Sapphire foundation anniversary celebration a big success

19 June 2010

With numerous slated events teeming with advocacies, the Sapphire foundation anniversary was successfully celebrated -- capped by its biggest event -- gender equality-themed Ginoo at Binibining Pamantasan coronation night.


17 June - Day 1
The PLM community celebrated as one with the initial salvo of a thanksgiving mass and a parade around the PLM perimeter. Amid the revelry of the audience, candidates for the Ginoo at Binibining Pamantasan of each college have paraded with their supporters in a colorful display of modern heraldry and tinctures. It was shortly followed by the opening of exhibits at the GV main lobby.

Before lunch, a competition marathon participated in by the various colleges, consisting of quiz bee, essay writing, extemporaneous speech and shed design, was simultaneously held at a variety of venues.

Late afternoon saw the first major crowd-amassing annual event -- the PLM Dance Mania. Sub-themed this year as the PLM Ultimate Dance Crew, the event advocated for a "campaign against anti-drug addiction" to keep prohibited drugs at bay, and engage the youth to productive interests and talent-enhancing endeavors. Observers noted that the impressive dance performance of the colleges has reached great heights and improved considerably since last foundation year's spectacular dance mania contest. Clinching with only a minute breath away from CTHTIM (Tourism) in a magnificently contested dance challenge, CMC won the tilt, with CAE (Accountancy) placing at 3rd.


18 June - Day 2
Observing the loyalty service awards had been an annual tradition and important event in the celebration of the PLM foundation anniversary. Opening the second day with Mayor Alfredo Lim as guest of honor and speaker, honored were 56 loyalty awardees for milestone services from 10 years to 40 years, 1 model employee, 3 best employees, 5 most punctual pefect attendance awardees, and 13 career and self-development awardees (10 post-graduate, 1 undergraduate, 2 licensure exam passers).

Leading the loyalty awardees are Danilo Baluyot and Angelito Aspa Sr. for their 40 years of continuous service to the University. Baluyot came in on 01 January 1968 as a clerk typist and rose from the ranks until he became the incumbent vice president for administration. Aspa entered PLM in May 1969 as a carpenter welder and now is a mechanical shop general foreman at the PDSPO.

Baluyot's wife, Dolores, is awarded as model employee, a major service award that entitles the awardee the floor to address the audience. She expressed, among others, her deep connection to the University which she has been serving for 36 years, as well as her struggles as a public servant and her strategies to rise up to the challenge.

Best employee awardees are Teresita Gonzales of CME, Shiela Santos of the Treasurer's Office, and Nesael Abarca of the Gymnasium Office. And the most puctual perfect attendance award went to Felman Calleja, Salvador Cellona, Fidelino Lim, Ofelia Liwanag and Ester Ramos.

In his keynote address at the Justo Albert Auditorium, Mayor Lim stressed that the loyalty of the employees is to the institution, not to its President or any person running the institution. He exhorted the PRAISE Committee to come up with an award category for those who have stood their ground to fight and expose the abuses of the presidency to avoid excesses in the management of PLM. Their courage, Lim said, deserves to be recognized.

Lim also declared his desire to focus the fiscal savings of PLM for the acquisition and provisioning of services that will benefit the scholars. This comes as a welcome news for the Supreme Student Council which is poised to lead the transformational revolution to optimize the policy statement of the father of Manila for the benefit of the studentry.

A fellowship lunch of employees followed shortly at the University Activity Center. The "PLM Got Talent" group winner in the 2010 ASDS provided entertainment to the utmost delight of the audience with its band rendition of pop music. Despite finishing its set of performances, the audience asked for more. The band gladly obliged and crooned a few more songs.

Simultaneous with the recreational and parlor games at the gymnasium was the Ginoo at Binibining Pamantasan pre-pageant at the auditorium where a live casual interview, cultural attire presentation and the best in talent portions were held.

The night was capped by the PLM Project Fashionista 2010 with the theme "One Earth. One World. One Home: Experience Fashion Revolution" focusing its advocacy on climate change and global warming. Garbed in eco-friendly attires, the college delegates rocked the long catwalk as professional models do in various categories.


For Day 3 (Actual 45th Foundation Day), click here.


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