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Ceremonial Inauguration of the BiPSU & Investiture of its 1st President, Dr. Victor C. Canezo, Jr.
August 28, 2019 | BiPSU Gymnasium
Weaving the Future of BiPSU: Moving Forward!
(Long list of greetings)
Ladies and gentlemen, it is with GREAT humility, STRONG commitment, and BURNING passion that I ACCEPT the presidency of the Biliran Province State University.
It was back in 2017 that I was first given the challenge of becoming the caretaker of this university, though not yet full-fledged at that time. Looking back, I realize the significance of two values, which I consider nuggets of wisdom and which I feel I have to share with you today. These are gratitude and learning.
ON GRATITUDE
The progress of the university is owed to its people. The faculty, the employees, the students, and even the community who have extended their assistance to the institution’s plans and programs especially to Hon. Rogelio J. Espina, former Congressman, now Governor of the Province of Biliran, and the principal author of Republic Act 11170, an ACT renaming Naval State University to Biliran Province State University. Likewise, to the former and the present members of the Board of Regents headed by then Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III, now Commissioner Aldrin A. Darilag. The university would not have become what it is today, without you. You are the lifeblood of this university.
ON LEARNING
This university has been surviving the test of time since 1946, when we started as a secondary institution. True, we have almost been put down by a number of challenges, big and small, but we have emerged victorious every time, bringing with us lessons as our battle scars. THERE IS NO DEFEAT IN LEARNING.
Today, we face an exciting and challenging time as we are in the midst of a dawning of a new era in higher education. The commitment of my administration is this: BIPSU WILL NOT BE LEFT BEHIND.
“What are the marks of a successful presidency? How will I shepherd this university?” I am sure these are the very questions that are in your minds. My response is it’s when the stakeholders can proudly and loudly say WOW BiPSU!
But the next question is, how? In order to achieve this, we have crafted our new vision and mission and the strategic direction dubbed as the WOW BiPSU or WEAVE OF WORTHINESS for Biliran Province State University.
The notion of weaving, which is the central theme of this development plan, is an inspiration from my mother, Mrs. Lolita Catigbe Cañezo, who is a mat weaver and the first person who taught me the intricate yet creative art and beauty of weaving. Weaving mats was my mother’s source of income and livelihood, with my father working as a farmer by dawn and a fisherman by dusk. It is more than just an art of creating a handicraft or a beautiful masterpiece out of raw materials. Seeing my “Nanay” do this craft almost every day, I understood its intricate and sacrificial nature, from carefully choosing and meticulously preparing the materials, to tediously processing and arranging the multi-colored strips of raw materials.
I truly understood that for every piece of woven mat, my siblings and I would no longer go to school with empty stomachs and that we would survive in the next few days. For me, weaving symbolizes the knitting of our hopes and dreams for our family. Without weaving, all there would be are strands of raw materials, which do not achieve any practical purpose by themselves. It requires sustained efforts, sheer focus, and strategic planning. In order to achieve something for the university and create a masterpiece marked by excellence and quality, we should start weaving our goals, plans, and programs. As the university transitions and embarks on a new chapter of its history, it also transcends from the previous banner program of this administration, the NSU is YOU! to the WoW BiPSU! “Transcend” because the NSU is YOU! Program is still there in the very core of this university. But we have moved to a higher purpose, thus, coming up with a new and comprehensive development plan. If NSU is YOU evoked the concept of family, claiming that the school was an integrated and holistic unit, the WoW BiPSU carries with it the pride of what the university has achieved and will still achieve.
The interjection WoW, which can be spelled out as Weave of Worthiness, specifically sends a social gospel that a university serves as the thread of support for human empowerment and societal development. The WoW BiPSU echoes the goals of the different global trends and standards such as the ASEAN Integration schemes, Global Innovation Index, and the internationalization efforts of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the collective long-term vision and aspirations of the Filipinos through the AmBisyon Natin 2040 by ensuring “Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Buhay” and moving the education arena toward the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
These weaves cover the four-fold functions of the university, namely research, instruction, production, and extension.
As we envision to become a university leading in research and innovation, we look forward to establishing industry-responsive research and development programs and initiate research-based activities attuned with the Harmonized National R&D Agenda (2017–2022) and the development plans of Biliran Province and Eastern Visayas. Years from now, we envision to establish more research centers; to exponentially increase our students and faculty research outputs, both completed, published, and externally-funded; to produce more utility models and even patents registered under the Intellectual Property of the Philippines; and to commercialize our research outputs. We also aim to have a journal database and to increase the engagement of both faculty and students in research-based activities; and to sustain the international category accreditation of its peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Science and Technology (JST) as accredited by CHED, under the Asian Citation Index (ACI).
In terms of instruction, the university targets to develop a culture of competence and innovation among students, faculty, and staff who are responsive to the needs of the industry. Likewise, the students or the graduates can start-up self-employment or enterprises, and be scientifically-educable, technologically-trainable, and socially-responsible in their chosen field. In doing so, the university will be recognized as SUC Level IV, Institutional Sustainability Assessment (ISA) Certified, AACCUP Institutional Level Accredited, and have at least 2 programs accredited as Center of Development (COD) and sustain the ISO 9001:2015 Institutional Certification.
As a response toward internationalization in the academe, the university will continue to strengthen and expand its partnership with international industries and universities for cross-border student-faculty mobility, internships, and exchange programs. We intend to establish English Language and Korean Institute to achieve Internationalization Development Level I status by CHED.
I believe that the success of our students tantamounts to a well-woven mat that is in demand in the market, and so our graduates— the BiPSUnistas is in demand in the work force. Hence, this administration pledges to inculcate in them the core values of the university— BRILLIANCE, INNOVATION, PROGRESS, SERVICE, AND UNITY. Moreover, equally important for their great contribution to the university, we also recognize the role of our alumni as this administration is serious by fully reviving the link between the alumni and the university. I challenge the alumni of this University that finally after a decade, you could send a representative to sit in the Board. Likewise, I envision to strengthen the graduates’ tracer study, and particularly reach out to the alumni who are now residing abroad. As such, we may establish an active BiPSU Alumni Association-USA Chapter and in other parts of the world, where they are situated.
Recognizing its greatest resource, we are determined to hire competent human capital; implement comprehensive capability building workshops for our faculty and employees; intensify the performance management system through improved human resource; and fully transform the culture of excellence through gratifying rewards and recognition. This is true to our milestone of being awarded by the Civil Service Commission in the Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM) Maturity Level II and aiming for the Level III.
Apparent to being a landmark of a progressive university, we are committed to crafting a Land Use and Development Infrastructure Program (LUDIP), which promotes a well-planned, efficient, and functional infra and IT development, an industry-engaged production, and infrastructure projects such as the completion of Technology Building, Student Center, and the construction of Nursing and Health and Sciences Building, Automotive and Garage Building, and the Administration Building. Moreover, the new BiPSU façade, which symbolizes the gateway of towering accomplishments and embodies our strong desire for an e-BiPSU, in a turnstile features an automated system providing students, faculty, and employees access to relevant information and services such as viewing of grades, bills, and the human resource information system.
In our external campus in Biliran, which is an agricultural college, we look forward to provide facilities and laboratories that will strengthen the four core functions such as the rehabilitation of the fish pond through a research grant by the Department of Agriculture, the establishment of the Center for Turmeric or Ginger Resource Management for Enhanced Research Innovation and Conservation by the DOST- NICER Program, the construction of the Research and Academic Building, and the establishments of the Vegetable Production Area, Tropical Greenhouses, Forest Nursery Area, Feed Mill, Piggery, and Waste Treatment Ponds. Further, we also look forward of making Biliran campus a land investment area for Agri-forestry Economic Zone and Agro-industrial Economic Zone.
Through research-based extension activities, we seek to promote stronger university-industry and demand-driven community linkages for Biliran and neighboring localities within the Eastern Visayas region focusing on the promotion and the transfer of technologies and innovations to the target beneficiaries for the improvement of their quality of life.
From fibers and threads to colors and prints, the WoW BiPSU weaves its vision into a state university leading in research and innovation for human empowerment and societal development. Years will pass, and this intricate art of weaving tempered with the concerted efforts of the BiPSU family espoused with the support of its stakeholders will surely lead to realization. And most specially, this will be crystalized by a leader who has sheer passion and untainted commitment in working with his people. Thus, I would like to underscore this realistic quotation that says, “Being a real leader doesn’t mean you’re the one who knows how to do it all. It means you’re the one who knows how to get it done, which always means working together with the talents and skills of others.”
It is my sincere prayer that the same support that the BiPSU family gave to the NSU is YOU program will also be accorded to the WoW BiPSU.
Time and time again, I emphasize the VICTOR’S FORMULA OF SUCCESS. This formula can be applied regardless of your role in the workplace. Victor’s Formula of Success Victory = Competence+Character+Connectivity / Significance
Competence is the ability to do, Character refers to one’s attitude, and Connectivity refers to the network of significant people you meet. Competence coupled with the right character toward work and how you deal with people and expand your network will surely make you a real VICTOR. More than that, I personally believe that one’s victory is also determined by the number of lives you have touched and transformed and that is the real test of significance.
Together, let us continue making a difference in the lives of others. With this administration’s clear vision and strategic direction, I am looking forward to working with you in the next days, weeks, months, and years of my administration. It is also my fervent prayer to God, as I quote Psalm 25:4–5, “Show me Your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
Again, for the greater glory of God and for the good of humanity, let’s start weaving for worthiness of Biliran Province State University and together, we say, WoW BiPSU!
