Submitted by Vox Bikol on
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." (Mt. 5:14)
Now that the time has come for us to bid our goodbyes, what is left to say about the life of a remarkable person but her greatness and the legacy she has left behind. Through tears, we find solace as we express our grief. But through words, we bring life as we bear witness to the difference one has made in our lives and the world we live in.
Dr. Dolores Hernandez- Sison, Dollie or Sweetheart as she is better known, was called by our Lord last September 28, 2011 (Wednesday). A quintessence of beauty and brains, she has been the President of the University of Nueva Caceres (UNC) for four decades. Under her direction, UNC has become one of the prime educational institutions of the Bicol region. In her forty years of leadership, she has also been deeply involved in various organizations of the academe world. She became the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) and a former President of the Board of Governors of the Private School Athletic Association (PRISAA).
Her exceptional involvement and steadfast commitment to society, however, was not limited to the academe world alone. In the realm of Politics, she took the position as an Assemblywoman for Region V and later on, became the Minister of State for Tourism. She also represented the Philippines as a delegate in the 33rd and 34th United Nations General Assembly and in the World Tourism Organization Conferences in India, Mexico, Italy, Manila, and Spain.
A pious and dedicated woman of the Church, she has also been a member of the Association of Our Lady of Peñafrancia (OLPA) and an adviser of the Mother Butlers' Mission Guild in Camarines Sur. Yet in the face of all these activities and commitments, which may be astronomical and challenging for most of us, Dollie has remained deeply rooted in what is truly important in our lives, i.e., spending time with people. A humanitarian at heart, she was a member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine National Red Cross for twenty years, thereby gaining in 1992 the Gold Humanitarian Service Cross, the highest award given for volunteer service excellence.
With her brilliance, amazing flexibility and extensive proficiency in different fields, she has been recognized countless times and has been a recipient of a myriad of awards in her lifetime. Among them were the Aurora Aragon Quezon Medal for distinguished leadership in the cause of humanity, the Presidential Citation of Recognition and Commendation in honor and recognition for her distinguished achievements as an educator, and the Bicolana Award given by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women for her utmost dedication in educating the youth.
Her character and personality has always been that of gentleness, compassion and charm. She has always been kind and distinct, being unaffected by the affluence that accompanies her family's prestige in society. A natural born socialite, she is a bubble of joy not only to her friends but to her family as well. When the time came for her to settle down, she married Antonio Sison, to whom she bore four magnificent children and with whom she shares many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Suffice it is to say that her life, through her tremendous and diverse contributions to society, was not lived in vain. Born in October of 1919 to former Secretary of Finance, Dr. Jaime Hernandez, Sr. and Doña Anita Jaucian, she passed on at the age of 91. Forever ageless and born to make a difference, Dollie is a fiery light that shines forth even to the darkest realms of the world. Her legacy is the lamp that keeps on burning. As Mother Teresa exquisitely puts it, "To keep the lamp burning, we must keep putting oil in it." May Dollie, one of the prominent icons of Naga City, remain in our hearts forevermore; and may her remarkable influence in the lives of many be the fuel of a fiery passion to also make a difference in the world we live in today.