Ani has many fond memories of Ateneo, all of which include people who like himself, made inestimable contributions to the Chemistry Department. He considers Father Schmitt, Ricardo Borja Jr., Dr. Fabian Dayrit, Mila Andaya, Father McNamara and many others not only colleagues, but also friends.

After Ateneo, Ani made his mark in the University of California in Los Angeles. There, he garnered praise not only for his ability in creating both scientific instruments and works of art from glass, but also for his flair in working amicably with people. He gave his best service to those who needed it, making no distinction between a freshman and a Nobel Prizee winner. Ani taught Chemistry 210: Scientific Glassblowing, a course that his students greatly appreciated. In the university newspaper UCLA Today, students related how their perception of glassblowing changed. From just another laboratory course, it became an enjoyable and dynamic art class where everyone can pursue their imagination.

 

 

 

 

 

Nowadays, it is rare to see someone who had earned so much success abroad to dare set foot again in the Philippines, much less to settle back. However, Ani proved to be as unique as his glass creations. After twenty-four years in the UCLA, Ani and his wife Lolita finally came back home. He established ChemLab Scientific, a shop that sells any scientific glassware imaginable, traditional and customized alike. It also serves as a place to hold glassblowing seminars. More importantly, for him, it is "A little museum dedicated to science."

When asked regarding their decision to come back, Ani says that his aim in life is not to get rich. "I want to share my knowledge," he simply says, and from this, he believes he gains true success, probably much more than the achievements that people can see with their eyes.
Many would argue about the practicality of this credo, but Ani has an answer to those who might disagree with his actions: "The Philippines has much room for expansion". He believes that any business, as long as they are the right kind, has potential to thrive in our country. With this belief, hence, it is no longer surprising that Ani had the audacity to come back. His actions are not unwise at all, but full of faith in himself and the Filipino people.

Now, examining all that has been said about Ani, one might ask: what is one word that best describes this man?

We may identify him as a scientist. After all, this is what he trained to become. He had the occupations of engineer and professional glassblower to corroborate this, accompanied by his many achievements in the scientific field. But then again, if we make use of achievements to tell who a person is, perhaps the transparent beauty of the glass figurines and statuettes that Ani created makes him an artist. Furthermore, with his thriving glassware shop, we may also say that he is a successful businessman. Truly, Ani has earned many titles, all of them with equal measure of truth and honor.

Going back to the diversity of Ani's creations may lead us to the most correct answer. From test tubes to figurines, Ani proved that one could make countless things out of glass. The same is applicable to a person - scientist, artist, businessman, husband, father - the list can go on forever, and we realize that titles and labels hold little importance. These things are nothing new, but as Ani showed, one can make them just a bit more extraordinary.

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