By Nestle G. Taala
CPU faculty, staff together with Hon. Mark P. Palabrica, Bingawan Municipal Mayor, Hon. Matt P. Palabrica, Board Member-elect of the 3rd Congressional District and members members of the CPUAAI Bingawan Chapter.
Central Philippine University Alumni Association Bingawan Chapter held its 4th Bingawan – CPU Day during the 50th Municipal Founding Anniversary and 11th Paghani-an Festival Celebration of Bingawan, Iloilo on June 19.
The event kicked off with the launching of their program, “Gugma Ko, Tsinelas Mo” in which slippers were given out to the pupils of 15 schools in Bingawan as a symbol of the association’s compassion and service and to demonstrate the Central Spirit.
CPUAAI Bingawan Chapter President, Hon. Joy L. Quimba, expressed her heartfelt thanks as she warmly welcomed all the guests, visitors, and beneficiary of the said program. To lighten up and set the mood, the CPUAAI Bingawan Chapter performed a special song number. It was then followed by a countdown to unveil the project which was facilitated by CPUAAI Bingawan Chapter Secretary, Marvin Saladar.
Hon. Mark P. Palabrica, Bingawan Municipal Mayor, shared that as a Centralian leader, the Central Spirit has always been his guiding principle. Moreover, Hon. Matt P. Palabrica, the town’s Municipal Vice Mayor and the Board Member-elect of the 3rd Congressional District, expressed his gratitude to CPU for being a big part of the town’s development through its Centralian leaders.
Hon. Matt P. Palabrica thanked CPU for its continuous love and support to the Municipality of Bingawan.
Meanwhile, Engr. Isagani Jalbuena, CPUAAI President, congratulated the chapter for this milestone and for the strong bond and support they exhibit. He then encouraged them to attend the Alumni Homecoming General Meeting on September 28, 2019.
In an Interview, Hon. Quimba shared that the project came about because of the positive response from the CPUAAI Bingawan Chapter. It was made possible through solicitations and donations from each one of them. Though they had fear of not reaching the quota on time, they were able to achieve it because of their cooperation. As the President of the chapter, she was glad with the outcome of their activity.
The event was also graced with the presence of Engr. Aurora Lim, CPUAAI Consultant; Mrs. Ninfa Esteban, Chapter President of Concepcion Centralians; Engr. Rey Balogo and Andresito Millamena, CPUAAI Trustees; and Tina Hortelano, Alumni Liaison Officer.
By Cyrus A.Natividad
The CPU Medical Center aims to protect and promote health safety and security within the campus.
The Medical Clinic offers high quality basic medical services to CPU employees and students CPU.
The Medical Clinic conducts annual physical examination which is required by the University. The physical examination of students and University faculty and staff members includes referral of cases necessitating appropriate specialty care.
Other services offered by the Clinic include consultations regarding and treatment of minor ailments and injuries during official school days and hours; administration of vaccines; emergency response to life threatening medical events that occurred inside the campus during official school days and hours.
The Medical Clinic also collaborates to comply with occupational safety and health policies and programs as well as disease monitoring and reporting among other valuable medical services.
The medical operation at the Medical Clinic is in line with the administration’s program of quality and excellence.
By Keziah G. Huelar
A testimony of faith and discipline – Jacqui Rosee “CPU Ironwoman” V. Lamparero continues to inspire generations of athletes.
Jacqui Rosee “CPU Ironwoman” V. Lamparero, a 2nd year CPU BS Psychology student, received the Women of Distinction Award for Sports by the Zonta Club of Iloilo II at the Gateway Hotel on June 14, 2019.
Lamparero is a champion triathlete and a member of the Philippine Triathlon Team. In 2015, she bagged the top spot in the Women’s Sprint Distance NAGT Leg 4 and was 2nd place in the Women’s Elite Category, National Dualathon Final held in Cebu City.
In 2016, she placed 1st in both the Women’s Sprint Distance NAGT LEG 2 and LEG 4 held in Danao City and Cagayan de Oro, respectively. She also dominated the 2017 NAGT LEG 1 earning the top spot in the Junior Elite Women’s Sprint Distance in Subic Bay.
She is also a finisher in both the 2017 ASTC Women’s Junior Eliter held in Palembang, Indonesia and 2018 ASTC Hong Kong Women’s Junior Elite.
The said award recognized outstanding Filipino women who not only contributed positively in strengthening and shaping Iloilo’s future but also served as catalysts for economic, social and cultural development, and national unity by sharing their time, talent and resources. The evaluation process included a thorough evaluation based on career achievement, personality, community involvement, and educational accomplishment.
Zonta International is a leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy.
By Cyrus A. Natividad
Engr. Dany C. Molina, Dr. Aries Roda D. Romallosa, and Engr. Bernie C. Cangrejo together with Hide-Fumi Yokoo (Hitotsubashi University), Engr. Molina, Dr. Romallosa, Engr. Cangrejo and Dr. Masahide Horita (The University of Tokyo).
An observation on the actual operation of Potato harvester equipment by Fujishita Company Ltd. was conducted at the Fukouka University of Japan from May 10 to 17, 2019 with a team from Central Philippine University led by Engr. Dany C. Molina, Dean College of Engineering, with Dr. Aries Roda D. Romallosa, Chair, Department of Agricultural Engineering, and Engr. Bernie C. Cangrejo, Chair, Dept. of Packaging Engineering.
Dr. Romallosa observed that the “Bullgirl” potato harvesting equipment could still be improved. “As a topic for research, it was proposed that CPU and Fujishita Company Ltd. collaborate for an enhancement which could become a challenge for a technology transfer to CPU,” she added.
The team also observed the potential for Fukouka University to link up with CPU College of Agriculture and other departments and to strengthen an existing partnership in Tokyo, Japan.
Dean Molina, who is currently the President of the Philippine Association of Engineering Schools, linked once again with the University of Tokyo during their visit to Japan. The team also observed the advancement of the agriculture industry in Japan.
CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles together with Dr. Pio D. Baconga (ACSCU President) and Dr. Patricio C. Dionio (ACSCU Executive Director).
CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles was one of the plenary speakers during the 58th Annual Convention of the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges, and Universities (ACSCU). This year, Philippine Christian University hosted the convention held at the Rizal Park Hotel from May 20-21, 2019.
For this year, plenary speakers talked about the success stories of their respective institutions. Dr. Robles shared CPU’s success in internationalization highlighting various partnerships with different academic institutions in Asia and North America.
Dr. Robles talks about CPU’s success in internationalization.
ACSCU is an organization of Christian schools, colleges, and universities committed to provide quality Christian education and promote among its members a sense of unity, understanding, and fellowship. Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann, President of Silliman University, was the Guest Speaker for this year’s convention.
CPU team with Ambassador Eduardo Kapunan and Consul Jan Michael Gomez.
Central Philippine University joined the 1st Myanmar Private and International Education Fair (PIEF 2019) held at the Myanmar Expo, Fortune Plaza in Yangon on June 15-16, 2019.
The PIEF 2019 was held to give educational institutions a broad a venue to promote their respective schools and encourage Myanmar people to enroll and avail of education from other countries.
CPU was one of the invited Philippine institutions along with Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University-Manila, Jose Rizal University, and the University of Sto. Tomas. This was made possible through the Philippine Embassy of Myanmar led by Ambassador Eduardo Kapunan.
Representatives of five invited schools from the Philippines – Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University – Manila, Jose Rizal University, University of Sto. Tomas and CPU.
During the fair, the CPU team, represented by Prof. Sharlene Gotico, Chair of the Department of Languages, Mass Communication and Humanities; Ms. Carmelle Frances Romero, Administrative Officer, Office of the President; and Prof. Anna May A. Yap-Zerrudo, Officer-in-Charge of the Office of International Relations and Cooperation, promoted the University’s different degree programs, strong international linkages, and short term English language programs. Prof. Zerrudo gave a talk on the internationalization efforts of CPU. Meanwhile, Prof. Gotico and Ms. Romero were interviewed by a local TV station and were asked to speak about CPU.
Through this fair, the University is hopeful that more students from Myanmar will enroll at CPU and more linkages and partnerships will be forged with educational institutions in the said country.
At present, CPU has a Memorandum of Understanding with two schools in Myanmar, namely, Dagon University and Myanmar Institute of Theology.
By Cyrus A. Natividad
Dr. Florentino “Tino” Alerta’s passion and faith has led him to serve others not only in the medical field but also in the ministry.
Dr. Florentino “Tino” Alerta was guest in a special edition of Looking Forward, with a topic on occupational safety. Dr. Alerta is an accredited Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner (DOLE/BWC/OSHC) and President, Western Visayas Occupational Safety and Health Network, Inc. (WVOSHNet, Inc.)
Dr. Alerta shared during the interview that “all along, since I decided to serve Jesus Christ and CPU, I was spiritually filled with the essence of love and service to the University. This was in essence the real purpose why I am back to serve Central Philippine University.” Dr. Alerta is not just medical doctor but also a pastor.
He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the CPU Alumni Association Inc. and CPU Corporation; active medical staff/teaching consultant, Department of Family, Community, and Preventive Medicine, Iloilo Mission Hospital (IMH); Safety Officer/Pollution Control Officer, IMH; Coordinator/Liaison Officer, IMH Cancer Support Group; professor, College of Medicine, CPU; Chairperson, Occupational Safety and Health Committee-CPU Environmental Concerns, CPU Medical and Sanitation; Coordinator, CPU Health, Fitness and Lifestyle Department.
Dr. Alerta spent his elementary and high school years at Central Philippine University. Meanwhile, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Long Island University Brooklyn in New York, USA and his Doctor of Medicine from Iloilo Doctors College of Medicine. He is also an alumnus of the National Seminar of the Haggai Institute Advanced Leadership Training. He, however, returned to CPU to earn his Masters in Divinity from the College of Theology.
By Keziah G. Huelar
Former CPU Republic President, JM Suelo (4th from right, second row) aims to empower communities by advocating for men’s mental health.
Empowering communities through mental health awareness—John Michael Suelo, Central Philippine University Republic President, School Year 2018-2019, and currently, a 4th year Juris Doctor student of the CPU College of Law, launched his advocacy initiative Man Out! Philippines Project at the Atria Activity Center on June 12, 2019. The launching is also in line with the celebration of Men’s Health Month and Father’s Day.
According to Suelo, the men’s mental health is an issue oftentimes overlooked by society and by men themselves. He highlighted the 2017 Report by World Health Organization, which stated that suicide is the second most common cause of death among young people aged 15-29. Close to 800,000 people die because of suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds.
In the Philippines, the age-standardized suicide rate is 5.8 for male and 1.9 for females based on the number of cases affected per sample size of 100,000 people—which means that there are more males committing suicide than females.
As founder of Man Out! Philippines Project, Suelo hopes that by advocating for men’s mental health, we can promote healthier and better relations within the community and break the social stigma that surrounds the issue: “We grow up in a society that tells us that crying is only for the weak and that it’s feminine for men to express how we feel. Hence, we end up suppressing our emotions. With Man Out! PH, a volunteer-led advocacy movement and support group, men can be vulnerable and become emotionally intelligent with a deeper sense of purpose, integrity, and accountability”.
Suelo has pioneered Pag-Amliganay: The 1st Iloilo Mental Health Summit during his term as CPUR President. As an advocate, he is the Iloilo team lead of Mental Health PH and a certified mental health first responder. He also started his own personal blog, Ilonggo Warrior, to raise mental health awareness on social media.
Centralians present during the said event include: Miekel Allen Delmoro, a Multi-Awarded Fitness Champion, Stance Mitchell, Co-Founder of Barista Street Workout and Mr. Earth Philippines Water Kevin Escopel.
Men who are interested to join the support group are encouraged to like the Ilonggo Warrior page on Facebook for more details or join the FB group page Man Out PH Project.
By Keziah G. Huelar
CPU faculty and staff make their way inside the Rose Memorial Auditorium.
Central Philippine University held its Faculty and Staff Conference at the Rose Memorial Auditorium on June 13, 2019.
With the theme “Always Ready, Forever Blessed,” the conference aimed at encouraging CPU faculty and staff to dedicate the new school year to the Lord.
The event started with a praise and worship service. It was then followed by a devotional led by Pastor Emily E. Robite, faculty, College of Nursing, West Visayas State University. Her message focused on God’s love and how it drives out fear.
CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles encouraged the university faculty and staff to pursue excellence in all their endeavors.
According to Pastor Robite, God planned a life of favor for all who pursue Him; however, there are instances even in the Christian journey when doubt enters: “God meant for all of us to live a blessed life—an abundant life. However, [there is always a struggle] between reality and expectation. There are times in our [lives] when we don’t feel blessed.”
She went on to talk about the root cause of such doubt which is fear: “We know that we can do certain things but we don’t do it because of fear. Fear limits us to maximize our potential. I believe that the core problem of fear is insecurity. Insecurity will cause us to make bad decisions.”
Ending her message, Pastor Robite encouraged the CPU faculty and staff to know God and His promises, to experience His perfect peace that drives out fear: “God’s perfect love drives out fear. The antidote to fear is love. We know that God loves us so much but why is it that most of us have a difficulty trusting God?”
The committee behind the 2019 CPU Faculty and Staff Conference together with CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles, Dr. Florence P. Bogacia ,Vice President for Finance and Administration; and Pastor James Peter T. Transporto, OIC, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
For the welcome remarks, CPU President, Dr. Teodoro C.Robles, thanked the Lord for His goodness to the University: “The Lord has sustained us all these years; through many challenges one after another, we are able to overcome.”
Dr. Robles also encouraged the CPU faculty and staff to pursue excellence in their endeavors: “We need to improve and maintain the quality of our academic programs because they will appeal to many students and families. I encourage you to make sure that we perform well in our classrooms and our customer relations.”
After Dr. Robles’ message, Prof. Sharlene G. Gotico, faculty, CPU College of Arts and Sciences, discussed this year’s theme: “This year’s theme is anchored on the mission of Central Philippine University of providing exemplary Christian education for life. As members of the faculty and staff, we have always been ready to serve our students and the entire Centralian community because for us, serving them is serving the Lord.”
After which Prof. Ma. Arve Barredo Bañez, faculty, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines-Visayas talked about political correctness. According to Prof. Banes, political correctness highlights consideration, respect, and sensitivity in the work place. It promotes inclusivity and growth through understanding and empathy.
On the other hand, Dr. Ma. Lulu L. Loyola, Vice President for Research, Extension & Training, West Visayas State University talked about “Creating a Growth-Enhancing Learning Environment.”
During the afternoon session, Dr. Robles gave a presentation on the academic and non-academic developments of the university, scholarships, donations received from alumni, the accreditation status of the different degree programs, and campus renovations.
Dr. Irving Domingo L. Rio, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Florence P. Bogacia ,Vice President for Finance and Administration; and Pastor James Peter T. Transporto, OIC, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs; and Prof. Rodel C. Palomar, Director, Human Resource and Development Office then gave their annual reports regarding the achievements of and developments in their respective offices. Moreover, Prof. Palomar gave a short talk about the impact of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 on University relations with students and stakeholders.
The challenge and unity prayer was given by Dr. Bogacia. In her message, she encouraged the CPU faculty and staff to stay united as the new school year approaches. Dr. Bogacia also acknowledged the goodness of God to CPU for the last 114 years: “This year, we are facing great challenges. We have surpassed the first two years of the K-12 implementation and we are thankful that despite the challenges, we are still making it good. This school year, 2019-2020, I encourage everyone to work together. If each one of us will do his or her part, we will be able to achieve what we desire for this year. We are just so thankful to the Lord because he has been faithful. For the last 114 years—He [has been] with us.
By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
The faculty and staff of the CPU Kindergarten together with CPU Kindergarten Principal Mrs. Hannah P. Siosan.
One of the preparations that the CPU Kindergarten made for the new school year was to take full advantage of what Google offered to Central Philippine University. Google gave CPU an email account via Gmail, an unlimited storage in Google Drive and the use Google Apps. The Principal, Mrs. Hannah C. Siosan, invited the Office of Communications on June 13, 2019 to the University Kindergarten to give a briefing on how to use Google technology for the benefit of the faculty and students.
As of the moment, CPU Kindergarten has installed the Google Drive File Stream in all their computers. In this way, the faculty can share relevant documents, pictures, and videos to be used in their day to day classroom activity. As such, there is no need to use USBs or CDs anymore. They can also back up all their university related data to this cloud service.
All faculty and staff of the said department then signed up for their free personal cpu.edu.ph email address with the help of the webmaster, Mr. Mark Clemens Ortaliz. These faculty and staff are now using the official email address of CPU, and they too will have unlimited storage in their Google Drive and Google Photos.
It is the goal of the CPU Office of Communications that all departments and colleges use the technology that Google has given. It is envisioned that someday, for example, everyone can use the official email addresses to receive memos; thus, use less paper and help the environment.
Faculty and staff who do not have their official email address yet may visit the webmaster at the Office of Communications at the Information Center to sign up.
By Cyrus A. Natividad
The new set of Central Philippine University Republic officials for School Year 2019-2020.
Newly-elected officials of the CPU Student Republic were inducted into their respective offices on June 13, 2019. Riego Garcia Ferrer, CPU Republic President, and all other winners in the last CPUR elections took their oath of office, at the Alumni Promenade and Concert Park, after the Independence Day Program.
University President, Dr. Teodoro C. Robles, thanked the CPUR for their support to the University. In his opening remarks, he reminded CPUR officials of their sworn duty not only to their student constituents but also to the Central Philippine University community-at-large.
Dr. Robles recognized what the CPUR body could do for the progress and development in the campus. He also highlighted the importance of working together to serve the studentry. “The best way is to work with the CPU administrators, coordinating and following what rules and procedures have to be followed before anything can be implemented.”
By Nestle G. Taala
CPU President Dr. Teodoro C. Robles together with Mr. Francis Lara Ho, renowned screen writer Mr. A.W. “Tony” Scott, CPU College of Nursing Dean, Atty. Salex E. Alibogha and Office of Communications Director, Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on.
Central Philippine University College of Nursing Dean, Atty. Salex E. Alibogha, officially turned over a donation for the College of Nursing on behalf of CPU BSN class 1994 to Dr. Teodoro C. Robles at the Administration Building on June 11, 2019.
The donation of three 65-inch television sets is for the virtual laboratory, lobby, and AVR of the College of Nursing. In addition to the said donation, Francis Lara Ho, also of the Batch 1994 and the executive producer of the upcoming film Hopevale, gave another 65-inch TV set.
During the turnover, Francis, together with his screen writer, Mr. A.W. “Tony” Scott, discussed the progress of their film with Dr. Robles. Hopevale will depict the story of the 11 American Missionaries who bravely gave up their lives for the Lord’s service in Tapaz, Capiz. Francis shared that the film and his donation show his gratitude to CPU.
Meanwhile, Dr. Robles extended his appreciation to the alumni all over the world for the assistance they have extended toward the University.