A SHORT GLIMPSE OF DR. EMILIA M. LOTILLAS LEGACY It‘s reallya cliché to say that anyone can come into your life and say how much they love you. But, it takes someone really special to stay in your life and show how much they love you. Ladies and gentlemen, at this very moment, I am privileged and honoured to stand in front of this body to introduce our honouree, whom will be serving a new institution under the same Department of Education. When I am tasked and requested by our honouree to introduce her in this occasion, mixed emotions and troubled thoughts rattled me thinking on how I will deliver it with justice. Hope that you will bear with me as we go along the journey of reminiscing the life of this great person. April 1, 1952 is the birth of a beautiful baby at Maganoy (now Sharif Aguak), Maguindanao. She was the eldest daughter of seven children of Mr. Perfecto Toledo Medel, who was once the Barangay Secretary of Barangay New Panay, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat and Mrs. Clarita Sumatra Medel, who is a retired teacher from New Panay Elementary School. As the eldest of seven siblings, she was been given great responsibilities to look after her brothers and sisters while her parents are at work. And so at a young age, she instilled on her mind that she must dream for a brighter future for her family for the value of seeking education as her only weapon to survive poverty. She went to school for her elementary grades at New Panay Elementary School S.Y. 1960-1964 and her secondary years at Notre Dame of Esperanza, Inc. S.Y. 1964-1968. As influenced by the teaching expertise of her great mother, our honouree was really inspired to take up Bachelor of Secondary Education at the Notre Dame of Tacurong College, Tacurong City S.Y. 1968-1972. Despite the ups and downs while being a college student, she managed to overcome such trials because of determination, industry, and faith. Even in some speaking engagements, she won’t forget to mention “Purika or Viva which is popularly known as LARD brand” as her inspiration and way to endure hunger because of limited resources and support while in school. These made a great motivation and a living proof for our students that “Poverty is not a hindrance to success”. Even being a community paid teacher at year 1991, she didn’t stop seeking for professional growth, who finished her Graduate Studies in Quezon Colleges of Southern Philippines, Tacurong City with the degree Master of Arts in Educational Management, that truly attested her administrative competence as principal of New Panay National High School. Likewise, she demonstrated that to attain a post-graduate degree is the highest educational attainment to be fulfilled while responsibilities at school and at home messed up. She was a woman of brilliance that recently finished her full-pledged Doctor of Philosophy major in Institutional Development Management last April 2009 at Sultan Kudarat State University. What for we achieved huge success in our career if it’s not equated with the same success being shared and devoted for our family? Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out. Ladies and gentlemen, our honouree was married to her good-looking and equally brilliant husband, Mr. Simeon Yamuyam Lotilla Jr., who was the present District Supervisor of Central Isulan District. Their romantic love affair generated 4 handsome and beautiful siblings of Lotilla’s, 3 boys and an only girl. Presently, her eldest son, Randy M. Lotilla, was a graduate of BS Marine Transportation at John B. Lacson Maritime University, formerly known as Iloilo Maritime Academy. He was a Marine Deck Officer currently connected to the world’s leading oil/chemical shipping company, a Norwegian Shipping based in Bergen, Norway; her second son, Romel M. Lotilla, graduated in University of Southern Mindanao with the Degree Bachelor of Elementary Education and his graduate studies Master of Arts in Educational Development at Notre Dame of Tacurong College and Quezon Colleges of Southern Philippines, currently a Teacher III position and a Division-designate at the Human Resource Management.; her third son, Ricky Jay M. Lotilla, was a graduate of BS Nursing at Brokenshire College, Davao City and presently working in the Surgical Unit of Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital; lastly, her only daughter, Rizzle Joy M. Lotilla, was a third year college student and a consistent dean’s lister taking up Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Science at San Pedro College, Davao City. She considers them her happiness and a precious treasure in life that whatever victory she had attained, it was all dedicated to them-her family. “New Panay National High School is a School inside a Garden.” Its establishment was like a fairy tale because the impossible were made very possible through love, cooperation, and determination. It has a lot of stories to tell from its establishment to the present. The barangay officials and the parents in general were hungry of education and their great love towards their children and their concern about their future made them think, ponder, and work hard for the establishment of a small school no matter how difficult it was even to the extent of losing their lives. As an administrator, our honouree is one of its kinds and no one can level her hype as a hard-working principal. She was the pioneer teacher and founder of New Panay Barangay High School since 1972 until it was recognized as New Panay National High School year 1986 when she got along with the head teacher position. She was the sole teacher at that time until she was joined by Mrs. Dominica Depra, MT-I, Nimfa Gegantoca, MT-I, Vergelia Garcia, T-2, and Emanuel MA, T-3 to produce the first graduates in the year 1976. Five school heads managed them before she was given the opportunity to manage the high school out of nothing, without a post, roofs and rooms which was once only using 2 rooms in the elementary school. Year 1989 is one of her great trials to look for the site of the school and be separated from the elementary. Along the 41 years of school’s existence, are witnesses of sad and happy memories worth remembering for the school which was erected through the sweat, sacrifices and determination of the parents and the barangay officials. Five barangay officials and a school head were about to be ambushed along the way when they got the Marcos type building from an abandoned place in Matagabong, Maganoy, Maguindanao. These unidentified men however stopped firing at them upon recognizing the school head on board a vehicle. She was greatly challenged when this Marcos Type Cogon Building shattered down by a whirlwind due to its aged and weak properties for such a long years of establishment. But she was so braved enough even in her pregnant period to ask and solicit for concrete facilities like buildings and mini-gym to be put up in a one-hectare area from benevolent politicians and supportive stakeholders of the community. Today, this small school was comprised with 18 dedicated and equally hardworking teachers, a school nurse and a head teacher. Numerous awards and acknowledgments were conferred until she reached her stature in almost 41 years in service to the Department of Education. The school founded out of sweat, sacrifices and great devotion was not only popular in the division but also throughout the region and reached its national level recognition due to Brigada Eskwela. It was a consistent winner and a recipient of such awards which made the principal herself recognized as the Most Outstanding Principal I in Sultan Kudarat Division last 2011. She was also elected as the President of SKAPSSA (Sultan Kudarat Association of Public Secondary School Administrators). She was consistent in supporting active scouting program, adaption of school’s best practices working out for PAS-B level, concerned in academic quest and sporting programs, and a certified Clean , Green , and Beautiful Classroom and Environment advocate. The school lived by its motto: “Do not wait for Tomorrow, what you can do for Today”. Hence, our honouree though closer to her retirement 4 years from now, cannot be compared with a typical wrinkled woman because she was young at heart and fond of humorous conversations as her laughs echoes around the corner. In my personal note, I would like to say that “There are things that we don’t want to happen but have to accept, things we don’t want to know but have to learn, and people we can’t live without but have to let go”. This introduction was just a short glimpse of her colourful life, but the real essence of her character comes within her heart. She was an epitome of an Iron Lady “Margaret Thatcher” and the mother of Philippine Democracy “Corazon Aquino” mixed in one which produced a dynamic seasoned administrator, a great mother and a wife, a reliable confidant and most of all a woman of substance. Your presence will not be around in your previous school but your legacy still remains. Only that this new school will also be privileged to be administered by your expertise, likewise experience more love, more happiness, and more vitality in the way we think until now because of you. Forty one years in service to the Department is such a fulfilment of your vision and translating this vision into reality. You earned your greatness through humility which is built upon relationships, love, service for humanity, and sacrifice. Maam, please do remember that you’re special. And you’re beginning to realize that it’s no accident that you’re special. You’re beginning to see that God made you special for a very special purpose. He must have a job for you that no one else can do so well as you. Only one is qualified. Only one has the right combination of what it takes. That one is You-because God loves you unconditionally! Without much further ado, please help me welcome by standing coupled with your thunderous applause, our honouree, the woman of the hour, the outgoing principal of New Panay National High School and the new administrator of Bambad National High School, DR. EMILIA MEDEL LOTILLA, Principal II.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:18:01 +0000
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