FINDING ANSWERS
At the memorial service for my late brother Alberto “Bert” David Lina who was also fondly known as ADL, tributes poured in attesting to his legacy of service and generosity that uplifted many across business, sports, culture and the arts – a legacy of philanthropy that reflected a deep commitment to social responsibility.
Kuya Bert was truly one of a kind who lived by what was expressed in the song, Mankind Should Be My Business, derived from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with the following verses:
Mankind should be my business
Mankind should be my trade
I realize it is my business
To give my fellow man my aid
The whole world should be my office
Heaven should be my boss
Man's happiness should be my profit
His suffering should be my loss
Just changing money is not enough
To make my life worthwhile,
I should have changed a human tear
Into a human smile
Mankind should be my business
That was the Lord's plan
My work in life should be the service
I can give, I can give
I can give my fellow man!
The song’s message was his guiding philosophy – in business and in life. He often asked, “How can we help our country?” It was a question that expressed a mindset that drove him to support many charities and advocacies like the First 1,000 Days nutrition program to make Filipino children brighter, taller, and stronger.
Kuya Bert’s life philosophy was the focus of eulogies last Feb. 27 when family, friends, colleagues, and industry leaders gathered for the memorial service at St. James the Great Parish in Alabang to bid their final goodbyes to the legendary ADL.
Former Senate President Frank Drilon, a close friend of ADL since the days of the so-called Hyatt 10 in 2005, was first to deliver a eulogy. “Bert was a dedicated public servant, a principled man, and someone who served with decency beyond comparison,” he attested.
“Sui generis, one of a kind – that was ADL,” he said, narrating how Kuya Bert constantly made lasting charitable contributions that included carillon bells donated to Catholic churches thereby “ensuring his legacy would continue to ring on.”
Former Senator Dick Gordon spoke about ADL’s quickness in helping out and responding to calamities. “Speed is the name of the game – just in time, on time, all the time. That was Bert,” he said. He told how people were “literally relieved” by ADL’s portable toilets in Mindanao in times of war, in Bicol and other places devastated by typhoons. He said the “portalets” inspired government to build local portable toilets later on.
He also narrated how ADL lent five UBE Express buses which helped vaccinate over 200,000 Filipinos during the pandemic. “We need more Bert Linas in this country, someone with initiative and compassion,” he said.
Lilia de Lima, former director-general of the Philippine Export Authority, described ADL as both mentor and friend whose generosity and dedication to service had a lasting and profound impact on people and industries. “His legacy grows and glows for those who knew him. We are grateful for the seeds he planted,” she said.
Retired Lt. Gen. Nesty Carolina, former Philippine Veterans Affairs Office administrator, spoke of ADL’s devotion to veterans, of having “played a key role in constructing an annex for the Veterans Hospital and spearheaded the digitization of the Veterans Office, modernizing its processes to provide more efficient and accessible services for those who served the nation.”
Dr. Dodie Deomampo, in his eulogy, highlighted ADL’s generosity in helping underserved communities in Aklan through the medical missions of Guiding Light Ministries. “Bert’s legacy lives on in each of you,” he told ADL’s wife Sylvia and four daughters.
Rudy Fulo, who worked with ADL for 33 years, said he was known for punctuality, decisiveness, and quick action. “PYP – Pass your paper. Analysis is paralysis. When you think of something, do it. Take the risk, it’s just money” used to be ADL’s sort of mantra, he said as he recounted how ADL’s aircraft caravan was first to land in Tacloban after Super Typhoon Yolanda struck, bringing aid and inspiring others to follow suit.
He narrated that ADL once told him that 76 years was the life expectancy of Filipinos. “He couldn’t miss his appointment with the Lord,” Fulo quipped as he spoke of the legendary punctuality of Kuya Bert whose respect for time and people was legendary.
“We have been blessed by having Bert for 76 years,” Sylvia said as she quoted Job 1:21, “Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh.” She also recalled her late husband’s favorite saying: “Give till it hurts.” It truly was ADL’s guiding principle that defined his generosity and selflessness.
“Mankind should be my business” is a timeless reminder that caring for others ought to be our greatest responsibility. Kuya Bert’s ultimate legacy can be measured not by wealth alone but by the countless lives he touched. Indeed, when business success aligns with humanity’s best interests, it creates a legacy far more enduring than any financial empire.
Kuya Bert’s life philosophy certainly echoed Dickens’ timeless message: Mankind ought to be everyone’s business, and success is measured not just in profits, but in purpose. ([email protected])