U-Bix to be inducted to the Order of Horace B. Silliman
To recognize its generous donation to Silliman University (SU), U-Bix, through its president, Atty. Edilberto Bravo, will be inducted to the Order of Horace Brinsmade Silliman on August 26, 2023, 2:00 p.m. at the Silliman Hall.
The corporation donated land in San Antonio, Sibulan and funds for a building to be named the SU-Bert Bravo Technopreneur Center, a facility for the SU Technology Business Incubation (TBI) program.
The Center will be an incubation facility for innovators, scientists, and aspiring entrepreneurs. It will assist them to develop, test, and vet ideas; and to develop a product prototype. It will even act as an “accelerator,” helping facilitate conversations with venture capital corporations.
During the groundbreaking ceremony for the business incubation facility in March 2022, Bravo said that education is the best investment for the youth. He said that he believes in the truism, “Give a man some fish and you will feed him for a meal. But teach him how to fish and you will feed him and his family for a lifetime.”
A Visionary Leader
Bravo is no stranger to idea development and start-ups. A lawyer, he ventured into an office supplies and stationery business with his wife, Dr. Filomena Bravo, and opened Bookhaven. Atty. Ike Belo joined the team, and together they expanded the company and established U-Bix Corporation.
Being the exclusive distributor of Konica Minolta production printers and copiers, U-Bix is recognized as the country’s pioneer in laser printing and plain paper copying technology.
Over the years, U-Bix has diversified, forging alliances in office-related businesses. It partnered with Okamura Corporation, Japan’s premier producer of office furniture systems. It established Facilities Managers, Inc. after it went into a licensing agreement with ServiceMaster Company, a US-based service firm that provides professional facilities management to clients. It acquired Kodak Imaging Center of the Philippines and rebranded it as U-Bix Imaging Center.
A Legacy of Goodwill
The Order of Horace B. Silliman acknowledges individuals and companies that share the same vision with the man who donated the seed money to start SU.
Dr. Horace Brinsmade Silliman was a philanthropist from Cohoes, New York, who donated USD 10,000 to the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in Manhattan to open an industrial school specifically for boys in the Philippines. This generous donation led to the establishment of Silliman Institute, which was then managed by Dr. David and Mrs. Laura Hibbard, who together performed multiple roles as administrators, faculty, and staff. The school started with 15 students, received official recognition as an educational institution in 1910, became a university in 1938, and now continues to strive to be the leading Christian higher education institution in the country.
U-Bix’s partnership with SU is in line with Dr. Silliman’s vision of equipping Filipinos with the necessary skills and knowledge to better their lives and be responsible citizens. U-Bix’s donation allows the SU TBI program to have a space where entrepreneurial spirit can be cultivated, talents can be developed, and creative ideas can be concretized.
