Council honors Filipino-Chinese businessman

THE Cebu City Council handed over a plaque of recognition to businessman and philanthropist Leo Lim Liu in simple rites at the council session hall last Wednesday, July 13.

The plaque was turned over to Alfred Go, eldest of Liu’s five children and now senior vice president for operations at the Chong Hua Hospital.

In accepting the plaque, Go said his father had helped the city and province in various ways and his legacy will continue through his children. “I was born here (in Cebu). We really have to give our best shot to where we belong,” Go said.

Go recalled that his father came from an ordinary family of migrants. “He migrated to the Philippines when he was seven years old, together with my lolo (grandfather) and lola (grandmother) and all they had was that ‘supot’ (paper/plastic bag),” Alfred fondly told reporters.

Before he died last February 21, Liu was the president of the Association Benevola de Cebu (ABC) for the past 26 years.

The ABC is a non-profit organization that owns and manages Chong Hua Hospital which has been the city’s partner in its health care programs.

City Councilor Margot Osmeña said Liu has been generous in donating funds to city projects like the street children program she spearheaded and the P1 million for the construction of the new Cebu City Medical Center.

Liu also supported the Parian Drop-In Center and Children of Cebu Foundation. The ABC held medical missions, the latest activity servicing 5,000 Cebu indigents last November and December.

Liu was also credited with bridging and strengthening the sister city relationship of Xiamen, China and Cebu City.