Central Philippine University

Weekly Centralian Link (August 18, 2017)

CPU celebrates CEW 2017


Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran addresses the Centralian crowd during the CEW Closing Celebration.

Committed to EXCEL (Exemplary Christian Education for Life) – beyond its aim of providing premier academic training, Central Philippine University adheres to the principle that for students to live their lives to the fullest they must know the living word of God.

Bi-annually, the university holds Christ Emphasis Week to celebrate the goodness of God in CPU and to remind Centralians that the cornerstone of this academic institution is the love of Christ. With the theme “Rooted”, this year’s CEW anchors on Acts 28:17 which says “For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, “We share His offspring.”


Yakky joins CEW 2017 – the CPU Elementary School had a special visitor during the Christ Emphasis Week, “Yakky” – friend of guest speaker Rev. Charlie Clark and his wife Jackie Clark.

The week-long convocation from August 11-18, 2017 invited speakers namely: Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran and his wife, Deborah Van Ostran from American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains, Rev. Charlie Clark and his wife Jackie Clark from Aurora Hills Church, Rev. Dr. Eugene M. Downing Jr. from New Hope Baptist Church, Rev. Aline Silva from Koinonia Church Grand Junction Colorado and Rev. Jeff Lundblad from the First Baptist Church of Laramie. They are part of the 2017 Rocky Mountains Philippine Mission Team.

On opening day, Rev. Van Ostran talked about the importance of having a well-rooted faith. He told the story of “The Boiling Frog”. The story talks about how frogs will jump away from boiling water but if you put the frogs in a pot and slowly boil them, they will not realize that the temperature of the water changes and eventually they die. “There are times when we are not aware of the water we are in. The water may symbolize our culture, community and our conscience. Our culture defines how we understand things, our language. The community includes the people we interact on a daily basis while our conscience is what tells us right from wrong.”


Rev. Silva encourages Centralians to trust Jesus with their dreams.

Rev. Van Ostran shared the book of Acts, when Paul was talking to the people of Athens, who were seekers of knowledge and purpose. “The people of Athens were earnestly searching for wisdom, and Paul came to them told them about the ultimate truth of Christ. You see, you can hold on to money or culture but you cannot fill an infinite void with something finite. It is only in Christ where you can find the satisfaction in life.”


Let your light shine for Jesus – students singing praise songs during the Praise Jam and CEW Closing Celebration.

He continues saying that to be rooted in Christ means to be uprooted in the world. “Finding Christ is finding a new culture. You will feel like an immigrant in your own community, an alien in the world you used to be comfortable in – in a right side up world you will be part of an upside-down kingdom of God, where the weak is the most important and the strong are the ones who serve.”


College students listen to Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran during their CEW convocation.

CEW convocations were done in all levels. The High School convocation was every morning with Rev. Jeff Lundblad as their speaker. There were three simultaneous College convocations in the morning and also in the afternoon in three venues – Rose Memorial Auditorium, University Church and Educational Media Center. The College convocation speakers were Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran, Rev. Dr. Eugene M. Downing Jr. and Rev. Aline Silva. The Elementary convocation was every afternoon with Rev. Charlie Clark and his wife Jackie Clark as their speakers. The Kindergarten convocation was only for two days, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with Deborah Van Ostran as the speaker. The NSTP and Graduate Studies students also had their convocations last August 12, 2017 with Rev. Aline Silva as their speaker. The College of Medicine had a special convocation with Rev. Jeff Lundblad, and the College of Law had their special convocation with Atty. Susan P. Ortiz as the speaker.

On August 18, 2017, the CEW ended with a Praise Jam starting from the High School convocation up to noontime with the college convocations. At least 9 Praise Teams led the singing of praise and worship songs at the Rose Memorial Auditorium. During the CEW Closing Celebration all the speakers from the ABC of the Rocky Mountains received a Certificates of Recognition from CPU President Dr. Teodoro C. Robles who just arrived from the US.


CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles with guest speakers during the the CEW Closing Ceremonies.

True to its goal of producing life-long learners that are responsive to the needs of the total person and the world, CPU develops an atmosphere of Centralian Spirit rooted in the life and works of Jesus.

CPU welcomes 2017 Rocky Mountains Philippine Mission Team of ABC


Rev. Jeff Lundblad shares very exciting stories to CPU High School students.

Faith shared beyond borders – the Centralian community welcomed the 2017 American Baptist Churches (ABC) of the Rocky Mountains Philippine Mission Team to Central Philippine University for the celebration of this year’s Christ Emphasis Week from August 11-18, 2017.

The team is composed of Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran, Team Leader, and his wife, Deborah Van Ostran from American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains, Rev. Charlie Clark and his wife Jackie Clark from Aurora Hills Church, Rev. Dr. Eugene M. Downing Jr. from New Hope Baptist Church, Rev. Aline Silva from Koinonia Church Grand Junction Colorado and Rev. Jeff Lundblad from the First Baptist Church of Laramie.


Rev. Dr. Steve Van Ostran, Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains, gives a message on how to have a well-rooted faith.

Rev. Dr. Van Ostran is the Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains since 2008.  He seeks to help local churches reconnect with and discover new avenues of ministry within their communities.


A very inspiring couple – Rev. Charlie and Mrs. Jackie Clark sing lively songs and tell very insightful stories to CPU Elementary students.

He earned the Doctor of Ministry at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Master of Divinity at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his undergraduate degree from Missouri Southern State College. He is married to Debbie, throughout her life; Debbie’s church involvement has included the education of small children by utilizing her artistic talent and bubbly personality.


Debbie Van Ostran shares the story of God´s love to the CPU Kindergarten students during their CEW convocation.

Rev. Charlie served Aurora Hills Church in Aurora, Co. where he is the Senior Pastor with his wife Jackie as the office manager. Rev Clark attended Colorado University in Boulder where he majored in Music and later earned a Masters in Secondary Education.  Charlie served a number of small, American Baptist congregations as a bi-vocational pastor while teaching High School band in his early years and was later called to serve on the staff on New Life Church in Colorado Springs, a large, evangelical mega-church, as the Minister to Children.

In 2009, God called Charlie to return to the ABC and to the Aurora Hills Church where he has led the church to transform in its service to the community and outreach to the world. Charlie has participated in several mission trips including an ABCRM Pastoral trip to Myanmar in 2011.  Charlie is also the author of a couple of books on Christian discipleship.


The CPU Elementary students listen attentively to their speakers – Rev. Charlie and Mrs. Jackie Clark.

Rev. Dr. Eugene M. Downing, Jr. is a native of New Jersey and pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Denver, Colorado. An alumus of North Carolina A&T State University, he completed his Master of Divinity degree at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University.

He completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2010. His ministry experience also includes service on numerous denominational and community boards.  He has studied in Ghana and volunteered in the Haiti Earthquake Relief. Dr. Downing has recently published his first book entitled Navigating Life with God.


A group of High School studens lead the singing of praise and worship songs during their CEW convocation.

Rev. Aline is pastor of Koinonia Church in Grand Junction Colorado. Aline grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, immigrating to the US when she was 16. She attended the University of Kansas, where she earned a BA in Religious Studies. She earned a Master of Divinity degree from Central Baptist Theological Seminary and is licensed by the American Baptist Churches.

She has served as a young adult mentor for a Missionary Baptist Church, a youth pastor at a United Methodist Church, community outreach pastor at a Cooperative Baptist Church, associate pastor at an American Baptist Church, interim pastor at a Disciples of Christ Church, itinerant preacher for the American Baptist Churches and the Academy of Young Preachers, and most recently a certified Life Coach, and a discernment workshop leader for the Fund for Theological Exploration. Rev. Aline is the youngest ordained female pastor of the ABC throughout the United States.

Rev. Lundblad’s undergraduate education was at the University of Sioux Falls, an American Baptist college.  He served as a youth pastor for six years at two Baptist churches in the Dakotas. He enrolled in Palmer Theological Seminary, an American Baptist seminary that is a part of Eastern University, and graduated from there with a Masters in Divinity (MDiv) degree.

His ministry in training was at a Mennonite church in the Philadelphia area, and he has, during his seminary education (and full time employment at Eastern University), served as interim pastor at Malvern United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania.

The team is in CPU for the week ministering to the faculty, staff and students through their preaching, prayers, counseling and presence. May their lives continue to be a blessing!

CPU holds CEW Faculty and Staff Convocation


Rev. Dr. Eugene Downing, Jr. challenges the CPU Faculty and Staff to be rooted in Jesus Christ.

Christ in the center of Scientia et Fides – to start the Christ Emphasis Week, Central Philippine University held its bi-annual Faculty and Staff Convocation at the University Church on August 11, 2017.

With the theme “Rooted”, this year’s CEW centers on anchoring our lives to Christ as the author and finisher of our faith – our cornerstone. For the welcome and greetings, Dr. Irving Domingo L. Rio, Vice President for Academic Affairs, acknowledged the guests and attendees of the convocation. According to him, this year’s theme is a testimony of the Centralian pursuit of faith. “To be rooted means to be established deeply and firmly, all of us here are seekers of the ultimate truth and reality. The essence of true Christianity is the unwavering faith in Christ. We are here to celebrate Christ Emphasis Week so that we can grow in knowledge and in spirit.”


The members of the Christian Life Committee sing the CEW Theme Song – Cornerstone.

The invocation was led by Rev. Roger T. Quimpo. It was the followed the introduction of the CEW theme and text by Rev. Cris Amorsolo V. Sian. He emphasized the importance being rooted in Christ in relation to what is happening in our country. “Wars, rumors of wars, corruption, discord – expressions of humanity to fill the void within, we have pushed God outside the arena of thought and society. Our theme Rooted is to remind us that the only thing that can secure us, that can fill the void within is Christ.”

Pastor Mary Grace F. Labis lead the reading of the word in Acts 17:28 which says: “For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, “We are His offspring.”

The Christian Life Committee led by the University Church Pastoral Staff sang the Theme song for this semester’s CEW – “Cornertstone.” The song talks about Jesus as the chief cornerstone of our lives.

For the proclaimed Word, guest speaker, Rev. Dr. Eugene M. Downing, Jr. talked about the importance of establishing roots. “It begins with the roots. The way you establish the roots will determine how well a plant will grow.” Rev. Downing shared his experiences while visiting his grandparents’ house in Middle Georgia. He recounted how fresh and delicious his grandmother’s dishes were. His grandmother would tell him that it was the quality of the root that determined how good the fruits were.

He goes on to talk about the background of Acts 17, when Paul visited Athens, a place where thirst for knowledge and philosophy was thriving yet they did know the true source of wisdom and purpose. “CPU is an institution where students come to learn and be trained for the future – a temporary nestling ground in a brooding world. Christ has called you to establish roots in the lives of your students. All of us have a duty to introduce the love of Christ to others so that they may also take root in Him. Earnest questions get honest answers, as teacher you contribute to their discovery of the truth.”

Rev. Downing encouraged the CPU faculty and staff to be stewards of their students, that they may see the love of Christ in their lives and in their teachings. “May CPU be a university where there is a present God that walks with every student, where there is a present God in every classroom. Because He carried the cross, we can introduce this present God, we can establish deep roots.”

The CPU Faculty and Staff were inspired and challenged by the message to find opportunities to introduce Jesus Christ to students and the wider community.

Youngest female ordained pastor of the ABC preaches during the week-long CEW convocations


Rev. Aline Silva, the youngest female ordained pastor of the American Baptist Churches shares her lifestory to students – from the projects in Brazil up to where God is leading her now.

One of the speakers during the Christ Emphasis Week (CEW) celebration on August 11-18, 2017 was Rev. Aline Silva. She has the distinction as the youngest female ordained pastor of the American Baptist Churches, USA. She shared her testimony to students, faculty and staff of Central Philippine University. Her story brought tears to a lot of people. Students also lined-up after the convocation and asked her to pray for them.

The following is her life story:

Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start— comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”1 Cor 1:26-29 msg

I grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Mom´s family was catholic and so I had to be baptized as a baby and go through 1st communion. Otherwise, I ran the risk of eternal damnation. Dad´s family was 7th day Adventist and grandma insisted we had to leave the Catholic Church and join the true religion. So, we kept the Sabbath holy by abstaining from any dealings on this day.

Tired of the pulling and tugging, mom and dad decided they would do away with all the religious “crap.” So, after I reached age seven we no longer took part in religious life.

Dad´s Saturdays and Sundays became filled with soccer games and mom´s weekend became filled with work at her salon.


Rev. Aline Silva dances with the Praise and Worship during a CEW convocation for the college students.

After keeping up with this life-style for about 7 years, mom and dad went through a terribly messy divorce when I was 13. I rebelled: did horrible in school, hung out with the wrong crowd. I wore all black, cut my hair short, and just didn´t care. Started using drugs at a young age, and even frequented clubs with older friends. My family, parents included, called me the black sheep of the family. My teachers and school principal said I’d never even get through Middle School. My English as a second language teacher said that  I´d never be able to put an English sentence together or even be able to make anything of myself. I was a misfit; no other way to describe it. I was not accepted at school, among friends, or even in my own family.

But in God´s Kingdom, ladies and gentlemen, there is no such thing as a misfit. Can I get an Amen?

During my 7th grade year I met a new friend. Her name was Bruna. Bruna and her family decided to take a chance on me. She and her family were a part of a house church. Since they bugged me so much to go, I decided to give it a try. It actually felt a lot like a cult to me; the church leader was nice and friendly, people were so weirdly welcoming to me–a misfit, black sheep who´d never make anything of herself. I hung around this group for a couple months before the leader, who I came to know as pastor, invited me to teach a youth Sunday school. He said that out of all the kids, he had seen something different in me. He said I had gifts, whatever that meant. And he said I´d be great at teaching.

Wow! Nobody had ever asked me to do something this cool before. Nobody had ever trusted me with anything, let alone something out of the Bible. Which later I came to find out had to be the main source of my lesson. “Oh no!” I said. I don´t know anything from the Bible. I am not ever sure I like the Bible. But I liked the house church people who read it and apparently lived according to it very much.


Pastor Aline prays for Centralian students during the CEW.

I remember that day as if I had just walked out of the Sunday school room. It was Awesome! William, the pastor told me to teach something out of 1 Corinthians “something.” I fell in love with 1 Cor. 1:26-29.

You may not get it, but for the first time in my life I felt at home. After teaching the lesson and really understanding the Scripture, I felt at home in my own skin.

My parents, however, did not like my involvement with the house church. They too thought it was a cult. So, they pulled me out of it and prohibited me from ever going back there.

I wish I could say that I held onto my new-found faith in Jesus. But that is simply not true. The years that followed were dark ones. I was stripped of my family, my dignity, and even the God whom I had come to love with such little knowledge but with meaningful experience.  And unfortunately I began to rebel once again.

At 16 my parents decided I needed to come to the United States, I needed to come here to escape a poisonous environment. And I really don´t know why, but I took this opportunity as a new beginning. My dad remarried–a pastor no less! So, I began going to a “normal” church. But even there, God touched me in an incredible way.

I became a good student. In fact, my first year in the USA I got A’s and B’s and  after being in ESL for only 6 months I got kicked out for knowing too much. I made good friends. I got my first job and became a little bit humbler as I experienced tacos being thrown at me and had to clean messy bathrooms. And most of all, I became closer to God. But not only by the “lovey dovey feely” stuff. I became closer to God by action. For the first time in my life, I was attempting to follow Jesus.

And since God had taken little me and enabled me to accomplish all this greatness, I decided to earn my credits and graduate from High School early.

At the time I went back to Brazil, where I met a pastor who told me I was going back to the USA to accomplish great things, become involved with a church, and even do ministry throughout the “four corners of this earth.” I didn´t want to be disrespectful but I giggled. You see, even though I was experiencing transformation, I still did not believe I was capable. My mentality was still that of a misfit. That of a loner. That of an unwelcomed, rebellious, black sheep.   So I thought to myself: “first of all, I am a woman. I have never heard of a woman-led ministry. In fact, it seems to me that the boys seems to be taking all the good spots.  Second of all, I love twerking at the club. Is Jesus going to get down with that?  Not to mention my extremely bright lipstick  and my pretentious high heels!”

“What could this man be possibly talking About?” I thought.

What he was talking about really came to unfold during my Sophomore and Junior years of college at Kansas University. I didn´t know why, but I was being called to change my major from PreMed Human Biology to Religious Studies. That was a hard switch for me and my family. But what followed sheer acceptance. Shortly after accepting my call, I applied for a youth minister position where I spend 2 1/2 years of my life caring for the great kids of Gardner, Kansas. And 3 years after accepting my call I was called to Central Seminary, where God has continued to do mighty things.

I didn´t have $60,000 to go to Seminary. So, I thought I would pray it out, take a year off of school and think of ways to graduate from Seminary Debt-free.  My pastor, my parents, and my friends all said that would never happen. “If you plan to go to Seminary, you must take out student loans,” they said.

Well, toward the end of the summer, after I graduated from college, I got a call from Debra Sermons, Director of Recruitment at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. She had learned from a mutual friend that I planned on going to Seminary but had some financial struggles. She called to learn about my future plans.

The conversation went a little like this: “Hey Aline, I think you should apply for this program. Today is Monday and we will give you until Wed to write your essay, fill out your application, and take the GRE. How does that sound?” HOW DOES THAT SOUND???? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? I am getting married in 5 days. Then she adds, “yeah… And be prepared for an interview at 10:30 on Thursday okay? Can you do that?” I told her I would have to get back to her within a couple hrs.

What I did not know at the time was that she had called to offer me a scholarship. Not just any scholarship, but one of those that pays for all of your schooling with the exception of books.

Scholarship? The one everyone doubted I´d get. Yes, that one!

It has been three years since I graduated from Seminary; a whole three years since I graduated debt-free and became the very first person in my family to graduate with a Masters Degree. Having been equipped and reassured of my call, I began seriously looking for a career in in ministry. I longed to find ways to transform lives, lead others to Jesus, and expand the Kingdom here on earth.

Currently I serve at Koinonia in Grand Junction, Colorado. I am the youngest female pastor to lead a church in the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains. So, you see? It turns out boys don’t get all of the good spots, after all!

But the way I see it, if God was able to take someone as insignificant as me and get me through High School, and through college, and now through seminary…. if God is able to take me, change my life, and use my story to love, care and teach others about their importance, then my friends, God is still doing mighty things. Amen.

College of Law holds 1st Sem’s CEW Convocation


Atty. Ortiz encourages Centralian law students to persevere in their studies by rooting themselves in Jesus.

Highlighting the importance of faith not only in the study but in the practice of law, the Central Philippine University College of Law held it’s convocation at the Educational Media Center on August 16, 2017.

Rev. Roger T. Quimpo led the invocation and worship. It was then followed by the welcome remarks given by Rev. Cris Amorsolo V. Sian. In his message Rev. Sian talked about the current happenings in our country to reflect on the importance of rooting oneself in Christ. He quoted Blaise Pascal on saying that: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made know through Jesus Christ.”

This year’s CEW theme “Rooted” aims to emphasize the need of connecting and communing in Christ for true joy, peace and purpose, highlighting the verse Acts 17:28 which says: For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, “We are His offspring.”

The guest speaker, Atty. Susan P. Ortiz, is a 2016 Centralian law graduate who took her oath as a new lawyer this year. She is a 2010 graduate of the CPU College of Theology. Atty. Ortiz talked about the importance of rooting our self-worth in God. “Yes, your position, your title, your hard work can increase your net worth but it does not guarantee your self-worth. It is only when we are rooted in God that our life will have meaning and purpose.”

Atty. Ortiz shared that the purpose of studying law will be meaningless if it is not anchored in the will of God. “In your journey as law students there will be times when you will feel like giving up. You will ask yourselves why am I here? What really is my purpose? It will be in those times when the love of God will remind you of your worth and purpose.”

She goes on to say that it will be what God says about us, rather than what people say about us that will really matter. “Perhaps, people have told you that you’re a failure, that you’re too ambitious in taking up law. Don’t listen to them, their words have no hold on you, rather it is what God says about you that really matters.”

Ending her message, Atty. Ortiz reminded Centralian law students to be rooted in Christ and pursue Him not only as individuals but even in their practice of law. “You must anchor your purpose in God, abide and commune with Him every day. He will be your strength in facing the many challenges that lie ahead.”

After which, the 3’s Harmony composed of Mr. Jones S. Somosierra, Mr. Jason B. Pagunsan and Pastor Rudel Dianala rendered song numbers entitled “Solid Rock” and “Brightly beams our Father’s Mercy.”

In his closing remarks, Atty. Zacarias Diestro Bedona Jr., Dean, CPU College of Law, thanked everyone for attending the convocation. “I would like to acknowledge everyone who attended our convocation tonight, especially our guest speaker for sharing her message of faith, as well as key persons from our University Church. This is really a special event reminding us to be rooted in Christ.”

RCJC Homecoming Run expected to expand University week celebrations 2017


Route of the Fun Run.

As the countdown begins for the CPU Grand Alumni Homecoming 2017, alumni, students, faculty and staff start up preparations for the 1st Rotary Club of Jaro Centraline (RCJC) Alumni Chapter “Homecoming Run” on September 29.

In cooperation with the CPU Alumni Association, and the Office of Communications, the event presents a wholesome and healthy activity that will enhance the University Day Celebrations from September 28 to 30, 2017. The event is also supported by the College of Education, College of Business and Accountancy and other sponsoring companies and organizations.

The Fun Run will start with a short Program on 6:00 A.M. at the Big Field Grand Stand. Invited guests, and school officials will be present. The Route Plan will pass through CPU 7th gate, Ninoy Aquino avenue and will u-turn at the junction of Brgy. Sambag and back to CPU.

Cash Prizes and medals will be awarded to the winners, and complimentary items will be given away to lucky participants. There is a lot to look forward and enjoy with the RCJC Homecoming Run 2017 – a bigger and wider tri-media coverage will be done by the Office of Communications (one of the event partners) that will deploy a newly-acquired Drone Camera.

Rotarian Jude Marsh Grande, President of the Rotary Club of Jaro Centraline, a special chapter of CPU Alumni Association, looks forward to this big Fun Run, and hopefully this will be a permanent event every year.

Registration will begin on Tuesday August 22 until September 25, 2017. Designated Centers and other details will be announced. Everyone is invited to join the event in support of Central Philippine University U-Day Celebrations.

A Centralian from Canada visits the campus


Revisting Central – Mr. Filomeno “Jun” Faldas, Jr. together CPUAAI President Mr. Dan Dorillo and Mr. Cyrus Natividad.

Meet Filomeno “Jun” Faldas, Jr. – CPU High School Batch ’65, and BS Chemical Engineering Batch ‘70. He passed the Licensure in Chemical Engineering Exams in 1970, and in 1971 went to work as a Chemical Analyst in a big company in Canada. Jun is currently a Board Member of the CPU Alumni Association of Toronto and Greater Toronto Area, Canada.

While on vacation in Iloilo, he visited the offices of his close friends at Central, and stayed a while at the CPU Alumni Office to exchange pleasantries, good news and applied for a lifetime CPU Alumni ID. Like a true blue Centralian with the Central Spirit, he appreciated how far CPU and the CPU Alumni Association have moved forward in terms of projects and campus development.

He took pictures and strolled around to admire the campus. He also reminisced on what he used to enjoy in CPU back in his student days. He cannot come back in the forthcoming Alumni Celebrations on September 30 but he promised, “I will always come back to enjoy the beautiful CPU Campus.”

Jun spent some time with Mr. Dan Dorillo, CPUAAI President outside the Alumni Office. President Dorillo showed him the possibility of putting umbrellas to serve as shades for the newly-built open terrace. Jun was positively interested to the idea and will bring the idea back to his alumni chapter. God bless you Jun!

Med Tech Department is now College of Medical Laboratory Science


The Loreto D. Tupaz Building is home to the College Of Medical Laboratory Science.

What used to be the Department of Medical Technology, a branch of CPU College of Arts and Sciences is now a separate college called the College of Medical Laboratory Science.

Central Philippine University started its Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology under the College of Arts and Sciences in 1967 with only eight students belonging to the First Batch of graduates in 1970. The first Department Chairperson was the late Ms. Rose Nequin, who was then a practicing Medical Technologist in the United States. She was succeeded by the following Chairpersons: Ms. Shirly Subesa, Ms. Edith Camina, Mr. Noel Delicana, Dr. Jeremias Garcia, Prof. Erlinda Villano and presently, Dr. Ma. Corazon P. Porras is designated as Acting Dean of the College of Medical Laboratory Science.

Dr. Porras served the University since June 20, 1988 as Faculty Member, Officer-In-Charge, Chairperson, Coordinator, and Acting Chairperson until her appointment as Acting Dean on June 1, 2017. She finished her Master’s Degree in 1999 and became the Department Head. She finished her Doctor of Curriculum Instruction and Evaluation in 2008.

The early laboratory facilities of the CPU Med Tech Department consisted of basic equipment designed to cater to a few number of students. These were mostly donated by CPU alumni abroad. But as enrolment increased, more equipment were also added.

For many years the Department of Medical Technology Office and classrooms were located at the second floor of the Roblee Science Hall. The construction of the Loreto Tupaz Building (Nursing Building) in 2012, provided the Med. Tech. Department with a new location that can accommodate its offices, classrooms and laboratory rooms. The transfer of location was due to the increase in enrolment in the Bachelor in Medical Laboratory Science (new name for the Medical Technology).

The CPU Medical Technology Department made remarkable achievements through the years. It consistently achieved a high passing rate in the National Licensure Exams of Medical Technologists, and landed several times in the Top Ten of the national board passers’ list.  Two of its graduates Rael Dullano and Rene Huinda garnered 2nd places in March 1994 and March 1987, respectively.

Most of the CPU Med. Tech. graduates are employed in various clinical research, scientific and industrial laboratories and academic institutions in the Philippines and abroad. A lot of CPU alumni who are in the medical career, or are practicing doctors in the country had a good foundation in their Medical Laboratory Science background from Central Philippine University.

Currently, there are 426 students enrolled in the College of Medical Laboratory Science for the 1st Semester 2017-2018.

CPU Futsal teams win 1st and 2nd places in the Iloilo City Age Group Futsal Tournament

The Iloilo City Sports Development Division and Jaro Football Club organized an age group futsal tournament that was played from July 29, 2017 to August 13, 2017 and held at Iloilo City National High School. According to Marc Hermel G. Agriam, one of the organizers, “this event was designed to be a developmental tournament for schools in Iloilo City.”

There were four categories in this futsal tournament: boys born 2000 and below, girls born 2000 and below, boys born 2002 and below, and boys born 2005 and below.

There were 8 teams that participated in the Boys born 2002 and below category. The results were 1st: Central Philippine University Team A, 2nd: Ateneo de Iloilo, and 3rd: Central Philippine University Team C.


CPU players in the Boys born 2002 and below category.

In the Boys born 2005 and below category, 5 teams joined the competition. The results were 1st: Central Philippine University Team A, 2nd: Lapaz FC Team B, and 3rd: Lapaz FC Team A.


CPU players in the Boys born 2005 and below category.

In another category, Boys born 2000 and below, 7 teams participated. The results were 1st: Iloilo National High School, 2nd: Central Philippine University, and 3rd: Jalandoni Memorial National High School.


CPU players in the Boys born 2000 and below category.

In the Girls born 2000 and below category, 4 teams competed. The results were 1st: Iloilo City National High School, 2nd: Central Philippine University, and 3rd: Iloilo National High School.


CPU players in the Girls born 2000 and below category.

May this tournament hone young Ilonggo and Ilongga football players so that they may represent our country in future tournaments.