by Archiebald Capila, Lois Daniellle P. Dimaano, And Mindy Roiza A Planillo
Hailing from the proud people of Igorot, the new Dean of the College of Law, Dean Marciano “Rocky” Delson, is filled with enthusiasm and brimming hope for his deanship.
Dean Delson gradually ascended up the ladder of serving the College of Law from being the Director of the Legal Aid Bureau, to being the Prefect of Student Affairs, the Administrative Officer and subsequently being the Vice Dean. And now he is hailed as the fifth Dean of the College of Law since its establishment in 1948.
Dean Delson fondly recalls his humble beginnings and how he grew with the College of Law, “I was a lonely Igorot of scarce resources when I first entered the then San Beda College, and the school nurtured me well by providing an equal opportunity for self-improvement.”
When asked about how he felt when he knew that he will be the new Dean, he said that he felt a mix of emotions, “Happiness and excitement for being the fifth to head the College of Law since its establishment in 1948; honor with a bit of sadness to succeed Dean Jara, my boss and mentor in almost everything; fear with eagerness to face the challenges ahead; and anxiety with enthusiasm thinking of what we could achieve for San Beda University, our Country and God.”
As the new Dean, he endeavors to continue the tradition of excellence which have been deeply engrained in the College of Law. He also stressed the need to improve the University’s Bar performance through the strict implementation of retention policies and at the same time, evaluating the current methods and the performance of the professors. “Under our deanship, every student who believes in, and studies hard for, the Bedan brand of quality legal education, shall have the full support of the College of Law. Indeed, our students are the true strength of the SBU College of Law.”
Dean Delson also maintained the administration’s support to the university’s policy on banning unrecognized organizations. “We fully support the university’s policy on banning fraternities and similar organizations. After the unfortunate deaths of two students in 2012 in fraternity-related activities, we have asked our faculty members to resign, renounce, and desist from any participation and activities of the unrecognized organizations as a condition for continued inclusion in the faculty of law. We also adopted a policy that henceforth, affiliation in fraternities or other similar unrecognized organizations shall be a disqualification for a teaching engagement. We must promote only ONE brotherhood and sisterhood – the Bedan community,” said Dean Delson.
In an interview with the barrister, Dean Delson repeatedly underscored the Benedictine core values which greatly influenced him in his journey as a law student up to the present. He hopes to use these values as a mainspring of his deanship. He shared that imbibing the Benedictine core values of Ora et Labora as a way of life is one of the most significant factors which has helped him over the time. Dean Delson gave a chuckle when he said that his mantra is, “Habang may bagyo; may PAG-ASA.”
Dean Delson made a stern but encouraging remark when asked about his message for the College of Law, “I still have to meet a student with an honest claim that the study of law is not difficult. We cannot make it easy for you but be assured that whatever happens during your stay in what Dean Jara describes as a concentration camp for legal education, we are here for you.” He warmly reaffirmed, “We are here for you.”
From TheBarrister’s 2019 Second Issue, “Ground Zero”
THE BARRISTER 