ANGELES CITY — “Teaching is a treasure chest filled with lamps that illuminate Holy Angel’s mission, to form socially responsible citizens who will positively impact our world.”
So attested Bro. Armin Luistro, F.S.C., the 28th Superior General of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and former Secretary of Education, at his conferment of Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa by the Holy Angel University here on Dec. 5.
“The heart of our mission here at Holy Angel University is contained in the University’s name to be God’s message of love for His people, to create spaces where celestial dreams encounter what is deeply human, to prepare the table of abundance where the bread of goodness satisfies all hunger, and the cup of salvation heals all wounds,” he said of the university’s very article of faith.
Concluding his speech with a message of hope and purpose: “We don’t need thousands of angels, we only need one angel to show up at the right moment to change the course of history… Believe that each one of you is also called to be an angel to someone today.”
The conferment ceremony opened with an invocation led by Most Rev. Paciano Aniceto, D.D., Archbishop Emeritus of San Fernando, followed by welcome remarks from Maria Rita Josefina Chua, treasurer of the HAU Board of Trustees, where she traced the emotional connection between Bro. Armin and HAU, beginning with pioneer teacher Encarnacion Aranda who was Bro. Armin’s grand-aunt, and Bro. Armin’s mother Magdalena Aranda Altamirano who graduated from HAU in 1946, with future HAU president Mamerto Nepomuceno as batchmate.
Rev. Fr. Deogracias Kerr Galang, HAU Board of Trustees member, delivered the Laudation, where he enumerated Bro. Armin’s achievements and legacies, one of which was the implementation of K-12 curriculum.
The University Chorale, accompanied by Dr. Joseph Esquivel of the School of Computing, rendered an intermission performance of “How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place.”
Atty. Erika Ana Andrea Nepomuceno, corporate secretary of the HAU BOT, read the board resolution, followed by the reading of the conferment text by university president Leopoldo Jaime Valdes.
The Ritual of Conferment was solemnly administered by Prof. Leonida Africa, vice chair of the HAU BOT, together with President Valdes and Dr. Maria Teresa Salta, supervising education program specialist, representing Dr. Maura Consolacion Cristobal, Commission on Higher Education Region 3 director.
The program closed with a performance of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by the University Chorale and Jebert Forte.
Bro. Armin is the 10th recipient of HAU’s honorary doctorate, joining past honorees Manuel Pangilinan (Doctor of Humanities, 2009), Washington Sycip (Doctor of Management, 2010), Jaime Augusto Zobel De Ayala (Doctor of Management, 2011), Christopher & Victoria Bernido (Doctors of Humanities, 2012), Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle (Doctor of Humanities, 2013), Amando Tetangco Jr. (Doctor of Public Administration, 2014), Ramon Jimenez Jr. (Doctor of Hospitality Management, 2018), and Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David (Doctor of Humanities, 2021). Punto News Team/HAU FB Page
