by Rex Godinez Ortega, OC
AMONG the employees whose years of service are recognized during MSU-IIT’s 51st Charter Anniversary Celebration held at the Gymnasium today (July 12) is staff member Avelino R. Ruben who puts in 45 years of his life for the Institute transporting vouchers and other documents from one office to another.
Ruben, who holds the rank of Administrative Aide III, joins 144 other employees composed of faculty and staff members who are honored as the Institute’s Service Awardees.
“I am very thankful to MSU-IIT for all it has done for me,” says Ruben who makes history by being the very first employee of the Institute to receive the Sapphire Award for 45 years of service.
The Sapphire Award becomes the eighth category of the MSU-IIT Service Awards, an award ceremony that the Institute holds every Charter Day, and which honors employees with 10 years or more of service.
The Service Awards also underscores the Institute’s commitment to recognizing loyalty and hard work of employees.
The Pamana Award, the recognition for employees who retire, is given to 33 recent retirees, which included former Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, Prof. David N. Almarez; former MSUS Regent and head of the Security and Investigation Division, Mr. Eduardito C. Maruhom; and former Registrar, Prof. Esmar N. Sedurifa.
The Posthumous Awards for deceased employees Eugene Leonides Legaspi and Renny Rose A. Avanzado are received by their family members.
City Councilor Lamberto “Macky” Macapagal, Jr. keynotes the anniversary celebration where he stresses on the “outstanding partnership” between the Local Government of Iligan and the Institute that he refers to as the “breeding ground” of excellent professionals in Mindanao.
“Our engagement in the fields of job creation, disaster management, tourism, and many others is a testament to our common aspiration to attain a developed and progressive Iligan City,” Macapagal adds.
Macapagal, who attends the event as an ordinary guest, is suddenly thrust into the limelight as the appointed representative of guest speaker, Mayor Celso G. Regencia, does not arrive.
Regencia sends word a week before that he would be represented by Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz because he has pressing matters to attend to in Manila on July 12.
MSU System President Habib W. Macaayong’s representative Dr. Cesar Dela Sena delivers his inspirational message that many in the audience praised.
Dela Sena is MSU-Marawi’s Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension.
“You have requested us to give you an inspirational message on this occasion. I say, we in the main campus in Marawi should be drawing inspiration from MSU-IIT,” reads Dela Sena from Macaayong’s message.
“We are very proud of, and inspired and challenged by, this campus’ advances and conquests on all fronts: academic, culture, extension or community work, and research,” Macaaayong’s message continues.
The President’s message also touches on the previous attempts to separate MSU-IIT from the MSU System, and attributes their failure to the relationship of the two campuses, which it describes to be “a union of true minds.”
Another union that is highlighted during the Charter Anniversary program is the one between MSU-IIT and the various agencies and organizations within its surrounding community.
Prof. Feliciano B. Alagao, Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development and the Institute Officer-in-Charge, confidently tells the guests from Iligan’s local government, industries, and businesses present at the Institute Gymnasium that the state of their union with MSU-IIT “remains strong”.
Alagao, who delivers the welcome address for Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol who is away on official business in Singapore, then leads the whole Institute in showing appreciation to the Service Awardees.
According to Alagao, the awardees, including retirees, “labored and toiled through the years to help get us to where we are now.”
The 51st Charter Anniversary celebration is capped by an Afternoon Social that showcases the different musical and artistic talents of Institute employees, as well as a song and dance contest among the different cost center clusters.
Topics : Charter Day MSU-IIT