Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is
progress and working together is success.
Greetings of Peace and Prosperity!!!
First Lady of the University System President, Madame Pamela Rehanna Biston Macaayong who is also the President of the MSU Botanical Gardens Society.
Secretary of the University and of the Board of Regents, Hon. Usman D.
Aragasi.
Presidential Management Staff Director, Ma’am Aliah P. Cali-Pascan
Other university officials in attendance.
Dean of the College of Business Administration and Accountancy and Chair of Padian sa CBAA 2018 Prof. Imara C. Andam. Assistant Dean, Prof. Roxan A. Tamondong, College Secretary, Mariz Jor M. Paler, Department Chairpersons Prof. Alcasar P. Maongco,
Prof. Corazon M. Mangelen, Sir Hanafe L. Abdulmalik and Ms. Diana Ruth L. Bico who
is also the Co-Chair of Padian sa CBAA 2018, College Extension
Coordinator, Sir Halim M. Noor, fellow faculty, staff, students, ladies and gentlemen, today
is Thursday, March 1, 2018 and welcome to the Grand Launching of Padian sa CBAA
2018. Today is also the official opening ceremonies of the weeklong celebration
of the 55th College of Business Administration and Accountancy
Founding Anniversary.
The
Islamic City of Marawi has been dubbed
as the economic center in Lanao del Sur because of its strategic location and
the number of entrepreneurs and customers converging in the area for commercial
transactions. The City has also been known for
its rich cultural heritage and her people, the Meranaws are among the best
producers of brassware, wood ornaments, malong, langkit and other clothes of
distinct cultural designs and as well as their delectable Malay inspired
cuisine.
When the City was besieged by
ISIS-inspired Maute Group which started on
May 23, 2017, the economy in the province was totally down with its commercial
center greatly devastated and people’s livelihood hampered. Worstly damaged were 46 Barangays as
well as the adjoining Municipalities where many residents have evacuated. The
war which culminated in Butig and Piagapo has caused the exodus of her people in
a massive number one can hardly imagine, leaving behind an irreversible
economic loss. The siege lasted until October 27, 2017 and the extended crisis
has had a severe impact in the livelihood of the many.
We thank God, Mindanao State University remained
steadfast because of the unwavering commitment of the University officials
headed by our strong-willed President Dr. Habib W. Macaayong who, together with
his family, never left the campus to ensure that the constituents are safe and
the academic stature of the university is well preserved. We can hardly imagine
what Marawi City would be like without MSU and the pronouncement that MSU is
Marawi City and Marawi City is MSU by no less than the City Mayor Atty. Majul
Gandamra was never an understatement. True enough, MSU has initiated, organized
and facilitated various activities to help the victims of the Siege. One
notable example is the resumption of classes last August 2017 despite the
ongoing battle in the Ground Zero. I salute the University administrators for
their zeal and fervour to open classes despite the odds. Such a heroic move has
made MSU all the more, the beacon of light and hope to the people of Marawi and
hundreds of student hopefuls in Mindanao.
We all know that MSU has really done a lot for Marawi.
While it is very true that the university has been instrumental in making the
City thrive and flourish, there still remains a clarion call for a lasting
peace and progress in Mindanao. It is a call for our collective action to
empower the IDPs economically and financially. As CBAA celebrates its 55th
Founding Anniversary, the faculty, staff, students and alumni converge and join
hands in PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS A LASTING PEACE
AND PROGRESS IN MINDANAO. We firmly believe that it is one of the feasible and
doable strategies to revive and awaken the passion of the IDPs to be
productive and gain income through entrepreneurship. We believe that it will
pave the way to a successful rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi
because as people wait for the infrastructures to be in place, they are already
earning an income initially enough for their daily needs and hopefully become
more sufficient for their long term survival. Similarly, we are inspired with
the famous saying on empowerment that goes “Give a man fish and he will live for a day. Teach a man
how to fish and he will live for a lifetime.”
Ladies and gentlemen, that is our rationale as we
launch Padian sa CBAA 2018 today.
CBAA has always spearheaded PADIAN including Padian SA
MSU for several years and every time we hold this, students and local
entrepreneurs as tenants or participants share how happy they are serving
customers and gaining profit at the same time. Padian is a strategic avenue
where the produce of our fellows will be displayed for sale. Let us all
patronize the products of our students and in the coming days and months the
products of our IDPs from Marawi City.
In line with the
theme, CBAA will also be conducting livelihood trainings to our IDPs such as
sewing and Palapa Preservation among others. The College will also be assisting
the IDPs in marketing their products to Iligan and other neighboring cities. We
hope to have our Palapa have a longer shelf life with a presentable package so
it would be a good advantage to make it highly saleable, thereby giving more
income to our IDPs.
Ladies and
gentlemen, let us join hands in strengthening the extension services of MSU not
mainly because it is in preparation for our plans for Accreditation, but
because we have a primordial responsibility to help our community thrive and
flourish. Together we will promote, champion and support sustainable livelihood
development towards a lasting peace and progress in Mindanao. And as the saying
goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single
step.”
Mabuhay ang
CBAA! Mabuhay ang MSU! Mabuhay ang Marawi! Mabuhay ang Mindanao!
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