BACOLOD CITY – The University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) here conferred an honorary degree on prominent businesswoman Olivia Villaflores Yanson for her philantrophic work and valuable contributions in the community.
OLIVIA Villaflores Yanson, accompanied by her son Leo Rey (third from left) and Ginnette Yanson-Dumancas (standing, center), receives her honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management (Honoris Causa) during the conferment rites at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) gymnasium in Bacolod City on Wednesday, August 30, in the presence of Dr. Raul Alvarez (second from right), Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-Western Visayas chief, Rev. Fr. Joel Alve, OAR (second from left), university president, and Dr. Dennis Madrigal (left), dean of the Recoletos de Bacolod Graduate School. (Glazyl Masculino)
Yanson, accompanied by her son Leo Rey, and Ginnette Yanson-Dumancas, received a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management (Honoris Causa) degree during the conferment rites at the UNO-R gymnasium on Wednesday, August 30.
The conferment of Yanson was based on the recommendation of the UNO-R Board of Trustees and approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-Western Visayas.
Yanson, 89, is the second among the four children of Dolores Selibio Torrillo and Cayo Mira Villaflores, who finished nursing from Siliman University in Negros Oriental.
“OVY,” as fondly called by her close friends, said that she chose the nursing profession with a calling to serve humanity with compassion and caring as the basic core elements of her noble profession.
“Neither my parents nor I myself would have come to envision that there was far more in store for me throughout my life which began with the compassion and caring commitment to humanity,” she added.
She founded the OVY Educational and Health Cares Foundation Inc. to provide educational and health care assistance to the underprivileged.
Yanson said that she sponsored a group of physicians and surgeons from Pennsylvania, United States to come and perform surgery for needy families with children who had cleft lip and cleft palate.
“That was a very rewarding mission as I saw the happy faces of children who were once withdrawn and shy because of their deformity transform into more confident children,” she added.
Yanson also supported education by providing buildings and educational resources to schools and colleges and funding the education of underprivileged children.
Fate also led her to become a successful entrepreneur when she and her late husband Ricardo Yanson started a transportation business which is considered the largest in Southeast Asia.
The Yanson matriarch owns the country’s largest bus company group, which began in 1968, with more than 18,000 employees now.
“It was never easy at the beginning, the hardships involved financial difficulties in starting a business and there were so many other challenges,” she said.
But she noted that in the course of their transportation business, there were numerous opportunities such as providing jobs to people and witnessing the realities of life for people who helped them in their business, such as their employees and their families.
She also expressed her concern for the environment and used her resources to take protective action in the reforestation of more than 750 hectares of denuded land in Basay town and Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, and Talisay City, Negros Occidental.
She also advocated for the rehabilitation of marine sanctuaries in Dauin, Negros Oriental.
“Every day, there was something for me to do, the business aspect was a major role for me, but the humanity aspect was even a bigger role because human lives are at stake and that is precious,” Yanson said as she thanked UNO-R for bestowing her such recognition.
“I will treasure this PhD degree as a testament of my achievements and my legacy to the works," she said.
Dr. Raul Alvarez, director of CHED-Western Visayas, said that Honoris Causa is given because of the outcome, manifestation of compassion, and leadership.
A Mass of the Holy Spirit led by Rev. Fr. Rafael Pecson, OAR, president of Recoletos Educational Apostolate in the Philippines, was held prior to the conferment rites which was attended by employees, friends, and family members of Yanson.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo "Albee" Benitez and wife Nikki also graced the occasion.