UK university honors Ateneo's Fr. Nebres
08/30/2011
LONDON - The former president of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) has been given an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Liverpool Hope University.
Father Bienvenido Nebres, S.J. received the award at the university's recent commencement program in Liverpool.
According to the Liverpool Hope University website, the university acknowledged Father Nebres’ significant contributions in the field of education and social justice not only in the Philippines, but also in the entire Southeast Asian region. The university also honored him for his outstanding academic record.
The university website also cited Father Nebres’ active involvement when the Philippines was under martial law. He was one of the staunch supporters of the Church’s efforts against the Marcos regime that helped topple the dictatorship through the 1986 People Power Revolution.
Father Nebres was the longest-serving President of Ateneo de Manila University. His leadership began in 1993 and ended last April.
The Philippine Embassy in London also invited Father Nebres for a special meeting with embassy officials and UK-based Ateneo alumni.
During the meeting, he reminded Filipinos of the current state of education in the Philippines, where many are forced to stop schooling because of poverty.
“There are 2.4 million children who go to elementary schools every year, by Grade Three, 500,000 had dropped out already. By Grade Six, 800,000 thousand had dropped out,” he said.
Father Nebres noted that without education, change is not possible in the country.
“Without education nothing happens. Education and health can empower you,” he said.
But Father Nebres emphasized that the main reason of poverty in the Philippines is not completely caused by corruption.
“When people ask me what’s the main reason for poverty in the Philippines, of course corruption is a problem and so forth. But I tell them I don’t think it’s the biggest problem. The biggest problem is the disconnect,” he asserted.
He explained this disconnection as the ‘emotional gap’ between the people with resources and those who are in need.
He also stressed that this ‘emotional disconnection’ has caused the Philippines' unchanging landscape in terms of development and progress.
In order to stop this disconnection, he encouraged everyone to help rebuild the nation by providing support to local communities by helping schools.
Father Nebres cited the example of Pinoys in Guam who started support programs. “The Filcom community in Guam sent a container of books. They also provide eye glasses,” he said.
According to him, another way to bridge this emotional gap is to personally visit schools around poverty-stricken areas in the country, where different institutions like Ateneo carry out feeding programs for schoolchildren from poor families.
“To connect is the best way to build the nation. For example you can visit the Philippines and go to the lunch break of the students who are being fed,” he said.
Father Nebres also pointed out the importance of the role of the country’s decision-makers in achieving stable progress for the Filipino people.
“We only make progress when more and more decision-makers feel the problem. When they do, things will begin to change,” he said.
The former ADMU president is currently a member of the board of trustees of Georgetown University, Regis University and the Asian Institute of Management.
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