LUNA, Apayao – The former planning and development officer of the State-run Apayao State College (ASC) disclosed that working with retired College President Dr. Nieves A. Dacyon was a ‘roller coaster ride, the cliché ups and downs and spirals.’
However, Arch. Maria Ionica N. Naz, the former ASC planning and development officer, pointed out that officials and employees knew where they were going and they knew when they got there.
She disclosed that there was always so much work to do and Dr. Dacyon was always following up some work, so there was never a boring moment as even weekends were devoted to doing work for ASC under her leadership and mentorship.
“We did not even have the time to process our claims for overtime pay. But the accomplishments of ASC under the administration of Dr. Dacyon are more than enough to compensate for all those sleepless nights and holidays,” Naz stressed.
The former ASC official stated that on some days, Dr. Dacyon would text her early in the morning, when she would still be in bed and that the simple messages of good morning and inquiring how was she was were heart warming and that she would in turn reply that she was fine.
Naz revealed that as college president, Dr. Dacyon would be shuttling back and forth ASC Luna campus, ASC Conner campus, offices of government agencies, meetings and home.
When Dacyon would go to Conner, Naz admitted that officials and employees are rattled knowing that she would asking for updates, reports, activity plans and how is their performance-based bonus so for her part, she already knows what to prepare, what to report to her every time ASC will convene management meetings.
According to her, Dr. Dacon does not focus on the small things and that whenever she is around, there is a lot of food, sweets, especially cakes and bibingka and that they were able to learn about the cassava bibingka from Sta Marcela through her.
Naz described Dr. Dacyon as very compassionate and quick responder as demonstrated by her immediate transfer of funds when she learned Naz was positive for COVID-19, the second ASC employee to be infected with the virus..
Naz narrated that her initial project with the college president were the ASC development plan that was workshopped in the ASC strategic plan, and then proposals of all sorts and concept papers which were shared with the other ASC employees for their input.
Dacyon was instrumental in the establishment of the complimentary food production building of the higher education institution with funding support from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) only one month after their meeting with DOST officials held in the agency’s regional office in La Trinidad, Benguet.
Naz emphasized that Dacyon acts silently and swiftly like an eagle for the overall welfare of the institution that she works with that helped brought ASC to greater heights.