By Danya Villarosa, Wayne Agramon and Christine Barrete
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| After 25 years of service, Fernandez receives an excellence award for his service in UP. Photo by Zenaida Ligan |
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| Associate Dean for Administration Roque hopes that the future generation will continue their legacy. Photo by Zenaida Ligan. |
Halad Pasasalamat
An institution
can only be as strong as the people forming it.
In celebration
of its third year as an autonomous college, the University of the Philippines
(UP) Cebu gave recognition to people who rendered their service to the
university in Halad Pasasalamat held at the Cebu Cultural Center (CCC) last
September 29.
UP Cebu Dean
Liza Corro expressed her gratitude through acknowledging the loyalty and
service rendered by the awardees as their dedication to the success of the
university.
"This is
our one way of showing gratitude. You acknowledge the services of those who helped
us out that is why we say thank you and this is our way of saying thank you to
them,” said Corro.
The 25 years of
Excellence Award was given to those offered genuine service to UP Cebu
community for over 25 years.
Fine Arts
faculty Juanito Karl Roque Jr. and Raymund Fernandez were awarded as Service
Awardees.
Fernandez, a graduate
of Bachelor of Fine Arts of UP Cebu became a teacher in 1984 and a full time
instructor in 1987, marking his 26th year of service.
“It is really
heartwarming. I would like to thank this institution for this honor since you
have been a family to me. I am proud of having being nurtured by you,” said
Fernandez in his acceptance speech.
According to
Fernandez it was not easy to sustain a thriving program but by promoting the Fine
Arts Program in his first year of being in the faculty they
were able to increase the program’s population.
“At a certain
point in the history of the Fine Arts Program we were graduating point five
people a year, there was only half of the percentage of the body vying to go up
the stage. Then one day we stood up saying we want to take care of the Fine
Arts Program,” Fernandez said.
Along with
Fernandez incumbent Associate Dean for Administration and former Chair of Arts
& Humanities Division Professor Juanito Karl Roque was also awarded.
Roque who started teaching in UP Cebu in 1988 likens
his experience to a roller coaster journey and hopes for the coming generations
to take over and continue their legacy.
“I am looking
forward to perhaps finding somebody who would suit and probably take our place
because we are not getting any younger and I hope that maybe students coming
from your generation that may take over or maybe there are some things that we
never get to realize which you guys might think,” said Roque.
According to
Roque his transition from being a businessman to a professor was accidental.
“I was reluctant to teach because I was into
business but then I was offered a job. At first I wanted to teach only as a
lecturer so I could pursue our family business and at the same time teach but
then they required a full time faculty and I sort to have no choice. After a
long discussion with my family, my wife especially says that if that makes you happy then so be it and
so I quit my involvement with the family business and I started teaching,” he
said.
Faculty and
staff alike who retired this year were also presented for recognition.
Other Service
Awardees were Jefre T. Arong, Ma. Stineli B. Magdadaro, Manuel
Fernandez, Lolito Tindog, Ofelia Delada, Sofia Logarta, Portia Dacalos,
Carmelita Ladot, Annabelle Maglasang and Annie Manzano.
On the road to becoming a constituent university
“If it is said
that the number three (3) is a lucky number, number eight (8) is even luckier
and that is what we will be, what the UP system will watch out for, UP Cebu as
the 8th constituent unit of the whole UP system,” CoDean of UP Cebu
challenged during her speech at the Halad Pasasalamat 2013. This, according to
her must be achieved in the next three years.
Prior to issuing
the challenge, she has enumerated what UP Cebu has achieved so far from the
three years that it was granted autonomy.
Among them are
the ongoing negotiations with the provincial government on the implementation
of the terms on the memorandum of agreement, which include the permanent art
gallery and art exhibit area at the CCC.
Corro took note
of the campus developments which include the construction of study kiosks for
the students and additional benches for lounging areas around the campus as
well as the improvement of facilities with the distribution of LCD projectors
and computers to the different clusters.
According to
Corro the upcoming projects in the university includes the E-Library for the UP
Professional School at the SRP Campus and the construction of the Lahug Library
and the High School building.
Corro stated
that becoming a constituent university (CU) is highly achievable in lieu of the
support of the UP System, giving UP Cebu 3.5 times more than last year’s
Maintenance & Other Operating Expenses (MOOE). Also, there are other source
of funding within UP Cebu that can mitigate expenses for improved
infrastructure and finance.
“That is by
inspiring everyone,” Corro said emphasizing the importance of working together
into leading the university into becoming a CU.
“If you, yourselves feel [and are] also into
it, then we are all one in it so I believe we will be able to achieve it,” she
said.
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