SU unveils Camille Gadiane Silliman Center for Women and Children’s Law
Silliman University (SU) formally unveiled and dedicated the Camille Gadiane Silliman Center for Women and Children’s Law on August 20, 2026, on the second floor of the Anastacia You Cang-Uy Hall, marking the establishment of a new space dedicated to legal assistance, advocacy, education, and the protection of women and children.
The event was hosted by the SU College of Law under the leadership of Dean Atty. Norberto L. Denura.
Dr. Rachel Gadiane Silliman, donor and mother of the center’s namesake, Camille Gadiane Silliman, was present during the ceremony.
The portrait of the late Camille Gadiane Silliman hangs inside the newly inaugurated center.
In her message, SU Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research Dr. Lily Ann D. Bautista described the center as more than a new facility, emphasizing its role as a space for “justice, compassion, advocacy, and hope.”
Bautista highlighted Camille’s legacy as a lawyer who dedicated herself to public service and believed in the importance of family law and protecting women and children who experience domestic abuse and violence.
She expressed the University’s gratitude to Dr. Rachel and her husband, George Gadiane Silliman, for transforming their love for their only child into a legacy that can benefit others.
(L-R) Atty. Norberto L. Denura, SULAW dean; Dr. Rachel Gadiane Silliman, donor; Dr. Lily Ann D. Bautista, VPAAR; and Rev. Jonathan R. Pia, SU Church university chaplain, lead the unveiling of the center’s signage.
The center is envisioned to provide women and children, particularly those with limited means, access to legal advice and, when necessary, pro bono legal services. Beyond legal assistance, it will serve as a venue for advocacy, examination of laws affecting women and children, promotion of gender equality, and efforts to strengthen legal protection against violence and abuse.
Bautista also emphasized the center’s role in the education of SU law students, providing them opportunities to engage with real-world legal concerns and understand that the practice of law involves not only knowledge of the law but also advocacy, social responsibility, and service.
“This center will provide an opportunity to experience law beyond the textbooks and the classrooms,” Bautista said, noting that it will help students develop their skills while learning to use their profession in the service of a more equitable and just society.
She added that SU hopes the center will eventually grow into a regional center that brings together students, legal professionals, advocates, and partner organizations committed to advancing the rights of women and children.
Dr. Rachel Gadiane Silliman, donor, and Atty. Norberto L. Denura, SULAW dean, pose outside Villareal Hall.
For Dr. Rachel Gadiane Silliman, the center carries forward Camille’s commitment to equality and justice.
In her message, she shared that Camille was their only child and “a feminist and quite a strong believer in equality among the genders.”
According to her, Camille believed that fair treatment of women, and by extension their vulnerable children, was necessary to a just society.
Camille was the Sillimans’ only child. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School at Madison and was licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and Minnesota. She later served as a state public defender in Wisconsin before she died at age 30 from complications of Sjögren’s syndrome.
“Camille was a blessing to us, and it is our hope that she will also become a blessing, especially to those women who are victims of domestic violence,” Silliman said, expressing hope that the center would provide support and hope to those experiencing gender inequities in the community.
Denura, meanwhile, expressed the College of Law’s gratitude for the family’s “generous and substantial gift” and proposed that the center be fondly known as the “Camille Center.”
Dr. Rachel Gadiane Silliman poses with family members and relatives after the ceremony.
He said the College of Law would work with stakeholders to make the center a hub for advocates and organizations working for women and children.
Among the University partners identified were the Department of Social Work and the Department of Psychology of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of Community Engagement and Service-Learning, and the Office of Strategic Partnerships and Enterprise Development.
Denura also committed to providing the Silliman family with an annual report on the center’s community involvement and activities.
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