THE University of Negros Occidental–Recoletos (UNO-R) will install today, July 5, on the feast of St. Anthony Zaccaria, its 17th president in the person of Reverend Fr. Don Hormilloso Besana.
He will serve for four years as the top executive of the first Catholic university in the island of Negros. He joined the Order as a minor (high School) seminarian in San Carlos City. He made his simple profession on April 27, 1996; his solemn profession on July 23, 1999. He was ordained deacon on October 30, 1999. He received the sacrament of Holy Order on the birthday of the Blessed Mother, December 8, 2000.
Prior to his election as president of the university, Fr. Don’s religious assignments are as follows: parish priest of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Cebu in 2000-2001; he was transferred to UNO-R as chaplain, CMO director, UCDO director, and Resource-Handumanan treasurer and vice president from 2001 to 2003; he was then transferred to Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary (formerly Seminario Mayor, Recoletos) as spiritual director, vice prior and procurator.
Answering the call for missionary work, he was sent as Prior to the Ordain of Agustinian Recollects (OAR) African Mission in Kamabai, Sierra Leone from 2004 to 2006; he returned to form future workers in the vineyard of the Lord as a spiritual director, dean of studies and registrar from 2006 to 2013.
He was then called to serve the educational apostolate by his appointment as vice president-administration and Human Resource Development Center, director of San Sebastian College–Recoletos Manila from 2013 to 2015. After the triennium, he was assigned to San Sebastian College–Recoletos Cavite until 2017 as vice prior and VP-Admin and HRMDO director.
In 2017, he was transferred to UNO-R as vice president for Academics. And on May 25, 2018, the Board of Trustees, chaired by the Fr. Prior Provincial Rev. Fr. Dionisio Selma elected Fr. Don as the 17th president of UNO-R.
UNO-R was founded in 1941 by Dr. Antonio Lizares and Dr. Francisco Kilayko in Talisay as Occidental Negros Institute. Due to World War II, it closed down. In 1946, it reopened in Bacolod but transferred to its present site in 1948. It was named a university in 1957 and was called UNO.
In 1962, the Order of Augustinian Recollects bought the university from the founders and named it as the University of Negros Occidental–Recoletos.
The OAR steered the wheels of the university and injected the Augustinian Philosophy of Caritas et Scientia for almost six decades. The university is training its students to be persons with values and It is because of values that students come to the university. “The administrators, teachers and mentors are only pedagogues (or yayos and yayas) that would bring the children closer to God,” according to the new President and he added that the core of our life should be Christ and all of us should be led to Christ.
The Augustinian Recollects are religious men and women who adhere strongly and strictly to the teaching of Father St. Augustine. They were recognized as one of the major Orders of the Catholic Church in 1912. But they were in existence for over 4 centuries. They were originally missionaries who were assigned to new parishes or areas for evangelization. They realized later that educational apostolates are fast venues for evangelization.
Today, the OAR has over 40 schools in 10 countries. In the Philippines, they run two universities, two colleges, four basic education institutions. They all have a complete formation program in the country.
Today, the OAR is led by its Prior General, Rev. Fr. Miguel Miro and the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno by Rev. Fr. Dionisio Selma.
Let us pray for Fr. Don and his administration that they will continue to be “creators of communion” as they pave the way for evangelization and of bringing God’s kingdom here on earth.
Congratulations, Fr. Don.