiatives of the private sector, particularly in business interactions with the government (e.g., tax compliance, public sector procurement). PFG efforts also aim to assist the Philippine government enforce compliance with the AntiRed Tape Act to prevent corruption.

These efforts are expected to mitigate corruption in business activities in the Philippines.

In fiscal space, the PFG seeks to address insufficient revenue generation, reduce tax leakages, and improve expenditure management of GPH agencies. The GPH has prioritized fiscal reforms as part of overall efforts to maintain macroeconomic stability and pursue tax policy reforms to achieve its fiscal revenue targets. To complement these initiatives, PFG

initiatives are intended to provide GPH support to undertake tax policy reforms to broaden the tax base and expand tax collection efforts. PFG efforts also aspire to address GPH revenue shortfalls resulting from tax/duty evasion and smuggling. PFG efforts also aim to support measures to enhance transparency and accountability in the allocation and utilization of the budget. These PFG efforts are meant to strengthen the fiscal position, allowing the GPH to increase public spending in priority areas such as infrastructure, health, and education.

Over the next five years, the PFG anticipates producing a transformative impact in the Philippines. This enhanced engagement constitutes an unprecedented GPH-USG inter-agency collaboration guided by a focused strategy maximizing the impact of development efforts. Anticipated outcomes should be benchmarked against baseline economic statistics, a select list of middle-income countries, and high performing emerging markets, particularly regional neighbors. The PFG benchmarks and indicators align with the priority elements of the PDP: higher GDP growth; a decline of poverty incidence; annual growth of more productive (i.e., formal sector) employment; and increased GDP per capital.

Over the life of the JCAP, the PFG is intended to build a range of assistance partnerships to leverage its development investments through public-private alliances and by coordinating with the donor and NGO communities for the efficient use of resources. GPH contributions include national and local government support, in-kind amounts of GPH staff time, office space, and equipment.

These contributions should be further discussed as part of succeeding bilateral agreements between the GPH and USG. 23

The success of PFG requires strong and sustained levels of engagement from both the GPH and USG. This partnership demonstrates GPH commitment to economic reform to foster a more conducive investment environment. From the USG, this engagement reflects the strategic importance of the Philippines as a staunch ally in the Asia Pacific region.

In making PFG a success, various USG agencies intend to provide the necessary financial and non-financial resources to assist the Philippines in addressing its binding constraints to growth, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Both the GPH and USG recognize the need to engage and inform the private sector and the public about the partnership, in order to mobilize support for PFG activities.

The JCAP remains flexible and should be reviewed annually, in order to make on-course correction and adjustment for subsequent implementation. Composed of CoChairs from both the GPH and USG, a PFG Joint Steering Committee will be established to provide policy direction and monitor the overall implementation process. Meeting every six months, the GPH-USG Steering Committee will aim to assess progress on both USG and GPH initiatives and collaborate among participating agencies and civil society organizations. A PFG Secretariat plans to provide technical and administrative support to the Steering Committee.

Three technical working groups will be organized: Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law and Anti-corruption, and Fiscal Performance. The PFG Secretariat and Technical Working Groups will be based in Manila.

Disclaimer: All contents are public information from features on website

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Roberto R. Romulo

Republic of the Philippines Former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary/ Chairman of Philam Insurance Inc.

M

r. Roberto R Romulo is the chairman of the following organisations: Chartis Philippines Insurance Inc, PETNET Inc. and Medilink Network Inc. He holds board memberships in the following: A Soriano Corporation, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co; Equicom Savings Bank; MIH Holdings Ltd (a subsidiary of NASPERS in South Africa); Singapore Land Ltd and McLarty Associates (formerly Kissinger McLarty Associates).

He is a graduate of Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and the Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Laws.

He began his professional career at IBM Corp in New York in 1965.

He took early retirement in 1989.

During his IBM career, he held various marketing and management positions in New York, Thailand (managing director) and the Philippines (president and GM).

He joined government service in June 1989 when he was appointed Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the Commission of the European Communities. In 1992, he was appointed foreign minister. In 1995, he rejoined the private sector and was elected chairman of PLDT and vice-chair of San Miguel International.

In 1996, he was the founding chairman of the APEC Business Advisory Council and continued as chairman of the Philippine Representation until 2010. From 1999 to 2001, he was chairman of the e-ASEAN Task Force. From January 2001 to January 2007, he was pro-bono senior adviser (on international competitiveness) to President Gloria Arroyo.

He is also chairman of nonprofit foundations: Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for Peace and Development, The Zuellig Family Foundation, Foundation for IT Education and Development (FITED), Philippine Foundation for

Global Concerns and Asia-Europe Foundation of the Philippines.

As a diplomat, he has been decorated by the governments of Belgium, Thailand, Spain, Chile, France and the Philippines.

Mr. Roberto R. Romulo has been Chief Executive Officer of Romulo & Navarro Inc. since 1995. Mr. Romulo has been Presidential Senior Adviser on International Competitiveness since 2001. He serves as an Adviser to the Public-Private Partnership Task Force on Globally Competitive Industries.

He served at IBM Corporation for 25 year. He has been the Chairman of Philam Insurance Company, Inc. (AIG Subsidiary) since 1998, Equitable PCI Bank Inc., and PLDT (Advisory Board) in the Philippines, ABAC Philippines, Interpharma Investments Ltd. (Zuellig Pharma) since 1995. Mr. Romulo has been Chairman of Romulo & Navarro Inc. since 1995. Mr. Romulo serves as Chairman of CIBI Information, Inc., Equicom Systems Management, Inc. and Credit Informations Bureau Inc. He serves as Chairman of Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for Peace and Development, Foundation for IT Education and Development in the Philippines, Philippine Foundation for Global Concerns Inc. and AsiaEurope Foundation of the Philippines; Co-Chairman of Information Technology Council (ITECC), Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development (FITYED). He served as Chairman of Equitable Card Network Inc. of Equitable PCI Bank Inc. He has been a Director of Singapore Land Ltd. since January 31, 2003 and A. Soriano Corp. since April 13, 1998. He has been a Member of Advisory Board of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co since June 12, 2007.

He has been an Independent Director of Aboitiz Equity Ventures since 2002. Mr. Romulo serves as an Executive Director of the International Board of Advisors of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He serves as Member of Board of Counselors of McLarty Associates (Formerly Kissinger 24

McLarty Associates) and a Director of MIH Holdings Limited. He served as a Director of United Industrial Corporation Limited since January 31, 2003 until April 23, 2010. He served as a Director of PCI Leasing & Finance Inc., Systems Standards Inc. (SSI). He served as a Director of Equitable PCI Bank Inc. since April 2002. Mr. Romulo served as Board Member of Philippine National Bank, Equitable Card Network Inc. of Equitable PCI Bank Inc. and also of MIH Ltd. Mr. Romulo graduated with a Bachelor of Law from the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines in 1964 and Bachelor of Arts in political science from Georgetown University in 1960.

Disclaimer: All contents are public information from features on website

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

25

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

GEMMA CRUZ ARANETA Republic of the Philippines Former Department of Tourism (DoT) Secretary

G

emma Teresa Guerrero Cruz first entered public service in 1963 as Information Writer and Chief Docent of the National Museum.

She was a fresh graduate of Maryknoll College with a degree in AB Foreign Service, minor in history. After a year at the National Museum, she won the Miss Philippines contest, sponsored by the City of Manila , in those days, to raise funds for Boys Town and Girls Home. Gemma donated her prize money (Php2,000) to Boys Town and off to Long Beach, California,( USA) she went to represent the Philippines at the Miss International Beauty Pageant.

In August 1964, the Associated Press news agency happily reported : “ A girl who has everything—beauty, brains and social standing reigns as Miss International. Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz ,… a 20-year old historical writer of the National Museum in Manila, won the International Beauty Congress top prize Friday night…” Gemma was the first Filipina to win an international beauty title.

Eugenia Apostol, editor of “Woman & the Home”(20 Sept 1964) observed that Gemma had “complete detachment for money, fierce attachment of homeland’s history and heritage…”

Gwen Reyes of Weekly Women’s added, “In Gemma Cruz, Filipinas found themselves.” (18 Sept 1964).

She donated her prize (US$10,000) to Boys Town and Girls Home.

Overwhelmed, President Diosdado Macapagal bestowed on Gemma a presidential award, The Order of the Golden Heart and Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas honored her with the City’s “Outstanding Manilena” Medal.

On 15 September 1965, Gemma married Antonio S. Araneta, a doctor of philosophy from Oxford University in England. In 1968, she was promoted to Director of the National Museum by President Ferdinand Marcos but had to resign in 1971 to campaign for Mr. Araneta, in the elections for delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Mr. Araneta won and represented the 4th district of Manila.

“ Mrs. Gemma Araneta had her share of drama set precisely in the country’s major upheavals,” said reporter Tinna Concepcion (Lifestyle Asia, 1998). “An activist during the First Quarter Storm, she was a member of the militant women’s movement, MAKIBAKA. With Mr. Araneta, she travelled to socialist countries , none had diplomatic relations with the Philippines then. Remarkable was their “truth mission” to North Vietnam in May 1968, at the height of the USA’s massive bombing raids. Gemma published the politically controversial Hanoi Diary in June 1968.

When Pres. Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in September 1972, many journalists were arrested, including the Aranetas, but in September 1975 Gemma was allowed to leave the country and go to Mexico with her children Fatimah ( aged 9) and Leon (aged 4). They lived in Mexico City for 18 years where she worked first as an English teacher at a language institute, then as researcher (Investigadora “A”) at the Centro de Estudios Economicos y Sociales del Tercer Mundo, (CEESTEM) a think tank of Mexican President Luis Echeverria. After six years, she joined the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) also in Mexico City ) as Asistente Principal de Programacion. Mrs. Araneta took her master’s at the Mexican State University (ENEP-ACATLAN campus).

A writer since she was nine (encouraged by her famous mother Carmen Guerrero Nakpil ) she interviewed children with creative hobbies for the “Weekly Women’s” magazine. Mrs. Araneta is a fiction writer (Sentimiento, Fiction and Nostalgia, Katha at Salamisim, 1981), essayist and historical wrier (El Galeon de Manila, un mar de historias, 1996) and to date has seven books to her name that include a beauty book ( Beauty and Fashion for the Filipino Woman), and Philippine Churches ( Stones of Faith/ Les Pierres de la Foi) About her collection of fiction and nostalgia, National Artist Nick Joaquin wrote: ”After winning the Miss International, Gemma wrote this children’s book 26

about the Battle of Mactan and then a beauty book, neither of course prepares one for the masterly sophistication of Sentimiento.” Her latest publication (2011) is an English translation of Jose Rizal’s last work, Haec Est Sibylla Cumana written in 1895 while the hero was exiled in Dapitan.

At present, Mrs. Araneta writes a bi-weekly column about Philippine history, culture and heritage for the widely-circulated “Manila Bulletin”. Through the years she has written for the “Sunday Times” and “Graphic Magazines”, “Daily Globe”, “Diyaryong Filipino”, contributed short stories to the “Philippines Free Press “and “Graphic eekly” and while in Mexico she wrote articles about the Philippines and Asia for daily newspapers like “Unomasuno”, “El Dia” and “El Proceso”, as well as the scholarly journals of the CEESTEM. Gemma returned to Manila in 1990 and in 1998, newly-elected President Joseph Ejercito Estrada appointed her Secretary of the Department of Tourism, a cabinet position with portfolio. She got the job the old-fashioned way, by applying for it. Gemma asked Pres. Estrada , “ for an opportunity to serve my country. And these are my qualifications: I have always been involved in culture and history, I acquired administrative skills while working at the UNDP in Mexico and I have worked for a President. “ Mrs. Araneta was a member of the Estrada cabinet until January 2001 when Pres Estrada stepped down.

As Secretary of Tourism, Mrs. Araneta continued to implement the 20-year tourism master plan crafted during the presidency of Corazon Aquino. Then she promoted cultural and heritage tourism through her own programs like “Rediscovery,” “Pride of Place” and “ More than the Usual” which were community –based and designed to generate and strengthen domestic tourism, the bread and butter of the industry. Gemma also advocated the controversial “open skies” policy which expanded the travel market

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Tony and Gemma Araneta were invited by Vietnam’s TVT4 in Dec 2011 to talk about their 1968 May visit to Hanoi during the most dangerous period of the war. “Talk Vietnam” was hosted by Ms. Duong.

and made the Philippines a more accessible international destination.

Mrs. Araneta is a founding member and president of The Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) a dulyregistered NGO which advocates the conservation of the Philippines’ built heritage resources. The HCS had a joint program with the Department of Education for the conservation and restoration of Gabaldon Schoolhouses.

Since 1996, the HCS has convened the yearly Philippine Towns & Cities Conference/Workshops with local government units.

Ms.. Araneta continues writing and is an editorial columnist for the widely -circulated “Manila Bulletin”. Her articles, seasoned with humor and irony, are mainly about Philippine culture, history, the lessons and deed of our heroes, and socio political commentaries.

In 2007, she began working for Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim, first as consultant and chairperson of the Manila Historical & Heritage Commission, then as OIC of the Manila Tourism & Cultural Affairs Bureau.

Soon, Ms. Araneta was promoted to

Gemma with Aurora Araneta Morales and Uma Delgado Araneta

Executive Assistant III, still overseeing the historical and cultural activities of Manila Tourism, making sure that her colleagues in the city government are aware of RA10066 (Heritage Law) .

Mayor Lim has given her additional functions as the his official representative to the Escolta Commercial Association, Inc , to the Task Force for the Manila Central Post Office restoration project of the Department of Finance, and at meetings with different national agencies like the National Historical Commission, National Museum of the Filipino People, the National Commission on Culture and the Arts and the Intramuros Administration the Department of Tourism. Ms. Araneta also plans and supervises courtesy calls of foreign and national dignitaries and the “Araw ng Maynila” celebrations.

Mrs. Araneta is also a member of the Board of Regents of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Gemma’s close friends say that she already had a life even before she won the Miss International title. She comes from a family distinguished for its public service and love of country .

She is the great grand niece of Dr. Jose 27

Rizal through his sister Maria and on her maternal Gemma is the great grand daughter of Gabriel Beato Francisco, an early historical researcher, a Filipino novelist who wrote and produced seditious zarzuelas against the American colonial government.

Gemma was born in Ermita, Manila in 1943 to Ismael Arguelles Cruz and Carmen Guerrero; her younger brother Ismael, now an investment banker, was born posthumously in April 1945, after the Battle for Manila.

Eventually, Gemma’s widowed mother married Arch Angel Nakpil, a widower with 2 daughters.

Gemma began her career in public service as an obscure information writer at the National Museum but was pushed into the limelight when she brought home the Philippine’s first international beauty title. Shebecame a cabinet secretary and could have aspired for prominence in the world of politics. Instead, Gemma Cruz uses fame not to amass personal fortune but to continue imparting love of country and other wholesome Filipino values, in the spirit of true public service.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

santanina TILLAH rasul Republic of the Philippines FORMER SENATOR

P

eople empowerment, through literacy, drives senator Rasul in her passion to be of service. Born in the island Municipality of Siasi in Sulu, Senator Raul started her public service as a public school teacher in Siasi and Jolo, Sulu.

In 1960, Senator Rasul won as Barangay councilor in Moore Avenue in Jolo, Sulu. She served for two terms. Because of her grassroots experience, she was appointed as a technical assistant, office of the President. She was elected provincial board member of Sulu in 1971, the only opposition (Liberal Party) leader so elected. Later, she was appointed in 1986 as commissioner of the UNESCO commission; member of the Textbook board of the MECS 1986.

She served as Commissioner of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), 19761985; member, Board of Review for Motion Pictures and Television 19821985; she was elected senator for two consecutive terms, the first Muslim woman elected to the senate and the first Muslim re-elected senator.

What propelled her to embark on what she would call “a journey of love” was the humbling realization way back in 1966 that Sulu had the lowest literacy rate in the country. Mrs. Nooraihan Ali, wife of then Consul General Ali Abdullah of Malaysian Embassy shared her book ‘Terus Membacha’ (Let Us Read) which uses the Phono-syllabic approach to teaching reading and writing to the Kindergarten students in Malaysia.

Mrs. Ali and her husband gladly accepted the invitation of Senator Rasul to test the method on a group of adult non-literates in Jolo. The successful ground breaking pilot class gave reason for Senator Rasul’s heightened optimism of empowering nonliterates to participate meaningfully in society. Senator Rasul authored adaptations of the literacy primer in the different Moro language: Tausug, Sama, Maguindanaon, Maranao, Yakan, and also Filipino.

The innovative phono-syllabic method enables a non-literate to acquire basic reading and writing skills in one month. Instead of being taught the names of the letters, learners are instead taught the sounds of the letters.

As news spread about the informal literacy classes, Senator Rasul received numerous requests from local government officials to hold classes in their areas. In her personal capacity, voluntarily, Senator Rasul taught adult learners in different barangays across the ARMM, and trained teachers all over Mindanao.

What started as literacy classes in the barangays of southern Mindanao was eventually adopted by the MECS as a five-year strategy to promote literacy nationwide.

Another nationwide implementation of project MAGBASSA KITA was partnership between the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) and Development Options of the Philippines (DOPHIL) in 1995.

As requests for Senator Rasul to conduct literacy classes in different provinces continued even after her election as Senator, she decided to set up the MAGBASSA KITA Foundation, Inc. (MKFI) in 1991in an effort to institutionalize the literacy program using the MAGBASSA KITA phonosyllabic method. As June 1991, a total 5,650 functional literacy classes were already organized with an aggregate enrolment of 110,840.

The quantum leap from tutorial of one person at a time in 1966 to a national spread out literacy program of no less than the Department of Education is an eloquent testimony of the effectiveness not only the technique of teaching literacy but the effectiveness of networking to promote literacy.

As the time the Bureau of NonFormal Education (BNFE), now the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS), published their research study on three approaches used for teaching literacy, with conclusion in favor of the phono-syllabic method, Project 28

MAGBASSA KITA had been using the method for 22 years.

The UNESCO-Education For All-EFA 2000 assessment of country Reports: Philippines makes the following observations: “In the regions and divisional offices of the DECS, many forms of simple and functional literacy programs were implemented between 1990 and the present. The most widely adopted, however, are the MAGBASSA KITA (Let Us Read) project and the Functional Education and Literacy Project that is now a component of the ADB Non-Formal Education Project. The former is a long-running project that was already in place even before the start of EFA. It aims to reduce basic illiteracy through regular funds provided by some DECS regional offices but has been discontinued in some. There still are Magbassa Kita classes that are conducted especially in National Capital Region (NCR) where there is a regular influx of illiterates from the provinces. These basic literacy efforts continue through books and materials provided by the Magbassa Kita Foundation using regular DECS teachers. There is a clamor from some regions for the revival of this program with increased funding in their localities.”

Senator Rasul authored R.A. 6656, the Security of Tenure Law to protect civil servants during government reorganization; R.A. 6850 which granted civil service eligibility to government employees who served seven years of efficient service; R.A. 7041 to level the playing field for hiring government employees.

As then Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, she conducted hearings on the Maricris Siason case and the world wide publicized scandal of 300 Filipino women who were forced to sell their bodies in Beirut. These and the other problems of Filipino women working overseas were investigated.

The findings were: Filipino women go abroad risking even their lives in search of gainful work because of the lack of opportunities in the country.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

This became the rationale behind R.A. 7192 or the Women in Development and Nation-building Act, which removed all remaining vestiges of discrimination against women. This law opened the doors of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) to women and more importantly, mandated the allocation of a substantial amount of ODA funds for use in programs that would benefit women.

The Gender and Development (GAD) budget, at all levels, is believed to flow from this law.

In recognition of the vital role of women in development and nation building, Senator Rasul authored R.A. 6949 declaring March 8 of every year as National Women’s Day. Due to her pioneering work in literacy, Senator Rasul headed the Philippine delegation to the UNESCO conference in Jomtien, Thailand where UNESCO enunciated the policy Education for All, whose objective was to universalize literacy. Upon her return, she authored R.A. 7165. An act creating the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) which created a national policymaking, advisory and coordinating body to provide policy direction for literacy promotion in the Philippines.

In recognition of her literacy work, she was appointed by UNESCO as

its “Honorary Literacy Ambassador” during the International Literally Year (ILY) in 1990. She was also elected Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) in 1998.

She authored R.A. 7168 which converted the Philippine Normal College into a University.

Senator Rasul is also well-known for her NGO work as a founder of a number of multi-awarded foundations and programs such as the Magbassa Kita Foundation Inc., Bantay Dagat Inc., Kasanangan Foundation Inc. and the Muslim Professional and Business Women Association of the Philippines, Inc. Realizing that the persistent underdevelopment in ARMM could be more effectively addressed by combining literacy promotion with economic empowerment and peace advocacy, MKFI launched its Livelihood Skills Training Program.

In response to the need presented by the Muslim Women Peace Advocates, MKFI experimented, successfully, on an Islamic microfinance scheme in 2008 to provide funding support for women’s income-generating activities.

As part of its Peace Advocacy, MKFI launched Regional training workshops to train Muslim women 29

for skills in conflict prevention and peace building.

At the local level 400 barangay women leaders from the conflictridden municipalities of Indanan and Patikul Sulu were trained in conflict resolution and peace building.

Senator Rasul was appointed

by President Fidel V. Ramos as a member of the GRP Negotiating Panel which successfully forged the Peace Agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) ending almost 30 years of armed conflict between the Philippine Government and the MNLF in 1996.

For her efforts, she was awarded the Presidential Golden Heart Award for her role in the negotiation citing “For contributing immensely towards the extensive development strategies of the government through active participation in crafting the negotiating positions of the Government in response to the demands of the MNLF; for her diligent efforts in reconciling contentious positions of both the Government and the MNLF during the last phase of the peace negotiations in 1996 culminating in her active involvement in the formation of the Final Peace Agreement which ended hostilities between the two parties”.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

AMBASSADOR: JOSE V. ROMERO PhD A

mbassador Jose V. Romero Jr. is a Senior Adviser to RollsRoyce Aerospace and Power Corporation and Chairman of Abacus Resources Consolidated Inc., a holding company. He also sits in the board of University of Asia and the Pacific, and the Center for Research and Communication and the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication.

Jose V. Romero Jr. was born on May 4, 1934 to Representative José E. Romero who represented the second district of Negros Oriental and spouse Elisa Villanueva of the Villanueva clan of Bais.

In the early fifties, when José Romero Sr. was appointed Ambassador to the Court of St. James, England which meant the migration of the family to Great Britain. His children received an English education.

Jose Romero Jr. and brothers were enrolled in a private school run by Benedictine priests. After taking his school leaving exam, higher school certificate and the Cambridge University entrance exams, he was admitted to that university where he took up Economics and History, ending up with a Bachelors and Masters Degree with second class honors. In Cambridge he had the privilege of having been a batch mate of Amartya Kumar Sen who received a Nobel Prize in Economics. After leaving Cambridge, he took up postgraduate courses in Economics at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Upon his return to the country, he received a doctoral degree in Development Management from the University of Asia and the Pacific, where to this day he holds a professorial chair in Political Economy.

Ambassador Romero has taught in various institutions of higher learning including the Lyceum, Philippine Women’s University, Ateneo Graduate School, Asian Social Institute and the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communications. He was also elected as president of the Philippine Economic Society.

He was a pioneer in Economic Journalism which flourished in the early sixties. As assistant publisher and business editor of the Manila Daily Bulletin he converted the pink shipping pages of the broadsheet into a business section inviting academic economists to contribute articles. As a co-founder of the Center for Research and Communication together with the likes of such popular professional economists Bernie Villegas and Jess Estanislao, the CRC conducted a series of economic seminars in an effort to upgrade the level of economic journalism in the country. As chairman of the Manila Jaycee Economic Affairs Committee, he edited a weekly economic and business column in the Manila Times.

Governor Miguel Cuaderno of the Central Bank of the Philippine appointed Ambassador Romero to the research department of the Central Bank where he quickly learned the intricacies of import and exchange controls contributing to the design of the Social Productivity Rating which governed the outward remittances of blocked peso accounts of foreign companies.

After leaving the bank to help manage a family corporation he took consultancies with the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Executive-Legislative Advisory Group (ELAG) in the House of Representatives.

Within a short time he was to take over as Director General of the Congressional Economic Office of the lower house of Congress working directly under the Office of the Speaker. In the late sixties the CEPO prepared the Magna Carta for Social Justice and Economic Freedom which was approved by the legislature as House Joint Resolution No. 2. This became the touchstone for future economic legislation prior to the imposition of martial law. It also became the template for the laws creating the NEDA, BOI, CARP, the Cooperative Law, EPZA and reforms in the Central Bank charter, to name a few.

The importance of this legislation was reflected in the fact that they were to be among the first presidential decrees to be issued by Marcos upon declaration of martial rule.

30

Martial rule ushered a new breed of capitalism – crony capitalism! This allowed certain personages close to the powers that be to erect agricultural monopolies the most infamous of which were the coconut and sugar monopolies. In the case of the coconuts, the monopoly was preceded by the imposition of levies on the poor farmers – moneys that were supposed to be utilized for increasing levels of productivity, incomes and employment among the millions of poor coconut farmers. Instead, the funds siphoned off the coconut farmers were diverted from their original purposes and used to acquire a commercial bank which lent most of its funds to non-coconut industries, subsidies for coconut refining industries mostly owned by foreigners, a huge seed farm which was appropriated by a crony and last but not the least, shares of stock in San Miguel. Moreover, the export of copra was prohibited forcing coconut farmers to deliver their copra to the Unicom monopoly.

The anomalies were brought to the attention of Marcos by Vice-President Emmanuel Pelaez who allowed a partial decontrol in the export of copra.

Soon after perhaps as a consequence Pelaez was ambushed in his residence and almost lost his life. Ambassador Romero was among the first to rush to the hospital to watch the Vice-President fight for his life. Before Pelaez was wheeled into the operating theater, he grabbed his hand and whispered his desire that Ambassador Romero continue the struggle to free the coconut farmer from the yoke of the coco levy imposition and the monopoly.

That request was taken very seriously by Ambassador Romero .When appointed by President Corazon Aquino to head the Philippine Coconut Authority shortly after EDSA he immediately fought for the reconveyance of the coco funds to the farmers through the government. As plaintiff in many suits against the monopolists in the courts of justice Ambassador Romero doggedly pursued the cases until the Supreme Court finally ruled in favor of the farmers.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Permanent Representative Romero Meeting with the President of International Fund for Agricultural Development

PCA Chairman Romero with President Cory Aquino and Agriculture Secretary Dominguez

Amb. Jose V. Romero Jr. in his office Rome Office

Dinner with Pres. Fidel Ramos and U.S. Amb. Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr.

Ambassador Romero with Cardinal Tomas Sanchez of the Roman Curia

Presentation of Credentials to President Francesco Cossiga of Italy in the Quirinale, 1990

Amb. Jose V. Romero Jr. in his office Rome Office

Dinner with Pres. Fidel Ramos and U.S. Amb. Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr.

Amb. Romero, Captain of the University of Cambridge Basketball Team, UK Champions

His appointment to the Quirinale in the Republic of Italy was the idea of his mentor Raul Manglapus who headed in the Christian Democratic Movement in the country. Having served in various capacities in the movement, then Foreign Secretary Manglapus that Ambassador Romero could serve as liaison between the local movement and the Christian Democratic International based in Brussels. He considered Rome as a good staging area since at the time of his appointment, considering that the Christian Democrats were in power in Italy led by two illustrious leaders - Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti and President Francesco Cossiga Shortly after his appointment Ambassador Romero Jr. arranged a meeting between Senator Shahani and Cardinal Sanchez when it was clear that the then Secretary Fidel Ramos, a Protestant, was seeking the Presidency of the Republic. Apparently the meeting was to sound out the Vatican on the prospect of cooperation between a Protestant Head of State and the local Hierarchy. Subsequently Ambassador Romero broached the idea to Ramos of running under the banner of the National Union of Christian Democrats. His assent spearheaded the organization of the LAKAS-NUCD-UMDP party.

Amb. Romero as a Cambridge Undergraduate

Amb. Romero in the Company's Gulfstream 4

As Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary to Rome, Romero inherited the positions of permanent representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD). In FAO, he was also elected head of the Intergovernmental Organization for Oils and Oilseed Products.

Ambassador Romero’s stint as a diplomat was cut short by the insistence of both Foreign Affairs Secretary Manglapus and President Cory Aquino he run for the Senate in the 1992 elections under the banner of the LAKAS-NUCD-UMDP which fielded Fidel Ramos as its standard bearer.

Having lost in the elections, President Ramos appointed him president of the managing company of the Coconut Industry Investment Fund.

Perhaps his biggest contributions to the coconut industry were the following: 1. The organization of thousands of small coconut farmers’ organizations in cocolandia which replacing the Cocofed.

2. The successful pursuit of the coco levy cases in the courts through networking with allies and effective media campaign.

31

3. Preventing the soya bean lobby in the US to malign the coconut industry through its false claims by effective representation in the US Congress and FDA which were poised to label coconut oil as hazardous to health.

4. Encouraging research and development in the industry through research grants to local and foreign R&D institutions which discovered the favorable effects in the application of coconut products in the health and pharmacological industries.

5. Helping to promote a level playing field in the coconut industry with the elimination of monopolistic practices.

6. Writing a book on the history of the coconut levy issue and recommending solutions to the nagging problem of poverty in coconut lands.

Today as a professor in political economy, Ambassador José Romero has published three volumes on Philippine political economy, tracing its roots from the postwar period to the present. He hopes that equipped with knowledge of the past, policymakers of the future will not allow our flawed history to repeat itself and that through the publications the coming generation will have a sense of history and nationalism.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

AMBASSADOR: Reynaldo O. Arcilla I

AM not a devout Catholic. But that is not the reason I am for the Reproductive Health bill or responsible parenthood. The reason is, like President Noynoy Aquino, I am pro-life and by that I mean quality life.

And I know whereof I speak.

I come from a family of nine boys from Tondo. We were dirt poor. How we managed to survive is a story that may be told another day.

As I was growing up, I became acutely aware of the circumstances we were in, accentuated by the absence of any food on the table that would satisfy the palate. No, we didn’t go hungry at all, thanks to our parents and our deceased eldest brother who did everything they could to prevent that from happening.

Fast forward… I was assigned to India in l962 when our GDP was the second highest in Asia, and to Bangladesh in 1985. I witnessed extreme poverty in both countries at the time, that I couldn’t help thinking how more fortunate we were.

I came home for good from another foreign assignment in 1998 after early retirement from the Foreign Service.

When I left in l962, we had no motorized tricyles. We even had Mercedes Benz cars for taxis then. By 1998, not only did we have motorized tricycles, we also had “padyak” tricycles!

Today, I see so many “padyaks” right where I work in Intramuros where, ironically, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has its headquarters. I also see children, some barely out of the cradle, playing on the streets. It is a common sight in many areas in Metro Manila, particularly where informal settlers live, and replicated in many provinces, Now comes the“chicken and the egg” question. Do these children multiply because of poverty? Or is poverty the result of these many children? I say yes to both questions. It is a classic case of the vicious cycle syndrome.

Undoubtedly, there are those who have succeeded in breaking out of the vicious cycle, but they are more the exception than the rule.

Are the parents of these children inherently irresponsible? I think not.

Consider this: they are so poor that they hardly have any education to enable them to get higher paying jobs; they are so poor that the majority of them do not even go to church to wear the unheard of “Sunday best” to learn the Church’s stance on birth control; the Church does not even have enough priests, nuns or lay workers to pay them frequent or regular visits, let alone help them with their daily sustenance.

The majority of them, I’m sure, know or have heard of artificial means of birth control like condoms, pills, devices, etc., but simply cannot afford them. And so, the vicious cycle goes on.

Natural birth control sanctioned by the Church? In my view, it still is birth control and, strictly speaking, goes against what is said in the Scriptures: “Go and multiply.”

I vote for the RH bill. The government should help those who cannot help themselves.

Ambassador Reynaldo O. Arcilla • Ambassador to Thailand, 199598; Laos, 1995-96; Austria, 1993-95; Croatia, 1993-95; Slovenia, 1993-95; and Bangladesh, 1985-89.

• Member of the five-man Committee of Experts on Afghanistan appointed by the UN Security Council, March-June 2001 • Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office, Vienna, 1993-95 • Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency and member of its Board of Governors, Vienna, 1993-95 • Permanent Representative to the UN Industrial Development Organization, Vienna, 1993-95 • Permanent Representative to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, 1995-98 • Deputy Permanent Representative (with the rank of Ambassador) to the United Nations, New York, 1981-85 32

• Alternate Representative to the UN Security Council, New York, 1981 • Assistant Secretary for Press and Public Affairs, DFA, 1978-80 • Assistant Secretary for UN and International Organizations, DFA, 1991-93 • Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs, DFA, 1989-91 • Member/Leader of Philippine Delegation to numerous international and regional conferences, including 16 of the annual sessions of the UN General Assembly, 1971-1998 Ambassador Arcilla availed of early retirement from the Department of Foreign Affairs in October 1998 to join the private sector. He now sits in the Board of Directors of two corporations.

He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, 1997-99.

He was a Special Lecturer on Foreign Service subjects at the Lyceum of the Philippines University before being appointed Dean of its College of International Relationsin June 2006.

He also lectured on Diplomatic and Consular Practice at the Ateneo de Manila University.

He writes a weekly column in MALAYA newspaper. He also used to write a weekly column (CROSSHAIRS) in Biznews Asia.

Ambassador Arcilla has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Business Administration.

In 2003, we were named by the US as a Major Non-Nato Ally. As far as can be determined, however, we never got any of the benefits for being one.’

DUPLICITY and intimidation – them are fighting words, provocative too, which Foreign Secretary Albert “Amboy” del Rosario accused China of engaging in with respect to the West Philippine Sea dispute.

Curiously though, there has been no Chinese reaction to the tirade up to this writing.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

peacekeeping force. With China there with her veto, Biazon’s proposal will never fly.)

Oath-taking as ambassador before Secretary of Foreign Affairs General Carlos P. Romulo, January 1981. On the left is former Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Manuel Collantes and Mrs. Perla R. Arcilla on the right.

“Intimidation”, I can understand.

China has been very open in the show of force department in the disputed areas. The warship that ran aground at the Hasa-Hasa Shoal, 111 kilometers west of Palawan is proof of that.

But “duplicity” is something else.

Del Rosario did not specify what he was referring to. He should have been more specific in order to put China on the defensive.

I WONDER if President Noynoy Aquino realizes that his failure to send back our ships, for whatever reason, to Scarborough Shoal is tantamount to giving up our territory by default. Possession is nine-tenths ownership, remember?

The Chinese are still there.

According to reports, they have even put in place nets with floaters covering the whole entrance to the Shoal. They obviously are intended to prevent “foreigners” from entering the Shoal.

All the talk about defending our sovereignty and territorial integrity at any cost has become just that – talk. Noynoy is not being consistent with what he said in his SONA: “…if someone entered your yard and told you he owned it, would you agree? Would it be right to give away that which is rightfully ours?”

In the meantime, what is our “special” friend the US doing? She’s also talking, that’s what – in Washington– expressing concern about China’s new garrison, new city of Sansha, etc., in the West Philippine Sea! Why doesn’t she instead send warships to escort our decrepit navy and coast guard to patrol and guard the areas we own? Words are cheap, that’s why. Also, she would not want to tangle with China –particularly at this time when her economy is so closely tied up with hers, the economy of Western Europe in shambles, her debilitating experience in Iraq and Afghanistan still haunting her and the fact that she is in the midst of a presidential election campaign.

I’m sure Noynoy and his “bunch of amateurs” (not my words but those of a real expert) are wracking their brains on what to do now – aside from keeping on mouthing the unrelenting pursuit of“peaceful, diplomatic and legal” solutions. In the meantime, China is doing what we should have been doing a long time ago – establishing her presence in the disputed areas.

It’s a little late for us to be doing that now, given our military and financial inadequacies and the risk of being fired upon by the Chinese, now that they have already occupied some areas also owned by us according to international law.

What to do now? Here are my billion-yuan suggestions which have already been made public several times through this column and in other fora: 1. Maintain our presence (in whatever form) in the Panatag or Scarborough Shoal and other areas which are rightfully ours. I believe we can do this because my assessment is China will not risk universal condemnation by attacking us. In case she does, we take her to the UN Security Council for breaching international peace and security pursuant to the relevant provisions of the UN Charter.

2. Go ahead and unilaterally file a complaint before the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea, as Foreign Secretary Albert“Amboy” del Rosario has been “threatening” to do from day one of the dispute.

3. Consider elevating the dispute to the United Nations General Assembly, pursuant to the relevant provisions of the UN Charter – to make the world community aware of China’s aggressive and provocative actions in the West Philippine Sea that threaten international peace and security.

(The proposal of Congressman Rodolfo Biazon for a UN peacekeeping force is not feasible at this time because there is no armed conflict in the area – yet. Besides, only the Security Council has the authority to create a 33

4. Explore other avenues to resolve the dispute without giving up our sovereignty. (The initiative taken

by Filipino businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan—obviously approved by President Aquino--on oil exploration and development is one alternative we can explore/consider and weigh carefully, bearing in mind our national interest and strategic moves in the short term and in the long-run).

5. When planning our strategic initiatives, we must discard the notion that anybody will help us. We must depend solely on ourselves. Do this on our own and rely on the ingenuity of our leaders, including those in the private sector whose inputs could be immensely invaluable in reaching a mutually acceptable and beneficial solution–or option.

6. In the meantime, let us continue to modernize our armed forces. We can do this. We have the money. President Aquino, for instance, has said we have money to buy two squadrons of jet fighters from sources other than the US. We should also make the US pay for helping her “pivot”to our region.

US$30 million additional military aid next year is truly insulting. US$3 billion dollars would be more like it. Look, she is helping Afghanistan get US$4 billion a year for armaments alone! The bulk of that could only come from the US. 7. Above all, keep dialoguing with China in the search for a peaceful solution to the dispute.

The following caption of a DFA photo of Hillary Clinton and Del Rosario used in an AFP/AP story explains the US attitude towards the West Philippine Sea dispute: “DELICATE BALANCING ACT. United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls for a unified Asean to negotiate with China over disputed territory (“You are on your own, boys.”), she also lauds Washington-Beijing cooperation (“It is more important to us than our relations with you, boys.”)

She pats the back of Foreign Secretary Albert “Amboy” del Rosario who cochaired Friday’s Asean-US ministerial meeting at Phnom Penh’s Peace Palace (“Well done, boy.”)”

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Ambassador: Roy Villareal Seneres A mbassador Roy Villareal Seneres became internationally renowned in 1994 when as envoy to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he led Philippine government efforts to save domestic helper Sarah Balabagan from the death penalty by hanging in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Sarah, a fourteen year old minor from Maguindanao Province in Mindanao was convicted for murder by a lower court in Abu Dhabi for killing her employer.

The Ambassador who personally visited Sarah in jail, was convinced it was a case of self-defence because her employer attempted to rape her.

He hired an Arab lawyer to appeal the case to the Supreme Court of the UAE. He was aware it was a difficult case because the employer belonged to a huge clan in Abu Dhabi. Many of the clan members work with the Abu Dhabi royalty either as bankers, lawyers, bodyguards, gardeners, accountants, drivers and so on.

Notwithstanding, and even while the case was still sub judice, Ambassador Seneres lost no time in making representations on behalf of Sarah with the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and concurrently President of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He also lobbied the President’s son in-law Sheikh Mubarak, the Chamberlain of the Presidential Court as well with the President’s sons, Sheikh Abdullah and Sheikh Hamdan, the Ministers of Information and Foreign Affairs, respectively.

Eventually, Sarah was released and handed over to Ambassador Seneres. Asked why he lobbied with Abu Dhabi royalty even while the case was still pending with the Supreme Court, Ambassador Seneres succinctly replied: “Needless to say, the word of the Ruler in Abu Dhabi is law.”

The Ambassador says that while the UAE, just like the Philippines, has three departments of government namely the executive, the judiciary and the legislature, it still is an absolute monarchy and the Ruler has the final say on certain important matters

especially brought to his personal attention like the case of Sarah.

Owing to Sarah’s tender age, her case attracted world attention.

The Ambassador received letters from prominent people like Bishop Desmond Tutu and some US Senators who encouraged him to be unrelenting in helping Sarah. He also received letters from school children of Sarah’s age from Australia, France and Japan urging him to do his best to save Sarah from the gallows. The Ambassador of Spain personally visited Ambassador Seneres to verbally convey the concern of the King and Queen of Spain over the fate of Sarah. Other Ambassadors mostly from the European Union, where the death penalty is outlawed, did the same.

After Sarah’s return to the Philippines, columnists gave Ambassador Seneres the accolades he rightly deserved. To quote some: Nestor Mata (Manila Standard, October 28, 1995) “This time the diplomatic failures that characterized the handling of the Flor Contemplacion case were not evident. On the contrary, the Philippine envoy in Abu Dhabi, Ambassador Roy Seneres, used his skills in foreign relations plus his political instinct to gain clemency for Sarah.”

Jose L. Guevarra (Point of Order, Manila Bulettin, August 2 1996) “Kudos to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for Sarah Balabagan’s early release.

Kudos to RP Ambassador Roy Seneres who negotiated her release.”

Amante E. Bigornia (Manila Standard, August 2, 1996) “President Ramos, Ambassador to the UAE Roy Seneres and his staff must be commended for the yeoman’s job they performed on behalf of Sarah Balabagan. Without their efforts, the unfortunate case of Flor Contemplacion could have been repeated and Sarah would have come home in a coffin.”

The 1998 World’s Who’s Who in International Affairs cited Ambassador 34

Seneres as a “leading figure in international politics and diplomacy.”

Using the same kind of persistence in appealing to the benevolence of Abu Dhabi royalty, Ambassador Seneres also saved from the gallows John Aquino of Pangasinan for killing his Indian co-worker and Wahida Malaydin of Cotabato City, for killing her Bangladeshi boyfriend. The Ambassador claimed self-defence in both cases.

Columnist Roz “Kaka” Olgado of Taliba cited him in his column dated December 30, 1999: “Maliban kay Sarah Balabagan, iniligtas din ni Ambassador Roy Seneres sa UAE si John Aquino ng Binmaley, Pangasinan at si Wahida Malaydin ng Cotabato sa bingit ng kamatayan Walang ibang Ambassador ang nakagawa ng ganito.”

On February 24, 2010, the Department of Foreign Affairs, thru Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario, presented him with a Distinguished Service Award “In recognition of his exceptional accomplishments, performance of duties and substantive contributions in advancing the interests of the country and the Filipino people as he performed his work as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines.”

President Joseph Estrada appointed Ambassador Seneres in 2000, as Chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) with the rank of cabinet secretary. He resigned on June 25, 2005 to protest what he believed was Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s “illegitimate and overly corrupt presidency.”

Whether or not Ambassador Seneres did his job well at NLRC can be gleaned by the separate statements of the leaders of the two sectors he was sworn to serve, labor and capital. The statements came out in the Free Press on the occasion of the 29th anniversary celebration of the NLRC in November 2003, to wit: Democrito T. Mendoza, President of the Trade Union Congress of the

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Receiving the Distinguished Service Award from Foreign Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario

with Prince Charles

Amba and granddaughter Annika Kelsey.

Philippines (TUCP): “Notwithstanding its meager resources, the NLRC is doing its best to discharge its function as dispenser of labor justice.”

Donald Dee, President of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP): “Despite its deficient budgetary allocation, the NLRC under the stewardship of Chairman Seneres has so far been reasonably faithful to its legal commitment to render swift and impartial justice.”

If the gauge for determining whether or not a person is outstanding is the huge quantity of data concerning him as contained in the Internet’s Google and Yahoo, the ambassador would easily pass. The Internet is replete with numerous information about him ranging from the decisions he penned as Chairman of the NLRC which were affirmed by the Supreme Court; his arrest and detention by the PNP/CIDG for 48 hours for allegedly calling for the overthrow of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; his being investigated by the NBI for alleged rebellion against Arroyo, and a myriad of other information.

In 2010 he was nominated for the positions of Ombudsman and Justice of the Court of Appeals but both nominations were rejected by the Judicial and Bar Council because of his pending rebellion and inciting to sedition cases the plaintiff of which are “The People of the Philippines.”

Ambassador Seneres laughed this

with Nelson Mandela

off by saying he was only against Arroyo, not the Filipino people. Some of the members of the JBC assured him of their nod if he could obtain clemency from President Benigno S. Aquino III, but he declined saying that the cases filed against him at the instance of the former president are his “badges of honour”.

Presently, he is enjoying his life as a private citizen. Aside from his charitable activities as Founder of the OFW and Family Club, he oversees the business of his youngest daughter Christine Hazel, who sells exclusively Philippine grown coffee. Written in the boxes of the 8 in 1 coffee whose brand name is “Kape ni Amba” is a quotation from Ambassador Seneres: “I have tasted many kinds of coffee in my international travels. I must say Philippine coffee is among the world’s best. Its aroma has a unique waft that reminds me of my family, home and country. Its taste is balanced, fullbodied, fruity and spicy. And when I sip it, I help my compatriots in the Philippine coffee farms to earn a living.

The money I pay for it circulates in my nation’s economy, not in the economy of other countries which happens when I drink imported coffee. It is in a way, an act of patriotism and nationalism as well as notice to everyone that you’ve got good taste.”

Another thing that keeps the Ambassador busy nowadays is what he 35

Visiting OFW John Aquino in jail

says as his being 5 things in one to his 6 year old granddaughter Annika Kelsey, i.e. as a “Lolo Dude”, as her personal driver to prep school, her personal clown, bodyguard and friend.

The Ambassador says he intends to run for party-list Congressman in 2013 to represent the OFWs and their families in Congress. He spent 15 years of his life as an OFW; as labour attaché for 10 years and as ambassador for 5 years. “I am one of them. I know their joys and sorrows”, he says. To this day he and his family continue to serve the OFWs through the OFW and Family Club which he organized as an NGO 12 years ago.

Concerning the Ambassador’s competence to be a legislator, this is what the respected Columnist Ariel S. Bocobo once wrote in his column in the Manila Standard on September 30, 1997: “Seneres represents the new wave of the future and would make a good legislator in the mold of Recto, Laurel and Roxas.”

Ambassador Seneres was born in Mambusao, Capiz on July 6, 1947. He was only less than a year old when his family migrated to Mindanao, initially in Compostela Valley and later in Butuan City. He graduated from the San Beda College of Law in 1971 and passed the bar exams of the same year.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity T he ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity: Promoting the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity The ASEAN region’s richness in biological diversity ranks it as one of the earth’s biologically wealthiest regions. While occupying only three percent of the earth’s surface, Southeast Asia, known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, boasts of globally significant terrestrial and marine biodiversity that includes an astonishing 18 per cent of all species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It has the most diverse coral reefs in the world and is home to the mega-diverse countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. The region also spans several unique biogeographical units such as Indo-Burma, Malesia, Sundaland, Wallacea and the Central Pacific.

The entire global community depends on biodiversity and the services provided by the variety of ecosystems for survival. Apart from providing water, food and energy, these natural resources play an important role in sustaining a wide range of economic activities and livelihoods. In that sense, the ASEAN region’s biodiversity contributes to the sustenance of the global well-being, and therefore the responsibility falls upon people to protect and conserve the vitality of the biological resources, no matter where it resides.

For their part, the 10 ASEAN Member States have made significant strides in conserving biodiversity.

Over the past decade, ASEAN Member States have prioritized protection of large, biologically rich and critical ecosystems and habitats through regional initiatives, such as the ASEAN Heritage Parks, the Heart of Borneo Initiative, the Coral Triangle Initiative, the Greater Mekong Subregion, and the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Programmes.

In the mid-1990s, the need for establishing an ASEAN institution to promote knowledge sharing about best practices and common efforts in the biodiversity sector had become clear.

It led to the creation of the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation or ARCBC. The project completed its work in December 2004. It was acknowledged by all stakeholders that there was a need to create not just a time-bound project, but a permanent institution that will address biodiversity loss. Thus was born the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

The ACB is ASEAN’s response to the challenge of biodiversity loss.

It is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence that facilitates cooperation and coordination among the ten ASEAN Member States and with relevant national governments, regional and international organizations on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of such natural treasures.

The establishment of the ACB reaffirms the ASEAN Member States’ commitment to protecting biodiversity.

With the collaborative effort of ASEAN Member States and partners, ACB has built an increasing international reputation for capacity building and technical support across a wide range of priority themes of international importance such as Access and Benefits Sharing, Biodiversity and Climate Change, the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, the Programme of Work on Protected Areas, the Global Taxonomy Initiative, Wildlife Enforcement, Biodiversity Information Management, Business and Biodiversity, and Ecotourism and Biodiversity Conservation.

Over the years, the Centre contributed to the enhancement of policy cooperation on biodiversity across the ASEAN region; strengthened institutional capacity within the ASEAN on regional and global biodiversity issues, and boosted public and leadership awareness of the values of biodiversity 36

and the need for conservation and sustainable management.

Through its Policy Development and Coordination Component, the ACB has undertaken various actions in the field of policy coordination and capacity building which included, among others, regional workshops on urban biodiversity, climate change and biodiversity, transboundary protected area management, enforcement of biosafety regulations and development of biodiversity indicators.

ACB also has provided ASEAN Member States with technical and financial support in the areas of policy development; conducted studies on strategic policy issues relevant to biodiversity on various thematic areas; published, distributed and translated study outputs into various ASEAN languages; enhanced the capacity of policymakers and field- and mid-level practitioners; provided technical and financial assistance to biodiversity researches by ASEAN Member States; and assisted them in promoting and advancing common positions through the conduct of workshops on biodiversity-related concerns.

Under its Human and Institutional Capacity Development Component, the Centre has strengthened the capacity of ASEAN Member States in conserving and sustainably managing their biodiversity and in meeting their commitments as parties to various multilateral environmental agreements. ACB also has conducted training courses and workshops on communication and community relations, management effectiveness, transboundary gap analysis, wetlands, ecotourism, protected area integration, and competence and performance standards, among others. Training courses/modules for executives, middle-level and field staff in protected areas were developed, and good practices on key policy areas in the ASEAN and European Union were identified and documented. The capacity of ACB officers and staff were likewise enhanced through attendance and participation to various in-house,

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

ACB Executive Director Rodrigo U. Fuentes addresses over 300 participants to the ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity.

Mr. Rolando A. Inciong, ACB head of communication and public affairs, oversees elementary students in planning simple steps they can take to conserve biodiversity.

regional and international workshops and trainings. Under this component, ACB also served as secretariat of the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme.

Through its Biodiversity Information Management Component, the Centre has improved the digital knowledge management capacity of ASEAN Member States through the identification of reporting requirements and standards for digital data exchange; development of regional data analyses; harmonization of reporting requirements and standards; identification of gaps and shortcomings in digital capacity; and conduct of courses, exchange visits and study tours.

The Centre, through its Public Awareness Component, has enhanced leadership and public awareness of the values of biodiversity and the need for conservation and sustainable management through the implementation of a communication strategy; production and dissemination of various information materials, including its website; advocacy and public information initiatives; and media and public relations activities.

Key Projects • Access and Benefit Sharing: The project on Building Capacity for Regionally Harmonized National Processes for Implementing CBD Provisions on Access to Genetic Resources seeks to strengthen ASEAN Member States’ and Timor-Leste’s capacity to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) provisions on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) through the development of their national ABS frameworks.

It aims to enhance stakeholders’ understanding of ABS issues and improve public understanding of the

Brainstorming session on planned activities for the ACB-GIZ Biodiversity and Climate Change Project.

Dr. Sheila G. Vergara, ACB Director for Biodiversity Information Management, leads a discussion at the Data Organization and CHM Establishment and Maintenance Workshop for Brunei Darussalam.

contribution that ABS can make to biodiversity conservation. The project is being funded by the United Nations Environment Programme-Global Environment Facility with the ASEAN Secretariat and the United Nations University-Institute of Advanced Studies as co-executing partners.

• ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme: ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) are protected areas of high conservation importance that preserve a complete spectrum of ecosystems.

The ACB, as Secretariat of the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme, evaluates applications for new AHPs; conducts capacity development activities for AHP managers and staff; organizes AHP conferences; holds promotional activities for the AHP Programme; and facilitates coordination among AHP managers to strengthen the parks as a regional network of protected areas.

• Biodiversity and Climate Change: The Biodiversity and Climate Change Project is an initiative that aims to enhance the capacity ofACB in providing ASEAN Member States with advisory services on strategies and instruments for biodiversity conservation-related intervention measures on climate protection and adaptation to climate change. The project is being funded by the Government of Germany.

• Global Taxonomy Initiative: ACB’s support for the Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) of the CBD is a programme aimed at enhancing the capacity of young biology scientists in taxonomy, including in the areas of databases and Web-based information management to promote sharing of taxonomic information. The programme is being funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund and the East and South East Asia Biodiversity Information Initiative.

37

Training taxonomy interns

The ACB Team

• Programmatic Courses for Protected Area Workers: While protected areas and community conserved areas abound in the ASEAN region, park managers and workers still need to enhance their technical expertise to effectively manage these key environmental areas. To fill this gap, ACB conducts programmatic courses for enhancing management and conservation skills of protected area workers.

• The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB): ACB and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are jointly undertaking a project on Disseminating the Values of Ecosystems and Biodiversity to Enhance Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategies in Southeast Asia. The project aims to engage policy and decision makers in recognizing the economic benefits and values of ecosystems and biodiversity, understanding the costs of biodiversity loss, and taking action towards incorporating these values into national plans and budgets.

• Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement: ACB is working with the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) and FREELAND Foundation to arrest illegal wildlife hunting in Southeast Asia. Under the collaboration, the partners are implementing a series of capacity building activities aimed at enhancing the understanding by ASEAN Member States of CITES policies, improving the skills of wildlife law enforcers, developing national regulations and policies on wildlife trafficking, and strengthening the capacity of the ASEAN-WEN Programme Coordination Unit in fulfilling its mandates.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

THE FUTURISTICS CENTER: CHANGING THE FILIPINO MINDSET TOWARDS OUR ONRUSHING FUTURE

A

sk the average Filipino what he foresees in the next decade or 20 years for the Philippines and his most likely answer is “I don’t really know. Bahala na lang!” (God will provide). Some in the education sector will probably reply: “It will depend on how well our people will be aware of the trends and developments in the next five years or so…” A few political economists we asked said: “More of the same (that we now have) because of our spiritual culture, and our personal and transactional political practices…”

All these mean one glaring obvious picture where our political and economic cultures are intertwined (mainly) with the spiritual and compadre system, the negative side of the bayanihantradition, and ignorance or unawareness of the outside factors—particularly current world developments--that affect our immediate, and long-term future.

This is a major national problem, in addition to the inclination of the average Juan de la Cruz to be entertained rather than to be seriously informed of events that impact on the collective future of the nation, that the Center for Philippine Futuristics Studies and Management (Futuristics Center) has identified.

The solution This major challenge requires gathering of thinkers, business leaders and decision makers, national political leaders, non-government and civic groups, plus educators to its membership. They contribute to the pool of multi-disciplinary minds that meet as required to address national issues.

Yearly, the Futuristics Center conducts an assessment of the Philippine economy for an independent critique and to suggest solutions. In January 2010 it correctly predicted (foresaw) the winning presidential, vice-presidential and most of the Senatorial candidates.

Every three years, it has an appraisal of Congress’ legislative work and rating of the congressional candidates.

It is currently networking with National Capital Region educational institutions headed by the Lyceum of the Philippines University to inform the younger generation, most of whom will vote for the first time in next year’s national elections of the current national and international issues. It is also working with the Development Academy of the Philippines spread current information and data to local government unit officials and councils.

The Futuristics Center believes the empowerment of the local government units and the entire citizenry stems from the spread or dissemination of the accurate information and data— the truth.

It has reviewed the performance of the current Aquino presidency (last June 26th) and peeked into its next four years, taking into account the local and international economic conditions, the political horse-trading activities, Mindanao peace prospective, the Philippine agrarian reform program, national and regional security concerns, the Philippine -Chinese tensions, the ongoing economic and military hegemonic competition between the U.S. and China, the European economic crisis, the Middle East Spring, the changes of the Russian political leadership and the coming American presidential elections, among others.

It has also conducted conferences on the future of the energy search, of our natural resources, the future of our social-justice system, the goodgovernance of the next president, taxation in the next six years, business opportunities in biodiversity (in cooperation with the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity), the prospects of carbon credit trading for Philippine project funding, the future of Philippine mass media among others.

The Futuristics Center is a nonprofit, non-stock domestic association promoting futurism or studies of the future as a national discipline; it was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in January 17, 2007. With a grant from CocaCola Corporation, it took off where 38

the Philippine Futuristics Society left when it closed in the wake of the Asian financial crisis of 1997.

Futuristics is a multi-disciplinary science involving a rational approach in assessing the future, through research, commissioned surveys, critical thinking and data verifications, aided by technologies such as forecasting, visualization methodologies and systems, forecasting and trending analyses through the use of integrating information technology softwares.

Vision-Mission The Futuristics Center dreams of a Philippine society nationally united and enjoing political-economicsocial justice, in friendly interaction/ competition/collaboration with the rest of the world as an equal and respected member of the community of sovereign States enjoying the benefits of an environmentally sustainable planet.

It serves as a focal point in providing 1) deeper understanding of the past, 2) the present, while, also 3) presenting reliable perspectives to where the Philippine future is headed for.

Involvement of the youth Since its inception, the Futuristics Center has embarked on special efforts to attract students from colleges and universities to participate in all its activities, i.e. conferences, focused group discussions, and roundtable forums so the younger generations (more than 2,000 students from Manila universities have attended these gatherings, and still counting) will appreciate the importance of futuristics in preparing for their tomorrow. Student participants are admitted free in these activities.

The Lyceum of the Philippines University and the Development Academy of the Philippines are institutional members.

The Thrust The main thrust of the Futuristics Center’s activities are directed towrd the development and transfer of a body of knowledge to be used in helping the country and its citizens make wiser development decisions, help create the

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kind of most desireable future that wiltl meet the collective needs of Filipinos now and our future generations.

Objectives: 1. To development a keen awareness of the future through conferences, research work, scientific studies, publications and documentary films without advancing any particular ideologies, just the truth.

2. To disseminate the importance of futuristics in planning so the Filipino people can cope more effectively with future-related problems and attain more productive and better quality of lives.

3. Organize, support and source funds relevant to futuristics studies in collaboration (networking) or coordination with other local and international organizations with similar objectives, and, 4. To formulate and promote such other goals as maybne necessary to

make full use of futuristics as a tool to improve life and development in the Philippines and elsewhere.

5. To coordinate and organize various activities in the Philippies in the futuristics field.

The outputs of the conferences and other activities are available to all the conference participants and anyone else who may want to purchase copies or acquire them electronically. These will be published in Journals and recorded in DVD format for donation to schools and universities for library references.

Officers and trustees For the current 2012-2013 term officers and trustees of the Futuristics Center are: President Guillermo (Gil) H. A. Santos Vice President Roberto F. de Ocampo (former Finance Secretary) 39

Treasurer Prof. Mario A. G. Lopez, Associate Dean of the Center of Development Management, AIM Secretary Mr. Antonio D. Kalaw Jr, President, Development Academy of the Philippines Trustees Mr. Romeo S. Bernardo (Lazaro, Bernardo, Tiu & Associates) Atty. Roberto P. Laurel (President Lyceum of the Philippines University) Mr. Miguel Z. Patolot (President Global Trade Mgmt) Mr. Demetrio Salipsip Jr (Exec-Dir AMCham Foundation) Police Chief Superintent Diosdado Valeroso (PNP)

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

The Lyceum of the Philippines University I

f Dr. Jose P. Laurel were alive today, he would be very pleased and very proud of the institution he founded. Without a doubt, the revered former President of the Philippine Republic would be gratified over how Lyceum of the Philippines University, in all its 60 years, has remained faithful and committed to the advancement of his philosophy and values of “Veritas et Fortitudo”and “Pro Deo et Patria”.

Surely, the beloved Grand Old Man of Tanauan would applaud the great care taken by those entrusted with the legacy he left behind—namely, his son, Senator Sotero H. Laurel, and his grandsons, Atty. Roberto P. Laurel and Mr. Peter P. Laurel. In their able hands and enlightened leadership, the University has remained competitive, relevant, responsive to the special challenges of the times—secure in its position as a leading nationalistic institution of learning.

Most certainly, Dr. Jose P. Laurel’s heart would swell with pride over the University’s roster of outstanding alumni, who have followed in his footsteps in making our country - and the world - a much better place to live in. Among them: the incumbent Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 15th Congress of the Philippines, Feliciano ‘Sonny’ Belmonte, Jr.; 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service, the former Governor of Isabela, Grace Padaca; PBA All-Star and Scoring Champion, Gary O. David; Multi-awarded film director, Joel Lamangan; Multiawarded actor, Cesar Montano; Court of Appeals Justice, Amelita Tolentino; Lone District of Camarines NorteGovernor, Renato Unico; Lone District of Basilan Governor, Alvin Dans; President, Les Clefs d’Or UAE Chapter,Charles Ferrer; City Administrator of Quezon City, Dr. Victor Endriga; Former National Treasurer, Atty. Caridad Valdehuesa; and many, many others.

If Dr. Jose P. Laurel were alive today, he would be quite amazed by the growth and development achieved in six decades, particularly: LPU’s expansion

outside Manila; the consistent and steady increase in the enrollment in all of its four campuses; the high caliber of LPU’s teaching and support staff that has resulted in the excellent performance of its students in inter-school meets and competitions; LPU’s acknowledged position as the country’s premier school for tourism and hospitality management programs; and the establishment of The Bayleaf Intramuros and LPU Culinary Institute.

Unquestionably, the esteemed LPU Founder would applaud the following accomplishments received by the University too: granted ISO 9001:2008 Certification from the Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS); granted Autonomous Status by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); awarded Center of Development for Hotel and Restaurant Management and Business Administration Programs by CHED; Level 3 Reaccredited Status by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) for Hotel and Restaurant Management, Liberal Arts, Science and Business Administration Programs and certified

by Federation of Accrediting Agencies in the Philippines (FAAP); the first University to be granted Level 3 Reaccredited Status by PACUCOA and certified by FAAP for HRM Program in the Philippines; ranked No. 1 Nationwide in the October 2011 Customs Broker Licensure Examination; ranked No. 3 Nationwide in the July 2010 Nursing Licensure Examinations; granted IQuAME Category A Teaching University by CHED; and Deputized Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP)

by CHED. Indeed, with all the success attained by the 60-year-old Lyceum of the Philippines University—and the direction it is taking towards a future of even greater excellence, it is clear that the spirit and ideals of Dr. Jose P. Laurel lives on, and will continue to do so in the years to come.

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History of the Lyceum of the Philippines University Lyceum of the Philippines University prides itself with its long and rich tradition of Academic Excellence through the legacy of its founder, Dr. Jose P. Laurel. The only president to have served in all three branches of the Government, Dr. Laurel was a successful lawyer, legislator, constitutionalist, jurist, writer, scholar, statesman, philosopher, and above all things, an educator. Dr. Laurel’s concern for education was his most abiding passion. A graduate of top educational institutions such as University of the Philippines College of Law, Escuela de Derecho, University of Santo Tomas and Yale University, his credentials as an educator were unassailable. He wrote extensively on Education and managed to teach in several educational institutions on Manila, despite his numerous commitments.

During the Second World War, as the leader of the nation during its darkest period in its history, he introduced educational policies that emphasized and upheld national morale and character. As a senator after the war, he authored the law creating the National Education Board alongside Sen. Claro M. Recto.

The inspiration to establish a school came to him in the early 1920’s while a student at Yale. Three decades later, along with some of his close friends, he turned this dream into a reality. With the aim of becoming a center of academic excellence in the Philippines and the Far East, Lyceum of the Philippines University (then still a college) formally opened its doors to the public on July 7, 1952.

With his admiration for knowledge and his appreciation of classicalthought, Dr. Laurel named the school Lyceum of the Philippines after Lykeios, the site in ancient Athens where the great philosopher Aristotle nurtured the minds of his protégées. The school’s motto, “Veritas et Fortitudo, Pro Deo et Patria”, reflects Dr. Laurel’s belief in the value of learning and character formation for God and country.

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012 LPU Manila

LPU Cavite

LPU Batangas

9 Spoons

LPU Laguna

Atty. Roberto P. Laurel

Sen. Sotero H. Laurel

Dr. Jose P. Laurel

Mr. Peter P. Laurel

Cioccolata Churros Cafe

Sky Deck

The Bayleaf Intramuros

Unfortunately, Dr. Laurel unexpectedly died in 1959 while at work.

On his third son, Sotero, who was then in the practice of law, fell the mantle of responsibility of running the school. He was the natural choice as in years earlier it was Senator Sotero who helped his father organize Lyceum and acted as the first executive secretary to his father, the school President, before resuming his law practice.

For the next forty-three years, it was this chosen son, Sotero, who nurtured the school and made it grow beyond Manila into the provinces.

In 1966, he founded the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas followed by Lyceum of the PhilippinesLaguna in 2000. Both campuses are now headed by Senator Laurel’s fourth son, Peter, who was elected President in 2000.

In 2008, another campus in Cavite was established to bring the total number of LPU campuses to four with a grand total enrollment of approximately 33,000 students, about 14,000 of whom are enrolled in various hospitality courses.

Senator Laurel’s eldest son, Atty.

Roberto Laurel, heads the Manila and Cavite Campuses as President.

VISION Lyceum of the Philippines University envisions itself as a leading university in the Asia-Pacific region, dedicated to the development of the

integral individual who constantly seeks the truth and acts with fortitude in service to God and country.

MISSION Lyceum of the Philippines University, espousing the ideals ofJose P. Laurel is committed to the following mission: 1. Provide equitable access to learning through relevant, innovative, industry-based and environmentconscious programs and services in the context of nationalism and internationalism. - INSTRUCTION and QUALITY SERVICES 2. Provide necessary knowledge and skills to meet entrepreneurial development and the managerial requirements of the industry. INSTRUCTION 3. Establish local and international linkages that will be the source of learning and growth of the members of the academic community.

INSTRUCTION and INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 4. Advance and preserve knowledge by undertaking research and disseminating and utilizing th results. RESEARCH 5. Support a sustainable community extension program and be a catalyst for social transformation and custodian of Filipino culture and heritage.

- COMMUNITY EXTENSION 6. Build a community of Godcentered, nationalistic, environment41

conscious and globally-competitive professionals with wholesome values and attitudes. -PROFESSIONALISM and VALUES EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY Lyceum of the Philippines University ,an institution of higher learning, inspired by the ideals of Philippine President Jose P. Laurel, is committed to the advancement of his philosophy and values: Veritas et Fortitudo” (truth and fortitude) and “Pro Deo et Patria” (for God and Country).

CORE VALUES

L- Love of God P- Professional Integrity U- Unity N- Nationalism J- Justice P- Perseverance L- Leadership

LPU Manila – A leading university with International Certification located within historic Intramuros.

LPU Makati – College of Law located in the center of the business district of Makati LPU Batangas – The region’s first autonomous university with schoolwide international certification LPU Laguna – Top industry leaders team up with one Leading school LPU Cavite – The countries first and only resort campus and the youngest school to be certified ISO Quality Management System.

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Manila Business College (MBC) M anila Business College (MBC) was founded by Dr. Thomas C.K. Chua at the Millennium year 2000 with a vision and mission of providing quality college education with the least cost; if not totally free; to have one successful graduate in every Filipino family.

Knowing the cost of such an endeavor if done on a grand scale and the difficulty of creating and managing such resources to sustain such an operation, MBC started first on a smaller scale with the Philippine Air Force by granting 10 scholarship of 100% tuition free. It was followed by the Philippine National Police then the Philippine Navy and finally, the combined Armed Forces of the Philippines under the AFP Educational Benefits System Office, created especially for children of fallen hero’s in action. The motivation for sponsoring the Armed Forces is because the, military is our first line of defense and the defender of our Constitution, Democracy and Freedom.

Having successfully campaigned for the benefits of our Armed Forces and Police Force, MBC embarked on a grander scale by launching another ambitious program called The Unlimited Scholarship Program (USP). The USP aim is to grant 100% scholarship to top 20% of fresh graduates from high school with at least grade averages of 82.5% or better in a qualifying examination taken free. There is no limit to applicants for the USP for as long as the school can accommodate a maximum 40 students to 1 faculty ratio in a classroom.

The scholars must be achievers who consistently strive for excellence. We see our classrooms filled only with students who will stretch themselves to their limit and rise to the school’s standard. Manila Business College strongly believes no intelligent Filipino youth should be without higher education. If we regard our youth as the hope, the educated hope of our country, access to higher education must be given as a matter of right, not as a matter of privilege or dream.

This, we believe is the best and the most cost effective investment that can be made to secure the future of our country. We have taken our first step, in fulfilling the vision of our country being led by dynamic leaders honed by schools dedicated to the self-same ideals. We pray the concept catches on, prompting other private institutions of higher education to follow suit and start adopting similar programs of their own. A Movement wherein all private schools will grant scholarships to our deserving Filipino youth at a lower qualifying level but who are competitively spirited and motivated as well once becoming a scholar and are studying amongst their peers.

The motive for the USP came about because based on statistics from Department of Education; of the 6 million yearly high school graduates only 40% or 2.4 million could further their education in college, 3.6 million or 60% simply stop because majority could not afford to pay the ever increasing tuition or are not qualified enough because of stringent high score requirement at the entry qualifying examinations or limited programmed numbers of scholars accepted by the College or University. The USP was initially endorsed by the Office of The President, followed by The Department of Education, The DSWD, OWWA, DOLE, Manila Barangay Bureau, CBCP, MFD, CHED, UNTV, Social and Civic Organizations such as ABC Foundation, ROTARY, LIONS to name a few. Presently, Manila Business College has more than 400 scholars under the Unlimited Scholarship Program since its launching in 2010 and another over a hundred students under the MBC-Jollibee Seeds Program.

Manila Business College – Knowledge, Experience, Income (KEI) Program, pronounced as KEY. Through the years of granting free education to the least but brightest of our youths, MBC has found it be most challenging the sustenance of scholars on a day to day basis. The adage; “You can’t feed a bright mind with an empty stomach!” holds true. To this day, about 25% of our scholars have 42

drop out of the program because of not having the financial capability for mere transportation and daily subsistence!

Because of this perennial problem and the contributing factors that led to it, MBC has finally developed a system that could and would break down the barriers of poverty and missed opportunities to a fundamentally strong and highly competitive tertiary education.

The KEI Program is designed to enable qualified students to pursue a tertiary education through the actual workplace training and financial assistance by a partner company. It gives a student an opportunity to gain knowledge and develop skills to be more competitive not just in the local scene but globally. It is a training platform for students to be exposed to the actual workplace and obtain actual work experience to enhance their employability upon completion of their courses. It is a training opportunity that supports quality education and a solution to link education and employability concerns of the youths and their respective families. Most importantly, it gives the student the opportunity to acquire an income, though minimal to sustain their daily needs in the pursuit and completion of their education. The Objective of the program is to provide our youth access to quality education, to enhance their employability upon graduation, to minimize the students and their family’s financial burden in completing a tertiary education, to augment the employability rate of our country with highly trained and well educated graduates, and to equipped the students with necessary core values, knowledge and competencies to be successful in their chosen careers.

As with every endeavor, two elements of the utmost importance for success are the Spiritual and the material. We must have the Wisdom and Guidance of our Lord Christ Jesus in the implementation of the KEI and the Men with the same vision and mission to help carry out the Program as Partners.

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AFP-EBSO Recognition Day for PAF-MBC Scholars

ABC Foundation Director Mr. Carlos Cipriano MBC SEVP Steve Ding, Jr. ABC Foundation Chairman Lewis A. Edwards MBC EVP Jameson Chua

MBC SEVP, Frederick Stephen Ding, Jr. DSWD Secretary Hon. Corazon Juliano-Soliman MBC EVP Jameson Chua

MBC SEVP Frederick Stephen Ding, Jr. CHED Executive Director IV Atty. Julito D. Vitriolo, CESO III, MBC EVP Jameson Chua CHED Office of Student Affairs Engr. Ronaldo A. Levita

MBC SEVP Frederick Stephen Ding, Jr. DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz MBC VP Student Affairs Mariecor Salas-ding MBC EVP Jameson Chua

MBC VP Admin Judy Chua MBC EVP Jameson Chua Former President of the Philippines, Fidel V. Ramos MBC SEVP, Frederick Stephen Ding, Jr. MBC VP Student Affairs, Mariecor Salas-ding

Archdiocesan Commission on Youth Coordinator Bro. Reynaldo Domingo MBC SEVP, Frederick Stephen Ding, Jr., Archdiocesan Commission on Youth Commissioner Father Jade Licuanan, MBC EVP Jameson Chua

MBC EVP Jameson Chua, MBC VP Student Affairs, Mariecor Salas-ding MBC SEVP, Frederick Stephen Ding, Jr., OWWA Deputy Admininstrator Josefino I. Torres OWWA Regional Operations Coordination Service Emma V. Sinclair OWWA Welfare Officer Cynthia Erum

USP PROGRAM FORUM held at DepEd Conference Room MBC SEVP Frederick Stephen Ding, Jr.

Manila City Barangay Bureau Director Atty. Analyn T. Marcelo-Buan MBC SEVP Frederick Stephen Ding, Jr., MBC EVP Jameson Chua

UNTV 37 Correspondent Jeck Ocampo, UNTV37 Finance Department Head Ramona G. Domingo UNTV37 Sales Supervisor Peachie Baron Saguin, MBC SEVP Steve Ding, Jr., MBC EVP Jameson Chua

LIBRARY

MULTIMEDIA CLASSROOMS

COMPUTER LABORATORY

SPEECH LAB

GYM

AUDITORIUM

KITCHEN

MINI HOTEL

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Amina Rasul-BERNARDO

Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy

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mina Rasul-Bernardo is one of the leading Muslim leaders in the Philippines working to strengthen peace and development as well as promote human rights, justice and democratic practices in Muslim Mindanao.

The lack of a platform for the articulation of the Muslim voice in charting their own destiny has been a barrier to peace, significantly contributed to the marginalization of the Muslims in the Philippines. What has been heard instead is the extremist, violent and militant voice of the few, with the vast majority of Muslims being relegated to silence. This is not for the lack of trying on the latter’s part to express their views. But historical, political, economic, and social forces have seemingly converged so that today, the voices of the moderate and peaceful Muslims who are in the majority have been shunted to the sidelines and ignored.

Amina Rasul-Bernardo believes that this has to change. After resigning from her post as Chairperson of the National Youth Commission during the Estrada Administration in 1998, she has focused her time and efforts on initiatives to help change the situation.

Since she left government, she has made a name for herself as one of the most vocal, articulate and objective advocates of democratic reform, human rights, minority rights, peace and development in Mindanao.

The Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID). With former Human Rights Commissioner Nasser Marohomsalic and the late Abraham Iribani, former Assistant Secretary of Local Government and former MNLF Spokesperson, she organized the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) in 2002 as a non-partisan, non-governmental organization dedicated to the study of Islamic and democratic political thought, and the search for a peaceful, just and lasting solution to the Mindanao conflict. She has been the Lead Convenor of PCID from its inception.

It is her belief that genuine peace and

development in Muslim Mindanao can only take place within the context of meaningful democracy.

The Council has initiated programs to serve as a springboard from which the moderate Muslims can finally engage mainstream Philippine society.

These programs have ranged from roundtable discussions of stakeholders at the local level, academic forums at the premier Philippine universities, to international conferences that tackle the complexity of the development of Muslim Mindanao. The topics tackled have run the gamut of key issues which include the Madrasah (Islamic) educational system, the role of the Ulama (Muslim religious leaders) in democracy, the impact and evaluation of the 1996 final peace agreement, security and terrorism, and the perennial and growing concern for human rights.

PCID, thru its convenor Atty.

Nasser Marohomsalic, is a founding member of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections.

The Council has been incorporated as the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy in June 2010, marking its focus on becoming a thinktank. As an indicator of PCID’s growing status as a think tank, Amina is leading a major research project to undertake a citizens’ assessment of the State of Local Democracy in the ARMM, partnering with the Stockholm-based Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and the UP NCPAG. This study will be able to provide valuable inputs to the Aquino Administration as it seeks to reform the ARMM regional government.

Today, PCID is increasingly seen as an objective, neutral party that has a track record of bringing together all sectors in the democratic dialog for peace and development. The forging of these strong links between and among the stakeholders has arguably been the greatest success of PCID. All of its activities have been marked by strong representation of the key parties: the Ulama, the military, the international donor community, the academe, media, civil society groups both local and 44

international, the business community, and of course, political leaders.

PCID has managed to do all of these by establishing partnerships with other organizations who advocate for true dialogue as one of the principal means by which to resolve the Mindanao conflict and spur development. These partner-institutions who have provided the much-needed funding include the United States Institute for Peace, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, The Asia Foundation, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands, the British Embassy, the US Embassy, and the Australian Embassy.

Local partners are also a vital component to the activities of the Council. Among these institutions are the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Philippine Business Leaders Forum, the University of the Philippines – Institute of Islamic Studies, the King Faisal Center of the Mindanao State University, the Regional Commission for the Bangsamoro Women, the Muslim Women Peace Advocates, Women and Gender Institute, and many others.

The Council also has an eminent roster of Fellows from which to draw advice and support.

In 2005, Amina started networking with similar organizations in Southeast Asia. The regional initiative was launched at the conference held in Manila on September 11 to 13, 2005, entitled Islam and Democratization in Southeast Asia: Prospects and Challenges. The 2nd conference was held in Jakarta, organized by the International Center for Islam and Pluralism last December entitled Regional Conference: Islam and Democracy. Our colleagues in Malaysia, the Institute for the Study of the Ummah and Global Understanding, hosted the third conference in Kuala Lumpur on March 20 to 22. The 4th conference was held in Bangkok on Sept 4 to 7, hosted by the newly established

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

Thai Center for Muslim Democracy.

PCID hosted the South East Asia Forum for Islam and Democracy in Manila from December 10 to 12, 2007 where 44 ASEAN leaders from civil society, academe, religious organizations agreed to establish SEAFID as a regional vehicle for peace and democracy.

Through these dialogs and forums, Amina has linked with organizations and individuals to collaborate on priority issues for democratization of Muslim communities. Most of the output of these discussions has been published for dissemination in the PCID reports, books, and the valuable but shortlived (2 years) “Moro Times”, a monthly supplement of the Manila Times which featured news, lifestyle, commentaries and analysis on Muslim Mindanao and the Islamic World. The Moro Times is an historic first: the first time a major newspaper has provided regular and comprehensive coverage of Muslim issues. The Asean Europe Foundation (ASEF) Journalists Colloquium of 2008 held in Amsterdam judged the Moro Times as one of the best practices in presenting the minority perspective.

PCID has succeeded in involving many of the stakeholders at the grassroots level by holding many of the forums in Muslim Mindanao. But

perhaps more importantly, other parties that have not been part of the democratic debate on Mindanao have now been engaged, and engaged continuously.

For instance, PCID has succeeded in networking with the ulama and rural Muslim women.

The National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP). Under her leadership, the PCID has been entrusted by ulama (Muslim religious scholars) of the Philippines to organize their national summits (January 20082010) and to establish their national confederation (NUCP), an historic first. She appointed Dr. Hamid Barra, a convenor of PCID, as Project Director, and Professor Moner Bajunaid, to organize the project. Dr Barra was appointed by President Aquino as Chair of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (appointment contested by the incumbent Chair). Prof. Bajunaid is also a PCID convenor.

3. The Noorus Salam. Amina has spearheaded a unique national organization of Muslim religious women scholars (aleemat) and teachers (ustadzas) with women civil society leaders. The initiative began in 2008, when the aleemat members of the NUCP decided they wanted their own network so they could focus on issues of 45

women, family and children. Last May, the CHR entered a partnership with the PCID to train the NUCP members as human rights community educators.

Through these initiatives, the Muslim perspective has been given a slow but steady elevation in the consciousness of policy makers, the international community, and mainstream Philippine society.

In recognition of her work to strengthen democracy, she was awarded “Muslim Democrat of the Year 2007” by the Center for Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) on April 27 in Washington, D. C. Amina has been invited to be a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on South-East Asia, by the Forum’s organizer, Prof. Klaus Schwab, given her “thought leadership in this field”.

She is the first Filipino Senior Fellow named by he United States Institute for Peace in Washington, D.C. in 2001-2002. A graduate of the UP School of Economics, she earned two master's degrees, one in business management from the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines and another in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

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CONSUL GENERAL: FRANCIS CHUA H

onorary consul general Francis Chua is a man of several hats. In addition to being the honorary consulate general of peru in manila and Head of Mission since 2004, he is also pcci chairman emeritus and currently Foundation for Crime Prevention President, to name a few.

Dr. Chua is considered an eminent member of the Filipino-Chinese community. His two year stint as the President of the federation of FilipinoChinese chambers of commerce and industry was focused on inviting more Chinese investments in the Philippines, strengthening buy pinoy advocacy in order to create more jobs for the Filipinos and building schools for the barrios and far flung areas of the country.

Another defining achievement is that Dr. Francis is the only Filipino who holds the distinction of being elected as President in 3 major Philippine business associations.

He became one of the youngest Presidents of the affluent federation of Filipino-Chinese chambers of commerce and industry (ffcccii); he assumed the helm of the chamber of commerce of the Philippines foundation during its centennial foundation year, established since spanish regime; and he was the 17th President of the largest business organization, the Philippine chamber of commerce and industry (pcci).

Clearly, this achievement is the very first in Philippine business history.

The Philanthropic activities of Dr. Francis Chua are good examples of corporate social responsibility (csr). As chairman of green army foundation, he successfully spearheaded nationwide tree planting campaigns and led the country in the very first global participation in the earth hour energy conservation drive. Dr. Francis is a very active key officer of Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines since 1986 involved in a lot of charitable activities such as massive feeding programs and clean up drives after calamities, to name

a few. He is a Senior Commissioner of Tzu Chi Foundation. He is head of the Honorary members and about 14 Honorary members of Tzu Chi Phils are family members, immediate relatives and very close friends of Dr. Chua. He personally donated about 50 units of school buildings constructed all over the country thru the barrio school buildings program of ffcccii. In times of calamities, not only did he extend assistance thru major business associations he was connected with, but he also extended donations and assistance even in his personal capacity. In 2006, he personally donated cash amount in the rebuilding of the village in ginsaugon, samar that was swept away by the landslide brought about by the flash flood. In 2008, he personally donated 1000 water containers for people of iloilo that was affected by typhoon frank. In 2009, not only did he donate truck loads of bread to the most affected areas in marikina that was affected typhoon ondoy but he also helped in mobilizing heavy equipment like dump trucks and payloaders for the clean up operations in marikina after the onslaught.

As President of Foundation for Crime Prevention (patrol 117), he is working his best to reach his vision of a more responsive emergency hotline number which has state of the art equipment and highly skilled call center agents that can deploy emergency response team/operatives in less than 15 minutes at ground zero or at the scene of the crime.

Dr. Francis brings to the fold a vast wealth of experience, armed with an entrepreneurial spirit, unwavering diligence, and the necessary insight to wisely take calculated risks to maximize returns.

Strong willed and confident in his abilities, he has emerged as a notable business figure entrusted by several companies to sit on their board: Negros Navigation/2go (Chairman), Dongfeng Inc. (Chairman) Bank of Commerce (Vice Chairman), Basic Energy (Vice Chairman) Philippine 46

Stock Exchange (Member, Board of Governor), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (Member), Philippine Satellite Corp. (President) and Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP, Member).

He also served as university of the Philippines (u.p.) board of regents (2008 to 2010); board of trustees in U.P. foundation (2011 to present) board of trustees in technical education and skills development authority (tesda) (2006 to 2010); Adamson University (2008 to present); Angeles University Foundation (2010 to present); overseas Chinese University (2003 to present) and Xavier School (2010 to present).

Our nation as well as prominent institutions have recognized the sterling performance and superlative leadership qualities of Consul General Francis Chua.

In 2012, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) awarded Dr. Chua the Lakan ng Kalakalan 2012.

In 2011, he was conferred management man of the year by the Philippine Council of Management (philcomman). In the same year 2011, biznews asia (bna) honored Dr. Francis Chua as one of “the who’s who” in Philippine Business for 2010.

He was conferred Philippine Presidential Sikatuna Award with the rank of Lakan on 22 April 2010.

In 2007, xavier school honored him as an exemplary alumnus.

In 2006 Dr. Chua was recipient of the following awards: A. The University of the Philippines, his alma mater, awarded him with the u.p. alumni award for community service (national level); B. He was awarded outstanding alumni of hope christian high school;

Outstanding Dignitary Award 2012

C. He was awarded Outstanding Alumni of Chiang kai shek college;

Dr. Jose P. Rizal award for excellence in business and entrepreneurship.

In 2004, being an Outstanding Chinese-Filipino, he was awarded

Indeed, pcci chairman emeritus Francis Chua personifies great 47

leadership, exudes honor and distinction.

He truly deserves commendation for his shining attributes and remarkable contributions in the Philippine society.