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ADMINISTRATOR ELEUTERIO N. GARDINER (1939-2008)
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Eleuterio “Eli (pronounced as E-lai)” N. Gardiner, who hails from Tarlac, was born on February 20, 1939. He finished his elementary and high school at Lamao Barrio High School and graduated from the Far Eastern University with a degree on BS Business Administration.
Dubbed as the “Jerry Lewis” of the Philippines for his musical prowess, Eli Gardiner was a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who worked abroad as a member of the Five Brown Boys, the First Filipino band to play in Japan. He later formed the Eli Gardiner and the President’s Band which became very popular in Okinawa and Taipei.
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Administrator Gardiner
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Using his experience as an OFW, he engaged in the recruitment and deployment of Filipino Entertainers overseas. He organized Eligardi Enteprises, Inc. (ELIGARDI) and served as its Chairman of the Board and President.
He was also the founding president and Chairman of the Board of various associations including the Philippine Entertainment & Artists Association in Vietnam (PENARTS), Philippine Entertainment Exporters and Promoters Association (PEEPA), and Chamber of Industries in Music and Entertainment (CHIME).
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Administrator Gardiner with the late Fernando Poe Jr.
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He also headed or was a member or of several Philippine missions to labor-importing countries in the promotion of Filipino workers and their welfare.
After being in the recruitment business for more than twenty (20) years, he was appointed by then President Joseph E. Estrada to be the Administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). He immediately "devolved" his business interests in ELIGARDI, to assume the helmsmanship of OWWA on 01 July 1998. Given his experience in the recruitment business, Eli knew well the problems and concerns of OFWs at the job-sites. However, he did not finish his term and left OWWA on March 26, 2001 when President Joseph E. Estrada was impeached.
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Administrator Gardiner with former Senator Tito Sotto
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To many OWWA employees, Eli was known as a very generous and affluent person because he did not even bother to get his salaries during his entire tour-of-duty in OWWA. He was also known for his being "cowboy" or easy to "draw" cash from his own pocket for donations and solicitations among needy OFWs and many occasions in the regions. He is very approachable, loves music and he also loves to sing. It was his love with music that led to the composition of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Hymn and his full support to the OWWA Chorale.
For all his feats, both in his public and private life, one thing is for sure and that is Eli Gardiner would be remembered by the people whose lives he touched.
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Administrator Gardiner in a relief mission in the Bicol Region
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