Drumbeats echoed throughout the entire Narra Campus gym of Chiang Kai Shek College as the Chinese New Year celebration commenced with a lively lion dance performance by the Philippine Wei Feng Dragon Dance Group last February 15.

Excitement filled the air as students anticipated the parade of twelve (12) CKS College senior high school and college students for the animal zodiac costume competition where in each contestant formally introduced himself to the huge crowd.

Cheers and applause came from different corners of the gym as students exhibited their support to the contestants. While waiting for the results from the judges, a set of intermission numbers were performed by senior high school and college students.

Among all the contestants, Ian Manabat, a representative from Grade 11, stood out through his remarkable representation of the Chinese dragon, and was awarded Best Zodiac 2018.

Chinese culture was certainly manifested with enthusiasm during the event. Celebrating Chinese New Year means following a set of customs passed down over generations in the hopes of welcoming health, wealth, and good relationships over the coming year. Truly, it was a great welcome for the year of the Earth Dog.

CKS College seeks to bring together experts from various disciplines in forums where healthy exchanges of ideas can be undertaken. The third  seminar in the Lecture Series entitled: “Bridging the Industry-Academe Gap” was conducted last Thursday, March 1, 2018. The seminar featured the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Unilever Philippines, Mr. Benjie Yap.

Mr. Yap shared his experiences, and learnings, as well as the various challenges he faced, throughout his 20-year career in his company. According to him, effective interpersonal and professional relationships with colleagues serve as a foundation for success and leads to career satisfaction. It doesn’t only produce a good working environment, but it also encourages positive networks.

A very down-to-earth person, Mr. Benjie Yap reminded the audience that positions and ranks must not be the priority and should not serve anyone's personal end. Each should be respected for the role he plays in the organization. He also emphasized the importance of continuous learning in the workplace. The more employees know, the more they can contribute to the success of the company. Lastly, he mentioned that one must accept failure and must seek ways to improve. Failure is inevitable in life, but how we overcome challenges and use them to our advantage is what really matters. 

A proud alumnus of CKS College. Mr. Yap is an epitome of how humility, hard work, and a strong value system can help one turn challenges into stepping stones towards success.    

Last February 13, 2018, the Society of Motivators, Achievers, and Responsible Teachers (S.M.A.R.T) held a seminar on Campus Journalism. The speaker was Dr. Aida S. Villanueva, head of the publication department of Centro Escolar University and a faculty member of Chiang Kai Shek College School of Graduate Studies. Just recently, Dr. Villanueva also made a generous donation of books to the CKS College library.

Dr. Villanueva set the pace of the lecture-seminar by reading the poems “The Taming of the Soul” and “My Thoughts and You”. She then proceeded to discuss the qualities of good writing, as well as the importance of editing. According to her, the art of editing is just as important as learning the art of writing. She also discussed the core principles of journalism.

Last February 6, 2018, the Society of Motivators, Achievers, and Responsible Teacher (SMART) conducted a lecture-seminar on Gender Sensitivity, with Honorable Corazon Alma de Leon, the former Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, as well as the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as speaker.

The purpose of the seminar was to promote gender equality through social partnerships with local government units and academic institutions and to practice innovative measures in promoting gender equality through lifelong learning. Honorable de Leon discussed various gender issues, gender inequality that is prevalent in many countries, and the role of gender in changing the way we perceive ourselves and our role in society.

Honorable de Leon talked about topics involving Gender issues regarding inequality in general and particularly in education that have always remained evident through the course of the history not only here in the Philippines, but also in other countries as well. She discussed about how gender roles plays a major role in our community, and how gender diversities impact a great change in how we perceive ourselves and our role in the society. She also gave stories about her life and the experiences of the people she knows who were faced with challenges about their gender identity.