Central Mindanao University Academic Paradise of the South
Central Mindanao University (CMU) held its monthly convocation on November 3, 2025, at the University Convention Center, with the event focusing specifically on the cultivation of Filipino values in the modern era.
The convocation featured Ms. Jorrie Hernandez, a Diocesan formator of the Diocese of Malaybalay. Hernandez addressed the CMU community, emphasizing the reality of human imperfection, particularly among those in public service. She noted that the lives of government or public servants are not perfect, suggesting that individuals must focus on nurturing the potential within themselves, despite imperfection.
“Nobody is perfect. We are all works in progress,” Hernandez added.
The formator stressed that essential Filipino values, including paggalang (respect), bayanihan (cooperation), malasakit (empathy), and katapatan (integrity), do not always bloom in perfect conditions.
Hernandez utilized the metaphor of gardening and soil to illustrate the nature of character and community. She described a random plant as a perfect symbol of Filipino values, which didn’t need to be beautiful to be meaningful.
“Filipino soil has always been rich. Inside it grows the values that keep us rooted,” Hernandez further emphasized.
She highlighted that institutions like CMU matter because they act as the gardener who keeps the soil fertile. Hernandez warned that a plant cannot grow in toxic soil, just as a community can’t thrive in a toxic environment. She challenged attendees to reflect on whether they are the soil that allows others to bloom before asking them to grow.
Hernandez advised the audience that values grow when one practices them consistently and quietly, rather than just announcing them at flag ceremonies.
She stressed the importance of small acts, such as a kind tone, a patient reply, or an honest report. “They are daily drops of character. And no great value ever bloomed from a dry heart,” Hernandez stressed.
As educators and public servants, the audience was described as light givers who illuminate truth and project hope. Hernandez encouraged them to remember that they are strengthening roots for the future, even if their students do not offer immediate thanks. She likened every student to a seed, noting that while some bloom early and some later, a true gardener never gives up on the seed.
“When we correct with love, we plant humility. When we forgive, we plant grace. When we persevere, we plant courage,” Hernandez enumerated as the actions that can nurture these seeds.
Hernandez concluded by noting that the legacy of the community will be the people we shaped and the hearts and lives we touched, and not the models or modules invented.
Apart from the talk, the convocation also recognized the faculty researchers who successfully published their studies from October to December 2024. [Johnica Chantal G. Montero]
