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1. What or who inspired you to become a CICM priest?
a. Who were the people that influenced you?
I was influenced by the La Salle Brothers in Bacolod. I had 7 years joining CICM with the African church.
b. Experience in life?
As a child, being a priest was not in the plans. In college, I was inspired by a certain brother from La Salle. I travelled to different places in the Philippines, and I also went to Congo, Nigeria, and I spent 11 years in Cameroon for missions in remote areas with mountains and deep forests. It has changed me a lot and has made me more humble. Maybe when I retire, I will write and publish a book.
2. One of your greatest contributions is the SLU Centennial Village. We would like to know why among all the presidents, you are the only one who thought of this?
Employees can talk to me. I have daily encounters with them, and from these, I have learned that many of them have no homes, or places to call a home in Baguio. Some are renting and have no prospect of owning their own houses, so during SLU’s centennial year, we conducted a survey about what project to do next. The housing project was the answer of majority, so we decided to push through with it, because it gave houses for employees with no homes in Baguio City.
3. What are your plans for SLU related to Baguio for the next five years?
We were commissioned to help the city, by the Commission on Culture, to create a historical park in Baguio. Something like Botanical Garden, with concrete symbols. Unfortunately, it was not pushed through, although it is a very good project, because this is where people—students and families alike—may go to learn more about the history of the city. Another is the Anti- Graffiti Campaign. Through the NSTP, the graffiti will be erased, and walls or signs repainted, usually on Saturdays and Sundays. These would help promote Social Involvement. We also have Anti- Pollution and Garbage Campaigns. There is a long list of plans.
4. What are the achievements you are most proud of as an SLU President and CICM Priest?
One is the Halfway Home for Boys. It is for street children who need care. Within one year, we look for their families and when we find them, we try to reconcile them. It is a very commendable project being overseen by Fr. Loy Costa. Another is the Louisian Child Care Center. It is a high impact project created in order to educate the children of employees and dependents. They can drop their children off before they head to work. Students who are on their OJTs may also work here. Third, is the Centennial Village Housing Project. As of now, Phase 1 has 100 finished houses, all ready for occupancy. Next year, we plan to finish Phases 2 and 3, also with 100 houses each. Last but not the least, is the Education itself. In 2005, there were only 22,000 enrollees, but as of now, there are 31,000. We also have foreign students and we are one of the Top 5 Universities with high board exam results. All these, of course, would not have been possible without the able and competent administrators of the different universities.
5. What are your frustrations concerning your work, and how do you cope with them?
Well, when I make plans and don’t achieve them, because there are certain limitations and obstacles, so I must mitigate, scale down, and be realistic about them. I’ve gone over my frustrations, but they are simply part of the daily routine and of life in general. My parents, especially my dad, a military man, trained me on that. We must learn to handle life and its frustrations. Children must be taught early on so that they will develop a high frustration tolerance.
6. What are your sacrifices in order to do your task as the SLU President and a CICM Priest?
There are a lot, actually. I wake up at 5:30, sleep at 12 AM, plan my day, try to accomplish my tasks. That is how I’ve learned to prioritize.
7. What are you most grateful about in becoming SLU’s president and CICM Priest?
I am grateful for life and opportunities. I am also grateful for the many able and competent administrators, deans and the faculty. Also to the Lay Missionaries Association because of the missionary work of the lay people. With there being less and less religious people, the vision of the lay people lets a religious life weigh a little bit more, so you can trust them to do jobs like that.
8. What do you think makes you different among all the previous presidents of SLU?
I am the first Filipino President, so I have the advantage of knowing the Filipino values, culture and personalities. I am easily attuned to their needs in terms of my relation and administration. I am more understanding especially to the needs of the Filipino employees, therefore projects are the products of my easy relations with them.
9. What inspired you to come up with the line “A Mission to Transform?”
The lives of the students and employees. It can be applied in the long run, through the students. If you don’t change people for the better, what is the use of education? What we must do is to transform ourselves, the students, and finally, the institution. The structures, physical environment—transformation is all, both physical and spiritual. So I say, a Louisian is someone with a mission to transform, because it will matter if, at the end, you’ve helped a lot of people transform.
10. What are your thoughts on the implementation of the K to 12 System?
It was a long way coming. It should have happened a long time ago. We are one of only two countries without 12 years of basic education and study. With this new system, there will also be new knowledge through research. It will definitely have an impact on the transformation of the city.
11. What do you think of the moving of classes from June to August?
The Philippines is slow in terms of globalization. It is good that we are moving the opening of the school year, so that students are free to study and work. When exchange students come, they are only limited, but when they do, they lose one semester because we are not in sync with them. It is good for this shift to go full blast, as we were chosen by the government to pilot this project. We can have more exchange students. In fact, I have talked to two Thai Presidents already. It’s about time, or else we would be on the losing end. Again, it is good that we are shifting from June to August, so that we can now jive with other universities.
a. Who were the people that influenced you?
I was influenced by the La Salle Brothers in Bacolod. I had 7 years joining CICM with the African church.
b. Experience in life?
As a child, being a priest was not in the plans. In college, I was inspired by a certain brother from La Salle. I travelled to different places in the Philippines, and I also went to Congo, Nigeria, and I spent 11 years in Cameroon for missions in remote areas with mountains and deep forests. It has changed me a lot and has made me more humble. Maybe when I retire, I will write and publish a book.
2. One of your greatest contributions is the SLU Centennial Village. We would like to know why among all the presidents, you are the only one who thought of this?
Employees can talk to me. I have daily encounters with them, and from these, I have learned that many of them have no homes, or places to call a home in Baguio. Some are renting and have no prospect of owning their own houses, so during SLU’s centennial year, we conducted a survey about what project to do next. The housing project was the answer of majority, so we decided to push through with it, because it gave houses for employees with no homes in Baguio City.
3. What are your plans for SLU related to Baguio for the next five years?
We were commissioned to help the city, by the Commission on Culture, to create a historical park in Baguio. Something like Botanical Garden, with concrete symbols. Unfortunately, it was not pushed through, although it is a very good project, because this is where people—students and families alike—may go to learn more about the history of the city. Another is the Anti- Graffiti Campaign. Through the NSTP, the graffiti will be erased, and walls or signs repainted, usually on Saturdays and Sundays. These would help promote Social Involvement. We also have Anti- Pollution and Garbage Campaigns. There is a long list of plans.
4. What are the achievements you are most proud of as an SLU President and CICM Priest?
One is the Halfway Home for Boys. It is for street children who need care. Within one year, we look for their families and when we find them, we try to reconcile them. It is a very commendable project being overseen by Fr. Loy Costa. Another is the Louisian Child Care Center. It is a high impact project created in order to educate the children of employees and dependents. They can drop their children off before they head to work. Students who are on their OJTs may also work here. Third, is the Centennial Village Housing Project. As of now, Phase 1 has 100 finished houses, all ready for occupancy. Next year, we plan to finish Phases 2 and 3, also with 100 houses each. Last but not the least, is the Education itself. In 2005, there were only 22,000 enrollees, but as of now, there are 31,000. We also have foreign students and we are one of the Top 5 Universities with high board exam results. All these, of course, would not have been possible without the able and competent administrators of the different universities.
5. What are your frustrations concerning your work, and how do you cope with them?
Well, when I make plans and don’t achieve them, because there are certain limitations and obstacles, so I must mitigate, scale down, and be realistic about them. I’ve gone over my frustrations, but they are simply part of the daily routine and of life in general. My parents, especially my dad, a military man, trained me on that. We must learn to handle life and its frustrations. Children must be taught early on so that they will develop a high frustration tolerance.
6. What are your sacrifices in order to do your task as the SLU President and a CICM Priest?
There are a lot, actually. I wake up at 5:30, sleep at 12 AM, plan my day, try to accomplish my tasks. That is how I’ve learned to prioritize.
7. What are you most grateful about in becoming SLU’s president and CICM Priest?
I am grateful for life and opportunities. I am also grateful for the many able and competent administrators, deans and the faculty. Also to the Lay Missionaries Association because of the missionary work of the lay people. With there being less and less religious people, the vision of the lay people lets a religious life weigh a little bit more, so you can trust them to do jobs like that.
8. What do you think makes you different among all the previous presidents of SLU?
I am the first Filipino President, so I have the advantage of knowing the Filipino values, culture and personalities. I am easily attuned to their needs in terms of my relation and administration. I am more understanding especially to the needs of the Filipino employees, therefore projects are the products of my easy relations with them.
9. What inspired you to come up with the line “A Mission to Transform?”
The lives of the students and employees. It can be applied in the long run, through the students. If you don’t change people for the better, what is the use of education? What we must do is to transform ourselves, the students, and finally, the institution. The structures, physical environment—transformation is all, both physical and spiritual. So I say, a Louisian is someone with a mission to transform, because it will matter if, at the end, you’ve helped a lot of people transform.
10. What are your thoughts on the implementation of the K to 12 System?
It was a long way coming. It should have happened a long time ago. We are one of only two countries without 12 years of basic education and study. With this new system, there will also be new knowledge through research. It will definitely have an impact on the transformation of the city.
11. What do you think of the moving of classes from June to August?
The Philippines is slow in terms of globalization. It is good that we are moving the opening of the school year, so that students are free to study and work. When exchange students come, they are only limited, but when they do, they lose one semester because we are not in sync with them. It is good for this shift to go full blast, as we were chosen by the government to pilot this project. We can have more exchange students. In fact, I have talked to two Thai Presidents already. It’s about time, or else we would be on the losing end. Again, it is good that we are shifting from June to August, so that we can now jive with other universities.
Transcribed by Gabrielle Gallardo