Ateneo alumnus gives his second book donation to the Rizal Library
High School Batch '55 and AB Journalism Batch '59 alumnus Santiago Robles turned over 180 Filipiniana books as his second donation to the Ateneo Rizal Library on Dec. 10, 2015.
He was welcomed and given a short tour inside the Rizal Library by library Director Vernon R. Totanes and Assistant to the President Rose Banzon.
As he took pictures, Robles recalled his stay in the university. He mentioned being a photographer for The Guidon back in 1951, then being a chief photographer before becoming the editor-in-chief from 1958 to 1959.
"My memories of the Ateneo are rich partly because of reading," he said. “Reading is my vocation and I developed a love for it which is something I learned from the Ateneo.”
Included in the 7 boxes of donations Robles turned over were the books of the Ateneo's very own Fr. Horacio V. de la Costa and renowned Philippine historian Teodoro Agoncillo.
Robles donated the first batch of books during his 60th birthday at the time when Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ was the university president. He turned over 280 books on marketing, journalism, business management, history, English, religion and spirituality.
Rizal Library Director Vernon Totanes accepts one of the books included in Robles' donations
The Ateneo is not the only institution that received Robles' generosity. He also donated 150 books about military history to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College Library. Just recently, Robles also turned over Filipiniana books written in Spanish to the Ortigas Library and a set of Spanish books written by Miguel de Cervantes to the Instituto Cervantes in Manila.
"The most valuable part of my library has already been donated," Robles said. “In that way, others can benefit by reading.”
He added that it was a wonderful opportunity for students to be studying in an organized facility like the one the Ateneo has right now.
As an additional donation, Robles gave an inspiring message to the students saying, "Reading not only brings knowledge but also brings enjoyment. Whether it's a digital book or a real book, the power of the written word is still the same regardless of the milieu."