By Cyrus a. Natividad
Gabriel Ortigoza, CPU AACC President.
This week, the Centralian Link features CPU Alumni Association of Central California (CPUAACC), Chapter President Gabriel Ortigoza (BSN 1991).
During this time of the pandemic, a chapter president faces the challenges that come with being a leader. Strong as he is, Ortigoza leads a resilient organization with 25 members; about half of which belongs to the nursing profession. The organization is very cohesive and is linked up with other CPUAAI chapters worldwide.
Ortigoza traces back his strength in leadership to his senior years in college. He was a former senator of the CPU Republic. “As a student leader, I lead by example a leadership model with competence, empathy, accountability, and honesty”, he explained. “These have helped me in my career and leadership,” he said.
Asked how he meets the challenges as chapter president, Ortigoza said, “The challenge of being a CPUAAI Chapter President began as we organized a new chapter.”
“We decided to create a new chapter of in the valley: The Central Philippine University Alumni Association of Central California (CPUAACC).The reason why we created the CPUAACC is that the population of Central Philippine University alumni in California is getting bigger and senior active members of the alumni living in Central Valley can no longer afford to drive a long distance to attend CPU Alumni gatherings in the Bay Area. ”
“We were confronted at the start with challenges in creating a new constitution and by-laws, organizing and inviting other Centralian Alumni in the area to join our new chapter.” The major challenge however was the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Ortigoza. “We stopped converging and suspended our quarterly meetings, like any other organizations (thanks to the internet, we have free online communications through virtual media platforms),” he said. He believes that their linkages with other alumni chapters and organizations are added strengths to CPUAACC.
When asked about a possible project he can do in collaboration with CPUAAI and CPU, Ortigoza replied, “I would like to conduct webinars on the timely basics of Backyard Vegetable Farming, where we can grow and eat our own produce.”
While he is an Associate Professor with the CPU College of Nursing (via online platform), he said, “I can teach land preparation, seedling management with pre and post-harvest management.” He added, “There is happiness, fulfillment, and money in farming.”
Among some of the major accomplishments of CPUCCAA are being the first alumni chapter to donate P100,000 for the College of Nursing Virtual Laboratory. It also hosted College of Nursing Dean Salex Alibogha, when he came to raise funds for the Virtual Laboratory project on March 24, 2019. CPUCCAA also donated a set of Prestan Manikins and a CPR kit machine to the Virtual Laboratory.
He conducted the CPUR Training using the donated manikins to all clinical instructors. CPUCCAA also distributed relief goods to earthquake victims of Mindanao on November 29, 2019. The CPU College of Nursing received eight (8) sets of blood pressure apparatus from CPUCCAA in December 2019 for the use of students for skills laboratory.
Ortigoza graduated his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Central Philippine University in March 1991. He is married to Gemma Tankiamco-Ortigoza, a registered nurse at the Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, California. They are blessed with 2 sons: Gamiel, 18, a sophomore nursing student at San Diego State University, and Gamaliel, 17, freshman Aerospace Engineering at the University of California in Davis City, California.
Gabriel Ortigoza was born on September 15, 1970 in Baguio City to parents Marcelo Cruz Ortigoza and Daisy Celestial-Ortigoza.