Archives: Reflections

Thank you and good afternoon. I’d like to start by saying that I’m usually in the audience, listening to the speaker, and not the other way around. But today, it is a delightful surprise to find myself here, sharing this moment with you. To the senior students of my alma matter, the College of Arts and Sciences of Silliman University, to our dean and Interim Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon, to our pastor, to the professors, staff, and especially to the parents and guardians—congratulations. Today, we’re here to celebrate you.

Have you ever wondered that the way we describe changes in the landscape of
education includes descriptions such as “rapidly changing,” “sea-change,”
“headwinds”? All these denote that the situation is upon us, encroaching on
us, suggesting speedy appropriate response, or else we will be gobbled up,
immobilized and we will face catastrophic consequences. They remind us that
something must be done.

On occasions such as these, when we celebrate the founding anniversary of Silliman University, we are always…

I thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity to attend the 50 th year of SUMMC and to
meet all of you here today. Good morning, “Maayong Buntag sa tanan”!

Keynote message of Silliman University President Betty Cernol McCann, PhD during the EDUtech Philippines 2022 virtual education festival, February 17, 2022

Our Christian tradition has ingrained in us the belief that one cannot hope without faith

“may the faith and truth she gave us, be our guiding star.”

… we could survive any hellish heaps of burning malice, nastiness, venom, cruelty, and viciousness because Christ – the God with us – would be with us in the blaze.

We first need to die to ourselves so that Christ can live within us.

“… if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

“We need to finish what we start.”

“God will ways give us opportunities of #servicepamore”

Zero Waste is a goal that requires changes in lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles.

I want to understand why among the 12 disciples, it was only peter who decided to step out from the boat.

In this trying time in our society’s life, please focus on ways to overcome our regional divisions, and help heal our environment, and practice the Christian tenets of kindness and compassion.

In 2015, the most asked question on Google was: “What is zero divided by zero?”

Pride will result to disgrace or humiliation while humility would result to wisdom.

On this the consecration service, I deem it appropriate to take a Presbyterian oath of old, and make a plea for us all “To serve with energy, intelligence, imagination and love…”

For all of us, it is important to remember that ‘the price of greatness is responsibility.’

But in the midst of their fear, “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’”

Thank you for the opportunity to serve Silliman with you. 

Throughout the generations, we have dealt with Dreamers. Perhaps, not with Joseph’s Divine inspirations, but movers and shakers, none the less, who play a vital role in shaping our present world.

Whatever it is that you may venture into in life — a professional career, a vocation, business or innovation — and in whatever form success and fulfillment will present itself to you, we trust that you remain that person of competence, character and faith. 

That is why, we all can say that having a common ancestor in Noah, we are all brothers and sisters, regardless of who we are, or where we come from, or the color of our skin, or whatever we profess, whatever is our set of beliefs and traditions.

That feeling of fulfillment and exultation must also be felt by those who have helped you to become what you are now.

Where do we find Jesus in our daily struggle in coming safely to school and in going home fulfilled and satisfied after having learned essential ideas and relevant skills in our interactions with teachers and classmates?

Silliman University, as a matter of policy, continues to prudently provide for its personnel by not only affording competitive salaries and benefits but by also securing the long-term sustainability of these economic provisions. 

Existential therapy starts with the belief that although humans are essentially alone in the world, they long to be connected to others. People want to have meaning in one another’s lives, but ultimately they must come to realize that they cannot depend on others for validation, and with that realization they finally acknowledge and understand that they are fundamentally alone (Yalom, 1980)

Most people however, and a lot of them are Christians, still do not quite know how to participate in what God is doing in history and thus they just remain passive. They would just say: it is too big an issue for me, let me just pray, watch and wait.

Prayer is supposed to be our direct line of communication to the Father, and prayer is in fact very powerful.

So what makes a successful call center agent. If you ask me, here are three things which will make you stand out. The right attitude, having initiative and giving the personal touch.

In life, adversity, trials, challenges never ends. How do we respond? Do we seek out to the one who is faithful whose love never ends?

In this model of teaching-learning, knowledge work on campus is not only assured of continuous improvement  but also of demonstrating accountability. 

Hong Kong is one Four Asian Tigers. Its economy is among the world’s strongest and its market, ranked the world’s freest. With no debt, its foreign reserves run around US$370 billion, making it undeniably one of the region’s most robust. But this rosy picture of economic growth…

Opening remarks delivered during the lecture series themed “Reminiscing Silliman University and the Ill Effects of Drugs and New Psychoactive Drugs”, held August 25, 2017 at the Science Complex.

It always brings us joy to see old friends, be reunited with classmates and teachers after being away for years, and relive memories that feel fresh whenever we are back on campus.

For today, being thanksgiving even as it is also first Advent Sunday, I was requested by the worship committee to share my own kind of testimony that has made thanksgiving a very meaningful event for me.

Society, as we know it, today, is a complex web of values, and realities. The challenges before our children are most definitely not the same ones that we faced in our childhood. Before the Ipad, and the Internet, the world was much simpler. Before, when we were bored, all we had to do was go out and play with the kids outside. We did not mind the heat or the dust, we played. It was fun!