SSU celebrates ALE passers with vibrant testimonial night honoring architecture excellence

LOOK | Coinciding with the Philippine Architecture Festival – National Architecture Month, the United Architects of the Philippines Student Auxiliary (UAPSA) Samar State University Chapter organized a testimonial night at the 3/F Convention Center, December 6.

Carrying the theme, “Kislap ng Bahaghari: The Kaleidoscope of Timeless Hues in Architecture,” the event celebrated the achievements and success of the January and June 2024 Architecture Licensure Examination (ALE) passers from the Architecture department of the College of Industrial Technology (CIT).

Vice President for Student Affairs and Services Dr. Gina Españo, representing University President Dr. Redentor Palencia, applauded the new architects: “Your diligence and commitment have yielded commendable results, and you should take pride in your achievements.”

“Our hope is that you continue to hold on to your energy, enthusiasm, and passion. Breathe life into our dream of a more resilient and sustainable world [because] all of you are the world’s future,” Dr. Españo further encouraged the ALE passers.

Moreover, in his inspirational speech, Ar. Emjay Bal Fua De Paz humorously questioned why he was chosen as a speaker, saying, “Is it because 8 years ako in college? Ha Arki?”

The Tacloban native architect, in his message, stressed that he will not give unsolicited advice: “After all, hino nga ba ako? Pumasar man la ako, and just like you, mapasar man gihap kamo, eventually. The only difference is that nauna la ako, pero we share the same goal— an magin architect.”

He highlighted how he experienced the same challenges in architecture school, such as the sleepless nights, but believed he was not needed by the architecture students there, “But at the end of the day, it at gin-uulian iba-iba and you have your own bags to deal with. So, I don’t want to tell you what to do because you got there on your own, you were able to go this far bisan waray pa’k kumadi para maghatag inspirational speech— diri ako niyo kailangan.”

“You managed to go this far and you’re going to go even farther, just like how I managed to carry my bags to get the title ‘Ar.,’ so yeah, bahala ka, may buot ka na. If there’s someone na gusto mo magin inspiration, it should be yourself. Give yourself more credit,” he stressed.

The night also featured testimonial messages from the ALE passers, a ceremonial toast, and the awarding of tokens and certificates.