Today, Tuesday, 27th of September 2016, the Ateneo de Manila will be conferring its Traditional University Awards to recognize the life and works of men and women in our society who exemplify the values of the university.
This year, our Board of Trustees has chosen to award four individuals and a group, all exemplars in their respective fields. They are: Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines, Parangal Lingkod Sambayanan; Aga M, Butocan, Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi; Beatriz P Tesoro, Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi; Austere A. Panadero, Government Service Award; and Adolfo S. Azcuna, Lux-in-Domino Award.
Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines, although it has been in the Philippines for 22 years, became well known for its relief operations in Leyte in the aftermath of Typhoon “Yolanda.” Their long-time work on disaster relief and rehabilitation, education, medicine, and environmental protection positioned them well for their extraordinary contribution to the “Yolanda” effort. In Leyte, the foundation alleviated the suffering of the poor, especially disaster victims, not only in terms of scale but also in the swift and effective way in which they are carried out. And they did so, as the announcement of this Parangal Lingkod Sambayanan describes it, “with joy, peace, kindness, and compassion.”
For the Tanglaw ng Lahi award, bestowed on artists, the Ateneo de Manila will recognizes today the work of a musician from Mindanao and an icon in Philippine design.
Aga Mayo Butocan is a kulintang master musician and ethnomusicologist from Maguindanao. Among others, he devised a musical notation system for the instrument so that it could be taught in a formal academic setting to non-Maguindanaons. As a professor at the College of Music of the University of the Philippines for more than 40 years, she has given lectures and performances on the kulintang both here and abroad. She has also produced kulintang virtuosos and introduced many young Filipinos to the beauty, complexity, and richness of this indigenous musical tradition.
Patis Tesoro is the Grand Dame of Philippine Fashion, having devoted 30 years of her life to resurrecting the art and use of traditional Filipino fabrics, most significantly piña cloth. In fact, in the 1980s, our awardee worked hard to reverse the decline of piña cloth production in the country. As the announcement of her award acknowledges, Ms. Tesoro continues to play a critical role as an advocate of traditional Philippine textiles by focusing now on reviving the production of organic Philippine cotton. In addition, she has brought Filipiniana designs to our contemporary consciousness and has brought the beauty of our traditional wear to the attention of the world.
Finally, two public servants will be recognized in today’s ceremony. Undersecretary Panadero and Justice Azcuna are both colleagues and personal friends; they are both personal heroes. I am thrilled that the University is conferring them two of our most prestigious awards.
For the government service award, the Ateneo de Manila chose Panadero of the Department of Interior and Local Government. A veteran public servant, Undersecretary Panadero has worked for government for more than 35 years and has served six presidents from Corazon C. Aquino to Rodrigo Duterte. He has worked under 11 local government department secretaries, performing his duties with the utmost excellence and unquestionable integrity. Within the executive branch and the good governance community of practice, he is well known as an advocate of inclusive local governance, promoting gender equality, sustainable development, and the welfare of children, the elderly, indigenous peoples, and persons with disability.
In recognizing Panadero, the Ateneo de Manila University is conscious that there are other several senior government officials like him—of the same caliber, motivated solely by commitment to public interest, and absolutely incorruptible. The undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and directors form the management backbone of any administration. Whether political or career, no government would be able to deliver its mandate without this core of senior officials. Undersecretary Panadero represents the best and most senior of them and the government award conferred upon him should also be seen as recognition of the work of such past and present senior officials.
Finally, Adolf Azcuna will be conferred the highest university recognition, the Lux-in-Domino award reserved for the alumni of the Ateneo de Manila. I know Justice Azcuna well. I am familiar with his jurisprudence as Supreme Court Justice, and have seen him in action as an influential advocate of human rights and international humanitarian law. I currently work with him at the Philippine Judicial Academy, which he leads as Chancellor.
Justice Azcuna represents the ideals of the Ateneo de Manila in his service for the country—as an official of the Corazon Aquino administration, as a Supreme Court associate justice, in his work in the Philippine Judicial Academy, and as a commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). Among human rights advocates, we admire Azcuna most for his relentless work towards the protection of human rights as one of the drafters of the 1987 Constitution where he was responsible for expanding the rule-making power of the Supreme Court to include the protection of constitutional rights. But most of all, we recognize our awardee for his strong advocacy of the writ of amparo, which has been described the “greatest legal weapon to protect the constitutional rights of the people.”
When former Chief Justice Reynato Puno officially announced in 2007 the promulgation of the writ of amparo, a brainchild of our awardee, he did not exaggerate when he said: “Today, the Supreme Court promulgated the rule that will place the constitutional right to life, liberty and security above violation and threats of violation. This rule will provide the victims of extralegal killings and enforced disappearances the protection they need and the promise of vindication for their rights . . . The sovereign Filipino people should be assured that if their right to life and liberty is threatened or violated, they will find vindication in our courts of justice.”
These are not happy times for the Philippines. Every day, we hear disturbing news of deaths in many poor neighborhoods. The global news coverage of the Philippines is massive and uniformly negative. In these times, it is important to remember that we are not defined by our President’s language or the massacre of the poor. Today, in our small hill of Loyola, we will do that as we celebrate excellence and service to the nation by four great Filipinos and a wonderful organization. In conferring these awards, the Ateneo de Manila University hopes to inspire our students and others to themselves excel and serve so that we may transform this country to be a beacon of human rights, peace, and justice.
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