Author: Pauline Dacir

Frenzied to make another great adventure, sixteen brods and sis journeyed their way through the Masungi Georeserve, last Tuesday, May 14, 2019. There, they witnessed the majestic karst rock garden, majestic rainforest, and experienced thrilling rope courses.

The tour was initiated and sponsored by Brod Bert Tagayuna and Brod Ben Dumaliang, both from Blue Star Construction & Development Corporation, one of the organizations that led and funded the conservation efforts and geotourism on the reserve. Brod Bert is also the president of BES-HNS Foundation, Inc. Among the participants of the tour were Sis Tess Andres and Brod Gil Palad who are both members of the Board of Trustees of the foundation.

Before the participants started the trail, the tour guide shared the history and facts about the reserve, provided the do’s and don’ts, and gave an overview of what to expect from the trail.

According to the guide, Masungi comes from the word “masungki” or crooked – a word to describe its karst topography. The terrain was once beneath the ocean and rose through tectonic movements. And as millions of years goes by, rainforest developed in the area, nurturing a wildlife of which was once of great diversity. Having been victimized by land grabbing and illegal logging, the area had lost most of its trees and wildlife but through the grueling conservation efforts made by the Masungi Georeserve Foundaion, the trees are now getting taller and the wildlife is thriving once again. The foundation aims to bring awareness of the ecological relevance of Masungi and to provide deeper understanding of the area.

Participants were given hard hats as protection and were advised to fill up their water bottles should they feel the need to rehydrate, finally, the awaited discovery of the trail began.

The trail seemed easy at first with all the rock and concrete blocks built to cover the area, but became challenging the moment they reached the first rope course.

Following a series of uphill and downhill treks is the popular gigantic metal spider web, called “Sapot”. It was built to give a 360-degree view of the surrounding area, including the Laguna de Bay on one side and the great Sierra Madre mountain range on the other, while preventing damage to the rocks underneath.

In the middle of two hanging bridges is an air house, called “Patak”, suspended above a cactus garden. The next spot is a big white braided rope hammock called “Duyan”, which connects one side of a mountain to another. Just in time to take shelter from the sun, the next attraction is a cave system, called “Yungib ni Ruben”. The group took their time inside to rest and cool down.

The further they got, the richer the flora and fauna they saw. With its picture-perfect landscape and the calming sound of nature, the georeserve reenergizes guests while letting them experience the pleasures of the hike.
Continuing the trail, they went to the tallest peaks in the reserve, called “Nanay” and “Tatay”, which offer spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. Then to the final rope segment, called “Bayawak”, which is shaped like a monitor lizard. It descends from a peak to a long, scenic resting spot.

Finally, the group reached Liwasan, where they relaxed and had refreshing lemonade and sandwiches. There they met and chatted with Brod Ben Dumaliang , before they made their way back to the visitors’ shed.

By the end of the trail, everyone was exhausted and hungry but all cannot deny how much they enjoyed the wonderful experience. The trail certainly made one recover from the mental fatigue that comes from living and working in a world where computers and cell phones are a constant distraction.

The trail concluded with a picture taking of the participants with Brod Ben. The group thanked the sponsors for the experience and the lessons and understanding that came with it. Surely, this is an adventure that everyone will reminisce over the years.

On May 9, 2019, through the initiative of Brod Willie and Sis Winnie Madarang, UE BES-HNS Brods and Sis met and had lunch with Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) – Isla Lipana & Co.’s Chairman, Atty. Alex Cabrera, along with some of the firm’s partners and officers. Brod Willie was once a Deputy Managing Partner of the said firm.

In this productive event, the newly graduated brods and sis were given job opportunities while undergrads were offered on-the-job trainings, seminars, and workshops.

The staff of PWC Human Capital toured the participants in the various offices of PWC. During the tour, they met familiar faces from the university. One was Ms. Clarice Lerios, a sis that graduated the previous year and is now a Senior Audit Associate in the firm.

This initiative is one of many efforts made by the BES-HNS Foundation in its pursuit of guiding its beneficiaries towards success. By opening up doors of opportunities, the young sigmans and hiyas will be one step closer to achieving their self-set goals.

Driven by its passion for lifelong service to its members, the members of the BES-HNS Foundation Inc. recently elected its new set of Trustees last April 27, 2019, at San Fernando Pampanga. Brothers and sisters from the University of the East Manila, and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Manila were present at the event.

The event started with a warm welcome message from Brod Mars Morales, followed by speeches from officers of UE and PUP BES-HNS Honor Societies about their memorable experiences in the organization.

The members then ratified board resolutions, one of which was the board resolution regarding the automatic membership of BES-HNS Brother and Sisters in the foundation.

The election then commenced. The elected Board of Trustees were Brod Mars Morales, Brod Philip Judan, Brod Lambert Tagayuna, Brod Gil Palad, Sis Tess Andres, Sis Winnie Madarang, and Sis Lisa Valerio.

When asked about how their experiences were in running the organization, Brod Paulo Belen and Sis Pauline Dacir felt emotional, as they will soon leave their post as Grand Lord Chancellor and Grand Lady Chancellor. The incoming GLCs of UE and PUP also gave their messages and expressed their commitment to leading the school organizations towards achieving their purposes.

The members had a short fellowship and enjoyed a palatable lunch with delicacies from Pampanga. Then before the event ended, several raffle prizes were drawn for those lucky ones to take home.

The Beta Epsilon Sigma and Hiyas ng Silangan held numerous fellowships throughout the year to commemorate and preserve the very essence and legacy of the honors society – excellence and camaraderie. One of the most memorable fellowships was the birthday party for January, February, and March birthday celebrants held last March 2, 2019, at Makati Sports Club. The event was made possible through the initiative of Sis Lisa and Brod Primo Valerio, one of the birthday celebrants.

The event started with a little off-the-wall icebreaker – the well-known Rock-Paper-Scissors game, but with a twist. Everyone received a twenty-peso bill, they then partnered up to play Rock-Paper-Scissors. The victor takes the riches of every opponent he or she defeats. In the end, the final winners were able to go away with a substantial sum of money!

The celebrants were then acknowledged to blow their birthday candles while the rest of the audience sang them a happy birthday. Everyone’s stomachs were filled with wonderful food and their hearts were beaming with joy from all the jokes shared. To further hype up the energy of the party, some talented brods and sis graced everyone with song numbers. And just before we thought the party was over, the band gave off their groovy music, you just can’t help but dance.

That night, we ate, we joked, we sang, and we danced to our hearts’ content. It was a night where old souls met again, where most of the conversations started with “do you remember when…” It was a night to reminisce old memories and also a night to make new ones.
Indeed, together is a wonderful place to be!

Last January 17, 2019, Brod Oscar Jornacion inducted fifty-four (54) graduating members of the University of the East Manila Beta Epsilon Sigma (BES) Honors Society and Hiyas ng Silangan (HNS) Honor Society as Associate Members of the BES-HNS Foundation. As Associate Members, they can now partake in various Foundation activities and contribute towards achieving its mission and vision.

Dean Veronica Elizalde, the Dean of UE College of Business Administration, expressed her gratitude to the Foundation. She acknowledges that the Foundation plays an important role in the holistic development of the members of the honors societies. Since its establishment, it has been supporting them by providing academic scholarships, sponsorships to national conventions, teambuilding workshops, and relevant seminars. By doing this, the Foundation hopes that its beneficiaries will be well-prepared to face life outside the university and reach their full potential.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupery said, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

The trustees and officers of the Foundation always encourage their junior counterparts to look at the bigger picture – the endless immensity of life. They continuously mentor their junior brods and sis to live life with excellence.

Last December 20-22, 2018 marked a very special milestone for the Beta Epsilon Sigma Honors Society and the Hiyas ng Silangan Honors Society. Not only was it a time of Christmas Cheer, but it was also a time well spent between the members of the two organizations.

The event decided on the theme “Breaking Barriers, Rising Above Limits”. It was a workshop and team-building activity that aims to further enhance the officers’ leadership skills, strengthen the bonds between members, and integrate BES-HNS Honor Societies to the BES-HNS Foundation, Inc.

The junior members, together with Professor Claudio Agsi (BES adviser), departed from the University of the East, Manila on the morning of December 20 and headed to Brod Oscar and Sis Gilda Jornacion’s residence in Bacnotan, La Union where the event took place. After a quick snack upon arriving, the members assembled and opening remarks were made.

Brod Mars Morales then started his talk on communication. He talked about the vital points on why one should place importance on effective communication. He also inspired the listeners by comparing life to a mountaineering expedition, he said that there should always be proper planning, coordination, determination, focus, and hard work to succeed, moreover, to become a far better person. He showed us that anyone and everyone can achieve what they aspire to be as long as they work hard for it.

Following Brod Mars’ inspirational talk, Brod Ed Reyes then presented us with a concrete way of how we can achieve our dreams—the Plan of Life. It was a series of stepping stones to get you to where you want to be. He even gave us a sample layout of a Plan of Life which made things easier for us to visualize our future. Personally, this talk made a huge impact on me. It made me ponder a lot on what I should do with my future, my dreams, and my plan for my life.

The next day, the morning was devoted to some free time and a quick Zumba session. And after breakfast, it was then time for Brod Bert Tagayuna’s talk on Personality Development and Love Languages. Brod Bert focused on the fact that there are different kinds of leaders as there are different kinds of personalities. His daughter, Denise, then gave us a quick Personality Test to know which kind of personality we possessed—a Helper, Organizer, Thinker, or a Catalyst. This helped us reflect on what kind of person we are and how we can develop our strengths and fight off our weaknesses. Lastly, he also presented us with the five love languages: Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, Physical Touch, and Words of Affirmation. This talk will surely help us to effectively interact with others. As an end note, Brod Bert reminded us that Leadership is not only about being excellent, it is also about: Encouraging the HEART, Training the HANDS, and Developing the MIND.

The next talk was then made by our host, Brod Oscar Jornacion. His main theme was: Life Strategies. He said that two words guided him to success: Semper Premium. Our motto. Our standard. Brod Oscar then said that the real question in life is, how successful can you be? The answer lies within oneself. How far are you willing to go? How much effort are you willing to give? We all know how Brod Oscar became the man that he is now—he never gave up on his dreams. He advised us that we should always look ahead and think of the possibilities in the future which will be affected by our present decisions. Lastly, he also advised us to think like our idols when faced with a hard problem. It’s like thinking from different perspectives or thinking outside the box. And, in my opinion, all successful businessmen possess that tenacious quality.

The afternoon of the second day was then devoted to the different BES-HNS issues at hand. The Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Logo, Organizational Structure, Qualifications for Membership, and the Hymn Making. Also, the members talked about the next school year’s suggested projects, the support for the junior members—such as the scholarship and stipend for the reviewees, possible internship slots for those who will have their OJT, and Special Classes that may be held if the students need help on a particular subject. This activity then ended with the vows of the junior members on what they pledge to do for BES-HNS and their brothers and sisters.

As the sun goes down the horizon, the brods and sis then went under a wild team-building activity in the form of an amazing race. The junior members were divided into teams and each team had to pass a challenge from each station. This brought about a lot of laughter, competitive energy, and numerous memorable moments. After this, the members also had a short Palanca writing session where they were able to open their hearts to their fellow brods and sis all by the cool sea breeze and warm bonfire. As an ending bash, the members also had a small fashion show where they flaunted their boho-inspired looks.

The morning before departing, a short awarding ceremony commenced where the teams were given prizes and the winners of last night’s fashion show were hailed. The junior members also took this time to thank the senior members for inspiring them and of course, for their never-ending support. They especially thanked Brod Oscar and Sis Gilda Jornacion for graciously welcoming them to their home throughout this whole activity.

These three days and two nights that we spent together with our brods and sis were incredibly fun, fruitful, and memorable. We made many wonderful memories that we would surely recall for many years, especially when talking about BES-HNS. This time, we truly felt our bonds strengthened making the foundations of our organization even stronger. Semper Premium!

Wearing their dashing and colorful 60’s and 70’s outfit, the junior and senior brods and sis had their annual Christmas party last December 2, 2018, at Hilton Manila, Newport Boulevard, Pasay City.

This celebration was sponsored by Brod Andrew Tan and was organized by the Christmas Committee of the BES-HNS Foundation, with Sis Evelyn Yoro and Brod Rod Legazpi as hosts. This event was truly remarkable as the senior brods and sis pledged generous amounts to the foundation. Together, they accumulated more than Five Million Pesos, with Brod Oscar and Gilda Jornacion and, Sis Lisa and Primo Valerio pledging One Million, One Hundred Thousand (Php 1,100,000) each.

Brod Lamberto Tagayuna delivered his presidential message during the event. There, he showcased the achievements and recent activities of both the foundation and the school organizations it supports.

The BES-HNS Foundation also bestowed honors on Ms. Mercedes B. Kimwell for being the Role Model and Lifetime Adviser of BES-HNS. Moreover, Sigman Angeles P. Palad and Hiyas Joy B. Locsin were awarded as Outstanding BES-HNS Members. Hiyas Catalina A. Mitchell and Hiyas Imelda A. Dela Cruz were also given Host Par Excellence in the 2018 Boomerang Reunion Award. The awardees were thankful as they received trophies designed by the artist Bernardo Balagtas.

The junior brods and sis unraveled their talents as they performed various energetic dance numbers as well as operatic singing performances. Then the seniors continued to hype up the room as they entertained and amused everyone through their talents in singing and dancing as well. Excitement further intensified during raffles and the awarding of prizes for the best outfits of the night.

Attended by more than two hundred members, the party concluded with overflowing joy and fond memories that would be deeply cherished over the years. “Brods and Sis, thanks and cheers for joining us in joyfully celebrating our Christmas party. It’s indeed a lasting and cheerful event for us,” said Brod Bert Tagayuna, president of the BES-HNS Foundation.