UV and The FREEMAN:The Gullases’ gifts to Cebu

If Don Vicente A Gullas and Dona Josefina R Gullas, as well as Don Paulino A Gullas were all alive today, they would have been filled with feelings of joys and satisfaction looking at what both UV and The Freeman have become.

UV remains faithful to the vision of its founder to be the fountain of wisdom for the poor and The Freeman is still Cebu's shining light of truth, consistently fair and conscientiously fearless. UV has not been envisioned to be an elitist, nor exclusive and exclusionist Institution for the rich and the powerful. Don Vicente and family built UV to be the bastion of knowledge of the poor and the powerless. UV does not pride itself by acquiring the latest cutting edge facilities or of grandiose buildings and equipment and technology. But its alumni have become the country's strong pillars for governance and public service, the administration of justice, the enforcement of law and the delivery of social services.

This year is the centennial of both UV and The Freeman. UV was founded even when the country was not yet an independent state. Its founder, Don Vicente saw the vision of this institution becoming a strong pillar for Cebu and the Visayas in their social, economic and political, as well as cultural development. The Freeman was founded by Don Paulino A Gullas, Don Vicente's younger brother, who was a bar topnotcher from UP (got number one in Philippine Bar Examinations). This paper has survived all travails and odds, and refused to be daunted by wars, financial difficulties and the abandonment by its many leading writers and journalists.

UV has never refused admission to the children of farming and fishing folks. Sans any means, but only their dreams for a better life, many poor young men and women knock at the doors of UV to enter its portals, and the Gullases never refuse them entry. In UV, many of the rural and urban poor were able to get college education on the basis only of promissory notes that someday they would come back to pay their debts of gratitude. This coming Monday, many of these men and women are coming home to pay tribute to the institution that helped them achieve their dreams. Our GAHOM, or Grand Alumni Homecoming, will culminate in Marco Polo on the 29th of this month.

Last week, a Holy Mass was celebrated to remember Don Paulino A Gullas, and the other pillars who have gone to the Great Beyond, and also to give thanks to the Lord, for The Freeman's 100 years of fair and fearless journalism. I was privileged to attend that mass in the eighth floor convention hall of the Inday Pining Building inside the UV campus. The management awarded the columnists and the workers whose writings and hard work defined the true meaning of fairness in journalism and fearlessness in standing for what is right and what is true, no matter who gets hurt or who gets the credit and applause.

Indeed, UV and The Freeman have both made their respective marks in the hearts and minds of Cebuanos and Visayans all over the world. The Gullases have not chosen to become billionaire taipans and magnates. They have chosen to build riches in the lives and memories of people, to have empowered thousands with knowledge and told them the truth each day for 100 years, without fail. The history of Cebu will never be complete without a chapter each for UV and The Freeman. I am immensely proud to be a part of both of them.