The importance of education has been instilled in us for as long as we can remember. We were told that it is the key to having a better future because it opens up more opportunities for us. This holds true, probably forever. But there is a fine line between any education and good education.
The challenge is: how do we gauge this? How do we decide which institution to attend, especially for college education?
For Robbie Arcilla, VP for General Operations/Chief Operations Officer of Project Duo Events and Marketing Corporation, it’s when the education is able to prepare you for life. “Good education teaches us to be confident and to face the challenges that the world presents. Being equipped with a blend of science, knowledge, and virtue prepares us for what lies ahead,” he shares.
Arcilla has been in the events and marketing industry for almost two decades. He attributes part of his success to his university education, which he believes honed him to be ready in facing the challenges of life. “Our school [Centro Escolar University] is true to its twin philosophy of Ciencia y Virtud or Science and Virtue. It molded us to be scientific and knowledgeable and with virtue in life.”
Arcilla completed his degree in Mass Communication, majoring in Broadcasting, in 2007 at Centro Escolar University. When it comes to Science, he shared that the school provided them not only with a mix of academics and practicing professionals as teachers, but also with hands-on experiences. He shared that in school, they were exposed to different activities aligned with their course. In his case, as a broadcast major, he learned how to handle equipment such as cameras, transmitters, audio monitors, etc.
Apart from being busy with his academic activities, he was also a student leader. Balancing these two roles trained him to become better at time management, allowing him to develop the skills needed to work efficiently and effectively. “I was able to juggle between co-curricular and academic activities all at the same time. So I need to have my daily checklist of things that I need to finish.”
Being a student leader also provided him with the opportunity to learn the value of teamwork and enhance his leadership skills. 'With the help of my teammates or co-student leaders, we managed to deliver well in both academic and extracurricular activities.'
And to date, these crucial life skills he learned in college remain invaluable in his line of work. As the COO of an events and marketing company, Robbie maintains this balancing act. He handles several responsibilities, including delivering impactful service to multiple clients from various industries. He oversees the company’s day-to-day operations. He leads several teams. And as he mentors his team members, he also tries to instill his alma mater’s philosophy among his colleagues – equipping them with both knowledge and virtue.
Holding oneself to high moral standards, which is part of his university’s twin philosophy, is instilled forever in Arcilla’s way of life. “I would always go back to this core value in every decision that I make or challenges that I face.”
“Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous.” - Plato.
College education has a great impact, not only on our profession, but in the way we live our lives. Ciencia y Virtud acknowledges that knowledge alone is not enough. Without virtue, skills and knowledge can be misdirected. It can even lead us to actions that are unfair to others. But with virtue, understanding our role in society and our relationship to others becomes clearer.
“Virtue is knowledge.” - Socrates
Centro Escolar University has campuses in Manila, Malolos and Makati. With programs mostly accredited Levels II, III, and IV by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) as certified by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP), students can experience high standard of instruction, effective community extension programs, a robust research tradition, strong staff development program, favorable performance of graduates in licensure exams, productive partnerships with other schools and agencies, and a sustained quality assurance system.
Learn more on how CEU can prepare you for life. Discover the Communication and Media (discover.ceu.edu.ph/ads/communications), CEU official website (ceu.edu.ph), and CEU official Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/theCEUofficial) to find out what future possibilities awaits you.
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