At the height of graduation season, former Finance Sec. Gary B. Teves advises Negros Oriental’s college graduates to work harder as they reach another milestone in their lives.
“There are two possibilities for our graduates. First, land a job. They can research and check the companies [they’re interested in] to find out what positions are really available. Don’t merely rely on the backing of influential people. A recommendation letter would be more effective if you’re already certain that there are openings there,” he advised.
Teves also advised the business-inclined graduates to pursue entrepreneurship. “Pwede mo makasugod ug ginagmay nga negosyo (You can start a small business). There are short courses on microfinance that can help you. You can help your family, as well as the whole province because that small business will be giving employment to your fellow Negrenses,” he said.
Teves has been attending the graduation ceremonies of the eight campuses of Negros Oriental State University with his father, former Cong. Herminio Teves, touted as the father of the state university. NORSU was created through a bill sponsored by the elder Teves, and passed as Republic Act. No. 9299 in 2004. The law integrated other academic institutions in the province, namely the Genaro Goni Memorial College in Bais, the Siaton Community College, and the Mabinay Institute of Technology, with then Central Visayas Polytechnic University in Dumaguete and renamed the new entity as NORSU.
The former Finance chief also commended NORSU’s faculty for producing another batch of graduates, notably its President, Dr. Henry Sojor, who shared that 12 out of every 20 NORSU graduates successfully land a job within one year.
