Caretaker’s Notes: We will miss your dance artistry here in VSU

The whole VSU community grieves for the passing of Mr. Jovel M. Aberilla, a faculty member of the Institute of Human Kinetics (IHK), who is credited for his innate sense of creativity that empowered the local dance community here in VSU and beyond.

Mr. Aberilla joined our creator on February 7, 2024 because of an apparent heart attack inside his residence in Brgy. Doos del Norte in Hindang, Leyte.

He was an important part of our teaching force for sixteen years now who mentored many young people in both dance, artistic choreography, and many successful cultural activities of the university. In fact, many of the winning dancesport recognitions that we obtained for two and a half decades was because of his guidance and tutelage.

As a licensed dancesports adjudicator by the Philippine Dancesport Academy, he enriched culture and the arts here in VSU by staging memorable performances and locally produced shows that were also featured in neighboring municipalities and cities here in the region.

Mr. Aberilla is also a national adjudicator of the performing arts division of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) while also serving as the resident team coach of our local dancesport group, Artistic Director of the VSU Dance Company, and as Chairperson of the Performing Arts Section of the VSU Culture and the Arts Center (CAC).

Recently, he brought honor and recognition to the university for being recognized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for his commendable contribution to the enrichment of the local dance community in the Leyte province and the greater Region VIII.

One of the most significant priority projects he led during the pandemic was putting up locally produced online concerts and video performances featuring the regional dances that we uniquely have here in Eastern Visayas.

He is true-blooded #ProudViscan whose passion for performing arts and culture including physical education has also inspired many young people to use dance as a platform for expression, creativity and critical understanding.

Despite his hectic schedule in teaching, Mr. Aberilla has also been active in providing community support by doing extracurricular works as creative consultant for local festivities and as a founding consultant for the performing arts section of the newly established Baybay City School for the Arts.

He will always be remembered by his colleagues here in VSU because of his exceptional sense of humor, grace under extreme pressure, unforgettable dance moves, impeccable eye for detail, and more importantly his commitment to train a new breed of empowered local dance artists who are now providing cultural and entertainment services to many local governments and common interest groups.

Not known to many, Jovel is a hardworking breadwinner who supported the needs of his immediate family and uplifted their economic condition from his hard-earned salary and the small tokens he got from successfully directing and choreographing local shows.

He supported many of his nephews and nieces by sending them to school and has been generous to his relatives and friends, whether in terms of financial support or pro-bono services to his immediate community.

As OIC President and on behalf of the VSU administration, I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of Mr. Jovel M. Aberilla. We mourn his passing because we lost a dedicated public servant who offered his life for the nourishment of dance education and cultural appreciation here in VSU and beyond.

Sir Jovel, may you be immortalized by the many people you helped and inspired to use dance as a form of local empowerment. We will truly miss you here in our beloved university.

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