Helena Benitez: 100 & looking radiant

It was in the early ’80s when I first met the venerable Helena Benitez, who is fondly called Tita Helen. She was running for a seat in Congress and I was in charge of entertainment for the campaign sorties. I also found myself sitting in PR, marketing, branding brainstorming sessions. It was a party. Armed with borrowed books on PR, impertinence, courage, my proud Waray roots, infinite imagination, a lot of gumption and bravado, I fit into this world of brave imagineers like fish to water. And Tita Helen was a formidable, seasoned, erudite, revered political brand.

It was during this time when I learned the essential fundamentals of politics. My only other exposure was when Tatay ran and won as Kapitan del Barrio in Borongan, Eastern Samar. But this one was big time! And I was a few steps away to being the singkil princess. And Tita Helen was kind to me. She had an enormous capacity to listen without compromising her wise, judicious opinions. She was a statesman of the highest order and an intellectual openness that was both amazing and humbling. She was a teacher in the political arena — used to having people listen to her. The difference was, Tita Helena genuinely listened to others and to herself.

It was at this time when I became a disciple of the great Helena Benitez.

Tita Helen will turn 100 years old tomorrow, June 27. She is a leading figure in the fields of education, women empowerment, civil society, public service, environment, arts and culture promotion and diplomacy and international relations.

She is currently the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Women’s University (PWU) where she shares deeply-rooted connection since its foundation in 1914 — as a student, campus leader, classroom teacher, academic dean, executive vice president and president. Tita Helen holds bachelor’s degrees in Arts and in Education with magna cum laude honors from PWU; a master’s degree from George Washington University; and post-graduate studies at Iowa State College.

One of the staunchest supporters of women empowerment and civil society, she was a multi-term president of the Civic Assembly of Women of the Philippines (now National Council of Women of the Philippines). She is the first Filipina to chair the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Together with the late Josefa Llanes Escoda, they founded the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.

As a legislator, Tita Helen authored the National Manpower and Youth Development Act, which evolved into TESDA, the Philippine Eagle Protection Law and the first National Building Code of the Philippines.

A well-known lover of arts and culture, Tita Helen founded the Bayanihan, the national folk dance company of the country by an act of the Philippine Congress.

Among the various awards and honors she received are the Papal Award Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, the Order of Sikatuna, rank of Datu, from the Philippine government; the Mother Teresa Award for humanitarian services; the Democracy Hall of Fame International from the National Graduate University of Washington, D.C. (others in the Hall of Fame were US Presidents Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan); and seven honoris causa doctorates.

As Tita Helen turns 100 years old, there’s a series of celebrations. The first one was held last June 23 at Mira-Nila, the Benitez ancestral home in Quezon City, and tomorrow, at the PWU, Taft campus in Manila.

The pre-celebration last June 23 featured the culinary creations of Ang Sariling Atin Culinary Heritage Institute (ASA) curated by Amy Besa. The culinary tribute included the best of Cavite and Laguna cuisines prepared by Chef Romy Dorota and Chef Joseph Galvez of Purple Yam Brooklyn and Malate, Corazon Legaspi of Imus, Cavite and Chef Theodore Day Salonga of Ted’s in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, among others.

Tomorrow, the celebration will start at 3 p.m. with a concelebrated Mass by Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Fr. Wency Serafica and Fr. Paul Marquez at the PWU Chapel. With the theme Tita Helen @ 100 — A Celebration of Love and Service, the program will feature the PWU alumni and the Bayanihan.

A few weeks ago, she asked to be brought to the room at PWU where I was presenting my proposal for my doctoral dissertation in social development. Of course, we all stopped including my distinguished panel of academic doctors.

Tita Helen looked radiant. She was quick with her repartee, “Pasado ba?” she asked in jest. “Thank you, Tita Helen. I love you,” I whispered.

She smiled and touched my face gently, perhaps thinking that her naughty Boy has not stopped learning, just as she taught him that the only way to go is to remain a pupil forever!

Happy birthday and long live Tita Helen Benitez!