Honorable board of judges and my fellow Josephians, today as we mark the 52nd year anniversary of our

beloved Saint Joseph Institute of Technology we, are the prime institution of learning and change.
Education is the soul of an institution. It completes the entire structure, provides the basis for a plan,
and allows one to go forward, and so Mr. Nicomedes Salas founded a strong and resilient one. Saint
Joseph Institute of Technology has withstood numerous tests of time for five decades, proving that
education is its core foundation. According to Robert F. Kennedy, “Only those who dare to fail greatly,
can ever achieve greatly”. Mr. Salas does not fear to fail but allows small failures to build greater
success. As stated in the student manual, article II, section I, the passion and legacy of Mr. Salas was
“SJIT must continue to grow as time marches on”. He envisions an institution that starts from scratch to
fulfill the utmost importance of delivering education at its best amid a changing and challenging time.
Challenges are inevitable, and so SJIT is not an exception. The institution that was built out of scarcity
and has now become a huge and impactful institution has also struggled but the people behind the
youthful glow and development of the institution keep the fire burning as time goes on. A lot of
typhoons, earthquakes, and other disasters had come and passed by but the institution remains intact
and steadfast in its goals. Even though there are a lot of criticisms surrounding it, SJIT has learned to live
with it and grows through it. The truth about pursuing a certain goal has never been easy, it will be
difficult in any aspect of life. However, SJIT can cooperate with the relevance of time and bounce back at
the right time.

The institution is home to thousands of successful professionals in different fields. Therefore, the
expectations of the community and stakeholders are high and overflowing. This gives pressure on the
faculties and staff of the school. However, as bounded and guided by the life purpose of the institution,
pressures cannot overweigh pleasure. A pleasure to teach and dwell on the purpose of why this
institution was created. Given the fact that conflicts bring changes, and changes may fall into positive
and negative ones, SJIT has ensured that the changes have to fall into positive ones. Speaking about this,
COVID-19 has shaken and shocked the world when it strikes and kills millions of populations around the
world. No one is exempted, and so SJIT has to face and deal with it. The institution has to adhere to the
government's advisory, everyone has to adjust and adapt to a new normal. The institution does not put
the safety of the learners at stake. SJIT can cater to and deal with the new demands of the new normal.
Online classes are the new platform for delivering and receiving knowledge and so the professors and
instructors have to learn and embrace teaching online. How does SJIT respond to the challenging
demands of the time? The institution develops effective measures and did not allow any obstacles to
hinder achieving and making its goals possible.

To put it briefly, SJIT is a time-bounded institution. Every challenge has to be addressed appropriately. It
may stumble and fall but at the end of the day, new roads await a better ride. As it is an institution that
starts from a humble beginning, challenged many times, and now will continue to prosper. This will not
reach its golden years if it is incapable and incompetent. SJIT has its purpose and so the students
enrolled their trust and believe in the capability and effectiveness of the school. There’s no doubt that
SJIT will soar high amidst difficulty and will continue to share and provide EDUCATION AT ITS BEST.