Text by Jericho Paolo L. Mabansag
Photos by Erlyn Pareja
The Interactive Learning Center (ILC) and the Learning Resource Center (LRC) called for the promotion of women’s empowerment through the use of technology. Officials made the call during a flag-raising ceremony jointly hosted by both offices. Associate Professor and Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Gina Salazar, stated that
“We have the power to make the choice as to how we are to use, not just our mobile phones, but all our gadgets, to uplift the status of our women colleagues.” She adds, “We can choose to use all our gadgets professionally, responsibly, meaningfully, and constructively.”
The flag-raising ceremony on March 24, 2026, highlighted that our modern connectivity has the weight of being the intersection of digital responsibility and institutional synergy in the university. The event served as a platform for university leadership to address the global mandate for women’s empowerment through information and communications technology, while situating the university’s mission against the pressing backdrop of the national energy emergency.
Chancellor Michael Tee reinforced this message of professional integrity by situating the university’s mission within the larger civil service. He urged faculty and staff to view their roles through a wider lens, noting that the university’s output is a vital link in the country’s administrative chain.
“We are not working in isolation,” Chancellor Tee said. “We work with other government agencies, and they count on us to do what we are paid to do.”
The ceremony took a poignant turn during remarks by Dr. Iris Thiele Isip-Tan, director of the Interactive Learning Center. Invoking both faith and Philippine feminist history, Dr. Isip-Tan offered a prayer for the empowerment of the community, calling upon the spirits of revolutionary figures.
“May we be granted the courage of Gabriela Silang, the nurturance of Tandang Sora, and the spirit of charity of Josefa Llanes Escoda,” Dr. Isip-Tan said. She concluded with a nod to the country’s pre-colonial heritage, adding, “If she can’t, perhaps she can give the mystical power of the ancient Babaylan.”
The hosting of the ceremony by the ILC and LRC underscores the university’s ongoing commitment to integrating modern learning technologies with the foundational values of public service and historical consciousness. And uplifting the status of women in our university and beyond.
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