Winning the battle against cancer

Listing down all the adjectives to describe Robert Lim Joseph would instantly turn this space into dozens of pages.

Bobby, as he is fondly called, is first and foremost a dedicated husband to wife Ida Joseph, and a loving father to daughters Rea Gonzales and Riza Yuhico and to sons, Robi, Richard and River.

In business, he has had more than his share of successes. He is chairman of the  Philippine Wine Merchant, which imports and distributes wines and spirits from around the world since 1975, and is the honorary consul general of the Republic of Latvia.

He organized NAITAS, (National Association of Independent Travel Agencies) to help non-IATA members be part of a cooperative that caters and supports members of the travel business. He traveled extensively around the country as he organized students into the League of Tourism Students. And to further develop this, he has gathered members of the academe, most notably deans and teachers and formed TEAM Philippines, an acronym for Tourism Educators and Movers Philippines, Inc.

He also founded 777 and 888 News forum and is a member of the Rotary Club of Manila. He is passionate about his advocacies that include fair open skies and the culture of tourism.

Four years ago he was diagnosed with stage four cancer. During the months and years that followed that grim prognosis, Bobby has been on a journey of self-discovery. He uncovered facets of his personality that he never imagined, dormant character traits that even now make him smile with a sense of personal pride and satisfaction. He has a heart of a fighter and a hard won confidence in his ability to survive.

The incredible amount of love and support from his family and dear friends was manifested recently when he celebrated his birthday in Cebu, his second home, surrounded by his family and the closest of friends from the different sectors of society.

Bobby’s journey has been filled with lessons learned from everyone whose path he has crossed. Likewise he has shared countless   experiences of humility, generosity without expecting rewards, joy and courage that have greatly inspired his family, friends and associates.

For now, Bobby has chosen to live life fully and unconditionally, with the knowledge that  all things are possible.

The joy of life is knowing that there is always room for self awareness and personal growth.