On November 15, 2025, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association in British Columbia (UPAABC) marked a historic milestone with the launch of the inaugural Gawad Liyab (Blaze Awards) — a recognition designed to celebrate UP alumni whose leadership, service, and lifelong contributions embody the values of Honor, Excellence, and Service.
It was an evening that marked not just an event, but the beginning of a legacy. A tradition years in the making, rooted in the belief that the achievements of UP alumni in British Columbia should not only be remembered—they should be celebrated, uplifted, and used to inspire generations.
In front of civil leaders, Filipino community leaders, partners, and fellow Iskos and Iskas, VP for Membership and Engagement John Sylvester Argayosa delivered an opening message that resonated with the spirit of the night.
“What an incredible moment this is—to finally launch something that has been burning in our hearts for quite some time. The Gawad Liyab 2025 was born out of the conviction that recognition fuels inspiration. When we honor those who lead, serve, and inspire with integrity, we keep the fire of volunteerism and excellence alive within our community.”
Referencing UPAABC’s membership program, Alumni Linkages And Bonds (ALAB), UPAABC’s new membership orientation, he added:
“From ALAB to LIYAB—this is our members’ journey, from igniting one’s passion to blazing a trail of leadership, service, and honor.”
That flame—symbolized in the Gawad Liyab logo through the Oblation, the flame, the laurel wreath, and the maple leaf—represents both identity and purpose. The Gawad Liyab aims to provide an enduring platform for recognition, inspire a new generation of alumni leaders, and build a prestigious tradition that UPAABC can carry for decades.
This year, the awards honored three outstanding Filipinas: a cultural architect who has shaped an entire community, a lawyer who has bridged the gap between law and lived experience, and a globally recognized artist whose career has uplifted the Filipino identity worldwide.
Their stories, woven together, paint a portrait of Filipino excellence that has traveled across oceans—and continues to blaze brightly in British Columbia and beyond.
Honoree:
Ms. Laila Pires — BS Food Technology, 1969
Community Builder, Cultural Guardian, Visionary Leader
For over five decades, Ms. Laila Pires has been a pillar of the Filipino community in Victoria, BC. Her leadership is not simply positional—it is generational, deeply rooted in community trust, cultural preservation, and unwavering dedication.
Long before multiculturalism became a celebrated national value, Ms. Pires and her husband, Ben, were already sowing the seeds of Filipino identity and unity in British Columbia. Their journey began in the late 1960s, grounded in their experiences at UP Diliman, where working with the International Club instilled in them a lifelong commitment to service.
In her acceptance message, she recalled:
“My husband Ben and I met at UP through the International Club, where we first became active in organizing programs for international students. That spirit of service continued when we immigrated in 1969.”
Their early involvement with the Victoria Filipino-Canadian Association (VFCA), established in 1969, laid the foundation for cultural celebrations and community organization in the region. Drawing on her background in the UP Filipiniana Dance Group, Ms. Pires began teaching Filipino folk dance to children and youth in Victoria.
Through performances in multicultural festivals and local events, she helped raise the visibility of Filipino culture, ensuring it was recognized as an integral part of Canada’s multicultural mosaic.
However, her most enduring legacy is the Bayanihan Cultural and Housing Society, which she founded in 1991. This is by far the only Filipino Community Center in BC. Under her leadership, the society spearheaded the decade-long fundraising campaign that culminated in the purchase and opening of the Bayanihan Community Centre in 2001—the first of its kind in Victoria and in the province.
Fully paid off within five years through disciplined governance and volunteer effort, the centre continues to serve as a home for Filipino cultural activities, social services, and community gatherings.
In her message, she emphasized collective achievement:
“This recognition belongs to the many who have worked with me since 1969. We dared to dream because we already proved what a united community can achieve through shared vision, selfless volunteerism, and committed governance.”
Today, the Bayanihan Community Centre stands as both a physical and symbolic testament to what leadership rooted in cultural stewardship and community empowerment can accomplish. Ms. Pires’ legacy—spanning cultural education, organizational leadership, and community institution-building—exemplifies the criteria of the Gawad Liyab ng Pamumuno: visionary leadership, influence and mentorship, and impact that lasts far beyond one’s tenure.
Honoree:
Atty. Melissa Remulla-Briones — BA Broadcast Communication, 1994; Juris Doctor, 2006
Legal Advocate, Educator, Empowerer of Migrant Communities
The Gawad Liyab ng Paglilingkod recognizes alumni who embody sustained, compassionate service to the Filipino community—service that uplifts, empowers, and creates lasting change. Few embody this more fully than Atty. Melissa Remulla-Briones, a lawyer whose work has fundamentally reshaped how Filipino immigrants in BC understand and access legal protection.
Her journey spans nearly 20 years of legal practice across two continents and two legal systems. Beginning her career in the Philippines’ civil law framework, she painstakingly retrained, re-accredited, and re-established her credentials in Canada’s common law environment—a testament to her dedication, resilience, and intellectual rigor.
Yet even after achieving one of the most challenging professional transitions a lawyer can face, Melissa chose a path defined not by financial gain, but by social mission.
In 2019, she founded Northam Law Corporation, a firm built on one radical belief: that legal help should be accessible and culturally relevant to Filipino newcomers, workers, families, and business owners who often feel intimidated by the Canadian legal system.
Her service model is deeply personal and community-rooted. Through workshops, collaborations with Filipino organizations, public education campaigns, and community-responsive webinars, Melissa demystifies complex areas of law—family rights, employment protections, real estate, wills and estates, business formation.
She meets people where they are, in language they understand, and in spaces where they feel seen.
Her acceptance message powerfully captured the heart of her service:
“The law should not intimidate our people—it should protect them. Many Filipinos arrive in Canada carrying courage but also uncertainty. If my work helps even one family feel safer, or one worker understand their rights, then the effort is worth it.”
During the pandemic, when fear and confusion permeated the community, Melissa stepped forward, offering free online sessions that addressed urgent topics like tenancy rights, immigration rules, and employment obligations—lifelines for temporary workers and new immigrants navigating unprecedented challenges. Her work embodies the deepest meaning of paglilingkod: a service that empowers, protects, and transforms lives. It also aligns strongly with the Gawad Liyab criteria for service—depth, advocacy, impact, and sustainability.
Honoree: Ms. Lenore RS Lim — Bachelor of Fine Arts, 1967
Artistic Pioneer, Cultural Diplomat, Mentor to Generations
The Gawad Liyab ng Dangal is the highest honor UPAABC may confer. It is not given annually, but only when an alum’s lifetime contributions are so profound, so enduring, and so globally resonant that they embody the very spirit of UP ideals.
This year, that honor was bestowed upon Ms. Lenore RS Lim, an artist whose six-decade international career has elevated Filipino art on the world stage.
Born and educated in Manila, Ms. Lim’s artistic journey took her from UP Diliman to New York, Vancouver, and beyond. She is renowned for pioneering the integration of digital technologies into traditional Philippine printmaking—an innovation she championed at a time when digital art was dismissed as mechanized or less authentic.
Her groundbreaking 1991 exhibit at the Ayala Museum, Computer Art Etchings and Serigraphy, is widely considered a turning point in Philippine printmaking history.
Her works have been exhibited in more than fifteen countries, displayed in national museums, and featured in cultural diplomacy events hosted by Philippine embassies abroad. She has received prestigious recognitions, including being named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S.
But perhaps her greatest impact goes beyond her own art.
Ms. Lim has dedicated her life to building institutions, mentoring artists, and creating pathways for Filipino creatives in the diaspora. She co-founded the Filipino Music and Art Foundation in BC, organized the multicultural Pagtitipon series in Vancouver, and continuously supports emerging artists through grants, exhibitions, and personal mentorship.
In her acceptance speech, she reflected with deep humility:
“This award is not just a recognition of one person’s journey. It is a tribute to the collective light we have kept burning—the light of service, creativity, and compassion for our fellow Filipinos. Ang liwanag na sinindihan natin noon, patuloy na nagliliyab hanggang ngayon.”
Her life’s work—transformative, enduring, global—is the very definition of a lifetime achievement. The Gawad Liyab ng Dangal’s criteria of enduring impact, embodiment of UP values, and influence on generations are not just met—they are exceeded in Ms. Lim’s legacy.
A TRADITION TAKES ROOT
The Gawad Liyab is more than a ceremony. This is a promise—a commitment to honor alumni whose flames burn brightest, and to kindle new sparks in the next generation of Iskos and Iskas in British Columbia.
As VP Argayosa said in closing:
“Tonight, we begin a tradition that will live on—a tradition of recognizing the flames that never die. Every spark of passion, every act of service, every flame of leadership creates the blazing spirit that defines us as UP alumni.”
With the launch of Gawad Liyab, UPAABC has taken its place not just as a community organization, but as a steward of legacy—ensuring that the stories of Filipino excellence are honored, preserved, and passed on.
The flame has been lit. And it will continue to blaze—brighter each year—with every leader who rises, every servant who uplifts, and every artist who inspires.
