Engr. Roman Ting Go is highly regarded as an entrepreneur, educator and expatriate in Xiamen, China. Well-known for his truly generous spirit and humility, he has undoubtedly contributed much to the upholding of the status of Filipinos in Xiamen.

     Engr. Go, along with his wife, Dr. Mildred Go, who was also a recipient of Banaag Award in 2000, has been instrumental in establishing the Manila Xiamen International School (MXIS) which is the first Filipino owned international school in China. The school is a college preparatory co-educational day and boarding school accredited both by the Philippines’ Department of Education and China’s Ministry in Education. Early this year, MXIS also obtained accreditation from the Switzerland-based International Baccalaureate Organization.

     As former Consul General to Xiamen, Renato L. Villapano cited, “the establishment of MXIS not only contributed in deepening the relations between Philippines and China but also to the employment of Filipino educators, and propagation of Chinese and Filipino languages among its students”. More than 300 Filipinos have been employed and trained to teach students from 20 countries at the Manila Xiamen International School.

     As chairman of MXIS since its inception in 1993, Engr. Go has implemented several programs to benefit Filipinos. He sponsored the trips of 10 Filipino education officials and made arrangements for their accommodation and itineraries, in order for them to observe the teaching method of MXIS and visit local Chinese schools. He opened the facilities of MXIS for the activities of the Filipino community such as sports competitions, bingo socials and family days on weekends, making MXIS the second home for Filipinos. As an incentive to students who excelled in sports and the performing arts, he provided free round-trip tickets to China to six high school students of St. Gabriel International School in Pasig, Manila. He also assisted the Commission on Filipinos Overseas by co-hosting the 5th Conference of Philippine Schools Overseas which was held in Xiamen in April 2006.

     Apart from his tasks at MXIS, Engr. Go has been serving as the adviser of the Filipino Association in Xiamen (FAX) since 1999. He has consistently supported the projects of the Association financially in their regular activities and events. He also regularly supports the activities of the Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen such as the Philippine Independence Day Celebrations and the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day. Also, he has been extending his assistance by mentoring newly-arrived Filipinos in Xiamen and even coordinating with the Xiamen local police for the release of detained Filipinos in the area.

     Given his good reputation in the academic and business circles, Engr. Go was conferred the distinction of being an Honorary Citizen of Xiamen by the Xiamen authorities.

     In conferring the Banaag Award to Engr. Roman Ting Go, the President recognizes his eminent success in the pioneering establishment of the Manila Xiamen International School, the only Philippine school in China, and his genuinely altruistic efforts to help and support Filipinos in Xiamen and visitors from the Philippines.