Living up to its core value Caritas or charity, Holy Cross College ranked 1 in the whole Central Luzon in the community extension best practices of private higher education institutions followed by Wesleyan University as rank 2.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region 3 recognized the different outreach programs and community extension projects of the school with a heart during the pandemic.
The awarding is in line with the Celebration of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) 27th Founding Anniversary and 1st National Higher Education Day with the theme ‘PADYAK PAMPANTASAN: PANDAYAN TUNGO SA KAUNLARAN Moving Forward by Claiming Victory for the Philippine Higher Education.’
During the virtual awarding last May 20, HCC President, Atty. Dennis C. Pangan received the award with deep gratitude on behalf of the whole Holy Cross College Pampanga.
“We never expected this award to us, during the round table discussion we begged off. I don’t want the regional office to have an impression that we are bragging about the Caritas programs that we have done, and what we are doing at Holy Cross College. We are just doing our jobs in line with the three core values of the school, Fides, Caritas, and Libertas,” Atty. Pangan said.
The school with a heart initiated different programs for the community during the pandemic like relief operations after the onslaught of typhoon Ulysses in Pampanga and Taal Volcano eruption in Batangas City last year. A series of Caritas activities are also conducted to financially helped selected beneficiaries who lost jobs because of the health crisis.
Also, ‘Agri-tayo sa HCC’ a training for farmers in the town was launched in partnership with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and St. Isidore Farms. Currently, the school has an ongoing project of backyard gardening training and livelihood programs.
HCC is also the only private educational institution in Central Luzon that provided public schools their very own e-learning management system by sharing its own.
Through the help of employees, students, and alumni, HCC ran a Caritas Pantry for two weeks, covering all the barangay in Santa Ana town.
Through the overflowing support and donations, the school was able to put up a Caritas on wheels, journeying far-flung areas of the town who were not able to visit the community pantry on the campus.
“Holy Cross College Pampanga is not a financially afloat institution we just barely survived the school year 2020-2021. Just like the other institution in Central Luzon we are having a hard time to both ends meet. But we believe that this pandemic is not a reason for us to share whatever we have,” Atty. Pangan said.
“If we all share even just a little of what we have there is no reason why we cannot reach out to the others. I am thankful that the Holy Cross College Pampanga is always a team effort, we already put into practice Ma’am Lora’s ‘Lahat kasali, kasali lahat,” he added.
HCC family believed in the miracle of sharing even during crucial times. Even without awards or acknowledgment, the school with a heart vowed to continue giving not just quality education but to serve the whole community.