The Great Centralian Advertiser

by Keziah G. Huelar

Central Philippine University boasts of its international pool of alumni around the globe, as some would say it – one can always find a Centralian in every corner of the world. Whether as working professionals, visiting tourists or diplomatic representatives of our country, the Central Spirit is thriving beyond borders through the lives of our CPU graduates.

The Central Philippine University Federation of Overseas Alumni Association (CPUFOAA) with its active officers has not only been promoting Centralian activities in their respective regions but they have also been encouraging enrollment of foreign students by endorsing CPU as an academic institution of excellence.

One of these officers is Mr. Mauro Somodio, a 1973 CPU graduate of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. As the Vice President of the Australasia Chapter of the CPUFOAA, Mr. Somodio has been consistently showcasing CPU to the people of Solomon Islands.

When asked on how he promoted CPU to the people of Solomon Island, Mr. Somodio shares that he and his wife, Cecelia Somodio (a 1971 CPU graduate of Pre-Nursing) went to Papua New Guinea last June 2013 for a holiday. In their return to Australia they met Levi Wayne Delemani and his four friends – all from Solomon Islands. Delemani and his friends were planning to study in the Philippines. Mr. Somodio and his wife encouraged them to study in CPU. “CPU education is world class so I encouraged them to study there. I left my business card with him and his brother Mr. Kristen William. They contacted me to apply at CPU with his other friends and classmates.  In 2015, there were about five of them who accepted to study at CPU.  However, at that time CPU was not listed as priority list of NTU or Solomon Island Government Scholars, so these students went to other Pacific Island universities.”

Mr. Kristen Willam created a Facebook group called “Solomon Islands Students wishing to study in the Philippines at CPU.” Here, Mr. Somodio posted pictures, board exam results, and videos about CPU to encourage them to study in the university. On the other hand, Mr. Stan Joss & Mr. Charles Haamori, Solomon Island Student Coordinators in Manila sent SIG Scholars to study at CPU.

His efforts finally yielded fruit, as the Centralian community welcomes eight new foreign students from the Solomon Islands; seven of them will be studying Bachelor of Science in Nursing, one will be studying Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and one will be taking up Masters in Agriculture. “In June 2017, Miss Judith Malefodiana Dick enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing followed by seven students coming from the Solomon Islands. After three years of promotion in Solomon Islands, I am so happy that we finally have enrollees and I look forward to seeing more students in the future.”

To further promote CPU in the international community, Mr. Somodio encourages the CPU faculty and staff to look for opportunities of studying outside the country. According to him, attending post graduate courses will encourage foreign enrollment. “As an alumnus I witnessed the growth of CPU. I believe that if our faculty and staff will be given opportunities to travel outside the country attending post-graduate courses in their field of specialties we can encourage more international enrollment. We also have to market our seminars. The conferences, seminars, workshops organized by CPU have high international standards. If we market them in the region, more partnership programs between universities especially in South East Asia and Pacific Islands including Australia and New Zealand will be established.”

Mr. Somodio encourages the alumni chapters to actively promote CPU wherever they are. “I believe CPU must mobilize all alumni chapters all over the world to entice their children, families and friends to study at CPU.  I suggest that we continue giving placement exams in other places which we started in United Arab Emirates. I believed we can have the Placement exams too in Solomon Islands this year.”

In order to accommodate more foreign students enrollment, Mr. Somodio suggests that CPU should build international dormitories inside the campus if possible and encourage Centralian families to adopt international students. “They can stay in their house and also pay for board and lodging. This will address the issue of lack of dorms inside the campus”.

He plans to further promote CPU in Papua New Guinea and other countries in the Pacific Island. For his fervent efforts in encouraging CPU to the international community, Mr. Somodio has been dubbed by one Solomon Islands enrollee as “The Great Endorser of CPU”, a title given to those who not only uplift CPU as prime academic institution to the world but to those who exude the passion of the Centralian spirit, lighting others as well with the Centralian flame.

Mr. Mauro S. Somodio was given by CPU the Distinguished Centralian Award in International Relations and Community Service last August 6, 2005.