CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

Baguio City Public Market consumers practice social distancing. (photo by Jean Nicole Cortes)

One of the things that we can hear nowadays is the phrase “The New Normal.” In other words, this will be our new normal. This includes wearing of masks in public places, having a travel pass wherever you go, social or physical distancing, daily disinfection, taking vitamins, and many others. The way of life in the last 10 years has been and will be drastically changed.

For Christians, what is the new normal? Actually, and let this sink in our hearts and minds — being a Christian, accepting Jesus Christ in our lives, has been and will always result in a new normal.

Why is this so?

First, the normal thing in this world is to be selfish.

It is ingrained in our nature to be selfish. This is the consequence of a fallen world. We always think of ourselves only, and how we can take advantage of the situation. And this continues to be the situation even in the midst of a pandemic. There are still hoarders, exploitative business practices like overpricing, and rumors of corruption.

But if you have Jesus Christ in your life, the new normal for you is not to be selfish but to be selfless. You now bear each other’s burden. You now love your neighbor as you love yourself. You now take care of others.

In reality, you can see in history that the first hospitals and first universities were established by Christians.

So as Christians, let us think of the new life, the new normal that we have because we have Jesus Christ in our lives.

Second, the normal thing in this world is to exercise your freedom and forget about your moral responsibility.

We are to be reminded that the concept of justice and moral obligation comes from the Bible. All laws in this world can find its way to the Ten Commandments.

If you do not believe in God, then you are not bound by ethics and morality found in the Bible. You can do what you want and just be subject to the laws of the land. But if you profess to be a Christian, you are bound to much more.

Like what Jesus said, the Roman law states that a subject can be compelled to walk one mile with a Roman citizen. But Jesus said, “walk the extra mile.” The Bible has a lot of “extra mile” commands. You may start reading Matthew chapters 5 to 7 for the commands of Jesus.

So, as a Christian, we have been living a new normal already. Let us continue to be examples of what it means to live a Christ-like life. Let us abide by the guidelines set forth by our government but more than that, let us not forget to live out the guidelines set forth by the Lord Jesus Christ!

By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

Some of the participants in the virtual “Language & Culture Program” hosted by the National Taipei University of Education.

The Division of International Affairs of National Taipei University of Education (NTUE) in Taiwan, a partner university of CPU, hosted a virtual “Language & Culture Program” last November 15 to 18, 2021. The aim of NTUE is to enrich collaboration and networking by involving more members in their campus and from their global partners (Philippines, Vietnam, USA, Ukraine, to name a few).

In order to diversify the virtual program, NTUE invited their partner universities overseas to recommend at least two students to join the program. Two representatives from Central Philippine University joined the event. They are Quenn Colin Keith Dequiña, Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies – 3, and Irish C. Del Rosario, Bachelor of Arts in Communication – 4. Both of them are from the Department of Languages, Mass Communication and Humanities.

Some activities of the students during the 4-day program were: Learning Mandarin, Calligraphy, Chinese Opera Mask-making, Project work discussions and presentations.

Ms. Irish del Rosario of CPU, together with her groupmates from other countries, won “Best Presentation” on the last day of their class.

This event is part of the internationalization program of CPU’s Office of International Relations and Cooperation headed by its Director, Ms. Leilani Fatimah L. Trompeta.

By Cyrus A. Natividad

Moringa plant.

The quarantine period has pushed some people to the brink of poverty and food deprivation, especially, of nutritious foods.

By Nestle G. Taala

CPU officials led by President Dr. Teodoro C. Robles received the 10 awards from the CHED Chairman Prospero “Popoy” de Vera.

Central Philippine University (CPU) has been recognized by and received various awards and distinctions from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region VI in the recent Gawad Parangal 2021 for the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Western Visayas. The event was held on November 25, 2021 at the Zuri Hotel in Iloilo City.

Among all the recipients of this year’s Gawad Parangal, CPU got the most number of awards given by CHED for private HEIs. CHED Chairman Prospero “Popoy” de Vera presented the awards to CPU officials led by President Dr. Teodoro C. Robles. A total of ten (10) awards were bagged by the university and these include:

1. Autonomous HEI in Western Visayas;
2. Center of Excellence (COE) – Agriculture;
3. Center of Excellence (COE) – Business Administration;
4. Center of Development (COD) – Chemical Engineering;
5. Center of Development (COD) – Electrical Engineering;
6. Center of Development (COD) – Electronics Engineering;
7. Center of Development (COD) – Teacher Education;
8. QS World University Rankings (for 2 years);
9. Outstanding Board Performance (OBP) – Civil Engineering; and
10. Outstanding Board Performance (OBP) – Agriculturist.

West Visayas State University had 10 awards and is the most awarded among state universities.

In receiving such honor and pride, CPU was well-represented by Dr. Teodoro C. Robles, University President; Dr. Florence P. Bogacia, Vice President for Finance and Administration; Dr. Irving Domingo L. Rio, Vice President for Academic Affairs; and Dr. Jaime Cabarles, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Resources and Environmental Sciences.

Having been commended by CHED Region VI for “doing extraordinary things in extraordinary settings during extraordinary times,” Dr. Robles expressed that “CPU is grateful that we received recognition of the scholarly work and other important activities of our faculty and staff which were manifested by the different awards from Center of Excellence (COE); Center of Development (COD); and of course the Autonomous status of the university.” Moreover, Dr. Robles shared that, “we are happy that this year, we are still included in the top 15 [best] universities in the Philippines.”

CHED’s Gawad Parangal 2021 aims to inspire, nurture and bring out the best in HEIs in Western Visayas. This event recognizes HEIs [which] have done exemplary performance and contributions in education by offering quality-assured programs.

Committed to its vision, Exemplary Christian Education for Life (EXCEL), the university is indeed soaring high on wings of eagle not only for the sake of receiving such recognitions but most importantly in molding its students into becoming Centralians imbued with Central Spirit, and in continuing God’s mission through this institution.

God be praised today and always!

by Cyrus A. Natividad

Children praying during a gathering. photo by Gina Sario

Right now, millions of people around the world are suffering from the effects of anxiety, stress, and depression brought about by the present pandemic.

The COVID-19 updates are brought to us every morning, noon and night time — seven days a week, and now on its 3rd month are occupying most of our thoughts. Nonetheless, we have longer times to thank and reflect on God. Thank you, Lord for providing us our needs.

Exercise, healthy foods and a balanced diet can help improve our health. But what about the feeling of uncertainty? According to research, self-compassion is needed.

We should have self-compassion before we can help others. We would like to help a friend, someone who is in pain, one who is deeply affected by a situation but we have to help ourselves first.

Three things are important in order to have self-compassion:

First: Forget fear. Remember our Saviour, Redeemer, and Protector. “God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1).

Second: Be mindful. Feel the present experience. How do you survive? How are you getting stronger? How are you sustained? Romans 12:2 says “… be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Third: Accept everything that is happening. Do not deny it. “God changes the times and the seasons, He removes kings and raises up kings” (Daniel 2:21).

In times of crisis, when uncertainty strikes, one must be objective. He or she must be ready with a perspective in mind, of what is to come. Good mental health is a foundation of strength, resiliency, and resourcefulness that we will need in order to plan ahead.

On top of these, one needs to be kind to himself. Motivation instead of self- criticism can help avoid destroying one’s self-defense. Self-criticism more often than not results in one’s predisposition of what can happen to the self — causing one to be susceptible or affected by a particular condition. It is bad for a person’s well-being if not properly put into context.

The need for protection in times of uncertainty lies in one’s trust and self-confidence. We can only have this with faith in Christ, our God of compassion.

by Edwin C. Laru-an

Daniella is a member of the CPU Volleyball Women’s Team.

Name: Daniella Christie Ideal
Nickname: Inday/ Dannie
Height: 5′ 6”
Grade/year: 2nd year BSBA
Team: Volleyball women
Playing Position: Quicker
Coach: Tony Arnilla
Hometown: San Nicolas, Buenavista, Guimaras

Achievements:
Champion ICDVL Season 2
Champion ICDVL Season 3
Champion ISSCMEET 2016
3rd place Street Volleyball Tournament
Champion Western Visayas Shakeys V- League
3rd runner up Shakeys V- National League
WVRAA 2017- Champion
Bronze 2017 PALARONG PAMBANSA

Hobbies: Eating, Singing, Watching Netflix.

Favorite Player: Alyssa Valdez

Most Memorable Game: Palarong Pambansa 2017

Principle in Life: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

What can you say as a player of CPU Golden Lions:
It is a great privilege to be a part of the team. I hope I can improve and do my very best in playing until I graduate. I also thank CPU for giving me a chance. May God continue to bless CPU!

Why did you choose CPU:
As a student, you need to engage in a school where you can secure your future. I chose CPU because this is my dream school, and where I feel I can reach my dreams and achieve my goals. I believe that my future will be secured after I graduate from this school.

by Cyrus A. Natividad

IMH Nurses unpacking PPEs donated by CPU College of Nursing, Capiz Emmanuel Hospital, Iloilo Mission Hospital Nurses’ Alumni Association (CCINAA).

As we listen to the news on radio and TV, updates from social media about the surge of coronavirus worldwide, people are gripped with fear and anxiety.

The government declared a state of emergency. Provinces, towns are ‘locked down’ on orders of the mayors and governors.

The novel virus presented itself for the first time and rendered local government units rushing for initiatives and logistics for their people–after it was concluded that COVID-19 is a deadly disease.

Delays in finding out the antidote, medical supplies and equipment, food and basic needs for distribution as residents are required to stay at home, and funds for the displaced workers were on top of issues of the day. These have caused people to panic.

This was real as compared to previous disasters where politics are ‘important characters’.

This time everyone, including sincere government and business executives did something or have shared a lot to the ‘bayanihan concept’ – coming out with earnest desire to help recover persons affected by the coronavirus.

We sympathize with sincere government officials, health workers, and kind-hearted organizations in facilitating the management of service and security.

The long wait to end the pandemic in our country may not be over yet. We still watch patients coming in and out of hospitals. We grieve with the families who lost their loved ones. For this, we honor our dedicated doctors and nurses, our medical frontliners, who continue to risk their lives on the line of duty.

We realize many of our medical frontliners come from Central Philippine University – specifically doctors and nurses who are imbued with the values of Central Spirit.

Let us support them emotionally by sending them our encouragements, and by praying for their safety. They are chosen by God to serve our country and our people. To God be the Glory!

CALL FOR SUBMISSION IN SCIENTIA ET FIDES

Researchers from all fields of science and technology, research, sustainability and innovation, and education are welcome to join Scientia et Fides (SeF). It provides a forum for multidisciplinary academic experiences to be shared, as well as addressing the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, including the solutions that have been adopted to close practice gaps for the benefit of society. The theme for this year’s conference corresponds to the research and experimental activity presented at the Central Philippine University Emerging Asian Research Network International Research Conference 2021 (CPU-EARN IRC 2021). Extended versions of papers previously published in the said conference are accepted subject to blind evaluation and modification by an expert panel.

TOPICS

TECHNOLOGY

● Accessibility Policies to Cope with Disabilities
● Artificial Intelligence
● Data Science/ Data Analytics
● Virtual Universities, Online Learning
● Education, Technology and Sustainable Development
● Emerging Technologies

ENVIRONMENT

● Environmental Sustainability
● Green Technologies

RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

● Application of Quantitative and Qualitative Research on Sustainability
● Research Using Technology
● Interfacing Scientific and Humanistic Disciplines: Interdisciplinarity and
Multidisciplinary

IMPORTANT DATES

Call for Submission announcement: 15 November 2021
Submission Deadline: 15 February 2022
Preliminary Review Feedback: 15 March 2022
Revision Submission: 15 April 2022
Acceptance: 1 May 2022
Publication Online: 15 May 2022
For submission please go to – https://cpupub.cpu.edu.ph/index.php/scientiaetfides/about/submissions

Author’s Guide

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION

Authors should submit their manuscripts through the CPU Publication Online Journal System. Online submission reduces the time required for a manuscript to get from submission to publication by expediting the processing and review of submitted papers.
Manuscripts from peer-reviewed conferences, which may have already been published in proceedings, may be submitted if the following conditions are met:
• the submitted manuscript should be an enhanced version of the conference proceedings; a typical enhanced paper contains at least 25% new material;

• the authors’ copyright agreement for the conference publication allows for journal submissions; and

• o in the “Comments to the Editor,” the author includes a detailed description of how the submitted manuscript meets the above conditions, a copy of the conference proceedings version or its digital object identifier (DOI), and an affirmation that the submission to SeF does not conflict with the conference proceedings terms.

Authors are the initial owners of the copyrights to their works (an exception in the non-academic world to this might exist if the authors have, as a condition of employment, agreed to transfer copyright to their employer).

• Submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the SeF Reviewer Guidelines.
• In the submission metadata, please provide each author’s ORCID ID.
• In addition to the acknowledgements in the manuscript, please provide any funding IDs in the submission information.

GUIDELINES

1. Manuscripts that do not follow the requirements below will be returned for revision. The guidelines must be carefully read. The manuscript should be revised in accordance with the criteria. Authors can use the template to prepare their submissions.

❖ Page Layout
All articles should be typed in a single column on standard A4 paper with normal margins (21 x 29.7 cm).

❖ Length
Manuscripts should be between 4,500 and 9,000 words in length.

❖ File Type
Submitted articles should be in Microsoft Word format. Please utilize the manuscript template to facilitate the manuscript preparation process and expedite the publication process.

❖ Title Page
A concise but descriptive title should be at the top of the title page. Below the title, there should be an abstract of 150 to 250 words, followed by keywords (4 to 6).

Text Style
● Use a standard font (e.g., Arial) 12.
● Double line spacing for paragraphs.
❖ ● Use footnotes to provide additional information peripheral to the text.

❖ Figures and Tables
All figures and tables should be placed at the end of the manuscript after the reference list. To note the placement of figures and tables in text, “Insert Table (or Figure) # here” should be inserted in appropriate places. Please use high resolution graphics whenever possible and make sure figures and tables can be easily resized and moved.

❖ Acknowledgements
Acknowledgments should appear in a separate section before the reference list.

❖ Citations
Citations in-text should follow the author-date method (authors’ surname followed by publication year).
● Several studies found … (Barakat et al., 1995; Garfield, 1955; Meho & Yang, 2007).
● In a recent study (Smith & Jones, 2011) …
● Smith and Jones (2011) investigated …

❖ Reference List
The first author’s last name should be alphabetized in the reference list, which should be formatted according to the American Psychological Association (APA) 6th edition style.

Book
Author, A., & Author, B. (Year). Book title. Publisher location: Publisher Name.
Example
Belonio, A. T. (2005). Rice husk gas stove handbook. Jaro, Iloilo City: Central Philippine University.

Book chapter
Author, A., & Author, B. (Year). Chapter title. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.), Book title (pp. xx-xx). Publisher location: Publisher Name.

Example
Alenzuela, R. & Cantel, A. M. B. (2020). LIS Education ASEANization: An Inchoate Plan?. In Internationalization of Library and Information Science Education in the Asia-Pacific Region (pp. 158-176). IGI Global. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-2273-8.ch007

Conference paper
Author, A., & Author, B. (Year). Article title. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Conference title (pp. xx-xx). Publisher location: Publisher Name.
Example
Smith, K., & Brown, M. (2012). Digital curation of scientific data. In G. Martin & L. J. Jones (Eds.), Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Digital Curation (pp. 41-53). New York: Springer.

Journal article
Author, A., Author, B., & Author, C. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), start page-end page.
Example
Lim, A. A., Romallosa, A. R. D., & Belonio, A. T. (2005). Evaluation of composting CPU biomass wastes using the wire mesh circular compost bin with compost activator. Patubas, 2(1), 2-9.

Website
Author, A., & Author, B. (Year). Article title. Retrieved from URL.

Example
Mitchell, J.A. (2017, May 21). How and when to reference. Retrieved from https://www.howandwhentoreference.com.

For more details about citations, please click this link.

You may also use Reference Management Tools such as Endnote, Mendeley or Zotero. For citation help, you may refer to Henry Luce III Library. Email hhl@cpu.edu.ph

Fees

2. For manuscript processing and/or publishing materials, the Journal does not charge any fees. To make copy-editing easier and ensure high-quality publications, authors should rigorously adhere to the criteria listed below.

Copyright

3. Except in the case of peer-reviewed conference proceedings where prerequisites are met, all submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. If the source is used for additional research, the author/creator of the material should be appropriately cited.

Review

4. All reviews will use a double-blind review process.
5. The reviewer(s) and the author(s) do not know each other’s identity. The reviewers are left with only the manuscript without any information that might enable them to uncover the identity of the author(s). Information removed includes the names(s) of the author(s), address/affiliation, country, phone/fax and email. Stated information in the Acknowledgement and Declaration of Conflict of Interest that may lead to the uncovering of the identity of the author should also be removed from the manuscript before peer-reviewing.
6. The peer review shall take 2-3 weeks.
7. Reviewers are not allowed to make any use of the work described in the manuscript or to take advantage of the knowledge they gained by reviewing it before publication. (Every manuscript is treated by the editors and reviewers as confidential information, and they are instructed to exclude themselves from the review of any manuscript that might involve a conflict of interest or the appearance thereof.)
8. The Editorial Office is in charge of selecting reviewers. The Editorial Office will have to approve the author’s suggested list of referees or experts in the field. Referees must have a proven track record as field researchers, as indicated by publications in peer-reviewed journals, research awards, and relevant peer-review experience.

The review process employs the Manuscript Management System. Referees make one of the following recommendation marks:

• Accept As Is
• Requires Minor Corrections
• Requires Major Revisions e. Reject With Option To Resubmit
• Reject On Grounds Of (Specify reason) _____.

Policy on Conflict of Interest/Disclosure

9. Authors must disclose, upon submission, any association that poses a conflict of interest in connection with the manuscript and acknowledge all funding sources supporting the work. Failure to disclose a conflict of interest upon submission may result in author sanctions. (Authors are required to complete the Declaration Form to disclose any conflict of interest, and to acknowledge all funding sources supporting the work. The corresponding author must guarantee that all authors have been asked to disclose any conflicts of interest. This is to be submitted along with the manuscript.
10. Reviewers may decline the review of any manuscripts they perceive to have a conflict of interest. Editors should also decline from considering any manuscript that may have conflicts of interest.
11. All parties involved in the peer-review process should disclose any conflicts of interest and allow the Editor to decide how they should be handled.

Open Access and Creative Commons License Statement

12. All content is open access, meaning it is accessible online to everyone, without fee and authors’ permission. All content is published and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0). Under this license, authors reserve the copyright for their content; however, they permit anyone to unrestrictedly use, distribute, and reproduce the content in any medium as long as the original authors and source are cited. For any reuse, redistribution, or reproduction of a work, users must clarify the license terms under which the work was produced.

Misconduct and Investigation

13. All submissions must include data that is truthfully and accurately documented in accordance with scholarly publication standard practices.

14. Duplicate publication, falsification, plagiarism, or fabrication will be considered actionable violations of this policy. The manuscript must contain proper acknowledgment of the work of others, including clear indications of the sources of all information quoted or offered, except that what is common knowledge. The undersigned authors must acknowledge the contributions of people, organizations and institutions who helped in the process of research and provided technical help or financial funding (in the acknowledgment and in the Author Declaration Form).. Misconduct does not include honest errors or discrepancies in data interpretation or judgment.
15. The journal’s editors are in charge of specific editorial behavior as well as adherence to appropriate policies and procedures. When the Editor receives a report of a possible violation, he or she will contact the corresponding author and ask for an explanation.
16. Authors may be required to provide the original data. Authors are expected to maintain the original data from their manuscripts for a minimum of 6 years after the final publication date of their article. Authors who are unable to provide the original data upon request will be asked to withdraw their article or their article may be retracted. The Editor will then decide on a course of action and inform the Chair of the Publications Committee of the accusation by supplying copies of the relevant material and correspondence with the corresponding author and others involved.
17. No manuscript by any authors of the disputed manuscript will be considered for publication until the matter is resolved. If no violation of journal policy or scientific misconduct is found, the manuscript (if unpublished) will be scheduled for publication.
18. In the event that author(s) is/are found to have engaged in any form of misconduct, their paper will not be published or if already published, the article will be retracted.

Correction and Retraction

19. Articles can be withdrawn by either the publishers or the authors. A signed statement from the author will be required to be submitted to the Editorial Office before an article can be withdrawn.
20. If an article is found to violate ethical publishing guidelines of a journal such as plagiarism, data fabrication, miscalculation or experimental error, or bogus claims of authorship, the article can be withdrawn by the publisher.
21. If any error is detected in a paper after publication, corrections (Erratum, Corrigendum, Addendum) will be published in the next issue. The corrections will be published only if significant errors are found (factually inaccurate published information). Minor corrections which do not affect the understanding and content of the paper such as spelling mistakes and grammatical errors will not be published.
22. Erratum is published when errors are not detected in the article during editing. This includes typographical errors, errors in figure or table numbers, corrections submitted but not included during the editing, wrong details of author’s address or email. b. Corrigendum is published when errors are detected by the authors after publication of the manuscript which compromises the validity of the scientific content, its accuracy and reproducibility. If the reader(s) detects any error in any paper, he/she is requested to submit their comments as “Letter to the Editor‟ following the prescribed article format. The “Letter to the Editor” articles will be peer reviewed and will also be sent to original authors for their comments. On acceptance for publication, the “Letter to the editor” and comments of the original authors will be published in the same issue. c. Addendum is published if the author(s) unintentionally omitted significant information at the time of submitting the manuscript and wants to add this content in the article after it has been published. Information submitted as addendum will be peer reviewed by the Editorial Board before acceptance. Addendum will be published only in rare circumstances when it is decided by the editors that the information in the addendum is essential to understand a significant part of the published article.
23. Retractions are published situations like, if the paper’s conclusion is found to be based on faulty logic or computation by recent information available after the paper has been published; if plagiarized data has been published, if the paper is based on fabricated data, or if duplicate publications exist.
24. The editor, the author, and the reviewers of the article will decide on a case-by-case basis whether retraction is necessary or not. A signed statement from the author/s will be required to be submitted to the Editorial Office before an article can be retracted.
25. An article may be removed from a journal. If any legal issues arise, the distribution of the article is discontinued by a court order. The contents of the article may pose serious health risk if acted upon by others, also if the article violates copyright laws, or if it is found to be defamatory or infringing on others legal rights.

CPU Staff distributing relief packs to stranded students staying in Barangay San Isidro.

Central Philippine University and Central Philippine University Republic distributed relief food packs to 150 students who were not able to go home due to the COVID-19 lockdown of Iloilo City and Iloilo Province Friday, April 3.

Several CPU students from other parts of Panay, Mindanao, Luzon, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Nigeria, U.S.A. and other far off places had to stay in their boarding houses or dormitories and had limited access to food and other needs because of the enhanced community quarantine which included the cancellation of classes and mass transport system among others.

As of April 3, 165 names of stranded students were submitted by the CPUR to the VPSA Office, but some recipients chose to give their food packs to other students who needed them more.

“We would like to thank the members of the 15th parliament from the Vice President, Prime Minister Senators and Representatives. We are also grateful to other students and incoming CPUR officials who helped us gather names of those who were stranded due to the ECQ,” said CPU Republic President, Engr. Riego Garcia.

The Central Echo also posted on Facebook announcement calling for stranded students who needed assistance during the lockdown and assisted in contacting target recipients of the relief program.

The food packs contained 5 kilos of rice, half a kilo of pork, vegetables, eggs, coffee, Milo and a New Testament Bible inserted with a message to uplift the spirits of the stranded students according to Acting Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Esther Rose Romarate.

“Some of the students told me that they’d be grateful to get fresh food because they have been eating canned food only for more than a week already,” VPSA Romarate said.

The message from CPU and CPUR included Psalm 121: 7-8, “The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.” and a prayer: “Almighty God, we humbly seek You. In the midst of this COVID crisis, please be with us. Give us the courage and strength to overcome our fears as we face the daily threat of this deadly pandemic to our lives and loved ones. Help us to set our eyes on You and trust You to carry us through this dark valley of death. Draw us closer to You so that we will experience the perfect peace that shall guard our hearts from doubts and worries. May you teach us to be more loving and compassionate to one another as we face this crisis together and overcome by Your power and grace in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

The relief food operation spearheaded by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and the CPU Republic covered Jaro, La Paz, Mandurriao, Molo, Pavia, and Leganes.

CPU and CPUR pooled their resources to purchase the relief goods with the assistance of Vice President for Finance and Enterprises, Dr. Florence Bogacia and her staff. Gideons International through Mr. and Mrs. Domingo Raso donated New Testament Bibles.

Packing and distribution of relief goods were done by the CPU Rescue team headed by Occupational Safety and Health Officer, Mr. Prim Vergara III and some volunteers from the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs, namely Swimming Pool supervisor, Pastor James Peter Trasporto and his wife, Dr. Ma. Gemma Victoria Trasporto; Sports Office director, Mr. Edwin Laru-an; Franklin Dorm proctor, Mr. Dexter Martin, Guidance Services Office staff, Mr. Harry Herez and Mr. Bertram Janos Ecate; Religion and Ethics teacher and the Central Echo adviser, Prof. Rea Angelica Villeza; Office of Communications staff, Ms. Rusieljs Lunasco and Mr. Simon Peter Jandinero; College of Medical Laboratory Science Dean, Dr. Ma. Corazon Porras and faculty, Mrs. Lerma Pendon, Prof. Melyn Pendon and Dr. Joy Raso, and, CPU alumni, Engr. Kim Reyes and Mr. Felomino Lozano III.

By Cyrus A. Natividad

Edson Jorge and Katrina behind their parents Sonnie and Edsel Castor.

Many Filipino parents have the desire for their children to become nurses. The reason is that working abroad as a nurse comes with greater income and opportunities than other jobs. Being a registered nurse is the key to getting employment abroad and a better future. “What makes Filipino nurses in demand by other countries is their attitude at work. Hospitals are assured with quality service by Filipino nurses abroad”, an observation made by many OFW’s and nurses abroad.

Former CPU College of Nursing Clinical Instructor Sonnie T. Castor (RN, CPU MN) speaks about the excellence in education and training students experience at Central Philippine University. “Being a Centralian nurse seems to be a guarantee for good hospital employment abroad. I am so grateful for the quality of education that my son Edson Jorge and daughter Katrina have earned in CPU. They successfully established their nursing careers in the US.”

Compassion and patience according to Katrina are two important values that she has learned from CPU. These have been the secret of success in their works as hospital nurses abroad.

Katrina Castor Miramontes (CPU BSN 2007; CPU High School 2001), and Edson Jorge T. Castor (CPU BSC 2003, Licensed Vocational Nursing, LVN USA) are registered nurses working in California, USA. Katrina who works at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital is married to a co-worker, Mexican-American nurse, Juan Miramontes. They have two sons, Liam Sebastian and Mateo Lucas. Edson Jorge is married to a Filipina nurse Shalimar R. Castor. They have three daughters Elljsha Allison, Shaedine Jaziel and Ellisse Jordine.

The Castor and Miramontes families are grateful to CPU that gave them this kind of life now. Their parents are Sonnie Tespoer Castor, former faculty at CPU College of Nursing and Edsel P. Castor a successful businessman in Iloilo City.

by Cyrus A. Natividad

Resilience is defined as a capacity to return a thing to its original state, and in extreme situations, even improve its quality.

In terms of human, resilience lets a person recover emotional equilibrium, or become stronger after going through a traumatic situation.

What can be done while confined at home (on orders of lawful authorities for our safety against the coronavirus)?

First, there is enough time to refresh – bond with the family and work on something we have so long planned to do.

Right on the To-do list, one of those healthy activities which we can enjoy a lot is gardening. Family members get involved — including some innocent but sensible kids that help you smile and make your day.

Gardening creates freshness in the mind. We are pulled to appreciate living things — trees, bushes, and grasses.

The best about it is planting vegetables. Choose green, leafy vegetables. Medicinal herbs are especially important. This time we run out of vegetables in the market. We realize that this crisis eventually leads us to realize the need for healthy living with vegetables.

When we successfully plant them, we have joy in harvesting and taking them as healthy foods.

The next thing worth doing this time is recycling. We need to look at the unusable, dispensable containers before throwing them out to the garbage.

Big water canisters, food crates, and unusable containers can be made into additional beautiful planters which we wish we have done before. It can also save money on the otherwise expensive but fragile pots.

The third hobby-like activity this home quarantine time, or this summer, is painting. Unless one is an artist who wants to paint on canvass with different media.

Colorful painting on these recycled planters can be done with an ordinary hemp brush with a pint of tinting color each mixed with a quart of ordinary white enamel or latex.

Basically adding colors to the garden should give the essential color one needs to always have a brightened life.

The long days of being at home can give anyone time to look back, reflect on the present circumstances, how it came about, as one has to look forward with renewed strength, and renewal of each plan.

God be with us as we do our best to move into the challenges of another day ahead.

By Cyrus A. Natividad

Pastor Rosemarie V. Aguirre started the GugmaMela Ministry.

Rosemarie Varona Aguirre, (BS Chem Eng. CPU 1977), came home to the Philippines to share the New Hope International (NHI) leadership teaching, through the New Hope VisaYas, of the New Hope GugmaMela, a stand-alone Ministry which she started on her own under the covering of NHI in Hawaii.

“It started when I served at the NHI Leadership Practicum in 2000. I heard the testimonies of Pastors attending — how the Leadership Practicum changed their lives and ministry. From that time, my desire grew to share the NHI Leadership Practicum teachings with the leaders and emerging leaders in the Philippines. I came as a missionary to CPU through the leading of the Holy Spirit,” Aguirre explained.

Aguirre founded a Filipino ministry in her church and started coming to the Philippines in 2007. Every year, she visited the country and partnered with different organizations of pastors to show the NHI leadership teachings.

She said, “In 2009, while at CPU on a mission trip God spoke to me through my devotion. He said “leave your life in Hawaii and go to the “double portion”. And He led me to read John 21:6 “…throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” Then He said to me “this is your right side.” I hesitated but said “yes!” It was a very difficult decision for me to leave my family and friends, to sell my place, give away my stuff, everything! A year before that, I left a very good position in a company to go to Bible school as orchestrated by the Lord! The day God spoke to me to move to the Philippines, I was at CPU leading a group of students on a mission trip.”

New Hope GugmaMela started in 2012. CPU President Dr. Teodoro C. Robles granted the use of one of the rental spaces on the second floor of Alfonzo Uy Student Center Building. On September 21, 2018, the New Hope VisaYAs Mentoring Emerging Leaders program began.

According to Aguirre, “There is a big need to develop student leaders. Many leaders in our country, our city, and even in our schools are underdeveloped leaders. This is why New Hope VisaYas exist. The mission of New Hope VisaYas is to develop emerging leaders to be effective godly leaders, to grow in wisdom and maturity and a heart for God and community. The vision of New Hope VisaYAs is to produce leaders with a purpose, to serve God and community with excellence.”

She said that we have a “Quarterly Community Outreach activities, Leadership Training and Projects inside and outside the CPU campus; Devotional Activities and Trainings led by the Administrator, Program Director, Spiritual Director, Student officers, members, volunteers and partners. The officers are given a 28,000 yearly scholarship.” She added that, “I am using my personal fund for the ministry.”

New Hope VisaYas’ purpose is to develop excellent godly leaders at Central Philippine University with Pastor Rose Aguirre, the founder and President of New Hope GugmaMela. By the leading of the Holy Spirit, she named this emerging leaders program VisaYas, after the name of the region where it is located. Upon research, she discovered that “Visayas” literal meaning originated from the Sanskrit word “SriVijaya” where the meaning of Vijaya is excellence. The meaning of Visayas corresponds with the purpose of New Hope VisaYas.

God revealed his plan and He led Pastor Aguirre to the scripture Luke 2:52 …”Jesus grew in wisdom and stature in favor with God and man.” It has been her prayer that God will impart the gifts that are bestowed on to the Son of God.