THE Cebu Technological University Bantayan campus, the very first state university on the island, was inaugurated last Dec. 8.
The ceremony started with a Mass officiated by Msgr. Aldredo Romanillos Jr., followed by the blessing of the newly constructed school building, ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of the markers.
Lito Maderazo, whose family donated the lot where the CTU now stands, said he was hopeful that the institution will become a weapon against poverty.
Florentina Mercader said her family’s donation is their way of giving back to the Bantayanons and their way of honoring their patriarch, the late Pedro Maderazo, whose dream was for Bantayan to have a university.
Dionel Gilig, the education consultant of Rep. Benhur Salimbangon, said “Sa akong panahon, naputos sa utang ang mga ginikanan aron lang maka eskwela ang mga anak. Kamo diri sa Bantayan, wow, libre ang pagtungha (During my time, parents were debt-ridden in order to send their children to school. You in Bantayan, wow, education is free),” referring to the free education currently enjoyed by the pioneer students of CTU Bantayan.
Mayor Ian Christopher Escario, for his part, narrated how CTU came to be.
“I had a dream. In that dream I saw our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary in the midst of a college campus. That dream did not have any particular or specific message.But I took it seriously what I felt in my heart was our Lady’s message to me – to work doubly hard to ensure the establishment of a CTU Campus in Bantayan. We have a campus now because of Divine Providence. So there is no one else to thank for the establishment of CTU – Bantayan Campus but God and the Blessed Virgin whose grace touched the hearts of the Maderazo family to generously donate this property on which the campus stands. To me, the message is simple – dream for what is good for the people, dream and dream with your heart and God will send us, the people, their resources and the means to make our dreams come true. The CTU Bantayan Campus is a testament to God’s faithfulness and Providence,” Escario said.
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