| Nicanor Reyes |
A Passion for Education, Relived He may have passed away decades ago but his spirit still prevails in the institution he has painstakingly founded.Initially armed with the dream of putting up an accounting school not just for Filipinos but for Asians as a whole, Nicanor Reyes Sr., with the help of some of his friends, established Far Eastern University (FEU) in 1933. A few years later, FEU gained remarkable heights, boasting of having the largest number of foreign students among all private universities in the Philippines and being hailed by no less than then President Manuel Quezon as “the best non-sectarian university in the country.” But what is it really that aided him to achieve his dreams? Intrinsically passionate for academic excellence, Reyes made sure he gets the best education there was. After graduating from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor’s degree in arts, he still went to the United States to further pursue his studies at the prestigious New York University where he got a diploma on commercial science. He also received a masters degree from Columbia University. Returning to Manila with sharpened quills, he went back to UP-Diliman, this time as head of the Economics Department. Not contented on what he learned in the schools that he attended, he also worked for several corporations to gain first-hand experience, while teaching. He also made the Accounting Law of 1923 which made acing the Licensure Examinations mandatory to all those who want to engage in professional practice, possible. World War II and the Japanese Regime was all the more grave for FEU because the forces of the enemy did not only burn and destroy the university's records, books and facilities, but they also killed its revered founder and some of the members of his family. The remaining leaders of the school, however, did not feel discouraged but have in fact became more determined to let Reyes’ legacy live on. The university reopened during the second semester, and immediately started its rehabilitation program. To push for advanced instruction and professional training to all of its students, FEU continues to develop its curriculum, offering courses which anchors on arts and culture, science and technology and several others, in the hopes of providing generations after generations of well-rounded individuals. To this day, FEU is an indelible landmark in the university belt area. As when it started, it is still pushing for quality education so that it will officially hailed as “a private university of choice in Asia.” As it is dedicated to the highest intellectual, moral and cultural standards, it is doing its very best to produce principled and competent graduates. Nurturing a service-oriented community, it also seeks to contribute to the advancement of global society. For Reyes' relentless efforts in pioneering an outstanding educational institution, the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship was given a posthumous award as one of Manila's Inspiring Entrepreneurs at the Go Negosyo sa Manila last September 7, 2007 at the Philam Center for the Arts, UN Avenue, Manila. Her daughter Lourdes Montinola who is also the Chair of FEU’s Board of Trustees accepted the award on his behalf. Go Negosyo sa Manila is presented by Globe, PAGCOR, Hyundai, PLDT, Smart, Chinese Filipino Business Club, Philamlife and RFM Corporation. Other partners of the event include The Philippine Star, GMA Network Inc., RPN9, NBN4, Aspac-Law, Creativoices Production, Ideal Minds Corporation, and Full Circle Communications. |
