The Mandaue Organization of Private School Administrators, Inc. (MOPSAI) will be busy in the next two years as its new set of officers formally took their oaths of office. Leading the group is the dynamic President of the Children's Paradise Montessori School (CPMS), Ms. Marivic Bathan.

“My team of officers are one in making sure that the next two years will be exciting and enriching for all member-schools and its stakeholders through the programs and activities we will organize,” she shared.

The new set of MOPSAI officers had their induction and turnover ceremonies last October 9, 2019, with Dr. Leah Noveras, Department of Education (DepEd) Mandaue City Schools Division Superintendent, as their inducting officer. The activity was attended by MOPSAI member-schools as well as district supervisors of DepEd-Mandaue City.

In her speech following the induction ceremony, Dr. Noveras expressed her gratitude to MOPSAI whom she described as DepEd's partner. “You are our partners. The Department, being constitutionally mandated to provide quality basic education to Filipino people, will be overburdened without you, our partners,” she said.

Dr. Noveras, who used to be assigned in Talisay City prior to her assignment in Mandaue City, said that the cooperation of DepEd and private schools are crucial.

This is why she said she immediately wanted to meet with representatives from private schools in Mandaue to ask for their support and cooperation.

Dr. Noveras assured that DepEd Mandaue City will also be on deck to assist private schools with their respective concerns.

“I want all of us to communicate on the same page. We have issued a memo on redistricting. We are distributing the public schools in ten districts, which also includes private schools; so district supervisors can help you with issues and concerns that Deped can help you with,” she added.

There are a total of 56 private schools providing basic education within Mandaue City.

MOPSAI President Marivic Bathan welcomes all the DepEd Officials and members and opens the event expressing her gratitude to this organisation that has become family to her and many.

MOPSAI Family is joined by the DepEd Mandaue Division Officials led by (from left to right) SGOD Chief Dr. Adeline Luarez, Asst. SDS Dr. Estela Susvilla, OIC-CID Chief Dr. Jaime Ruelan, and SDS Dr. Leah Noveras

VISIONS AND PLANS

Right after the induction and turnover ceremony, the MOPSAI officers immediately rolled their sleeves and got to work as they conducted mini strategic planning for the next two schools years of their term.

Among their initial plans is to hold a one-of-a-kind team-building with Fr. Loreto Jaque who will facilitate a Biodanza (Dance of Life) workshop among private school administrators focusing on “Re-ensouling Education, Reviving the Soul in Learning,” on November 16, 2019.

In terms of programs, MOPSAI also plans to increase awareness on and empower more school employees, teachers, and students to deal with mental health issues; and also to provide training for teachers and even parents on understanding children with different special needs and acquire effective strategies and skills in dealing with their behavior and learning needs.

Meanwhile, MOPSAI will also be holding a purpose-vision-mission workshop and draft the organization's purpose, vision, mission, core values, and goals. This workshop will set clear, short, and long term directions for the organization among its current officers, past officers, and some members of the organization.

“As MOPSAI President, all I ask for the members is their presence and involvement. It is their availability more than their ability. Anyone who shows up definitely has something to contribute. By showing up, he/she has already given his/her time. That is a good start,” Ms. Bathan said.

She admitted that over the past years, attendance of MOPSAI members in events has been dwindling. In order to address this, the organization wants fun and productive activities.

More quality, varied, interesting and relevant programs for administrators, teachers, students, and even parents are also being planned to make sure that MOPSAI members continue to get involved.

“We make sure that the time of members is well-spent every time they join a MOPSAI meeting or activity. It will always be fun and enriching. Once members experience this more consistently, they wouldn't want to miss any of the MOPSAI events. Hopefully, they would engage more and realize the benefits of being part of the MOPSAI family,” Ms. Bathan added.

Aside from Ms. Bathan, the new set of MOPSAI officers include Vice President Dr. Eudes Dayanan (Trade-Tech International Science Institute), Secretary Dr. Philadelfa Vistal (University of the Visayas, Inc.), Treasurer Dr. Maria Alma Flores (St. Joseph's Academy), Auditor Pastor Paul Mongas, Jr. (Assembly of God Christian School), and Mass Media Officers Berlita Cruz (Canduman Christian Academy, Inc.) and Jerome Tago (Center for Healthcare Professionals,Cebu, Inc.).

  The whole Robinsons Galleria Cebu Complex is already shaping up to be the vibrant mixed-use development it has been envisioned to become. The shopping mall, Robinsons Galleria Cebu, is already in full swing with a 92-percent tenant occupancy, while the Summit Galleria Hotel has been serving local and foreign guests alike with its 220 tastefully done up hotel rooms.

    The entire Complex sits on a 4.6-hectare lot which is designed to be Cebu’s next landmark lifestyle destination by Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC). Aside from the hotel and the mall, which is the centrepiece of the development, the Complex will also house the Galleria Residences and the BPO office building.

   “All these come together in a refreshing, cosmopolitan yet laidback environment, seamlessly connected. Offerings are custom-curated, locally relevant concepts from popular homegrown and regional brands to national and international classics,” said Floramie Adolfo, Senior Regional Operations Manager – Cebu & Eastern Visayas of RLC.

    The four-level Robinsons Galleria Cebu is a full-service mall with over 300 tenants. It also has six cinemas equipped with Dolby Atmos.

   Aside from its hotel rooms, Summit Galleria Hotels also has a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 750 people. Guests can also refresh themselves at the all-day dining outlet, Providore, run by Raintree Restaurants Philippines.

 Cebuanos can also expect three residential towers to rise within the Complex with Galleria Residences which will have a total of 927 units with a modern resort-inspired design. “Galleria Residences is strategically located within Cebu’s emerging district with easy access to major thoroughfares. It is fully-integrated within Robinsons Galleria Cebu Complex, a landmark mixed-use complex and lifestyle destination with unique green and water installations and features,” Adolfo said.

Meanwhile, the BPO office building is also poised to become a major choice for local and foreign companies looking for excellent office spaces.  The building will have a total of nine floors and 20,000 square meters of gross floor area.

All these developments are designed to provide a complete experience for people who want to find all they’re looking for in one place.

About Robinsons Galleria Cebu

Strategically located along Gen. Maxilom Ave., Robinsons Galleria Cebu is the newest shopping destination in the Queen City of the South showcasing a world-class architecture and vibrant indoor landscapes.

Robinsons Galleria Cebu is the centrepiece of a well-designed mixed-use development by Robinsons Land Corp. The Galleria Complex will include three residential condominium towers, BPO office buildings, as well as a hotel that will all capture the optimistic, progressive, and thriving community spirit of Cebu.

Savoura Restuarant's story began in 2009. It is a homegrown brand, a Filipino-Italian mix restaurant with its first branch in the heart of Lapulapu City.

Savoura Robinsons Galleria is the 3rd branch. This is a step-up outside its hometown Mactan as it aims to introduce itself to the buzzing Metro food district.  The outlet is focused on the Italian specialties that are surely fresh and “pleasurable” yet made affordable.

“Everybody loves A good pasta; A pasta sauce to go with it can be made from simple ingredients, it creates a lot of different dishes with it. It tastes good and it's filling. It also has a long shelf life, so you can keep it in the larder until you need to put a meal together." So for a mall-type branch, its both fast good.  

All dishes are made affordable. A “can-be-shared” special pasta ranges from P180 to P200. One thing about Italian food is it chooses to be healthy. Try our Pasta Oglio- herbs, garlic, and olive oil, that’s it! Some prefer its taste bland but it's only bland by the standards of people who want really strong flavors in their food. They know Italian recipes really like to make and serve food that 'tastes of itself'. So it's only bland by standards of more flavourful foods. Their ribs chicken and salad are also a must try. While their cheese-packed pizza is definitely to come back for. 

And if you really want more budget-friendly mix, they definitely have them for you.! They have pasta and chicken all for P149 that comes with a  free drink. Their group meal at starts P899 (pizza, chicken, pasta with a free pitcher of iced tea) Definitely a treat for the whole family!  

The place is decorated with a colorful painting depicting an Italian feel to make guest feel more comfortable. 

    Robinsons Galleria Cebu is not just a great shopping destination with its well-curated regional brands. It’s a haven for pets too! On October 6, beloved pets get a fun-filled day out at the relaunch of Robinsons Galleria Cebu’s Happy Pets Club. Pets strut their stuff on the runway with the Pet Fashion Parade looking like real models. 

    At the same time, fur parents learn more about themselves and their pets with the help of two veterinarians from Animal Wellness who will talk about how to choose the right pet for you and pet care 101. 

     There will also be a pet blessing, raffles, and awarding and picture taking for pets. The activity is n celebration of World Animal Day. And what better way to do so than to treat your pets on their special day. 

    Pets are undeniably the most amazing creatures in the world because they give you even more unconditional love and loyalty than any other human being. But in Robinsons Galleria Cebu, treating your pets doesn’t only happen in one day. Once you become a member of Happy Pets Club, both fur parents and their furbabies get even more treats. 

    From October to December 2019, members get 10% discount on pet-related items from True Value. They can also get 15% discount on consultation and professional fees in Animal Wellness. 

      At the same time, members get convenient access to the mall and will be the first to be informed of pet events, promos, and freebies. The relaunch of Happy Pets Club is a simultaneous event in other Robinsons Malls in the country. 

    Robinsons Place Tacloban; Robinsons North Tacloban; Robinsons Place Ormoc; Robinsons Galleria Cebu; Robinsons Place Naga; Robinsons Place Dumaguete; Robinsons Place Iloilo; Robinsons Place Pavia; Robinsons Place Bacolod; Robinsons Place Jaro; Robinsons Place Roxas; Robinsons Place Antique; Robinsons Place Iligan; Robinsons Place Tagum; Robinsons Place Valencia; and Robinsons Place GenSan were among those part of the event. 

To know more about Happy Pets Club Grand Pet Party, follow RobinsonsMalls on Facebook; or follow @RobinsonsMallsOfficial on Instagram; and @RobinsonsMalls on Twitter.

        After the lovely pets were blessed, pet parents and those who planned to have pets in the near future were catered to a short talk on how to choose the right pet. I got to learn so many things from it being a pet parent of a cute little puppy in the past. Several questions were posed for those who want to know how to choose the right pet for themselves.

         One of which, which is also one of the most important things to consider in choosing the right pet is to be aware of one's own schedule. Some pets need to be fed for a number of times in precise hours. For instance, if you work on a night shift, then you may have to ask someone else to feed your pet babies when you are at work. That's very important if you are taking care of a baby pet.

        You also need to consider your budget before owning a pet because they may be costly. First, there's the vaccine for specific animals and God forbid, you may need to get them to a veterinary clinic if they're sick. Some pet babies also need a specific type of grooming and licensing.

        Another thing to take note before owning a pet is deciding what type of pet do you really want. Some animals need extra maintenance, while others don't. Some animals like specific dog breeds need active lifestyle which must be in consonance to yours'. That is why, you have to be well-verse with the type of daily care and nutrition your pet baby needs.

      It's no secret and it's already being backed by Science that having pets around has a number of benefits to one's health. Some of which include companionship, exercise partner, travel buddy, and service animal. Moreover, having pets as part of your family is a great way to teach youngsters about being responsible. The best thing that a pet may benefit for someone is happiness which has no price!

Here are some of the lovable pet babies that I saw during the event:

About Robinsons Galleria Cebu

Strategically located along Gen. Maxilom Ave., Robinsons Galleria Cebu is the newest shopping destination in the Queen City of the South showcasing a world-class architecture and vibrant indoor landscapes.

Robinsons Galleria Cebu is the centrepiece of a well-designed mixed-use development by Robinsons Land Corp. The Galleria Complex will include three residential condominium buildings, enterprise centers, as well as a hotel that will all capture the optimistic, progressive, and thriving community spirit of Cebu.