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Speaking to a Robsham Theater audience on Sept. 21, Philippines President Benigno S. Aquino III recalled his Jesuit education and the long-standing ties between his family and Boston College dating back to the early 1980s when they lived on Commonwealth Avenue, just steps from campus.
In a candid, personal reflection, Aquino recalled seeing his first snowfall in Boston, competing for a hot shower with his siblings and watching his father choose to return to lead their country’s pro-democracy movement – a decision that would cost the elder Aquino his life just moments after his plane landed in Manila in August 1983.
The president, speaking to an audience drawn largely from the Filipino-American communities of the northeast, admitted he had long-postponed the opportunity to return to Boston. “‘Let me make sure my emotions are in check before I make a homecoming,’” he recalled himself saying.
Aquino, who was educated by the Jesuits at Ateneo de Manila University, kept his emotions in check, but vividly recalled the years from 1980 to 1983, when his family lived in Chestnut Hill as his father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., recovered from heart surgery.
“It was here in Boston that I experienced my first snowfall,” Aquino said. “I remember that I had to sleep in thermal underwear, to which I added a track suit put in a sleeping bag under various blankets and sheets, and which I topped with a comforter.”
He relished being the family’s jack-of-all-trades – driver, dog-walker, carpenter, plumber and mechanic. Life in Boston stood in stark contrast to the Philippines under martial law, declared 42 years ago to the day of his Robsham appearance.
“It gave my family a sense of normalcy to be here in what can only be described as very abnormal times back home,” he said. “Every aspect of life was controlled there by the dictator.”
His time in Boston, even during the darkest days following his father’s assassination, helped prepare him for a career focused on uplifting his nation.
“I consider my time here as amongst my most formative years, fortifying me for the continuation of the struggle, and arming me with relevant experiences,” he said.
Aquino was elected to office in 2010, leading an archipelagic nation of nearly 90 million people, including more than 70 million Catholics. His mother, Corazon, served as the nation’s first woman president from 1986 to 1992, after assuming leadership of the pro-democracy movement following her husband’s assassination.
Prior to his speech, Aquino made a short visit to his family’s former home and then attended a Mass celebrated by University President William P. Leahy, SJ, at St. Ignatius Church.
Aquino’s visit extended a longstanding relationship between his family and the University, which annually awards the Benigno and Corazon Aquino Scholarship.
Current Aquino Scholar Thinh Nguyen ’15 and prior recipients Matt Alonsozana ’14, Lucilla Pan ’14, Krysle Jiang ’13 and Gururaj Shan ’12 attended the event, as did leaders of the Philippine Society of Boston College.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said society co-president Julian Mondonedo ’15. “He’s the president of the country where my parents were born. As a first-generation Filipino-American, you’re kind of removed, but this helps you understand a little bit more about the culture and the country.”
Introducing Aquino, Fr. Leahy spoke of the values the president’s parents shared.
“We award the scholarship in recognition of their commitment to justice, democracy, and the service of others,” Fr. Leahy said. “Our presence here reaffirms the links between Boston College and the Philippines, and also recognizes, in a very special way, the critical role President Aquino has played in meeting his mission for greater stability.”