Soliven conferred 2 awards

After posthumously receiving two awards for his contributions to journalism and the nation, the late STAR publisher and board chairman Maximo V. Soliven returned home to his North Greenhills, San Juan residence yesterday morning, accompanied by his family.

The urn containing Soliven’s ashes had been at the St. Ignatius Cathedral at Camp Aguinaldo for three days to allow throngs of his friends and avid readers to pay their last respects.

Honor guards from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) handed the urn and a folded Philippine flag to his widow, UNESCO National Commission executive director Ambassador Preciosa Soliven.

Max Soliven succumbed to pneumonia in Japan last week. His remains were cremated before being brought back to the country by his widow.

Capping Soliven’s wake at Camp Aguinaldo was a necrological Mass concelebrated by STAR columnist Fr. James Reuter and Fr. Louie David.

Among those who attended the Mass was President Arroyo, who later posthumously conferred on Soliven the Order Of Lakandula with the rank of Grand Officer (Maringal na Pinuno).

The President earlier described Soliven as an "icon of freedom."

The Order of Lakandula is the highest award the government could give to honor civilian and foreign dignitaries for their invaluable contribution and services to the government. It was created through Executive Order 236.

On Thursday evening, Speaker Jose de Venecia, assisted by Vice President Noli de Castro and House Deputy Majority Floor Leader Del de Guzman, conferred the Congressional Medal of Achievement on Soliven.

The Congressional Medal of Achievement is the highest award the House of Representatives gives to Filipino achievers. Soliven is the first Filipino journalist to receive the award.

The award took note of how Soliven’s patriotism was bred by war, whose writing skills were forged in years of top-level reporting on national and global fronts, and whose passion for truthful reporting was sharpened by the dark years of oppression during the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorial rule.

The House also honored Soliven for his "unmatched career as a journalist and opinion maker whose keen observation of unfolding events and key personalities showed remarkable insight as well as enduring wit and popularity."

De Venecia said the House was supposed to give Soliven the award on his birthday last Sept. 4 "but that was not meant to be."

He added that the award conferred on Soliven has also been given to the Presidents of India, China, and Pakistan, and which "we will give next week to the Prime Minister of China and to the Prime Minister of Japan, and which we have also given to the father of South African independence, Nelson Mandela."

Soliven’s widow received the two awards and expressed their family’s deep gratitude for the honors bestowed on her late husband.

In a short speech, De Venecia said Soliven, his journalism professor in 1955, always told his students that a writer must always reread, review, and rewrite in order to come up with a good report.

Former President Fidel Ramos, who just arrived from the ASEAN Eminent Persons conference in Brunei, went to Soliven’s wake straight from the airport. 

"For Max, as a dear friend from way back, all I can say is that he’s a great loss to the nation, to his millions of friends, to his family, and also to me personally," he said.

The Senate, on the other hand, issued yesterday a resolution expressing "profound sympathy and sincere condolence" to Soliven’s family.

Senate Resolution 594, introduced by Senate President Manuel Villar, cited Soliven’s achievements, noting that "as the publisher of one of the country’s largest newspapers, he is perceived as the nation’s most influential columnist due to his insightful analysis and rationales of political and economic events."

As a "multi-awarded journalist and an icon in the field of journalism, his opinions and critiques will continue to have a vital role in shaping the nation’s political landscape," the resolution read.

At the necrological Mass on Thursday, Fr. Jerry Orbos said in his homily that if there are things Soliven would want to say to all those who mourn his death, it would be for them not to worry about him, for he is already home with God in heaven.

"Max would say to all of us gathered here tonight, thank you for your love, understanding, support and presence in my life," he said.

Orbos said that if only Soliven would be able to speak, he would surely tell people close to his heart to love one another, especially the country.

The heroes’ burial for Soliven scheduled at high noon yesterday at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani was postponed due to inclement weather brought about by super typhoon Reming.

In an advisory, the Soliven family said details of the interment will be announced at a later date. — With Marvin Sy, James Mananghaya, and Michael Punongbayan