Ate Vicky retires

The UP Department of Linguistics warmly congratulates our longtime administrative officer (AO), Victoria Vidal, on her retirement after three decades of service to the University. Ate Vicky started as an AO at the Department in 2001, and has since then worked with nine chairpersons, dozens of teaching and administrative staff, and hundreds of students. She has been instrumental in the Department’s establishment of several facilities, endurance through calamities, and effort towards academic excellence–being an integral piece to what makes the Department the institution that it is today. 

Prelude

Before her stint at the Department, Ate Vicky served as  a clerk, supply officer, and administrative assistant at different offices under the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP), demonstrating unstinting dedication for her work. She joined the Department during the term of Associate Professor Tuting Hernandez as chairperson. It was during this time that she took root in the Department, beginning almost 24 years of service as our AO. 

Building the Department

In 2012, the Department was first recognized as a Center of Excellence in Foreign Languages by the Commission on Higher Education. Ate Vicky’s contribution towards this achievement is undoubtedly extensive, as her emphasis on competence, hard work, and care helped make the teaching of Asian languages in the University as effective as it can be. Her insights were also valuable in the institutionalization of the Department’s Extramural Language Classes back in 2014–the first-ever Board of Regents-approved extension program in the University. 

She has also worked with and trained several student assistants and university research associates, some of whom are now faculty members: Associate Professor Jem Javier, Assistant Professor Ria Rafael, Assistant Professor Jay-Ar Igno, Assistant Professor Divine Endriga, Assistant Professor Noah Cruz, Senior Lecturer Mark De Chavez, Senior Lecturer KC Rico, and Lecturer Michael Manahan.

She also managed the establishment of the Linguistics Library (Palma Hall 400B) and the Department’s Language Laboratory (Palma Hall 400C) in the past decade. She has also been instrumental in modernizing the facilities of the Department.

Through the elements

When Tropical Storm Ondoy hit Metro Manila in September 2009, Ate Vicky headed a relief response to affected students and staff by starting the call for donations and coordinating with different offices and institutions. 

The Faculty Center (FC) / Bulwagang Rizal of UP Diliman, where the Department was based for a large part of its history, was engulfed by a major fire in April 2016. After the fire, Ate Vicky immediately started looking for ways to procure new equipment and restore as much salvageable documents as possible, speeding up the Department’s recovery. 

A strip from the comic Kiko Machine, featuring stories about Ate Vicky during the FC fire.

Not even five years later, when the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak struck and led to lockdowns, Ate Vicky assisted in organizing check-ins with students and staff, and coordinating financial relief for those in need. With her help, gadgets like laptops, power banks, and wifi routers were also delivered to faculty members. All of these were essential to the Department’s functioning during the pandemic, assuring that care and service continue to reach every member of the Department and its students. 

Today, while the Department continues to be displaced and operate without permanent offices and as the Palma Hall also undergoes renovation, Ate Vicky continues to coordinate with offices within and outside CSSP to find appropriate spaces for the Department to continue offering its courses in linguistics, Asian languages, and general education and for its affiliated researchers to continue conducting their studies on Philippine and other Asian languages and dialects. 

Ate Vicky the administrator

Ate Vicky has earned the moniker ina ng laging saklolo as she is widely known for her extensive knowledge on the bureaucratic processes within the University–may it be appointments, load credits, leave applications, funding requests, award nominations, promotions, and many more. She has also established an effective communication network with other UP offices and private organizations. Her clerical excellence paved the way for the smooth operations of conferences and journals like the Philippine Linguistics Congress and The Archive, as well as lectures like the Philippine Indigenous Languages Lecture Series, Linguistics Special Lecture Series, Talks on Asian Languages, and Lexicon Unpacked. 

Ate Vicky also spearheaded the push towards computer-based administrative processes in the 2000s, which included the digitization of old documents. This was crucial during the aftermath of the FC fire, as several legacy materials were saved. It also made the transition towards paperless operations, which happened years after, quicker. 

Ate Vicky the person

In her free time, Ate Vicky likes to watch Filipino telenovelas and follow the news. One would also often see her buy different fruits to take home, and she sometimes brings to the Department dishes that she has cooked. 

Above all of Ate Vicky’s expertise in administrative work and processes, people know her best for the motherly care she extends to all who pass through the doors of the Department’s administrative office. Her cheerful demeanor combined with her kind personality brings people closer, making everyday work a little bit easier and warmer. Whether it be face-to-face, by phone, or through the internet, one feels her contagious positivity and genuine concern. 

We love you, Ate Vicky!