"After retirement, we will move on and have a life beyond XU, but just like the alumni, we will, in our own little ways, contribute to keep the fire of the spirit that ignites XU to serve burning in us ever so warmly. We will be here as reservists to uphold the advocacies and values of Xavier University. We will keep close together to continue our bonds as retirees; we will continue celebrating our milestones together, outside the campus now, but we do hope that we can still look forward to being welcomed to share in the milestones of the university that we served during our prime."
Front row: (l-r) VP for administration Edison Sasoy, VP for mission and ministry Irene Guitarte, College of Nursing dean Dr Ramona Heide Palad, Xavier Ateneo president Fr Roberto Yap SJ, VP for basic education Dr Dulce Dawang, human resources director Sol Amir, and VP for social development Roel Ravanera. Back row: Retirees (l-r) Rey Mante of the Graduate School and College of Agriculture, Lyrna Calida of the Office of the President, Epifania Chaves of the Grade School, Dr Virgie Lourdes Yacapin of the School of Business and Management, Dr Bernadette Tismo of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Floro Ngalot of the Physical Plant Office. Photo by Rico Magallona.
Response on Behalf of the Retirees
24th University Service Awards
February 1, 2017 || XU Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Dr Virginia Lourdes Cid-Yacapin
Jesuit Fathers, esteemed administrators, dearest colleagues and friends, good afternoon.
When one has worked with and for the Jesuits for more than 40 years, one adapts to the manner of thinking like a Jesuit — always distilling significant experiences and insights into 3 points.
I asked my fellow retirees what they want me to say in this response. I shall summarize our thoughts and feelings into 3 points:
1) What are the 3 things that we are most thankful for about our life’s journey at XU?
2) What are the 3 things about XU that we will miss the most upon retirement? and
3) What 3 things do we pray for the future of XU?
First point, what are the 3 things we are most thankful for about our life’s journey at XU?
1) We are thankful for the nurturing, non-threatening work environment that made us experience excellence while feeling most at home. This is what made us stay. The shortest length of service among us is 15 years, the longest is 41 years. We belonged to that generation to whom corporate loyalty was a premium quality of an employee. Thus, while some may now consider XU as a jumping board because they are just passing by, we considered XU our home and ultimate destination. Having found XU to be the most suitable workplace, we gave her our strongest corporate loyalty and our most useful and productive years.
2) We are thankful for the Jesuit formation that came with our employment. The annual retreats and various opportunities to deepen our faith were very meaningful to us. These made us better persons, better workers, and better citizens. On a personal note, the best thing that ever happened to me was going through the 19th annotation. I was patiently guided by Fr Balchand through learning how to pray, how to go through a general confession, and how to discern. After that milestone experience, the First Principle and Foundation defined my day to day engagements. The CERAE (Context, Experience, Reflection, Action and Evaluation from the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm) evolved from being just a classroom procedure to a way of learning and thinking. I believe that the CERAE is the most significant aspect of XU’s academic culture. If there is anything that makes the quality of instruction at XU distinct, it is the CERAE. This explains why, while serving as Dean of the School of Business and Management, I always made the First Principle and Foundation and the CERAE as the main agenda of the first faculty meeting every year for seven years. Going back to us, the retirees, our loyalty to XU is strengthened by our belief in the First Principle and Foundation of St Ignatius of Loyola. I always tell my circle of friends, and I share this with everyone now, that if we do not go through the 19th annotation at least once in our life at XU, we are shortchanging ourselves.
3) We are thankful for the advocacies of XU that have made us proud that we belong here. Perhaps, the best moment was when XU took the stand to actively contribute to the rehabilitation of the victims of Typhoon Sendong. The construction of Xavier Ecoville and the creation of its community is unsurpassed by any of the attempts anywhere nationally to rehabilitate disaster victims. Well, we can say that such is our very biased opinion, but really, everything pales in comparison to what our XU has done to disaster victims. It continues to be our great moment of pride that our academic community has a compassionate vision and humanitarian mission.
Second, what are the 3 things about XU that we will miss the most upon retirement?
1) First, the beautiful campus, especially the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the center of it. It has become our habit that each time we enter or leave the campus, we come to the Church for a quick visit. Coming to daily or weekday Masses is very convenient because of this Church inside the campus.
2) Second, the Library. There’s nothing that compares with the libraries of our Grade School, High School, College, Graduate and Professional Schools anywhere in the country that we’ve been to. With all her databases available, we don’t have to go to the Library to use it. How do you beat that? On a personal note, if ever I will so wish to have a continuing engagement with the university, it is because I still want to use the Library.
3) Third, we will miss our friends. Lyrna Calida of the Office of the President (fellow retiree) says she will miss the tambelles, Fr Bobby and Dodo. Rey Mante says he will miss the people. But it shall be only a matter of time and they too will all go just as we are going now. We will miss them and also the places of hangout — the canteen with the lutong-bahay menu, the gym and covered courts where we had physical fitness activities, our respective offices that was the setting of agonies and ecstasies, the trees that made our outdoor Masses very romantic….
Third, what 3 things do we pray for the future of XU?
1) First, we pray for more vocations so that we will again see more Jesuits in the classrooms rather than just in the offices so that they can continue to be of real influence in the formation of our students. We need them to set the tone of the academic culture of Xavier University. The older alumni have fond memories of Jesuit fathers wearing their white soutane as their teachers, friends and disciplinarians. This is why the Fr Iggy mascot is such a big hit with them; but the younger alumni might need some struggle yet to relate with the Fr Iggy image. It is a vanishing image but it is never too late to revive a very good thing.
2) Second, we pray that XU will continue to get students, faculty members, formators, and staff who will LOVE Xavier. We pray that this academic community will continue to have members who will appreciate the gifts, values, and goodwill of the university. We also pray that the faculty, formators, and staff will recognize that because there are fewer Jesuit fathers in the campus now, there is a stronger need for them to be real partners in this apostolic work.
3) Finally, we pray for industrial harmony and peace. Organizations evolve over time; but no matter, we pray that XU will remain to be an academic community that is really a family.
We wind up with a commitment: like the alumni, we, the retirees, commit to a life-long engagement with our dear university.
After retirement, we will move on and have a life beyond XU, but just like the alumni, we will, in our own little ways, contribute to keep the fire of the spirit that ignites XU to serve burning in us ever so warmly. We will be here as reservists to uphold the advocacies and values of Xavier University. We will keep close together to continue our bonds as retirees; we will continue celebrating our milestones together, outside the campus now, but we do hope that we can still look forward to being welcomed to share in the milestones of the university that we served during our prime.
Oblige me to say a brief note about myself. Last year, I received my service award for 40 years of service. Those years gave us 5 presidents, 3 updates of our Mission and Vision, the expansion of the university from 2 campuses to 5, the expansion of the tertiary level from 6 colleges to 11, the attainment of the highest levels of accreditation by some of our units. It was the best time to be in XU. Like my fellow retirees, I humbly profess that I served to the best that my person can deliver. But no one has a monopoly of talents. So now, we give way…. The 40 years took a toll on my energy, especially my voice, and gave lots of stress. I am very grateful to my family for putting up with me during many stressful moments. Now, as I move on, I wish to start to quiet down by doing the Camino de Santiago. Please pray for me so that I can do this successfully.
Thank you, Jesuit fathers, for giving us this wonderful place to work. Thank you, dearest colleagues, for the gifts of your company and friendship. We will forever value and hold dear the memories of our best years with XU.∎