MANILA, Philippines – Former ambassador to the Holy See Howard Dee died on Wednesday, August 21, after suffering a stroke the day before.
He was 94.
Dee’s death was announced by the PHINMA Group of Companies, in a Facebook post late Wednesday.
“The PHINMA Group together with the del Rosario Family and our partners in the Ramon V. del Rosario Awards, De La Salle University, Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, JCI Manila, and Asian Institute of Management Ramon V. del Rosario Center for Corporate Responsibility, join the whole nation in mourning the passing of Ambassador Howard Dee whom we just honored with the 2024 Ramon V. del Rosario Award for Nation Building,” the conglomerate said in a Facebook post.
“We celebrate his life of genuine servant leadership and will always remember and take to heart his reminder to us all to ‘Keep the Faith. It is everything.’ Maraming-maraming salamat po, Ambassador Dee!” it added.
Dee, who served as envoy to the Vatican during the Cory Aquino administration from 1986 to 1990, had just given a speech during the 2024 Ramon V. del Rosario (RVR) Nation Building and Siklab Awards Night in Makati City when he suffered a stroke and was rushed to the hospital, according to a priest who was present at the event.
The groups behind the RVR award had cited Dee, also a “distinguished businessman and philanthropist,” for “his life’s work,” which has been a “testament to his unwavering dedication to serving the Filipino people and promoting social justice, peace, and the rights of indigenous communities.”
In his speech on Tuesday night, August 20, Dee said the war on poverty in the Philippines was still “far from over,” and urged his RVR co-awardees to adopt the United Nations goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030.
“At 94, I feel a a profound sense of peace in my heart, knowing that I will soon have to give an account of my life. Tonight, I am reminded that the humbling gift of life God has given me has served him and his people well in my simple way,” Dee said, recognizing the many people who helped him in his work, including his family and the people who work in his foundations that help the poor, particularly the Assisi Development Foundation.
He dedicated his award to his balae (co-father-in-law), the late senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., whose 41st death anniversary was on the day after the awards night. The audience stood up and gave him a standing ovation after his speech. Ninoy’s daughter, Viel, is married to Dee’s son, Richard. The ambassador’s wife, Betty, and some of his children and 12 grandchildren were at the ceremony in The Fifth at Rockwell. (READ: The sisters Noynoy leaves behind)
Former finance secretary Ramon del Rosario Jr. and former Supreme Court chief justice Art Panganiban presented the RVR plaque to Dee.
Launched in 2010, the RVR Award for Nation Building recognizes individuals “who have contributed to nation building through their businesses and social enterprises.”
Previous awardees include Jollibee founder Tony Tan Caktiong, the late Henry Sy Sr. of the SM Group of Companies, the late George Ty of Metrobank, renowned Filipino engineer-inventor Diosdado Banatao, and telecommunications tycoon and sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan.
Aside from serving as a diplomat after the EDSA People Power Revolution, Dee chaired the government’s peace panel that negotiated with communist rebels from 1993 to 1996 during the Ramos administration. He was also the lead convenor of the 1990 National Peace Conference.
“Dee proposed a national peace conference that would involve all sectors of society, including Muslim separatists and communists, to address these conflicts,” the RVR Award said.
He also served as presidential adviser on indigenous people’s affairs during the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration.
The RVR Award for Nation Building is a project of the Junior Chamber International Manila (formerly Manila Jaycees), the PHINMA group, and the Asian Institute of Management Center for Corporate Social Responsibility, in honor of Ramon “Monching” del Rosario Sr., the late ambassador to Japan and founder of conglomerate Philippine Investment and Management Consultants (PHINMA).
Dee founded the nonprofit Assisi Development Foundation in 1975. “Under his visionary leadership, the foundation has executed over 4,100 projects, positively impacting the lives of more than 10.5 million Filipinos. These initiatives span various areas, including education, healthcare, livelihood programs, and disaster relief efforts,” the RVR Awards said.
“Contrary to his initial belief that poverty and lack of opportunities were the primary drivers, they found that the people were fighting due to widespread injustice — economic, social, cultural, and judicial,” it said.
Dee was also the recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018.
“He (Dee) is being recognized for his quietly heroic acts of services to the Filipino people, his abiding dedication in pursuit of social justice and peace in achieving dignity and progress for the poor and his being by his deeds, a true servant of his faith and exemplary citizen of this nation,” then-Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation chairperson Senen Bacani said.
In his acceptance speech for the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Dee said: “We live today in a world of turmoil and uncertainty. All human institutions are at risk, our democracy, our family, our national sovereignty.” (READ: PH’s Howard Dee, 5 others named 2018 Ramon Magsaysay awardees)
Dee, however, remained optimistic, saying: “The victory promised by Our Lady of Fatima is near. Goodness and righteousness will triumph and justice and peace will reign in our land.”
His other awards include:
In his speech on Tuesday night, Dee said he had “received many awards named after our national heroes, but my only regret is I never had an opportunity to meet any of them.”
According to Dee’s daughter, Marybeth, he disliked being called “philanthropist,” which he felt had an “undertone of a hierarchy between rich donors and those in need.”
“He preferred to see himself as a social worker. We are all equal in God’s eyes. We are all one. It is not a privilege but justice and our duty to God and humanity to help one another,” she was quoted in the Chinese-Filipino community publication, Tulay.
Dee was author of the books God’s Greatest Gift to Mankind (1981), Mankind’s Final Destiny (1992), and Living the Beatitudes with St. Joseph (2004).
Dee had a bachelor in business administration degree and master of arts in economics (without thesis) from the University of the East.
Dee was president of then-fledgling United Laboratories or Unilab from 1965 to 1972 and helped it become the Philippines’ leading pharmaceutical firm. He was also founding chairman of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, a leading corporate social responsibility organization in the country. – Rappler.com
