Moises Sycip managed the Sycip Plantation Inc. in Negros Oriental and was tasked to preserve the legacy of his ancestors. But his vision was far reaching and this affected his sense of legacy. He desired to contribute to agricultural development not just in a provincial level but more importantly, in the country level. Good old hard work and application of best practices paid off and his stewardship was instrumental in turning the plantation into a model farm. Various accolades were conferred on him for advancing the interest of the agricultural sector in the province by increasing productivity. He is also fondly remembered for his faithful stewardship towards the people who worked in the plantation as well as his peers. Agricultural workers were paid for the entire year with proper bonuses and incentives a far cry from the conditions in other farms. This made another statement. At the core of this arrangement is the sincere concern for the welfare of those working under him, for whom, he believes, he has a responsibility to better their condition in life. This others-oriented philosophy yielded a blessed experience. As with all great men, his path was full with challenges. But gold fears no fire. For once, here's a farm that dares to challenge the feudal brain of our country. Moises Sycip – clad not with expensive hacienda clothes and a tobacco, but with a t-shirt, a pair of shorts, and a pair of sandals. He drives around town with his antiquated Pajero, with no bodyguards, fetching visitors at the airport or at the pier, carrying their bags and suitcases--so quick and so natural---the helpers could not catch up. His greatest legacy is his example: that leaders become leaders not out of birthright, but by serving. It is not given. It is earned. | | Andoy de Veyra went through 18 years of serious substance abuse. That meant four packs of cigarettes a day, a case of beer each night, Mogadon tablets and cough syrups. On top of those were cocaine, heroine, and intravenous drugs. The turning point came in 1998, four years after his wife Malou had been praying for him. Andoy found the book Raptured . While he locked himself in his room for two days trying to decipher the book, a voice told him twice, “My son, I love you”. He heard the voice again, “Andoy, I love you.” He knew he heard the Lord and after that moment, Andoy miraculously walked away from all his addictions once and for all. In the year 1998, Andoy put up the Turning Point Foundation as a home recovery center for drug dependents, which had a holistic approach, grounded on teachings on Bible and Prayer. “There is hope after dope,” became the creed. The men and the boys he took care of were able to take discipline from Andoy because they knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, he truly loved them. At present, over 300 “home boys” have graduated from Turning Point and now lead transformed lives.
They say you will know a great man not by what others say, but by what his children say about him. Andoy passed that crucial test of greatness. His daughter Sarah would sleep in the room of her parents and would be awakened at three in the morning, to the sound of her father singing songs to God and praying for the “home boys.” Finally, he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. Four times, Andoy stared at death on the face, only to come out victorious, and each time resuming his untiring work of life-restoration of drug-addicted men. Last July, Andoy went home to the Lord, leaving behind quiet deeds and immortal dreams. |
