I WAS invited to attend the 5th anniversary celebration of the New Era University Center for Philippine Studies (NEU-CPS) at the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) Museum in Quezon City on May 10, 2026. I was among a small group of historians present when the NEU-CPS took its baby steps after its birth in 2021, beginning with a series of webinars commemorating the 160th birth anniversary of Jose Rizal that year.