Romeo Bachoco, an alumnus of the College of Management, addressed 294 graduating students with Latin honors during the Papuri, a recognition program for Academic Year 2021-2022. The program was held at the UP Visayas Auditorium, Iloilo City Campus, on July 20, 2022.
Bachoco finished the degree Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration Major in Accounting, cum laude, at UP Visayas. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the Philippines and a Certified Management Accountant in Australia. He also holds a gold medal distinction from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.
In his message to the awardees, Bachoco emphasized the value of hard work as he detailed his experiences as a student in UP Visayas and as a struggling professional at the start of his career. "Education is a passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today," was the echoing words of his parents that kept him moving forward. "Material things can be lost during our lifetime, but education is an intangible asset that will never be taken from you."
Graduating cum laude was, to him, a product of perseverance, hard work, focus and even cohesiveness with classmates who helped their peers who were struggling with their subjects. He emphasized that during his time, there was no luxury of gadgets, the internet, and media platforms to support his studies. The library was his only access to books and the Encyclopedia that were sources for research materials.
"Life in general and getting an education was not as convenient and easy as it is today. Our learning process was a lot more difficult, but this did not deter or prevent our generation from pursuing our studies despite these limitations," he shared. The research was difficult and took a lot of time back then. According to him, it has been reversed by today's advanced technology and high-speed internet.
Despite all that, he was the number one University Scholar with the highest grade weighted average (GWA) and received the prestigious Vice President Fernando Lopez Scholarship Award. He also set it upon himself to become a successful professional upon reaching 50. "I want to be a senior executive of a big organization and make a difference in the lives of others. And this I have attained."
He also acknowledged that his choice to be a successful finance professional did not involve a guided or serious process but was purely based on the practicality of things from his perspective. He spent a total of 14 years abroad, including in Singapore, Hongkong, Malaysia, Indonesia and the USA, handling key roles ranging from being a Financial Comptroller to Vice President and Chief Foreign Officer of a Television Network.
Having returned to the Philippines in the last 15 years, he also held various positions, including Executive Vice President of McDonald's Philippines, Chief Operating Officer of Double Dragon Properties Corp, and President and COO of Xentro Malls. Throughout the course of his illustrious career, he can attest that there is no shortcut to success.
"It has always come back to hard work, perseverance, and confidence. There is also value in gaining experiences and valuable learnings from failures. And there is a need to invest in oneself for the future. I was determined to be a successful finance professional," and this was accomplished.
Lastly, he advised the honor students to share their blessings with their alma mater and the community. He also asked them to love and take care of their parents. He prodded them never to give up until they reached their goals.
The event is the first face-to-face recognition program after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The honor students, accompanied by their parents and guardians, received their medallions from Chancellor Clement C. Camposano during the awarding ceremony. University officials, with a limited number of faculty and staff, also attended the event.
