“And all shall be well and
All manner of things shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.“
T.S.Eliot

Fires of Excellence

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Ricky’s Legacy

Society and stage, scholarship and performance, statistics and art, flow, blend, and kindle actions in the masterly works of Ricardo G. Abad. His passing marks an occasion for remembrance of the extraordinary contributions he leaves in advancing art in the sciences and the sciences in art through research, scientific publications, performance, acting, directing theater, writing creative works, teaching, social commentary, and outreach. As we remember his contributions we also move forward to continue and nurture his passions and his legacy.

The Ricardo Gianchand Abad Endowment Fund for Sciences and the Arts
in Arete-Ateneo de Manila University hopes to support outreach and
knowledge production activities that fuse and interweave sciences and the
arts in the Ateneo and the community to create scenarios for a better world
for Filipinos.

About the Site

Fires of Excellence is about the life and work of Ricardo Gianchand Abad (“Ricky”) (1946-2023). Ricky was a sociologist, theater artist, and teacher at the Ateneo de Manila University in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines. His life and his work is an interweaving of his two passions: sociology and theater arts.  He sought to advance art in the sciences and the sciences in art through research, scientific publications, performance, acting, directing theater, writing creative works, teaching, social commentary, and outreach. His  body of work includes over a hundred publications and academic papers, over 200 theater productions, and over 300 workshops and webinars in theater arts, teaching practices, Philippine culture, and social research in both Filipino and English. This website is about nurturing and continuing Ricky Abad’s legacy.

Fires of Excellence is the title of his Response on Behalf of the Awardees of the 2001 Metrobank Search for Outstanding Teachers. In this speech he likens a teacher to a master potter in ancient China who, in his quest to find the perfect glaze, threw himself and his vases into the glowing heat of the fully fired kiln to create, in the end, the most exquisite of porcelain vases. The master himself had disappeared into his creations. The teacher of today, like the master potter of old, embraces the task with an open heart and walks once more into the molten white heat of teaching until that perfect glaze, the oneness of teacher and student appears…”and the fire and the rose are one.”

In 2009 he once again received the Metrobank Award for Continuing Excellence and Service (ACES).

Your Support

Fires of Excellence is supported by The Ricardo Gianchand Abad
Endowment Fund for Sciences and the Arts in Arete-Ateneo de Manila University.

To help support the Fund please visit the payment channels listed:

Below are the various channels for donations through the University:

  1. https://webpay.ateneo.edu/peso (one time credit card donations)

    • Use reference no. 012079146; Payment Particulars: Ricardo Abad Endowment

    • Proof of payment must be sent to development@ateneo.edu with a note that the donation is for the The Ricardo Gianchand Abad Endowment Fund

  1. QR code for RICARDO G ABAD ENDOWMENT FUND – PNX2ZY9T
    Link – https://admu.paybiz.ph/redirect/PNX2ZY9T

    • Proof of payment must be sent to development@ateneo.edu with a note that the donation is for the The Ricardo Gianchand Abad Endowment Fund

RICARDO G ABAD ENDOWMENT FUND - PNX2ZY9T
  1. https://giving.ateneo.edu/make-gift/peso?vid=36&inside=4
    (one-time and recurring credit card donations; this link has pre-filled the fund details for easy identification of donations coming from this channel)
  2. For U.S. residents who wish to make a tax deductible donation:
    1. To donate using your credit card, click the link below or copy and paste it in your browser’s
      address bar:
      https://www.phjesuits.org/pjf/share.php
      Please specify in the Comments section of the form that you are donating to The Ricardo Gianchand Abad Endowment Fund for Sciences and the Arts in Arete-Ateneo de Manila University.
    2. To donate by check, address it to the PHILIPPINE JESUIT FOUNDATION then send it to

      Philippine Jesuit Foundation
      P.O. Box 312
      New York, NY 10028
      USA

      Please indicate that you are donating to The Ricardo Gianchand Abad Endowment Fund for Sciences and the Arts in Arete-Ateneo de Manila University.

      For more information, please contact:

      Ms. FERN ROBLES
      Executive Director, Philippine Jesuit Foundation
      pjf@phjesuits.org
      +1 (646) 370-1526

      The Foundation will issue you an official receipt and forward your contribution to the beneficiary
      you have indicated.

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Contact Us

We value open communication and welcome inquiries from individuals passionate about supporting the arts and sciences. Whether you have questions about our endowment fund, wish to contribute, or seek more information about our initiatives, we encourage you to reach out. Our dedicated team is here to assist you. You can contact us via email at eeviota@ateneo.edu. We look forward to connecting with you and working together to foster a thriving environment for the arts and sciences.