The University of Negros Occidental –Recoletos will confer Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management (honoris causa) to Olivia Villaflores Yanson, the matriarch of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies, on Aug. 30, 2023 in Bacolod City.
The citation is given to Yanson, co-founder of the YGBC, in recognition of her contribution to the world of business. Yanson, or OVY, is known for being an entrepreneur and a philanthropist. She was a nurse by profession, having obtained her undergraduate degree from Siliman University in 1956, before she ventured into entrepreneurship.
UNO-R president Fr. Joel Alve will lead the conferment of the degree to Yanson, while Fr. Romeo Ben Pontencio Jr., assisted by Dr. Dennis Madrigal, Dean of Recoletos de Bacolod Graduate School, will officiate the hooding and capping ceremony.
Fr. Amadeo Lucero will award the medallion and diploma, while Dr. Angelus Diamante will induct Yanson to the Blue and Gold Alumni.
Yanson has received numerous recognitions from various institutions for her accomplishments and socio civic works.
She was a recipient of the 2001 First Hamiling Bayawanon Award in the field of business and entrepreneurship, 2006 Oriental Negrense Award for outstanding achievement in social entrepreneurship, 2007 Signum Lasallianum (Award of Excellence), 2007 Go Negosyo Outstanding Negrense in the field of Entrepreneurship, Most Outstanding Silimanian Award in the field of Entrepreneurship, the Order of Horace B. Silliman Award, the 2007 Banwahanon Award as Outstanding Entrepreneur (Bacolod City).
Yanson received the 2008 Making a Difference for Women Award (Soroptimist International of Bacolod), the 2008 La Gran Dama de Negros (The Negrense Heritage Society), The Outstanding Bayawanon award and the 2018 Outstanding Negrense Award for Humanitarian Work.
As a humanitarian, she founded the OVY Educational and Health Care Foundation Inc. which grants educational and health assistance to the underprivileged.
As an environmentalist, Yanson supported the reforestation of more than 750 hectares of denuded land in the cities of Basay and Bayawan in Negros Oriental and Talisay City in Negros Occidental.
Yanson is also a benefactor of several orphanages in Negros.