Institution of moral and academic excellence

Let me devote this column today to a very significant milestone of an educational institution that has taught and trained more than 400,000 global alumni who are now transforming and leading the communities in which they live as well as achieving excellence in the profession they have chosen to pursue. This institution is the oldest school in Quezon City which is celebrating its 85th Jubilee year since its foundation in 1932 by the Dutch Franciscan sisters. This is St. Joseph’s College (SJC), Quezon City, a leading institution of academic excellence and the Alma Mater of so many Filipinas who have become outstanding leaders for social transformation in the service of God and people. The incumbent school president now is Sister Teresita C. Babaran, SFIC.

SJC is one of the charter members of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) in 1957, along with 10 other private colleges and universities. In the ‘60s, the school led in the development of performing arts in the country, with its impressive 1,200 seating capacity auditorium better known as the “Mater Dei Auditorium” as venue for many critically acclaimed plays in the community. Today, the school continues its custom and tradition of social outreach by providing feeding programs, medical missions and free tuitions to deserving but indigent students.

As a major part of its celebration, the school and its loyal alumni from all over the world will have a program tomorrow starting 4 pm at its impressive audio visual room. The event will include testimonials from key stakeholders on the significance of SJC education and the role it has played in the community. It will also highlight the school’s 85 Jubilee years of accomplishments and the future plans to improve and expand its programs and facilities.

Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte will deliver the keynote address and share her thoughts on the value of a strong educational foundation for future careers. Congressman Bingbong Crisologo, another esteemed speaker, will feature the important role SJC has played in the community then and now.

Other speakers are some parents of the school’s alumni who will talk and share about the school’s enormous contribution in the education and rearing of their children, especially in becoming responsible and useful citizens of our country and in attaining success in their chosen profession. Some alumna have also been invited to speak particularly architect Stephanie Gilles, a leading practitioner of sustainable urban design, who will also share how SJC has prepared her to be successful in her field. She will also unveil the design of the new school façade which will be underwritten by donations raised by Jubilee 85 fundraising. Fr. Mon Eloriaga, the parish, priest of the neighboring St. Joseph Shrine will do the prayer invocation and lend his support for future fund raising drives.

Entertainment will be provided by Batch 80 alumna, singer and visual artist Iwi Laurel, daughter of the late Vice President of the Philippines, Salvador Laurel. She and her sibling, deceased Stella Laurel, were SJC high school graduates. Other forthcoming event is the elegant fashion show to generate funds for refurbishing the Mater Dei Auditorium.

Following the testimonials and entertainment will be the presentation of the checks totaling P500,000 donated by Batches 1974, 1979 and 1980. Cynthia Ragil-Paras, finance and compliance expert, will present the checks whose generous donors include graduates from all over the world.

Sister Immaculee Pagalilauan, alumni office coordinator expressed her gratitude for “all the hard work of our alumni in marshalling the efforts of our Josephines near and far to bring about a renewed commitment to the school. This is alumni in action – alive, functioning, and meaningful. Your help will ensure the continued legacy of our school so that future generations may also benefit from the education and tradition you have experienced.”

SJC has a special place in my heart and in my wife Josie’s heart mainly because it is the school which provided training, education and discipline to our daughter, from grade school to high school. She was our only daughter and the first of six children. When she came into this world some 54 years ago, she was such a bundle of joy so we named her Joyce. She had indeed spread a lot of joy in the family through all the years of her life, getting along so well with her five kid brothers in a predominantly masculine home of rough and tumble ambience. Even as a young girl, she took on the role of being the eldest sibling, with aplomb and grace, assuming responsibility as the typical “Ate,” caring for her much younger siblings.  

Outside the family she was the same affable, accommodating, generous, caring and sharing Joyce, so active and full of life. Mementos of her years in SJC are full of her classmates’ reminiscences about the fun and the joy they had with her and the lasting friendships developed during their unforgettable times of togetherness. Among her batch mates in Class ’80 were Angela Achacoso-Bolinas, Remedios Tejada-Baylon, Nannete Castelo-Crisol, Marie-Gracie Ylan-Walker, Cindy Adams and Cynthia Ragil Paras.

Even though Joyce was called to the service of the Lord when she joined the Opus Dei at the age of 18 years after her schooling in SJC, she never failed to get in touch with us. Through all the years, she made her presence felt by her prayers for us in the family. My wife Josie considered her as our one woman “prayer department” whom we always asked to pray for us in good times or in bad. And our “prayer department” has gone to a place closer to God where she could be better heard.

We therefore owe a lot and express our thanks to SJC for helping us in rearing and educating our daughter Joyce.

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