Remembering the greatness of three dearly departed Filipinos

AT this time of the year when we pray for the souls of our dearly departed relatives and friends, let me reminisce on some outstanding Filipinos who have passed away in recent years and whose achievements fellow Filipinos can cherish and be proud of.

These are truly great men – Don Emilio T. Yap, Jovito R. Salonga, Ernesto “Boy’ F. Herrera – whom I’ve been blessed to work with, I’ve always looked up to, and I’ve really admired for their inspiring leadership, pragmatic brilliance, moral uprightness, and selfless devotion to help others.

The beloved philanthropist Don Emilio Yap used to be chairman of the board of Manila Hotel, Manila Bulletin, and Centro Escolar University, and chairman emeritus of Philippine Trust Company, until his death on April 7, 2014, at age 88.

Chairman Yap was every inch a Filipino. Though born in Fujian, China, he chose to be Filipino, and his actions expressed true love for his chosen country and people. In 1995, when the Manila Hotel (where I now work as its president) was up for privatization,with a foreign firm poised to take over ownership, he single-handedly fought for its retention in the hands of Filipinos.

He was a visionary who believed that the historic Manila Hotel would best be cared for by Filipinos.Though initially unsuccessful in his bid, he was undeterred. Determined to keep this invaluable part of our national patrimony, Chairman Yap matched the bid of the foreign entity. The Supreme Court upheld his move, applying for the first time the “Filipino First” policy enshrined in the Constitution.

Through the relentless efforts of Chairman Yap, Manila Hotel has been preserved and updated to remain a beacon of Philippine tourism, a venue of great events, a home to visiting local and international personalities, a national historic landmark adjudged as one of the best hotels in Asia.

Don Emilio was a man who chose the high moral ground. He asked me to immediately turn down offers to set up a casino at Manila Hotel, stressing the evils of gambling and how it destroys families.

He truly cared for fellow Filipinos. To help create more jobs for Filipinos, Chairman Yap told me he’d rather invest his wealth in our country.He dreamt that one day Filipinos would no longer go to foreign lands for work and be separated from their families.

And Don Emilio’s generosity was legendary. Countless stories have been told about countless blessings people received from him: scholarships, housing support, medical, hospitalization and burial assistance, even birthday treats — without fanfare or expectation of anything in return.

As for Jovito Salonga who died March 10, 2016, at age 95, I’ve always admired him as an excellent statesman and outstanding Senate president of the 8th Congress in which I had the honor to be part of during my first term as senator in 1987.

At a time when people were beginning to be more cynical and wary of traditional politicians, Salonga was among the few highly respected and dignified political leaders who truly deserved to be called honorable. He raised the standard of public discourse as he remained above the fray and was not known to engage in petty political squabbles.

I remember the time when I supported his rival for the Senate presidency; not a hint of resentment or vindictiveness could be seen in him. It was then I realized the depth of Salonga’s statesmanship and sincerity to serve the common good.

He was very gracious to grant me, though I was the youngest senator then, the chairmanship of four Senate committees: Youth and Sports; Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlements; Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws and Codes; and Science and Technology. He allowed me to chair the biggest number of committees at that time.

I had a glimpse of Salonga’s brilliance in law when we crafted the Anti-Coup D’ Etat Law (RA 6968) that I sponsored in the Senate. His other significant pieces of legislation include the Anti-Plunder Law, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, the State Scholarship Law, and the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.

Ernesto Herrera was an exemplary legislator in both Houses of Congress who passed away on October 29, 2015, at age 73. It’s amazing how he conquered his physical handicap from polio to take on life’s challenges and even become summa cum laude when he got a master’s degree in Public Administration and magna cum laude when he earned his Ph.D. in Fiscal Studies.

Like the sublime paralytic Apolinario Mabini, Senator Herrera used his intellectual prowess to serve our country well. Despite his physical infirmity, Herrera stood tall as he represented the Philippines in international organizations abroad where he pursued his advocacies on labor and human rights. He became the first Asian and second individual — next to Solidarity Movement leader and former Poland President Lech Walesa — to receive the George Meany International Human Rights Award in 1985.

He became champion of the working class when he served the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines as its secretary-general and eventually as its president. His reputation was never tarnished with any allegation of malfeasance in public service.

As senator, Boy Herrera was excellent. He crafted 20 laws, among the highest legislative feats in the 8th and 9th Congress, that include the landmark Migrant Workers’ Act of 1995 and creation of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

For six months before he died, we had constant meetings on a wide range of issues concerning his newly founded Katipunan ng mga Manggagawa at Magsasakang Pilipinas that he envisioned to truly help workers, farmers, fishermen, urban poor, indigenous people, OFWs, people with disabilities, senior citizens, youth, women, and other sectors.

May God grant eternal rest for the souls of these great Filipinos whose phenomenal achievements in life are worth remembering and emulating.