By Rusieljs G. Lunasco
CPU Golden Lions Sepak Takraw Men’s Team during the Awarding Ceremony of the 1st Hinugyaw Sepak Takraw Invitational Tournament on August 21 at Cuartero, Capiz.
The CPU Golden Lions Sepak Takraw Men’s Team won gold and bronze medals during the 1st Hinugyaw Sepak Takraw Invitational Tournament on August 21, 2019 at Cuartero, Capiz.
The players were divided into three groups: Team A, B and C. Team A was composed of Jay-ar Galia, EJ Pareja, Baron Cabual, Christian Dave Catague and Jose Glenn Cudo; Team B was composed Hiros John Jalandoni, Steven Togle, Paul Germae Oñate, Javeheart Aquino and Mathius Phillippe Suay and Team C was composed of Keith Dune Gallos, Rex Pedutem and Kim Libradirado. Team A won bronze while Team B won gold and was declared champion.
“Before we step in to the court, I always remind them that we are a Christian university and that we represent not only our school but we also represent God. Spectators or no spectators, we should always bring out our A game against our opponents because we offer every game to the Lord. Win or lose, we always pray and thank the Lord. And we are very grateful for our win…we dedicate it to God,” Pastor Keith Dune Gallos, one of the coaches of the Sepak Takraw Men’s team said.
The 1st Hinugway Invitational Sepak Takraw Tournament was spearheaded by the local government of Cuartero, Capiz in celebration of their founding anniversary. More than 10 teams all over Panay competed in the said tournament.
By Rusieljs G. Lunasco
Central Philippine University congratulates its 76 new pharmacists for having successfully passed the 2019 Pharmacist Licensure Examination on August 2019. CPU got a passing percentage of 82.95% while the national passing percentage is 69.11%. According to the Professional Regulation Commission 2,100 out of 3,234 passed the said examinations.
By Rusieljs G. Lunasco
Princess Elaine Espongja (left) Rodolfo Godwin Pascua, (center) and Charlotte Gadian (right) in their Philippine National Costumes.
Princess Elaine Espongja, BA ELS 2, Rodolfo Godwin Pascua III, BS CE 2, and Charlotte Gadian, BA Comm 2 participated in the 2019 Global Cultural Exchange Summer Camp on August 18-23, 2019 at Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan City, Taiwan. Around 100 university students from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Poland, Vietnam, and India joined the said program.
The Summer Camp exposed the students to different modern and aboriginal cultures, languages, technology, and the beautiful scenery of Tainan City and Kaoshiung City. Charlotte Gadian says that “she learned a lot, especially the concept of diversity.” According to her understanding the culture and practices of people from other countries made her realize that when people are aware of different cultures and global concerns, diversity will never be an issue because it is the people’s hearts that will unite and understand.” For Princes Espongja, her first international travel was a “learning experience.” She will also treasure the bond and friendship with fellow Filipinos from universities in the Philippines. She added that the Summer Camp developed her communication skills and broadened her cultural experiences. For Rodolfo, his first experience riding on a bullet train, particularly the Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) is a memory that will last a lifetime.
The five-day Summer Camp in Tainan City, Taiwan was an experience that three students from this university will always treasure as an experience of a lifetime. CPU’s dynamic partnership with Chang Jung Christian University has yielded several opportunities, such as student exchange.
According to Prof. Anna May Yap-Zerrudo, Acting Director of the Office of International Relations and Cooperation (OIRC), their office is always looking for opportunities from partner universities, so that qualified CPU students can also have the chance to go abroad. She added that one exchange student from CJCU is currently enrolled in the BA English Language Study Program and will stay on the campus for one year.
By Cyrus A. Natividad
Participants from different colleges and departments in the university attended the Seminar-Workshop on Research Proposal Preparation and Orientation last August 22, 2019.
The University Research Center (URC) conducted a Seminar-Workshop on Research Proposal Preparation and Orientation for Internally and Externally Funded Researches. The Seminar-Workshop was held on August 22, 2019 from 8:00 AM – 5:00PM at the CPU Knowledge for Development Center (KDC). Twenty-seven participants from different Colleges and Departments of the University attended the seminar-workshop.
Dr. Irving Rio, Vice President for Academic Affairs, welcomed the participants. He expressed his thanks for the University Research Center for the opportunity to share the valuable seminar workshops to the participants. The Speaker, Dr. Mary O’ Penetrante, Director, University Research Center, presented the rationale, objectives, and expected outputs of the workshop.
Available External and Internal Funding agencies were also presented. Other topics included Selection of Research Topics to Pursue, Template for Research Proposal (External), Template for Research Proposal (Internal).
There were four sessions conducted. Session 1 included the Definition of Research Phenomenon/Gap/Problem, Preparing the Literature Map, Writing the General and Specific Objectives, and Writing the Hypothesis. Sessions 2, 3 and 4 where conducted after lunch. The participants presented their outputs after each session.
The workshop and outputs were relevant and helpful to the departments and colleges, and the University as well. The Seminar-Workshop is conducted annually by the University Research Center. This year’s activity was facilitated by Dr. Mary O’ T. Penetrante, University Research Committee Chairperson, Dr. Ananias C. Sabijon, Jr., Sub-Committee on Research Training, Education and Symposium Chairperson; Prof. Marigold E. Jutare, URC member and URC Secretary Ligaya Villareas-Caniel.
By Cyrus A. Natividad
Members of the CPU Work Student Alumni Association (from left) Mr. Cyrus Natividad, Dr. Alberto Java, Mr. Nick Gazo and Mrs. Joy Laos.
The Alumni Homecoming 2019 on September 28 could be the best time to solicit ideas and information from former work students of CPU in preparation for the 2020 Grand Alumni Homecoming. According to CPU Work Student Alumni Association (CPUWSAA) President Alberto A. Java, “this would be a dry run of what we are going to do at the CPU Grand Alumni Homecoming next year.” “While doing our best for this year’s homecoming on September 28, we are going to meet everyone and look at what else can we do, aside from what we have listed in the last meeting,” Java added.
The CPU Work Students Alumni Association was organized with the aim to strengthen the friendship and camaraderie of all those who had worked for free education at Central Philippine University. Java recalled that Central Philippine University was founded with the intention of helping poor but deserving students.
WSAA’s motto “Labor is Honor” inspires every Work Student alumni to look back, revisit and register membership in their beloved Alma Mater. “It is time to get together, and look back at what made us successful.” Let us look forward to reminiscing and bonding with our former co-workers at Central Philippine University.
The CPU Work Student Alumni Association 1st Grand Alumni Homecoming will be on February 4, 2020, at 4:00 PM (the day before the Grand Alumni Homecoming) at CPU Alumni Promenade and Concert Park. All Centralian work students’ alumni are invited. A grand reunion souvenir program will also be published.
For registration, sponsorships and other inquiries, please contact Alberto Java, Cel No. 09153659681 or Isidra Provendido, Cel No. 09165219275.
By Rusieljs G. Lunasco
Water Missions International has donated one unit of Living Water Treatment System to CPU.
Water Mission International has donated one unit of Living Water Treatment System (Reverse Osmosis) to Central Philippine University. The donation was facilitated through its Philippines Country Resident Agent, Prof. Ricardo Patricio, a CPU alumnus (Agricultural Engineering ‘75) and its Asia-Pacific Director Pastor Jan Daniel.
The Reverse Osmosis unit costs P8 million and is more sophisticated than the ordinary LWTS. It comes with a generator set to power up the system. It can supply the need of the entire CPU population with clean and safe water.
Water Mission International is a non-profit, Christian engineering organization based in North Charleston, South Carolina, USA that designs, builds and implements safe water, sanitation and hygiene solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas.
CPU commits itself to install, operate, and maintain the LWTS to supply clean and safe water to its constituents on campus every day as well as to the neighboring communities during disasters.
The unit was transferred to the CPU campus from Goducate Training Center, San Miguel, Iloilo on August 23, 2019 through the efforts of Mr. Joel Somosierra. The Living Water Treatment System will be operational within the year.
By Rusieljs G. Lunasco
Iñigo D. Garingalao, a Centralian and Iloilo Anti-Smoking Task Force (ICAST) Executive Director was chosen as one of the recipients of the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award – 2019 Search for Outstanding Government Workers under the Honor Awards Program (HAP) of the Civil Service Commission.
Under Garingalao’s leadership, the city’s anti-tobacco efforts were recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) – Western Pacific Region and the Department of Health (DOH).
Garingalao earned his Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering in 1986 and his Diploma in Christian Ministry in 2011 from Central Philippine University. He also finished elementary and high school from the same institution in 1974 and 1978 respectively.
The Presidential Lingkod ng Bayan Award (PLB) is conferred to an individual or group of individuals for their exceptional contributions resulting from an idea or performance that had nationwide impact or public interest, security and patrimony.
Garingalao will receive his award on September 11 during the Philippine Civil Service 119th Anniversary Celebration at Smallville 21 Hotel, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
By Rusieljs G. Lunasco
Mariel Sacapano, Jethro Peter Armada, John Ruben Barrios and Rachel Gambalan, graduates of the BSBA in Real Estate Management program Batch 2019 passed the June 2019 Real Estate Broker Licensure Exams.
Barrios and Gambalan also passed the August 2019 Real Estate Appraiser Licensure Exams.
204 out of 297 takers passed the June 2019 Real Estate Broker Licensure Examination while 163 out of 259 takers passed the August 2019 Real Estate Appraiser Licensure Examination. Both exams were administered by the Board of Real Estate Service in Manila, Cagayan De Oro and Tacloban.
By Rusieljs G. Lunasco
Abaygar graduated cum laude, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2019 and is a former governor for the Engineering Student Council.
Peter John Abaygar, Chriselda Elaine Ador and Charmine Pearl Galo made it to the list of regional finalists for Western Visayas in the search for Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP). The list was released last September 4, 2019.
Abaygar graduated cum laude, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2019 and is a former Governor of the Engineering Student Council. He is also a recipient of Council of Engineering and Architecture Schools of Western Visayas (CEAS-WV) Award of Excellence and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Academic Excellence Award.
Ador graduated magna cum laude, Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2019 and is a former university scholar.
Galo is a former CPU Republic senator. She served as Vice- Governor for the Allied Health Sciences Student Council from 2017-2018. She was chosen as a delegate to the Ayala Young Leaders Congress in 2018.
Ador graduated magna cum laude, Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2019 and is a former university scholar. She was also a recipient of the Rotary Award for the Most Outstanding Graduate and the Outstanding Students of Iloilo Award.
Galo also graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and is a former CPU Republic senator. She served as Vice- Governor for the Allied Health Sciences Student Council from 2017-2018. She was chosen as a delegate to the Ayala Young Leaders Congress in 2018.
Regional finalists will go through screening and interview for them to qualify as candidates to the National Search.
TOSP honors the outstanding students of the nation who have personified academic excellence, exemplary leadership, and deep sense of social responsibility, anchored on good moral values.
By Nestle G. Taala
Luis “Tito Dok” Gatmaitan, M.D. hosted a storytelling session for Grades One and Two pupils at the CPUES Library on August 27, 2019.
Central Philippine University Elementary School Grades One and Two pupils took delight in a short story storytelling session by Luis “Tito Dok” Gatmaitan, M.D. at CPUES Library on August 27, 2019.
The mini-program kicked off with the warm words of welcome from CPUES Principal, Prof. Janet P. Jaco, who appreciated and thanked the guest for stopping by at the university for his Iloilo Tour. Dr. Luis Gatmaitan, a Palanca Award-winning Author, then introduced to everyone his published works which are about 50 books in total. These are medical-related books made easy and simplified to be understood by children on their young age.
CPUES pupils attentively listened to one of the works of Tito Dok called “Isang Dosenang Sapatos (a Dozen Pairs of Shoes)” when he began to tell them the story. They, too, actively participated in the question and answer which came afterwards.
The said event was very timely as the CPUES celebrates Buwan ng Wika.
By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
Stuart Hall’s oldest picture found in the CPU Archives.
The 24-hectare campus of Central Philippine University is now adorned with many buildings in which the latest to be constructed this 2019 is the 5-storey Senior High School Building. But do you know the first ever concrete building that was constructed on campus? The answer is the Stuart Hall which was built from 1913 to 1914. First called as the Principal’s Residence, it is the oldest edifice in the campus of CPU.
Before the Principal’s Residence was constructed, all the buildings in the campus were made with bamboo and nipa materials. Later the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society sent $6,000 for the construction of the residence of the principal of Jaro Industrial School.
This first-ever concrete edifice were lovingly constructed by the students taking up the House-building subject under the direction of Rev. Dr. Francis Rose and Rev. Dr. William Valentine. The plumbing and the electric wiring were installed by the American Baptist missionaries themselves. Rev. Valentine, his wife Ina Jane and their family were the first residents of this building. Rev. Valentine was the principal of Jaro Industrial School up to 1915. The next residents were Rev. Dr. Rose and his wife Gertrude. Dr. Rose became the principal up to 1916 when Rev. Valentine transferred to Negros.
The longest residents of the Principal’s Residence were Dr. Harland Stuart, his wife Marion Guendolen and their children. When they occupied it, it was renamed as the President’s House. They resided there from 1922 to 1938. Dr. Stuart was the last principal of Jaro Industrial School and the first president of Central Philippine College. He had the distinction of being the only missionary who served CPU who graduated his Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees from the famous Harvard University. While he was still alive later on in 1965, CPU gave him a Doctor of Laws, honorary degree. He is best remembered as the one who engineered the building of Franklin, Weston, Valentine, and Roblee Halls and the Iloilo Mission Hospital. Dr. Rose was the architect who drew up the plans of these buildings. They were all constructed of reinforced concrete.
When the Stuarts left, it was occupied by the American missionaries – James Howard Covell and Charma Marie Moore Covell. It was then renamed as Mission Administration and Residence Hall. They stayed there until they evacuated to Hopevale, Tapaz, Capiz during World War II where they were later martyred.
It is good to note that this Principal’s Residence/President’s House had a unique feature, though it is not used now. This is the only building from the period of the American missionaries that has a cistern tank below it. It is about 20 cubic meters which can hold more than 5,000 gallons of water. The rain catchment system that the missionaries built is a marvel of engineering, and of forward thinking. This teaches us that it is practical to have a rain catchment system in a country that has a long rainy season. This is also one way of conserving water and being prepared for El Niño time.
During World War II, the Stuart Hall was gutted by fire but its basic structure remained. It was repaired after World War II and it became a missionary residence once again.
Because of the meritorious service given by Dr. Harland Stuart to Central Philippine University, the Principal’s Residence was renamed as Stuart Hall after World War II and it was then subsequently repaired. The exact date of the renaming cannot be ascertained as of now.
Currently, the Stuart Hall is the home of the Student Service Enterprise in the first floor. The second floor is home to the Legal and Technical Office, Office of the Safety Officer, Purchasing Office, and the CPU Republic.
During the presidency of Dr. Agustin A. Pulido, the upper floor was the home of the Office of the Social Sciences and Social Work Departments, and also the Office of the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. While during the presidency of Dr. Juanito M. Acanto, the second floor was occupied by the Student Affairs Office, Chaplain’s Office and the Convention Baptist Ministers Association Office.
The next time you pass by the Stuart Hall, may you marvel at the quality of the workmanship that has withstood the many earthquakes and natural calamities from 1914 up to 2019. If this 105 year-old building could just talk, it has many stories to tell – from the time when this institution was established as Jaro Industrial School , Central Philippine School until its transition to Central Philippine College and then finally to Central Philippine University. It bears a concrete testimony of God’s goodness, faithfulness and mercy to CPU all throughout these years.
References:
Linnea A. Nelson and Elma S. Herradura, Scientia et Fides The Story of Central Philippine University, 1991, p.26, p.376.
Harland Stuart, Wall of Remembrance.
By Cyrus A. Natividad
More than one thousand students and athletes participated in the parade.
University Day 2019 formally opened with a jam-packed Rose Memorial Auditorium on September 2, Monday. Before that, students and faculty of the academic departments, except the kindergarten, were in their color-coded shirts to join the parade. There were more than one thousand students and athletes participating.
The campus was filled with cheers from students and athletes who had been looking forward to the opening of U-Day 2019. The opening parade started at 1:00 PM – passing around the University Quadrangle before finally going to the Rose Memorial Auditorium. Although it rained, it did not dampen the Central Spirit because everyone was in a celebratory mood. It signaled the opening of ball games and intramurals between the departments and colleges.
Students and faculty of the academic departments and colleges wore their color-coded shirts to join the parade.
CPUR Prime Minister Rich Manolo welcomed the participants during the opening program.
The CPU Republic was responsible for the activities at the opening program. CPUR Prime Minister Richard Manolo welcomed the participants and thanked everyone for their cooperation. Rey P. Perigrino, CPUR Vice President, in behalf of the student body, appreciated the administration, the CPUR officials, faculty and staff. “It is with deep gratitude that I thank everyone for their continued support for the campus events,” he said.
The Opening Program was immediately followed by the Aquathlon event that started in the Swimming Pool and ended at the Big Field.