HSCI names new Board president

SOLIDARITY and strong collaboration.

What better way to attain success than to uphold these two essential values. Notwithstanding the challenges posed by the current pandemic, Hua Siong College of Iloilo (HSCI) continues to live up to her title as one of the premiere Chinese schools in the country with the myriad of accolades and accomplishments she has obtained for the past 109 years.

Adhering to her slogan as the Realm of the Red Phoenix, Birthplace of Excellence, and Home of the Champions, the institution’s steadfast commitment to providing the best quality of education is truly second to none. With full range of support from a pool of competent individuals – the school’s Board of Trustees, Administrators, Faculty, and staff, HSCI proves that she is indeed living the legacy of excellence.

Every two years, the members of the board elect a new set of officers for the Board of Trustees (BOT), an organization responsible for ensuring that the school’s mission and vision are met and aligned to the needs of modern times and in proposing policies that bring about the best interest and success of the whole academic community. Last July 2, HSCI welcomed the newly-elected officers for School Year 2021-2023 through a virtual induction ceremony.

Inducted by the city mayor himself, Hon. Mayor Jerry Treñas, HSCI named its new Board of Trustees and directors with Ian Eric Pama as the new president. Other officials include Tomas Pama (chairman emeritus), Robert Po (past president), Felipe Uygongco (immediate past president), Engr. Terence Uygongco (executive vice president), Romeo Go (vice president), Roswell Limsui (secretary), Louis John Ng (assistant secretary), Vicente Tang (treasurer), Antonio Lim (assistant treasurer), Julian Felipe Uygongco (auditor), and Robert Uy, James Ang Jr., Danilo Tan Chan, Tomas Tan, and Rex Chua as directors.

“This responsibility is accepted wholeheartedly as my way of giving back to the institution that made me the kind of person that I am now and the institution that is nurturing my children and probably my children’s children,” said Pama during his acceptance speech.

Though teachers and learners cannot come together in physical spaces at present, HSCI was able to support learning continuity by taking a big leap through the Red Phoenix MILES program and the strong collaboration among the various stakeholders. The digital transformation of education is on the rise and learning has gradually shifted to online and distance modalities to cope with the needs of the times.

“We were not just able to surpass coronavirus disease 2019 challenge in terms of education, but we grabbed the opportunity to pioneer the new way of education and made Hua Siong known to be the best online and homeschool provider in the whole of Western Visayas,” Pama added.

As part of the plans lined up for the next school year, the new BOT president plans to take on a new endeavor with Project Strong CORE which stands for Creativity and Innovation, Opportunity to Give Back, Respect and Reverence, and Educational Excellence.

This project will focus on (1) improving academic support where wellness and learners’ interests will be given priority, (2) conducting outreach programs and community services as a way to bolster civic engagement among the learners, (3) putting a premium on significant values and strong faith through Formation Programs, and (4) producing learners equipped with excellent English and Chinese communication, 21st century, and leadership skills, which will further empower the learners not only in school but also in their respective communities.

Moreover, the school also plans to revitalize its competitive program in Mathematics by placing teachers handling the subject under the tutelage of national and international Math experts as well as subscribing to the Scholastic Guided Reading Program to improve the communication skills among Elementary and Junior High School learners.

The past, present, and coming years will be unlike any other years that went by and normalcy is still far from certain, but one thing is for sure. HSCI will continue to nurture her learners to be the best individuals that they can be – diligent, sincere, loyal, and courageous. Without a doubt, the Red Phoenixes are bound for greatness and nothing less./PN