Noy confers Order of Lakandula on Esposo

MANILA, Philippines - The late STAR columnist William “Billy” Esposo has been posthumously conferred the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Grand Officer for his contribution to the restoration of democracy, particularly as assistant secretary for public affairs of the Department of Local Government in January 1987.

President Aquino presented the award to Esposo’s widow Amelia in ceremonies following a funeral mass held at the Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati City on Thursday.

Esposo helped organize the media bureau of then President Corazon Aquino shortly after the people power revolution in 1986. The President said Esposo is recognized “for assisting in the re-orientation of the Ministry of Information as acting director of the Bureau of Broadcast, active during the 1986 EDSA People Revolution.”

In his eulogy, President extolled Esposo’s efforts to break the media monopoly during the Marcos dictatorship.

“Most, if not all of the time, Billy’s greater cause was none other than our country. A quick look at his resume will give us enough proof: from heading the Cory Media Bureau, which led the fight against a monopolistic media, to his roles in different media and communications bodies of the government, to many civil society organizations and movements,” the President said.

“Billy was not that much older than me, but when I was in my 20s, solely concerned with the security of mom, he was dealing with the generation ahead of me: the frontline fighters in the struggle against the dictatorship, the movers and shakers in government that was to come,” he said.

“He mentored me in how to give concise answers not liable to be editorialized. And yet, by that time, Billy was already ailing,” the President added.

Everyone will agree, the President pointed out, that Esposo never “went into anything half-heartedly – from his love of food, to writing, to his love for the Philippines.”

“And how many people can write their final column, admitting their time is up – but avoid pessimism and self-pity, and instead compare themselves to zombies?” Aquino said.

“Of course, he was not content with making light of this goodbye. Billy threw himself into every pursuit, and since his greatest passion was to give – even until the very end, even when he had so little left – not even this final column was spared. He made the most of his last words for The Philippine STAR by giving his take on the Sabah issue, and by giving a final endorsement to Gawad Kalinga and the Focolare Movement, two of his favorite advocacies. This was classic Billy Esposo: always finding the hope and humor in a discouraging situation, and always giving the last word to a cause he thought greater than himself,” he said.

“Nothing could keep Billy from doing what he did best. So, despite the politics unique to each and every institution in society, despite what seemed to be a trend of ‘every man for himself,’ Billy spent his whole life giving of himself and his talents. He was a true man for others even before the term gained currency. In his infinite generosity, he even volunteered me for the presidency of the country,” Aquino pointed out.

The President said such spirit of giving was the reason Esposo continued to write until the very end.

“This spirit is why he has always been forward-thinking, with an eye on changing the Philippines for the better. Our successes today are rooted in that insight he made more than three years ago, and Billy has remained a good friend in all that time,” the President said. “I was always careful not to see him too often lest my perpetual cold might cause him problems. Even when I could not fully update him via text due to security concerns, and could only resume our normal, deep dialogue, when we ran into each other, he kept the faith. So I want to say: Billy, I am honored to be a part of the future you saw for the Philippines,” Aquino said.