HIGHLIGHTS

40 Years of Service

Delivered by Mrs. Estrelle Nabua (GS Assistant Principal for UNIT 3)

during the 21st Service Recognition Awards

Posted Friday, 28-Apr-2006 2:10 PM

Father Ismael Zuloaga, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Father Johnny Go, our School Director, Reverend Fathers, colleagues, friends, guests, a pleasant good afternoon to all of you.

     The first time I set foot on this campus forty years ago, I have already been impressed with the caliber of people associated with this institution. Foremost among them is Father Ismael Zuloaga who was then the Director and now the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and such other person is Mrs. Jenny Huang Go who was then the Principal of the Grade School, my idol and mentor. Both are icons of integrity, hard work and professionalism. But aside from these two great people that I have mentioned, we must also give credence to all the members of the faculty who also embody these values .They are truly a remarkable group of talented individuals and I am so honored to have been with Xavier School for the past forty years as I bore witness to the immense achievements that they have contributed to this institution. It is my high regard for them that makes this award so special and I am extremely privileged and grateful to receive it.

     Forty years…how time swiftly passes by. It was indeed a truly and an enjoyable rollercoaster ride that I experienced during my forty year stint in Xavier. I started as    a classroom teacher, then I was appointed  Chairperson of the English department for twenty five years after just two years of teaching. After my stint as a Department Chairperson, I humbly went back to the classroom for another three years. But as fate would have it, I was again tasked to return as the Department Chairperson  of the English department for another three years after which I was assigned as the Faculty Development Coordinator before settling in to my present position as Assistant Principal of the Intermediate. But throughout these assignments, I never found myself to hold a feeling of disappointment or resentment although there were some available alternatives to me back then. On the contrary, I cherished every bit of it – every memory I treasured it, every experience, I relished it, every heartache and disappointment, I learned from it and every relationship, I valued it.

     In retrospect, I realize that one of the greatest gifts of my life is Xavier because it is in Xavier where I have experienced a deepened faith in God and a strong sense of spirituality. The daily masses at the chapel give me encouragement and direction in my work. The homilies serve as inspiring messages and give focus in my relationships with colleagues and students as well. It is also here at Xavier that I have developed lifelong friendships.

     Loving my work and finding joy in what I am doing made me wake up early every morning to come to school. It was never about the generous remuneration that Xavier offered that kept me going. .  It is true that we make a living by what we get, but we should always remember that we make a life by what we give. Thus, the secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it. The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure.  Hence, I don’t remember of any time I didn’t like coming to school. I come early and leave school after four unless there are important meetings. Long hours of work are inevitably necessary in our vocation as educators but it should never be implied that one who does not work long hours means one lacks commitment or conviction. Long hours spent on the job should never be equated to dedication or commitment. As for me, it could never have been more fulfilling as this.

     During my stay here at Xavier, I never burden myself with the work at hand. I always find time to smell the flowers. Thus, I take little breaks because to me a little time for relaxation is essential for one’s effectiveness. My conversations during these little breaks range from talking about the colorful characters of the “Pinoy” Big Brother housemates, the latest Koreanovela, as well as the latest fashion trends in town or to more serious matters like the Hello Garci controversy or  professional conversations like what’s up in UBD?   Let us remember that the people around us  help us keep our sanity amidst the madness of the world. Our friends as well as our family keep us grounded and they remind us that there is life outside of Xavier School. But within the confines of Xavier, we also have our own family. We have our colleagues as our brothers and sisters and we have our students as our children. Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities and of family disagreements. However, despite our arguments and our setbacks, we somehow manage to pull through together. On the other hand, being a family also enables us to appreciate the contributions that each member offers and this afternoon, it is this year’s honorees to take the limelight. 

     Indeed, this year’s honorees are great and active learners. They serve as mentors and role models to our young teachers. They have  proven  that  lifelong learning is not simply a buzzword but a way of life. We know for a fact that there are many of us who have spent the best years of our lives here at Xavier. We have dedicated and continue to dedicate our lives to service which is the primordial reason why we are still here. People have said that service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something we do in our spare time. Forty years in Xavier have taught me, as it has taught the rest of you that we should not only become a person of success but also a person of value. For only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. Service is a time for greatness, not for greed. It's a time for idealism, not ideology. Last and more importantly, it is a time not just for compassionate words, but for compassionate action.

     The word “Magis” which  is one of the ideologies of Jesuit education and which means doing  more is  closely associated with competence and academics. We must not forget that the true aim of education is to impart to our students the knowledge not of facts but of values. When we reach out to our students and spend extra time for them isn’t this service? Going beyond what is expected of us? In the name of service, we go out of our way to get in touch with our parents with the main reason of personal care for their sons. When we show love and care to our students who need love because people who are supposed to be there are not around, isn’t this service? When we love what we are doing and we try to do our work well isn’t this the “Magis” and the “Cura Personalis” that Xavier has instilled in us? All are done in the spirit of service through sacrifice of our time and effort and expecting nothing in return. Thus, in all of these, it is truly better to give without counting the cost.

     But just as we have given service, we have also received service from other people. Thus today, we would also like to take time to appreciate and thank our families; to husbands, wives and children who have been very supportive of us. These are the people who always lent their ears to our successes and failures, to our dreams and fears, and to our triumphs and problems in school. Over the years, they have been remarkably tolerant of what are oftentimes very long days and weekends when there are seminars and workshops out of the school. They have been understanding and lenient towards our shortcomings and this has been a real act of service on their part.

     In addition, we are also grateful to Xavier for supporting the need for constant re-examination of what we do collectively to educate our students in keeping with our mission and vision. The school’s common practice of grouping us as a faculty to share common values and theories of action about learning have served to build trust, create confidence, support and share with its members a common language that inspires reflection about good teaching. Through the present leadership, Xavier continues to become a better academic institution and a beautiful place for work and study as the years go by. I am sure  you will agree with me that when we leave Xavier we remember this institution because of its spirituality and intellectually challenging faculty development activities. We are also grateful that Xavier has taught us to appreciate the important things in life and to keep our faith. It has helped us set high standards in what we  have set out to accomplish. The 6 C’s  have been a part of our creed in life..

      Before I end my speech we would like to thank the people who made this event possible and we tip off our hats to them for a job well done.

      On behalf of all awardees, I thank the administration and our colleagues for being a part of our gift of presence here at Xavier and in spite of the daily challenges we are very proud to say that we have let our light shine. “Luceat Lux” .

      Mabuhay ang Xavier.Mabuhay tayong lahat.Good day and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.. Thank you.

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