Bridging academic scholarship and community remembrance, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, through the La Liga Historia Zamboangueña (LLHZ)-AdZU Chapter, joined the commemoration of Día de Senator Roseller T Lim on February 9, 2026. The event marked the 111th birth anniversary of Senator Roseller T Lim and the 20th Senator Roseller T Lim Award for Five Outstanding Zamboangueño Young Leaders (FOZYL) 2026, recognizing Zamboanga’s youth who embody his commitment to service and civic engagement.
Sen Roseller T Lim was born on February 9, 1915, and was among the first graduates of Ateneo de Zamboanga High School. He served as a labor activist, congressman (1949-1955), and, so far, the only senator from Zamboanga (1955-1963). His contributions include the passage of the Minimum Wage Law, Magna Carta of Labor, Social Security Act, the division of the Zamboanga Province into two, and the renaming of Bailen Street to La Purisima Street. He served in the 1971 Constitutional Convention, representing Zamboanga del Sur, and was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 1973 until he died in 1976.
Organized by the City Government of Zamboanga through the City Tourism Office and Junior Chambers International (JCI) Zamboanga, the commemoration began with a mass at St. Joseph Church with Fr Salvador Wee SJ as the homilist, followed by the solemn rites at the RT Lim Monument. It continued with the FOZYL Awarding at the Garden Orchid Hotel. AdZU contributed across the program: the ROTC Ignatian Cadets Corps, AdZU Glee Club, and AdZU Concert Band Taps Performance; Mr Yousef S Corrales represented LLHZ-AdZU in wreath-laying, and Mr Rovic John F Eslao represented AdZU during the wreath-laying and historical lecture about RT Lim; and poetry recitals by Mr Corrales and Ms Ellise France Estrada further wove cultural identity into the political narrative, ensuring the Senator’s contributions to the Zamboangueño soul remained the focal point. Mr Amier Tan hosted both events, with Mr Eslao co-hosting the FOZYL Awarding.
The program culminated in the recognition of the FOZYL Awardees, including AdZU alumni Jason Idlisan and John Reymund Ramirez, honoring an icon while elevating new leaders, which reinforces civic awareness and historical consciousness. By championing these young visionaries, the commemoration achieved its ultimate purpose: ensuring that Senator Lim’s commitment to integrity and community engagement endures through the leaders of tomorrow.
