Remembering Gerardo "Dinggoy" Araneta Roxas Jr. '83 on His 30th Death Anniversary

This article was written in 2020 when our late brod Dinggoy '83 was nominated for a posthumous Upsilonian, Noble and Outstanding (UNO) Award. His mother, Judy Araneta-Roxas accepted the award on his behalf during the Upsilon Congress held in February of 2021.

Remembering Gerardo "Dinggoy" Araneta Roxas Jr. '83 on his 30th Death Anniversary

by Joel Viado '83 with Ricky Rionda '83

FELLOW GERARDO “DINGGOY” ARANETA ROXAS, JR. ’83 lived a life, both as an Upsilonian and a public servant, that was marked by adherence to BROTHERHOOD, INTEGRITY, EXCELLENCE, LEADERSHIP and SERVICE to the nation. It was also a life, although short, that was well-lived and marked by humility, belying his privileged upbringing.

Born on October 21, 1960 into a family of Upsilonians, both on his paternal and maternal side, Dinggoy was the youngest child of former Senator and Illustrious Fellow Gerardo M. Roxas ’46 and Judy Araneta-Roxas. While a freshman in the University of the Philippines College of Law, he joined the Upsilon Sigma Phi in 1983.

Dinggoy Roxas '83 with his batch-mates, mid-80's, in the picture are Dinggoy '83 (seated), standing left to right, Norman Hocson, Ricky Rionda, Anthony Pangilinan, Jesse Pacleb, Martin Salaveria, Eric Tamesis, Vic Limson and Mike Liamzon

THE RESIDENT YEARS (1983-1986)

As a resident Fellow of the Upsilon Sigma Phi, he was very active in fraternity activities and served as Fellow Gatekeeper in 1985 and as Senior Noble Fellow in 1986. Resident Fellows from the 1980’s and the early 1990’s distinctly remember the many fraternity activities he hosted at the Roxas residence in Cubao, Quezon City, in the compound known as the Bahay na Puti (the White House). The activities he regularly hosted were academic, social and political in nature, and offered proof of his unselfishness and desire to share whatever resources he had with his fellow Upsilonians. He was wise beyond his years and imbued with boundless generosity. Many stories were told, some emerging years after his passing, of his warmheartedness and willingness to give whatever he had from offering his own clothing and shoes for young fellows who needed the same for formal fraternity functions, to financial help, to lodging, to a hot meal, to free access to the family-owned Araneta Coliseum’s basketball court and free tickets to concerts, to the hosting of confidential meetings involving fraternity affairs, to the planning and execution of campus political activities, to giving counsel to individual fellows who were in trouble or seeking advice and to those who simply wanted to have a drink or two – he was a regular fellow.

Dinggoy was always there, even to those who knocked at his doors in the dead of night. This concern for a fellow Upsilonian was none more evident when he sought out a brod on his own accord in the days leading up to the EDSA Revolution. Sensing the danger that this brod was exposed to, he offered refuge at his own home with the personal assurance that whoever came for him will not be able to scale the thick gate and high walls of his residence. Indeed, oftentimes Dinggoy would be the one to offer what he had to anyone who needed it, without being asked.

Dinggoy '83 (middle) at the Red & Blue Reunion held at the Araneta Center, August 11, 1984 with Upsilonians Vic Limson '83, Joel Viado '83, Ricky Rionda '83, Eric Livelo '81 and Mike Liamzon '83

FROM CAMPUS POLITICS TO A NATIONAL ROLE (1986-1987)

True to the fraternity’s mandate of combining campus affairs with those which are national in scope and character, Dinggoy, representing the fraternity, was thought to have been personally responsible for helping convince Corazon C. Aquino to speak at a symposium that the Upsilon Sigma Phi sponsored at the UP College of Arts and Sciences in 1986. It was during this symposium that Mrs. Aquino formally announced her candidacy for the “snap” presidential election and run against President Ferdinand E. Marcos ’37.

Dinggoy '83 played a leadership role in the youth wing of the Cory Aquino for President Movement (CAPM).

While still a resident fellow, he joined the burgeoning protest movement against the Marcos administration and played an active role in the political opposition. He became more assiduously involved with the Liberal Party and the Cory Aquino for President Movement (CAPM) and campaigned vigorously for Mrs. Aquino. Throughout the campaign, Dinggoy would serve as a vital link and conduit to Mrs. Aquino and the fraternity. The fraternity would later host one the biggest election rallies in .UP. Diliman in 1986, which was attended by Mrs. Aquino and then Vice-Presidential candidate Salvador “Doy” Laurel ’47.

YOUNGEST ELECTED MEMBER OF THE EIGHT PHILIPPINE CONGRESS (1987-1992)

Dinggoy went on to campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives in 1987. He ran against two veteran politicians and won convincingly. He took his oath as the duly elected Representative of the 1st District of Capiz in 1987; at the age of twenty-six, he was the youngest elected to the Eighth Congress and one of seven Upsilonians elected in the Lower House.

As the “Benjamin” or youngest member, he was given the honor of presiding over the opening of the Eighth Congress, an Assembly of special significance in our nation’s history since this was the very first Congress constituted after fourteen years of authoritarian rule and fourteen years after the Seventh Congress - of which his late father Sen. Gerardo Sr. ’46 was a member - was dissolved upon the declaration of martial law in 1972. Calling to order the esteemed members of Congress on July 27, 1987, including many contemporaries of his late father, Dinggoy presided over that historic session for over one and a half hours, leading one veteran lawmaker to remark that it was done flawlessly, with the self-confidence, grace and aplomb of a veteran legislator. Indeed, Dinggoy having presided over the landmark ceremony was considered a tremendous honor and source of pride for Upsilonians during that period.

Dinggoy '83 made history as the youngest elected member of the 8th Congress and presided over its first session on July 27, 1987

Dinggoy would later serve with distinction at the House of Representatives, becoming an Assistant Majority Floor Leader, Vice Chairman of the Committee on Youth and Sports Development, Member of the powerful Rules Committee and several other key Committees, namely, Banks and Currency, Economic Affairs, Games and Sports Development and Science and Technology. He also served as a member of the Executive Board of the Congressional Fellowship Program and was instrumental in the effort to ratify the 1986 Philippine Constitution. Dinggoy also pioneered the computerization of legislative processes and the establishment of a computerized Congressional databank. Despite all these accomplishments, it was to the people of the First District of Capiz that his heart truly belonged.

As representative of the 1st District of Capiz, Dinggoy championed livelihood and infrastructure projects that helped uplift the lives of his fellow Capiznons.

Early on during his first campaign, he promised the delivery of basic services that were sorely lacking in his district, a covenant he kept during the whole period of his incumbency. What followed in the next five years were massive infrastructure and livelihood projects which the people of the First District, even to this day, still fondly refer to as the “Dinggoy water”, the “Dinggoy roads”, the “Dinggoy center”, the “Dinggoy livelihood programs”, the “Dinggoy lights”, the “Dinggoy bridges”, the “Dinggoy schools”, all made possible through the indefatigable efforts of our fellow Upsilonian. This was only fitting, as he once implored the people of his district to take care of everything that was built, doing so not for themselves but for future generations. Seeing the competence, integrity and honesty with which he eventually accomplished the goals he set and how he was true to his word, he was re-elected to a second term by an overwhelming majority in 1992.

The Roxas City Hall of Justice was one of the many landmark projects that were accomplished during Dinggoy's first term in office.

Indeed, all throughout his life as a public servant and at the heart of everything he did, was his concern for the people of the First District of Capiz. From personally asking that used tires be donated to Capiznons since many needed these to secure the roofs of their homes during a typhoon, to handing out packets of fresh prawn to his local and foreign guests in Cubao because he wanted to promote his province's seafood industry, to arranging for the donation of truckloads of children’s books from a foreign donor in Metro Manila to be shipped to schools in his district, to the establishment of the Roxas City Hall of Justice, the construction of the Roxas Civic Center, the creation of the Metro Roxas Water District, among many others, the welfare of the people of his district was always front and center

Dinggoy was also the executive director of the Gerry Roxas Foundation (GRF), an institution that recognizes and empowers youth leaders for community transformation and nation building by providing scholarships and training.

Less than a year into his second term, Dinggoy passed away due to colon cancer at the very young age of 32, a huge and immeasurable loss not only to the Upsilon Sigma Phi but more importantly, to the country. For us in the Fellowship, we remember him as the warm, generous, mild-mannered, boyish individual with a disarming smile and a kind heart, a quick wit and a hearty laugh, whose opinion was highly valued by his peers. To others, he was the genial, eloquent and impeccably dressed Congressman, he with the modest and well-mannered ways evoking warmth and kinship, the one who delivered on his promises and kept his word.