By Cyrus A. Natividad

Students from Solomon Islands with Rev. Cris Amorsolo Sian (first from right, second row), CPU President Dr. Teodoro Robles, International Programs Director Dr. Anna May Yap- Zerrudo and Cyrus Natividad.

A short devotional program for students from Solomon Islands was held on Friday at 7:30 AM at the stairs of Dr. Rex D. Drilon Building before they start off for Iloilo International Airport. A Philippine Airlines special flight will take off for Manila at 10:00 AM with the seven foreign students led by Edmund Walasi (M.S. in Agriculture, CPU). The group will stay for one month in a hotel in Manila in order for them to process their repatriation papers. They will be repatriated to their country on October 28, 2020, according to Walasi.

Rev. Cris Amorsolo V. Sian, University Church Senior Pastor, led the prayer for the students’ safety on their flights. University President Dr. Teodoro C. Robles wished them a good trip as they reunite with their family back in their homeland. He also thanked the students for having stayed as part of the Centralian family.

The students from Solomon Islands started to study in CPU with different courses in 2017. In behalf of his group, Walasi expressed gratefulness for the CPU Administration, faculty, staff and friends they made on the campus. “We’re happy with our studies as well as our stay because of the pleasant attitude of people.” “We are being proud as we consider ourselves- already a part of the Centralian family,” he added.

The students being prayed over by University Church Senior Minister Rev. Cris Amorsolo Sian.

The students look forward to be on the CPU campus again when things go back to normal. “We continue to be connected since we are enrolled in CPU this Semester. It’s just a click away since we have online classes with CPU,” one of the students said.

Solomon Islands is one of the six major islands with over 900 smaller islands. It is a sovereign state lying in the Oceania – to the east of Papua New Guinea.

Prof. Anna May Y. Zerrudo, Director for International Programs, facilitated the short program as well as the transportation and breakfast of the students.

It can be recalled that Mr. Mauro Somodio, an alumnus of the College of Agriculture, was the one who promoted CPU to the Solomon Islands. It resulted to students enrolling from Junior High School to College at CPU.