De La Salle University-Dasmariñas (DLSU-D) and the family of the late Ramon B. Revilla Sr. have agreed to establish a Professorial Chair to honor the life and legacy of the former actor and public servant.
To be officially named the Don Ramon Revilla, Sr. Professorial Chair in Liberal Arts and Communication, the signing of the memorandum of agreement and the turn-over of the initial donation was held on March 8, 2022, at the courtyard of the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management building. The event coincided with the 95th birthday of the late senator.
Born Jose Acuña Bautista in Imus, Cavite, he is more popularly known for his screen name Ramon Revilla, Sr. He is considered as the King of True-to-Life Movies and the Hari ng Agimat (King of Amulets) having been involved in acting, producing or writing over 100 films in his career that spanned over four decades. His films showcased Cavite culture and Filipino folklore and included the portrayal of individuals with colorful and checkered stories.
Elected for two terms as a Senator, Ramon Sr., was known for sponsoring legislation on recognizing the rights of illegitimate children (Republic Act 9255), improvement of public works (RA 8150), strengthening of the dangerous drugs act (RA 6425), support for the movie industry and promotion of responsible programming of TV programs for children (RA 8370). Revilla Sr. died of heart failure on June 26, 2020, aged 93.
The Revilla Sr. endowment fund is a gift from his children namely Marlon Bautista, Rowena Bautista-Mendiola (Bacoor City councilor), Jose Marie or Bong Revilla (Senator), Rebecca Bautista-Ocampo (Princess Revilla), Edwin or Strike Revilla (Representative, 2nd District of Cavite), Andrea Bautista-Ynares (Mayor Antipolo City), and Diana Paterno.
In her welcoming message, Vice President for Resource Generation Dr. Myrna F. Ramos disclosed that the partnership was a result of several years of negotiation with the children of Ramon Revilla, Sr. She said that initial talks began in 2018, the agreement to establish the Professorial Chair was reached in December 2021. She also explained what a Professorial Chair is and how it will help advance scholarly research and knowledge in topics and areas of mutual agreement between DLSU-D and the donor’s family.
A Professorial Chair is an endowed gift given by the family of a donor and is held in perpetuity by DLSU-D. It is a prestigious recognition awarded to an outstanding faculty member for research and/or service excellence. The recipient is expected to conduct scholarly research on a topic of mutual interest to the donor and DLSU-D and present its findings in a public lecture. Only the interest earned from the endowed fund is used to finance the activities of the Professorial Chair.
In his response on behalf of the Revilla family, Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. hopes that the professorial will be an inspiration to every student who will participate in the Revilla Professorial Chair Lecture and for them not to stop from achieving their dreams and aspirations in life. He fondly remembers the late Revilla Sr. as a father who had his ups and downs, but in all instances, he strived and persevered.
In his message, DLSU-D Chief Administrative Officer Br. Francisco ‘Sockie’ de la Rosa VI, FSC expressed his appreciation to the Revilla family for helping DLSU-D achieve its mission of fostering research and education, “this donation paves the way for many more true-to-life stories – of another evil being vanquished — that of ignorance.”
The activity is the first in-person event at the DLSU-D campus for 2022.