THE CHAIRMAN and chief executive officer (CEO) of UnionBank urged Thomasians to “teach young people by example and model by behavior” after receiving an honorary doctorate degree, honoris causa, from the University in recognition of his contributions in business and public service.
“I urge you all to go forth, touch a heart, inspire a soul, make a difference, enable communities, and make humanity back to capitalism. This is the right path,” said Justo Ortiz in his acceptance address in the solemn investiture rites today, Dec. 9, at the Medicine Auditorium.
UST Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P., said that Ortiz is one of the individuals “who blurs the line between tradition and modernity with his unique brand of leadership” because of his passion to preserve heritage and promote literacy.
“Mr. Ortiz puts high premium on institutional heritage and national memory. For him, the past is a vast story of cultural truths and timeless memories,” Dagohoy said.
UnionBank gave the University its full support for the conservation, digitization, and publication of Heritage Library Historical Collections and University Archives.
As a philanthropist, Ortiz spearheaded the UnionBank Learning System program which donated books to over 2.5 million grade 2 pupils nationwide, with the purpose of making Filipino children literate and proficient in English.
Described as an “extraordinary leader of enterprise,” Ortiz was tapped to lead UnionBank when he was 35.
The UnionBank head was in the list of BusinessWorld’s Top CEOs and was named as one of the country’s most tech-savvy CEOs.
Ortiz was the second to be conferred an honoris causa this year, following Mercury Drug Corporation founder Mariano Que last September.
UST confers honorary doctorate degrees on individuals that make exemplary contributions in the arts, sciences, humanities, and public service with tangible and relevant accomplishments. F – Gaea Katreena C. Cabico
