Ms. Ma. Rhona J. Pelasol:
A Super Achiever
by
Melchor F. Cichon, RL
May 2, 2013
I first met her while I was
attending a department head meeting at St. Therese-La Fiesta Site, Iloilo City.
She was silent almost throughout our meeting except when she was asked by our
presiding officer, Dr. Ma. Teresa S. Sarabia to talk about the results of her
recent research.
Dr. Sarabia is the president of
St. Therese-MTC Colleges, La Fiesta Site, Molo, Iloilo City, the college that
produces champions.
It was then that I knew that she
is the Research and Development Coordinator of St. Therese-La Fiesta Site. She
was then presenting her findings on Managing Iloilo River Towards Biodiversity
and Sustainability.
I was amazed by her presentation
that I thought I should someday write about her.
My interest on her grew stronger when
I learned that among the faculty and staff of St. Therese-MTC College, she
received the most number of awards for the School-Year 2012-2013 in the recent
Foundation Day Celebration of the said college. She received 12 awards. I
repeat, 12 awards for her researches and presentation of researches in various
national and international conventions.
Looking
at her curriculum vitae, I noticed that in 2012, she wrote alone or with her
colleagues the following papers which she read in various national and
international conferences :
1. Igcabugao: A Potential Tourist Destination in the Southern Part of
Iloilo, Philippines presented in the 5th Regional Scientific
Conference and Annual General Assembly held at John B. Lacson Foundation
Maritime University, Arevalo, Iloilo City, Philippines, January 27-28, 2012.
2. Igcabugao:
A Potential Tourist Destination in the Southern Part of Iloilo, Philippines
presented during the 6th Global Business Conference held at the
Philippine Trade Training Center, Manila, Philippines, February 4, 2012.
3. Level of Awareness Towards Solid Waste
Management Among Residents of Five Coastal Barangays in the Municipality of San
Joaquin, Iloilo presented in the 5th Regional Scientific
Conference and Annual General Assembly held at John B. Lacson Foundation
Maritime University, Arevalo, Iloilo City, Philippines, January 27-28, 2012.
4. Managing
Iloilo River Towards Biodiversity and Sustainability presented during
the 5th International Conference and Scientific Meeting held at John
B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Molo, Iloilo City, February 15-17,
2012.
5. Awareness
and Practices on Waste Disposal Among Restaurants Along Iloilo River presented
during the 5th International Conference and Scientific Meeting held
at John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Molo, Iloilo City, February
15-17, 2012.
6. Level
of Awareness Towards Solid Waste Management Among Residents of Five Coastal
Barangays in the Municipality of San Joaquin, Iloilo presented during
the 5th International Conference and Scientific Meeting held at John
B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Molo, Iloilo City, February 15-17,
2012.
7. Iloilo River Eco-Park and Sustainable Development: Inputs Towards
the Full Rehabilitation of Iloilo River presented during the 20th
Annual Philippine Society for Educational Research and Evaluation (PSERE)
Conference held at John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime UIniversity, Arevalo,
Iloilo City, May 10-11, 2012.
8. Loom Weaving in Oton, Iloilo, Philippines: Awakening the Awareness
of the Local Folks and Its Economic and Tourism Benefits presented
during the 10th Asia Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant and
Institutional Education (APacCHRIE) held at Diamond Hotel, Manila, Philippines,
June 5-8, 2012
9. Public-Private Sector Participation in Managing Iloilo River
Towards Biodiversity and Sustainability
presented during the International Research Conference for
Globalization and Sustainability held at Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention
Center, Iloilo City, Philippines, August 14-16, 2012
10. Iloilo City: A Potential
Convention Destination presented during the World Research Festival
2012 by PAIR and IAMURE held at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Cebu City, Philippines,
August 22-25, 2012
11. Defining and Redefining the Graduates: The STMTCC Thrust on
Institutional Development presented during the Research Seminar and
Forum
organized by Research Educational Development Training Institute
(REDTI) held at Capis Mansions, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines, August 29-21,
2012.
12. Quality Assurance Monitoring
and Evaluation: A Program for Institutional Excellence presented during
the 12th Annual South East Asian Association for Institutional Research
(SEAAIR) held at Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, November 6-8,
2012
When I looked at her
list of seminars/workshops that she has attended in 2012, I noticed the following:
1.
Strategic
Planning Workshop, April 13, 2012, Multi-Purpose Hall, St. Therese-MTC
Colleges, Molo, Iloilo City, Philippines
2.
Seminar Workshop
o Digital Technology: Its Application to Qualitative and Quantitative Research,
September 6-7, 2012 at Casa Pilar, Boracay Island, Malay Aklan, Philippines
3.
International
Training on the Management of Journal Publications, Performance of Editorial
Boards, and Scientific Writing for Journals, December 6-7, 2012 at Grand
Men Seng Hotel, Davao City, Philippines.
The above lists triggered my interest on how she was able
to write 12 scientific papers in one year.
The BS students of St. Therese-MTC
Colleges, La Fiesta Site, Iloilo City, are required to submit research papers as a partial requirement for
their respective degrees with the help of their research advisers.
These submitted researches can be
elevated by their research advisers into full fledge researches. Because the research's
data, related literature and analysis of the data are almost complete, it would
now be easy for the research advisers to develop these student researches into
scientific papers. All he or she has to do is to improve its presentation of
objectives and problems, revise its review of related literature, improve its
recommendations and add its impact on the focused area of study.
That could be the reason why in one
year, Mrs. Pelasol was able to produce and present 12 scientific papers in
various scientific conventions here and abroad. She is indeed an epitome of a
person who works while the others are sleeping. She told me that her motto is:
work and work.
Ms. Pelasol was born on February 14 in
Zarraga, Iloilo where a lot of farmers are culturing catfishes.
As a child Ms. Pelasol joined the Legion of Mary, a
religious group whose main objective is "to give glory to God through the
sanctification of its members, who offer their services to their pastor to aid
him in the performance of spiritual works within the parish community."
As she grew older, she joined cooperatives. Her knowledge
on cooperative was improved when she took her Bachelor of Science in Management
and her Master in Management, major in business management degrees at the
University of the Philippines in the Visayas, Iloilo City.
During her
spare time, Ms. Pelasol would play badminton together with her friends, or she would
tender her vegetable garden.
"I
prefer vegetable garden than flower garden", she said, "because I
love to eat fresh vegetables."
That
could be the other reason why Ms. Pelasol is a super achiever.
