Nelia T. Gonzales, woman of talent and faith

One of the important milestones in Nelia T. Gonzalez’ life is her receiving the University of the Philippines Alumni Association’s Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award on Saturday, June 22, on the occasion of the UPAA’s centennial celebration.

In my journalistic career, I’ve met many amazing, brilliant women. One of them, Nelia, who at age 89 is mentally alert, forever on the  go, and —  a fashion trendsetter.

I am impressed by Nelia’s contribution to agriculture and agribusiness. As an assistant secretary of agriculture in the 1970s, she pioneered in the importation of the first White Leghorn chicks from the US; established local feed mills, giving rise to the utilization of local agricultural products like corn, rice bran, feed grains, soy beans, ipil ipil, fishmeal and meat scraps, thereby reducing the importation of animal feeds. She put up the first biological lab which produced supplements, medicines and vaccines for the local animal industry. She organized poultry and piggery producers all over the country to improve food production, opened the export trade for wheat by-products in Southeast Asia and Japan; managed the first soybean extraction plant in the country and the local production of soybeans and sorghum. She introduced contract growing of poultry and pigs, and pioneered in deep-sea-fishing.

Most of her awards are from her alma mater, the UP-Los Banos College of Agriculture, where she received her BS in agriculture in 1944 and civic organizations.  She is in the Eleventh Edition of  â€œThe World’s Who’s Who of Women” published by the International Biographical Centre of Cambridge, England.

After her stint in government, she engaged in corporate projects that include development of industrial complexes and housing subdivisions, resort areas, reclaimed areas and townhouses.  In 1986, she joined the Tanyu Group of Companies where she is still president – “even at my age, they don’t want to let me go,” she says, with a smile.

She reports to work at the Tanyu companies everyday. As governor and treasurer, she attends to the financial status of the Philippine Constitution Association, the Manila Overseas Press Club and the Philippine Tuberculosis Society. She has served as a member of the Board of Regents of the UP. She is active in the UPLB alumni activities, and the ERDA Foundation serving street children. She is presiding officer of the Center for Women Studies and is active with the Kappa Phi Foundation, both at UP-Diliman.

I asked Nelia if she does not feel tired from doing so many things. You ask her to help fund a project, or lend her reputation to an NGO, and she always says yes. “Giving back to society is a daily activity,” Nelia told me.

Her philosophy of life is simple, but unreachable for many of us:

“For every life we touch we gain treasures. Happiness is caring and sharing. Be a gift.”

“Prayers and faith support the goals I set out to achieve,” she adds.

“It is more tiring to cry over negatives. Positive with calmness.”

Nelia has had her share of sad experiences. It took her a long time to get over the death of her son, an artist, in an accident. And she could not believe that her two partners would take over a business she had conceptualized.  But she said, life must go on, and she was rewarded when then Agriculture Secretary Arturo Tanco asked her to join the government as assistant secretary; in the position, she was able to prove her mettle as a hard-working, innovative executive.

 Nelia’s talent an guts she inherited from her father, Dr. Nicanor G. Teodoro, an agriculturist who was one of the first scholars as government pensionado and earned his PhD in the University of Wisconsin.  â€œDad was a believer in daang matuwid. Honesty was his virtue.” Her other favorite person is her late grandfather, a micro-entrepreneur selling vinegar and bagoong in the market.  She and her brother, Wilfredo, were born in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.  Nelia remembers waking up in the morning to the sound of whirring sewing machines, as her mother, Melitona Resurreccion, and her sister ran a modiste shop and beauty parlor in town.  During the Second World War, Wilfredo, her brother, was a member of the Valeriano group noted as the bravest in their time.

Nelia says she is “self-fulfilled, happy, with six children, all married, and 15 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren getting together every Sunday, and “we have great fun.” Nelia’s husband, Justo C. Gonzalez, Jr., “the kindest person, and a superb ballroom dancer,” passed away a couple of years ago.

Nelia and 10 0ther Outstanding Lifetime Achievement awardees will receive their awards at the Bahay ng Alumni. She chaired the steering committee of the building project, and many friends speak of her having spent time and influence to raise funds. She says former President Fidel V. Ramos and Don Emilio Yap and loyal alumni  â€œplayed big roles in helping us complete the project and had it blessed.”  The building cost P85 million to build, but income from its rentals is about half a million pesos monthly.

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Our congratulations to  the other 10 recipients of the UP Lifetime Achievements Award.  They are Dr. Rhodora V. Azanza, microalgal biologist; Behn Cervantes, actor, screen and stage director: Dr. Nora J. Cruz-Quebral, communication development specialist; Dr. Isidoro P. David, statistics specialist; Dr. Aida C. Decena-Sosoloy, pest management expert; eco-warrior Luz Escalante-Sabas co-founder of the Zero W aste Recycling Movement of the Philippines; banker Edgardo B. Espiritu; diabetes specialist Dr. Augusto D. Litonja; outstanding lawyer Estelito P. Mendoza, and Public Works Secretary Rogelio I. Singson.

Distinguished alumni awards will also be given to Senators Loren Legarda and Jinggoy Estrada, Brig. Gen. Marcelo Javier, Rozel Alexander M. Santos, Dr. Abelardo Apollo I.  David, Jr., Annie L. Oco-Ty, Luis E. Yee Jr., Dr. Elena M. Bautista-Sparrow, Prof. Aurora Javate de Dios, Dr. Carolyn C. Israel-Sobritchea, Ramon I. Castillo,  Dr. Milton B. Amayun, Dr. Leonor Magtolis-Briones, Justice Jose P. Perez, Dr. Sukarno D. Tanggol, Dr. Edsel Maurice T. Salvana, Simeon V. Marcelo, Dr. Silvestre C. Andales, Dr. Josefino C. Comiso, Hilary L. de Leon, Manuel M. Gamboa and Dr. Windell I. Rivera.

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