Philippine presidents looked at him with respect, and remember him for his kindness and generosity.
 

Business tycoon, media mogul, and philanthropist Dr. Emilio T. Yap was Chairman, Don Emilio, Boss to most, but to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, he was like a father.
One time during her presidency, Arroyo was nursing a very bad cold. Don Emilio was watching a televised press conference from Malacanang and noticed her nasal voice and her coughing. He sent her medicines even before the press conference ended. Arroyo, upon receiving the red tubular case containing the traditional Chinese medicine, expressed her appreciation to Don Emilio for “taking good care of me like a father.”

Former president Corazon “Cory” Aquino named him a member of the Council of State in 1986. The top-level advisory body was tasked to provide the President with reliable information and competent advice on pressing issues and problems of national interest.

Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada gave Don Emilio a presidential citation in 2000 in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the nation.

President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino called Don Emilio “a good friend, not only of my mother, but of the entire family as well.”
 

“Indeed, he was a true exponent of Philippine progress,” Aquino said.

Aquino’s Press Secretary, Herminio “Sonny” Coloma, now Manila Bulletin’s Publisher, described Yap’s stewardship of the Manila Bulletin for more than four decades as “his enduring legacy.”

“He has shaped and steered a major newspaper that has become a standard-bearer of the Filipino nation; an institution whose continuing relevance and resiliency are rooted in the newspaper’s faith and pride in the Filipino people and in their civic consciousness.”
 

Lessons learned
Doing what is right and good was the core of the lessons learned by Manila Bulletin employees from Chairman Yap: “Be good. Be kind. Be true. Be honest.”
“Always be fair and accurate in your reporting. There are always two sides – sometimes, even three – to a story.”

“It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, but bad news reporting could destroy it quickly.”

His sense of fairness was rooted on his belief in giving people a second chance: “When a person or institution is already down on its knees, you don’t join those who are kicking him or maligning it. You extend a hand to help the person or institution stand up again.”

Don Emilio was the chairman of Manila Bulletin from 1984 to 2014, the Manila Hotel (1997-2014), Centro Escolar University (2002-2014), and chairman emeritus of Philtrust Bank; and established Euro Med Pharmaceuticals, US Automotive Company, and Philippine President Lines.

Papal Award
Don Emilio was the recipient of a Papal Award, the Noble Knighthood of the Pontifical Order of St. Sylvester conferred by His Holiness, Pope John Paul III on Sept. 23, 1997. The award said: “For the work he had done for the good and the growth of the Church and the promotion of Catholic values.”

On Aug. 3, 2015, the Philippine Red Cross honored Don Emilio by naming an entire hall in the new PRC Tower on EDSA as the Don Emilio T. Yap Hall and Apheresis Center.
He received over 400 awards and citations from the government, professional, and civic organizations and was conferred 23 honorary doctoral degrees from universities in the Philippines and abroad.

Under Yap’s leadership, Manila Bulletin became a public corporation in 1990. The newspaper was originally founded as the Daily Bulletin in 1900.