68TH ARAW NG DABAW SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

An award long deserved
By Ana Felicia Dulay

HE is the 8th lone Datu Bago Awardee since the foundation was first launched in 1969. Truly, no other Dabawenyo is deserving of such an accolade as Dr. Julian P. Rodriguez, Jr., who was conferred with the award during the 37th Testimonial Dinner and Datu Bago Award 2005 ceremonies on Monday evening at the Lantawan Hall of the Royal Mandaya Hotel.

Dr. Rodriguez, or "Ching", as he is fondly called, in his acceptance speech, said he was apprehensive when he first learned of the nomination as he might be "unable to live up to the expectations of the community." Such humble words from a man who not only contributed to the growth and development of Davao City but in preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Dabawenyos.

Dr. Rodriguez completed his Bachelor's degree in Literature at the Ateneo de Manila University and continued his Masteral and Doctoral Studies at the University of Madrid in Spain where he met his wife Purita. His government service is something impressive, having about four years of diplomatic service with the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands and the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, Spain. When he came back to the county, he served as City Secretary for another four years.

As an educator, Dr. Rodriguez was Dean of University of Mindanao's Graduate School for three decades. He is the founder and president of Pilar Learning Center Foundation, Inc. since 1987. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Elias B. Lopez Foundation that established the Elias B. Lopez National High School in Calinan. Dr. Julian was also instrumental in the donation of his family of a parcel of land to the P.M.E. Fathers for the Holy Cross Academy of Sasa.

To say that his involvement in civic organizations is numerous is an understatement. He was the charter president of the Davao Council for Cultural Affairs and at present a Trustee of the Davao Museum Foundation, Inc., that manages the Davao Historica and Ethnographic Museum.

But all these is in congruence with the man who in his acceptance speech on Monday said, "individually, it is our responsibility in our chosen fields to accept the role Davao has assigne to us, make the necessary contribution to make Davao City more livable."

Dr. Rodriguez believes that the "rank and file of the sovereign people, ordinary citizens, to help in the growth of the city." His exemplary work and community service more than enough proof of these.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, in his inspiration message on the same evening, said Dr. Julian is not only deserving of the Datu Bago Award, but also deserves "to have another award created especially for him." Duterte recounted that when his family first moved to Davao sometime in the 1950s, the late Julian Rodriguez Sr., who was the mayor at that time, gave his own mother and father his all out support.

"In his honor, I made a children's park along Quezon Blvd. and named it after him, Davao's first mayor," Duterte said. He also said the present state of Davao City is the result of the labor and toil of the pioneering families who first settled here. He said that what makes the city different from other cities is its "frontier spirit, who like the Phoenix, has the ability to rise from the ashes."

All through it all, Dr. Rodriguez remained as collected as he is humble in accepting the award. He thanked the Datu Bago Foundation members, the city government including Duterte, his family and relatives and most especially "my wife who is more excited and elated when she learned I was this year's recepient of the award." Dr. Rodriguez and Purita have eight children, Julian III, Natividad, Vincent, Pilar, Narciso, Manuel, Pura and Isidro.