Muslim Employees Celebrate Feast of Sacrifice in MSU-IIT

Muslim Employees Celebrate Feast of Sacrifice in MSU-IIT

by Michelle Jeanne Caracut, OC/OPI

MUSLIM employees of the MSU-IIT gathered at the Institute Boardroom on August 13 to observe Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, the second most important Muslim holiday after Ramadan.

The Association of MSU-IIT Muslim Employees (AMMEI), which organized the activity, celebrated the Eid al-Adha with prayers and a feast that featured MSU-IIT officials and non-Muslim employees as guests.

It is customary during Eid al-Adha to share the celebratory feast with others to highlight the value of charity, as well as the act of giving up something valuable for something more important and of a higher purpose. 

In his message given at the Institute Boardroom, Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol said that the implication of the sacrifice and the deeper message of God is that “we should all be willing to sacrifice ourselves, not only for Allah, but in our practical worldly affairs for the greater good.”

Tanggol also emphasized the values of self-sacrifice, obligation to Allah and to one’s fellow, obedience to good leaders, patience, and the attitude to listen are traits a good Muslim should have.

Eid al-Adha is recognized as a holiday under Philippine law, specifically Art.169 of Presidential Decree No. 1083 or the Code of Muslim Personal Laws.

Eid al-Adha is generally observed on the 10th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah (for this year it’s August 11). Its celebration usually lasts for three days. 

According to Atty. Yaslani B. Bantuas, member of the Board of Trustees of AMMEI and Administrative Officer at the Office of the Chancellor, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha in commemoration of the story in the Quran of Allah appearing to Ibrahim — also known as Abraham — in a dream and commanding him to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience.

Muslims believe that as Ibrahim was about to sacrifice Ismael, Allah stopped him and gave him an animal (a sheep or ram) in place of his son. A version of this story also appears in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament.

“Like Eid al-Fitr, Muslims begin the celebration by offering prayers, followed by a sermon. The prayers are followed by the act of sacrificing animals that can be carried out till the sunset of the third day of Eid, “ Bantuas said during the Institute flag-raising ceremony.

“The meat from the animals is divided into three portions, given to the family, relatives and neighbors, and to the poor and needy,” Bantuas continued.

Bantuas further explained that the sacrifice started a legacy among Muslims. 

“When Allah told Ibrahim that he was going to be made the leader over humanity, the latter asked that they be given a messenger that would fulfill the legacy of prophet-hood,” he said.

“And the fulfillment of that prayer is the coming of the prophet Mohammad who completes his mission, performs the Hajj, and sacrifices the animal,” Bantuas said.

According to Bantuas, what is celebrated during Eid al-Adha “is actually Allah answering the prayer of Ibrahim.”  

Latest innovations to be unveiled in the Institute’s Innovation Convergence Celebration

Latest innovations to be unveiled in the Institute’s Innovation Convergence Celebration

by Michelle Jeanne Caracut, OC

EVERY AUGUST, the Institute, together with the different agencies and offices in Iligan City, celebrate the Innovation Convergence Month. 

 On its 5th year, this celebration, which will be held in the campus, will have the theme Sustaining Innovation through Convergence in Industry 4.0.

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension (OVCRE) of the Institute has planned activities in August that will develop closer ties and increase further cooperation among collaborators. 

Activities lined up for the celebration include Tech Round Table Discussion; Networking Session and 2nd Incubation Bootcamp; Industry Lecture Design For Manufacturing; and the Grand Hackathon (an on-going activity that started on July 22).

To be updated with the latest global ICT trends, a lecture series will be organized by the College of Computer Studies (CCS) and  ICT exhibits will be on display at the CCS building. 

Scheduled on August 20, 2019 is a forum on Research Ethics and Intellectual Property to be held at the  College of Engineering and Technology Amphitheater. Invited speakers for this forum are Dr. Napoleon Juanillo, Jr. of the Institute for Research and Innovation, Scholarship (IRIS) in Makati City, and Dr. Jonathan Salvacion of MAPUA University, Manila.

One of the highlights of the celebration is the Innovation Convergence Forum on August 19, 2019 where invited speakers from the Department of Trade and Industry, the Business Development Group United Laboratories, Inc., and the Holy Angel University will discuss innovations and collaborations from the perspective of the LGU/government, the industry, and the academe sectors, respectively.

Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol participates as resource speaker and will talk on the Public HEI’s Perspective on Innovation and Convergence in Industry 4.0.

With the presence of private and public sectors at the forum, more opportunities for industry and government collaboration and knowledge and research partnerships can be generated.

MSU-IIT’s 51st Charter Anniversary Celebration Opens Today

MSU-IIT’s 51st Charter Anniversary Celebration Opens Today

by Michelle Jeanne C. Caracut, OC

MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (IIT) opened today its weeklong activities in celebration of its 51st Charter Anniversary.

Acting College of Education (CED) Dean Amelia T. Buan welcomed everyone during the CED-hosted Charter Week opening program that was held in the morning at the Institute Gymnasium.

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Institute Officer-in-Charge Franco G.Teves opened the celebration on behalf of Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol who is on official travel.

Teves, in his message, said that the Institute has achieved so many things since 1968. And the recent achievement was for MSU-IIT to have made it in the ranks of top universities in Asia recognized by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

He told the faculty and staff members in attendance that for the Institute to achieve its goal to be a world class university, perhaps it should consider the three things that the famous Moroccan education economist, Jamil Salmi, identified as the key factors for achieving such a status: concentration of talents, good governance, and abundant resources.

According to Teves, MSU-IIT has an over supply of talents and he hopes that the students, faculty and staff members “do not compete negatively but to help one another, to grow, and develop further.”

He also stressed that good governance is not only the function of the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellors but also of everyone in the administration. “How do we govern is very important,” Teves emphasized.

Teves further mentioned that the Institute does not have as much resources as other universities in the country. But he said he was proud at how the Institute, despite its meager resources, was able to achieve a lot over the years.

He also reminded everyone to keep in mind the Institute’s core values, and some government rules, particularly the code of ethics for government employees, the anti-sexual harassment law, and the data privacy act. He pointed out that not only the intellect but also one’s behavior matters when government employees perform their tasks.

He encouraged everyone to work for the betterment of MSU-IIT, particularly to make the Institute a conducive learning space for all. He cited that there is a need to recognize drivers of satisfaction, and proposes that the Institute should have research studies conducted on the satisfaction levels of the Institute’s stakeholders.

The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs further pointed out the inclusion of both IQ and EQ criteria for accepting employees and students, and that the only authority to hire and fire belongs to the Chancellor. He encouraged everyone to give feedback to improve management practices and make MSU-IIT a happy work environment.

 After the opening program at the gymnasium, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the MSU-IIT Park for the Charter Day Tabo, an event organized by the Technology Application and Promotion Unit of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension.

For the schedule of the Charter Day activities, follow this link:

(https://www.facebook.com/MSUIITPH/photos/pcb.10156904226183506/10156904222538506/?type=3&theater).

CED celebrates 33 years

CED celebrates 33 years

by J-Roel Semilla

On January 22, the College of Education celebrates 33 years of serving the students and its surrounding community.

Established in 1985, the College of Education is CHED Center of Excellence in Teacher Education.

Faculty and staff, together with the students, gather in the IDS multipurpose hall to mark the start of a week-long celebration. It begins with the v

iewing of a video montage showing the several milestones the college has reached in its 33rd year. CED has been accredited Level 4 for all its Secondary Education programs, and Level 3 for all Elementary Education programs by AACCUP (Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines). The college is also recognized as the 3rd Performing School in Elementary Level in the Philippines. It also produces 3 top-notchers in the September 2017 Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

With all these achievements, the guest speaker, Mr. Jerry F. Crausus, Assistant Chief Bureau of Curriculum Development – Dep. Ed. Central Office, reminds everyone not to be overwhelmed by such feat. “We should always know our purpose in teaching and in life”, he stresses.

The celebration culminates with an evening social in January 26, 2018 at MSU-IIT gymnasium where awardees in formal wear receive certificates of recognition. They are composed of distinguished students and faculty who presented research papers in international conferences, published in refereed journals and also those who won in national competitions.

IPAG celebrates 40!

IPAG celebrates 40!

by contributed news

The Institute’s Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG), recognized as the country’s most travelled repertory company, launched its 40th Season with a concert dubbed IPAG Jamming.

IPAG was established in August 1978 by Steven P.C. Fernandez and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa. Under the helm of Vice President Manaros Boransing, the MSU-IIT provided the opportunities for its surge as a major university. The programs included the development of a robust arts and culture presence, an environment that consequently nurtured what was to grow into the IIT’s dominating presence in Philippine Letters today. Programs were under the jurisdiction of the Cultural Development Office, then a section of the Department of Student Affairs.

Ushering in the Ruby Anniversary of Southern Philippines most notable performing company, the concert featured musical numbers from IPAG productions. Featured too were the Octava Choral Society (Director: Ernesto Zaldua), the Institute’s resident choral group, and Echoes Band (lead: Wawa Maglinte).

In its repertoire of the last four decades are some fifty full-feature productions that have reached over a million audiences in over a hundred performances in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and U.S. Mainland. IPAG has extensively toured the country, its works receiving wide acclaim through published reviews, features in anthologies including the CCP Encyclopedia of the Arts and the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater, and major awards like the CCP Pilak, Palanca, and its most recent — the UMPIL Pedro Bucaneg.

Its pioneering organizers include Ricardo Jorge S. Caluen (Associate Artistic Director), Juliet F. Malit (Resident Choreographer), Rafael Mijares (Production Manager), Nenita Cristobal-Eya, Denis Orellana, Santos Perocho, Jr., James Tevar, and Zayda O. Macarambon who headed the cultural office.

A line-up of productions, road shows, and workshops highlight the 40th Season.

Topics : IPAG  Ruby celebration  40 years