The establishment of the professorial chair was formalized by a memorandum of agreement sealed by the signatures of (seated from L-R) Vice Chancellor for Academic and Research Dr. Marco Saez, Dr. Bauuan, and Dr. Emmanuel Calairo.
Honor thy mother.
This is exactly what Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Emmanuel F. Calairo did when he made a professorial chair endowment at De La Salle University- Dasmariñas (DLSU-D) in the name of his mother, Novermber 6, at the Centennial Hall of DLSU-D.
The endowment, which will be formally known as the Dr. Rosalina M. Calairo Distinguished Professorial Chair in Sociology, is Dr. Calairo’s gift to his mother, whose legacy will now be preserved and immortalized by research studies that will be born from the newly established endowment fund.
An exceptional woman
Dr. Rosalina is a former faculty member at the University of the Philippines- Los Baños and was seen by her colleagues as an outstanding mother and woman.
In a speech, her former colleague Prof. Dwight David Diestro praised her by commenting that “she is a proof that the power of the people includes women.”
Dr. Junifen Franco Gauuan, president of Philippine Christian University and nephew of the honoree, revealed that he prefers to call his aunt a critical historian, a writer and a closeted poet.
Grateful son
Dr. Calairo, who took after her mother as a social scientist, thanked everyone who made the establishment of the professorial chair possible. He also asked everyone, especially his colleagues at the Social Sciences Department (SSD) to exploit the professorial chair and create more studies in the field of sociology and history.
As part of the appreciation, the Castrillo Studio donated a statue that will serve as roaming trophy for the endowed professorial chair.
Dr. Rosalina Calairo, the honoree, thanks her son, Dr. Emmanuel Calairo and the DLSU-D community for the founding of the professorial chair in her name.
The honoree’s response
In her response to the founding of the professorial chair in her name, she explained that she was initially reluctant to the idea of his son to donate a professorial chair endowment in her honor. She rejected the plan several times, but she eventually gave in to her son’s persistence. Now, she said that she was already thankful and even congratulated the university for the endeavour.
Dr. Maria Virginia Aguilar (in white) receives the statue as the first holder of the newly created professorial chair. She is joined by (L-R) Social Sciences Department Chair Loreto Camiloza, the College of Liberal Arts and Communication Dean Dr. Betty Tuttle and University Research Office Director Dr. Johnny Ching.
The first chair holder
Right after the unveiling of the statue inspired by the image of Dr. Rosalina, the first chair holder and keeper of the statue was announced. The first holder of the new professorial chair is Dr. Maria Virginia Aguilar, director of the graduate studies of the College of Liberal Arts and Communications and a faculty member of SSD. As the chair holder, she is expected to conduct a study in the field of sociology and deliver the conditions stated in the memorandum of agreement forged by Dr. Calairo and the university.