BY DR. EPIFANIA O. AGUSTIN
Dean for Instruction, MMSU

MANY ARE called but only a few are chosen. Truly, in the field of research, Dr. Miriam E. Pascua is among the few who made to the scientist position. To qualify as a scientist is not easy and simple. One has to fulfill an array of requirements among such as publications of research results in refereed journals, significant research outputs, membership in scientific/professional organizations, and awards and recognitions. With her conferment as Scientist I by the Department of Science and Technology Scientific Career Council, no one could doubt Dr. Pascua’s commitment, capability, and devotion in R&D endeavors.

Her leadership in the MMSU-International Development Research Center project ‘Garlic Industry, Philippines’ in 1990-1993 paved the way for Dr. Pascua to establish a name in the scientific community not only in Region 1 and in the Philippines but also in Canada. Her participation in garlic research did not end with this project because she again led the DA-BAR garlic project in 2001-2004. And because of her continued and fruitful involvement in garlic research, she was acclaimed as the “Garlic Queen” of Region 1.

True to being the “Garlic Queen”, she chaired the first and second Ilocos Norte Garlic Festival. Her involvement in this activity paid off because a tissue culture building was built at MMSU through the congressional funds of Rep. Imee R. Marcos of the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte. This building was used by the R&D directorate as MMSU’s counterpart for the DA-BAR institutional development grant. The grant, amounting to P2 M, was used to purchase tissue culture and biotechnology equipment. At present, this is now a very good laboratory area for both university researchers and thesis students of the College of Agriculture and Forestry (CAF) and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
Apart from doing garlic research, she also leads the National Cooperative Trials for Rice at MMSU and the project “Documentation, Conservation and Utilization of Vanishing Plant Species in the Ilocos”. She reaped recognition in these endeavors such as the 1995 Civil Service Commission “Pag-asa” Award as member of the Rice Varietal Improvement Group. The poster ‘Kankanen a naaramid ti buga’ was first place during the 2004 ILARRDEC Regional Symposium on R&D Highlights.

Through the years, despite her overwhelming achievements, she has remained as accommodating and caring project leader. She is endearly called ‘Donya’ by her senior partners and ‘Nana’ by her junior partners. And through the years when reports are due, cramming never became part of history. Indeed, she is even more efficient and more productive when she is under pressure.

For those who have not seen Dr. Pascua in action in the field, it’s hard for them to believe how active she is in research because of her white complexion and beautiful face. For them she is a professor confined in the four walls of an office or classroom. For the young ones at MMSU, it may also be hard to believe that she used to be a CAS faculty. After finishing her Ph.D., she did not hesitate to transfer to CAF, a gesture which puzzled the young ‘once’ at CAS. May be she has foreseen then, the prospects of being at CAF where research culture reigns among the constituents.

The Student

DR. MARYLOU F. AURELIO
Professor VI, MMSU-CTE

THEY SAY that “we catch and steal the fleeting moments to lurk in the golden sands, not only to press golden footprints, elixir to memories and reverence, but to build monuments to stand the tests of elements.” It is along this thought that I take deep pride and pleasure to reminisce and write as a former mentor to a fulfilled high school graduate of the Ilocos Norte National High School (INNHS). Further, it steers evocative sentimentalism within my heart as this accomplished alumna is a product of an institution known as the “cradle of noble leaders” where I once served.
For the past 99 years, graduates identified with almost all fields of endeavor have passed through the portals of the INNHS. In its alumni roll are emblazoned illustrious names like Roque B. Ablan, Salvador P. Lopez, Jose E. Evangelista, Antonio V. Raquiza, Simeon M. Valdez, Pio R. Marcos, Salvador Peña, Abelardo G. Samonte, Ernesto Mata, Damaso T. Samonte, among others. The list is long and its pages continue to fill. Along this line of noble leaders, Dr. Miriam Edulian Pascua, the sixth University President of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), now seeks her rightful place as a successful alumna in her own right, continually contributing for the welfare of the community and the nation in general.

Dr. Pascua belonged to the special science class of 1974, where she stood out as she excelled in academics, and actively immersed herself in co-curricular activities. Immediately, she exhibited zeal in giving to life the philosophy behind the founding of the science class, which was to promote and encourage interests in the sciences among the youth and to motivate and sustain students who demonstrate exceptional inclinations for advancement in these fields. More importantly, the sciences instructional program was integrated whenever possible into human relations as well as into community problems and needs, making it possible for the holistic development of the character of Dr. Pascua.
It can be said that Dr. Pascua’s secondary education accounts much for her success. Her four years of her stay in the INNHS strengthened the backbone of her intellectual and spiritual life. It was a period of discovering and exploring new horizons wherein she acquired the solid foundation that has propelled her to wider horizons.

Fresh from her achievements as first honors at San Nicolas Central Elementary School (SNCES), she entered the portals of the INNHS during the school year 1970-71 displaying the Ilocano fortitude and love of education. As gleaned from her academic records and from testimonies of her former mentors, she maintained her good academic performance in all her subjects. As a fourth year Batch 1974 comprising 442 students, she was subjected to the rigorous homogeneous grading system (i.e., in multiples of 5 with grades ranging from 85 to 95) and passed all her subjects with flying colors. As proof of this stringent system, the special science class where she belonged achieved an almost perfect percentage passing rate for the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT).
During her freshman year, she excelled in science and mathematics as well as in Geometry, Philippine History and Government, Philippine Community Life, Music, Health and Physical Education, Pilipino, Character Education, Citizens Army Training, and Youth Civic Action Program with grades ranging from 90 to 95. Dr. Miriam was also an accomplished athlete, belonging to the softball team. She was also an officer in the Citizen’s Army Training (CAT) as a cadette major. Indeed, her achievements spoke well of her holistic development.

Music is in the heart of the MMSU President who has shown her natural musical inclination whether it be local or instrumental. Being her music mentor at INNHS, I relish those moments reminiscing her beautiful piano renditions and interpretations of “Somewhere My Love”, “Remember Me”, “Sapagkat Kami’y Tao Lamang”. I take pride in having had a meaningful role in helping her express her music. She was, likewise, lucky to have loving parents who provided her opportunities for many a music hour. As such, she was a member of the INNHS Glee Club. Truly, she subscribes to the idea of Carlyle when he said that “music is the speech of the angels.”

Writing played a very distinctive part in the high school life of Dr. Pascua. Being at the helm as the Pilipino editor of The Weaver, the official publication of the INNHS, she was trained and inspired to “weave” in her creative mind beautiful and magnificent poems, essay and stories about the beauty of nature. The Weaver was one time made as the official publication of the entire division of Ilocos Norte. The unique name is derived from the major and chief cottage industry of this province which is weaving. Admirably, Dr. Pascua could be likened to a weaver too, for her thoughts and expressions represent various molds and colors.

An appraisal of student behavior and conduct during her secondary education shows the desired character traits she developed. This includes courtesy, cooperation, dependability and punctuality. I vividly remember her as a very courteous student especially towards her superiors. She showed willingness to cooperate with others in carrying out any undertaking, working well with others. She could be relied upon in completing assigned tasks and keeping her appointments. It is on record that she was exceptional in school attendance. It is very gratifying to note that she was never tardy in all her classes from first year to fourth year. She maintained perfect attendance in her senior year and incurred only one absence in first, second, and third years. What was amazing about that feat was that those were considered awkward years initiating her to the world of young adulthood.

Like the good steward in the gospel of our Lord who was rewarded for her excellent stewardship, Dr. Miriam E. Pascua is now receiving awards and citations for her works and achievements. Cognizant of the fact that it is easier to keep up than to catch up, she considers moral and spiritual education and guidance be given basic value and priority. She is considered as a model of boundless energy, exemplifying a life of virtue, modesty and purity of thoughts. Humility, simplicity, modesty, sobriety, and dynamism are the conspicuous assets of Dr. Pascua that apparently led her to her being the second lady president of the Mariano Marcos State University. With her at the helm of the university which was geared itself towards attaining peak performance in the education of our youth, everyone is assured of moral, spiritual, intellectual, mental, and physical development imbued with the necessary zeal and spirit of sacrifice.
Finally, Madam President deserves our congratulations and prayers for her so that she will reap more glories and illustrious achievements in the future.

The Colleague

BY PROF. MAURA LUISA GABRIEL
CAF

I FIRST met MEP in 1989 when she was transferred to the College of Agriculture and Forestry from the College of Arts and Sciences. She had just finished her Ph.D. then. Since her field of specialization was plant breeding, she joined the horticulture department where I belonged.
We secretly called her ‘Agatona’ because of her height. During that time, she seldom smiled. My first impression of her was ‘mataray’. Well, may be because that was also what I heard about her. However, I was able to prove that the saying “first impression lasts” is not true because as the days passed, I came to discover the real Dr. Miriam E. Pascua.

As I look back now and realize how she worked hard to be able to attain where she is now, I can liken her to Joseph in the Bible. Joseph, before he was installed as ruler of Egypt, was humbled by being sold as a slave to the Egyptians – imprisoned and neglected. Dr. MEP, after finishing her Ph.D., remained as instructor yet I have seen how she did faithfully the assignments given her.

I have worked with MEP in several research projects and I noticed good traits worthy of emulating.
She is a good Manager. As the project leader of the Garlic Industry (Philippines) from 1991 to 1994, she was able to lead the team in accomplishing the objectives of the project with commendations from the sponsoring agency. She made sure that everything was in order from the setting up of experiments until the writing of reports.
As a woman with Integrity, she is very honest in her transactions especially as regards money matters. She does what is right in the eyes of God, despite becoming unpopular sometimes.

She is also Resourceful. She has the ability to look for ways to accomplish a project. She submits proposals to funding agencies which led DA-BAR in 2001 to fund our garlic project. She was also able to convince Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Imee R. Marcos to release funds for the establishment of the tissue culture laboratory and greenhouse.
Not all people have Intuitive ability, but MEP has it. She has the ability to discern the truth. This can be traced from her strong personal spiritual devotions.

She is Accommodating. Ask her for help and she will give her best even if it would cost her a lot. I can’t forget what she did to me sometime in 1997 when I shared to her my need for a rocking chair due to my difficulty in putting my baby to sleep at night. I knew how busy she was but she looked for a rocking chair and delivered it right at our door.
She is a Model. She sets good example in her work, speech, and actions.

She is also an Effective and Efficient worker. This can be measured by her many accomplishments. As a researcher, she goes out to the field and mingles with her clienteles. She was able to identify adoptable high yielding and good quality rain fed lowland rice cultivars. She spearheaded the collection and establishment of a genebank of vanishing plant species in Ilocos. These collections are very important in the university’s breeding program. As dean of the CAF, she strengthened the curricular offerings of the college through curricular revisions, better facilities, and refurbished laboratory rooms.

As a Person with vision, she has the ability to see greater and wider perspectives. She envisioned that the Flower and Garden Show that was started in January 2000 would help the ornamental industry in the province. True enough, a lot of people are now into plant business. Plant enthusiasts always look forward to MMSU’s foundation anniversary celebration for the annual flower and garden show to be updated of what is new in the ornamental industry.
What I envy so much about her is her Ability to work under pressure. When everyone is getting headaches from work pressures, she stays cool and still can think effectively.

MEP is a very Simple person. She has simple wants and simple needs. She is easy to please and easy to deal with.
She is Conscientious. She gives careful attention to every step or decision she makes.
She, too, is Unselfish. She considers the welfare of others before hers. She shares freely her ideas, her time, and her resources.

What I admire most of her is her Ability to stoop down. She remains humble even when some people deliberately insult her or hurt her. She rarely fights back.
Lastly, MEP fears the Lord. As written in Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. That’s her secret and I am a witness to how she commits her work to God in prayers. As written in Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed”.

The Dr. Miriam E. Pascua that I know

BY DR. SOSIMO MA. PABLICO

HAVING been professionally associated during the last 15 years or so with the new president of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Dr. Miriam E. Pascua, I had the rare privilege of working with a lady whom I had always jokingly called “the woman in a hurry to grow professionally.”

That was because I saw her fully indulging in whatever she was working on, be it in the conduct of research, writing a research report, production of a research poster, administration of the MMSU College of Agriculture and Forestry, or being an officer-in-charge of the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. It was like a self-fulfilling prophecy whenever I told her to slow down on her work even as I told her “you are so in a hurry to become the President of MMSU.” She always answered, of course, that she was only trying to do something right.

It comes to my mind that a year or so before I retired in 2003, I warned her to slow down a little bit as I jokingly told her she was ageing faster than she thought. “Be careful,” I warned her, “Leo may come to dislike the way you are working.” However, Miriam [I am positive she wouldn’t mind me calling her this way even if she is already the University President] is very fortunate for she got an understanding husband who has always been very supportive of her undertakings. A few days after she got her appointment as MMSU President, I asked her how Leo, her husband, has reacted. With the usual wide smile that I had always seen during our professional association, she said Leo is all out in supporting her new task.

Having been a member of her research teams, I am doubly confident that she will finish her term with flying colors. I have seen how she puts her heart and soul into her work to come up with excellent outputs. I remember she came one morning to Catbangen, San Fernando City looking for the house of my sister-in-law where we were staying. With her tall and lanky figure, she suddenly popped up over the gate and asked that she be allowed to come in. She wanted me to edit the terminal report of the Garlic Project which she led for a number of years and she pleaded that I accept the job even as the honorarium was not so much. She was more than honest in saying the report needed more than just a “hogwash”. How could one reject her appeal when you can feel just how concerned she was in submitting a readable report? No way!

More than that, Miriam is one leader who really knows how to share her joys and glory to the people she works with. Months later after she submitted the report to the funding agency, she showed me a letter from the agency director that said it was one of the best reports he ever read. In fact, she gave me a photo copy of the letter, which I have kept as one of my rare treasures. What a way of showing her appreciation for a little thing one has done.
What’s more, Miriam never forgets to give credit to whom it is due. She always told me “our research, our paper, our poster” even as my role was very minimal. My name appeared among the authors even if my contribution was truly almost nil. And I really thank her for that. The other members of her research teams would agree with me that she also equitably shares with them even the cash prizes won by their papers and posters during regional and national competitions. Yes, the word is equitable.

What I also know is that she never asserted being “the authority” on anything she did not really do, which, to me, proved as an asset in her bid for the MMSU presidency. That alone is already a sterling quality that not everybody possesses. Indeed, one commits intellectual dishonesty and piracy of intellectual property when a person asserts to be “the authority” on something that was developed by somebody else. Miriam can not and would never do that for she has more than enough to be proud of.

Above all, while she leads in getting a task done, she does not treat those helping her as servants or menial workers whom she could easily push around. This makes it easy for her not to forget to thank the people who have given a helping hand in any task. To workers at the lower layer of the social structure, a kind word for a job done is already more than enough compensation to their toil. Indeed, we have seen a good number who do not know how to thank their people, probably as a result of poor socialization at home.

Dr. MEP as Dean

BY PROF. CHARITO G. ACOSTA
CAF

She was tactful. She had the ability to conduct delicate negotiations and matters concerning faculty, staff and students in a way that recognized mutual rights and yet led to harmonious solutions. She possessed the ability to place herself in the position of the persons involved and carefully assessed how they would feel and react. She had a ready appreciation of the proper thing to do and say and had a fine sense of how to avoid giving offense. During the conduct of meetings, she had the ability to discover and discern common ground between opposing viewpoints and induced both parties to accept. She had a therapy of listening. She was not a compulsive talker. She possessed genuine effort to understand what the other person has to say without prejudging the issue raised.

She had self-control. As far as I can remember, never did she lose self-control in testing circumstances. She was calm in crisis and resilient in disappointments. To me, she was an example in speech and conduct. She had a controlled and caring tongue. Her speech pattern is that of the “think before speaking, know when silence is best” pattern. She gave wise and sincere advices, and spoke truthfully while seeking to encourage. Her kind and gentle words cheered others who seemed to be weighted down or discouraged

She was not exempt from criticisms. Her humility was manifested in the manner she accepted and reacted to these. Instead of tossing back a quick put down or clever retort when criticized, she listened to what was being said and I suppose that she learned a lot from her critics. She benefited from wise criticisms and considered these as kindness, thereby making these productive rather than destructive no matter how these were originally intended. She did not fight back unjust criticisms and did not dwell upon them or spent valuable time and energy worrying about them. These did not affect her leadership as dean; instead, she continued to perform her responsibilities with courage and determination.

She invested her time wisely. She used her time purposely and productively. With administrative matters to attend to in the college and with a teaching load, she did not neglect her research function. She did not only conduct research studies that were in line with her field of specialization but also found time with her co-workers to discuss and present the results in regional and national research symposia garnering awards which brought prestige to the University.
The manner in which she spent her lunch break every Mondays and Fridays was worthy. She and her prayer partner, Prof. Maura Luisa Gabriel, are part of a small group of CAF faculty that prays every Monday noon for the University in general, the college in particular, and for some specific personal concerns. Likewise, she used to attend the Bible study of the same group noontime of Fridays where ishe was sometimes assigned as a Bible study leader.

She exercised the art of delegation. She recognized the special abilities of her constituents and did not only give them key responsibilities where they do their best, but confidently trusted them to do their jobs. I believe this induced the best cooperation among the faculty. While she followed up on some assigned tasks to make sure that these were completed as intended, she never forgot to show or express her appreciation to her constituents who had helped complete these tasks.

She was sensitive to the needs of her constituents. She saw to it that recognition was provided them. Her exemplary performance as dean was spiced with her excellent camaraderie that mobilized her constituents to work.