In time for the celebration of the Women’s Week, the 2nd QEFF had its official launch with the U.P. President in attendance. This year, the film festival’s theme is “Sa ngalan ng ama, ng anak, at ng ina…” which underscores the importance of maternal and child health in the development of the Filipino family. Also present during the event were Julian Caňero ΜΣΦ 2010, Joboy Dumlao ΜΣΦ 2012, Algene Agustin ΜΣΦ 2012, Mickey Esteban ΜΣΦ 2012, Kalvin Adala ΜΣΦ 2012, and neophytes Daniel  Dellosa, Argie Dorado, and Jones Santos of Batch 2013.

“It is amazing,” Dr. Roman said of the undertakings of the Mu Sigma Phi to better the conditions of health and education in Philippine society, as she sat down with the brods for a morning merienda. This comes as a reaffirmation of the commendation of the Fraternity as one of the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations in 2008 by the National Youth Commission, and in recognition of its continued efforts in establishing a health center facility in Lopez, Quezon through the Bayer-nihan Para sa Kalusugan Project. Brod Pipo Bundoc and Brod Bryan Lim also discussed with the president the fraternity’s future plans for the film festival through the QEFF Video Caravan which will start touring schools this year.

Dr. Roman offered inspired insight into the work of undergraduate brods as student-leaders, who, in spite of their scholarly pursuits, manage to showcase through the service activities that they are “Tao rin pala”. Fraternities, she says, have this image in the public that can be hard to do away with. However, she added that through these activities, negative impressions can be and are being re-shaped. She also gave light-hearted examples of herself as tao rin pala as a doting professor, busy traveler, and Feng shui enthusiast, thus dispelling the notion of a stern and be-pedestalled president. She hopes that amidst all of these endeavors, the brods of Mu will gather the strength to pursue what is noble and work exceptionally in and out of the classroom.

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