Philanthropist, business tycoon, and Manila Bulletin publisher, Dr. Emilio Yap, received his first foreign honorary degree from the University of Santo Tomas de Chile (UST-Chile) at the UST Museum last Nov. 10.
UST-Chile founder Dr. Gerardo Rocha conferred upon Yap an honorary doctorate degree in Media Sciences for his contribution to the development of the press and for his support for the promotion of international relations and cultural exchange among members of the International Council of St. Thomas Aquinas Universities, an organization of educational institutions inspired by St. Thomas Aquinas.
According to Rocha, the university, which is not a Dominican school but is a Catholic institution like UST that is inspired by the spirit of St. Thomas Aquinas, was impressed with Yap’s goal to uplift the life of the Filipinos.
“Like everyone else, he is looking at the same reality. But he attends to the needs of others,” said Rocha, who was also the founder of the council.
Yap has received 14 other honorary doctorate degrees from various universities in the country in the field of business and humanities, including an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UST in 1996.