Education at grassroots level crucial: Cebuano grad

Alexander Bajarias / contributed

A Cebu City-based Business Administration graduate of the University of San Carlos (USC) landed in this year’s list of top 10 students in the country.

Alexander Bajarias, who graduated magna cum laude last year and majored in Marketing Management, is the lone Cebuano in the 56th Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP) list.

Born and raised in Barangay Tisa in Cebu City, Bajarias made it to the final cut of the panel judging and interviews during the National Formation Week last April 18 to 22.

Bajarias was also named one of the Top 25 Marketing Young Leaders of the Philippines last year.

He was also a former president of the USC’s Society of Young Business Executives and Entrepreneurs (Sybee), an organization of business management students.

Despite the demands posed by academic requirements, Bajarias still managed to be involved in social development projects.

“For me, personally, it’s not enough that I do well in school. I believe that I need to use the knowledge and skills that I acquired to help others become better. That’s my purpose,” Bajarias told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.

As a member of the Junior Chamber International (JCI), Bajarias was responsible for the Honesty Movement project that focused on children’s values development by providing them with books and recreational materials.

“At first, my parents wanted me to focus on my studies, but when I explained to them that these activities would help me become a more accomplished person, they eventually supported me in my activities,” Bajarias said.

His involvement in social outreach programs led USC to nominate him and two others to the regional leadership formation.
Bajarias was one of the 10 finalists from Central Visayas who qualified for the national level.

Now a management trainee in a telecommunications network and based in Manila, Bajarias said he will look for communities in Manila where he can continue to help and facilitate development there.

“Because of this recognition, because of TOSP, it helped me realize and convinced me to go back to my roots as a student in order to reach out to society. I wanted to impact the community,” Bajarias said.

Bajarias said his advocacy is educating children at the grassroots level.

He felt that it’s not enough to leave the task of educating them to their parents and to the school.

“The community itself should instill values, knowledge and skills to these kids, telling them to be honest and to counter-check the things they see online,” Bajarias told Cebu Daily News.