On August 20, 2025, the University of Asia and the Pacific celebrated a historic milestone with the installation of Atty. John Philip R. Yeung as its Fifth President, held at the Li Seng Giap Auditorium. The ceremony was witnessed by family, friends, colleagues, distinguished guests, and leaders from education, government, business, and media. Among those present were Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Barangay San Antonio Captain and UA&P alumnus Raymond Lising, who joined the community in celebrating this significant academic rite.
Read Atty. Yeung’s speech below:
Good morning everyone.
Thank you, Dean Ulan Sarmiento for your kind introduction.
Dean Ulan is, of course, our dean at San Beda Law in Alabang. The law school, which no less than the Honorable Supreme Court recognizes as the happiest law school in the entire universe.
If there is one thing I wish to bring with me from San Beda Law it would be the constant cheerfulness and joy inculcated in us by Dean Ulan.
I’m happy to see my professors here. My favorite law professor, Justice Elma Wagan of the Court of Appeals and her husband Chief Provincial Prosecutor Ricky Wagan.
Thank you to the San Beda Law contingent who came all the way from Alabang to join us here.
But since I am now here in UA&P, I will have to shift my allegiance and start rooting for our own law school, the UA&P Law School, headed by one of most brilliant legal minds that I know, our very own Dean Jemy Gatdula.
Pol Eco
I also see my friends and former teachers from the School of Government formerly the Institute of Political Economy. Political Economy was my course when I studied here 25 years ago.
And now I get to use the things that I learned as a Barangay Kagawad of the No. 1 barangay in the country – Barangay Ayala Alabang.
I’m not sure if our Kapitan Dr Lester Suntay is here. He is a person I look up to. Very competent. Very effective. And most importantly, not corrupt.
Just like the Mayor of this City, Mayor Vico Sotto. Thank you, Mayor, for gracing us with your presence. May you continue to inspire our older politicians with your good and clean governance. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with your administration.
Integrated Marketing
I also see my colleagues from the UA&P’s School of Media and Marketing. The school which gave me my first crack at teaching in 2009.
Headed by of course, Dean Dr. Jerry Kliatchko, who has been my close mentor since I was a bad boy back in college.
In fact, Dr K and Vice Dean Dr Francine Racho were my only ninong and ninang when I got married in 2011.
And it has now come full circle because Dr K also officially represents the Office of the Vice Grand Chancellor and most recently, he was appointed as University Fellow in charge of ensuring that this instution will not lose its way.
So, to those who are worried about the things that we will do under the new administration, don’t worry. Dr K is here.
He is the one who has constantly guided me towards the right path and he will continue to do so.
Board of Trustees
Of course, one group that we can all heavily rely on to ensure that we do not lose our way is of course our Board of Trustees, headed by our Chairman Amb. Joey Cuisia and together with our esteemed members of the Board. Some of whom are also here, present:
Ms. Esther Santos
Mrs. Pauline Fermin
Mr. Miguel Tan
And other members who are not present:
Mr. Francis Sebastian
Mr. Omar Cruz
Mr. Eric Francia
Mr. PJ Garcia
Mr. Manny Ayala
Ms. Judy Cam
Mrs. Grace Tomelden
Our Vice Grand Chancellor, Fr. Julio Dieguez
To the outgoing members of the Management: President Dr Stan Padojinog, and the Vice Presidents Dr Amado Saquido, Dr Yvette Camacho, Dr Robert Roque, Mr Anthony David, and Mr Mito Pablo.
Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifices. And we hope to build upon the foundations you have laid out for us.
Thank you for your support during the past months of the transition.
To my newly constituted Mancom or should I say woman com. To our new VP for Academic and Faculty Affairs and University Registrar – Dr Gladys Golo. To our new VP for Finance and Administration and Program Director of our Junior College – Ms Aurea Cruz. And our new University Secretary and Vice Dean of the School of Economics Ms Viory Janeo. Thank you for your courage and selflessness in agreeing to work alongside me in steering this ship.
YLO
I also see my legal team here. My associates at YOLO, Yeung Law Office – the smallest law firm in Alabang who have been complaining for the past 4 months because they hardly see me anymore
Friends
To my friends from kindergarten, grade school, high school, and college who are still probably wondering if this is a joke. Because they know how un-academically inclined I was.
Know that I also thought that it was a joke because I officially started my transitional role in this university on April 1 – April fools day.
To my golf mates, My golf mates who say that they miss me but secretly they are having their heydays because they have been winning, now that I am unable to play.
Of course, I will have to honor the most important people in my life. Beginning with my parents.
Both my parents are here.
My dad. My role model. A man of loyalty. A man of integrity. And a man of great faith. A man who, growing up, I would always see praying before our Lady when we used to have a groto in our old house.
Of course, we all know him as a great businessman. Who had endured a lot of sacrifices, having been forced to flee communist China to Hong Kong where he singlehandedly set up his pharmaceutical business from scratch to what we all know now as Katinko Ointment.
Today, our companies are being run by my two outstanding siblings who are CEOs of our companies. Which allows me, to be as my dad would call me now, and introduce me to his friends, as a school principal. – So while his two children are CEOs of his companies, his second son wants to be a school principal.
Of course, my dad’s secret weapon is here – my mom. Because really she was the one who brought my dad’s product – Katinko here to Manila in 1987.
And it is also from my mom that I got my education gene.
My mom, who was preparing then herself to be a nun, was a former math professor at UST and at the San Carlos Seminary. She graduated from UST Cum Laude, she majored in education, math, and theology, and minored in speech and drama….
That was until she was spotted by my dad while she was teaching at UST. According to my dad, who was then just visiting Manila as a tourist and who was for some reason touring UST… it was love at first sight. And he had the audacity to sit inside my mom’s class and approach her after her class to ask her out. According to my dad, right then and there, he decided, that this girl, this girl whom he didn’t know then was preparing to be a nun… he decided that this was the girl he was gonna marry. (So for those of you who are wondering where my audacity, where my daring comes from, it is from my dad)
So aside from the education gene, it was my mom who gave me the piety gene. Because ever since I was a kid, I would see my mom go to Mass every day and pray the rosary every night, offering each mystery for various intentions and most especially for us, her kids. And it is through her prayer and devotion to our Lady that I attribute my vocation.
Of course, my parents-in-law are here. Special greetings to my mother-in-law. She is the best mother-in-law one could ever have.
And of course, how can I forget my kids and my secret weapon. My super beautiful wife and super beautiful supermom to our kids.
So I have 6 kids (from my one and only wife of course). Nathan, Daniel, Mikael, Gabrielle, and Isabelle. Only 5 are here today because one is already in heaven. My second son Rapha died last year at 9 years old. He was born severely brain-damaged until he finally succumbed to a pulmonary disease last year, exactly one month before his 10th birthday.
And of course our founders are here.
Dr Jess Estanislao and Dr Bernie Villegas – the two co-founders of our school who at 86 years old are very much active and kicking who I consulted as soon as I knew of my appointment because I wanted to know what their expectations were, and what my targets are.
To the deans of our different schools.
Dr. Marion Magsino – CAS
Dr. Jerry Kliatchko – SCM
Dr. Peter U – SEC
Dr. Ernie Grio – SED
Dr. Nick Alviar – SLG
Dr. Annie Mendoza – SMN
Dr. Noemi Torre – SSE
Dr. Jemy Gatdula – Law
To the legends of this university.
Dr. Paul Dumol
Dr. Tonton Torralba
Dr. Vic Abola
Dr. Cora Torralba
Dr. Al Hiquiana
Dr. Jojo Mariano
Dr. Cid Terosa – my favorite economics professor back in college
Dr. George Manzano
Sorry to those I have missed.
To our Department heads
To All 315 full-time members. And some 212 part-time members.
Especially those who have closely helped me during the transition period. Ms Beng, Ms Leah.
To the members of the alumni – the Dragons, as well as former faculty members and to students who have been personally sending me their well wishes and expressing their support these past weeks. Thank you.
To our VIP guests. The presidents of the different universities and colleges in the country.
Welcome to UA&P.
Ever since my appointment was announced last March 19, The feast of St Joseph, many people have asked me: why did you accept this job?
My simple answer: apostolate. Because we want to bring people closer to God.
This is the only reason why I am willing to brave the everyday traffic and journey all the way from Alabang — which I call the Shire — to Ortigas, which I like to think of as Middle-earth (at least not Mordor)
Many people have also asked me: What is your vision for the school? My simple answer is again is: apostolate. It is for this university to bring people closer to God.
In the boardroom where I hold most of my meetings now, there is a letter hanging on one of the posts. It is a letter sent by then Prelate of Opus Dei, Bishop Javier Echavarria which he sent to UA&P’s founder and first president, Dr Jess Estanislao. It was sent in 1995 the year when UA&P has just transitioned from being the Center for Research and Communication (CRC) into what we know now as the University of Asia and the Pacific.
In that brief letter, Bishop Javier writes his prayer for Dr Jess as president of UA&P.
And every time I see that letter, I imagine Bishop Javier also writing to me and praying for me:
Please allow me to read in verbatim his prayer which was embedded in his important letter:
He writes:
“I pray through the intercession of Blessed Josemaria so that he help all who work in the university.
May he obtain for you the grace to fulfill the demanding task of forming young people to love truth, justice, and freedom.
May you transmit to the students an attitude of service to others, which will prepare them to contribute to the development of society.
The task that lies before you is truly enormous. In addition to forming future generations, the University plays a key role in shaping and orienting culture.
All of you have the opportunity of participating courageously – through teaching and research of the highest quality – in the great debates of our time, to which the Christian message has a decisive contribution to make.
As you contemplate the panorama that lies ahead, I encourage you to work selflessly, ready to overcome the difficulties that will necessarily arise.
Never lose sight of the fact that unity, cooperation, and mutual assistance are essential in the University, especially during these first years in which its spirit is being forged – the seal the that will characterize it.
Though as time passes, new generations will take over on the faculty and staff, that spirit will continue to shape the content of the teaching and so many other aspects of the life of the university.
I unite myself wholeheartedly to the installation ceremony, and I extend my warmest blessing to the Vice Grand Chancellor, to you, Mr President, and to all those who make up the university – professors, students, non-teaching staff, – while I confide to the protection of the Blessed Virgin, Stella Orientis, Sedes Sapientiae, the future of the University of Asia and the Pacific. – Affectionately in Domino, Javier Echevarria.
And so it is in that short letter where we find the yardstick with which UA&P will measure its success.
Not in the number of students.
Not in the number of buildings.
Not in the number of courses.
But the yardstick of whether we are truly forming the next generation to make a positive impact in society.
The yardstick of whether we are able to shape and orient culture according to the Christian ideals – through teaching and research of the highest quality.
And the yardstick of whether we are able to ensure that the entire university community is characterized by unity, cooperation, and mutual assistance.
These are the measurements. These are the goals.
UA&P is not merely an academic institution; with our strong foundations in the liberal arts, it is a beacon of integral education, a home where knowledge and character are formed together.
From the earliest beginnings of our founders, Dr. Jess Estanislao and Dr. Bernie Villegas, who started CRC in a humble garage in Malate, we have held fast to a conviction: education must form not only the mind, but also the heart and soul. It must produce men and women of integrity who lead with wisdom and serve with love.
As we move forward, we must safeguard what makes UA&P distinct. We are not here simply to impart technical expertise. We are here to form leaders who will shape society through reason, faith, and service. In an age where many institutions chase fleeting trends, our strength lies in being anchored to what is enduring: truth, character, and excellence.
The Unity of Life and the Spirit of Opus Dei
This distinctiveness is rooted in one of our guiding principles: Unitas which not only refer to unity of faith and reason and unity of the members of our community; but really, the unity of ones life—the integration of faith, work, and personal calling.
UA&P has never believed in separating values from knowledge or personal life from professional life. We strive to form individuals who live with coherence, bringing their convictions to every arena—whether in the classroom, the workplace, or the family.
This is inspired by the spirit of Opus Dei, which teaches that everyday work, however ordinary, can be a path to holiness. What sets our education apart, then, is that it forms whole persons—capable of weaving together intellect, character, and faith into a single fabric of life.
That our students know the truth and love the good. Not because they have to but because they want to, because they are in fact good. This is what we mean by formation in UA&P.
Academic Excellence as Sanctified Work
At UA&P, intellectual formation is never an end in itself; it is part of a higher calling. Professional competence, moral uprightness, and intellectual discipline become ways of glorifying God.
Excellence here is sanctified work: the discipline of research, the pursuit of truth, the mastery of one’s craft—all these are more than achievements. They are offerings. They are the means by which our students, faculty and staff elevate ordinary tasks into extraordinary service.
As we stand on the shoulders of our founders and those who built this University with sacrifice and vision,
as we venture out onto this new voyage…through the open waters that lie ahead….
Our mission of forming the next generation serves as our compass.
The task before us is clear: to continue forming men and women who live with integrity, coherence, and excellence.
To ensure that every graduate of UA&P is not only competent in profession, but also rooted in truth, faithful in spirit, and generous in service. That they are inclined towards the good because they are in fact good.
While we may be faced with challenges. While we may question our capacity to carry on.
We rest on the fact that we have officers and crewmembers on deck, the handful of men and women who are ready and willing to face the roughest seas and strongest winds so that this ship may carry on with its journey.
We also rest on the fact that througout the years we have already produced many graduates. Dragons as we call them who soar above our galleon, blazing trails, while looking at us from a distance. Ready to swoop in and defend us from the pirates who try to pillage our ship.
Most importantly, we rest on the realization that at the end of the day, this university is not ours. It is God’s. And it is God’s work.
The realization that we… That I….am just a poor instrument, who for some reason, our Lord has chosen to carry out His Work…. A simple and poor donkey, so that when we succeed in reaching safe harbor, it will be clear that it was because of God’s mercy and grace.
In the first few months of the transition. I have received some comments from some old timers that some of my moves remind them of the moves of Dr Camacho. The 2nd President of UA&P who has already gone ahead of us to heaven. I never really knew him. I never saw him. But I heard that he was also lawyer and one with a strong business sense.
After my photo was released the other day in social media to announce my Presidency, I got a message from Kit Camacho, son of Dr Camacho. He told me that “my papa is behind you in your photo”.
I checked the photo again I indeed i saw two photos behind me. One of Dr Camacho, a lawyer. On my rear left. And a photo of another lawyer. A brilliant legal mind. A photo Saint Josemaria on my rear right. Both lawyers watching and guiding me.
Years ago, one of the supernumerary members of Opus Dei, who had been asked to set up the university of Navarre, proudly reported back to St. Josemaría:
“Father, I have established the university, just as you asked.”
St. Josemaría looked at him and said:
“No, my son. I did not ask you to set up a university. I asked you to be a saint—and to set up the university.”
And so it is with us. This is the spirit that should guide us here at UA&P as St Josemaria and Blessed Alvaro Del Portillo, our patron saints, including those who have gone ahead of us, Dr Placido Mapa the first Chairman of UA&P and Dr Mario Camacho who look at us from above and continue to watch over us and guide us.
And to remind us that we are not here merely to make this university great; rather, we are here to be saints, and through our sanctity, to make UA&P truly God’s work.
And so We surrender to our Lady our plans for UA&P. – Our hopes and dreams for our its students. Our hopes and dreams for our people, our faculty, staff. And Our hopes and dreams for our Country.
Our Lady, Star of the Orient, and Seat of Wisdom, Pray for us. May you continue to lead us to the light.
Thank you, and may God bless us all.