She's Not Done

In her recent visit to Sorsogon, Loida Nicolas-Lewis's passion for her hometown was reignited as she shared her inspiring vision with us

- Chit Lijauco

Like a long-lost friend with many stories to tell, Loida Nicolas-Lewis was beside herself, rattling off everything she'd been doing in the last ten years when she last visited the country after boycotting the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. But she did not while away the time idly. No, “idle” is a word that does not exist in Nicolas-Lewis's vocabulary. But “busy” is high up there with “committed, engaged, proactive”.

She spent the interregnum in the United States, where she has a beautiful apartment in Manhattan and a beach house in East Hampton. She actively engaged in various advocacies, including empowering Filipinas, promoting Philippine art and culture, and supporting local political candidates in the US, particularly those of Filipino descent. In addition, she wrote a book and started a podcast. All this, and turning 80 as well. But now she’s back.

Nicolas-Lewis returned because of a milestone: the 25th anniversary of Lewis College. “I can’t believe we are already on our 25th!” she enthuses. “We started with a population of 314, now, it’s 2,500!”