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Seminar Room Inauguration

by Danny J. Piano

The Seminar Room, presently undergoing its finishing touches will be inaugurated on Friday, October 15, at 10:00 AM. Distinguished guests include the outgoing SBMA Chairman Felicito Payumo and the UP Chancellor.

The newly elected officers of the Student Council is taking care of the program and all other arrangements — an early baptism of fire. I am sure they will come through.

The Seminar Room is yet another improvement in our facilities; hopefully, with everybody's help, there will be more. Not everybody, expecially the new students, are aware of our humble beginnings so I am including here an extract from the Welcome Remarks that will be delivered by yours truly during the event.

"It is truly a pleasure and honor to welcome each of you to the University of the Philippines Extension Program in Olongapo, or UP-EPO, as we students and alumni fondly call her. Today’s celebration is not only about another improvement to our dear school; today also stands as a reminder of where we started and how far we have climbed.

Indeed, we have come a long way since the school’s founding two decades ago. During that time, the then city mayor and now Senator Richard Gordon saw the need for quality higher education in the city and invited the University of the Philippines to put up an extension program. In 1984, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed and UP-EPO was established.

It was a very modest beginning. We actually started as transient occupants in vacant classrooms of a high school. It was always hot and we really have to squeeze ourselves into the tiny wooden desk chairs of high school children. But that did not stop the graduate school students from trying to achieve further academic excellence; nor did it stop UP-EPO from making the students realize their full potentials. It was difficult times, but in hindsight, romantic in some ways. But thank God we now have mono-block chairs.

Even in that backdrop, many students still graduated. And I am not talking about regular, young students. The majority of UP-EPO enrollees are, not only baccalaureate degree holders but, mostly accomplished individuals already. We have supervisors, educators, doctors, local politicians, managers and owners of companies, and even a judge; who all came in and expanded their academic horizons. And we all squeezed ourselves into those tiny wooden chairs.

In the year 2000 – a major breakthrough! By means of a Memorandum of Agreement between the University of the Philippines and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, UP-EPO was bestowed with a renovated building of our own, and all the rooms are air-conditioned too! Needless to say, the faculty and especially the students were very happy; as if it would make any difference in achieving higher grades. But we were, literally, jumping with joy! Guess who was the kind soul behind our having our own building? It was Chairman Payumo.

Four years later, it is not surprising that another major improvement to UP-EPO, this newly constructed seminar room, would again be sponsored by the same man. Bless you sir! So we, the alumni, students, faculty, and staff decided not to let your goodwill and kindness come to pass – we have named this room in your honor – the Chairman Payumo Seminar Room."

LATEST UPDATE

The inauguration turned out really well. Present were Chairman Payumo, U.P. Chancellor Roman, UPEPO Director Juliet Mallari, SBMA Director Cruz, and other distinguised guests. The new SC President will be doing a write-up about the event soon. Photos are forthcoming also.

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