By Lynette Joy A. Pasajol

Far Eastern University (FEU) President Juan Miguel Montinola expressed his 2028 initiative, emphasizing his focus on academic excellence during the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Dr. Nicanor Reyes Sr. memorial statue in front of the Nicanor Reyes Hall (NRH) last February 5.

The said ceremony marked the beginning of a week-long celebration for the University’s 96th founding anniversary.

In an interview with FEU Advocate, President Montinola shared about his aspirations for the FEU community, highlighting the University's commitment to academic excellence.

“In our particular case, we are blessed to have an existing aspiration, the 2028 plan, which we’ve all participated in. It’s a five-year plan… It is really more about continuing with the aspects of academic excellence, there’s better services, and the focus that I will be looking at will be on the academic excellence part,” President Montinola said.

Additionally, he outlined key focus areas such as international accreditations, consistent board performances, and the ongoing curriculum review.

Addressing the need for curriculum refinement, the President clarified that it's not an overhaul but a fine-tuning process to ensure relevance and timeliness in line with the University's goals.

The wreath-laying commemorative ceremony also featured a message from the FEU Chairman of the Board of Trustees Aurelio Montinola III.

Chairman Montinola mentioned the theme of ‘Continuity and Progress’ that FEU aims to embody in the coming years, drawn from the parallels between the past and present aspirations. 

“It’s but fitting that we work towards this fortitude, excellence, and uprightness theme. For FEU, what we’re trying to do this year is to use the theme of continuity and progress. As always, we have our small list of items where we feel we make continuous improvement every year,” Chairman Montinola stated.

Moreover, he outlined FEU's commitment to addressing the education crisis with the institution aiming for a 90% job placement by 2028, exceeding the global average of 70% as certified by the International Corporation of Finance.

“We're going through some curriculum simplification so that we can concentrate on making sure that our students get value for their education,” he added.

Further, third-year Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts student Iñigo Nathaniel Guimba presented a commemorative artwork featuring Dr. Nicanor Reyes Sr.

“I actually made the drawing two years ago and was planning on giving it then, but what better time than now? It’s been an honor to present it to the bloodline of the Founder,” Guimba shared. 

FEU's festivities opened with a flag-raising ceremony graced by Vice President for Facilities and Technical Services Edward Kilakiga, followed by a thanksgiving mass led by Rev. Fr. Rany Geraldino.

As FEU looks ahead to its centennial in 2028, Chairman Montinola reaffirms the university's commitment to advancing academic excellence for the entire community.

(Photo by FEU Advocate/Kayla Babista)