By John Stephen Humiwat and Airyl Hope Bangilan

“Boundary is not an issue anymore,” said Dr. Cristina G. Gallato, the overall committee co-chairperson for the celebration of the 80th founding anniversary of Saint Mary’s University (SMU) as she expounded on the theme of this year’s foundation day celebration.

She explained that this year’s celebration serves as an “eye opener” to the Marian community to “get out of the traditional box because there are lots of opportunities outside.”

“We are trying to connect with the world,” she further said as she explained that the theme was inspired by the university’s endeavor of making the Marian students pass the bar of competence and creativity which would make them globally competitive and fit for the global market.

The emphasis for this year’s theme is on the rising trend of mobility in education where students are allowed and challenged to explore outside their respective institutions. And one way that SMU has accomplished this was through establishing linkages with foreign higher education institutions that cater to this kind of programs and advocacies.

“We have been crossing boundaries even before we reached 80,” Dr. Gallato further explained.

In 2006, the university has cemented a bridge between Hong Kong-based KCP Holdings owned by Dr. Angel Ramos which catered BS Entrepreneurship and BS Civil Engineering. This endeavor was more known as the ‘SMU Hong Kong Campus’.

During the period of 2007 to 2008, SMU widened its horizons to other Asian institutions such as the Capital University of Economics in Beijing, China, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia. Utara and Calvary School of Management in Singapore.

In February 2008, Rev. Fr. Manuel D. Valencia, CICM, University President and Dr. José Rodríguez Rodríguez, Director of Instituto Cervantes-Manila signed a Memorandum of Agreement establishing ties between both institutions. The signing ceremony was witnessed by His Excellency Luis Arias, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the Republic of the Philippines, Dr. Alejandro Roces, Chair of Saint Mary's University Board of Trustees, Hon. Luisa Lloren-Cuaresma, Governor of Nueva Vizcaya and Dr. Salvador Malig, Jr., Instituto Cervantes Academic Head.

Dr. Gallato also cited that the university takes pride as being an International Center for Teaching and Learning Styles.

Another notable link that the university achieved is being an accredited testing center of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

She cited that even before SMU reached its Diamond Jubilee in 2003 which was embraced by the theme “Affirming the Vision, Opening New Horizons and Transforming the Nation”, the university has already established international linkages.

As early as in the 70’s and 80’s, the university has been tying up with international institutions such as the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium, Catholic University of Louvain.

She said that these linkages are just some of the many moves that the university has done and there are still more to come.

The year 2008 hallmarks the 80th year of Saint Mary’s University’s steadfast mission of relentlessly pursuing quality and excellence for local and global relevance and responsiveness, persistently challenging one another to explore and pursue relevant, innovative and breakthrough ideas, steadfastly form and develop community-supportive persons, joyfully animating one another as inspired by Mother Mary to become faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Being the overall co-chairperson for this celebration, Dr. Gallato set sights on delivering the message of this event as an “eye opener”.

“We should open all our minds and hearts to all kinds of opportunities. We should not limit ourselves within the confines of SMU. If you limit yourself, it is as if you are in an unseen cage. If you stay caged you will get nowhere. We have to get out of the box,” she said.

The Marian community houses a roster of ‘Global Pinoys’ who have made their mark in the global arena.

Who would have thought that one of the first women who conquered the slopes of the highest peak on earth, would come from a rare breed called the Marian? Who would have guessed that the first Filipino who been awarded the coveted American Medical Association Foundation Leadership Award comes from the same spirited breed? That, for the fourth time in sixty years a Filipino woman would hoist the Philippine flag once again in the open field of the British Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England was once a humble education student that walked through the same four pillars of SMU?

Janet Belarmino, Christopher Guerrero and Giselle Ganancial – few names that share three things in common: they conquered the world in their own rights, they had the Marian spirit within them, and they proved that the Marian and the ‘borderless world’ can exist at the same time.

Dr. Gallato left everyone a thought to ponder on: “When you already have grandchildren and your grandchildren ask you, ‘where did you graduate?’. Will you be able to say: from Saint Mary’s University, the pride of the north? (And) the pride of the Philippines?”