Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Eagles of Excellence by Michelle Dayrit-Soliven (Phil Star July 26, 2009)

Eagles of Excellence
FAMILY JEWELS by Michelle Dayrit-Soliven Phil. Star, July 26, 2009


The Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame Foundation awards Chris Tiu with a plaque of recognition for his excellence in sports and in academics. Handing him the award are ASHOF chairman Victor Sison, Michael Escaler and Tito Panlilio.
Upon his recent graduation, the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) honored a prodigious young Ateneo alumnus for his recent achievement as an excellent athlete, honor student and his success as a mass media personality. His name is Chris Tiu, definitely a certified well-rounded handsome eagle.

In that ASHOF recognition ceremony, it was interesting to discover that Chris Tiu follows a pedigreed line of noteworthy Ateneo alumni who earlier lived and pursued a highly successful well-rounded regimen.

These eagles lived and breathed mens sana in corpore sano, a sound mind in a sound body, in its purest and highest standard. Truly, they are excellent examples of excellence.

Chris Tiu is in good company. Ateneo has produced many outstanding well-rounded honor student-athletes. Of a much older generation, there was Jose Rizal, a champion fencer-summa cum laude-national hero combined. There was Ambrosio Padilla, an Olympic cager-bar topnotcher-senator and Luis “Moro” Lorenzo, national cager-honor student-prosperous businessman.

Of a younger generation, there are Ateneo Sports Hall of Famers who were honor students and now highly successful in their professional or business pursuits. Consider Arben Santos, Michael Escaler, Cristino “Tito” Panlilio, Edmidio “Boy” Ramos, Gregorio “Ogie” Narvasa, IT professional Edwin Chow, top banker Aurelio “Gigi” Montinola and Juan “Johnny” Velasquez of the popular Spirit of ’67 fame.

It is interesting to note that all these well-rounded eagles were Jesuit-trained from prep to college. It is definitely this valuable academic foundation that has made it possible for them to be honor students in this tough educational institution.

Here are their brief stories:
Arben Santos
A true blue Atenean, shipping man and Management Engineering graduate Arben Santos was an all-around athlete playing varsity basketball, football, softball and track and field in the late ’60s. In high school, for overall athletic prowess, he was chosen Athlete of the Year. To this day, he is the only Atenean known to have joined four varsity sports. In 1968, he scored the winning goal to bring the NCAA football championship to Ateneo.
Arben is the owner of his own shipping company, Southwest Maritime. He also owns five Japan-built LPG vessels chartered by Shell. He managed the Ateneo senior basketball team from 1998 to 2005, and produced the 2002 champion team.

Michael Escaler
Between 1967 to 1972 was the golden era of NCAA track and field competitions. The cheering crowd from different NCAA schools would fill the Rizal Memorial Track Stadium. Michael, an AB Economics honorable mention graduate and president of the Student Catholic Action, completely dominated the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash, and from high school to college, Michael was unbeaten in the sprints. Michael eventually ran for the country in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Today, he is the owner of the country’s biggest sugar trading company, All Asian Countertrade, Inc. (ACCI) and is also chairman of PASUDECO sugar mill, and the San Fernando Electric Light & Power Company, Inc. (SFELAPCO).

Cristino “Tito” Panlilio
Like many star athletes of his time, Cristino “Tito” Panlilio was a multi-sports varsity player. He excelled in basketball and in athletics. Tito was a member of the NCAA College ’69 basketball champion team, and was a two-time NCAA all-star basketball team member.
At the end of the basketball season, he would practice for the high, broad and triple jumps, where he likewise reaped gold and silver medals in the NCAA track meets.
Tito, indefatigable in sports, is likewise a consistent honor student and an Ateneo MBA with distinction. He was perennial class president. Today, he is the president of Balibago Waterworks System, Inc. (BWSI), the biggest privately-owned provincial waterworks company. He is also a director of Maybank Philippines, Inc. and active in the Rotary Club of Makati and the upliftment of Filipino workmanship through Galing Pilipino Foundation.

Edmidio “Boy” Ramos
In his school days, Edmidio “Boy” Ramos was consistently on the top of his class, likewise winning in elocution, reading and mathematics. He also received the “Boy Scout of the Year” award. In college, he finished the Economics honors course.
He excelled in volleyball, having played for the juniors team that won the championship in the NCAA in 1973 and 1974. And again duplicating the feat in the seniors division in 1976 and 1977. These four championships may be hard to duplicate in the many years to come. As the team’s captain, he merited such awards as the “Most Valuable Player of the Ateneo NCAA” and “Outstanding Athlete” for volleyball.
In 2001, he joined Monark (the exclusive distributor of Caterpillar equipment) and five years later, became the current president. He is active in the Ateneo Alumni Affairs in raising funds for many alumni projects.

Gregorio “Ogie” Narvasa II
All throughout his life, lawyer Gregorio “Ogie” Narvasa II played championship basketball and was the MVP awardee in high school. Such accomplishment paved the way to his participation in the RP national basketball team which competed both in the Pesta Sukan Tournament in Singapore and the ABC Youth Basketball Tournament in Manila in 1978 and 1979.
In college, Ogie finished the Business Management honors program, then went to UP law school where he ranked eighth in his class and earned a membership to the prestigious Order of the Purple Feather honors society.
This founding partner of the noted Fortun Narvasa & Salazar Law Office was a consistent honor student and recipient of the prestigious Evelio Javier Award in 1977.
Despite his hectic schedule, Ogie, a young widower for eight years now, devotes much time in rearing his four growing children.

Edwin Chow
Edwin Chow finished his five-year BS Management Engineering course in four-and-a-half years while finding himself in the Dean’s List as well. At the same time, he garnered gold medals in the NCAA high jump event in the late ’70s, and a silver in the National Open.
He was also in Gintong Alay in 1981. Edwin is also a NCAA gold medalist in the hurdles event. For his achievements in track and field for the Ateneo, he will be inducted into the ASHOF this August 2009.
Edwin is presently the GM of Lawson Philippine Solutions & Service Center and finds fulfillment in proving that the Filipino can be the best in computer programming.

Aurelio “Gigi” Montinola III
The well-respected and multi-awarded banker Aurelio “Gigi” Montinola III has studied and worked hard to be where he is now--as president of BPI.
Another true blue Atenean, Gigi is an MBA Harvard graduate. At the Ateneo, he finished Management Engineering, cum laude, and was valedictorian of his high school class ’68. He is a member of the Ateneo ’66 NCAA champion softball team and the ’67 NCAA Ateneo champion volleyball and golf team. To this day, Gigi maintains a near-single-digit golf handicap, a mean feat by itself.
In banking, the legacy he leaves to society is to make banking more accessible and affordable through alternative channels such as the ATM, phone and Internet.
Having spent a year in Paris as an exchange student, Gigi has maintained close cultural and business ties with France and was even conferred the honor of “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur” by the French government in 2007.

Juan “Johnny” Velasquez
Juan “Johnny” Velasquez is a top student-athlete-executive/entrepreneur, and in his midlife, attained a highly satisfying pursuit that of music artistry.
Johnny is the dashing vocalist of the lively Aliw awardee Spirit of ’67 band. But little do they know that he is a Stanford University MBA graduate after finishing AB Economics, cum laude.
In high school, he was a member of the NCAA 1966 Ateneo softball champion team, the golf team and a prominent cast member of Ateneo’s numerous annual drama productions--a certified well-rounded Atenean.
Today, Johnny is into property development, agribusiness ventures and heads a BPO operation of Solegy LLC, a New York company. Johnny believes Ateneo trained him for a higher purpose in life as to look after society’s greater good.

71 comments:

ianne said...

Congrats!

ianne said...

Congrats!

rujrpam said...

congratuations!keep it up. God Bless.

Anonymous said...

congrats to u! :)

Anonymous said...

congrats!

Nica said...

Congrats Chris! =) Im just a fan but Im proud of you! I can just imagine your parents right now... They raised you well :D

I may not be able to meet our national hero Jose Rizal (I really admire him and Im very proud of his accomplishments for our country) but Im looking forward of meeting you someday as I really look up to you.

mike :O said...

hello chris....



congratulations to your new accomplishment... you are really a pride of your school keep it up!!


continue the good job!!!


gbu...



-mike :O

Jayjay said...

hi kuya chris.
you're the best talaga.
:)
kuya, itatanong ko lng poh, plagi ka poh bang nanonood ng laban ng Blue Eagles??? si kuya charles lng poh kasi palagi kong nakikita.

hehehe.
cge poh.

bye.







------->John Jerick Orduña

Anonymous said...

its my first time na mag comemnt hehe and so happy ako ung una jeje..congrats po.. lagi ko binabasa blog mo..so inspiring...

mais said...

wow chris! congratulations! you really deserve this! :) you are an inspiration and a role model to the youth. :D

arrie said...

wow!congrats chris!u really deserve that title and award!God bless and more power!(clap2x) =D

lhen7 said...

WOW! I must say Ateneans are really good... very talented, hard working and intelligent... ^_^

CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS!!

You really deserve that recognition...

Erine said...

CongaTIUlations for the award!!!
Ang GAling!!!! KEep up the good spirits!
You know what? THe one thing I most admire about you isn't how you play basketball.. Its how you can keep your pace up with extra-curricular activities na hindi naiiwanan yung studies mo.. Sa dami ng commitments mo, nagawa mo pa ring maging on top..( weird, but true.. Yun talaga ang hinangaan ko..)

(Round of applause please...) God bless!!! Your parents must be so proud...

weng10282000 (",) said...

CONGRATS, CHRIS FOR HAVING THE ATENEO SPORTS HALL OF FAME FOUNDATION AWARDEE. YOU'VE DESERVE THE AWARD AND REALLY PROUD OF.

CHRIS, YOUR MISSION ACCOMPLISHED... BELIEVE IT!

SOAR HIGH!!! YOU'VE REACHIN' TO THE TOP!!! :)

GOD BLESS!!! :)

Unknown said...

congratulations!
you deserve it! a hardworking person deserves all the glory!

God bless!

take care!

jasmine said...

helo

CONGRATULATIONS!!

jennieca takano said...

cOngrats kua chris!..


Stay safe


GudLuck and GodbLess



xoxo


smOochess


Godspeed!..


ciao

JL said...

Hi Chris,

Congrats! Your the best talaga! No one can match you in all things! Even me, I can't achieve your achievement honestly, but still trying to achieve more and more in my life. Because you inspired me.

Wala na ako masabi sayo, ang galing mo talaga!

c16_c17 said...

hi Chris,

congrats for your new achievement. i am sure that your family are very proud of you and ofcoarse i am also proud of you.


may you continue as a very good model to us and as an inspiration.


we are always here to support you and to pray for you.
takecare.

kathkath

Anonymous said...

Congratulation! you really deserved the award.I'm sure that youre so proud you belong to those great alumnus. Godspeed.

AimMyeL said...

CongrAts Chris...^___^


cOntiue to be a role model and inspiration to our Filipino yOuth..


great day!!! Godbless^^

ina said...

Congratulations!!!

MiTch said...

Congrats Chris for another award! You deserved it! More to come! Take care. God bless! Mwah!

faye said...

Congratulations! High five! :)

michiko said...

what a cool award! congratulations chris! :) God bless!

simplegal said...

hey Chris! Congrats for this very well-deserved award! Ba't di ka nag-tweet nito?For sure,andami mag-rereply..:) Keep up the good work and stay grounded! God bless!

Anonymous said...

chris, any update on your decision to play for pba? anyway, congrats and i just want to share this blog (not mie) but an interesting one and it's entitled
"WHY PBA NEEDS CHRIS TIU", i dont know if you have read it already, check it out.

http://streloaded.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-pba-needs-chris-tiu.html

Sabria ü said...

You truly deserve a round of applause and standing ovation to boot! Congratulations, Chris! Keep it up! You've made us all proud once again.ü

haylin said...

wow!! That's so great.. You deserved it.. Keep it up Chris, I know there are more ahead! The ATENEO Community are all proud of TIU.

Congrats.
ingat!!

ian laput said...

Congratulations to you.
It goes to show that you have made the right decisions most of your student life and capitalize in every talent, skill and intelligence that you have to become an inspiration to others...
Ateneo still produce good students for that matter with it's balanced way of teaching and forming the human personality.
Ad majorem Dei gloriam.
Luceat Lux Vestra nunc et sempter

chie said...

WoW! Congratulations! You're such an achiever! ^.^

Peach said...

Congratulations! credits to your parents. Also, you did your part very well :)

Continue to be a model Mr. Chris Tiu! :)

ross kline said...

Congrats Chris! I hope that you continue to be an inspiration for other young people. I am a UPian but I salute the Ateneans like you!

Anonymous said...

Hey congratz u deserve it.

Go Chris ONE BIG FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!

Continue to be a blessing to everyeone.


Just enjoy your lyf have fun and live your lyf to the fullest.

mi_ca86 said...

congratz... just some thoughts to share
~the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.~fr wise words

Yong's world said...

wow, another award for my Tiuperman!!!

congrats po!!! you truly deserved it, being a cum laude and a captain of your basketball team and bringing home the bacon on your last year with the blue eagles. what more can they ask for!!!

you are really the pride of ateneo, your family and friends as well as your fans and supporters and of course, your kapuso network!!!

keep on reaching your dreams and i am always here to support and pray for the success on your next endevours!!!

i love you, my TIUperman!!!

alwys keep safe!!!

♥jen♥ said...

Congratulations Mr. TIU!!!
just want to ask, kasama ka ba s PBA Draft?
thanks.. :D
take care..
God Bless.. :)

Anonymous said...

congrats!

CONAN EDOGAWA said...

congrats!!!

belated...
xempe you're special!!! at sa maraming paraang di mo pa alam noh

kua panu ba maka-shoot the way you're doing it?
kasi i have dis irritating practical exams on P. E. and i can't even shoot for once!

please baka naman may alam kang key points maawa ka na...

THANKzzzzzzzzz

P-chy (crazypeach) said...

Omedetou! Chukhae! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!! You truly deserve it!!!!!! ^_^

Anonymous said...

If were just only close friends. I wish it's true that were friends. So that everyday, everytime I'm thinking of you if your ok or busy or whatever your doing. I know to myself that you fine. Even I just saw you on Tv,magazines,internet,etc You make me smile, even a simple smile. And complete my day. You make my day perfect. If I'm gonna give a chance to see and meet you, well, I'm gonna be the happiest person in this world. I'll try to send lots of email to pinoyrecord, but no reply. Maybe I'm not that lucky to watch your taping. I also send it to your personal email, hope you can read it. If only I'm lucky........

I'll try to leave my #. Hope you give time to read my post.

09323124751

JL said...

Hi Chris,

Online kb ngaun? Kc knina lng wl nk post n coment dyan ngaun meron n, hehehe

Henna Rose said...

congratulations! it`s nice to see that you joined those alumni who did very well in both sports and academics. you really deserved it. anyway, just like to share to you that we had a mass earlier in our school. our priest`s homily was about St. Ignatius of Loyola since it`s his feast day today. :)

AMDG
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

sherilyn said...

hi chris,

Congratulations!!!
Ateneo should be proud of you...a certified role model for the youth...:)
Keep it up!!!

I create my own twitter account!! because of you..:)

death_ether_no_more said...

this one comes in late by 4 days now but i guess it's better late than never hehe.congratulations.

don't you find your follower's comment here funny lol.It reminds me of the days when I hated practicals for basketball coz i wasn't good at them. But with some pure luck, I made successful shots haha. A few shots that made me pass the course haha. I couldn't imagine failing PE.Ridiculous isn't it ?hehe

Going back to your post,it's really inspiring and very motivating to know stories of people's success despite having busy schedules, extracurricular activities and all. It makes people want to explore the possibilities and take advantage of their potentials and be well-grounded individuals.

gute nacht Chris Tiu.

Trish said...

CONGRATS men!

Anonymous said...

that is so cool. congratulations!
you deserve it.
well, keep up the good work.
Take Care Always and God Bless!

ahly_17 said...

wow!

Congratulations Chris! =)

you really deserve this!

we're very proud of you!

God Bless you!
keep it up! =)

almira said...

congratulations. you truly deserve it!

janine de gracia said...

.congratulations!.

.were really proud of you.

.i'm so glad to finally found someone who can do all this things without getting tired.
.you really inspire many people.
.just don't change.
.keep up the good work!.


.you deserve this Eagles of Excellence.
.you are a living proof of a youth to be proud of!.


.you already reached many things and we hope you continue to do many things that will inspire us.

.take good care of yourself.
.Godbless.

:))

bfrances said...

Congratulations, Kuya Chris! More success to you! :)

Ben Francis Rances

Anonymous said...

ahm. kua chris is it true that u will come to araullo university for the ako mismo.? hope its true =]
im ur no.1 fan, hope to see you der =]

lhubb u.=]

hannah monicqa said...

eillow!!!hehehe... belated happy birthday! sorry for the late greeting ha...been so busy kasi eh...hehehe..eniweiz, i wish you the best in life and may God bless you always! *mwahugs!*hehehe

c16_c17 said...

hi Chris,

i just saw your tweet on twitter. how's your check up? is it ok? hope your ok, because i'm worrying. you should take care of yourself. don't get too tired, eat a lot, take your vitamins and get a complete rest.

haiy..
btw my account on twitter is maucy_05.

takecare always, 'cause i care!

kath:)

Karla said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Leigh said...

Hi Chris!!!

Congrats you deserve it....
I am so very proud of you....
Keep it up Godbless!!!

XOXO,Leigh

ryanne1823 said...

you workd hard its for you

Anonymous said...

congrats po!

your an idol talaga...

god bless you po...

Anonymous said...

congrats to tiu...u....

Unknown said...

hi! i want to ask, have you have any frustrations in life? wala lang, i just thought your too good to be true.

i know medyo malayo ang comment, ah di pala medyo it is totally unrelated.

it just makes me wonder....

lieutenant said...

congratulations..you deserve it chris../

Karla said...

You have been greatly blessed. I am glad that you chose to live a life in accordance with His will and I admire you for that.

You have inspired me to be better and better each day, closer and closer to Him. Thank you for your example. Thank you sooo much!

Keep inspiring!

Be grateful. ^_^

Christine said...

hi! are you going to be in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija tomorrow? God bless

erica said...

Chris,

CONGRATS!
another achievement! another opportunity to be thankful and be more humble.

btw, you have A LOT of followers on twitter. does this mean less blog entries? what will happen to fanatext? are you still going to make a fan site on facebook? i remember u mentioned that to us during fanatext...

no basketball clinic for us on xavier this sat. so see us next sat na lang :D (we hope)

how was your check-up nga pla? hope its nothing serious...

btw, ill be watching the game on sunday! galit-galit muna tyo. hehe.


always,
erica

jm said...

kaw kua chris.d qa dumating sa ako mismo sa araullo.
tgal nming nghintay aa..
=[

buti nlng mabait c kua mac aidriano.

haii. ka disappoint
=[

Anonymous said...

hi kuya!!!! i'm miff.. i know napakatagal na... but i want to ask kung sino yung mga Archers nung umatend ng party nyo sa Fiama nung 2008.. please..

Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

hi! visit UST naman some time so we could see you :)

Anonymous said...

congratulations for that prestigious award. may i ask, is cristino “tito” panlilio the husband of sabrina panlilio? :)

...and oh, i hope you will blog one of these days about your thoughts on president corazon aquino and how the filipinos reacted to her passing away. i do hope though, that the outpour of love for our EDSA hero translates us registering, voting WISELY and being vigilant esp this coming 2010 elections.

Anonymous said...

eowzz ..

congratulations.!!!
you deserve it!!

i'm sure that your parents are super proud of you ..

keep it up kuya chris!! hehe (^^,)

simplytoogood17 said...

YIPEE!!!! panalo nanaman ADMU kahapon!!! u were so cute kua chris kapag may naka shoot nang ball... hahah! CONGRATS to ATENEO!!!



ONE BIG FIGHT!

Anonymous said...

Wow! I want my future progenies to go to Ateneo from prep to college and study Management Engineering and be just like these men.