Welcome remarks by Retired Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe at the FLP Awards Ceremony on September 16, 2026 at the Main Lounge, Manila Polo Club, Makati City.
Good evening, everyone.
On behalf of the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity, it is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to this very special occasion.
Before anything else, let me just say how delighted I am to see everyone here, especially our scholars, fellows, dissertation winners, and their families. Tonight is really about you, and we could not be happier to celebrate all that you have achieved.
I would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos who has always been very generous with her time. We are especially grateful that she has once again found time to join us for this year’s awards ceremony. Her continued presence and support are deeply appreciated by the Foundation, and we are truly honored to have her with us tonight. Thank you Ma’am.
As we gather tonight to celebrate the Foundation’s work and the young people who represent its future, it is also a particularly exciting time for the FLP. This is because the Foundation’s grand project, the Museum for Liberty and Prosperity, is no longer simply a vision on paper. As some of you may know, we have already reached an important milestone with the laying of its cornerstone, which brings us one step closer to realizing a museum that will be futuristic, interactive, immersive, technology-driven, and that will bring the story and importance of liberty, prosperity, and the rule of law to a much wider audience. This is particularly meaningful because the Museum is, in many ways, a reflection of the very ideals that the Foundation was established to advance. In this regard, allow me to recognize the Chairman and President of State Properties Corporation, Dr. Allen Roxas, for donating the home of our future museum. Thank you Sir. I would like to also acknowledge the Justices of the Supreme Court, Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justice Midas Marquez, and our guest speaker Gov. Eli Remolona Jr. of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, for their continuing support to this important FLP project. Indeed, we are deeply grateful for their partnership in helping us turn this vision into a lasting institution.
And this brings me, appropriately, to the person whose vision and legacy are at the heart of the Foundation. I cannot welcome everyone tonight without recognizing our Chairman, former Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban. CJ Art has been the driving force behind the Foundation’s vision from the very beginning. The Museum is, in many ways, a tangible expression of that legacy – the belief that liberty and prosperity must go hand in hand, and that both must be nurtured and procted under the rule of law. What began as his vision has grown into the Foundation we have today, and now into a project that we hope will carry those ideals to future generations. Undoubtedly, this vision has become a continuing investment in the country’s future by supporting deserving law students through scholarships, and on a broader scale, by bringing together the legal, academic, business, and public sectors around a common belief in the rule of law that fosters liberty and prosperity in our society.
And tonight, we see the fruits of that vision.
To our 20 Law Scholars, five ESMEL Fellows, and our Dissertation Contest winners: congratulations.
Your awards tonight recognize not only what you have already accomplished, but also what the Foundation believes you are capable of accomplishing in the years ahead. We hope that the opportunities you receive will enable you not only to build successful careers, but also to use your knowledge and talents in service of something larger than yourselves.
Because ultimately, the ideals of liberty and prosperity are not abstract concepts. Liberty means having the freedom to pursue our dreams and shape our own future. Prosperity means having the opportunity to turn that freedom into a better life. And what ties the two together is the rule of law – which is the catalyst that allows both to flourish.
This is precisely the mission that the Foundation wishes to advance. And this is the mission that we hope you, our awardees, will carry forward.
So, as you accept your awards tonight, I hope you will also accept the responsibility that comes with them.
Continue to pursue excellence. Continue to value integrity. And wherever your career may take you, never lose sight of the principles that underpin what we are trying to build: a society where liberty can be exercised, opportunity can be pursued, and prosperity can be shared.
Before I end, I also want to thank our partners and supporters who have made these programs possible. Your generosity allows the Foundation to do something truly meaningful: to invest in people, in ideas, and ultimately, in the future of our country.
And so, once again, on behalf of the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity, welcome to this evening’s Awards Ceremony.
May we all have an enjoyable and memorable night together.
Thank you so much.
