AUP Music Department in cooperation with Philamlife Insurance Company, presented the "Dr. Alfonso P. Roda Memorial Concert at Philamlife Theater, U.N. Avenue, Manila on March 4, 2007. The splendid performance of the AUP University Chorus and AUP Chamber Orchestra under the directorship of Dr. Heidi Cerna and Dr. Rodney Abriol and the masterful piano performance of Dr. Ingrid Sala Santamaria, guest pianist, did not only set the ambiance of remembering Dr. Roda but it was in itself a night of good music. There are many notable guests who witnessed the concert but the most important of course was the presence of Mrs. Lydia Roda and son Dr. Andy Roda with his wife Lorie who came from the States to grace the occasion. For those who would like to see the event in video, a dvd copy is available from the Music Department of AUP. Proceeds gathered from the concert will go to the development of the music building. I would like to mention that this concert was conceive and initiated by Jonathan Arevalo Coo, a faculty of the Music Department. At present, some memo-rabilia of Dr. Roda are on display at the Finster Hall of AUP.

AUP through the PR department had produced a total of 50 medals to be given as an award of academic excellence to pros-pective salutatorians and vale-dictorians of high schools around AUP(including public schools) and Adventist academies in Luzon and others. The awards is packaged with an invitation to come to AUP to avail of 100% free tuition to salutatorians and 50% to valedictorians.

Pastor Ban Alsaybar and wife Nena, ardent promoters of AUP archives came and stayed at AUP for two weeks to follow-up on the archives development. It was agreed to develop two adjacent rooms in the library (JLDML) to contain the existing collections and others that has to come yet. Dr. Romy Barrios of the University Research Center and Reuben Pagaduan of the Fine Arts Department will work on the details of the structure and follow-up of the development. It is expected that it will be ready in August 2007. Pastor Ban had also ordered reprint of the mirroflect vols. 1-4, proceeds in the sale of the books will be used to help working students coming from the College of Theology, College of Education, and Northern Luzon Adventist College (NLAC).

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has mandated AUP to complete its nursing skills laboratory by May 15, 2007 according to Dean Dinah Galang. The provision of having a "mock" hospital laboratory was a recent requirement for all nursing schools in the Philippines. The CHED requires that a nursing classroom used for instruction must have a simulated hospital environment attach to enhance students' training. So far, the CON has slowly complied and presently a four-storey expansion building attach to the main building, the Eliseo M. Bautista building is nearing completion. The "mock" hospital is located at the fourth floor facing east and presents a clear "million dollar view" of AUP. The pressing need at the moment is the furnishing of the rooms. So far, CON class '94 had committed to equip the operating room (OR) which will contain an actual operating table and lamp. Dean Galang said that the simulated hospital laboratory will be fully furnished with functioning apparatus and equipments so it can be very useful not only for training but also in cases of immediate need and outreach services. The private room will hopefully be taken by Batch 2007 which

The English Department in partner-ship with Hopkins International Partners Inc., the official Philippine TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION (TOEIC) representative, was authorized to conduct the world's leading English proficiency test in the workplace developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) of Princeton, New Jersey. This partnership was duly recognized by the American Chamber of Commerce and the Makati Business Club.

TOEIC is an English proficiency test different from the known TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The TOEFL is an academic test whereas TOEIC is a test for the workplace. In TOEIC, skills are measured and based on the achieved score which were objectively described and classified, while TOEFL provides only minimum requirement score ranges for passing. The following are the TOEIC score ranges with matching descriptions

The first TOEIC examination in AUP is scheduled in March 18, 2007. Among those who will be taking the first test are the faculties of the English department, it was hoped that the rest of AUP workers would avail of the test to determine and further enhance English proficiency of the workers at AUP. Interested individuals can further inquire from Mrs. Catalina Santiago, Chair of the English Depart-ment, linasantiago04@yahoo.com. The test is only 35 USD or about 2,000 pesos.

About 200+ working students of AUP were recipients of a total 6 kilos of rice given out free by a group of alumni donors represen-ted by Celso Caagbay, Elfrie Quizon and their spouses, and Dr. Mina Dalisay in the past two weeks. Mr. Caagbay said that the "Rice Program" for the working students of AUP still continues. He said that soon as enough funds become available it was sent to coordinators in AUP to buy rice in the university store where the working students get their share of 3 kilos per week.

I have talked to Mr. Caagbay on the possibility of perpetuating this program by putting up a foundation where recipients of the rice program after finishing their studies and they themselves are already living successfully could send back funds as a way of gratitude to this program during their college days. Mr. Nilo Miado, AUP worker, and one of the coordinators of this rice program in the campus told me that some alumni are interested in putting an earning business venture with the working students, I expressed the idea of putting up a building, say a working student center, to house services such as a barbershop, dress shop, vulcanizing, electronic repair which some of the talented working student could carry on and gain some cash. May I quote from an anonymous author: "give a child a fish, and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."

In March 2007 Medical Technology board examination, takers from AUP gained 83% passing rate compared to the national passing rate of 54% making AUP as one of the top 3 performing schools of medical technology in the Philippines. One student, Jane Charmaine Palomar, placed second in the board examination.

The AUP Administration gave an amount of Php 5,000.00 to Leorido "onyok" Repique, the winner of 21st PLDT art contest (Phil. Daily Inquirer, Feb. 28, 2007 issue, page A2) as a token of appreciation for putting AUP in the limelight. "Onyok", who is now an irregular third year Fine Arts student is presently a full-time working and self supporting student receiving no other support. But despite of this, he brought honor to AUP in his most humble way. I was told that part of the cash money he won from PLDT contest will be sent to the province as gift to his parents.

Another working student of AUP, Jay Garcia, won the 2nd honorable mention with cash award of Php 5,000.00 in UST Intercollegiate on the spot painting contest on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007 at UST, Manila. The occasion is in celebration of the "Art Month" in the Philippines. AUP traditionally, is not among the schools invited to join this event which only include school of arts located in National Capital Region (NCR) but this year a special invitation was sent to AUP. Seemingly, good achievements of our students in the past and present are now duly recognized by these popular schools in Manila.

Most recently, through the inter-vention of AIM.ONE a nursing review company now handling the pre-board examination review of AUP CON have shown that knowledge and technique of shading the answer sheets affect the scores of examination takers. Myrna Dellosa Inosencio, a AUP-CON alumni, and owner/partner of AIM.ONE revealed that 50% of the first takers of exams they implement using the prepared answer sheet that was scanned by the machine for checking, fail. Manual checking of the papers show that the error is not in the incorrect response of the examiner but in the manner how the examinee shades his answer in the paper in which the machine reads as error. Presently, AIM.ONE brought to AUP a scanning machine similar to what was used in PRC and examinees are being trained to write/ shade properly their responses that the scanning machine could read positively. AIM.ONE is the review company that coached the Southern Luzon Poly-technique College (SLPC) students examinee in region IV that made a 99% passing rate in December 2006 board examination. In fact, many of the top performing schools of nursing in the country have been using the scanning machine to their students as part of their training.

Presently, AUP is one of the three schools (the other two are: SLPC and DLSU Dasmarinas) authorized and allowed by the CHED in region 4 as review school for June 2006 Board Passers who will have to re-take test 3 and test 5 as a requirement to take the CGFNS. This privilege is given only to schools that have good track record in the board examination.

The College of Health through the initiatives of Dr. Miriam Estrada (Dean of COH) and Dr. Heidi Cerna of the Music department and a model of veganism in AUP campus presented a series of cooking demo for the workers of AUP. The demo was offered in order to increase awareness to vegetarian diet and to learn the skills of vegetarian meals. Very unique to this event is the presentation of exotic and indigenous plant known to have "antioxidant property" as food such as salads of lagikway, kutsarita, pansit-pansitan, menthol leaves, and camote tops juice.

Addressing the graduates of the University during commencement is Dr. Samuel Roda, President of EASNAC. Dr George Atiga, Vice President for Asian Affairs, Pacific Union Conference will deliver the Baccalaureate message, while Dr. Reuel Almocera Assoc. Dean of AIIAS will be the Consecration speaker.

Heading “Empyrean” batch 2007 are the following officers: Alvi Perez (BSN): President; Reylourd Reyes (APHPR/ BTH): VP Religious; Joseph Arli Vargas (BSN): VP Social; Ibeaa Mae Perdon (AB-English): Secretary; Farissa Suhardjo (BSCMA) Assoc. Secretary; Aimee Grace Tapeceria (BSCMA): Treasurer; Patrociño De Vera II (BSE-English): Assoc. Treasurer; Daisy Bayeta (BSE-Math): Auditor; Alpha Gem Gono (BS DevCom): PIO; Luis Mafnas (ABHPR/BTH): Class Pastor; Val Lendel Lumalang (BSN) and Kneil Melicaño (ABDigFA): Artists. Class Advisers are Dr. Luh Sausa of the College of Business, Mr. Ferdinand Esplana of the College of Arts,Sciences and Technology (CAST), and Ms. Susie Jael of the College of Nursing (CON).

The graduation processional will be directed by marshals Amy Fabroa, Chair of the PE Dept. (CAST), Pastor Andresito Fernando, Faculty of the College of Theology (COT), and Dexter Espelita, Faculty (CON) . This year’s grand marshal is Elmie Lynn Lagajino, Chair of the Secondary Education Dept. College of Education (COE). Overseer of the whole graduation activities is Dr. Danilo P. Poblete, Sr., Vice President for Academic Affairs.

For the first time since PUC/AUP was established in Silang Campus the University Commencement exercises will be held in open air—at the football/ soccer field. Consecration and Baccalau-reate services, however, will still be held in PIC. The open –air venue was finally chosen since PIC and the University Gymnasium have become too small to accommodate all the well-wishers of the graduates, numbering to almost 500 on April 1, 2007. Aside from this, the PIC Church Board members acted on a resolution that since PIC is a dedicated church, there will be no secular activities to be held there to preserve its sanctity. This is why even the Academy graduation will also be held at the soccer field on March 23, a week earlier than that of the college with the graduate school.

During Commencement, academic awards will be announced. Tribute to Parents will also be held on the field through a dinner banquet on Saturday evening.

While most of the colleges have yet to accomplish their respective commitment and awarding ceremonies everything seems to be all set now for the three-day graduation exercises (March 30, 31, and April 1). Among other important preparations by the administration, the grandstand has been renovated; eight floodlights which are a joint project of the Senior Class and the Student Association are now erected, along with other field

preparations through the leadership of Mr. Bill Galang, maintenance department head. Flag pole stands have been fastened for more than 40 national flags and college flags; members of the International Student Association have been coordinated to carry their respective flags during the processional; a total of 2, 500 chairs have been rented as 20 student marshals from the College of Education, who will also serve as ushers, are busy rehearsing, and a crew of official photographers, video men, light and sound technicians are busy preparing. The mass choir and other musicians are now polishing their numbers. The security department headed by Nimrod Salazar, designated alternative parking areas, and reproduced 1000 visitors' passes as the guards get used to an alert status. Individual processional cards are being laminated; florists, saber escorts from the Philippine National Police Academy and pyrotechnic experts have been contacted by the senior class. Sign posts have already been painted by the maintenance department according to the color of each college, and the printed programs and tarpaulin streamers will soon be out of the press. Landscaping as well around the campus is on-going.

The Academy Building fronting the venue will be the assembly point for all participants of the processional to protect them from the scorching afternoon sun as the Sunday program will start at 4:00 p,m. (We pray for fine weather.)