FR. JOEL A. ALVE, OAR IS INSTALLED AS THE 18TH UNO-R PRESIDENT

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental-Rev. Fr. Joel Alve, OAR was installed as the 18th UNO-Recoletos President by Rev. Fr. Bernard C. Amparado, OAR, Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno last August 31, 2022, at the university gymnasium. The Investiture and Installation ceremonies were held after the 8 am Mass of the Holy Spirit. It opened with the academic procession participated by the Program Heads and Chairs, the Lay Administrators, the Local School Board, and the Board of Trustees of UNO-R, Inc. Fr. Cristituto Palomar, OAR led the Invocation while Local Prior and Corporate Secretary Fray Amadeo Lucero, OAR declared the opening of the Investiture rites.   Welcome Remarks were given by Fray Romeo Ben Potencio, Jr., OAR, VP-Academics and Research. Dr. Raul Alvarez, REE, CESO III, CHEDRO VI Director, gave the keynote speech and was followed by the Message of the Prior Provincial.  Fr. Rafael Pecson, OAR, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and REAP President read the Confirmation of the Election and Appointment of the new UNO-R President. Fr. Palomar presented the Bible, and Fr. Alve did the Profession of Faith in the presence of Fr. Amparado and Fr. Lucero.  17th UNO-R President, Fr. Don H. Besana, OAR, turned over the Presidential Medallion to Fr. Alve while Fr. Potencio presented the academic cap. Fr. Jose Alden Alipin, VP-Identity, Formation, and Mission, presented the Vision Mission of UNO-R, and Fr. Lucero entrusted the university Mace to the incoming President.  Dr. Carlos Eduardo Legaspi, Jr., Director for External Affairs, read the Bionote of the President.   Fr. President, after he was presented, gave his speech of acceptance.

FR. ALVE: THE PRESIDENCY IS A POSITION OF SERVICE, TRUST, AND ACCOUNTABILITY

(This is the acceptance speech delivered by Fray Joel Alve, OAR, during his Installation as 18th President of the University)

With all humility, I accept the task and the challenge laid down before me today as the 18th President of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, Bacolod City. I am grateful to my superiors in the Order of Augustinian Recollects and to the Board of Trustees for the trust and confidence given to me to serve this prestigious institution. I am doubly grateful to all my brothers who came before me and who have brought the University into where it is today as it beams with pride as the Cradle of Evangelization and Excellence, inspired by St. Augustine’s charism of Caritas et Scientia.

Together with my acceptance of my election into this office, I thank the previous set of religious administrators led by Fr. Don Besana, OAR for ensuring that the transition from his administration to the present is in Order. Thus, I arrived at UNO-R with almost everything in place: the Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives; the 4-Year Development Plan; the Institutional Thrust with the 7-Point Agenda; the curricular programs, the finances, the highly competent personnel from the administrators to the teaching and non-teaching staff; and a whooping 9,700 enrollment figure for the academic year 2022-2023. I am highly confident that the journey in the next three years will be very smooth with the help of my brothers in the community and of our lay collaborators.

The presidency is a position of service, trust and accountability. As a position of service, it must be founded upon the precept from our Lord Jesus Christ who said, “I have come to serve and not to be served.” This is the essence of genuine leadership – the service to humanity.

As a position of trust, it is mandatory for the President to uphold the highest standards of his office and to avoid any form of abuse that can endanger the stability and sustainability of the institutions. If there is anyone who should be ready to sacrifice, it has to be the President as our Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for the salvation of mankind.

Lastly, as a position of accountability, the President should practice wisdom and prudence and most of all, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in making decisions. As your President, I am accountable to my superiors in the Order, to my brothers in the community, to the lay collaborators, to each and every parent who has entrusted the education of their children to this University, and to all of you. Most of all, I am accountable to God; thus I must ensure that everything begins and ends with Him and in accordance with His Will so that every decision is derived under the cloak of charity and under the protection of justice.

Another chapter of the history of this University is about to be unfolded, and you will all become witnesses of another era of Recollect Leadership. For better things to happen, we humbly ask for your cooperation and support. Entrusted to us are 9,700 students, seeking education the Augustinian Recollect way. Please let us not fail them. Let us take good care of them and give them a kind of experience that they all deserve and that will make them say, “I am happy to be here at UNO-R,” or “May forever sa UNO-R.”

Finally, as we face the triennium “Together,” I ask everyone to turn our differences into powerful insights that could bring us closer to the achievement of our goals. Let us reap the benefits of diversity. Let us learn how to empower the people around us and not be imprisoned by micromanagement. Let us empathize with everyone to energize and inspire them to transcend to the next level to do better and bigger things. Let us communicate and never underestimate the power of communication.

All of these will be done according to the Will of God the Father, the Love of his Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Guidance of the Holy Spirit.

And now, in the presence of my superiors and all of you gathered here today, I hereby accept the authority and the responsibilities bestowed upon me as the 18th President of the University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos, Bacolod City.

I thank you all for coming, and may the blessings of God be with us all!

ONWARD UNO-R!