The responsibly rich are different

MANILA, Philippines - When you’re invited by Fil-American billionaire Loida Nicolas-Lewis to lunch at her elegant Rockwell condo, you immediately remember from your college literature the American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald who, in 1926, published one of his finest stories The Rich Boy, whose narrator begins it with the words, ‘’Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me.’’

And how Ernest Hemingway promptly recycled the critic Mary Colum’s remark to, “Yes, they have more money’’ in one of his best stories, The Snows of Kilimanjaro. Fitzgerald, responding to Hemingway’s criticism that he was in awe of the rich, said that ‘’Riches have never fascinated me, unless combined with the greatest charm or distinction.”

Well, if Fitzgerald were alive today, he would be fascinated with Loida, a native of Sorsogon in Bicol and widow of the African-American billionaire Reginald Francis Lewis.

Not just because Loida has emerged as an international business leader in her own right, after steering to US$2 billion the revenue of TLC Beatrice Foods business conglomerate whose chairmanship she assumed upon the death of her husband. That feat landed her on the cover of the Working Woman Magazine as top Business Woman in America in 1995.

But more importantly, she has channeled part of her blessings to many causes in her country of origin, not the least of which is putting up Lewis College in Sorsogon City, which currently benefits 1,000 students with its low tuition. More than an industrialist, she’s a philanthropist.    

Even more fascinating is the extraordinary fact that she has raised two well-adjusted and accomplished daughters. Both finished college at Harvard and cum laudes at that.

The younger daughter, Christina, writes for the Wall Street Journal. The older daughter, Leslie Lewis-Sword, has created and continues to produce and act in her own original, solo production, Miracle in Rwanda.

Miracle in Rwanda is based on the incredible true story of Rwandan genocide survivor Immaculée Ilibagiza, a real life messenger of hope and forgiveness. After premiering in Naples, Florida and a triumphant Soho run in New York City in 2007, the one-hour play inspired a world tour that has spanned 17 cities and five continents and generated critical acclaim at each stop.

It comes to Manila for a limited engagement run at Insular Life Theatre in Makati starting tomorrow until July 22. Loida threshes out the production details with Roger Chua, executive producer, along with Lulu Obillo, treasurer of Repertory Philippines and Loida’s neighbor in New York, who introduced the two. Roger, of course, is the highly successful international corporate executive, whose passion is theater-acting, singing, producing and directing too many productions to list here.

Then she meets the major sponsors Oscar Hilado of Phinma Foundation Inc. and Mariposa Foundation, Inc. and Rene “Butch” Meily of PLDT-Smart Foundation, Inc. They are joined by various civil society groups who will bring the play to their constituencies.

There’s Dodie Lucas for Sambayan Educational Foundation of St. Theresa’s College (SEFI), represented by PNB senior vice president Emmanuel Plan II who’s sponsoring the Philippine premiere night on July 15 along with Lewis College.

Also on hand are distinguished woman lawyer Katrina Legarda for Women’s Lawyers Circle (WILOCI); art patron Tessie Luz for Catholic Women’s Club (CWC); General Jimmy de los Santos for UP Cooperative/UP Vanguard; Angel Nacino for Manila Chamber Orchestra Foundation; Carmen Arceno of Inner Wheel Club of Makati Edsa; Chito Liban and wife Maribel for Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life, Novaliches district; Danny Dolor for Confradia de la Immaculada Concepcion; and Ronald D. Acolola Jr. for St. Pius X Seminary Alumni Association Manila Chapter.

With Loida and her partners bringing in socially conscious theatre, one is assured that the rich are not just different from the rest. Truth is, they are also different from one another. Many are just rich but there are few who are responsibly rich. And this part of the world is richer for the Loidas that bring light to it.

(For more information, visit www.miracleinrwanda.com. For tickets and inquiries, call Liza at 0919-4103770 or Charmane at 0929-5867746.)