Baltazar Endriga
Baltazar Endriga, former president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), died on May 8 after succumbing to pneumonia at St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City in Taguig. He was 82.
Among his many achievements, Endriga is best known for his stewardship of the CCP. An appointee of then President Fidel V. Ramos, he served as its president from 1995 to 1999, then rejoined the CCP as chair of the board of trustees from 2001 to 2002. He remained on the board until his death.
He successfully led the battle for the CCP to own the land where it was built and also recover a sizable portion of the institution’s receivables from the tobacco excise collection.
His tenure was also marked by the center’s sterling participation in the Philippine Centennial celebration from 1996 to 1998, and saw the first performance of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in Europe.
It can be said that under the watch of Endriga, an academic and management expert, the CCP emerged as a stronger, financially stable organization.
Key positions
Baltazar Nacion Endriga was born in Davao City in 1939 and grew up in Libagon, Southern Leyte. He took up accountancy at the University of the East Manila-College of Business Administration (UE-CBA), graduating magna cum laude in 1960 and finishing sixth in the board exam for certified public accountants (CPA).
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He went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration at Harvard Business School as a John Foundation scholar and a Peter Deutiche fellow.
Before his appointment to the CCP, he was a senior adviser and managing partner at the accountancy firm Endriga, Manangu & Associates, and also held leadership positions at SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co., and Andersen Consulting Philippines.
In 2003, he was named dean of the UE-CBA Caloocan and, later that year, its president and chief academic officer, the last two posts he held till 2005.
Continually working in the education sector, in 2010 he founded and served as president of Meridian International Business, Arts and Technology (MINT) College in Taguig City. He also sat on the board of Kalayaan College and chaired the advisory council of the Philippine High School for the Arts.
Leaving his mark in other cultural institutions, he served as commissioner of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and board member of the Film Development Foundation of the Philippines.
In the world of finance, he kept a strong presence as president of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines and board member of Metropolitan Bank, among other key positions.
Civic organizations also looked up to Endriga. He was a member of the National Executive Council of National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, and sat on the boards of the Jaime V. Ongpin (JVO) Foundation and JVO Microfinance Foundation.
‘Willingness to sacrifice’
In 2017, Endriga was asked to share his thoughts on what an ideal leader of the CCP should be:
“To lead CCP or other arts and culture institutions requires the following qualities: a sincere and intense appreciation and love for the arts, the artists and the importance of their contributions to society; managerial and administrative abilities; willingness to sacrifice personal interest; absence of a conflict of interest; sincere concern for the welfare of employees and artists; constant vigilance; uncommon courage to protect the institution; ability to persevere, maintaining and enhancing CCP’s physical and financial resources as well as organize its human resources so that there is effective delivery of services; thorough knowledge of the institution’s raison d’etre and its strategic direction; and ability to inspire employees, the board, and the institution’s publics.”
In a statement issued on his passing, the Endriga family said: “Bal believed that one’s life went beyond making a living. That one must use their skills and influence to strive for the betterment of the country.”
“Beyond being a CPA, Papa was a nationalist, an educator, an environmentalist, a philanthropist, and a person of integrity, courage, conviction and compassion—a rare blessing to this world,” the family added.
Endriga is survived by his wife Tessie, children and in-laws David and Catherine, Frankie and Jaclyn, Therese and Axel, and grandchildren Francesca and Nicholas.
The wake is at Chapel 1 of Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City. Interment will be on Sunday, May 15, after the 9 a.m. Mass.
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