PROFILE OF AN ACHIEVER
by Ulysses V. Espartero
Dr. Marivel S. Villorente
Educator of Persuasive Power
"Life is beautiful. Live it to the fullest." These are the exact words of Dr. Marivel S. Villorente when asked how she feels about her extraordinary existence.
For this woman of incomparable strength and persuasive power, what matters most is her work ethics. “I work in a way that is it is my offering to God. So for God, I gave my best. I always try to give my best in my work for it is my offering to God,” she said.
She believes that “life is short so we must do good and avoid e vil. Happiness is in the heart and not outside of us. Peace is in the heart and not outside of us.”
“This is the most important thing in my life not what I finished and not what I achieved because those are only temporal,” she further said.
STRUGGLE TO SUCCEED
Dr. Villorente is an Aquarian having been born on February 16 to spouses Antonio C. Villorente and Dedicacion G. Saquita who are both from the mountainous barangay of Oyang in Libacao, Aklan. Being born in the sign of the water-bearer, she believes, she lived up to its qualities, humanitarian, soft-hearted and can easily adapt to situations.
Early in life, she thought of education as a powerful weapon to be of great service to the people. For her early education, she attended the Banga Elementary School in Banga, Aklan and graduated as Class Second Honors and her high school at Aklan Agricultural College, Banga as Class Salutatorian.
She then pursued a degree in BS in Agriculture major in Agricultural Education as an Institutional Scholar at the Aklan Agricultural College (now Aklan State University) and graduated Cum Laude in 1985. She finished her MA in Values Education in 1993 at the Center for Research and Communication (now the University of Asia and the Pacific, Philippines) also as a scholar of Haus Seidel Foundation and Center for Research and Communication. She holds a degree in Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Education minor in Rural Development, (2000) from Benguet State University, Philippines as a recipient of CHED-FAPE Scholarship.
FRUITS OF LABOR
She had been out of the country on account of personal and public appearances.In April-June 2003, she was in United Arab Emirates. In 2006, she was in Malaysia, Thailand and India for business meetings on International Consultancy. She had attended myriad of trainings. Practically, she travelled all over the country as a student, either as student delegate, contestant, coach and later as faculty of then Ibajay National Agricultural and Industrial School (INAIS) which became Western Aklan Polytechnic College, now Aklan State University.
SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
She served as Community Organization Worker and later Trainor under the Family and Community Welfare Program of the Arch Gabriel M. Reyes Memorial Foundation (1985-1987). She trained for Language Teacher for the US Peace Corps Volunteer in August 1987.
After her community work, she worked at INAIS, which was later renamed Western Aklan Polytechnic College (WAPC), now Aklan State University (ASU). In 1987, she was admitted as School Farm Demonstrator at INAIS. She later served Secondary School Teacher, College Instructor, Assistant Professor until her appointment as Associate Professor V.
Outside of INAIS, she was Regional SEDP Trainer in Values Education from 1990 to1998. She was also School Paper Adviser and Information Officer at INAIS-WAPC. Recognizing her leadership skills, she was elected President of the Aklan Public Information Officers Association (APIOA) for CY 2002-2004. During her term, she took the lead of involving the different LGUs in sponsoring APIOA meetings to enable the officers to have an experience of potential tourist destinations in the identified LGUs. To this, she was honored with a Presidential Achievement Award in September 28, 2007 by the Philippine Information Agency, Kalibo, Aklan.
She was promoted to Associate Dean of ASU-Ibajay in 2002 and served until 2005. Then, she was named Chairperson of the Community Development Department in 2006.
TOP EDUCATOR
In 2008, she was appointed Academic Dean of ASU-College of Hospitality and Rural Resource Management (ASU-CHARRM). The appointment was made even significant with the recognition of the university as the National University of Agriculture for Region 6 by virtue of CHED Memorandum Order No, 18, series of 2009.
Popularly known as ASU Ibajay Campus, the CHARRM is situated at Colong-Colong, Ibajay, Aklan with total land area of 25.286 hectares. It is a 45 minutes drive from Kalibo and 40 minutes drive to Boracay Island via bus or PUJ. Together with other officials, Dr. Villorente works very hard so that the college continues to shine in its commitment to competence and relevant education and training in the areas of hospitality management, community development, entrepreneurship, and appropriate technologies for effective and sustainable governance of rural resources.
As one of the important officials in one country’s of the country’s premier agricultural state university, Dr. Villorente very well know that she must lead the university in demonstrating the highest degree or level of standards along many areas of quality instruction, research,, extension, linkages and institutional publication. But she also recognizes significantly, to be effective public servant, one must be a good follower but a prudent follower at that.
She must not stop to learn for by learning, she imparts to the young generation the essence of living life to the fullest.
