As Uno turns 60, I find it profoundly amazing that the diamond is the symbol for this celebration for there is none more fitting. A diamond may have started from a lowly lump of coal, but it is refined to its unrivalled brilliance despite strife and pressure. Similarly, Uno has its humble beginnings in the vision of businessman Don Domingo Yu Chu. With the aim of providing the Chinese-Filipino youth with the best possible education, he was committed to making this tenuous vision into reality. The core of this vision was strengthened with the dedication of our late beloved principal Dr. Jose Yu Siek Pong to academic excellence, discipline, and charity. The relevance of a Unean education was further fortified when Mrs. Mary Angeline Yu-Pineda took over as school director in 1997. Dynamic and forward-thinking, she brought 21st century learning into our classrooms.
I became school director in 2017 with the intention of upholding all the goals that my predecessors had worked so hard for, but I also want to foster a culture of openness that will enhance the communication lines between the school and its students, the parents, and the alumni and to create an atmosphere of kindness, respect, and empathy. I hope that we can continue to share experiences, learn together, grow together, and shine together.
The diamond’s incomparable hardness finds its parallel in Uno’s uncompromising pursuit for the highest academic standards and its firm stance on enforcing discipline among its students. The gem’s constancy is mirrored by our unwavering commitment to provide our students with a safe and enjoyable learning environment where they can freely explore all their potentials. Diamonds may shine brightly on their own, but they also intensify the beauty of other gems. Because Uneans are leaders, we not only strive to be the best, but we also bring out the best in others. The diamond’s clarity finds its match in the clear vision we have for Uno’s future – one where no amount of challenge can dim our brightness.
Just as a polished diamond shines brighter because of its many facets, Uno continues to stand out because of the many forces in its forefront: the hardworking and loyal administration and staff, the dedicated and multitalented members of its faculty, the energetic and disciplined students, the supportive and cooperative parents, and the generous and reliable alumni – all these united by the Unean spirit and the guidance of Divine Providence. My father’s favorite poem “A Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow says it so aptly:
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
As long as we Uneans work together, the integrity and strength of the diamond will be with us. May the Unean spirit continue to throb in our hearts, and may God continue to watch over us with His infinite wisdom and boundless love! Shine on, Uneans!
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