The Tzu Chi family has bid farewell to the deputy CEO of the humanitarian organization’s Philippine chapter, Michael Siao, who passed away on 2 June at age 51, with a mix of sadness for the loss of a very dedicated volunteer and fond memories of the impact he made to so many lives that he touched.

Tzu Chi founder Dharma Master Cheng Yen expressed sadness and paid tribute to Siao, who joined the organization as a young graduate of De La Salle University and eldest son of businessman Manuel Siao, one of the organizers of the Tzu Chi Philippines in the 1990s.

“This young man had the value of life since he was a child. He was an inspiration when he was a Tzu Chi student, and after graduation, he also devoted himself to volunteer work. He made his own way, paving his own path. We have to bless him for his love. He is a self-made man with a pure heart,” said Master Cheng Yen.

In their last talk through a video call, Siao, from a hospital bed, affirmed to Master Cheng Yen his vow to make his body and life serve people in the world.

“Master, my vows are to walk the Bodhisattva Path, to emulate the Buddha’s heart, and to carry Master’s mission as my own,” he told Master Cheng Yen.

The vow paved way to his last act that will endure long after his death. After the memorial service for Siao by Tzu Chi scholars from the Philippines, his sister and head of the Tzu Chi communications team in Taipei, Maureen, said, “He has now been brought to the Silent Mentor Room at Tzu Chi University.”

The Silent Mentor Room refers to Tzu Chi’s medical education program that honors the humanity and life of cadaver donors by using it in the study of science, in accordance with Buddhist ethics of compassion and self-sacrifice. 

Meanwhile, Maureen reminded Tzu Chi volunteers to not forget the precious memories her brother left them.

“The Dharma he lived, the kindness he showed, and the vow he carried as a true Tzu Chi Bodhisattva, these are his gifts to us,” she said. “Let us now carry on his vow, and follow the footsteps of Master Cheng Yen. Let Brother Michael’s journey inspire us to continue walking the Bodhisattva path with even more strength, humility and compassion. In memory of Brother Michael, let our lives become vessels of kindness, so his spirit may continue through our actions.”

Fulfilling life

Siao’s father helped establish Tzu Chi Philippines in 1994 after personally meeting Master Cheng Yen in Taiwan and being inspired by her compassion and philanthropy. The family’s home in Metro Manila became a gathering place for volunteers to study Master Cheng Yen’s teachings and lay the foundation of Tzu Chi’s work in the country. Growing up in this environment, Siao naturally embraced the values of compassion and service.

During his university years, he joined the Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Association, becoming one of the first Tzu Chi members in the Philippines. Reflecting on that time, he once said: “Tzu Chi helped shape my view of the world. I learned that even as a student, I could do something meaningful for others.”

After graduation, Siao remained committed to Tzu Chi’s work, taking on more responsibilities as the foundation’s missions expanded. He played a steady role in free clinics, home visits, monthly charity distributions, and long-term educational programs for students from low-income families.

He was also deeply involved in relief efforts for victims of typhoon “Ondoy” in 2009 and typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013. He worked closely with volunteers to bring aid to affected communities and organized thousands of survivors in rebuilding their neighborhoods with dignity by paying them for their work. His leadership helped shape a sustainable model of disaster response that has since been applied in other emergencies.

In recent years, Siao took on leadership and coordination roles across Tzu Chi missions. He mentored younger volunteers and ensured smooth operations behind the scenes.

Siao met his wife who is also a Tzu Chi volunteer. They got married but vowed to focus on serving for Tzu Chi instead of building a family.

When he was diagnosed with a rare leukemia, help, prayers and well-wishes poured from the Tzu Chi community, including Master Cheng Yen.

Doctors from the Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital in Taiwan performed transplant and chemotherapy, that initially dissipated the blood cancer, but a fatal pneumonia, coupled with the poor stem cell implantation, put his life at risk, according to his sister.

“During his stay in Taiwan, my brother was cared for by many people. After he was admitted to the intensive care unit, precious white blood cells were sent daily from the Taipei Blood Donor Center, and five caring donors who had never met him before extracted 10 units and sent them all the way to Hualien. Even during the days when the railroad was interrupted by the earthquakes, the blood delivery was never interrupted,” Maureen recalled.

Grieving Tzu Chi volunteers posted messages of sympathy to the Siao family and shared memories of him through their Facebook page on 2 June.

From BEL, a nurse at the Tzu Chi Medical Foundation Philippines, which runs the Tzu Chi Eye Center in Sta. Mesa, Manila: We love you very much. We will take care of what you started. Thank you very much for all your lessons and advices to me.

From KT of Maasin, Southern Leyte: I’ll always be grateful to have met you, ahia Michael Siao — someone who genuinely cared for others, someone so full of compassion and sincerity. Our paths crossed in Tzu Chi Bohol and your kindness left a lasting mark on my heart. May you journey peacefully, Ahia. You will not be forgotten. Your compassion lives on in all the lives you’ve touched and all the lives you have changed — including mine. Till we meet again, in another time, another life. Gan en, blessings, and with a heavy heart — farewell.

From student MB: Words cannot fully convey the impact you had on so many lives. You were a man of selfless love and compassion, a true big brother and an excellent mentor to all.

Rest in peace, ShiXiong Michael Siao.