CPU honors Service Awardees
?CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles, Vice President for Student Affairs, Rev. Joniel Howard H. Gico, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Irving C. Rio, Vice President for Finance and Administration , Dr. Florence P. Bogacia with the Service awardees.
Celebrating the Centralian tradition of service and excellence—Central Philippine University recognized the many years of dedication and hard work of university faculty and staff through the Service Award Program at the Rose Memorial Auditorium on December 22, 2017.
The CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles, humorously started his greeting saying, “I unfortunately am not eligible for the service award for my term is contractual.” Dr. Robles thanked the awardees for loving the university and for offering their best years of service to CPU.
Rev. Cris Amorsolo V. Sian, Senior Pastor of the University Church, talked about the faithfulness of God to CPU as seen in the lives and testimonies of the awardees during the devotional. He emphasized that their service to the university is also their service to the Lord as they have offered their time, talent, and treasure for the betterment of the Centralian community.
Celebrating years of service in CPU.
The service award has four categories: those who have served the university for 10-15 years, those with 20-30 years of service, those with 35-40 years of stay as faculty or staff, and lastly, those who have dedicated 45 years of service to the university.
Mr. Abelardo B. Carman, CPU staff, in his response, thanked the university for helping him and his family. He has served Central Philippine University since the time of Dr. Agustin A. Pulido, “Central Philippine University has helped me send my children to this prestigious university for free. Dr. Robles and Ma’am Angel have been generous to me and my family.” He added that he was especially thankful to his wife for having been very patient with him as he has been working far from home.
Prof. Nelia G. Bonete, CPU faculty, also thanked the Centralian community for giving her a second home. She also said with confidence that the university will achieve greater heights because of the passionate and hardworking faculty and staff that have given their years of loyalty to the university.
The program ended with the singing of the Alma Mater Song. The faculty and staff then proceeded to the University Gym for the Christmas fellowship dubbed as “Paskwa sa Central 2017.”
CPU holds faculty and staff Christmas party
The CPU College of Nursing faculty and staff enjoying their dance number.
Celebrating the faithfulness of God to Central Philippine University—The faculty and staff held their Christmas party, “Paskwa sa Central 2017,” at the CPU Gymnasium on December 22, 2017. The Centralian community gathered together to reflect on the accomplishments of the university for the entire 2017 and look forward to new goals and higher heights.
In his Christmas message, CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles, extended his Christmas greetings to the CPU faculty and staff. Dr. Robles talked about the God’s favor towards CPU and to the entire Centralian community. He emphasized that Jesus must be born in our hearts so that we may receive the gift of salvation. He also encouraged everyone to gear up for another year of service and excellence in the university.
A fun number from the staff of the Vice President of Administration and Finance.
One CPU – the faculty and staff of the University celebrated their Christmas party at the CPU Gymnasium.
The night was filled with good food and good conversations with the different offices, colleges, and departments of the university. Everybody also had the chance to showcase their talent as each college and department presented their dance and song number. The skit of the College of Engineering was judged as the winner of the contest. The fun was completed with a set of party games and raffle prizes to the enjoyment of everybody.
As Central Philippine University ushers in the coming new year, it is the hope and prayer of the CPU community that CPU will achieve new heights and conquer new boarders for Scientia et Fides.
A Christmas reflection
By Keziah G. Huelar
CPU faculty and staff showcase their talent in singing and dancing during the “Paskwa sa Central 2017.”
Charles Dickens’ popular novel “A Christmas Carol” has given a literary account of Christmas through the eyes of the old Scrooge who was later on transformed into a joyful character after having been visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and of the Christmas Yet to Come. This tale brings into our consciousness that we can discover the reasons why we celebrate Christmas through our own account and experience.
Christmas, being one of the most beloved holidays for Filipinos, gathers families near and far. It ushers in the holiday spirit of cheer, goodwill, forgiveness, and generosity as we celebrate the greatest gift given to humanity—the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
From Dickens’ tale, we learn that each Christmas celebration we spend with friends and family adds to the long list of Christmas lessons that can make us wiser throughout the years.
Christmas is indeed a grand celebration but it is no more important than how we celebrate each day of our lives filled with God’s blessing and faithfulness. Thus all year round, we should have Christmas in our hearts. Every year we should out-give ourselves. We should be as generous, as kind, as forgiving, and as faithful the entire year as we are on Christmas. Every Christmas should be a testimony of how we will strive more to be like Christ to both our friends and enemies. The Christmas spirit should stand against despair and hopelessness as we come to celebrate not only the birth of Christ but of His promises that we will live life to the fullest, that He will be our protector and aid, that we will be more than conquerors because through Him who loved us—and that will only happen if we have Jesus in our hearts; if we choose Him over fear, worry and doubt every day of our lives.
Let us celebrate Christmas all year round. Let us be like Scrooge, who, after full realization said, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year. I will live in the past, present and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”
Let us commit to change for the better
By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
Let us usher in the new year with a heart of thanksgiving, expectant of a higher and greater Central.
Happy New Year!
The word “year” in Hebrew is shanah. It has three meanings in the original root word:
1. Division of time
2. To repeat, do the same
3. To change, alter
Will this 2018 be just a passing of time? Will the coming year be just a repetition of the past years? Or will 2018 be a year when we will change for the better?
We would often hear the word change. It is so broad that the one who wants to change does not know where to begin. For those who profess to be Christians, the answer is straightforward: We want to be like Jesus. Like Paul, we too should say “imitate me as I imitate Christ.”
If we want to pattern our lives to that of Jesus, then we need to see the pattern. Where can we see this pattern? The Bible. If this is so, then the resolution to change and to pattern our lives to that of Jesus involves our commitment to read the Bible and reflect on what is written there. The ethical question WWJD—What Would Jesus Do—can be answered if we read and understand the Bible.
If reading the Bible is not yet in your New Year’s resolution, then please put it there and start reading. When you make a reflection, start asking questions about what God wants to change in your life through the passages that you have read. Pray for it and ask for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. In doing so, you have made a commitment to change for the better. The Greek word “power” in relation to the Holy Spirit is dunamis which means “able” and “can do.” This tells us that when the Holy Spirit empowers us, we are able to do the things that we thought we were not able to do. Our mentality of “I can’t” is changed to “I can.”
This year should not just be a passing of time or a repetition of the last year but a commitment to change and follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Happy New Year everyone from the CPU Office of Communications!
Yes, we can!
By Cyrus A. Natividad
“Paskwa at Central” – a night filled of fun, food and friendship.
There is a story about a teacher who arrived in his class where the students have started to make much noise. He knew that he would be giving them a difficult exam that day. There were some students who anticipated the exam negatively, setting an atmosphere of reservation and uncertainty in the classroom. The teacher moved in front of the class and with a piece of chalk wrote, “I can’t.” Students howled in reaction to what he wrote. Then he asked, “What will you do to pass my exam?” A long moment of silence passed, but no positive reaction came from the class. Then from a seat at the back, a quiet boy went to the board and erased the apostrophe and the letter T. The whole class stood up to see what was written on the board this time and in a chorus read, “I can.”
As we welcome the new year, let us set aside who we are, where we come from, what belief and principles we have, whether we are rich or poor, of higher or lower educational achievements. For whatever desire or plan we need to achieve in 2018, none of those I mentioned is the greatest factor in gaining success. Many popular, rich, and powerful people in history have, in later years, landed in jail, committed suicide, or have become unpopular.
Success, or the lack of it, may be attributed to faith and commitment. It is a matter of mind-set combined with faith in God and a belief in one’s capacity. But above all, let us accept Jesus in our lives for only he can provide us the strength and perseverance, and will make us able. In the Bible, we are reminded by the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary, “With God, nothing is impossible.”
Yes, we can!