Signing of contract for new CPU president

By Alex P. Vidal

“The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.”—Ray Kroc

I RECEIVED an invitation to attend the turnover ceremony and signing of contract of Rev. Dr. Ernest Howard B. Dagohoy, the 18^th president of Central Philippine University in Jaro, Iloilo City.

The occasion will be held at the Function Room 1, Second Floor, Iloilo Convention Center (ICON) at the Megaworld Business Park in Mandurriao, Iloilo City at four o’clock in the afternoon on October 26, 2023.

Dagohoy’s election as new CPU president was recently announced by the Board of Trustees and the Corporation of the Central Philippine University headed by lawyer Peter Erving C. Corvera as chairman.

According to the undated announcement, Dagohoy “shall serve for a five-year term from November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2028.

Dagohoy, who hails from San Jose, Antique, is pastor of Houston-based First Philippine Baptist Church. He is married to Dr. Cecile Gonzales Dagohoy of Lambunao, Iloilo.

They have one daughter, Faith “Pangga” Dagohoy-Bentulan, a registered nurse in Houston, Texas.

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Another email sent to this writer by New York Governor Kathy Hochul which she also sent to other New Yorkers.

Alex, I want to take this opportunity to share with you my experience in Israel this week.

What I witnessed was, in many senses, more horrific than I had imagined.

I visited the scene of a horrific attack on the Kfar Aza kibbutz, which was one of the first places that Hamas breached. The slaughter of innocents, the smells, the sites, were difficult to process — a beautiful neighborhood that turned into hell on earth in a matter of minutes.

At Shaare Tzedek hospital, I spoke to a 19-year-old soldier who almost lost his leg. He wasn’t even on duty, but he ran back to try and save his fellow citizens. He was able to extract a 95-year-old woman who was trapped in her safe house surrounded by people who had been murdered.

And I heard from so many Israelis experiencing grief and mourning. People from the south of Israel forced to resettle at temporary hotels by Tel Aviv showed me images of their homes being destroyed by terrorist rockets. Families of hostages — including New York’s own Omer Neutra — shared stories of their loved ones who are still missing.

But amongst this pain, I saw the resiliency and courage of the Israeli people.

I joined the volunteers at Leket Israel who have been providing food and supplies to families displaced by Hamas’s barbaric attacks. And I visited

United Hatzalah, where remarkable volunteers provided lifesaving care on October 7 and every day since.

I met with Israel’s leaders, President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu. I reaffirmed New York’s solidarity with Israel and our strong desire to see a safe return for those taken hostage. I also reinforced New Yorkers commitment to humanitarian aid for all who have been impacted by this conflict, including my strong support for President Biden’s plan to send humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza without benefitting Hamas terrorists. There have already been too many lives lost.

New York State is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. Many in our Jewish community hold deep ties to Israel and are worried about loved ones, hold their own stories of loss, personally know hostages, and fear the unknown.

It was important for me to go and not only report firsthand of the atrocities that have occurred, but also make abundantly clear: Today, and every day, New York State stands with Israel.

Ever upward, Gov. Kathy Hochul

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KNOCK ON WOOD: Symbol for luck or bad luck? It goes way back to pre-Christian times, when pagan religious beliefs held that good spirits resided in trees. To knock on a tree was a to call upon those spirits to protect you as you journeyed through life (and especially through the forest!).

SAVING OUR PLANET: Let’s be sharp operators. Let’s keep mower blades sharpened; blunt blades will tear grass rather than cut it, making cutting the grass more time and energy consuming. Damages grass also need more water than healthy grass. (1001 little ways to save the planet)

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “DEVIL’S ADVOCATE.” The role of the original DA was a religious one. (Who would have thought it!) It all started with the Roman Catholic Church. When a name was submitted for canonization, two advocates were appointed to debate the matter to the fullest extent. Together, the two brought up every possible argument in a case before a final decision was made.

SAVING THE PLANET: Let’s glove up safely. If latex gloves are being used in our workplace, make it plain. Let’s avoid powered gloves or those containing vinyl because they can reportedly release poisons when incinerated!

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)