CEU (Centro Escolar University) in the Metagen Era

Yesterday, December 9, 2023, I was honored and privileged to be named one of the outstanding alums, during the celebration of the 45th Grand Alumni Homecoming of Centro Escolar University (CEU) Malolos. I am both humbled and honored.

CEU has been my second home from grade one, at the age of seven, until I graduated high school at sixteen. These formative years influenced and shaped me into who I am now.

I vividly recall during the first week of grade 1 when I forgot my ID, and the strict CEU security guards wouldn't allow anyone to enter the building without it. So, I borrowed an ID from a random girl passing along the corridor who was already inside the facility. Of course, I got caught, and she and I spent the entire day in the principal's office. I don't know if Mrs. Beibi Innocencio (my Grade 1 Homeroom Advisor) recalls that incident, but I remember every second. I felt ashamed and learned a valuable life lesson that day: always do what's right even when no one is looking. "Sciencia y Virtud" (Science and Virtue) are the main pillars of CEU, and what I did back then doesn't fit either category. In my defense, I was just a kid, thinking that I could trick the guard with a borrowed card. I didn't know he'd check the picture, hahaha! Had I known, I should have borrowed from another boy. I felt ashamed for trying to be clever and acted foolishly instead. But, my greater fear was to be reported to my eldest sister, who, at that time, was teaching in the College of Accounting at just 18 years of age. My sister, Leilani Siquijor, graduated Magna Cum Laude in Accountancy at CEU Malolos and was immediately hired by the University to teach right after graduation. I didn't want to break her heart since I looked up to her.

Elementary and high school were the most formative years that made me who I am. A strong foundation in science, math, and English aids in college, but values and virtues serve as a north star in life, especially in dark times. I owe what I am today to my parents and teachers. Thanks to Facebook, I'm still in contact with my grade one advisor, Mrs. Innocencio, my Senior HS advisor, Mrs. Gutierrez, and my freshman advisor, Mrs. Valencia. Mrs. Valencia was still Ms. Torres back in 1987; she had recently graduated Cum Laude from CEU and went directly to teach high school. The Rose section was lucky to have Ms. Torres as its advisor. The best way to describe Ms. Torres is a beauty with brains who is always cool, calm, and collected rolled into one. Throughout high school, I never saw her angry, not even once. She is soft-spoken and always wears a nice smile. I'm sure she was the one who nominated me for the outstanding alumni award. Thank you, Ma'am Amy, and to all my teachers in CEU — thank you for the virtues and values you instilled in us!

I'm also still in contact with most of my Elementary and High School classmates. Although I don't spend much time on social media, except to occasionally say hi and greet people, I make it a point to see some of my classmates every time I visit the Philippines.

During high school, we formed a group called M-boys. We remained close even after attending different colleges after HS. Then, after college, we would spend time once in a while — sharing laughs, a couple of beers, a lot of food, karaoke, or just hanging out. But Life is short. Unfortunately, two of our best M-Boys buddies, Rodolfo Sacdalan and Michael Guzman, have passed away at a very young age (in their early 40s). I'm still in contact with Michael's older brother, Dr. Manuel Guzman, Ph.D, DD, FRIAMB, MBA, MPA, AMP, CLSSBB. Dr. Manuel is now a community leader in the Philippines of the non-profit DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) I founded, the Metagen DAO (https://metagencoin.com). I established this DAO as a capstone project for the Innovation with Blockchain class I took at Harvard. Our DAO's mission is to bring free or socialized advanced technology, ecology, and leadership education to underserved communities and countries through an educational platform called the Metagen Global Virtual University (https://mgvu.net) app.

To prepare the next generations of leaders in the fast-evolving high-tech world, the Metagen DAO is partnering with CEU to bring the MGVU Metaversity platform and our curriculum to all Escolarians in the IT field for free during our pilot run in 2024. I'm collaborating with Ms. Josan Tamayo and Dr. Eliza Ayo of CEU's College of Computer Science to incorporate the MGVU program into their curriculum starting next semester. Our mutual goal is to train Escolarians with 4th Transformational Technologies (i.e., Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Distributed Ledger Technology/Blockchain, Web 3.0, and the Metaverse) and help them secure international remote gig work. Core to our curriculum is incorporating environmental protection, leadership skills, and empathy. We will validate the students in the program on both aptitude and attitude so we can guarantee the quality of their work and vet their work ethics. The first program we will teach is General Purpose 4th Transformational Technologies.

To find out more about Metagen Global Virtual University, please visit https://mgvu.net.

Mabuhay ka Aming Pamantasan (Long Live Our University) Centro Escolar!

Romeo Siquijor,

Founder of the Metagen DAO & MGVU

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About the Author:

Romeo Siquijor is a tech mentor, civic leader, author, and keynote speaker. He has over 30 years of experience in the IT industry. He is a thought leader in IT leadership, emerging technologies, tech-for-good, and human-centric designs.