On my shoulders now I carry the wealth of history, tradition, wisdom, scholarship, and pride of Bedans past and present.  I carry with me the hopes and aspirations of our young faculty and students for a school that shall offer them the space to excel and meet the challenges of the future.

As an obedient disciple of Saint Benedict and following the orders given me by my brothers in the Benedictine community through the Rt. Reverend Father Abbot, I humbly accept the tasks, duties and responsibilities as Rector-President of San Beda College Manila.

As President, I shall speak on behalf and within the mandates of the San Beda College Board of Trustees and its chairman, Dr. Manuel V. Pangilinan.

As Rector of a Catholic educational institution, I shall foster the observance of all ecclesiastical provisions contained in the Code of Canon Law that mandates colleges and universities to be at the forefront of evangelization.

University and college investitures are rare and bright occasions, awashed in touching rituals, colourful academic regalia, flowing hymns, roaring cheers, and deep symbols. In medieval fashion, it is almost like a prelude to a fight.

Well, some fight ahead there is, indeed, for San Beda College Manila and I will talk about the battle plan later on.  But back to university and college investitures, these are, by and large, an occasion for affirming and celebrating our community—that we are united by a common purpose and shared commitment to the pursuit of scholarship, teaching and learning and their meaningful applications to transforming lives of individuals, families and communities, and to building a nation.

In this occasion of solidarity, we also seek comfort in the presence of the wise and tested, provide solace and strength to the weary, and draw sparks of vitality from the young and the inspired.

It is a coming together of equals—diverse in backgrounds but bonded by the spirit to pursue fundamental questions that may not yield immediate answers in the present.  In an age of rapid instants and sound bytes, San Beda College remains true to our collective calling—that is, for colleges and universities to be, metaphorically speaking, vast arenas that offer us a chance to take time to question the status quo and to be disturbed and restless about what we found.

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