My close friend, Oscar Hilado, just passed away at the age of 88, having lived a full life alongside his loving wife, Marilou, and their three children. I still remember his cheerful face from the very first moment I knew him in 1958, when we first met as CPA board examinees. He had just graduated from De La Salle College in Bacolod with a degree in B.S. Accounting. I had also majored in accounting in my LIA-COM course at De La Salle College Manila. Fortunately, both of us successfully hurdled the CPA board exam and shared the joy of being chosen as Fulbright scholars by the U.S. embassy. As fate would have it, we both ended up at Harvard University in September 1959—he at the Harvard Business School and I on the other side of the Charles River, at the School of Economics.

I grew closer to Oscar during those days at Harvard as we spent time together on weekends and other free time with his fellow Filipino classmates at the HBS to "depressurize" ourselves from the very demanding study hours of our respective courses. Oscar was famous among his classmates as one of the best tennis players. In the Philippines, he was almost at the same level as a classmate of mine at De La Salle Manila, the late Johnny “Butch” Jose, who was Philippine national tennis champion for some time. Later in his career as a top business executive, he would be known as a strong supporter of tennis. He supported financially and morally the development of a good number of young tennis players, including international tennis star, Alex Eala. As PHINMA Chair, he organized the PHINMA International Junior Tennis Championship and chaired the Philippine Tennis Academy.

Among the human virtues I admired in him was his unfailing optimism. He was among my close friends who always helped me look at the glass as half-filled instead of obsessing that it was half-empty. During our Harvard-days outings to nearby States like New Hampshire and Vermont, he was among the jolliest persons, absolutely without airs. I still remember with what abandon he started rolling on the snow-filled ground during our first winter, throwing snowballs at all of us. In every gathering, he always stood out for his infectious laughter and ever-optimistic mood.

It was this constant positive outlook that would explain his major contribution to the success of the PHINMA group of companies and, in turn, their concrete services to the common good of Philippine society. As the PHINMA conglomerate recalls in its tribute to him: “Through his stellar financial sense and business acumen, Mr. Hilado steered the Group through challenging times and into new frontiers. More importantly, Mr. Hilado’s unwavering commitment to making lives better has uplifted countless Filipinos and made a significant impact in the business community and civil society.”

When he returned to the Philippines from his Harvard studies, he started his lifetime career as a businessman and entrepreneur as the executive assistant of PHINMA founder, Ambassador Ramon del Rosario, Sr. Over the next six decades, he would make a name for himself as a manager and executive par excellence. He received numerous accolades from his peers in the business community. In 1991, he was named “Management Man of the Year” by the Management Association of the Philippines. A few years later, he received the Outstanding Fulbright Award for Business Management.

At heart, he was always an educator. That is why, under his leadership, PHINMA has gone deeply into investing in university education. The PHINMA Education group accounts for the largest enrollment of any private university system in the country, spread out in numerous regions all over the Philippines.

More than all these human accomplishments for which he was recognized, I am sure that what he considered his greatest achievement was that, in the eyes especially of his Creator, he was able to mold himself into what our De La Salle mentors referred to as “A Christian Gentleman,” using the language of St. John Baptist de la Salle. Oscar was the role model of a Christian Gentleman, as envisioned in the spirit of St. John Baptist de la Salle. In his personal life, he gave the highest priority to his relationship with God; then to his responsibilities as a husband and father; then came the sanctification of his work and of those with whom he worked; and finally his responsibility to promote the common good of the country.

To be more precise and to inspire all of us who are products of a La Sallian education to be faithful to our roots, let me describe in full the La Sallian spirit that was incarnate in the life of Oscar. As a reminder to the thousands of us who have studied at La Salle schools all over the country, let me quote from a summary of ChatGPT what was the idea of a Christian gentleman that Oscar lived to a very high degree. St. John Baptist de la Salle (1651 to 1719), founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, was deeply concerned with forming young men not only in learning but also in faith and upright living. His idea of a “Christian Gentleman” was not about wealth, titles, or worldly refinement, but about living as a true disciple of Christ with integrity, humility, and a spirit of service.

Oscar tried his best to live as a Christian Gentleman. This meant that his life was Christ-centered, lived in the presence of God, and rooted in prayer and the sacraments. He especially imitated Christ’s humility, charity, and patience. De la Salle emphasized modesty, honesty, and self-control as marks of a true gentleman who assiduously avoids vanity, pride, and vice, cultivating purity of heart and conduct. As Ex-Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima commented about Oscar, “Among the things I admired was how he treated everyone regardless of status in life or rank in the corporate hierarchy, with the same respect, kindness and the brightest of smiles.” This trait characterizes a Christian Gentleman in the spirit of St. de la Salle who considered courtesy not as superficial politeness but as respect grounded in Christian charity. A gentleman treats all—rich or poor, educated or uneducated—with dignity. The Christian gentleman is responsible, reliable, and conscious of his duties in family, community, and society. His greatness lies in service, especially to the poor and marginalized. This virtue was manifested in an outstanding way through the very generous donation Oscar gave La Salle Bacolod to fund an endowment that will enable the children of underprivileged families to acquire a La Sallian education.

In short, for St. John Baptist de la Salle, the Christian gentleman is a man of faith, virtue, respect, and service—formed by education and prayer—whose life reflects Christ’s love and who uses his gifts for the good of society, especially the most vulnerable. One cannot find better words to describe the life and actions of Oscar Hilado, Christian gentleman par excellence.