Photo shows Ronald Gerzabek (seated, center) and Council Member Dolores Williams (to his right) of the Edward and Eva Underwood Charitable Foundation during their familiarization visit to PWU, shown here with the school’s officials led by Dr. Helena Z Benitez (seated, second from left) and the Underwood scholars.

Dr. Helena Z Benitez welcomes Ronald Gerzabek and Dolores Williams during their recent visit to PWU, with from left Encarnacion Raralio, CEO Alfredo Reyes and Dr. Amelou B. Reyes.

Underwood scholars Aiden Marigold Co and   Hannah Chua

    The generosity and compassion of a couple now gone not too long ago is bringing hope and a better future to some 72 students currently studying at the Philippine Women’s University. 

            As one of the recipient schools of the Edward and Eva Underwood Charitable Foundation, the PWU carries out the mission of the Foundation established two years ago for the “benefit of needy and academically qualified students from the Philippines and for Canadian or French nationality with Filipino origin.” 

            Incorporated under the laws of the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Foundation has its secretariat in this small country located near Switzerland and Austria. 

            Director Ronald Gerzabek and Dolores Guarin Williams, council member of the Foundation and niece of Eva Underwood made a familiarization visit recently to PWU where they learned and gained insights of the situation of the scholars, their needs and requirements. 

            In a program prepared by the scholarship committee, PWU Board Chairperson Dr. Helena Z Benitez, CEO Alfredo Reyes and Dr. Amelou Reyes welcomed the visiting guests and some of the scholars from the different levels and disciplines were presented. 

            Gerzabek who is visiting the Philippines for the first time expressed his “gladness to work with Filipino students and hoped for a long-lasting partnership.” He encouraged them to have the commitment and diligence for excellence and learning. 

            The ultimate objective of the scholarship as envisioned by the  founders is for the benefits of education to redound to a greater number of people.” Gerzabek said.           

This was concurred by Chairperson Dr. Helena Z Benitez who said the scholars must be both academically good and caring with concern, love for others, a heart to share with the less fortunate and be involved in community service.           

Hannah Chua, a third-year scholar taking up Bachelor of Arts in Music Education considers it a privilege to be granted the scholarship since “it has given me the opportunity to continue my studies and take up the challenge to Be The Best I Can Become- the PWU motto.”           

Now on her junior year pursuing Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management under this scholarship is Aiden Marigold Co who studies hard and conscientiously “so I can maintain my grades and finish my course for my future goal in life.”

            The scholarship is making the dreams  of not only Hannah and Aiden come true but hundreds of other students from five other institutions granted to offer the educational program.           

Eva has  a soft spot for PWU-and understandably so. She was a Philwomenian who finished secretarial and a dear, close friend of Dr. Helena Z Benitez. She likewise  took up Nursing at St. Luke’s and undergraduate studies in English Literature at Columbia University, New York.           

A niece, Benjie Lara Kennedy remembers her aunt for her special brand of bravery, generosity, kindness and spirituality who touched people’s lives with her warm wand.           

Eva met her future husband, Edward Underwood, whom she described as a “super-achiever,” on a long voyage by ship to the US on his return trip from Shanghai where his relatives lived. They got married in 1950 in New York.              

A summa cum-laude Economics graduate from Columbia University, Edward, a Jewish American, came to Manila as manager of Copra Buying Department and specialist in speculative raw materials for the Philippine Manufacturing Company. He  likewise taught at the University of the East and Far Eastern University.           

The couple went back to the US in 1953 and was engaged in the forecasting of price movements in commodity futures and security markets. His weekly Stockmarket Letter, the Technical Outlook was widely read and was quoted by Wall street Journal, Newsweek and Time magazine.            

The Underwoods  maintained residence and offices in England, Canada, Manaco, Zunich and Switzerland, their home base until their death-Edward in 1999 and Eva in 2007.           

Early in their marriage, the couple established and educational Trust Fund for underprivileged Filipino children abroad. Today, it covers those living in the Philippines.           

As earlier expressed, the Underwoods were “driven and inspired by the deep belief in the idea that affording education to those who have no means to get it will help make the world a better place.”