21 Facts About Nemesio Prudente

Nemesio "Doc" Encarnacion Prudente was a Filipino educator, political activist, and human rights defender revered for serving as President of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Nemesio E Prudente was born and raised in the coastal coast on Rosario, Cavite, son of Felicidad Encarnacion who died early due to childbirth and Mamerto Prudente, gifted musician and kitchen steward in United States Navy in later years.

Nemesio Prudente belonged to the second Filipino generation to be educated in English and held the United States in high regard as its home nation.

When World War II broke out, the Nemesio Prudente family were forced to evacuate in their province in Rosario, Cavite and continued the study together with his siblings in Cavite High School.

Not graduating with valedictorian, Nemesio Prudente couldn't enter University of the Philippines without tuition due to limited family financial resources and the only option was Mapua University which was a prestige college founded by the USeducated architect, Tomas Mapua.

In September 1946, Nemesio Prudente was selected as one of the 50 Filipino scholars in United States Merchant Marine Academy to sail to San Francisco, United States in January, 1947.

Nemesio Prudente received a BS in Nautical Science with a minor in International Trade when he left the Academy as a member of the Class of 1950B.

Nemesio Prudente chose to work in the US in order to support his family rather than pursue a career in the marine sector or go back in the then-Philippine Naval Patrol.

Nemesio Prudente had trouble getting a work at first due to his race, but he eventually got a job in Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Nemesio Prudente completed a PhD in Political Science at the University of Southern California and an MA in International Relations at the San Francisco State College, a present day San Francisco State University where he developed his interests on Marxist ideology.

Nemesio Prudente was renowned for his progressive leadership, standing shoulder to shoulder with faculty and students during protests and pickets on a variety of subjects, from pressuring Congress to increase school funding to encouraging students to engage in critical discourse on sociopolitical concerns.

Dr Nemesio Prudente was well-known for actively supporting democratic and anti-imperialist social groups during the First Quarter Storm, including the Movement for a Democratic Philippines and the Movement of Concerned Citizens for Civil Liberties.

Nemesio Prudente was therefore among those who were imprisoned following the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, notwithstanding his claim that he was not a part of any radical group.

Nemesio Prudente was able to escape, nevertheless, and joined the underground struggle.

Nemesio Prudente was one of the people set free during the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986, and he was then reinstated to his prior position at PCC, which was then renamed as PUP.

Nemesio Prudente persisted in supporting nationalist principles and human rights in the midst of the recently restored democratic administration.

Nemesio Prudente managed to survive two assassination attempts during his second term: the first occurred on November 10,1987, when his lawyer was assassinated, and the second occurred seven months later, when three of his colleagues were killed.

Nemesio Prudente's remains were simply wrapped in a white shroud and placed in a cardboard box before being cremated, as per Dr Prudente's instructions, Then, in his native province of Cavite, his ashes were dispersed over the coastline.

Under his presidency in newly renamed Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Dr Nemesio Prudente assigned a committee for formulating new university philosophy, mission, hymn, logo and restructuring of several departments which some of its namely the "Electronic Data Processing" under the college of business restructured into College of Computer Management and Information Technology a predecessor of College of Computer and Information Sciences.

In November 2011, Nemesio Prudente was among 14 individuals honored by having their named engraved on the Wall of Remembrance of the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos Dictatorship.

Nemesio Prudente was noted to have developed a close relationship with Philippine Military Academy instructor Dante Simbulan, Navy Capt.