I had the privilege of being in exclusive meetings with two intellectual and philanthropic giants: Dr. Rolando del Carmen and Dr. Angel Chua Alcala, mostly about Silliman University, the institution they both loved most.
The late Dr. del Carmen periodically gave thousands of dollars to the Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center for Law and Development, and the SU Angelo King Center for Research & Environmental Management, which Dr Alcala then directed.
Dr. del Carmen would meet us everytime he visited Silliman. Dr. Alcala and I would talk about our respective programs, especially about research. He would express his pleasure about the Silliman Law Journal which the SU College of Law revived during my terms as dean.
Dr. Alcala was also pleased with the research grants the Salonga Law Center received from the USAID and the GIZ. Under the auspices of the German GIZ grant, the Salonga Law Center facilitated the enactment of the Southern Leyte Provincial Environmental Code, and the Leyte Provincial Environmental Code. The Salonga Law Center then had a team of brilliant consultants – Dr. Alcala, Atty. Marcelino Chua Maxino, and Dr. Ben Malayang III.
It was in one of our Leyte visits that we bonded and spent quality time together. Dr. Alcala told me about his successional plans for SUAKREM, and his disappointments with some aspects at Silliman University. He challenged me to continue research endeavors at the College of Law, and in the Salonga Law Center.
Another bonding moment, much earlier, was the time we resisted the Philippine Port Authority’s plan to reclaim the sea fronting Silliman University to accommodate a passenger terminal and container vans.
With the blessings of Dr. Alcala, I filed a Petition for Injunction directly with the Supreme Court. That was a risk we took just to call wide and urgent public attention to the concern.
As we had expected, the Petition was eventually dismissed for failure to observe the hierarchy of courts, but our objective was achieved. The Petition was brought to the attention of national officialdom, and President Arroyo, with valuable help from Silliman honorary alumnus and good friend, the late President Ramos, put an immediate stop to the PPA reclamation plan.
What distinguishes Dr. Alcala from other intellectual giants was his remarkable humility. He would never make another feel inferior or lesser than him. He would pat my shoulder and endearingly call me “Do” which is equivalent to Bai or Pare (the affectionate terms reserved for good friends). He called many others “Do”, including janitors, security guards, drivers, and employees.
Dr. Alcala refused being treated special during our visitations to Leyte. He ate what we ate, and where we ate; he slept where we slept; he rode what we rode.
In one of our meetings, Dr. del Carmen suggested the special dormitory for Silliman’s honor students, and the honors program to especially manage the Dr. del Carmen funds and scholarships, to be named after Dr. Angel C. Alcala.
Dr. Alcala smilingly refused. He just said he does not deserve such an honor. Such a humble man!
Even from his sickbed, Dr. del Carmen urged me and Dr. Alcala to convince the University to establish the Dr. Alcala Honors Program which could focus on managing not only the scholarship funds and resources of the Dr. del Carmen Scholarship but also establish a special program for the scholars and the honor students to better provide them with the appropriate academic preparation and training.
Dr. Alcala simply suggested to name the program after the donor.
Dr Angel Chua Alcala has touched so many lives and hearts. You live on in the hearts of many.
Atty. Mikhail Lee Maxino
