Tzu Chi founder Master Cheng Yen was conferred a Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa award by the University of the East (UE) last October 5.

The award was given to Master Cheng Yen for her pioneering efforts to alleviate the plight of marginalized people in the Philippines and abroad.

UE president Dr. Ester Garcia said the award, which is the most prestigious of its kind in the academic world, is certainly a well-deserved one for the spiritual mother and guide of 10 million Tzu Chi volunteers worldwide.

The master, according to Garcia, has conceivably spent every waking hour and day working for the betterment of people who are unable to help themselves due to poverty, sickness, and lack of education.

“For her charitable works alone Dharma Master Cheng Yen certainly deserves the Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa award given to her by our university,” she emphasized.

Garcia also stressed that no dissent of any kind took place when the board of trustees led by business tycoon Lucio Tan recommended to the alumni association and faculty that Master Cheng Yen be conferred such an honor during the UE’s 65th founding anniversary.

“All of them were very supportive of this measure especially when they found out that Tzu Chi Foundation, Philippines was instrumental in bringing Marikina back to life shortly after Typhoon Ondoy battered the country on September 26, 2009,” the UE president narrated.

“We would like to point out that Master Cheng Yen is the only living awardee of ours whom we gave a Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa in absentia. Also, we like to state no one gets an award from UE unless he or she deserves it” she stressed.

Master Cheng Yen, a Buddhist nun, is UE’s 27th honorary doctorate recipient.

She is the third woman to receive Honoris Causa from the university and the ninth honoree of UE Doctor of Humanities. The other women recipients of Honoris Causa were Elisabeth Waldheim, wife of former United Nations secretary general Kurt Waldheim (February 12, 1976), and Elena Lim, UE outstanding alumnus and chairperson emeritus of shipping firm Solid Group Inc. (September 24, 1996).

Master Cheng Yen founded the Tzu Chi Foundation, a non-profit organization providing better social and community services, medical care, education and humanism in Taiwan for nearly 40 years.

Throughout the years, her influence in the world is revealed through the acclaimed international work of Tzu Chi Foundation.

UE is celebrating its 65th founding year by conducting various activities aimed at fostering stronger academic and social ties with community.

This year’s activities were held from September 9 to 0ctober 5. UE was founded on September 9, 1946.
Terry Tseng, a Tzu Chi volunteer who represented Master Cheng Yen at the event, said she was very honored to be selected to represent the latter.

Representing Master Cheng Yen to the event, Tseng added, made her more motivated to participate in Tzu Chi’s various charitable missions especially the humanity side, so that she can do her role in spreading further the seeds of love.

She said that UE’s conferment of a Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa award shows the innate wisdom and goodness in the various charitable missions initiated by Master Cheng Yen.

“Tzu Chi members worldwide have much reason to be proud of this award. But they should not let this honor prevent them from further observing Tzu Chi’s principles of sincerity, integrity, faith, and honesty,” she emphasized.

Aside from UE officials and faculty members, around 80 Tzu Chi volunteers and local dignitaries led by Marikina Mayor Del De Guzman, San Mateo Mayor Rafael Diaz, and Cavite fifth district Representative Roy Loyola were present during the awarding ceremonies.