• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO

Businessman Hans T. Sy thanked Bacolod Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, the organizers of the BacoLaodiat Festival, and the vibrant Filipino-Chinese community, for the honor bestowed upon him as Bacolod’s adopted son and honorary mayor, during the conferment ceremony at the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod session hall yesterday.
“I am deeply humbled to be conferred the titles of Adopted Son of Bacolod and Honorary Mayor of this beautiful city during the celebration of the 20th Bacolaodiat Festival,” Sy said.
“Bacolod has always held a special place in my heart and not only because my alma mater, La Salle, has a campus here. I am lucky to have met many college classmates from La Salle Taft who hail from this city, and who have remained my close friends through the years. We have parties and travel together and through them I know that the Bacolodnons are very cultured, fun, food-loving and loyal to their friends and family,” he said.

Sy said that it is because of his good friends, he knows that Bacolod is a city with a deep sense of community and an enduring partnership with its Filipino Chinese community. And that is why, for 18 years since 2007, SM has invested in this city that celebrates diversity and progress, which makes for today’s vibrant and revitalized Bacolod City.
“I am reminded of the values imparted by my father, Henry Sy, Sr., who was also honored by this city in 2017. He believed in inclusivity, in doing what is right, and the transformative power of working together towards the goal of a better tomorrow, no matter how hard or unpopular the road we take may seem and these principles continue to guide me in all I do,” he said.
“It is with this spirit that I have worked to support Bacolod’s growth, not just through business but also by contributing to programs that uplift the lives of its people through education, tourism, job generation and my personal advocacy – sustainability and disaster prevention programs that aim to shield Bacolodnons from natural calamities and unforeseen risks,” Sy said.
May this year’s BacoLaodiat bring prosperity, joy and unity to all, he added.*