Dra. Elenita Binay, wife of former Makati Mayor and former Vice President Atty. Jejomar “Jojo” Binay, encouraged me to teach at the University of Makati.
Years ago, I visited Mayor Binay’s residence with photographer Ms. Mandy Navasero, who passed away recently, before we proceeded to UMak. We had lunch at the UMak premises with Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who joined Mayor Binay, Mandy and me.
I had a vision that I would one day teach at UMak. It came true in July 2019.
I was assigned to UMak’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with Dr. Acel German as our dean. I taught economics, entrepreneurial mindset, art appreciation, ethics, Philippine history and Rizal subjects. I also got to know the late Dr. Merriam Bernardo, my dancing partner during UMak special events. I gave her two dogs, which she cared for.
For my Rizal subject, I invited guests to give inspirational talks, including descendants of Dr. Jose Rizal. Among them were former Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz Araneta, the Philippines’ first Miss International, and her cousins Mia Syquia Faustmann, Sanya Faustmann, Encarnacion Laurel Loewen and Ester Azurin. They spoke to UMak students about Rizal’s life and family history.
“I’m grateful that I was able to hear stories from the grandnieces of Dr. Rizal,” said Jeremiah Manlapaz, then a computer science student. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear stories from the bloodline of our national hero.”
John Clark Marcelo added: “Without Jose Rizal, there would be no freedom in the Philippines. This sentence, said by Ms. Gemma Cruz, was the one thing I will not forget from the lecture.”
Gemma later gave copies of two books she wrote, Rizal’s True Love and 50 Years in Hollywood: The USA Conquers the Philippines, to some students and to UMak through Dean German.
Singer-actor Lance Raymundo returned to UMak for a third visit. His first was during the launch of his indie film Fidel; his second was when he was invited to judge a contest. This time, he spoke to Art Appreciation students. Raymundo impressed them with his humility and kindness, despite the serious gym accident he survived years ago.
“I want to thank Mr. Lance Raymundo for giving his time to us,” said then student assistant Theresa Torres. “His story is very inspiring because he is a humble and kind person. He shared about his career and the accident that happened in his life, but he never gave up.”
Lance later sang several songs for the students.
Animator Jess Espanola, the first Filipino to win an Emmy Award, also gave a heartfelt talk to UMak students interested in animation. Ryan Jake Antig remarked in Filipino that Espanola’s story proves that a person’s life is not a waste. He added that Espanola’s early habit of drawing on notes helped him rise from poverty and achieve success.
After a year, I was promoted from Associate Professor 2 to Associate Professor 3, or Senior Lecturer 1. Thanks to UMak.
Dr. Elyxzur Ramos, UMak’s 10th President
UMak, which evolved from a local community college founded in 1972 into a globally recognized local university, has made a mark in education.
It became a national pioneer as the first university in the Philippines to implement the K-to-12 senior high school pilot system through the Higher School of UMak. It is also the first local university or college in the Philippines to receive institutional accreditation from the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities.
According to the World University Rankings for Innovation, UMak climbed to Rank 136 globally, strengthening its status as the top-ranked innovative local university in the National Capital Region.
Under Dr. Elyxzur C. Ramos, UMak has focused on innovation, academic excellence and community-driven development. As the university’s 10th president, he has championed milestones that position UMak as a benchmark for local universities and colleges across the Philippines.
Dr. Ramos also assumed the chairmanship of the World University Network of Innovation for Presidents. UMak secured a placement in the Global Top 200 Innovative Universities list of the World Universities with Real Impact and produced more than 100 Scopus-indexed research publications, which the university describes as the highest output among local colleges in the country.
Beyond campus, his work has extended to Philippine education policy through his role as a standing committee member of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM 2. He has also prioritized UMak’s transition into a Laudato Si’ sustainable institution through environmental education, ecological preservation initiatives and community programs linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Birthday Greeting to President Trump
