Mrs Celda Santos, widow of the late Mr Arben Santos, donates P2.5 million for Blue Eagle Gym renovation

Mrs Celda Santos, the widow of the late Mr Arsenio Benjamin E "Arben" Santos, visited Ateneo de Manila University on Tuesday, 1 October 2024 to make a donation of ₱2.5 million for the ongoing renovation of the Blue Eagle Gym.

A graduate of Ateneo's BS Management Engineering program, Class of 1970, Mr Arben Santos was part of the Blue Eagles when it was still part of the Philippine National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the 1960s. Back then, Mr Santos excelled as a two-sport athlete, competing in both basketball and football.

It was during this time that he helped lead the Blue Eagles to the NCAA Seniors Football title in 1968.

Beyond his collegiate playing years, Mr Santos continued to support the team. His keen eye for talent helped discover and nurture the careers of Blue Eagles such as Angelo Kouame, Enrico Villanueva, Kai Sotto, SJ Belangel, William Navarro, Kemark Carino, LA Tenorio, among others. Mr Santos made sure to remind these players never to take their studies for granted, even while they continued to excel as athletes.

"I kept on telling them not to forget their studies," he said in a 2017 interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "Remember they are student-athletes, not just athletes. Books and balls must complement each other."

“An athlete’s glory is to win the crown and the success of a student is to earn a diploma. This is the true example of a student-athlete,” he would go on to add.

Outside of the court and pitch, Mr Santos also made a name for himself in the field of maritime shipping.

As Managing Director of Baliwag Navigation Inc. (BNI) he saw the company's rise to prominence in the local shipping industry. Later on, he co-founded his own company, Southwest Maritime Corporation (SWMC).

At SWMC, he led several bold initiatives, including contracting the first Filipino-owned LPG vessel with Pilipinas Shell. By 2009, SWMC's subsidiary Southfield Agencies Inc, was deploying about 1,500 seamen worldwide. Meanwhile, another subsidiary, SWAN Shipping Corporation, was managing 17 LPG vessels worldwide, all of which were operated by Filipino officers and crew.

Mr Santos passed away on 20 July 2024 at the age of 76.

To honor Mr Santos' memory, his widow, Mrs Celda Santos made a donation of ₱2.5 million to Ateneo. The donation will go to help with the ongoing renovation of the Blue Eagle Gym (BEG), which is set to benefit new generations of Blue Eagles looking to follow in his footsteps.

The renovation of the Blue Eagle Gym started in September of last year and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. When completed, the renovated BEG will have a new ventilation system, highly improved acoustics, and updated facilities. The latter includes a 3-lane indoor running track, a FIBA-compliant competition basketball court, retractable seats that will open up the playing area to accommodate two practice basketball courts or two practice volleyball courts at any given time, a fitness gym and rehab center, multi-sports training areas, concessionaire stands, and an Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame, alongside renovated facilities for the many offices that call the BEG home.

Mrs Santos’ donation is part of the Naming Rights Sponsorship of the renovated University Athletics Office at the BEG.

Receiving the donation on behalf of Ateneo de Manila were Fr Roberto C Yap SJ,  University President; Fr Norberto Bautista SJ, Director Office of University Development and Alumni Affairs; and Fr Nemesio Que SJ.

Meanwhile, Mrs Santos was accompanied by Mrs Jingle Bugia, mother former Blue Eagle Paolo Bugia and mother-in-law of LA Tenorio; and Mrs Bel Fonacier, mother of former Blue Eagle Larry Fonacier.

During the meeting, Fr Yap presented Mrs Santos with a token, a Funko Pop! College Blue Eagle figure, as a symbol of the University's gratitude for her donation, as well as a certificate recognizing her contribution. Following the meeting, a simple merienda was served during which Mrs Santos regaled everyone with stories of Arben's life and involvement with the team.