LIVES WELL LIVED

27 Sep 2025

6:48AM

LIVES WELL LIVED | Oscar Hilado’s legacy of integrity, leadership

A certified public accountant, Oscar J. Hilado first joined PHINMA —founded by Ambassador Ramon V. del Rosario Sr., Filemon C. Rodriguez, and Ernesto O. Escaler — as Ambassador del Rosario’s executive assistant. He rose to the top in 1994 as the company's chair and chief executive officer.

15 Sep 2025

3:30PM

LIVES WELL LIVED | Judy Araneta-Roxas: Matriarch of service and strength

By: Ramon C. Nocon

“JAR was more than a benefactor and inspiration,” wrote Luchie Aclan Arguelles, a Gerry Roxas Leadership Awardee, in a Facebook tribute. ”She was a guide, a confidante, a matriarch, a mentor…To each of us, she gave more than just encouragement, motivation, and opportunity, JAR gave us her heart.”

14 Aug 2025

4:11PM

LIVES WELL LIVED | From boardroom to band: Remembering Johnny Velasquez

By: Ramon C. Nocon

In June 2024, Malacañang announced a new slate of appointees, among them Juan Gabriel L. Velasquez—”Johnny” to family and close friends— who was named acting member of the board of directors of Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

4 Aug 2025

12:06PM

LIVES WELL LIVED | Ambassador ‘Frank’ Benedicto's lasting legacy

By: Ramon C. Nocon

Although Francisco “Frank” Benedicto — diplomat, business and civic leader — was born in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, on Feb. 12, 1939, it was in Cebu that the Benedicto clan would make a name for themselves in the fields of commerce and philanthropy.

28 May 2025

7:41AM

LIVES WELL LIVED | Edgardo B. Espiritu’s storied life in law, banking & finance, diplomacy

By: Ramon C. Nocon

Analytical, creative, and principled — as many described him— Edgardo Bautista Espiritu carved a career that spanned law, banking and finance, and diplomacy. A University of the Philippines law graduate (LL.B. 1958), Espiritu channeled his education into transformative leadership roles that left lasting marks on institutions both public and private.

22 May 2025

8:07AM

LIVES WELL LIVED | A Taste of Japan in Makati: Honoring the culinary legacy of Tsukiji’s Chef Oka

By: Ramon C. Nocon

Chef Oka, as he is fondly called, was born in Tokyo, Japan. He displayed an early interest in — and later, a passion for — all things seafood, which eventually led him to work at the Tsukiji Fish Market at the age of 19.

10 Apr 2025

8:49PM

LIVES WELL LIVED | Quiet force behind Mercury Drug: Remembering Vivian Que-Azcona

By: Ramon C. Nocon

Vivian Que-Azcona assumed the presidency of Mercury Drug in 1998. But her rise to the top did not happen overnight — she had to work her way up and earn the trust of the Que patriarch.

8 Apr 2025

11:36AM

Estelito ‘Titong’ Mendoza: A life in law, government, and academe

By: Ramon C. Nocon

Estelito Patdu Mendoza — Titong to family and friends and EPM to staff and associates — was born in Bacolor, Pampanga, on Jan. 5, 1930, to Guillermo Dizon Mendoza and Barbra Luege Patdu, both public school teachers.

2 Mar 2025

6:14AM

LIVES WELL LIVED: ‘Bert’ Lina—Entrepreneur, public servant, and sports patron

By: Ramon C. Nocon

Lina’s passing at 76, announced on Feb. 25, 2025, marked the end of an era for the industries he helped shape and the communities he uplifted.