Oxygen deprived Eagles?

When Businessman Manny Pangilinan decided to cut ties with Ateneo, the cynic in me assumed that he simply found a convenient excuse to get out of an unproductive financial commitment. Yes, the Ateneo Eagles may have been winning lots of trophies as far as basketball is concerned but in terms of corporate investments or Corporate Social Responsibility, the arrangement has not really given Pangilinan or the Metro Pacific Group any high value return on investment.

Unlike other one-time donors, MVP has had a running tap for the Eagles and sooner or later even his principals or investors would be inclined to ask: what exactly are we getting out of this deal. A doctorate, a building named after him, a few close up features during TV coverage of the UAAP and some press releases has never qualified as good value for money even from a CSR perspective because at the very least, all the support ideally, should eventually become sustainable on its own.

After my initial cynicism, my thoughts soon turned towards giving MVP unsolicited advise by providing Biblical caution on “rash response”. People who read the Bible will easily recall two men who rashly responded to situations and suffered the penalty.

First there was Moses who in a fit of frustration with the ever complaining and annoying Israelites, vent his anger by whacking the rock in order to produce water. This of course was in violation of GOD’s instruction who told him to simply tap the rock. As a consequence, this rash response solicited harsh punishment resulting in Moses never crossing over to the “promised land”.

The second character was Jonah whom, knowing GOD’s capacity to forgive, refused to go to the city of Nineveh, to warn its inhabitants that GOD was about to wipe them out unless they repented. Jonah effectively wanted the Ninevites wiped out because they were one very nasty, cruel and bloodthirsty bunch of people. But because Jonah chose to skip town, he ended up on a boat in the middle of the storm, and being tossed overboard by the crew to save themselves. He ends up in the belly of a whale and in his distress “ I called to the Lord and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help”.

Jonah eventually goes back to complete the mission but resents the fact that the Ninevites end up repenting and being saved. He hates it so much that he preferred death than being party to their salvation. It is at that point where GOD talks to Jonah and points out how Jonah valued a vine that gave Jonah shade, but did not care for the lives of “more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

In my mind, many of us, especially business leaders and corporate bosses are naturally predisposed or susceptible to rash response when our efforts and good intentions are spurned, made suspect or dishonored by careless action or disrespect. Unfortunately that is where GOD and man draw the line between true visionaries and mere bosses. Moses and Jonah only saw as far as their nose or how far they could throw the irritants around them. Moses could not keep his eye on the Boss and the “promised land”; Jonah actually did not understand the mission – vision.

Even Jesus lost it when his zeal for GOD’s house consumed him and decided to break up the money making party at the temple. But at the ultimate hour, he was focused on the job, on the mission, he stuck to the plan and thank GOD he did!

Having said that, I refocused on the MVP-Ateneo split up and I realized that much of the talk focused on MVP but little reflection was mentioned about Alma Maters particularly concerning their fundamental role in the equation as well as their obligation to donors and alumnus who come home to “pay it forward”.

In my mind, institutions of learning such as the Ateneo, UP, and others should take this opportunity to reflect on their primary objective which is to give quality education and not dabble in politics. Even such an esteemed University like the Ateneo is not without its feet of clay. Among young parents, I have often heard how one particular teacher has been teaching at the grade school “her way or the highway”. Some graduates have expressed concern about how today’s crop of Eagles no longer embody the servant leader character of Ateneans.

My point is that, many schools, their faculty and high profile leaders have spent too much time and too much effort outside the boundaries of teaching and have concerned themselves with politics, business and especially media. Sadly this has been more pronounced with “Catholic Schools” and the University of the Philippines. While UP has long been politicized, Catholic schools and universities have only recently been drawn into the fray primarily for producing warm bodies during protest marches and signature campaigns.

While academic leadership drifts dangerously towards politics and interests, they carelessly inflict injury upon those who have contributed to the alma mater. The same thing happened to Businessman Danding Cojuangco who poured his heart and wealth into the La Salle athletic program and was rewarded with grief by being dismissed as a “crony” when the Catholic Church took the front line against Marcos. Three decades later, a set of wiser priests sought peace with Cojuangco, who in his humility kept the reconciliation and “restoration” a very private matter.

Now it is MVP who finds himself tarred and spurned by eaglets and a handful of high flying oxygen deprived eagles forgetful what he has brought home to the nest and unmindful and insensitive of the business realities of MVP’s world. Whether it takes three decades or losing championships, I do hope the Ateneans eventually come to realize that they are a school and not a political party.