Spanish missionary receives 2011 Blessed Teresa Award

MANILA, Philippines - An advocate of education and culture, Ma. Dolores Pita has grown to symbolize hope of a brighter future for hundreds of street children whom she has helped through her numerous charity works that spanned 50 years of her life.

“Maruxa,” as she is fondly called by her friends, is this year’s recipient of the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award (BTCA), the annual recognition given by the AY Foundation, the philanthropic institution of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, together with the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Manila.

The award commemorates the life of Blessed Teresa, the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize winner renowned before her death in 1997 as “The Living Saint” for her selfless humanitarian work. Now on its 24th year, the BTCA is bestowed upon individuals who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives in the service of the “poorest of the poor.”

The BTCA awards committee cited Maruxa’s continuous dedication to alleviate the plight of street children and better their lives through education.

She obtained her Licenciada en Ciencias Exactas (Bachelor of Science degree) from the Universidad Central de España in 1952, Master in Math teaching, and further studied Elementary Education at the Normal School in Toledo, Spain in 1959.

When she came to the Philippines, she started her missionary work as part of the Teresian Association, the international Christian outreach group based in Spain. For years, she actively involved herself in many charitable undertakings, including catechesis and feeding programs.

In 1995, she organized tutorial classes for 15 boys and girls in Pasig City, an initiative that soon gave birth to the Makabata School Foundation, which she worked tirelessly to build through donations from local and foreign supporters.

The Makabata School – together with the Foundation that gives livelihood projects and medical missions to impoverished families in nearby communities – represents the crowning manifestation of Maruxa’s boundless love for street children and other less fortunate members of society.