Sister Merceditas O. Ang: Embracing Future-Proof Education
Digital Version “As we create and traverse new educational pathways in the 21st century learning to reach greater heights, SPUP will Lead, Innovate, Grow, and Serve.” St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP) has an awe-inspiring and long-lasting impact on students and teachers. For more than 25 years, the university provides a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs that promote intellectual inquiry and independent thought. Sister Merceditas O. Ang, SPC, the university President, is a visionary and transformational leader with compelling ideas beyond frontiers. Consistently honored with local and international awards, SPUP is unleashing its promising landscape of advanced education. Teaching and Learning Support Trailblazing a future-ready and sustainable holistic education to make a difference globally was a lofty goal and giant leap for St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP) in 2015. Globalization and diversity called for re-thinking and reforms in the education sector vis-à-vis the ASEAN Regional Integration and the K to 12 transition in Philippine basic education. Rising up to the challenges of contemporary times, SPUP launched its internationalization programs and initiatives as a vital component of high-quality education and global competencies of Paulinian students and graduates. A strategic roadmap was crafted on six key areas: 1) quality teaching-learning and student services 2) research and innovation 3) resource mobilization and human development 4) internationalization 5) creative evangelization 6) community services and sustainability Accordingly, the traditional programs and structures were revamped and enhanced. Relevant and innovative new programs were offered with an interdisciplinary approach across borders. Research and STEM education gained momentum. Local and international partnerships and collaborative endeavors with the academe, industry, government agencies, and other stakeholders remarkably increased in a number of partners and levels of engagement. Community outreach and services were provided to the poor and marginalized, and the state-of-the-art physical and digital infrastructures of the university were built along with the human capital investment. Response to the Crisis Within a span of five years, SPUP has undergone massive transformation and advancement, which abruptly took a turn in 2020 with the COVID-19 outbreak. The SPUP administration, under the dynamic leadership of Sister Merceditas, prioritized care for people and ensured the health, safety, and well-being of the students and employees. Learning modalities catered to the needs and context of the students. Advance technologies facilitated the delivery of holistic quality teaching and learning with high student engagement. No retrenchment was made and all employees received full monthly salaries and benefits despite the financial constraints. Amazing results happened with the value-based, people-centered, positive mindset, technology-driven, agile and resilient approach to survive during the pandemic. In generously and humanely translating challenges into opportunities, SPUP registered a big increase of more than a thousand new students in 2021 and its international students and partners doubled in number. Moreover, local and international recognition and awards were garnered by the university in the fields of social services and human development. Indeed, manifold blessings keep SPUP thriving despite the pandemic complemented with faith and hope for a better tomorrow. The Ideal Place for Knowledge St. Paul University Philippines was founded on May 10, 1907, in Tuguegarao City by the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC). It was established with humble beginnings as a small school for basic education spurred by the missionary zeal and sacrifices of the pioneer SPC sisters and lay collaborators. In 1941, the school buildings were used as a military garrison during the war and ravaged during the liberation. The reconstruction and growth of the school had met another catastrophe in 1965 when its buildings were razed to the ground by fire. Like gold tested in a crucible, SPUP had overcome setbacks to flourish and expand into tertiary education and graduate school. In 1982, it was hailed as the first university in Cagayan Valley, in the northern part of the Philippines. For more than a century of existence, SPUP has proven its tradition of excellence and untarnished reputation of providing high-quality education. The Philippine Commission on Higher Education recognized SPUP as an autonomous university, Center of Excellence in Nursing and Education, Center for Development in Information Technology, and Center for Teacher Training. The University was also cited as Most Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Campus in the Region, Outstanding Student Services in the Philippines, Outstanding Library in the Philippines, Top 3 in the Philippine Higher Education Internationalization Award, and included in the World Universities with Real Impact (WURI). Its global engagements exemplify inclusive and intercultural education, embracing unity in diversity with its more than nine thousand local and international student population. This year, SPUP celebrates its 115th founding anniversary true to its vision-mission as an internationally recognized institution dedicated to the formation of competent leaders and responsible citizens of their communities, country, and the world. In setting strategic directions, Sr. Merceditas inspires with wisdom and forward-looking perspectives. Establishment and Achievement Sister Merceditas O. Ang, SPC believes that “the bottom line of success is not gauged by external rewards but felt as an inner fulfillment, and eventually in the scheme of things it is a life of integrity and service that will have a lasting legacy on humanity.” She joined the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres in 1994 as a lawyer by profession. Also, she has a degree in Psychology and work experiences in human resource training, counseling, banking, taxation, and corporate law. As a religious sister, she immersed in the spirituality of consecrated life and served in the education ministry. In 2003, Sister Merceditas obtained a Master’s degree in Educational Management and a Ph.D. degree in Educational Leadership and Management in 2005. She wrote and published a paper on Servant Leadership which was presented during the Greenleaf International Conference on Servant Leadership in Indianapolis, USA. She was appointed as President of St. Paul University Surigao in 2006, and as Provincial Assistant for Education in 2009-2014. The mission of forming the young as responsible future leaders appealed to her inner calling. She believes that education is a potent factor in national and global development, sustainability, and social transformation. In