Historic and memorable

There are historic and memorable events worth commemorating either annually or at other periods of interval because of their valuable contributions and significant effects in life. Personally for me, there is one such event worth celebrating this year.

This happened even two years before I came into this world. It marked the founding of the institution that would shape my future in the legal profession, the Ateneo de Manila Law School. Our country then had just acquired its independence as a Commonwealth nation pursuant to the Philippine Independence Act or the Tydings-Macduffie Law of the US Congress requiring a Constitutional Convention to draft our own Charter which was approved on February 8, 1935 and ratified on May 14, 1935.

To be sure, as early as 1723, when we were still under the Spanish rule, the Manila Audiencia already established a chair for the teaching of law in the Jesuit College pursuant to the decree issued by King Philip of Spain in 1717 establishing three chairs of law in Manila, for canon law, civil law and Roman law. The first Jesuit assigned to teach law here was Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde. His lectures offered the first professional legal training in Manila. But with the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Philippines in 1781, the said school of law was closed.

When the Ateneo Law School thus formally first opened its doors on June 8, 1936, our people had just attained for the first time, the real independence they had been longing for after several hundred years of colonial rule. The School’s first Regent was Fr. Francis Reardon, S.J. while the first Dean was Atty. Manuel Lim. The founders must have really thought it was the most opportune time to establish the school with the end in view of contributing to the growth of our nation especially in promoting and strengthening of the rule of law which is very vital in nation building. No other time indeed is more ideal in helping shape the future of a country than when it is still young and malleable like the shoots of a tree.

Now on its 75th year of existence, it can really be said that the Ateneo Law School has made the legal firmament in our country very much brighter because of the radiance coming from the numerous legal luminaries it has produced. The Ateneo Law School alumni have indeed excelled in their various fields of endeavor as members of the academe, as law practitioners or as public servants in the different branches of our government. They brought honor to the School because of their brilliant, outstanding and dedicated performance in their respective jobs be it in the public or private sector. Enumerating them all here may run me out of space.

Ateneo’s product of legal luminaries can really be attributed to the Jesuit philosophy of education calling for a sound mind in a sound body (men sana en corpora sano). Undoubtedly, our intellectual capacity is better enhanced and will be fully developed if we are physically fit and devoid of any health problems. Hence in our schooling at the Ateneo, among the important traits we acquired and developed are self-discipline and self control as we sharpened our minds and tried to stay fit and healthy. This is a way of life that obviously enabled most of us to be still “alive and kicking” up to now, 50 years after finishing law at the Ateneo.

When I first entered the Ateneo Law School campus in Padre Faura, Ermita, Manila, the first image that caught my attention was the statue of St. Thomas More, the patron Saint of the Law School, with the words emblazoned below it saying “The Kings good servant but God’s first”. These words stuck in my mind and heart for the rest of my schooling and up to now. They have become my guiding principle in life side by side with the Ateneo motto of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. Dedicating every pursuit in life especially in the legal profession all for the glory of God certainly requires us to promote “truth, integrity and justice” according to St. Thomas More’s dictum. And to really live up to the motto of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, we should add “love” which nothing but being “men and women for others”, always being concerned and caring for other people especially the underprivileged and less fortunate.

The 75th anniversary of the Ateneo Law School thus calls for a grand celebration especially for the countless grateful alumni who are now highly esteemed and who continue to brighten the country’s legal firmament. On the 21st of October, all roads for the alumni of this premiere Law School who are here and abroad lead to the Isla Ballroom, Edsa Shangri-la Mandaluyong City. This year’s host for the grand alumni homecoming is the Ateneo Law School Class of 1987 with the theme “feel good feel proud the Ateneo way”.

It really makes one feel good and feel proud to see the members of class ’87 frenziedly preparing for the affair, leaving no stones unturned as they strive to make it a memorable one. They are all oozing with enthusiasm and energy which are very contaminating. Let all the law alumni of Ateneo heed their summons to be there especially the honorees: the Jubilarians of Classes 1961, 1971 and 1986. The affair will start with a thanksgiving mass at around 5 pm; registration starts at 5:30 pm with a general assembly hosted by the Ateneo Law Alumni Association at 6:30 pm. Dinner starts at 7pm with entertainment provided by all homegrown alumni and students from law school and Loyola heights. See you all there.