De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), through the Center for Faculty Advancement (CFAd), hosted this year’s “Benildean Educators: Recognized” event on July 15 at the Design and Arts (D+A) Campus Theater—marking its fifth year in celebrating faculty excellence.
The recognition event was introduced in 2022 and has been held annually to honor Benildean educators for their service, commitment to excellence, and meaningful contributions to the collective success of the institution.
Vice Chancellor for Academics, Mr. Angelo Marco U. Lacson formally began the ceremony with an inspirational message, extending his deepest gratitude to the awardees for empowering the student-teacher collective. He emphasized that their work serves as a reminder that excellence is not achieved in a single moment, but through countless acts of dedication “carried with purpose and heart.”
He was followed by CFAd Director Ms. Vanessa B. Puente, who delivered an overview of the awards. She highlighted a record-breaking total of 102 awardees, a stark contrast to previous years, reflecting the continued growth of the Benildean community.
CFAd honors its outstanding faculty members through its three core units: Curriculum, Instruction, and Service-Learning.
Under the Curriculum unit, 14 awardees received honors, including the Curriculum Stewardship Award, Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) on Point Pacesetter Award, and OBE on Point Full Compliance Award. Shortly after, a video message from Ms. Ana Kristina M. Arce, Chairperson of the Deaf Education and Applied Deaf Studies (SDEAS) Program, was presented to the audience. Representing her team, she shared sincere gratitude and emphasized their lasting commitment to education, regardless of the challenges ahead.
The Instruction Unit recognized 22 faculty members with the Most Engaged Faculty Award. Mr. Jose Mari Chris M. Echano from the School of Multidisciplinary Studies (SMS), Theology and Philosophy Area, imparted a message on behalf of the honorees. “Looking around this room, I don’t see a single awardee standing above anyone else. I see a room full of people who simply love what they do,” he remarked. He described educators as “weavers of hope,” and whose duty is to ensure every student receives the visibility and support they need.
Meanwhile, the Service-Learning Unit recognized 60 recipients through its Service Learning Facilitator Award, Service Learning Advocate Award, Service Learning Champion Award, and Service Learning Milestone Award.
Mr. Brian Bernard A. Bringas from the School of New Media Arts, Multimedia Arts (ABMMA) program delivered a short message expressing his appreciation for the work and effort the unit has dedicated. Additionally, he formally thanked the undermanned staff of the Service-Learning Unit for their unwavering dedication.
In an interview with The Benildean, Mr. Bringas shared his insights as an educator and one of the honorees of the Service Learning Champion Award, a recognition that is only given every five years.
Mr. Bringas has been a long-term faculty member of Benilde for over two decades. He expressed that there is no single defining moment in his years of service, because every year becomes a collection of a shared learning experience and he cherishes each one of them as a noteworthy event.
Furthermore, he mentioned that it was not the first time he had received an award, having been recognized for regularly facilitating the service-learning course for MMA and is consistently invited to CFAd’s annual recognition rites.
Rather than viewing his awards as personal achievements, this Benildean educator sees them as a way of rendering service and putting curricular content into practice. “It's not so much a pursuit for excellence, but more a duty and responsibility towards providing meaningful learning experiences for the students.”
When asked about ways in which the Benildean community can support its faculty, he suggested providing more incentives to the teaching associates, as a means of retaining current faculty and attracting new faculty members who are as steadfast in their work.
Before the final roster of awards, a musical performance was presented by Micah John Sanchez and Girah Casille from the School of Arts, Culture, and Performance (SACP), Music Production (BAMP) program.
For the Center Director’s Office awards, CFAd presented two major overarching awards. The Most Engaged Area or Program, awarded to the area or program with the highest cumulative faculty attendance across all three units, was received by the SMS, Theology and Philosophy Area. The Most Engaged All-Unit Award, honoring the individual faculty member with the absolute highest training attendance across curriculum, instruction, and service-learning, was received by Mr. Echano.
CFAd Director Ms. Puente offered the closing statement of the award ceremony, urging Benildean educators to continue teaching minds, inspiring hearts, and transforming lives. She stated that genuine learning experiences don't just happen on their own, they are shaped by educators in a changing world.
