• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Olivia Villaflores Yanson (OVY), matriarch of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies, yesterday led her family members and the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos community in formally opening the three-storey College of Allied Medical Health Sciences (CAMHS) building named after her.
Yanson, 91, a nurse by profession, said the building “will provide another venue for the medical and health sciences students in pursuing their dreams to become lifesavers of our country – the unsung heroes of modern times.”
“Today marks another milestone in the lives of students who are pursuing medical and health courses with the completion of the Dr. Olivia Villaflores Yanson’s College of Allied Medical Health Sciences Building,” she said in her message at the blessing and inauguration ceremony.
Yanson urged the UNO-R community, led by university president, Rev. Fr. Joel Alve, to make the building a second home for the future medical practitioners and “instill in their hearts and minds the love and service to their fellowmen so that…when they go out to see the real world, they will impart humanitarian service to our less fortunate brothers and sisters.”
She told the medical and health sciences students: “I was once like you. I am a registered nurse by profession but God gave me a bigger purpose. I realized that my mission in life is to help the sick and comfort the weak. These humanitarian works are closest to my heart because it gives me peace and solace, knowing that I touched the lives of many people, who cannot afford efficient medical care.”
While Yanson said she felt uncomfortable seeing her statue staring back at her and the acrylic signage with her name hanging in the building since she does not like any fanfare and publicity, still, her heart is filled with joy seeing the building come to fruition.
OVY and her family sponsored the construction of the edifice, which broke ground January 2024 at the former pre-elementary and grandstand area of UNO-R in Bacolod City.
A LEGACY OF KINDNESS
Prior Provincial of the OAR Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno, Rev. Fr. Bernard Amparado, stressed in his keynote address that the building “is now the concrete monument of OVY’s good deeds – a legacy of (her) kindness. This infrastructure will stand greater than herself…”
Fr. Alve said the state-of-the-art facility will provide students with modern classrooms, unconventional laboratories, and clinical simulation centers. It will also house research centers, where faculty and students can conduct innovative research that will push the boundaries of allied health sciences.
He said the inauguration of the CAMHS building “marks a significant milestone in the history of our university as it signifies our sincere commitment to providing our students with the best possible education and resources to excel in the field of allied health sciences.”
Alve said that OVY, “a distinguished alumna and dedicated advocate for healthcare education, has been a driving force behind this remarkable achievement. Her vision and support have made this new building a reality, and we are deeply grateful to her and to the members of her family.”
CAMHS faculty representative Czarina Mae Ferrer said OVY’s generosity will leave a lasting impact on the future of healthcare. “We’re here to celebrate not just a donation of a building but the gift of opportunity, growth and education…a space for learning, collaboration, and hands-on training.”
CAMHS Student Council governor Carmela Gamlanga thanked OVY for her “unwavering commitment to our education and future. This building is not merely a structure, it is a beam of hope and opportunity for us all. it will serve as a nurturing environment for learning, collaboration, and innovation in our pursuit of excellence…”
College dean, Dr. Sheila Arnibal, also thanked the Yanson family and the UNO-Recoletos administration for the support to the CAMHS and the endowment of the building. “This structure will inspire medical technology, nursing, and pharmacy (students and will be) a ground for the development of healthcare professionals embodied with essential virtues for the care of individuals, family, and community. | CGC
