VOLUME V | NO. 1 | AUGUST 2009
is nast
On June 23, 2009, Dayrit received the
“Tanging Parangal sa Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan” from the City of Manila at the Bulwagang Gat Antonio Villegas,
Manila. The award, which is Manila’s version of the National Artist awards, honors Filipinos striving for excellence in their fields and who continually promote our national cultural identity in their work. It was initiated by the late mayor Antonio Villegas in 1963 with the purpose of recognizing outstanding
Filipino artists and their craft.
On July 9, 2009 Dayrit was officially made a member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (nast). He is the second academician from the
Ateneo to be elected as a member of this prestigious circle of scientists, the first being Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, sj, president of the Ateneo de Manila
University and founding president of the
Mathematical Society of the Philippines.
The investiture ceremony was held at the Manila Hotel during the closing ceremonies of the 31 st Annual Scientific
Meeting of nast.
nast has been mandated by the
Philippine government to recognize outstanding achievements in science and technology and to serve as a reservoir of competent scientific and technological manpower for the country. It is also the advisory body to the President of the Republic of the Philippines and the
Cabinet on policies concerning science and technology in the country.
Dayrit is the son of scientist—the late researcher and pharmacologist Dr.
Conrado Dayrit—best known for his coconut oil advocacy. The elder Dayrit was also an academician of nast.
The younger Dayrit’s other milestones include receiving the Presidential
Lingkod Bayan for Government Service in 1988, Outstanding Young Men of the
Philippines in the field of Chemistry in
1993, Achievement Award in Chemistry
Education and nast Award for Best
Paper in 1995. He is also the director of products made by the National
Chemistry Instrumentation Center
(ncic) from 1994 until today.
He is a true-blue Atenean from elementary through college, with a degree in bs Chemistry (1975), cum laude . He received his master’s and doctorate degrees (1981) from Princeton
University, specializing in organometallic chemistry (transient metals used to catalyze chemical reactions). He has done extensive research on lagundi, which he deems as a “wonder plant,” and on the cinchona tree, both for their medicinal and healing properties.
Photo by Ehmee Adrales
Dayrit is sworn into the National Academy of Science and Technology
Photo by Teya Sabado
Jesuit Superior General Fr. Adolfo Nicolas,
SJ during the Jesuit Basic Education
Conference
Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, sj, Superior
General of the Society of Jesus, graced events in the Ateneo campus from July
12 to 14, 2009 as part of the 150 th anniversary of the Society of Jesus’ return to the Philippines. On July 13, he keynoted the Jesuit Basic Education
Conference (jbec) at the Henry Lee
Irwin Theater.
At the jbec, Fr. Nico’s keynote address challenged the audience of teachers, professionals, and administrators from
Jesuit schools in the Philippines to reflect on two “frontiers” facing Jesuit education today: depth and universality.
Characterizing depth as “a deep understanding and appreciation of what is most important,” he asked a series of questions to encourage the audience to reflect on how deeply they have met their students’ different needs in these more complicated times. “If one looks at the alumni we are proudest of as products of the Jesuit educational system, I think we will find in them a certain depth of perception, thinking, commitment, and character, and the habit of deciding from the inside,” he concluded.
Moving on to the frontier of universality, he stressed the need for a more universal perspective in these times of global crises. It is important,
Fr. Nico feels, to move beyond limiting distinctions to a wider community.
‘“First, do our students, as a result of their time with us, end up with a broader sense of belonging and responsibility than their families, classes, clans? Second, with regard to the schools themselves, can we break out of our narrow sense of belonging to this particular school?
Third, can we break out of our particular school system and serve those outside the Jesuit system in the Philippines?”
see back page for the rest of the story
LS retirees fêted page 3 Ateneo Team
“Best of the Best” page 3
Photo by Rani Jalandoni
Reading like the big shots page 2
Photo by Rani Jalandoni
Photo by Philip Sison
Tony Blair shares his thoughts on leadership page 4
Photo from HSBC

loyola schools bulletin we build community we nurture hope
2
Stars are remote and distant things, unreachable except to a few who strive to reach for them any way they can. On June 23, 2009, members of the ls community celebrated the life of someone who has been doing just that all his life. Fr. Daniel McNamara, sj, an iconic Loyola campus figure who is now based at the Ateneo de Davao University, turned 70 amid laughter and songs from colleagues and close friends.
Celebrating Fr. Dan
Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng, Vice President for the Loyola Schools, expressed what many of the people present had already said to Fr. Dan in public: that they miss seeing him regularly in the ls campus. James Simpas and Sr. Bubbles Bandojo, RC serenaded Fr. Dan, and the Physics Department with Dr. Chan on electric guitar led a singalong. Messages from Fr. Dan’s friends and loved ones from all over the world were presented, courtesy of
Gemma Narisma of the Manila Observatory.
Relaunch of the McNamara Endowment Fund
The gathering was not just meant to celebrate the life and achievements of
Fr. Dan, but also to re-launch the Fr. Daniel J. McNamara, sj Endowment
Fund, a scholarship fund established to support physics students from the provinces. Jolly Morata of the Office of Admission and Aid spoke briefly about the fund. She introduced its first beneficiary, Physics major Rafael
Jumar A. Chu of Tacloban City, then reported on the status of the current drive. In order for the fund to be self-supporting, an additional P1.75M will need to be raised.
Reaching for the stars
During mass at the College Chapel, Fr. Dan shared a brief summary of his life, recalling that even as a boy growing up in Long Island, New York, he would be out looking at the stars even on the coldest nights. Along with his interest in astronomy came an interest in the Jesuit vocation and, eventually, he was able to accomplish both. As a young Jesuit, he was assigned to the
Philippines, where he was initially tasked to teach in the Ateneo High School and work at the Manila Observatory. Returning to the Ateneo following further studies, he taught Physics at the college and was college chaplain for many years. Currently assigned to the Ateneo de Davao University, Fr.
Dan noted that God has always pointed the way in his life, saying that “God does call and we are given the grace to answer.” He spoke again after the program with his characteristic humility and poise, thanking his guests for their affection, love, and sharing, and accepting these as manifestations of
Christ’s love for everyone.
The stars seem closer with people like Fr.
Dan around.
Those who would like to honor Fr.
Dan with a lasting gift dear to his heart through the Fr. Daniel J. McNamara
Endowment Fund may get in touch with Ms. Jolly Morata of the Office of Admission and Aid, 4266001 local
5151 or 5158 . Those who would like to make a donation online or in a foreign currency may log on to www.ateneo.edu/ giving. Please indicate that your donation is towards the Fr. Daniel J. McNamara, sj
Endowment Fund, account number 111 079 -
080 .
Photo by Rani Jalandoni
LS Bookstore director William Mallari (right) shows Deborah Tan of Smart and MVP the
Reading Encouragement Program display containing copies of MVP’s favorite reads
BIG
The ls Bookstore is a central part of the LS community, providing more than just the textbooks and school supplies that students and faculty use on a daily basis. They also host “icampus,” the incampus Apple dealership as well as wide variety of Ateneo related merchandise.
The store is also a very strong promoter for reading and encourages students of the university to pick up the habit.
Their latest program is simply called the Reading Encouragement Program or lsb-rep. Set near the couches, a small glass display table is filled with favorite books borrowed from renowned admu alumni along with a small poster showcasing the featured Atenean for the semester. The program was launched on
April , , and features as its first “reader”
Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of the
Ateneo Board of Trustees, pldt, and the
Metro Pacific Group of companies. outside of his more well-known business and philanthropic pursuits.
A push for good old reading
By featuring the reading choices of prominent members of the Ateneo community, Mallari hopes to inspire students to read more books. Promoting book reading in particular is one of
Mallari’s personal advocacies, as he observes that today’s generation of techsavvy students are reading books less and less. The program was born out of a growing concern over the declining ability of students to express themselves verbally and in writing, which is partially due to a decline in reading. He believes, as does Pangilinan, that reading books is still one of the best ways of improving not only knowledge and self-expression, but also confidence, which are the traits of the leaders he hopes to feature in the program. mvp
’s picks
Program mechanics
Included in the displays is an enlarged copy of a handwritten letter from Pangilinan himself to Mallari, in which mvp (as Pangilinan is commonly known) comments on his favorite books. Interestingly, the book Alice in
Wonderland was first book he read in the
Ateneo while under professor Eric Torres.
The letter talks about other books he read during his Ateneo stay, such as Jonathan
Livingston Seagull , which Pangilinan calls a book that “makes you soar, gives you hope.” He also presents books he has enjoyed more recently, such as The Long
Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela and, interestingly, Alexander the Great , whom he calls an “iconic figure.” The letter turns the books into more than just suggested readings and is also a way of catching a glimpse of Pangilinan’s personality
Joining the program is as simple as buying a book. An interested party can simply purchase one of the featured books in the program and present the official receipt to the ls cashier. The buyer is then registered in the program, and the laminated official receipt becomes the buyer’s membership card.
All the buyer needs to do then is present the laminated receipt when purchasing books from the ls Bookstore to enjoy a five percent discount on trade and text books. Membership to the program is valid for one year.
Mallari is satisfied at the reception of the program. He notes that a steady number of students have become participants, which is an encouraging sign for the program’s continued success.

VOLUME V | NO. 1 | AUGUST 2009
Our society is characterized by linear consumption where resources are converted at an accelerating rate into waste. Based on the waste audit of the Loyola Schools (ls) waste stream, it was found that more than half (by weight) is biodegradable. This type of waste can, through natural processing, re-enter society as useful material, thus reconnecting the link between organic matter and the soil on which they arose in the first place.
As part of the waste-toresource conversion at the ls, the ls Vermicomposting Facility was inaugurated and blessed last February 17,
2009. Vermicomposting is the process of using worms to break down organic waste into its component nutrients. The facility uses a community of African nightcrawlers ( Eudrilus eugeniae ) to decompose garden and vegetable waste into vermicast—a nutrient-rich product that the worms excrete after they digest organic material. The vermicast can then be used as fertilizer for the green spaces on campus. Through this process, the volume of solid waste is minimized, and the quality of the soil is improved in a natural way.
Representatives from all sectors of the ls community were involved in setting up the vermicomposting
facility—from the administrators and staff of the Vice President’s Office, the
Office of Administrative Services and the Office of Student Activities, to the faculty members of the Environmental
Science Department and the Biology
Department, to the students from the
Environmental Science Society and the aemc advocacy group.
The aemc also partnered with the Office of Social Concern and
Involvement (osci) and with students from the Philosophy class of Dr.
Manuel Dy for their Junior Engagement
Program (jeep). Part of the students’ insertion activity was the operation of the vermicomposting facility from preparing the organic material to feeding the worms. They were able to collect the first harvest of vermicast one week after the inauguration.
The facility is manned by personnel trained by vermicomposting consultant
Jon Sarmiento. Sarmiento prompts us to consider waste management as a way of life—not just a task or ordinance, but as the right thing to do.
We invite you to visit the ls
Vermicomposting Facility (between pipac and Faura Hall) and see our worms at work! For more information, please contact the aemc through the vp’s Special
Projects Office at 426-6001 ext. 5008.
The Loyola Schools saluted its retiring members at a luncheon and recognition ceremony held February 20, 2009. It was a touching afternoon of reminiscences and expressions of appreciation for and from the eight retirees who come from different departments and offices, and who, between them, have given years of service to the Ateneo.
Six of the retirees were present at the affair: were Manuel B. Dy, Jr. (Philosophy
Department), Carmelo Francisco
V. Lopez (Leadership and Strategy
Department), Alfredo S. Marzan (oas),
Emma E. Porio (Sociology-Anthropology
Department), Antonia S. Santos
(History Department), and Benilda S.
Santos (Filipino Department). Two of the retirees, Felicisimo “Mang Imo” D. de la Cruz (Rizal Library) and Renan S.
Prado (Modern Languages Department) were unable to attend.
Of de la Cruz, Rizal Library Director
Lourdes T. David says, “He’s a good family man and a good father,” adding that Mang Imo chose to be with his family on that day because it was his wife’s birthday. Of Prado, Modern Languages
Department chair Christa Velasco hasthis to say: “He is totally dedicated to the craft of teaching, and his concern for the department is unparalleled.”
In closing, admu president Bienvenido
F. Nebres, sj, expressed what all present must have felt: “To you, Ateneo is family and home. It is you who have made it what it is. Ateneo is you, and all of us.
Let’s pray that this tradition continues.”
News
Photos by Rani Jalandoni
Manuel B. Dy, Jr. (Philosophy Department):
“He is a humble, gentle presence,” said then Philosophy Department chair Remmon
Barbaza.
Carmelo Francisco V. Lopez (Leadership and
Strategy Department): “Really, this (working at the Ateneo) has been heaven for me.”
3
Benilda S. Santos (Filipino Department): “Ang
Ateneo ay ang silid-aralan. Ito ang tunay na buhay ng Ateneo—ang harapin ang mga estudyante. Ang Ateneo rin ay ang kapilya.
Sa Ateneo ko natagpuan ang panalangin, ang Panginoon... Ang yaman na nabigay sa akin ng Ateneo na hindi matutumbasan, sa katapusan.”
Alfredo S. Marzan (OAS): “He’s the rock of the
OAS community. Hindi siya natitinag sa dami at bigat ng trabaho,” says OAS director Marie
Joy R. Salita.
VPLS Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng spreads worms into the compost pit
Photo by Joanna Ruiz
Emma E. Porio (Sociology-Anthropology
Department): “At the Ateneo, I have been creative, productive, and happy.”
Antonia S. Santos (History Department): For
History Department chair Josefina Hofileña,
Nonette, with her “cheerful disposition and openness,” is “a connection to a time when
Ateneo was a lot smaller and a lot more personal.”

loyola schools bulletin we build community we nurture hope
4
Photo by Philip Sison
Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and now Special Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, was guest speaker at the Ateneo mvp Center Sesquicentennial
Leadership Forum held on March , at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater. Security measures were tight but seamlessly executed by different Ateneo offices in cooperation with Malacañang’s
Presidential Security Group. Speaking to a packed audience composed of the
Ateneo de Manila’s college student leaders, faculty members, administrators, alumni, and guests from other sectors, Blair spoke of the multi-pronged impact of globalization and the driving imperative for social justice which he said should be a concerted effort between all countries, be they developed or developing.
He was passionate about the idea that transcending the religious differences
that have caused many problems to find common values is one thing that could be done that would have powerful and lasting consequences. He spoke of the need to open up to other people to understand their motivations, concerns, and passions. According to him, being more open to other cultures and religions will enable the new era of globalization to work. He also recognized that “out in the Middle East region, there is essentially one battle going on, as well as in the wider region, and it is the battle about Islam.” He felt very strongly that solutions to global challenges besetting the economy, environment, and security could best be tackled by countries committed to working together. “We can change things…today, in this world, we have to do it—but do it together.”
Truly a seasoned politician and man with a mission to fulfill in the Middle
The
by Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ
East peace process, Blair’s speech and thoughtful answers to the questions later raised by students spoke of his rich personal experience in the field of international politics, which he wittily punctuated with off-the-cuff remarks, self-deprecating humor, anecdotes of absurd encounters, and amusing understatements. Ateneo alumni and broadcaster Ricky Carandang was the program’s master of ceremonies and served as moderator during the open forum.
At the program end, Blair was presented by Ateneo president, Fr.
Bienvenido F. Nebres, sj and Fr. Jose
Magadia, sj, Provincial Superior of the
Society of Jesus in the Philippines, with three things as a gesture of appreciation from the Ateneo community: a replica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue carved by national hero Dr. Jose Rizal while he was a pupil at the Ateneo Municipal, a set of books containing some of the writings of historian and educator Fr. Horatio de la Costa, sj, and a university jacket which Blair put on to loud cheers from the audience. Manuel V. Pangilinan,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, gave the closing remarks.
As shared by Dr. Ma. Assunta
Cuyegkeng, Vice President for Loyola
Schools, the support of Pangilinan and the pldt-Smart Foundation has made the
Ateneo mvp Center Leadership Forum series possible, realizing Pangilinan’s vision of allowing students to learn from world leaders from various fields.
Bells have played a vital role in the life of the Christian assembly. The sound of bells summoned God’s people to prayer, marked the passing of time, and announced the important events of family and community life. Bells by tradition have been named after Our Lord, Mary, the angels, and the saints. Our fathers in the faith gathered scattered people “bajo las campanas”—that is, within earshot of church bells. From these orderly villages arose towns, cities, and schools or our nation.
Since the th century, Jesuits used a daily schedule, marked with the ringing of the bell for moments of prayer, work, study, and rest. They carried this practice to the colleges and schools they founded and to the parishes, missions, or reductions in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The ringing of bells to signal the beginning and end of classes at the
Ateneo de Manila grew out of this timehonored tradition.
The bell inscribed “Nuestra Señora de la Paz” and dated was in the Padre Faura campus to which the Ateneo transferred after a fire in razed the southwest section of Intramuros and with it the Ateneo buildings.
The smaller bell, case in and imprinted with the seal of the Society of Jesus, links
Intramuros and the Padre Faura to the
Loyola Heights campus.
As we re-dedicate these Heritage
Bells, we commemorate the continuity of Ateneo education over fifteen decades and we affirm our commitment to shape the future of our nation through service, spirituality, and excellence.
we build community we nurture hope
Volume V, Number. 1
August 2009
EDITOR
Joanna Ruiz
ART AND LAYOUT
Ivan Jacob A. Pesigan
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Ricardo G. Abad, Roy Tristan Agustin,
Michelle Camille Correa, Jonathan O.
Chua, Paul Daza, Gia Dumo, Abby Favis,
Erlinda Eileen G. Lolarga, Joanna Ruiz,
Corazon Lalu-Santos, Lawrence L. Ypil
PHOTOGRAPHS
Ricardo G. Abad, Ehmee Adrales, Tina
Araneta, Ryan Bermase, Shubert Ciencia,
Perry Doroja, HSBC, Rani Jalandoni,
Adrian Mundin, Ivan Jacob A. Pesigan,
Joanna Ruiz, Teya Sabado, School of
Humanities, Philip Sison
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF
Ehmee Adrales, Frances Alcaraz, Mitzie
Correa, Fr. Joey Cruz, SJ, Gia Dumo,
Tinay Garcia, Adrian Mundin, Soledad
Reyes, Gemma Roces, Milet Tendero,
Racky Tizon
Loyola Schools Bulletin © 2009 is published by the Office of the Vice
President for the Loyola Schools, Room
105, Xavier Hall, Ateneo de Manila
University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola
Heights, Quezon City
Dr. Erwin P. Enriquez, associate professor of Chemistry and director of the Materials Science and Engineering
Program, takes on the new fulltime post of Associate Dean for Research and
Creative Work for the Loyola Schools.
The ls Research Coordinator function, held last by Psychology Department’s
Dr. Liane P. Alampay, has now been incorporated into the new administrative office, with Enriquez directly reporting to the Vice President for Loyola Schools,
Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng. The office also absorbs other research coordinating functions involving Loyola
Schools previously managed by the now defunct Office of the Academic Vice
President under Central Administration.
A prime directive given to the office is to promote and drive up the publication of research outputs of Loyola Schools faculty as a strategy to upgrade the
University’s international standing, as well as to move forward with linkages pertaining to scholarly work. Among
Enriquez’s tasks is coordinating with the four Loyola Schools deans and their school research coordinators in promoting programs related to scholarly work, including the recognition of excellence through a reward system that highlights the fundamental and social impacts of the scholarly work of ls faculty.
Enriquez comes well-prepared to lead the main research coordinating arm of Loyola Schools, having served as ls
Research Coordinator between the years
2000 and 2006, during the term of Dr.
Anna Miren G. Intal as vpls. He joined the Ateneo in 1995 after completing his doctoral studies in Physical Chemistry at University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill (1993), and post-doctoral research work at University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign (1993-1995). He finished his undergraduate studies in bs
Chemistry (cum laude) at University of the Philippines Los Baños (1983). From the years 1997 to 2000, he served as chair of the sose’s Department of Chemistry.
Some recent honors and awards he has received are the 2008 Best Scientific
Poster Paper during the 30th Annual
Scientific Meeting of the National
Academic of Science and Technology
(nast) and the 2004 nast-Philippines
Outstanding Young Scientist Award
(Physical Chemistry).

VOLUME V | NO. 1 | AUGUST 2009
5
Photo by Ivan Jacob A. Pesigan
The 1832 (upper) and 1932 (lower) heritage bells
A gathering of university presidents from Asia, Australia, Europe, and the
United States started off the Ateneo de
Manila University’s sesquicentennial year. Held from January 22 to 24,
2009 the Presidents’ Forum 2009 was attended by close to 100 academic leaders from Australia, Austria, China,
France, Indonesia, Japan, Korean, the
Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, and the United States of America.
Centered on the theme “Universities at the frontiers of change,” the forum was an opportunity for the participants to share experiences, views, and reflections on how universities around the world are coping with institutional challenges arising from globalization.
Catholic University and the business community: Mutual enrichment respecting each individual’s mission”).
Parallel symposia
The following parallel symposia were also held: “Converting challenge into opportunity: Living and working in a multi-cultural, multi-faith environment”
(Fr. Antonio Moreno, sj, president of
Ateneo de Zamboanga University);
“Boon or bane: Assessing the value of higher education surveys and rankings in helping us to achieve our institutional
Prof. John J. DeGioia
Photo by Rani Jalandoni goals” (Prof. Michael Hyeonsik Cheong,
Director of International and Public
Relations, Sogang University, Korea); and “Global recession and the current financial crisis: Coping with the problem, helping to find solutions” (Prof. Matthew
Min-Teh Yu, president of Providence
University, Taiwan).
Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ
Photo by Rani Jalandoni
Re-dedication of the Heritage Bells
150
To symbolically ring in the Ateneo’s th year, two bells from the old Ateneo campuses, Intramuros and Padre Faura, recently found and refurbished, were rededicated to Jesus Christ and Our Lady of Peace. The Heritage Bells, as they are now called, are located at the Loyola
Schools brick road, directly in front of the Rizal Library steps.
The outdoor parade and ceremony was made even more memorable by the participants’ insistence on continuing with the activities even as rain began to fall. The parade was participated in by students, staff members, administrators, continued on page 10
Participants of the Presidents’ Forum 2009 from different parts of the world
Main speakers
The forum’s keynote speech was delivered by Dr. John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University (see separate article). Plenary presentations were given by Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, sj, president of the Ateneo (“150 years of engaging the nation: Reflections on the mission of university excellence and overcoming poverty in the Philippines”),
Prof. Ng Ching-Fai, president of the
Hong Kong Baptist University (“Regional collaboration in higher education;
The Hong Kong Baptist University’s experience”), Prof. Shin-Ichi Ago, vice president of Kyushu University, Japan
(“Internationalization trends in higher education in Asia and Japan”), and
Prof. Jean-Philippe Ammeux, Director of the ieseg School of Management,
Lille Catholic University, France (“Lille
Photo by Rani Jalandoni

6
1 2 4 loyola schools bulletin we build community we nurture hope
On the morning of June 14, 2009, a mass at the Manila Cathedral kicked off the
Sesquicentennial Kick-off. 1 San Jose
Seminary alumnus Cardinal Gaudencio
Rosales was main celebrant 2 Philippine
Provincial Superior Fr. Jose Cecilio
Magadia, SJ, gave the homily 3 Over 30
Jesuit priests concelebrated the mass 4
Beginning the day at the majestic Manila
Cathedral 5 A cleanly blue Gesu greeted the kick-off party in the early evening 6
Sparkling vintage cars joined the ride 7
Blue down to the last detail 8 The walls of the old San Ignacio Church in Intramuros
5
3
Photo by Perry Doroja Photo by Perry Doroja
Photo by Philip Sison
Photo by Ryan Bermase

VOLUME V | NO. 1 | AUGUST 2009
7
6
7
Photo by Philip Sison
Photo by Philip Sison
Photo by Philip Sison
8
Photo by Ivan Jacob A. Pesigan

loyola schools bulletin we build community we nurture hope
16 th Loyola School Awards for the Arts Awardees
Huelva, JGSOM dean Rudy Ang, and Santinitigan
Ateneo’s Team Beleavers, made up of
Karl Satinitigan and Timothy Huelva
(both bs lm ’09) capped their winning six-month run through five rounds of competition at the 2008-09 hsbc
Young Entrepreneur Awards by winning the top prize at the regional finals of the competition held at the hsbc headquarters in Hongkong on June 22,
2009.
Already the winners of both the
Gold Award and Most Eco-friendly
Award at the Philippine National
Finals of the competition, the team was adjudged “Best of the Best” against the other finalists, the national champions of Hongkong, Thailand, Malaysia,
Bangladesh, and Brunei, by a Board of
Judges that included Sandy Flockhart,
Chief Executive Officer of hsbc, Laura
Chua, Deputy Chairman of hsbc, Po
Chung, Co-founder of dhl Express,
Dr. Allen Fung, Managing Partner of
McKinsey & Co. hk, and Frank Slevin,
Head of Global Banking Asia Pacific, hsbc.
All seemed over but the formal announcement of the winners as soon as the team finished their seamless presentation of a proposal to create ecofriendly food take-out packages from coco-sheets. Loud applause followed the final question that the judges asked the team: “When can we invest in your company?”
Team Beleavers, a small company that hopes to have a big impact, proposed to simultaneously address the problems
Photo from HSBC of waste, poverty, and climate change by producing biodegradable coco-sheet packaging materials out of fallen coconut leaf spathes that are currently no more than agricultural waste.
Food takeout packages are just the first salvo in their battle to provide an eco-friendly alternative to plastic and
Styrofoam. Through their efforts, they
“beleave” that they can reduce waste by as much as 500,000 tons per year, increase the monthly income of the farmers who gather leaf spathes for them by as much as 20%, and help slow down climate change through these efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.
This is the first time that the Philippines has won this international competition, and Team Beleavers, coached by Rudy
Ang, dean of the John Gokongwei
School of Management, is elated to have achieved this feat for both the Ateneo and hsbc Philippines. In winning the Best of the Best Award, Karl and Tim topped a field of 2,426 students (902 teams) that joined the competition from all over Asia this year, including 266 students (95 teams) from the Philippines.
This award marks a high point in the jgsom’s six-year participation in this annual competition run by hsbc—a participation that has included a “Best
Presentation” award at the 2005 regional finals, and five National Championships, including two grand slams (in 2005 and
2009), when Ateneo teams swept all three prizes at stake in the Philippine national finals of the competition.
Research grants and publications awards
Recipients of the ls Scholarly Work
Awards and University Research Council awards were announced. Publications
Awards were also given to faculty members with works published during the relevant period, with the School of
Science and Engineering leading the way with 33 published faculty members.
Totals for the other schools were as follows: 31 for the School of Humanities,
17 for the School of Social Sciences, and four for the John Gokongwei School of
Management.
Special Citation
A special citation was given to Michael
M. Coroza of the Kagawaran ng Filipino,
School of Humanities, for the inclusion of his poem “Sepulturero” (Gravedigger) in the 2008 seawrite Anthology of asean
Short Stories and Poems.
Outstanding Scholarly Work Awards
Three schools gave Outstanding
Scholarly Work Awards. jgsom recognized
Dr. Darwin D. Yu of the Finance and
Accounting Department for his paper
Paper “Treating capital structure models on Philippine listed firms” published in
2008 in Applied Economics.
The School of Science and
Engineering recognized Dr. Fabian M.
Dayrit, Olivia Erin M. Buenafe, and Dr.
Edward T. Chainani of the Chemistry
Department for their paper “Analysis of monoglycerides, diglycerides, sterols, and free fatty acids in coconut oil by 31p nmr Spectroscopy” published in 2008 in volume 28 of the Journal of Agricultural
Food Chemistry.
Lastly, the School of Social Sciences recognized Dr. Rosalina Palanca-Tan of the Economics Department for her paper “The demand for a dengue vaccine:
A contingent valuation survey in Metro
Manila” published in 2008 in volume 26 of Vaccine.
Photos by Rani Jalandoni
Outstanding Scholarly Work, SOSE: Dr.
Fabian Dayrit and Olivia Erin Buenafe
(second and third from left, respectively) with Fr. Nebres, Dr. Angeles, Dr. Cuyegkeng
Left
Special Citation, SOH: Michael Coroza
(second from left) with University President
Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ, then
Academic Vice President Dr. Antonette
Palma-Angeles, and VP for the Loyola
Schools Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng
Right
Outstanding Scholarly Work, JGSOM:
Dr. Darwin Yu (center) with JGSOM Dean
Rudy Ang, Fr. Nebres, Dr. Angeles, Dr.
Cuyegkeng
Outstanding Scholarly Work, SOSS: Dr.
Rosalina Palanca-Tan (center) with SOSS
Dean Fr. Jose M. Cruz, SJ, Fr. Nebres, Dr.
Angeles, Dr. Cuyegkeng

VOLUME V | NO. 1 | AUGUST 2009
th
An exemplary theatre mentor and director, an internationally-recognized film director, and a Man Asian Literary
Prize winning novelist, together with sixteen outstanding student literary, visual, and performance artists were all honored in festive ceremonies during the
Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts held on March 11, 2009 at the Escaler Hall.
A yearly award given by the Loyola
Schools and organized by the School of
Humanities, the ls Awards for the Arts traditionally honors the outstanding creative work of graduating students in the fields of dance, music, theatre, literature, and the visual arts.
On its sixteenth year, the ls Awards proved distinct by giving recognition to Ateneo alumni and faculty who have excelled in their own fields in the past year, through the Outstanding Achievement in the Humanities Awards.
For his nationally and internationallyacclaimed film “Jay”, Francis Xavier E.
Pasion (ab Communications, 1999) was honored by a short tribute from his peers in the field. A winner in the recent
Cinemalaya Film Festival, “Jay” has gone on to represent the country in numerous international film festivals from Bangkok to Venice, Rotterdam, and Thessaloniki, from Korea, to Slovenia, Oslo, Mexico, and the Bahamas. And the Loyola Schools, therefore, found it an opportune time to honor not only the work of Pasion, but also through him, the continuing contribution of the Ateneo community to the field of film. In response to this tribute, Pasion delivered a heart-warming speech about not only the personal experience of making films but also the pivotal role played by spirituality, faith, and passion in the making of art.
On the other hand, a short video presentation was given to highlight the achievements of international novelist and Ateneo alumnus Miguel J. Syjuco.
The first Filipino to win the prestigious
Man Asian Literary Prize for his first novel “Ilustrado”, “Chuck” (as Miguel is fondly called by former teachers and mentors) was an English Literature major and an ls Awardee himself for Creative
Writing: Fiction back in 1998. Although
Chuck, based now in Canada, was unable to join the ceremonies, he sent a graceful letter of appreciation and thanks, which was read by Dr. Rofel Brion. In the letter,
Chuck wittily recounted his undergrad days at the Ateneo where in spite of his “colorful” track record in Math, he eventually managed to graduate and in the process meet his first writing mentors, have his first stories published, and gain the disciplined and distinct sensibility towards the craft of writing that would shape his literary career way after college.
Finally, for his exemplary contribution to Philippine theatre, the penultimate award for the year was given to Tanghalang
Ateneo director/moderator, sociology professor, and outstanding teacher,
Dr. Ricardo G. Abad. Well-known in the Ateneo for being the energetic and incisive director and founder of its own theatre company, Tanghalang Ateneo,
Abad has not only, by his countless productions, forever reconfigured the shape of Philippine theater, but also, through his work as a teacher, reimagined the way theater is taught in the country. This award proved to have been given in good timing, especially since Abad also just celebrated forty years of being an indispensable member of the
Ateneo community. And what better way to commemorate his work (distinct for his local restagings of Shakespeare in Filipino) than through a series of theatrical vignettes staged by ta alumni.
They came home for this evening’s event, as a way of saying thank-you to a dearlybeloved teacher, director, and mentor. It is not surprising that, in true theatrical fashion, the highlight of the evening was to be in Abad’s touching response in the form of a speech of thanks, and a story in
“defense of the human,” that left many in the audience in tears.
While the three major awards given proved to be the highlight of the evening’s event, the heart of the ls Awards for the Arts ceremony, of course, lay in the recognition of graduating seniors who had displayed, in the past four years, outstanding achievements in the arts.
In the tradition of artistic and creative excellence in the Ateneo, this year’s group of senior-artists include a budding filmmaker, a classically-trained ballet dancer, the president of the Company of Ateneo
Dancers, a winner of the Ateneo Pop Idol, a choir tenor from the Ateneo College
Glee Club, five exemplary members of
Ateneo’s different theater organizations, two visual artists, three poets, an essayist, and a fictionist. The awardees are Mark
A. Peregrino, for Screen Arts; Veronica F.
Maronilla and Shella Joyce P. Villanueva, for dance; Jinno Paulo C. Bonife and
Eugene C. Soyosa, for music; Kalil
Christian B. Almonte, Miguel Armando
L. Lim, Patricia Ruth E. Pena, John
Leinard A. Ramos, and Emmanuelle
R. Valerio, for theater arts; Pancho D.
Alvarez and Eliana Laurice C. Javier, for the visual arts; and Angela M. Casauay,
Jan Brandon L. Dollente, Kristian G.
Mamforte, Elisha Marjorie Martinez, and Jasmine Nikki C. Paredes, for creative writing. Dressed in elegant and formal Filipiniana, the awardees were present in the ceremonies to receive their glass trophies and compose majority of the evening’s presentations.
Mundin was a varsity debater for the Ateneo Debate Society, and is also an alumnus of the Ayala Young
Leaders Alliance, a member of Youth
Vote Philippines, Pathways to Higher
Education and part of the founding team of Slate Magazine, the first corporate social responsibility magazine in the
Philippines. He also represented the
Philippines to the 9 th Hitachi Young
Leaders Initiative (hyli) in Indonesia in
2008.
Aside from Mundin, two other
Ateneans made it to the ncr finalists this year: Stephen Michael Co, a bs Biology major, minoring in Hispanic Studies and Keisha Lourdes Duyongco, a bs
Health Services ‘09 graduate and batch valedictorian.
Joining Mundin as part of the tosp this year are Roger Flores of the
Philippine Military Academy, Miguel
Antonio Garcia of University of San
Carlos, Aidel Paul Belamide of the
University of the Philippines-Los Baños,
Ann Crusit of University of Bohol, Paul
John Gesta of University of Cebu, Stacy
Danika Alcantara of Silliman University,
Stephen Alexeus Baltazar of University of San Carlos, Nicole Marie Villarojo of De La Salle University, and Carlos
Gerogalin Jr. of West Negros University. www.ateneo.edu
Adrian Clarc San Pascual Mundin, BS
Management Engineering 2009 receives the
Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines award from Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita on behalf of Her Excellency President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo. (L-R) President and CEO of RFM Corporation Inc. Joey Conception,
National Bookstore President Alfredo Ramos,
RFM Corporation Inc. Chairman and TOSP
Foundation Jose Concepcion, II., CHED
Chairman Emmanuel Angeles, Ermita, Mundin.
Photo courtesy of Ruth Ramayla, TOSP.
Ang Panitikan ng Grupong Agos sa Disyerto: Pag-uugat at Pagsulong
Corazon L. Santos, dfpp, Kagawaran ng Filipino, Ateneo de Manila
University
Sa gitna ng itinuturing na pagkatuyot ng panitikang Filipino noong dekada sisenta ay isinilang ang mga kabataang manunulat na nagdeklara ng “pagpapaagos” sa disyertong kalagayang ito. Aakalaing isang karaniwang siklo lamang ito
(ng pag-andar ng kasaysayan at ng kaakibat na pagbabago) na naganap sa kasaysayan ng panitikang Filipino lalo na sa maikling kuwentong Filipino.
Subalit, ang hindi naisasalang-alang ay ang mga krusyal na usaping napapaloob sa partikular na panahon na kinabilangan ng noo’y mga kabataang manunulat na ito.
Ang aking pag-aaral ay pagsisikap na makabuo ng masinop na kasaysayan ng mga manunulat ng
Mga Agos sa Disyerto na nagtataampok sa mahalagang papel na ginampanan ng grupo sa pagbuwag sa mga salik na nagpabuo sa “pagka-disyerto” ng panitikang Filipino. Sentral sa pagaaral na mapatunayang hindi lamang bubukal ang bagong pamantayan mula sa nalikhang antolohiya ng grupo kundi ang makita at mapatunayang ang antolohiya mismo ay kasaysayan— kasaysayan ng panahon at ng paggigiit ng mga manunulat sa katutubong wika at panitikan.
Ang ginamit na talinghaga ng
“disyerto” at “agos” sa Mga Agos sa
Disyerto ay tunay namang umangkop sa buhay ng mga manunulat-Agos.
Disyerto ang matutuntong buhay nila sa kani-kanilang lalawigan hanggang sa kanilang pagdayo sa siyudad. Mula sa maramot sa kitang iba’t ibang trabaho sa siyudad, aagos din sa kanila ang biyaya pagkaraang makapagsulat sila na tumutupad sa pamantayang komersyal sa kanilang panahon.
Ngunit ito rin ang magbubukas sa continued on page 12

10 continued from page 5
and Jesuits, who gamely marched in the downpour to music from the
Banda ng Marikina. A contingent of honor guards participated in the parade as well. After greetings and remarks, the Heritage Bells were unveiled and rededicated before a crowd whose spirits, it seemed, were not dampened by the rain.
Other activities
Forum participants were treated on all three nights of the conference to sumptuous dinner affairs held in different locations. The first night’s welcome dinner was held at the festively lit Jesuit Residence Garden.
The second night saw the participants enjoying a traditional barrio fiesta at the Loyola Schools covered courts, entertained by the Ateneo College
Glee Club, the Bayanihan Dance
Troupe, and the Marikina Marching
Band. The final night found them in more cosmopolitan environs, with a farewell dinner at the rooftop of the Ateneo Professional Schools in Rockwell, Makati. A tour of the
Aquino Center in Tarlac was also organized the day after the forum’s end.
A university effort
The Presidents’ Forum 2009 was made possible through the efforts of many members of the Ateneo community, with the Loyola Schools making a major contribution.
Taking the organizational lead were admu academic vice president
Dr. Antonette Palma-Angeles and
Psychology Department chair Dr.
Edna Franco, assisted by Georgina
Hernandez and Cathz Gregorio.
Various committees were mobilized to handle different aspects of the event—including care of the guests
(who were attended to from airport, to hotel, to the campus, and back to the airport), logistical arrangements, printed and audio-visual materials, documentation, and ushering— throughout its three-day run. With the seamless support provided and endless good spirits shown by everyone involved, the Presidents’
Forum 2009 was a true success, and fitting start to the sesquicentennial.
loyola schools bulletin we build community we nurture hope
Three productions staged by Ateneo actors chosen by the Ateneo’s Theater
Arts Program impressed audiences in the First Asian-Pacific Expo of Theater
Schools held in Shanghai, China, in
June 2009. Two of the three productions were thirty-minute excerpts from “The
Caucasian Chalk Circle” and “Romeo and Juliet,” two classic plays whose stories were drawn from ancient Chinese tales. The third show was a full-length production of Glenn Sevilla Mas’ “The
Death of Memory,” the play that won the
2008 Aliw Award for Best Production.
Six schools joined the thirty-minute shows, while another six presented fulllength shows. Among the participating countries, including the Philippines and
China, were Iran, India, Japan, Korea,
New Zealand, Taiwan, the United States, and Vietnam. The festival host was the
Shanghai Theater Academy, a statesupported institution of higher learning in the theater arts.
Top:
A scene from “The Caucasian Chalk Circle”
Bottom:
A scene from “The Death of Memory”
Ateneo Team led by Ricardo Abad,
Coordintor for Theater Arts
The Ateneo team, led by Ricardo
Abad, Coordinator for Theater Arts,
Ateneo de Manila University, included
Kalil Almonte, BJ Crisostomo, Regina de
Vera, and Brian Sy. Also in the group were two teachers, Diane Laserna and Rachel
Quong, who were in the original cast of
“The Death of Memory” when it was first staged in the Ateneo in 2007. Matthew
Santamaria of the Japanese Studies
Program, the team’s choreographer, and
Nick Lizaso, Vice-President for Theater
Education and Theater Training of the unesco International Training Institute, also accompanied the students.
The thirty-minute shows were occasions for each school to demonstrate the ways they do and teach theater. Only three actors were allowed per show. For both presentations, the Ateneo team performed on a bare stage, with only two mats serving as set pieces. The actors also appropriated the igal , a dance tradition practiced by the Sama Badjao, as its movement motif.
The festival audience, faculty and students alike, raved about these presentations. Impressive to them in
“Romeo and Juliet” was the inventive use of language and a native dance tradition to heighten the passions demanded by the Shakespearean text. In turn, what the audience enjoyed the most in
“Caucasian” was the energetic pace of the igal and the flexible use of the malong as costume pieces for the actors. The igal proved popular: an impromptu and unscheduled workshop on the dance was even convened one afternoon.
“The Death of Memory” (with
Chinese subtitles) also won much praise
The popular igal from festival participants who found the avant-garde play “cerebral” and the actors “passionate.” Credit for the play’s success also goes to Theater Arts senior BJ Crisostomo who was the play’s assistant director and Reamur David who designed the music and sounds for the production.
The Ateneo team, seen earlier to do wonders with traditional dance, has also shown its mettle in presenting contemporary drama. The group learned that what the Ateneo theater is not only “on track” with works done in the region. Ateneo theater--or better put,
Philippine theater--can be competitive in international circles and make a contribution to the advancement of the art, and give visibility to the school and country as a cultural force. Next stop is
New Delhi, India, the site of the Second
Asian-Pacific Theater Expo in 2011.
SUSAN FERNANDEZ MAGNO, part time faculty member of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, passed away on July 2, 2009 at the age of 52. She had ovarian cancer. A singer and activist, she was hailed as “the voice of a protest generation,” gaining prominence as a performer during anti-Marcos protests in the early 1980s. With Karina Constantino-
David, she formed the singing duo Inang Laya. She was also an educator with an ma in Philippine Studies from the University of the Philippines, with teaching stints at St. Scholastica’s College, up, and Ateneo de Manila University.
School of Social Sciences dean Fr. Jose M. Cruz, sj remembered a life of giving voice to others who have been silenced:
“By common testimony of colleagues and friends, who unabashedly use superlatives when describing the life-giving humanity that marked her interaction with others, Susan strived to live out that truth, through her activism, scholarship and song.
Like the hollow guitar capable of radiating from its vital emptiness the strumming by another hand, Susan made possible for voiceless people to sing their pain and well-being, to speak of their helplessness and power.”
Photo by Shubert Ciencia

VOLUME V | NO. 1 | AUGUST 2009
The Department of Interdisciplinary
Studies began 2009 with a retrospective exhibition and lecture in honor of Jose
Garcia Villa, whose birth centenary it was in 2008. Entitled “MemoraVilla,” the exhibition, which ran from January
28 to February 27 at the Pardo de Tavera
Room of the Rizal Library, displayed art by and for the late National Artist.
Among the items exhibited were books of poetry and fiction that Villa authored, including Amado V. Hernandez’s copy of Many Voices, Villa’s first book of poems; magazines from the 1920s and
1930s where his works were originally published; letters and photographs; reproductions of his sketches and paintings; and an original pen-and-ink self-portrait. A clay bust made by Julie
Lluch, drawings by H. R. Ocampo, and a score by Samuel Barber were among the works inspired by or dedicated to Villa on display.
Many of the rare materials at the exhibition were borrowed from the various units of the Rizal Library, including the Ateneo Library of Women’s
Writings, the Filipiniana Section, and the Special Collections. The self-portrait is part of the collection of the Ateneo
Art Gallery. Many of the photographs were from John Cowen, trustee of the
Villa literary estate, and from the family of Villa. Enriching the exhibition was a multi-media presentation, which includes an audio clip of Villa reading one of his poems.
Complementing the exhibition was a lecture by Prof. Isabela Mooney of the University of the Philippines. Dr.
Mooney traced the development of Villa’s art in relation to the colonial education that he received in the Philippines and his exposure to Modernism in the
United States. In the audience were three of Villa’s nieces and Virginia R.
Moreno, a close friend of the late poet.
On sale outside the venue were copies of the Penguin edition of his collected works and The Parlement of Giraffes, a collection of his poems, with Tagalog translations by Hilario S. Francia, repackaged as children’s literature.
E. San Juan, Jr. delivered a lecture, hosted by Kritika Kultura of the
Department of English, entitled “The
Aesthetics of Jose Garcia Villa.” San Juan similarly read Villa in the context of Modernism and Philippine-American history.
San Juan praised Villa’s rebel spirit, while also criticizing his quest for the “essential” for being ultimately self-nullifying.
At the official opening of the exhibition on January 30,
2009, attended by Dr. Ma.Luz Vilches, Dean of the School of Humanities, Mrs. Lourdes T. David, Director of the Rizal
Library, and faculty members of the
English Department, Ms. Concepcion
L. Rosales, Chair of the Department of
Interdisciplinary Studies, stressed that
Villa represents the value of excellence.
Whether painter, short-story writer, poet, teacher, or literary critic, Villa never wavered from his commitment to art-foritself, even while his position made him vulnerable to attack from more socially engaged and socialistically inclined writers. Villa was also an iconoclast, who stretched the expressive possibilities of a foreign language at a time when Filipinos had been only recently introduced to
English. He became the first Filipino to achieve critical esteem in the English-speaking world, his poetry measured alongside that created by poets from Britain and the
United States—a feat attested to by a picture, on display at the exhibition, of Villa in the company of W. H. Auden, Tennessee
Williams, Marianne Moore, Gore Vidal, Stephen Spender, and the Sitwells, and by a poem written by E. E. Cummings for him.
On the morning after his centennial year, “MemoraVilla” is but an apt tribute and one aptly located—obliquely across from the Rizal Room dedicated to a greater Jose and fellow man of letters.
101 Stories on the Philippine Revolution by Ambeth R. Ocampo
I don’t know that Ambeth’s stories are the best example of it, but I should think that the concept of storytelling itself as an approach to history is a vastly important one.
It’s a mistake to think that anything that is not written in the turgid, analytical style of dissertations, or does not argue aggressively for an interpretation, is not important or does not strike at the core of life. If anything, I would argue the opposite. Stories are more important than analyses. Or so for the historical demands of our time and place. Stories inspire, stories light fires. And they do offer concepts and interpretations, without violently yanking the heads of people and saying, “Look, this is the way it happened.”
No stories, no history. Without Ambeth’s stories, we might as well be, well, history. —from the foreword by
Conrado de Quiros
Ambeth R. Ocampo is a faculty member of the History
Department.
Heaven’s Butterfly by Cathy B. Guballa and Pia B. Guballa, with illustrations by Frances C. Alcaraz
“Each time I see a butterfly
I remember by brother Migi. I was only seven years old when
Migi left us to go back to his real home…What do you do when you lose someone very dear to you? Is it alright to cry all the time? Is it normal to feel sad and alone?” The young narrator of this heartwarming story tries to remember her little brother but not without pain in her heart. Until one day when an unlikely visitor gives her a ray of hope.
Cathy B. Guballa and Frances C. Alcaraz are faculty members of the Interdisciplinary Studies Department.
From Darna to Zsazsa Zaturnnah:
Desire and Fantasy
Essays on Literature and Popular Culture by Soledad S. Reyes
From Darna to Zsazsa Zaturnnah is composed of seven critical essays.
Five of them fall under the category of popular culture studies that include such popular genres as the komiks, film, television, to name a few. Two of the five examine the concept of “hero” and touch on such “iconic” contemporary figures as Manny Pacquiao and Fernando Poe, Jr. The last two essays focus on traditional literary genres--the novel in
English (including Fil-American fiction) and the novel in Filipino.
Soledad B. Reyes is a faculty member of the Interdisciplinary
Studies Department.
Walong Diwata ng Pagkahulog by Edgar Calabia Samar
Binubuksan ng nobelang ito ang panibagong yugto sa pagsusulat ng nobela. Malaya na ito sa tradisyon ng mga romantisista at modernista, na laging mabigat sa dibdib ang paglalahad ng naratibo. Sa akdang ito wala nang imposible sa materyal at maging sa pamamaraan ng paglalahad nito... Tinatangka nitong lampasan ang wika ng isipang malay, at nagtatangkang isulong na posibleng ikuwento ang wala o hindi nangyari...Ikinakatuwa ko ang mga akdang tulad nito na nangangahas magpakilala ng pagbabago sa paglalahad ng naratibo.—Jun Cruz Reyes
Si Edgar C. Samar ay guro sa Kagawaran ng Filipino. Ang
Walong Diwata ng Pagkahulog ay nagkamit ng 2005 ncca
Writers Prize.

Photo by Philip Sison
Photo by Teya Sabado
Photo by Philip Sison
Photo by Philip Sison
Snapshots from the Sesquicentennial kick off
continued from page 9 kanila upang mauunawaan ang panibagong disyertong kanilang maeengkuwentro, ang disyertong panitikang Filipino.
Hindi matatawaran ang halaga ng nagawa ng Mga Agos sa Disyerto bilang antolohiyang naggiit ng paghamon sa panitikang Ingles sa paghubog ng kanilang konsepto ng kanon at pag-aantolohiya— ng pagbuo ng “pamantayan” ng “Pilipino” na kuwento batay sa wika, paksa at pook.
Kaalinsabay ng paghubog sa konsepto ng “masa” na nagtampok din sa politikal na pananaw ng grupo. Simula sa kabanata dalawa ng pag-aaral mababasa ang pagsisimula sa magkakahiwalay na pinagmulan tungo sa pagdurugtongdugtong ng buhay ng mga manunulat-
Agos na dumayo at nagpanagpo sa siyudad upang solusyunan ang kanikanilang mala-disyertong buhay na higit na ipauunawa ng tatlong mahalagang
On Sunday, June 14, 2009, the
Ateneo de Manila University kicked off its Sesquicentennial celebration with a sentimental but spectacular program that began in Intramuros, Manila, where the
Jesuit mission house in the Philippines was established 150 years ago.
From the mass at the Manila Cathedral celebrated by His Eminence Gaudencio
B. Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of
Manila, to the recreation of the look and taste of what life was like at the Escuela
Municipal de Manila in Intramuros 150 years ago, every detail of the kick-off program served to remind visitors and participants of the school’s journey from its beginnings as a municipal school in
1859 to its present-day stature as a worldclass private university.
From the cathedral, Fr. Bienvenido F.
Nebres, sj, Ateneo de Manila University president; Manuel V. Pangilinan, panagpuang punto (convergent points), ang “Bagong Dugo”, The Quezonian at ang Limang Suwail . Maituturing na ang panagpuan ito ang siyang magbubukas sa tuklas-hamon nila sa disyertong panitikang Filipino. Sa iisang taling- pusod ng magkakaibigang dayo sa siyudad, itataguyod nila pagkaraan ang katas ng tuklas-hamon na ito sa pamamagitan ng iisang hangarin ng
“pagpapaagos” sa disyerto sa panitikang
Filipino. Tiyak sila sa kanilang proyekto na kung sisipatin ay naglalayong sagkaan ang edukasyong kolonyal (na nagpasilang ng kanong kolonyal at nagbaba sa antas ng wika at Panitikang Filipino) at komersyalismo (na “nakapagtakda” ng espasyo ng panitikang Filipino).
Panangga sa lahat ng ito ang konsepto ng “Pilipinong Kuwento” na sasandigan ng mga kuwentong nasa
Disyerto
Mga Agos sa
na pawang lumalaban kontra sa chairman of the board of trustees; Fr.
Jose Cecilio Magadia, sj, provincial superior of the Society of Jesus; and other dignitaries led the attendees—many on foot, and some on horse-drawn calesas, shiny vintage cars and a tranvia bus— to Sta. Lucia Street, site of the ruins of
San Ignacio Church. The church was built in 1889 in honor of St. Ignatius
Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, and there, a reenactment of the handover of the Escuela Municipal to the Spanish
Jesuits took place with the participation of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, the
Jesuit officials, and actors from Ateneo’s different theater groups.
Groundbreaking rites were also held at this site for the Museo de Intramuros, an ecclesiastical museum project of the Intramuros Administration. The ceremonies were graced by Archbishop
Rosales, Mayor Lim, Intramuros mga kumukontra sa mga pagpupunyagi ng mahihina at maliliit sa lipunang
Filipino. Gaya rin ng masasaksihang pakikipaglaban ng grupong Agos sa mga tumatanggi noon sa pagyabong ng panitikang Filipino.
Sa pagtapak sa panahong maituturing na post-Agos, ilalahad ng kasaysayan ng bawat manunulat-Agos ang pagsisikap nilang yakapin at itaguyod ang “tatak-Agos” sa iba’t ibang anyo
(iskrip pampelikula, nobela at dula).
Subalit, tulad din ng realistikong kuwentong- Agos, ang tadhana ng kanilang pakikipaglaban ay hindi ganap na masustina sapagkat hindi mamataymatay ang suliranin ukol sa “kabuhayan” ng mga manunulat. Ang ilan sa grupo ay mahihirati upang mabuhay na muli ang sigla ng komersyalismo. Ngunit, hindi naman maiwawaksi na ang kasaysayang naroon na sa Mga Agos sa Disyerto .
Administration head Ana Maria Harper,
National Commission for Culture and the Arts executive director Cecille
Guidote-Alvarez, Pangilinan, and leaders of the Jesuit order. From San Ignacio, attendees gathered at the adjacent
Baluarte for a refectory-style breakfast that included those early days’ staples of pan de sal, peaches, and hot chocolate.
After the ceremonies at Intramuros, the Ateneo’s 150-year journey was symbolically retraced in a grand motorcade that took guests and participants to each of the six campuses
(in four cities) that have been a second home to generations of Ateneans: the first campus in Intramuros and the second in Padre Faura (now part of Robinsons mall), both in Manila; followed by the more recent Ateneo Professional Schools campuses in Salcedo and Rockwell in
Makati. From Makati, the next stop was the newest addition to the Ateneo family, the Ateneo School for Medicine and Public Health in Pasig. The last stop was the Church of the Gesù in the Loyola
Heights campus in Quezon City, where thousands of grade school, high school, and college students since the late 1950s have spent the best years of their young lives.
Making the journey as vibrant as the destinations was the participation of a handful of vintage cars and around twenty
Volkswagen Beetles that heralded and escorted the thirty or so vehicles ferrying the Ateneo contingent at various points from Manila to Quezon City (June 14 also happens to be World Volkswagen
Day). Bikers from motorcycle club amdg joined the last leg of the motorcade from
Corinthian Gardens. The sight of these vehicles, all bearing small Ateneo flags making their way to Katipunan Avenue from Pasig, was a sight to behold. It may not be seen again, at least in the next 50 years.