The Business Men: Ernie and Ben
(featuring character sketches of Commerce Department Faculty)

*Victoria G. Orjalo

This is not an amended version of the Sesame Street characters, but an amateur character analysis of two professors at the Commerce Department: Ernie Apodaca and Ben de la Cruz.

When one first meets with Ernie and Ben, the impression is one of serious academic miens. The impressions are not entirely false - Ernie, after all, has only Chapters 4 and 5 of his dissertation to complete his Doctorate degree in Business Administration from the De la Salle University. He is also in the process of updating his book on Distribution Management (Marketing Logistics) under the De la Salle University Press. He is partial to tea, prefers cool barong outfits and attends mass regularly. Having said that, you get the image of an outright bore, or at the very least, an academic know-it-all

Ben, on the other hand, is a real heavyweight - physically and in other terms. Ben de la Cruz has spent a good number of years in the academe, and many years in the corporate world, just like Ernie. He is also partial to barong outfits, wears
dark-rimmed spectacles, and has received his nth award from Don Bosco Technical College in Mandaluyong for exemplary professional aptitude. Ben is also close to finishing his doctoral studies at the PUP. Yep - another outright bore, by those credentials.

The Ernie we know, however, woke up the Strategic Planning meeting at one o'clock in the morning of June 15 in Antipolo with his report on the action plans of the Commerce Department. The report was short and direct to the point - he told the participants that the topics have all been taken up, and he had nothing else to add. It was a comic and subtle way to send a message - let's all go to sleep -we're not sharp enough to tackle anymore at this time of the night.

Ernie is just like that memorable Strategic Planning event - he has a humorous streak that has a lot of sense, and he delivers it seriously, lest you miss the point. Some of the humor is so light and obvious that one misses it if one strains to get the joke. The Mr. Apodaca you know also has a lot of religious sense -but his jokes on the religious sector is never irreverent, but decidedly "knowing" (not in the Biblical sense)
The next time you get a yen for tea and the popular version of what the Bible stories mean - get a ring side seat during Ernie's afternoon break at the Commerce Department.
Ben is the Papa bear version of Ernie's teddy bear built. Ben's build is imposing - almost 6 ft. all and a heavyweight at the scale. His heart and character is bigger than that physical impression. Ben is the Bert to Ernie's Ernie (as in Sesame Street ). Ben will explain Ernie's joke - in case you missed it. He will dissect it for you, and may deliver a dissertation on the spot, if you let him. That analytical bent probably stems from his Finance experience with San Miguel Corporation. He is used getting into the details of the matter - he will get you reacquainted with the trees. when you et lost in the forest. He will bother to explain - he will take time to make you understand - he will guide you where you need to be led.
We have a treasure in Ben - he has maintained a warm networking relationship with his past and present colleagues that he brings to wealth and depth to his bearing. He also brings a naughty, but never offensive, streak to it.

In the Palawan trip of Summer 1996, Ben almost got the entire ISSP group in a bad patch when he got them invited to the Asia World Hotel. The activity was not in the approved itinerary. But the network is everywhere - Ben gets invited and he likes to bring the, rest of the gang along. Ed - the other de la Cruz of the Commerce Department, invariably gets a whole gang to his North Park lunches because he invites Ben.
The other way to get a stimulating! dissertation on the Bible is to get Ben (who was invited by Ed) to that North Park lunch.

There is a hypothesis that the Biblical aptitude of Ben and Ernie stem from the fact that they were both born on the day we commemorate the death of infants at the hands of Herod. You are invited to elevate the hypothesis to a theory during one of the North Park lunches or afternoon tea lunches with Ben and Emie. The sessions will surely be more fun than watching reruns of Ernie and Bert (Sesame version).

Next "Business" Men: Free lunch with the other De la Cruz - Ed

*Ms. Victoria G. Orjalo is Associate Dean of the Commerce at Assumption College

The Commerce Agenda
Volume 1 No.1 February 1998

Assumption College Service Awards

*Dr. Maria Corazon T. Lopez

Good afternoon.

Today I am honoring a dear colleague at the School of Business, who of late, we have started to call endearingly as "Lolo Ben." Despite the fact that he is an accountant by training, by profession, and active practice, he has taken the role of being our resident nutritionist and wellness moderator - closely watching over what we eat and how we take care of ourselves. His caring of us is so very much in the core of his being that his concern was about us in the department even at the worst time of his stay in the hospital.

Our "Lolo Ben" is Professor Benjamin de la Cruz. He came to join us in 1994 as part time faculty, the youngest of the batch of seasoned gentlemen professors such as Mr. Lao, Mr. Buhay, Dr. Handog and Mr. Apodaca.

He came to us with a portfolio of experiences gained from 22 productive years of working in San Miguel Corporation. His skill in teaching was honed by his exposure in Ateneo and Don Bosco as part time faculty. In 1997, he became an "Asumptionist" and took on the mantle of a true Assumption educator focusing mostly on teaching accounting and finance subjects. As an administrator, he nurtured the Marketing Department as the Chairperson. He actively involved himself in the PAASCU committees on curriculum and on physical plant. I am sure his sojourns as an ISSP professor would remain permanently embedded in his memory. "Lolo Ben" always spoke very fondly of his ISSP times with the students.

"Lolo Ben" is retiring. He will be missed by the students because he is so well loved by them - always referring to his fatherly concerns. We, his colleagues, will miss his edgy jokes, his ministerings to our wellness, his towering strength at times of adversity. We will miss having an unofficial photographer and documentor in our midst.

In behalf of the department and the rest of the Assumption College, today we honor this man - Professor Benjamin de la Cruz - for thirteen years of unstinting service; for thirteen years of embracing this life of a mentor to a bevy of young women, many of whom are now successful professionals, mothers, and leaders. Ladies and gentlemen, a warm applause to our man of the hour - PROF. BENJAMIN DELA CRUZ.


*Maria Corazon T. Lopez, PhD.
Associate Dean, School of Business
Assumption College

9 March 2007 5F Therese Emmanuel Building