Advance Manual : 226-N Special Occasion Speeches
Project # 2 : Speaking in Praise
Title : The Brick Named Brix
Delivered at : Toast of Comsofil Toastmasters Club
Evaluated by : CC/CL Salvador Villalino
Target Norm : Advance Communicator Silver
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Forty five years ago, a Spanish-Irish missionary came to the jungles of Cotabato Province and brought with him a mission to educate the youth of the highland. He came during the times when the province was soak with blood of war; the time the air was filled hatred between Lumads, Christians and Muslims; and the time when the government starts to abandon the orphan and the youth. He was scorned and branded a fool when he announce in public his plan of setting up a world class standard school – right in the middle of the war torn area of North Cotabato! Yet he defiantly weathered the odds, and on the 8th of September 1968, the missionary laid out the first red brick as the foundation of this great school – the Notre Dame of Kidapawan.
Notre Dame Alumni, parents, teachers, students, school officials, I am honored to announce to you that the Spanish-Irish missionary who founded our school is with us tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you our distinguished founding member, Father Briccio Santander Baynosa! A round of applause please.
Father Brix the Builder
Many of us personally knew Father Briccio Baynosa and like me, we fondly him as called Papa Brix. Would you agree with me that Papa Brix has a name quite fitting for his virtue – Brix the Builder? If you loiter around Notre Dame you will easily notice those beautiful red bricks that adorn our halls… and easily, what would come into our mind is the big brick – Papa Brix.
Father Brix together with Father Alfred George, help establish Notre Dame of Kidapawan in 1968. While Father George went back to the US to look for funds, Father Brix took the challenge of finding a place for the new school. Father Brix did what was unthinkable that time: he successfully negotiated with the Bagobo chieftain Datu Ingkal Piang to donate this 50 hectare rolling plain as the site of a new school. More importantly, Father Brix convinced the two other rival Manobo chieftains Datu Paglas and Datu Agko to sign a peace treaty that ensures the safety of the students and teachers of the school.
The impact of the new school was felt not only in the city but also by the neighboring towns and baranggays. Five years later, Father Brix went to Makilala and established a new school – the Notre Dame of Makilala. And in the next ten years, Father Brix help established five more Notre Dame Schools: ND Matalam, ND Kabacan, ND Mlang, ND Arakan, and ND Pres Roxas.
Father Brix the Educator
Father Brix championed an endeavor of an "Education to All". While other Notre Dame Schools outside the province of Cotabato strictly censure admission of students who does not practice Catholicism, Father Brix opened the gates of Notre Dame of Kidapawan to the lumads – the Bagobo, the Manobo, the Bilaan, and even to the Muslims youth. A move that begets peace, harmony, and unity among tribal groups, the Christians, and Muslims in North Cotabato.
Father Brix the Diplomat
In the time of feudalist schools, Father Brix build bridges to enable students and teachers from different schools to interact, compete, and excel together. He pioneered the Annual Notre Dame meet – a week long activity of athletics, academics, and cultural competition among Notre Dame Schools in Cotabato. This activity has fostered the spirit of camaraderie among students, build the sense of community among schools, and encourage diplomacy among students of different tribes, community and religious affiliation.
What a beautiful memory indeed. Personally, I can still recall how we spend several sleepless nights with Father Brix rehearsing us for the theater show "The Star of Bethlehem".
Father Brix the Fundraiser
Father Brix deep understanding on how to run a school is remarkable. He knows that the school will not survive with school fees alone, hence in the late seventies, Father Brix went to the US to lobbied in the US Education Board, for the accreditation our school as recipient for the USAID Fund. In 1981, the labor of Father Brix bear fruits: the first batch of 120 students were given full scholarship grant that will cover the entire 4-year high school term. In my last counting, ten more batches followed.
Father Brix our Inspiration
In 1995, Father Brix published the book "Tida P'wan". The title was taken from a Manobo term which is loosely translated as "Spring in the Mountain". Father Brix narrates his personal account on how the Notre Dames of North Cotabato was built, and what was the significance of Notre Dame Kidapawan to the other schools.
In his scripts, he wrote:
ND Kidapawan is a spring that blossoms from the slopes of Mt Apo. It nourished the life around it and made them abundant
ND Kidapawan is not a well… it is a spring. And just like a spring does, it has to move and to travel… to nourish other life as well.
ND Kidapawan begets ND Makilala, it's first offspring… and then many more children followed
Father Brix was right. Like a spring, Notre Dame carried along its stream several talented students to sow the seeds of inspiration, the seed of hope, and seed of greatness.
Father Brix if you still remember, I belong to the first batch of the USAID Scholars! In our batch you were able produced the likes of Cotabato Governor Manny Pinol, Kidapawan Mayor Vince Malaluan, Kabacan Mayor Anthony Palmones, Kidapawan City Fiscal Dan Calica, and Dr Benedict Albano – owner of Kidapawan Doctors Hospital. They are just few who stayed here and became pillars of our city.
The others students were carried by the stream of the spring. And just like what you written, we became successful people in our places as well. To name a few: Nonoy Maglunob and Rey Magtubo are now with Philippine Congress as Party List representatives , Engr. Batomalaque – President & CEO of Jacinto Color roof, Gideon Ramirez is now a world class fashion designer based in Hollywood, James Galang established the largest Filipino School in the Southern California, and Harold Gallego became a missionary currently based in Nigeria.
We owe everything to you Papa Brix. You are indeed the big brick of Notre Dame. You are our champion, our diplomat, our teacher, and most especially… you are our father!
From the batch of 1985, and the rest of the students of Notre Dame… we would like to thank you.
