MANILA, Philippines - Lawyer Romela Bengzon looks at life through the lenses of one of the world’s noblest professions — teaching. The ability to share knowledge strikes a sense of perfect balance between her different passions. It is as if her prowess to teach is a binding thread that unites her love for business, law and philanthropy.
It is, of course, never easy to be Mela. Having graduated with honors from the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University College of Law, her knowledge of both the business world and the law profession are not based on mere observations. She took advanced studies in the US and practices law in the country and the state of New York. She therefore knows what she is talking about.
Her ability to impart knowledge complements her ability to clutch attention. Every lecture she delivers and every elucidation she gives to her students are always in perfect synchronization with her training in the Philippines and abroad. Her teaching is non-traditional. She does not only rely on what one has read but on what one is capable of doing. She does not want to impose but, instead, she wants to inspire. She transforms an old-fashioned method into something fashionable and facilitating. After all, a woman like Mela is no ordinary lawyer and teacher. She is in a class of her own.
Part of Mela’s mission is to change the way law students see their professors. She wants to disprove that the study of law should emanate from fear. She wants law education to be productive that is why learning under her tutelage is an invigorating experience. She treats teaching as an advocacy.
Add to the list of Mela’s advocacies are her involvement with the Virlanie Foundation that helps Filipino street children, her support for the America for Aids Research (amfAR) through her board position in the Medical City, and, finally, her work as a board member for the Petron Foundation.
Most importantly, Mela shows that women who are involved in tough professions must not be apprehensive about their being women. “We can always be fashionistas in any endeavor,” she says. She walks into her classroom and in her various commitments with glamour. She always manages to strike a balance between her stylishness and essence in a way that other people can appreciate and learn. Mela personifies style that complements her substance — may it be in law, business, or the business of law.