• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The University of Negros Occidental Recoletos in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, conferred an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management to Olivia Villaflores Yanson on August 30, in recognition of her manifold contributions to the world of business.
“I respectfully accept the Honorary Doctorate Degree conferred upon me by UNO-R as I wholeheartedly thank you for this acknowledgement and honor. I will treasure this PhD degree as a testament of my achievements and my legacy to the world. I am so honored to be Dr. Olivia Villaflores Yanson,” the matriarch of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC), said.
The conferment of the degree to Yanson was led by UNO-R president, Fr. Joel Alve, with the hooding and capping was officiated by Fr. Romeo Ben Potenciano Jr, assisted by Dr. Dennis Madrigal, dean of UNOR Graduate School.
Fr. Amadeo Lucero awarded the medallion and diploma, while Dr. Angelus Diamante inducted Yanson to the Blue and Gold Alumni.
In her speech after her conferment at the at UNO-R gymnasium, which was attended by Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, and his wife, Nikki, representatives of various institutions and employees of the Vallacar Transit Incorporated, and school officials, she said her mother wanted her to become a “doctor” after graduating as a nurse from the Silliman University in Dumaguete City.
“Here now, in just one day, I become a doctor,” Yanson said in jest, eliciting applause from the crowd.
Fondly known as OVY to her friends, the YGBC matriarch is known for her generosity, charity, love, and concern for others. She founded the OVY Educational and Health Care Foundation, Inc. to extend educational and health assistance to the underprivileged.
For OVY, helping out the needy is more than just a philanthropic and humanitarian service, which has become a way of living. She is also a benefactor of several orphanages in Negros, as well as an environmentalist.
In her speech, OVY further recalled how her parents, Cayo Villaflores and Dolores Torillo, celebrated with joy when she graduated as nurse. At that time, neither my parents, nor I, myself would have come to envision that there was far more in store for me, throughout my life, which began with the compassion and caring commitment to humanity, the 89-year-old businesswoman said.
She and her late husband, Ricardo Yanson started a transportation business which flourished after several decades.
YGBC now employs about 18,000 workers in its transport business nationwide.
OVY also used her resources to protect the more than 800 hectares of denuded land in Basay and Bayawan City, as she also advocated for the rehabilitation of marine sanctuaries in Dauin town, all in Negros Oriental.
As suggested and recommended by her daughter, Ginette, to put an evacuation center in Bacolod City, in the wake of recent flooding that hit the highly urbanized city, OVY said she will donate lumber to be sourced out from trees planted more than a decade ago, in 850 hectares of land in Basay, Negros Oriental.
The conferment of Doctor of Philisophy in Business Management (Honoris Causa) to OVY, which was also witnessed by her son, Leo Rey, and daughter, Jeanette, and grandchildren, was the latest recognition she got from various institutions, for her charity works, accomplishments and socio-civic works.
She was also a recipient of the 2001 First Hamiling Bayawanon Award in the field of business and entrepreneurship, 2006 Oriental Negrense Award for outstanding achievement in social entrepreneurship, the 2007 Signum Lasallianum (Award of Excellence), 2007 Go Negosyo Outstanding Negrense in the field of Entrepreneurship, Most Outstanding Silimanian Award in the field Entrepreneurship, the Order of Horace B. Silliman Award, the 2007 Banwahanon Award as Outstanding Entrepreneur (Bacolod City), the 2008 Making a Difference for Women Award (Soroptimist International of Bacolod), the 2008 La Gran Dama de Negros (The Negrense Heritage Society), The Outstanding Bayawanon award, and the 2018 Outstanding Negrense Award for Humanitarian Work.*
