Message

Dear Friends,



On September 7, 2008, thousands mourned and grieved the passing of one of the most highly respected member of not just (JCI) Junior Chamber International but more importantly an honorable citizen of the Republic of the Philippines in general, Ambassador Ramon V. del Rosario, Sr.

The man behind PHINMA, which housed Filoil, the first Filipino invested oil refinery in the Philippines that competed with the big three Shell, Caltex and Esso Mobil and Bacnotan Cement, the cement company that led the Philippine market for more than 4 decades. Amb. Del Rosario was likewise very active as a leader in JCI, he was the Charter President of JCI Manila, the Charter President of JCI Philippines and the first Filipino JCI World President. His influence likewise extended to the public sector, where he was also made Philippine Ambassador to Canada, Germany and Japan.

JCI Manila in the midst of our sadness and grief decided that there was a need of not just commemorating Amb. Ramon Del Rosario's contributions to JCI and Philippine society, but more importantly, to give honor and be a source of inspiration to others, focusing on the values for which He and JCI has become well known for - Professionalism, Integrity and the Pursuit of Excellence. Thus, the Ramon V. Del Rosario Award for Nation Building was born.

To my friends in JCI, PHINMA and all other individuals or groups whose lives were touched by the life of Amb. Ramon V. Del Rosario, we would like to invite you to take part in this noble project to honor our Charter President and one of the few individuals we know, who placed our country, the Philippines, above himself.

Arch. Mark Steven Ong
President
Junior Chamber International Manila