CHED Commissioner Hadja Luningning Umar, second from left, chair of the NSCA Board of Trustees, and Dolly Alvarez, right, wife of Rep. Genaro Alvarez Jr. puts on the academic vestment on the congressman with CHED Regional Director Dr. Isabela Mahler assisting during the April 30 conferment rites at NSCA; right photo, Dr. Umar presents the diploma to Dr. Genaro Alvarez Jr.

Rep. Genaro Alvarez Jr. of the 6th District of Negros Occidental was conferred the honorary Doctor of Humanities degree by the Negros State College of Agriculture in Kabankalan City on April 30. Through his efforts, NSCA has constructed and installed better facilities and provided college education opportunities to hundreds of students who are beneficiaries of grants he has extended through the years.

The conferment of the honorary degree was held in rites held on campus officiated by CHED Commissioner Dr. Hadja Luningning Umar, chairman of the NSCA Board of Trustees, CHED Regional Director Dr. Isabela Mahler and NSCA President Dr. Freddie Maningo. The ceremony was witnessed by the congressman’s wife, Dolly, and son, Paul.

NSCA Chief Administrative Officer Cleo Grace Hinaut presented the honoree after the prayer by Faculty Federation President Francisco Muleta and Board of Trustees Secretary Nelly Cabual read the resolution granting the honoris causa degree. Dr. Aldwin Teves, dean of the Graduate School, and Dr. Joel Perez, vice president for academic affairs ,respectively, read and presented the citation to Rep. Alvarez with alumni association president Wilfredo Abada inducting him into the association. The conferment ceremony master of ceremonies was Prof. Mae Flor Posadas.

The following is the acceptance speech delivered by Rep. Alvarez.

This conferment of an honorary degree is indeed a humbling experience. It is therefore a privilege and pleasure to have such a degree bestowed me. But this experience gave me an opportunity to recall what I have done for the past 18 years in public service.

I have offered several projects and programs in the past but I have come to the realization that of all those projects, education was my main priority.

When I was elected as a provincial board member, I paved the way of bringing electricity to different barangays but I also pushed for the establishment of extension high schools in far-flung barangays for their children. Sixty extension high schools were established all throughout the province and 30 in the 6th district, namely in the barangays of Tagucon, Carol-an, Oringao, Magballo, Daan-Banwa, Talubangi, Tagoc and Poblacion of Kabankalan.

When I became a congressman, the opportunity to do more was given to me. I made it a point that better roads will be made, by putting to good use our government’s money in improving our district’s national highway, specifically from Cauayan to Hinobaan, Ilog to Candoni and Candoni to Sipalay. At present, the road to Barangay Salong to Barangay Tapi is on going as well as the road from Barangay Pook, Hinobaan to Barangay Sangke, Hinobaan, with a total of 250 kilometers more or less.

I also moved that affordable health care will be given to our constituents. To date, the PhilHealth program is still on-going with 13,000 members and I have received very positive feedback on the hospitalization program funded by my Priority Development Assistance Fund in the Corazon Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.

Through my work in legislation, benefits for our senior citizens conferred by law as well as those benefits for our single parents. Aside from these, who would forget the conversion of Kabankalan and Sipalay into component cities? The opportunities enjoyed by the barangays and the cities I have mentioned was through this conversion. And it is a fact that conversions are made in Congress and nowhere else.

You may now be asking yourself, where is education there? And my answer is: It is where you are right now. The establishment of the Negros State College of Agriculture is indeed my greatest contribution to education. At this day and age, it is not enough for one to be a high school graduate anymore. I may have brought the extension high schools nearer to the people but with the present demand for college graduates, I realized that I should do more. Through, NSCA, college education is now within the reach of our children.

When his institution was still known as Negros Occidental Agriculture College, students were mocked as laborers rather than as students. Students were perceived to be bringing spading, gona and sadol to school rather than pens and papers. This perception is long gone. More courses are now being offered. New technology in agriculture is available. Masteral and doctorate degrees are yours for the taking though I’m the lucky one who does not have to go through school to get a doctorate degree.

In keeping with my goal to bring college education closer to our children, six extension campuses of NSCA in our district have been established, namely in Cauayan, Sipalay, Bocana Ilog, Ilog Proper, Candoni and Hinobaan. Aside from these, NSCA’s production food center is up and running, a hotel for our HRM students will soon rise in the school grounds.

Experience taught me that one way of reaching the personal needs of your constituents is to give them free and quality education. It is every parents dream to give their children the opportunity to learn and be educated. I remember myself as a young boy. My mother always urged me to finish school and the never-ending speeches and naggings I got from my father. Over the past 18 years, I made it a point that I will send a number of our children to NSCA and private colleges under my scholarship program. Today, an average of 1,000 students have been sent to school for free every year under my congressional funds.

In politics, a lot of things may be taken away from you. Some of your projects may be credited to other people and it is always inevitable that some will forget or will intentionally forget what you have done. NSCA symbolizes one of my greatest achievement in my years as a public servant. But NSCA’s journey is far from over. There is so much more to be done. That is why I intend to push through with the conversion of NSCA into a state university this year when Congress re-opens it session. This will provide our children more variety of courses, better quality of education and more facilities to be enjoyed. I challenge all of you, the administration, the students, to help me reach this goal. If this will happen, we will leave a mark that no one can forget and no one can forget and no one can ignore.

It has always been my belief that I should never forget to acknowledge the persons who where behind me all these years. Let me start with my family. My wife, Dolly, who always stood by me and my children and their families who helped me continue with the legacy of public service, my grandfather, Gil Montilla, started. I would also like to thank Dr. Maningo, the faculty and staff of NSCA for their cooperation, hard work and patience. Also to all the students and scholars, thank you. You are the reason why all o us present here continue to improve the quality of education you are receiving and for those who will receive it in the future.

And lastly, I would like to thank the Board of Trustees for this honorary degree.

Again, NSCA and I have come a long way, and the journey is nowhere finished. I ask all of you to help me realize my dreams for this institution. Let us all have confidence and faith. Let us hold fast to the belief that it can and it will happen. Let us leave a mark that will tell the people, that we had the vision, the courage, the strength and the greatness to make this institution live to its fullest and bring quality education to our children. And I vow to this great audience today, that I will continue to work unfailingly, just to make it happen.