Historical landmarks are neglected and left to decay in Borongan City

Boronganons used to take pride in the landmarks that the pioneering leaders have put up decades ago. The most visible among these include the President C.P. Garcia Arches located on both northern and southern entrances to the City. Years ago, these landmarks were carefully maintained and taken care of by the political leaders. 

 

The weathered and decaying Pres C.P. Garcia Arch near the provincial hospital

Sadly, these structures are now left to decay. It is a shame that nobody seems to care about this. In fairness, the current city administration has done an excellent job in improving many parts of the city and in enhancing local tourism. Fact is, Borongan is now one of the cleanest and most beautiful cities in the Visayas. But why the neglect of these former source of pride?

 

The southern C.P. Garcia Arch at one end of the Loom bridge 

If Boronganons do not notice this because they pass by these arches every day, the visitors on the other hand, notice them right away and are soon disappointed by the neglect. Yada pa gud hit aragian, kawaray gad hin upay.     

ESSU: Samar Island’s leading university

The Eastern SamarState University or ESSU whose main campus is located in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, is widely considered as the leading university in the entire island of Samar. In the 1970s and 1980s, this distinction was accorded to the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) in Catarman, Northern Samar. At the time, countless students from Eastern Samar endured the long, risky, and arduous bus trip to Catarman in order to pursue their dreams of finishing college at the well-known school.

The ESSU Main Campus in Borongan (Photo source:  ww.estnews.org)

Starting in the 1990s, good school management and strong political support have transformed the small and unknown college called Eastern Samar State College into one of the best universities in the Eastern Visayas region today. The improvement of the roads in the province which enhanced its economy has, without doubt, also contributed to the progress of ESSU.

The cover of the 2017 issue of CATALYST, the official student publication of ESSU

At present, high school graduates in the province need not travel to Leyte, Cebu or Manila which is very expensive, to obtain a college degree from a good university. They are very fortunate to have ESSU right at the heart of Eastern Samar. ESSU has made a name for itself not only in academics brought about partly by its board topnotchers, but also in the field of culture and sports. For example, as reported by the ESSU Catalyst magazine (vol. 14, 2017 Second Issue), the ESSU Taekwondo team has dominated the regional SCUAA competition in the last 20 years.

In March 2017, I was invited to the Awards Night of the university as the guest speaker and to receive the Most Illustrious Alumni Award. I have received many awards but this one from my beloved high school Alma Mater was really special. The occasion was a good opportunity for me to share my experiences to the new generation of students.

A feature article about my career published in the 2017 issue of CATALYST

ESSU’s recent achievements are largely due to the outstanding leadership of University President Dr. Ed Campoto who holds a graduate degree from the University of Queensland, Australia, and to the highly qualified faculty many of whom have advanced degrees from prestigious universities in the country and abroad.