Congratulations, graduates!
The Varsitarian
Founded 1928
The official student publication of the university of santo tomas
Gibo, Noynoy ‘tie’ in last UST poll
Vol. LXXXI, No. 12 • March 26, 2010
www.varsitarian.net
Manila, Philippines
By DARENN G. RODRIGUEZ
COUSINS Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro and Benigno
“Noynoy” Aquino III are “statistically tied” as Thomasians’ top choices to become the country’s next president,
according to the third and last University-wide preelection survey conducted by the Research Cluster for
Cultural, Educational, and Social Issues.
Graduating students from the Faculty of Pharmacy wave their college color during the baccalaureate mass last March 19 at the UST field.
PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO
The top choices for vice
president and senators remained
unchanged in the final Political
Opinions of the Youth Survey
conducted simultaneously with
the student council elections
from February 16 to 19.
Liberal Party standard
bearer Aquino was still the top
choice for president with 33.2
percent, but administration bet
Teodoro came second with 32.5
percent. With a margin of error
of less than one percent, the two
candidates can be considered
“statistically tied.”
“A poll is said to show
a statistical tie when two
candidates’ numbers fall within
the sampling margin of error,”
research cluster director Alvin
Ang said.
Senator Aquino, who had
consistently topped national
surveys, took the lead in the
second UST survey last January.
The first survey conducted last
August before candidates filed
their certificates of candidacy,
was topped by Sen. Francis
Escudero, who later dropped out
of the race due to lack of funds.
Political science professor
Edmund Tayao of the Faculty
of Arts and Letters noted that
the results of the UST survey
differed from that of other
universities where Teodoro
was the “popular choice of the
youth.”
Dennis Coronacion, also a
political science professor, said
the poll results showed that the
youth favored candidates that
are “intelligent,” “idealistic,”
and have a “clean reputation” in
their political careers.
“It can be seen also in the
last [presidential] elections. The
favorite then was the late senator
Raul Roco. The three (Teodoro,
Escudero, and Roco) all have
the same qualities the youth
are looking for in a candidate,”
Coronacion said.
Following representative
Teodoro at the third place was
Bagumbayan Party bet Sen.
Gibo, Page 13
Gamilla re-elected; History chair belies columnist Finally, OT
accredited
but opposition rules
EMBATTLED UST Faculty
Union President Gil Gamilla
clinched his third victory in the
union elections last February 26,
extending his 14-year leadership
for another five years.
This, even if non-tenured
faculty members were allowed
to vote in the elections, and
despite the P9.5
million fund mess
his administration
is facing.
Achievers
Party standardbearer Gamilla
beat philosophy
professor Jove Jim
Aguas of Truth, Gamilla
Accountability,
Participation, Advancement,
Transparency (TAPAT) party
by a slight difference of 23
votes. Gamilla got 503 votes,
while Aguas had only 480. Forty
faculty members abstained.
The highest discrepancy
in votes came from the Faculty
of Medicine and Surgery where
Gamilla, a professor in the
faculty, got 163 votes, with
Aguas having only 10.
Election chair Elvira
Milo said election returns
from Medicine, the Faculty of
Engineering and the College of
Rehabilitation Sciences broke
Aguas’ early lead from Gamilla.
“Aguas was ahead of the
doctor when we were counting
the first ballot boxes,” Milo
said. “Gamilla just overtook him
when the last three ballot boxes
were counted.”
Non-tenured or tenuretrack faculty members were
allowed to vote in the polls
despite Gamilla’s earlier claim
that such is a violation of the
union’s constitution and bylaws.
“I think nobody will
question it (victory) anymore.
Even the ‘extendees’ were
allowed to vote,” Gamilla said,
referring to faculty members
aged beyond 65-years-old who
still teach.
Milo said
the decision to let
tenure-track faculty
members vote was
reached through a
consensus.
“ B o t h
local and central
[union] Comelec
(Commission on
Elections) decided on this. All
sides were heard,” she said.
Even with the loss of
its presidential bet, TAPAT
emerged as the majority in the
union board after sweeping 12
of the 22 positions.
Winners were TAPAT
candidates Partick Go as internal
vice president, James Platon
(vice president for labor and
education), Reynaldo Reyes
(vice president for grievance),
Noel Asiones (vice president
for legal affairs), Evangeline
Timbang (secretary general),
M y r n a d e Ve r a ( p u b l i c
relations officer), and Rene
Tadle (sergeant-at-arms). Board
members Maria Rosario Garcia,
Rebecca Adri, Recto Calingasan,
Teresita Manasala, and Gemma
Aboy were also elected.
Achievers had George Lim
as executive vice president,
Rebecca Castro (internal vice
Gamilla, Page 13
UST HAS the rightful claim
to the title of Asia’s oldest
university, even if it was not the
first university to be established in
the Philippines, the head of UST’s
history department has said.
This also holds true despite a
rival claim by Cebu’s University
of San Carlos which supposedly
originated from the Colegio
Seminario de San Ildefonso
established in 1595.
Historian Augusto de Viana
said Philippine Star columnist
Isagani Cruz erred in claiming
that the defunct Universidad
de San Ignacio, established in
Intramuros in 1590, is the oldest
university in Asia “based on an
institution’s origin to the time it
was founded, not to the time it
was named a university.”
De Viana pointed to UST’s
continuous existence since 1611.
UST became a university by
papal edict in 1645, although all
Dominican colleges around the
world had been given the right
to confer university degrees as
early as 1619.
“While it is true that the
Colegio Seminario de San Ignacio
and Colegio Seminario de San
Ildefonso both antedated the
University of Santo Tomas, both
institutions do not anymore exist,”
De Viana said.
The two Jesuit institutions
were abolished after the expulsion
of the Society of Jesus in the
country in 1768 through Spanish
King Charles III’s decree. In
1783, the San Carlos Seminary
was established on the ruins
of Colegio Seminario de San
Ildefonso. The Vincentian Fathers
took over the seminary in 1867.
The college, or Colegio de San
Carlos, meanwhile, transferred
to a new site in 1930 and was
turned over to the Society of
the Divine Word in 1935. It was
given university status by the
government in 1948.
It is known today as the
University of San Carlos.
De Viana said the University
of San Carlos cannot trace its
origin from Colegio Seminario
de San Ildefonso. “What existed
in Cebu were three different
institutions,” he said. “[They] are
different in nature, and the place
is purely accidental.”
De Viana also refuted
Cruz’s claim that the Seminary
of San Carlos was entrusted to
the Dominicans.
“The bishop of Cebu, Msgr.
Romualdo Jimeno, always wanted
to have a Dominican friar from
UST as a secretary who could
serve as his counselor,” he said.
History, Page 10
Illustration by Rey Ian M. Cruz
Year of UST Tiger pushed
LET THE year of the Tiger be for the Tigers.
A UST alumnus is pushing for the
official declaration of 2010 as “Year of the
Thomasians” by President Gloria MacapagalArroyo herself, saying it would be a perfect
gift to UST on the eve of its Quadricentennial.
College of Architecture and Fine Arts
alumnus Rhoel Mendoza, through a letter to
the President last July, cited the University’s
rich history and illustrious alumni as reasons
why 2010 should “belong” to Thomasians.
“I believe this would be a very good way
of beginning the second decade of the 21st
century and the perfect prelude to the global
celebration of UST’s Quadricentennial in
2011,” Mendoza said in his July 2009 letter
published on the Philippine Daily Inquirer
last February 16.
Mendoza, a recipient of the Philippine
Overseas and Employment Agency Bagong
Bayani Award in 1990, cited former president
Joseph Estrada’s declaration of the year 2000
the “year of the overseas Filipino workers”
after a year-long
campaign he had
initiated.
His new
proposal had
little progress,
however,
noting that only a
recommendation
Tigers, Page 2
By PRINZ P. MAGTULIS
G R A D UAT E S of U ST
occupational therapy are a
step closer to getting work
abroad, after the program
gained full accreditation from
the Occupational Therapy
Association of the Philippines
(Otap) last March 14.
Pauline Grace Morato,
a professor from the College
of Rehabilitation Sciences
(CRS), said the accreditation
was granted during Otap’s
National Convention at the
Ortigas Center in, Pasig.
“Yes, kakabigay lang
sa amin [it wa s g iven to
us just recently] , Morato
said , refe r r i ng t o O t ap’s
a c c r e d i t a t i o n o f U S T ’s
occupational therapy
program.
T h e Va r s i t a r i a n
f irst repor ted about the
u naccred ited st at u s of
UST’s occupational therapy
i n Se pt e mbe r 20 08 af t e r
a graduate complained to
the paper of not being able
to land a job in the United
St at e s b e cau se UST wa s
not accredited by the World
Federation of Occupational
Therapists (WFOT).
CRS Dean Jocely n
Agcaoili had said the college
needed Otap’s nod before
being able to apply for WFOT
recognition. UST passed its
application to Otap way back
in 2003.
Ocular inspections were
finally conducted in March
and April last year, with the
college meeting “some of
OT gains, Page 3
The
Varsitarian
NEWS
Independents
rule CSC polls
2 MARCH 26, 2010
INDEPENDENT candidates
won the Central Student
Council elections last February
despite their party’s failure to
get accreditation because of
fund liquidation problems.
Leandro Santos II led the
sweep of this year’s student
council elections by former
Lakas Tomasino party bets,
winning against Juan Paolo
Perlada of the Alyansa ng
Kristiyanong Lakas by a
margin of more than 7,000
votes. Santos had 15,886 votes,
while Perlada only had 8,784.
“I don’t believe that there
were only sympathy votes
just because there were a lot
of independent candidates,”
said Santos, Faculty of Arts
and Letters student council
president. “Thomasians are
really thinking with regard to
who they really want to be in
position.”
Edrem Eula See of the
College of Fine Arts and Design
was elected vice president
after garnering 15,343 votes
against Aklas bet Joanna Grace
Balaitan’s 8,842.
Kristine Mae Urbi and
Franz Kevin Geronimo were
elected secretary and treasurer,
respectively.
Urbi of the Faculty of
Pharmacy got a total of 14,180
votes, while Geronimo of
the Faculty of Engineering
received 14,126 votes. Aklas
secretary and treasurer bets
Faye Cortez and Patrick Jay
Remo fell short with only 9,850
and 10,144 votes, respectively.
Joan Charmaine Lim of the
AMV-College of Accountancy
won as auditor with 15,015
votes, while Brian Miguel
Presto got only 9,067 votes.
College of Commerce’s
John Ryan Sze was elected
Accountancy
drops summer;
adds one year
Civil Law to hold first mock bar
THERE WILL be no
more summer classes for
Accountancy students
as the Commission on
Higher Education (Ched)
Memorandum Order No. 3
series of 2007, which increases
the number of years of a
regular accounting course from
four to five, will finally take
effect at the AMV–College of
Accountancy next school year.
The five-year program
will finally be implemented
for freshmen next school year
following the approval of
Clarita Carillo, assistant to the
Rector for academic affairs.
With the proposed new
curriculum of Accountancy
which will be effective this
academic year 2010-2011,
summer classes will already be
replaced by a fifth year
The summer classes were
held to compensate for the
additional year earlier required
by the commission.
Management Accounting,
which started to be offered in
2008, will also now be taken
for five years.
“Summer classes will
not be mandatory anymore.
Accountancy, Page 3
T H E FACU LT Y of Civ il
Law will hold its first mock
bar examination this June
to prepare some 90 aspiring
Thomasian lawyers for the
September exams.
Civil Law Dean Nilo
Divina said the mock test
would save graduating law
students money from expensive
fees charged by review centers.
“The key of the mock bar
exams is for our students to
have the feeling of how it is
to take the bar examination
so that they will be prepared
ahead of time,” Divina said.
Subjects to be covered
by the mock test are Political
and Public International Law,
Labor and Social Legislation,
Civil Law, Taxation, Mercantile
Law, Criminal Law, Remedial
Tigers
From page 1
by the President’s
correspondence office to
the Presidential Legislative
Liaison Office was made last
August 6.
The liaison office serves
as the bridge between the
executive and the legislative
br a nches of gover n ment,
public relations officer after
getting 11,212 votes versus
Aklas’ Carina Mangilic and
independent Justine Emmanuel
Dizon, who had 7,027 and
6,333 votes, respectively.
In its official count
released last February 24,
the Central Commission on
Elections (Comelec) said a total
of 25,609 students, or more
than 50 percent of the total
students’ population, voted
this year.
Ruling party Lakas
To m a s i n o f a i l e d t o g e t
accreditation from the Central
Comelec for failing to provide
an official receipt for P540 used
in its victory party last year.
Lakas Tomasino had
called for disqualification of
Perlada from the presidential
race after it discovered that he
got two failing grades from the
College of Science. Perlada has
Around 7,000 Thomasians, including Domincans, took part in the “UnendinGrace” quadricentennial run
last February 21.
ISABELA A. MARTINEZ
since transferred to the College
of Tourism and Hospitality
Management.
The case was thrown out
by the Central Judiciary Board
last February 15, saying it
was not the proper office to
Law, and Legal Ethics and
Practical Exercises. It will be
held for four days from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m.
The exam will follow the
rules and format used during
the bar exams.
“It will also be helpful in
addressing their weaknesses,
Divina said.
“If a st udent fails in
Political Law, then we will
pound him on Political Law
until he passes that subject.”
Divina said the mock tests
will be conducted by former bar
examiners, not law professors
unlike usual “simulations”
done at the Ateneo de Manila
University and University of
the Philippines.
“The students are happy
and excited about the new
policy. They say it could save
them a lot of money since
the faculty will pay for the
examiners and the materials
to be used,” he added.
Civil Law’s performance
in the bar exams has been
dismal for the past two years,
posting only 66 percent and
51.81 percent passing rates in
2008 and 2009, respectively.
Me a nwh i le, s u bje c t s
P o l i t i c a l L a w R e v i e w,
Corporation Law, and Special
Commercial Law will cover
five units each next semester
from the original four.
Divina said the average
number of hou rs allot ted
previously for these courses
were not enough to finish the
subject matter. Darenn G.
Rodriguez
which means Malacañang has
left the decision to Congress.
“It is not yet too late to
push for the declaration,” the
letter read.
“President A r royo,
let this be one of your last
signif icant actions before
s t e p pi ng d ow n f r om t he
presidency.”
Because of the
President’s apparent snub,
Mendoza created an online
journal titled “UST@400,”
the unoff icial blog site of
the Quadricentennial
celebrations, in the free blog
site blogspot.com to push for
his advocacy.
“Si nce Malacañang
seems to be not taking action,
let us declare it ourselves
i n s t e a d ,” M e n d o z a s a i d
i n a n i nter v iew w it h t he
Varsitarian. Adrienne Jesse
A. Maleficio
deal with the matter. Lakas
Tomasino has appealed the case
before the Central Comelec.
“As of now we are still in
the process of deciding,” said
Central Comelec president
Yanna Umali.
Medicine second in board
UST WAS named the second
top performing school in the
Physician licensure exams after
gaining a 94−percent passing rate
last January, unchanged from the
same period last year.
Thomasian Charlene Khe
Haw emerged sixth among a total
of 621 successful examinees,
posting an 84.71−percent score
in the board exams. Thirty-two
of the 34 Thomasian examinees
passed.
Marie Jo Cabanting of
the Far Eastern University Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical
Foundation topped this year’s
board with a score of 85.42
percent.
UST ranked second to St.
Luke’s College of Medicine,
Perpetual Help College of Manila,
Historian
paglathala sa pahayagan.
Sa pamumuno ni Marin, nagtulongtulong sina Don Manuel Ravago at
mga kaparian mula sa iba’t-ibang
organisasyon na mailathala ang unang
isyu ng Libertas noong Hulyo 7, 1899.
Nagmula ang pangalang Libertas
sa ensiklika ni Pope Leo XIII noong
1888 na pinamagatang Libertas
Praestantissimum (On the Nature
of Human Liberty) at may layuning
ipaglaban ang kalayaan sa paglalahad
ng katotohanan.
Sa Libertas isinulat ni Marin
ang ilang artikulo na naglalaman ng
pagpanig niya sa Germany noong Unang
Digmaang Pandaigdig. Maraming
Amerikano at mason sa bansa ang
nadismaya sa mga ito na nagbunsod
sa pagtutol sa patuloy na paglathala sa
peryodiko.
Naging dahilan ng pagsasara ng
mga pahina ng Libertas ang paglalahad
ni Wilson Woodrow ng Fourteen Points,
isang talumpating may intensyon na
tiyakin na ang nagaganap na digmaan ay
para sa kapayapaan. Hindi naglaon ay
hiniling ng mga beteranong Amerikano
na tuluyan nang itigil ang paglathala sa
Libertas na siyang sinang-ayunan naman
ng noo’y gobernador-heneral Francis
Harrison.
Ang huling isyu ng Libertas ay
lumabas noong Enero 31, 1918.
Tomasino siya
Alam niyo bang sa isang Tomasino
ipinangalan ang Edsa, isa sa mga
pangunahing lansangan sa bansa?
Si Epifanio de los Santos o mas
kilala bilang Don Panyong, ay nagtapos
ng Licentiate in Law sa UST noong 1898.
Isang kilalang abogado, mamamahayag,
at manunulat, malaki ang naging
kontribusyon ni De los Santos sa sining
at kultura kaya ipinangalan sa kanya
ang Highway 54 na nagdudugtong
sa mga lungsod ng Pasay, Makati,
Mandaluyong, Quezon City at Caloocan.
Isinilang sa bayan ng Malabon
Cebu Doctors University, and
Cagayan Colleges Tuguegarao,
which all tied at first place with
100 percent passing rates each.
Medicine Dean Ma. Graciela
Gonzaga noted that the January
exam was the “off-season” for
Thomasian examinees.
“Mostly, those who took
the [January] test were not
regular students, some were
even repeaters. Some also took
it that time for health or family
reasons,” Gonzaga said.
The University got a
94-percent passing rate in the
February 2008 medicine board
exams. Thomasians Kenneth Liu
Dy and Clarito Demaala III made
it to the top 10, placing third and
ninth, respectively. Adrienne
Jesse A. Maleficio
From page 12
in line with the University’s quadricentennial celebration.
“I started writing that book 10 years ago, and it is the product
of my 50 years of research in the Archives,” he explained.
On a final note, Villarroel encourages Thomasians to excel
in their chosen fields, but never forget to help their fellowmen.
“Thomasians should be outstanding in their own professions, but
they must always keep in mind to be of service to their countrymen.”
Peruvian theologian Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, O.P., founder of
Liberation Theology, was also named as Master of Sacred Theology.
Camille Abigael P. Alcantara and Julienne Krizia V. Roman
Usapang Uste Unang arawang Katolikong pahayagan sa bansa
BILANG tugon sa mga negatibong
atake sa simbahang Katoliko noong
panahon ng mga Amerikano,
inilunsad sa UST ang Libertas,
ang unang arawang Katolikong
pahayagan sa bansa at ang unang
arawang pahayagang inilabas ng isang
unibersidad sa mundo. Nagsilbi itong
pahayagan ng simbahang Katoliko
laban sa mga Protestante.
Dala-dala ng mga Amerikano
ang paniniwalang hindi dapat
nakikialam ang simbahan sa
pamahalaan nang sila ay dumating
dito. Ang prinsipyong ito ang naging
dahilan upang lalong umigting ang
kampanya at propaganda laban sa
simbahang Katoliko.
Dahil dito kaya binuo nina P.
Santiago Paya, O.P. at P. Valentin
Marin, O.P. ang Libertas noong 1899
sa UST sa tulong ng noo’y arsobispo
ng Maynila na si P. Bernandino
Nozaleda na nagbigay ng halagang
P2,000 upang masimulan ang
L a k a s To m a s i n o
representative Randolph Clet
said the party would push for a
decision on the disqualification
case despite it being “moot and
academic.”Jennifer Ann G.
Ambanta
noong Abril 7, 1871, si De los Santos ay
nagtapos ng Bachelor of Arts sa Ateneo
de Manila University bago pumasok sa
UST. Naging district attorney siya at
hindi nagtagal ay naging gobernador ng
San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Taong 1906
naman nang nahirang siyang piskal ng
Bulacan at Bataan. Naging direktor din
siya ng National Museum at National
Library noong 1925.
Kasama ang kaniyang kaibigang
si Clemente Zulueta, itinatag nila ang
pahayagang La Libertad sa Malabon
noong 1898. Isa rin siya sa mga naging
patnugot ng La Independencia sa likod
ng sagisag-panulat na G. Salon.
Bihasa si De los Santos sa mga
wikang Latin, Griyego, Kastila at
Pranses. Itinuturing na isang klasiko
sa panitikan ang kaniyang pagsalin ng
Florante at Laura ni Francisco Baltazar
sa wikang Kastila.
Namatay siya noong Abril 28, 1928
dahil sa cerebral attack. Kacelyn Faye
L. Paje
Dibuho ni Jasmine C. Santos
Tomasalitaan:
Duyak (pnd) – manloko ng
kapwa
Halimbawa: Dahil sa hirap ng
buhay, maraming tao ang napipilitang
manduyak ng kapwa para lang may
makain.
Sanggunian:
Pe, Josefina L. The University of
Santo Tomas in the 20th Century. UST
Press, 1973.
The
Varsitarian
NEWS
MARCH 26, 2010 3
Danielle Clara P. Dandan, Editor
Provide good choices, networks urged
By JAMES C. TALON
EMPHASIZING television’s
influence on the young, the 6th
UST Students’ Choice Awards
for Television (USTv) called on
networks to provide viewers with
shows that will help them make
“good choices.”
Vice Rector Fr. Pablo Tiong,
O.P., in his opening speech,
said television networks should
deliver what is “sensible and
beneficial.”
“We, as consumers and as
an audience, should exercise deep
responsibility in what we watch,
what we listen to, and what we
use,” Tiong said. “In the same
way, media providers should
also responsibly deliver what is
sensible and what is beneficial,
rather than just what is hip and
earning.”
Broadcast giant ABS-CBN
got the limelight during the
awards night by bagging 16 of
28 awards. Sister network and
two-time USTv winner for Most
Youth-Oriented Station, Studio
23, won two trophies.
Nominees were determined
through a University-wide survey
facilitated by the Office of the
Secretary General, the Institute of
Religion, and the dean’s offices of
the University’s 20 colleges and
faculties last October.
The survey included all
local shows aired from June to
September 2009, and had 3,326
third year and fourth year studentrespondents.
“Freshmen and sophomores
were excluded [from the
survey as] they are new to the
Thomasian environment and
are not yet enforced with the
Thomasian values,” said Alvin
Ang, director of the Research
Cluster for Cultural, Educational,
and Social Issues, which drafted
the methodology used in the
survey.
A student-dominated Board
of Judges headed by Secretary
General Fr. Florentino Bolo, Jr.,
O.P. then evaluated the survey
and come up with the winners.
ABS-CBN won most of the
awards during the awards night
last February 18.
Defunct primetime drama
Tayong Dalawa was named the
Students’ Choice for Daily Local
Soap Opera, with lead star Kim
Chiu winning as the Students’
Choice for Actress in a Local
Soap Opera.
Child star Zaijan Jaranilla,
fondly called as “Santino,” won
as the Students’ Choice for Actor
in a Daily Local Soap Opera for
May Bukas Pa, which received
the first Special Award for virtues
of faith and hope.
ASAP won for the fourth
time as the Students’ Choice
for Most Popular Variety Show.
Maalaala Mo Kaya is still
undisputed as Students’ Choice
for Drama Program after bagging
its sixth trophy.
Naruto and environmental
TV program Matanglawin
won as the Students’ Choice
for Full Animated Program
and Educational Program,
USTv, Page 7
Photos by PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO
Clockwise from extreme left:
actor Gerald
carries
Around 7,000 Thomasians, including faculty members
andAnderson
Domincan
Students’
Choice
for
clergymen, participated in the quadricentennial fund-raising runActor
Zaijan Jaranilla; actress Kim
“UnendinGrace” last February 21.
Chui, and anchors Ted Failon
and Mel Tiangco.
Publishing House launches 38 new titles
THIRTY-SEVEN to go.
The UST Publishing
House has launched 38 new
titles as part of its “400 books at
400!” quadricentennial project.
With the new titles, the
Publishing House has already
produced a total of 363 books
ahead of the Quadricentennial.
The “400 books at 400!”
project launched in 2001 aimed
at publishing 40 books every
year for 10 years. Former
Publishing House director
Jocelyn Calubayan had said
that improper implementation
of the project became costly for
the Publishing House.
L a s t S e p t e m b e r, t h e
Publishing House decided to
outsource printing operations
after incurring P30 million in
losses.
Nevertheless, the project
pushed through with the
announcement last December
that the 400th title will be
the UST coffee table book,
featuring the rich history of the
oldest university in Asia.
“Most of the books
[launched] were outsourced,”
said Publishing House officer
in charge Augusto Aguila.
“[However,] the printing
division is still being used when
there are important papers that
have to be printed.”
The books launched
last February 17 were:
“Alma Mater” by Fr. Fidel
Villarroel, O.P.; “An Angelic
OT gains
the requirements,” Agcaoili
had said.
Otap conducted another
series of ocular inspections
late last year, resulting in full
accreditation of the program.
Morato said Otap
Painting
From page 8
around the Benavides Park to
conceptualize and paint their
interpretations of the contest
theme. By six in the evening,
the awarding ceremony
kicked off. Secretary General
Fr. Florentino Bolo, Jr., O.P.
expressed the hope that the
Mind in Human Face” and
“Thesis Writing for Theology
Students” by Fr. Jose Antonio
Aureda, O.P.; “Catechism
on Consecrated Life” by Fr.
Leonardo Legaspi, O.P.; “The
Journey Continues: Notes on
Ethics and Bioethics” by Fr.
by Fine Arts Dean Cynthia
Loza and Teresita Buenseco;
“Batong Buhay” by Clarence
Batan; “Buhay Sibilyan” by
Rolando Mactal; “Building
a Philosphy in Education
For Our Times” by Lourdes
Custodio; “Don’t Cut the Trees,
The “400 Books at 400!” project that started in 2001 will see its completion
and grand relaunching separately in February 2011.
JOSA CAMILLE A. BASSIG
Fausto Gomez, O.P.; “The Way
of the Word Part 1 and 2” by Jerry
Manlangit, O.P.; “Theology
Week 2008: A Symposium
on the Natural Moral Law,”
edited by Fr. Rodel Aligan,
O.P. and Josel Sagut; “Across
the Philosophical Silkroad”
consisting of eight volumes by
Alfredo Co; “Ang Dyip ni Mang
Tomas” and “Earth 3 Tales” by
Anthony Palongo; “Bakawan:
A Natural Heritage Charter”
Don’t” by Abercio Rotor;
“Heritage Tree Definition” by
the Center for Conservation
of Cultural Property and
Environment in the Tropics;
“IR Research: An Anthology”
edited by Allan Basas, “Job
Evaluation: The Traditional
Approach” by Hector Aguiling;
“Kantilao” by Joseph de
Luna Saguid; “Kasaysayan
at Pag-unlad ng Dulaang
Pantinedyer sa Pilipinas” by
From page 1
will for ward the college’s
application to WFOT.
According to the WFOT
website, there are only five
a c c r e d i t e d o c c u p a t io n a l
therapy schools in the country:
University of the Philippines-
Ma n ila (accred ited si nce
1968), University of Perpetual
Help System-Laguna (1990),
Velez College (2000), Cebu
Doctors’ College (2001), and
Emilio Aguinaldo College
(2006).
UST will have to re-apply
for accreditation every two
years, Morato said.
works of the winning young
artists “would soon fill our
museums.”
Aside from AncellottiDiaz, the judges were actress
and art collector Candy
Pangilinan and architect
Jonathan Matti.
The UST National Onthe-Spot Painting competition
is organized by the Office of
the Secretary General, and
the UST Museum. Previous
UST winners are Joe Barcena,
Alfredo Esquillo, Mark
Salvatus and Ronaldo Ventura.
This year’s winning
competition pieces were
exhibited at the UST Museum
Gallery from February 25 to
March 19. Maria Joanna
Angela D. Cruz
Arthur Casanova; “Lantakas
2” by newly appointed
UST archivist Regalado
Tr o t a J o s e ; “ N o s t a l g i a :
Unforgettable Faces, Places,
Events” by Chona Trinidad;
“The Proposed Conservation
Guidelines for the UST Main
Building as a Built Heritage”
by Willa Solomon, “Managing
College Freshmen Language
Skill” by Marilu Madrunio,
Camilla Visconde, Perla
Villamarzo, and Ana Maria
Ward; “Metadiscourse” by
Danilo Dayag; “Pagbabaguntao
sa Berbanya” and “Huling
Ta n a w i n s a B u n d o k n g
Tabor” both by Tony Perez;
“Sibago by Abdon Balde; “The
Kapampangan Mystique” by
Rudy Ordoñez; “Travels with
Tania” by former Varsitarian
editor in chief Cristina PantojaHidalgo and “Views: Between
Borders, Beyond Barriers”
by Ferdinand Lopez, Lucia
Urquiola and Remedios
Biavati.
Hidalgo, vice president for
public affairs of the University
of the Philippines, said her
book is like a “homecoming.”
“I learned my writing in
this University… this book is
like a homecoming,” she said.
Vice Rector Fr. Pablo
Tiong, O.P commended the
authors for surviving the
“long and grueling path of
publication.” Cliff Harvey C.
Venzon
Curious incident
at the hospital’s
charity ward
A MAN who had attempted
su icide wa s fou nd along
Lacson Street last February 8
and got “first-aid” treatment
from the UST Hospital charity
ward.
The nurses on duty had
i n it ial ly de n ie d t he m a n
because they said there was
no one willing to pay for him.
T he hospit al said the
unidentified victim “was just
drunk and had only wounds
that were not deep.”
Varsitarian artist Rey
Ian Cruz and his friends saw
the man on Lacson Street
w it h “a lot of blood a nd
unconscious.”
“We saw the man lying
on the street. Pumipikit-pikit
‘y ung mata,” said Ma ra h
Villar ubia, one of Cr u z’s
companions.
This prompted Cruz to
ask help from hospital guards
to bring the injured to the
hospital. They were directed
to the nurses’ station.
“They (nurses) asked if
I was a relative of the victim
or not. When I said that I was
not related to him, they told
me that the man could not
be admitted because no one
would cover his expenses,”
he said.
Accountancy
They (summer classes) will
only be for those who make
good their deficiencies,”
Accountancy Dean Minerva
Cruz said.
Cruz said the new
curriculum will put general
education subjects covering
humanities, social sciences,
science, and mathematics
in the first two years of the
program, while major subjects
like accounting, finance, and
marketing will be taken in the
last three years.
Carillo said changes
in Ched’s technical panel
for accounting forced the
college to “review” the
curriculum submitted to her
From page 2
last September.
“Our advice to
Accountancy was to implement
the new curriculum regardless
of the possible new composition
of the [Ched’s] technical panel
as long as they (accountancy
officials) are truly convinced
that this proposed curriculum
is a good curriculum, relevant,
and will truly be beneficial to
our students,” Carillo said.
Accountancy submitted
its final proposal to Carillo
on February 24. College
clerk Shirley de Chavez said
freshmen load for next school
year will increase to 27 units
from 24 units as a result of the
new curriculum.
Another man later
introduced himself as a friend
of the injured and told the
group to help him carry his
friend to the hospital.
T he i nju red man was
given “first-aid” treatment
upon arriving at the charity
ward, said hospital security
officer Leon Sembran, Jr.
He explained the injury
did not require confinement.
“Both his wrists were cut,
but they were not deep and
he was under the inf luence
of alcohol,” Sembran said in
Filipino. “We just washed it,
put Betadine and bandage.”
“We also let him sleep for
a while at the mini-operating
room of the emergency room
so he may be calmed because
he was drunk,” he added.
Sembran said the man left
the hospital alone.
“The man decided to kill
himself because his whole
family died in an accident,”
said Sembran,
But Villarubia said the
man had told them he tried
to kill himself out of poverty.
There was no record filed
about the patient in either the
Hospital or security logbook.
Jilly Anne A. Bulauan
“The increase in tuition
fee will still depend on the
University’s administration,”
De Chavez added.
Meanwhile, the Philippine
Association of Colleges and
Universities Commission
on Accreditation visited the
college last March 16 and 17
after Accountancy applied for
Level 1 accreditation in 2007.
“We created committees
to work on different areas
and sections. We hired 70
percent of faculty members
who obtained their master
degrees, six percent with
doctorate degrees, and 55
percent professionals and
cognates with master degrees,”
Cruz said. Adrienne Jesse A.
Maleficio
The
Varsitarian
OPINION
4 MARCH 26, 2010
Editorial
Illustration by Jasmine C. Santos
Kick Cabral out
SOMETHING is amiss when the Department of Health
(DOH), which should be the protector of public health, turns
into a promoter of irresponsible and immoral behavior.
Such is the case with Esperanza Cabral, who replaced
Thomasian Francisco Duque III in the DOH (he is now
chairman of the Civil Service Commission, a constitutional
body). While vowing to continue Duque’s “good programs,”
Cabral, who was a disaster as a social welfare secretary during
the Ondoy disaster last year, has arrogantly set aside his policy
of not promoting artificial contraception because of its divisive
nature. Instead, she has promoted “safe sex” in the guise of
stemming the HIV-AIDS menace.
And so last February 14, Filipino couples received
more than the usual stock of flowers and chocolates. Under
Cabral’s orders, the DOH distributed condoms at the Dangwa
flower center near UST. Instantaneously, a Catholic feast
was blasphered by an agent of the State. When the bishops
cried foul, the general media defended Cabral and cried,
“Intolerance!”
It is typical of the irreverent and amoral press to invoke
tolerance when in fact, it is they who are being intolerant to
religion. In defending Cabral for making a mockery out of a
Catholic feast, it joins the arrogant State in attacking religion.
It is also typical of somebody who has lived off taxpayer’s
money as State university student and as a careerist to invoke
the separation of Church and State when the Church objects
to certain public policies on moral grounds. Cabral is simply
stupid and arrogant— her stupidity abetting her arrogance.
For the separation of Church and State means the nonestablishment of religion: it is a constitutional principle to
defend religion against the encroachments of the State. Did
she not violate this when she used a Catholic feast to distribute
condoms? Wasn’t she at the least insensitive and arrogant?
Alas, on the day reserved by the Catholic calendar to
memorialize an ancient martyr whose sacred sacrifice has
become emblematic of the selflessness and martyrdom that
characterize authentic love, Cabral, an agent of the State, made
a mockery of Church and the true meaning of love. Moreover
she did this near UST and around the U-Belt where young
people were seeking to find meaningful expressions to give
us gifts to their beloved on the Day of Hearts. We could only
surmise what Cabral gave her spouse and kids as Valentine’s
gifts. Did she give them condoms? We pity them.
And what was the sacrilege for? Because of HIV-AIDS!
The panic about the rising HIV-AIDS cases in the
Philippines— with some claiming that the disease has
reached epidemic levels— should be discounted. Sure, the
cases may have gone relatively high, reaching 4,424 cases
last year, but the ratio of 530 in 100,000 people, as recorded
by the HIV Behavioral and Serological Surveillance, is short
of “alarming.”
Furthermore, studies have consistently proven the
ineffectiveness of condoms to prevent HIV-AIDS transmission.
Ten years ago when the DOH had been decrying low condom
Editorial, Page 5
The Varsitarian
Founded Jan. 16, 1928
Emil karlo A. de la cruz
Editor in Chief
PRINZ P. MAGTULIS
Managing Editor
dANIELLE CLARA P. DANDAN News Editor
JEREMY S. PEREY Sports Editor
aLPHONSUS LUIGI E. ALFONSO Special Reports Editor
SARAH JANE P. PAUYO Features Editor
MARIAN LEANNA T. DE LA CRUZ Literary Editor
MARK ANDREW S. FRANCISCO Patnugot ng Filipino
QUINIA JENICA E. RANJO Witness Editor
ALENA PIAS P. BANTOLO Sci-Tech Editor
PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO Photography Editor
News Jennifer Ann G. Ambanta, Jilly Anne A. Bulauan,
Adrienne Jesse A. Maleficio, Darenn G. Rodriguez, Cliff Harvey C. Venzon
Sports Charizze L. Abulencia, Lester G. Babiera, Mary Athena D. de Paz,
Frauleine Michelle S. Villanueva
Special Reports Andrewly A. Agaton, Rose May Y. Cabacang,
Alexis Ailex C. Villamor, Jr.
Features Ronalyn M. Umali
Literary Mika Rafaela A. Barrios, Rose-An Jessica M. Dioquino,
Robin G. Padilla
Filipino Kacelyn Faye L. Paje
Witness Camille Abigael P. Alcantara, Florench May C. Corpuz
Sci-Tech Julienne Krizia V. Roman
Circle Maria Joanna Angela D. Cruz, James C. Talon
Art Fritzie Marie C. Amar, Rey Ian M. Cruz, Carla T. Gamalinda,
Jasmine C. Santos
Photography Lester G. Babiera, Josa Camille A. Bassig,
Isabela A. Martinez, Giannina Nicolai P. Melicor
FELIPE F. SALVOSA II
Assistant Publications Adviser
JOSELITO B. ZULUETA
Publications Adviser
Letters/comments/suggestions/contributions are welcome in the Varsitarian. Only
letters with signatures will be entertained. Original manuscript contributions must be
typewritten, double-spaced, on regular bond paper, and should include a signed
certification bearing the author’s name, address, year, and college. The identity of
a writer may be withheld upon request. The editors will not be responsible for the
loss of materials. Contributions must be sent to The Varsitarian office, Rm. 105,
Tan Yan Kee Student Center Bldg., University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila.
Structural, behavioral plagues
OLD HABITS die hard. But
some are so detrimental to
success that they must be
excised out of the human
psyche.
This is something
I observed after four years
of mingling with my peers,
both in the classroom and in
the Varsitarian. Frequently,
a select few would indulge
in an unhealthy behavioral
cycle that would usually end
miserably for them.
A solid example of this
would be those that violate
the University’s golden rule
– no absences beyond the
limit given by UST, lest you
receive the two most dreaded
letters for any student: F/A,
or “failed due to absences.”
I have known exceptional
students who consistently get
good marks, only to falter
because they didn’t show up.
I myself have been guilty
of this, spending as much as
the 2010 national budget on
taxi rides to school just so I
would not be marked absent.
I have only myself to
blame, of course. Had I the
discipline to wake up early
(or sleep early, depends on
Culture...should
not be used
as a reference book
or a shield to cover up
the wrongs
of an individual
how you see the cup of water)
I wouldn’t have to do all those
extreme measures just to get
to class on time. Clearly, the
problem lies in one’s attitude
and behavior.
But while one may
argue that this would be nearimpossible to bend as it is
natural for Filipinos suffering
from the ills of “Filipino time,”
or “late-clock syndrome,” this
kind of outlook would seem to
be a poor excuse to cover up
one’s incompetence.
Even at the start of
the semester, the University
had set the ground rules for
the absences, to which some
students may object.
I was suspicious of the
F/A rule too, but I realize that
had it not been implemented,
there is a likely chance that no
one would show up in class,
only appearing during the
important quizzes. When this
happens, teachers (and the
university as a whole) will not
be able to impart knowledge
and fulfill their roles.
What I am simply saying
is that culture, specifically
the concept of “Filipino
time,” should not be used as
a reference book or a shield
to cover up the wrongs of an
individual, especially when
one is aware of the problem but
refuses to do anything about it.
***
Recently, I have been fascinated
with human behavior after
someone asked me what were
the problems I faced during my
stint as the editor in chief of the
Varsitarian. It boiled down to
two: structural problems and
behavioral problems.
Structural problems
are those which are mostly
technical in nature, occurring
in an organization’s rules and
regulations, or system. This
usually happens because the
rules are outdated and do not fit
with the demands of the times.
But while structural
problems are abundant in
nature, they are by far easier
to handle and solve.
All it takes is discussing
the problem and coming up
with a viable and practical
solution to cover any loose
ends. An organization is a
dynamic being, after all, and
a good organization constantly
tailor fits itself to keep up with
the changing times.
The other problem,
however, is something that
is harder to address, as there
Sideways, Page 5
We, the iGeneration, plead guilty
MY MOTHER and I carry
out ou r relat ions la rgely
through SMS. I get up late
for afternoon classes when
she has already driven off
to work. We barely see each
other so practically all the
er rands she makes me do
come in text messages and
settled by just a “K” reply
from me.
But on weekends, we still
seem not to see each other,
for I am either drowned in
Facebook or catching up on
my American TV series in
YouTube.
I might have been born
in 1989, but I believe that I
belong to the “iGeneration,”
as dubbed by California State
University’s Larry Rosen.
Rosen, who receives the
same “K”s from his 19-yearold daughter, claims that the
human race is in “the midst
of four distinct generations:
Baby Boomers (born 1946 to
‘64), Generation X (1965 to
‘79), Net Generation (1980 to
‘89) and the new iGeneration
( b o r n i n t h e 19 9 0 s a n d
beyond).”
He said the “i” represents
gadgets such as iPods and
Wii, and “ref lects the
‘individualized’ nature of
their media.”
“If you have a teenager
… you must learn how to
text, or you two will never
“connect.” To this generation,
This generation
is so immersed
with the egocentric
electronic media and
should be found guilty
of narcissism
it is all about connection, but
those connections are, for
the most part, electronic,”
the American psychologist,
who authored Me, Myspace
and I: Parenting the Net
Generation, wrote in CNN.
com.
In 2008, Acision, which
specializes in messaging and
charging systems, said that
the Philippines delivered
1.39 billion text messages,
resu lt i ng i n heav y SMS
traffic in Asia Pacific, during
holidays.
Re me mbe r how t ext
messaging helped the ouster
of former president Joseph
Estrada in 2001? It wasn’t
even holiday then.
Rosen goes on and rants:
Com mu nication today is
pretty much anything like
“ Sk y p e -i ng,” “ I M-i ng,”
“Facebook-ing,” and texting,“
except live or on the phone.”
If the older generations
consider technology as a tool,
Rosen said ours see it as “life.”
We should plea guilty
to this. We sleep with cell
phones, wake up with laptops,
dress with digital SLRs and
consider Twitter as household
pet. Even our crops are makebelieve computer graphics
now.
And still, Rosen has all
the praises for his daughter’s
peers.
“ Ye t t h o s e p e s k y
multitasking kids are the
smartest generation ever…
t hey a re re al ly a h ig h ly
social generation (albeit with
much of the socializing done
online); they value family,
and revere friendship (some
‘virtual’).”
Actually, I sometimes
doubt if social-networking
sites are basically “social.”
Nowadays, Facebook and the
likes, at least I believe, are
more like feeding the user’s
ego than widening his social
circle.
Rosen hit the jackpot
with this: It is their world.
Watch out for the young ones
who are already surfing the
Internet at two.
We, who don’t blink away
from the computer unless
nature calls; we, who own and
visit virtual farms, restaurants
and pets all at the same time,
will be the next roster of
presidents, bankers, soldiers,
and even movie stars.
God knows how much
college students owe their
grades to the Internet, but just
imagine if the world is to be
ruled by leaders hunchbacked
at their computer screens.
“Life” by then could mean
“online.”
This generation is so
immersed in the egocentric
electronic media and should
be found guilty of narcissism.
We shall take advantage of
this technology we’re growing
old w it h a nd not mole st
its capacities. Let’s keep
ourselves from being bratty
k id s who —li ke what my
professor said in his Facebook
wall—think the world owes
them something. Prove Rosen
and the rest of his generation
that their expectations from
the pesky multitasking kids
are possible to meet.
The
Varsitarian
OPINION
Power to the people
WHEN Globe’s “immortal
text” service went inactive
l a s t Fe b r u a r y 16 , I wa s
extremely pestered, along
with scores of my friends,
who often used this “promo,”
as said by Globe’s customer
care when I e-mailed them
about whether the service
would come back. Truth be
told, it is the best service that
Globe gave to its mediumhigh rate users because it had
no expiry. Then the Autoload
(electronic credit loading
system of Globe) seemed to
have crashed on the 20th. Just
my two cents, but it seems
coincidental that the expiry
of the “immortal call” service
was the next day.
***
The coming elections are
marred with doubts that the
automated election processes
wou ld fail due to sig nal
jammers and hackers. But
the lack of power within the
grid could topple all aspects
of the elections.
The reasons behind
the power outages are quite
apparent: the El Niño. The
heat has been swelter ing
these past few days, and
d roughts may have to be
declared in some parts of
the country later this year.
According to the Philippine
Daily Inquirer, the Polangui
and Agus dams have been
generating half their output
si nce t he El Ni ño ca me:
from 255 and 727 megawatts
Editorial
Personally, I think a
nuclear plan would have
serious environmental
and even international
implications
for the Philippines
(MW), respectively to more
or less half their working
capacity—126 and 315 MW,
r e s p e c t ively. A s of t h i s
writing, there are eight hours
of blackouts in Mindanao.
The problem with Mindanao
is their high dependence on
hydroelectric power.
But even power cut s
in Lu zon and Visayas
are star ting to occur due
to the swift drop of water
levels in the Angat, Magat,
Pantabangan, San Roque,
and Binga dams, said the
National Power Corporation
( N a p o c o r) i n t h e s a m e
p a p e r l a s t Fe b r u a r y 26.
Sounds rather ironic from
what deput y presidential
spokesperson Charito Planas
told the Philippine Star last
February 20 that the power
cuts would not reach Luzon
and Visayas.
T h is problem st r i kes
at the crux of the elections.
Where there is no electricity,
there can definitely be no
elect ion oper at ion s. T he
answer hardly lies in the
delegat ion of emergency
powers to President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, who may
even use such powers to her
advantage during election
time as it falls on El Niño
days. I highly perceive that
the Precinct Count Optical
Scan voting machines need
more than 12-16 hours’ worth
of battery life, so think of
the other possible sources of
power.
First is the revival of
t he nuclea r power pla nt.
Columnist Efren Danao of the
Manila Times relates that the
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
could be revived, but it is a
sensitive topic. Sen. Edgardo
Angara said that he doubts
that there will be a similar
incident, but we simply do
not have the nuclear scientists
t o op e r at e such a pla nt.
Personally, I think a nuclear
pla n wou ld have ser iou s
envi ron ment al, and even
international implications
for t he Ph ilippi nes. A nd
would it be prudent to spend
valuable money and time on
the cleaning and start-up of
such a huge plant?
Power barges (literally
f loating power plants that
run on fuel or coal) are also
seen as a solution. There
are at least four oil-powered
barges with a capacity of 32
MW that are in operation,
according to the Napocor
website. It may be enough to
power a community, but since
the provinces of Mindanao
are mostly landlocked with
sparse rivers, it may take
some time to adjust the power
grid so electricity can be
tapped to specif ic power
lines.
Many doubts and
problems are plag ui ng
M i n d a n a o ’s e l e c t i o n s ,
such as the lack of security
ma rk i ngs i n the region’s
ballots along with the power
supply problem. Would it be
therefore reasonable to just
revert to manual counting
at least in that region? The
t e d iou s p r o c e s s m ay b e
costly, yes, but the potential
costs may be too much for the
government should the power
plants overload due to the
high demand and break down.
But in the end, costs
should be nothing. May 10
should be one of the most
crucial elections and its results
must be truly representative
of the people’s choice. The
date is an important occasion
for us to do our job. But
should real people power
be blemished by the lack of
power?
use, it painted the stark scenario that the HIV-AIDS incidence would
balloon to 10,000. It is nowhere near that level exactly because the
Church opposes condoms and promotes chastity and responsible
behavior.
Hence, comparing the Philippine situation to Thailand— which
has more than half a million HIV cases, excluding the 613,000 that
have died from AIDS— would be hysterical.
Why Cabral would like to adopt Thailand’s radical “safe sex”
programs is disconcerting. Thailand is the worst HIV-AIDS case in
Asia exactly because of its unmitigated condom distribution, which
basically is an indirect way of promoting its sex tourism. If Cabral
wants to promote prostitution and sex tourism to earn dollars for
her country, then she should have distributed condoms to whore
houses, not at a floral market where UST and other young students
sincerely seek ways to express the purity of their love.
But really, the Thai example reinforces the Catholic Church’s
critique against “safe sex”— that it instills a false sense of security
because condoms are not 100 percent safe. Cabral has admitted as
much on a television debate, but insisted that condoms would do
for now — just as drugs on hypertension are 70 percent effective
but they would do just the same. Her argument is fallacious!
Hypertension is not HIV-AIDS; it needs medication, HIV-AIDS
needs prevention. But with condoms with a failure rate ranging from
six percent to 37 percent, frequent safe sex increases the probability
of one contacting the virus. Safe sex cultivates reckless behavior.
What Cabral is doing is to use the HIV-AIDS menace as a
smokescreen for population control.
Recent demographics showed that the world does not have a
“ballooning population.” What is really happening is a “popping”
population, with less babies to replenish the aging populations of
the world, as warned by Nobel-winning economists such as Gary
Becker in the documentary, Demographic Winter.
Instead of focusing government resources on artificial birth
control just to prevent a disease whose spread is arguably under
control, why not direct the funds instead to other life-threatening
sickness such as dengue, which reached a total of 2,232 cases, with
16 deaths during the first five months of 2008? Why not use health
resources on checking poverty-induced tropical diseases?
And if economic growth is the concern of the State, it should
find ways to solve poverty through projects and livelihood programs
that would help families sustain life, not prevent it.
The “death” of the Reproductive Health Bill in Congress
has been hailed by the Church and pro-life advocates. But it seems
that Cabral has made use of her executive position to promote
birth control in the guise of eradicating HIV-AIDS. And President
Macapagal-Arroyo, a self-declared natural family planning
advocate, seems to evade the issue by refusing to control her Cabinet
minister’s arrogant ways.
At the very least, the President should stop Cabral from
her condom-crazy ways by reprimanding her or kicking her out
altogether. The position of health secretary is critical. Cabral is
a discredit to an agency whose function is to help people take
responsibility of their health and well-being, and not to promote
“safe sex” and cultivate among the citizenry, especially the young,
behavior run amok.
Sideways
Champions
is no clear method on how to
approach it.
Behavioral problems are
usually overlooked because
they seem inferior to structural
ones. But in reality, these
can snowball into something
bigger that could derail a
harmonious work cycle, or put
an organization off from its
objectives. These behavioral
problems can include either
a lack of urgency typical of
“Filipino time,” being low on
morale, differing priorities, or
something else.
Due to the var y i n g
nature of these problems,
the solutions are arguably
also varied, but they all
similarly involve the process
of communication.
Unfortunately, I have
seen that in most cases, people
would often revert to being
From page 4
From page 4
non-confrontational, instead of
talking to the person about the
problem and hopefully coming
to a solution. Whether or not
this is something ingrained
into our psyche, I do not know.
No matter how solid
an organization’s system
is, the people involved are
still invaluable assets and
must therefore be tapped
for solutions to remedy new
problems that may pop up.
As I leave my post, I
offer these few insights to
the incoming batch of
Varsitarian staffers as well as
to other society or organization
officials who might find these
useful.
I wish you all the best
of luck as you steer your
organizations to greater heights
and become part of UST’s
glorious 400-year legacy.
From page 6
Meanwhile, the Lady Booters,
Tiger Paddlers, Lady Tennisters,
and the Male Fencers, who were
all last season’s champions,
had to cut their time at the top,
settling as bridesmaids this
season. The Golden Booters and
Lady Paddlers also ended with a
bridesmaid finish as well as the
Female Tracksters, who was
once again nailed at second place
for the fifth consecutive season.
The Male Woodpushers
carved a decent third place
finish with a total of 34.5
points, compared to the Female
Woodpushers dismal sixth place
finish. The Male Tigersharks’
title defense sank to third due to
De La Salle’s 240-point output,
with the España swimmers
only managing to dish out 189
markers. Their counterparts,
the Female Tigersharks, settled
for fourth.
On the hard court, the
Growling Tigers fell to the
Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles in
a 64-81 beating in the Final Four.
The Tigresses, Male
Tracksters, and the beach
volleyball tandem of Jen Fortuno
and Maruja Banaticla were
pinned at fourth place, while the
Golden Sox fell to a lackluster
fifth place finish.
On the other hand, The
Tiger Judokas improved their
status this year - from third place
last year to second this season,
with 29 points. The Lady Judokas
also settled as bridesmaids with
34 points, eight markers behind
four-year champions UP. The
Tiger Paddlers surrendered
a two-peat crown to FEU
while the Lady Paddlers also
failed to redeem themselves
of a three-year championship
hiatus against the same
team. C.L.Abulencia and
F.M.S.Villanueva
MARCH 26, 2010 5
To our beloved 2010
Thomasian graduates
THE UNIVERSITY of Santo
Tomas, ou r al ma mater is
no longer young. Next year
we will celebrate its 400th
anniversary of establishment.
But it remains young because
of the presence of the students
who rejuvenate it annually, the
energetic administrators, faculty
members, and employees who
infuse with vitality and a sense
of mission, the army of alumni
who incarnate their ideals of the
University; and of course, the
presence ad influence of God who continue to shower it
with exhilarating and unexpected bleessings.
If you come to think of it, UST is indeed a blessed
educational institution. The fact that it has survived
several colonial battles for supremacy, two world wars,
countless calamities and disasters, economic and political
upheavals in the country, internal intrigues and struggles,
is a clear proof that UST is an institution imbued with
an unending grace. Two years ago, a group of valiant
men- alumni and professors of UST- was beatified by
Pope Benedict XVI. Throughout the centuries, the
University has produced not only excellent political
leaders, outstanding academicians, model professionals,
but also saints, heroes, and martyrs. Are we not lucky to
have such exalted pedigree?
As Thomasians and as Filipinos, you, our dear
graduates, have many reasons to feel blessed. Perhaps
you can imbue our countrymen with the same joyful
If only the youth understood
their extraordinary collective
power... perhaps our
country would
be indeed great again
disposition, especially now that many of them are afflicted
with a pervasive sense of pessimism.
A few years ago, the print advertising organization
of the Philippines issued a one-page advertisement in
several newspapers that read: “Kidnappings, Bombings,
Beheadings: This is the Perfect Time to Visit the
Philippines”. These were written in big, bold letters. At
the bottom of the page is printed in small letters:” and this
is the best time to find out the real truth, that more than
70 million Filipinos are peace loving, and the friendliest
people you’ll ever meet. ”
I was deeply disturbed by the advertisement. Why
did the words “kidnappings, bombings, and beheadings”
deserve to be printed in big, bold letters while the truth
that more than 70 million Filipinos are peace loving, and
the friendliest people was printed only in small, almost
readable letters?
Marshall McLuhan once said that advertising,
“medium is the message.” If that is the case, then the Print
Advertising Organization of the Philippines had suceeded
in sennding the following message: “Beware of going
to the Philippines. You might get kidnapped, bombed,
beheaded, and the 70 million friendly Filipinos will not
be there to help you because they were hardly visible.”
Often, the media prefer to publish and broadcast the
graft and corruption of government officials, the abuses
of military and police officials, the greed and avarice of
businessmen, and the evil deeds of lawless sectors of the
society. It is not surprising, therefore, that the good and
honest Filipinos have become invisible because their good
deeds have been overshadowed by the sensationalized evil
practices of the few bad ones.
No wonder, in a survey conducted by a polling agency,
many respondents agreed with the statement: “This
country is hopeless and I would like to migrate somewhere
else if I could.” This statistics of despair has been hounding
us and frustrating our best efforts, thanks to a mass media
that tends to favor bad news than good news.
I believe you, the Thomasian graduates, can do
something to reverse this trend. Evil flourishes in our
country because the good Filipinos are silent. Our country
challenges you to make your voices heard, to wage protest
against the large-scale demolition of the Filipino image,
and to prove that Ninoy Aquino was right when he said
that the Filipino is worth dying for. You can no longer
assume the attitude of being guilty by-standers, especially
now that the national election is fast approaching.
You might ask: “But we are young, how can we ever
make an impact in society?” Do you know that Filipinos
aged 15-30 constitute around 30 percent of the total
Rector, Page 15
The
Varsitarian
special reports
6 MARCH 26, 2010
Alphonsus Luigi E. Alfonso, Editor
Despite ‘uncertainty’ on new structures
UST buildings safe from ‘Haiti-like’ tremor
Alexis Ailex C. Villamor, Jr.
UNIVERSITY buildings are strong
enough to withstand the kind of
earthquake that hit Haiti last January,
but may have problem dealing with a
Chile-like shock as far as “experience”
is concerned.
Engineer Lawrence Pangan of the
Facilities Management Office (FMO)
said the buildings can handle intensity
seven to intensity eight quakes, while
the Main Building, the country’s first
“earthquake-proof” structure, can bear
up to intensity nine.
“With
the
innovation
in
engineering available, we can
guarantee that new buildings like the
Tan Yan Kee Student Center, Miguel
de Benavides Central Library, Beato
Angelico building, Thomas Aquinas
Research Complex (TARC) and [the
soon-to-rise] Sports Complex can last
longer and endure future calamities,”
Pangan said.
The newer buildings were built
with the damage caused by the 1990
earthquake that hit Luzon at magnitude
7.7 as reference. It was the strongest
earthquake to hit Manila.
“Adjustments in a structure’s
groundwork and construction are based
on this magnitude,” Pangan said.
This is the reason why intensity
eight quakes are manageable, but
UST may have problems dealing with
the kind of tremor that hit Chile on
February 27 at 8.8 magnitude.
“When a Chile-like earthquake hit
UST, I am unsure whether our buildings,
except the Main Building, can survive,”
said College of Architecture Dean John
Joseph Fernandez.
He specifically expressed doubt
over the strength of new buildings like
the Tan Yan Kee Student Center, TARC
and the Multi-deck Carpark.
“But in terms of experience, old
buildings have already withstood three
major earthquakes—in 1968,
1973 and 1990. [However] new
buildings are not yet ‘tested’,”
Fernandez said.
While structures may
withstand initial tremors of a
Chile-like quake, aftershocks
could be “scary.”
Intensity
seven
earthquakes bring slight to
moderate damage to well-built
structures, while intensity eight
causes considerable damage
San Martin de Porres (1952)
in ordinary buildings, parts of
which may collapse.
old, will remain stable.”
An earthquake’s intensity
Fernandez
said
structural
is different from its magnitude.
engineers also consider that tectonic
According to the United States
plates usually move left and right.
Geological Survey website, magnitude
This was taken into account in erecting
refers to the strength of the energy felt
the Main Building in 1927, whose
at the “source” of the earthquake, while
construction involved the expansion
intensity is the strength of the shaking
joint, and mat foundation processes.
at a “certain location” caused by an
Expansion joints allow seam
earthquake. The higher the magnitude
separation or the independent swaying
of an earthquake, the higher the
of structures during earthquakes.
probable intensity it can produce.
Mat foundation extends the base of a
structure over a great area, frequently
Building a building
the entire building, where all vertical
Pangan said building a new
structural loadings like columns and
structure in the University like the
fixtures are supported by this common
construction of the UST Sports
foundation.
Complex involves several processes,
“This is why the Main Building
one of which is soil investigation.
only had superficial cracks on [its]
“The type of soil is being observed
walls after the [1990] earthquake,
and studied since Manila’s ground is
which were architectural in nature
not stable,” he said.
and not structural,” Pangan explained.
A construction method called
“These cracks have already been
board piling was used for newer UST
remedied by injecting a certain amount
buildings. The process involves the
of epoxy to the walls.”
installation of foundations as stacked
He revealed that even the
piles parallel to the ground, and
Main Building’s cross tower is still
drilling instead of hammering them to
structurally stable, saying that rifts
effectively resist earth movement.
only appeared on the wall’s surface,
“Board piling lessens structure
not deep within.
vibration and helps avoid serious
“City building officials have
damage,” Pangan said. “[We are]
actually issued a certificate, showing
assured that buildings, whether new or
the stability and safety of our buildings
here in UST,” Pangan
said. “Our buildings’
structural components
are
not
critically
damaged, despite the
appearance of some
cracks.”
An
ocular
inspection of the Beato
Angelico
Building
also revealed only
superficial cracks, Fernandez said.
“Walls have been plastered and
injected with epoxy, and remain very
safe,” Fernandez said. “What is good
with this building is that it has non-load
bearing walls that support nothing.
Meaning, regardless of visibility of
cracks, ceilings and floors will not be
affected, or [will not] collapse.”
‘In terms of experience, old buildings have
already withstood three major earthquakes.
[However] new buildings are not yet ‘tested’’
-Dean John Joseph Fernandez
Cantalamessa, papal preacher, gives retreat in Manila
“ONLY in the Philippines can
these things happen, so many
priests in one gathering.”
This was how Fr. Raniero
Cantalamessa, the preacher to
the Papal Household, described
the Second National Congress of
the Clergy held from January 25
to 29 at the World Trade Center,
Pasay City.
With the theme “Faithfulness
of Christ, Faithfulness of Priests,”
the event drew almost 6,000
priests and bishops from different
dioceses nationwide, including
Filipino priests based abroad, to
celebrate the Year of the Priests
of the Catholic Church, which
opened last June 19.
Spearheaded
by
the
Episcopal Commission on the
Clergy of the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines
headed by Manila Archbishop
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, the
congregation even surpassed the
1,500 attendees of an international
gathering of priests in Ars, France
last August.
As preacher of the Papal
Household, an honorific title
assigned by tradition to a Franciscan,
Cantalamessa is the official preacher
of Papal Benedict XVI.
He said the Supreme Pontiff
supported the congress so as to
foster an “internal renewal for the
sake of a more forceful and incisive
witness to the Gospel in today’
world” for priests.
Cantalamessa,
who
was
assigned as the retreat master of the
congress, emphasized the preaching
of the Holy Spirit and how it serves
its role to the Christian community.
“The Holy Spirit has achieved
a radical conversion in the hearts
of the people,” Cantalamessa said
in his homily on January 28. “That
is the most important change in the
life of the priest.”
He added that the anointing a
priest receives in ordination can
become active, turning him into
a “paraclete” or someone who
mirrors the personality of the
Holy Spirit—“a person, consoler,
defender, someone who can peak,
testify and suffer.”
The papal preacher led the
priests in the meditation of the
Eucharist, the Sacrament of
Reconciliation and the vow of
priestly celibacy. He stressed
that celibacy should not seen as
a burden, but rather as a gift or
charisma given to priests.
At the end of the congress,
Cardinal Rosales echoed what
Cantalamessa said, adding that the
priests are one with the Holy Spirit.
“The priest is a creature
of the Holy Spirit by virtue of
his anointing,” Rosales said.
“Annointed by the Holy Spirit, he
is claimed in that Spirit, to belong
completely to God.”Robin G.
Padilla
Roque Ruaño (1950)
Multi-deck Carpark (2006)
Arts and Letters Dean Michael
Anthony Vasco, for his part, assured
students that the St. Raymund de
Peñafort Building is still safe despite
being built over half a century ago.
“Officials from FMO inspect our
building periodically. The University
will make it a point that structures are
safe for Thomasians,” Vasco said.
But everyone must always
be ready and know what to do in
case an earthquake occurs. In the
case of Artlets, Vasco has tasked
professors Jose Tolentino Olivar and
Dennis Coronacion as the faculty’s
“crisis marshals” at the UST crisis
management committee to help
mobilize people during an earthquake,
with the assistance of the Red Cross
Youth Council. Similar moves have
been taken by Architecture and the
College of Fine Arts and Design.
“[Fine Arts] Dean [Cynthia] Loza
and I decided to redesign our building’s
fire escapes per floor as advised by the
city’s fire department,” Fernandez said.
“And before the school year ends or
early next school year, we are planning
to perform an earthquake drill.”
Vasco also said Artlets would
coordinate with the administration and
concerned agencies to have quake drills.
The crisis management committee
has issued guidelines in case an
earthquake strikes UST. They are the
following:
•Drop to the ground; take cover
by getting under a sturdy table or other
pieces of furniture. Stay in that place
until shaking stops. If there are no tables
or desks near you, cover your face and
head with your arms and crouch in a
corner of a buiding.
•Stay away from the glass,
windows, outside doors and walls, and
anything that could fall, such as lighting
fixtures or furniture.
•Use a doorway for shelter only
if it is near you and if you know that
it is a strongly supported, load bearing
doorway.
•Stay inside until shaking stops
and it is safe to go outside. Research has
shown that most injuries occur when
people inside the building attempt to
move to a different location inside it or
try to leave it. Alexis Ailex C. Villamor,
Jr.
Champions
Ordination
From page 16
debacle.
In volleyball action, the Tiger
Spikers came out on top with their third
straight championship after once again
facing archrivals FEU. The Tiger Spikers
swept FEU in their best-of-three finals
in three straight sets, keeping their winlose slate spotless in the second round
of eliminations. Meanwhile, the Lady
Spikers snapped a three-year dry spell
after snatching the crown from defending
champions De La Salle. This is the first
UAAP title the team earned under the
coach Cesael delos Santos.
UST also displayed excellence in
other sports, collecting eight runners-up
and two third place finishes.
After six years of dominating the
judo wars, the Lady Jins surrendered
what would have been a seven-peat
performance and settled for second
place after facing the stronger FEU team.
Champions, Page 5
From page 12
be ordination or promotion but service to
the church.”
“What harms the church is the
ambition for greater power rather than
the ambition for greater service,” he said,
adding that priests should be conditioned
to be “servant” than to be “priests.”
‘His theology is his life’
Born on November 12, 1914 in
Belgium, Schillebeeckx was a professor
of dogmatic theology and has published
several books about Christology. In
a specific juncture on his life, he was
condemned because of his unorthodox
ideas on priesthood.
“He was a courageous advocate of
the Vatican II,” said Msgr. Sabino Vengco
about Schillebeeckx, who was a member
of the Second Vatican Council and
famous for his views on the ordination
of women as priests and the suspension
of celibacy as a response to the declining
number of priest in the world. Cliff
Harvey C. Venzon
The
Varsitarian
circle
MARCH 26, 2010 7
Four years of celebrating life on film
Lola
NOW ON its fourth year, the Varsitarian’s
Cinevita film fest reaffirmed its advocacy of
using film as a tool for meaningful expressions
of life through the screening of internationally
acclaimed independent films Lola and Kinatay.
Both directed by UST advertising arts
alumnus Brillante Mendoza, winner of the
Best Director award in the 62nd Cannes
Film Festival last May, Kinatay and Lola
were shown at the Thomas Aquinas Research
Complex Auditorium last March 4. The event
was a collaboration between the Varsitarian
and Thomasian Cable TV.
Lola (2009) is the story of how two old
grandmothers struggle to fulfill their filial
duties to their grandsons. Lola Sepa (Anita
Linda) seeks justice for the killing of her
grandson, while Lola Puring (Rustica Carpio)
looks for ways on how to get her grandson
Mateo (Ketchup Esusebio), accused of
killing Lola Sepa’s grandson, off the hook.
Lola Puring raises the blood money for an
amicable settlement and the two grandmothers
eventually bury the hatchet.
Lola was a finalist at the 2009 Venice Film
Festival and won the Best Picture Award at
the 6th Dubai International Film Festival last
December.
Kinatay (2009) is the story of newly wed
criminology student Peping (Coco Martin)
whose internship leads him to a night of
violence, forcing him to face the harsh reality
of the profession he has wanted so hard to
belong to.
In an open forum after the screening, a
student asked the director about the alarming
theme of the film––law enforcers as criminal
perpetrators. Mendoza replied that part of the
movie’s intention was “to bother––so that the
audience could realize that] the very people
who are supposed to protect us, are the ones
who [endanger] the lives of many of us.”
“I am glad you are bothered,” Mendoza
added. “That is one of the intentions of the film
because these things are really happening.”
Mendoza also explained the film, which
contains shocking scenes of psychological and
physical brutality, is based on a true story.
“[The film] was based on a fresh
confession account by a criminology student,”
he said.
For actress Maria Isabel Lopez (who
played the role of Madonna, a prostitute, who
was abducted, raped and later butchered to
USTv
Kinatay
Dinig Sana Kita
Last Supper No. 3
By Cliff Harvey C. Venzon
pieces by the police), the film required a tough
decision not only for herself, but also for her
family.
“At first I was afraid because the film was
physically and psychologically demanding.
But to be handled by an acclaimed director like
[Mendoza], I just had to let go and trust,” Lopez
said.
But the acting proved to be heaven-sent,
bagging Lopez a Gawad Tanglaw award for her
performance in Kinatay. She is also nominated
for best supporting actress this year in the
Gawad Urian, her first nomination from the
critic’s prize.
‘Brillante’ style
Oriented and used to short shots and steady
images, some of the audiences asked Mendoza
about his narrative style and cinematic technique.
“The long and slow shots were employed to
portray the struggle of the elders or to establish
the idea of struggle,” he said.
Audience also inquired about the shaky and
unsteady movement of the camera in Kinatay.
Mendoza said this is to give the impression
that the audience are part of the film and that
they are not merely viewers.
“That is part of the aesthetics. It will make
the film three-dimensional; you become part of
it and not just a mere viewer,” Mendoza said.
“People are used to watch films in the movie
houses as merely an audience.”
The director admitted that he preferred
real-time style than the conventional filming
technique employed by mostly filmmakers.
‘Celebration of life’
Despite the depressing theme of the Lola,
Mendoza said the movie is a celebration of life.
“The water (flood) is a metaphor for life,”
he said.
“When Lola Puring goes to the province,
the natural sceneries symbolize life and beauty,
but [then] you would see how the people [in the
province] struggle to achieve small things in
life.”
The movie also portrays the province as
a source of life. When Lola Puring goes to the
province to ask for a loan from her kin and raise
money for the settlement for his grandson’s
criminal case, she gets ducks and vegetables
to take home and later sells which to raise the
From page 3
respectively. Both “Kapamilya” shows were last year’s back-toback winners for the same categories.
“The USTv award is the very first award that this show
has received. Since then, other awards came pouring in,” said
Matanglawin host and UST alumnus Kim Atienza.
Primetime news program TV Patrol World grabbed the
Students’ Choice for Local News Program award.
“Ang mga nagbabantay sa balita ang tunay na mga bayani,”
said TV Patrol World anchor Ted Failon, who won as the Students’
Choice for Male News and Current Affairs Host.
The Students’ Choice for Female News and Current Affairs
Host Korina Sanchez spoke highly of the youth in her acceptance
speech.
“Ang kabataan ang ating kinabukasan. Dapat nating gamitin
ang kabataan, kapangyarihan, at karapatan sa makabuluhang
paraan,” Sanchez said.
Primetime entertainment program Showbiz News Ngayon
(SNN) won its first award as the Students’ Choice for Entertainment
News Program, beating four-time winner The Buzz, also of ABSCBN.
“Being entertaining, responsible, and educational all at the
money.
Mendoza said Lola shows the Filipino
virtue of hopefulness.
“When I went to Japan, one Japanese
journalist found the film inspiring,” said
Mendoza. “The journalist said: it’s amazing how
Filipinos survive because if that would happen
to the Japanese, they would commit suicide.”
Meanwhile, veteran actress Carpio, who
obtained her doctorate from UST and a former
UST Graduate School professor, recalled her
physical difficulty in shooting the film.
“It was really difficult. I was soaked from
the Rizal Conference Hall was the international
documentary, Demographic Winter, which
contains interviews from experts about the
implications of declining birthrates worldwide.
The film was followed by a short open forum
by Sr. Pilar Versoza, R.G.S. from Pro-Life
Philippines.
Featured films on the first day of the
festival include: Milo Sogueco’s Sanglaan
(2009), the story of four individuals whose
lives are linked by a pawnshop.
Veronica Velasco’s Last Supper No. 3
(2009) is about a production designer Winston
Nanawa (Joey Paras) who has to contend with
the ugly side of the legal system after he loses
Actresses Maria Isabel Lopez and former UST Graduate School professor Rustica Carpio flank director
Brillante Mendoza when they graced the fourth UST CineVita Film Festival. Lopez and Carpio were in the
cast of Mendoza’s Kinatay and Lola, respectively.
Isabela A. Martinez
head to toe,” she said referring to their taping
amid stormy weather. “The crew had to apply
Eficacent Oil on my body so I won’t get sick.”
Mendoza, however, said he intentionally
waited for the bad weather conditions in filming
Lola to establish a sense of gloom.
Despite this, Carpio could not deny the
personal fulfillment of finishing the film.
“When you put your heart and soul in
whatever you do, things will come out naturally,
happily and beautifully,” she said.
Anita Linda also attended the festival.
The festival’s curtain raiser last March 3 at
same time is a very huge responsibility,” SNN and The Buzz host Boy
Abunda said.
ABS-CBN’s winners also included Kape’t Pandesal (Students’
Choice for Catholic Program), Boys Over Flowers (foreign soap opera),
The Singing Bee (game show), and George and Cecil (situational
comedy).
Studio 23 bagged the first Students’ Choice for Sports Program
for televising UAAP as Y-Speak got its fourth USTv public affairs talk
show title.
Undisputed winners I-Witness (Students’ Choice for Documentary
Program), Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (magazine program), and Bubble
Gang (gag show) gave glory to GMA Network, which was awarded
with eight trophies.
“A lot of people have asked us in I-Witness, why do we always
focus on children in our documentaries. I always say, children experience
the societal pains before anyone else, but they are the most powerful
sector, and they will empower us more,” I-Witness host Kara David
said in Filipino.
The country’s longest-running public service program Kapwa
Ko Mahal Ko was also honored with the very first USTv Lifetime
Achievement Award for Public Service for its 34 years of service.
Other winning “Kapuso” shows were Wish Ko Lang and Mel and
Joey, which were named Students’ Choice for Public Service Program
a production prop, a picture of the Last Supper.
Meanwhile, Mike Sandejas’ Dinig Sana
Kita (2009) is the romantic story between two
opposing worlds: Kiko, a deaf lad who loves
to dance, and Nina, a troubled teenage rocker.
Also shown was Arnel Mardoqio’s
Hunghong sa Yuta (2009) the story of an
11-year-old boy who grows up in the crucible
of war and chaos in Mindanao. It was produced
by the Catholic missionary group, Brothers
of the Sacred Heart, to raise awareness about
the Mindanao war and promote its peaceful
solution.
and Talk Variety Program, respectively.
UST High School alumna Sarah Geronimo was again
crowned as the Students’ Choice for Local Music Video
Performer, while Thomasian-dominated band Hale bagged the
Students’ Choice for Local Music Video award for Bahay Kubo.
No one received the Speculum Veritatis (Mirror of Truth)
and the Most Responsible Youth-Oriented TV Station trophies
this year. Broadcaster and UST alumnus Arnold Clavio was
awarded with the Speculum Veritatis last year. Studio 23 had
won the most Youth-Oriented TV Station twice.
“These special awards are not handed out yearly, it’s just
that no one stood out to deserve these awards for this year,”
Varsitarian publications adviser and USTv judge Joselito
Zulueta said.
The night’s performers were singer Erik Santos, dance group
Gigger Boys, and The Singing Bee balladeers including alumna
Apple Chiu. Atienza, Jugs Jugueta, and Vice Ganda surprised the
audience with a live segment of the talent program Showtime.
Other media personalities who graced the event were Gerald
Anderson, Bianca Gonzales, Bubble Gang comedians Boy II
Quizon and Diego, Dimples Romana, Sam Concepcion, Robi
Domingo, AJ Perez, Vicky Morales, and former Mr. Thomasian
Personality and May Bukas Pa actor David Chua.
The
8
Varsitarian
CIRCLE
MARCH 26, 2010
College of Holy Spirit
student wins grand prize
in UST painting contest
A FINE arts student
of the College of the
Holy Spirit bested
other participants from
key fine arts school
around Metro Manila
and environs to win
the grand prize in the
2010 UST On-the-Spot
Painting Competition.
Kathleen Yeo won
for her painting, “Basta
Maprotektahan,” a
whimsical image of
a mother and child
“Basta Maprotektahan” by
whose faces were
Kathleen Yeo
blotched out, with a
sapling between the two figures holding hands. The
painting answered to Galleria Duemila owner Silvana
Ancellotti-Diaz, the chairperson of the board of judges,
said the work showed “the disintegration of the Filipino
family, with mothers leaving to work abroad.” She
added, “It has the naïve, childlike style of Swiss painter
Paul Klee.”
Yeo won P 40,000.
Theme of the competition was Mag-ina: Larawan
ng Yaman ng Kultura at Kalikasan.
Aside from College of the Holy Spirit, participants
came from the Far Eastern University, University of
the East, College of the Holy Spirit, Feati University,
Technological University of the Philippines, Philippine
Women’s University, Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez
Institute of Science and Technology, Adventist
University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines,
and Bulacan State University (BSU).
“The contest aims to foster camaraderie among
students from different schools through works of art
that expose their ideas and passions,” said Red de Leo,
curator of the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences.
“Most importantly, the contest recognizes the talent of
young visual artists.”
“Ina-Aruga” by Julian Pangilinan from BSU
won second prize. The work showed a mother with
a gummamela in her ear breastfeeding her child, set
against a light orange background. He won P 25,000.
Placing third is Averil Paras from Feati for “Origin
of Culture, The Protector of Nature,” which portrays
an indigenous mother and child facing a dying forest.
Adding to the ethnic feel is a border containing a set
of alibata, the ancient Mangyan alphabet. He won
P20,000. Paras had won second place two years before.
First honorable mention was Russel Trinidad from
TUP with “Ina Marina,” showing a mother and child
covered by tiger stripes and surrounded by tribal prints.
Second honorable mention went to “Hapunan” by
UST student Frances Nicole Delos Angeles; it depicts
a mother and child eating tinapa, reflected on a mirror
bordered by the Philippine flag. Mark Kim Arcenal’s
“Pamana,” again from the TUP, was named Third
honorable mention. His painting shows the faces of a
mother and child upon which reflected a waterfall in
the forest. They received P 8,000 each.
Contestants were given the whole day to roam
Painting, page 3
NO END FOR FASHION
Photos by ISABELA A. MARTINEZ
By ANDREWLY A. AGATON
FASHION will not cease
to exist even in a postapocalyptic world.
Year Zero: Apocalypse
Recoutured showed the
rebirth of style through 105
clothing trends made by
junior advertising students of
the College of Fine Arts and
Design. The show was held
last February 24 at the SMX
Convention Center, SM Mall
of Asia.
Advertising junior
Patrick Franz Martin,
chairman of the fashion
show, said that Year Zero
presents “innovative
fashion trends in a postapocalyptic environment,”
where everything,
including fashion, are
being revitalized.
The new world
that Year Zero portrays is a
place with only a handful of
survivors still adjusting to a
very different environment,
thus recreating the fashion
trends of the past “to suit the
style of the modern taste.”
Each of the seven
third-year advertising classes
presented their own subtheme for the catwalk, which
were inspired by different
scenarios of apocalypse that
might happen on Earth.
“Steam
Allusion,”
which is
caused by
exhausted
nature, showed
models
wearing
From left to right, the clothes from the collection
“ A b s o l u t e A ff l i c t i o n ” a n d “ H i p p i e L e g i o n , ”
respectively
Year Zero presents ‘innovative fashion
trends in a post-apocalyptic environment,’
where everything, including fashion,
are being revitalized
sleek, vibrant clothes, with
angular cuts and metallic
finish. “Meta Morphosus”
portrayed models garbed
in simple clothes made
dazzling with the addition of
plumage, feathers, metallic
necklaces, and even barbed
accessories on what would
be genetically-engineered
human beings.
Meanwhile, “Hippie
Legion” had a softer side to
the apocalypse, with loose
apparel in striking colors of
orange, ultramarine blue,
lemon yellow, and chartreuse,
while different shades of blue
dominated “Cosmic Winter,”
an end-of-days scenario in
which an imbalance would
among metal, ash, dust,
and ice. The clothes had
strips of fabric laid over
another apparel and
metallic blue finish for
a chilling
effect.
This avant garde dress
“Trivolt!”
taken from the Black
confused a
Easter collection shows
revolution
the contrast between
of machines
the black accesory and
in which
a stunning white top.
clothes also
had metallic
finish, but
apparels with layers, ruffles,
unlike “Steam Allusion,” the
balloon skirts, and formalcollection was dominated by
inspired clothes for men.
the colors black, gray, and
Aside from the
silver, on fur-textured clothes.
14 clothes featured in
Black and white were also
each sub-theme, avantthe color motif of “Absolute
garde apparels were also
Affliction” which evolved
presented at the end of
the scenario of a pandemic,
each presentation to serve
and “Black Easter,” in which
as “the peak for every
a deluge of lightning bolts
collection, but also as the
destroy the Earth. However,
outward manifestation of
the former mostly had tight
the designing sections’
fitting clothes, with head
understanding of their
accessories such as shades,
theme,” said in the
complicated headdress, and
souvenir program. An
hoodies, while the latter had
example of this was “Meta
Morphosus’” where the
model wore a black satin
dress with lace overlay
to allude to the colorful
feathers of a pheasant.
The models were
chosen from an audition
of 500 applicants last
December.
“The experience was
fulfilling, for everything I
imagined in our planning
and preparation stage were
all materialized exactly
the way I thought it to be,”
Martin said.
From left to right: Clothes from the machine-themed “Trivolt!,“ the pheasant -like dress from “Meta-Morphosus,”
‘pandemic’ hoodie from “Absolute Affliction,” and a chilling attire from “Cosmic Winter.”
Engineering sings high note in Himig Tomasino
By MaRIA JOANNA ANGELA D. CRUZ
LOVE for music and country
went hand-in-hand in this year’s
annual Himig Tomasino, where
Thomasian chorale groups battled
it out to reach the highest note in
the competition.
Organized by the Student
Organizations Coordinating
Council, this year’s chorale
contest held last February 12 at
the Medicine Auditorium
commemorated the People Power
revolution with the nationalistic
theme, Ang mga Saliw
ni Juan.
This year’s event
saw six chorale groups­
‑ Accountancy Chorale,
Chorus of Arts and
Letters,
Arkipella, Engineering’s One Voice,
Pharmacy Glee Club, and Science
Glee Club — facing off with their
respective renditions of “Magkaisa”
and a piece of their own choice,
as they sought to reach the highest
note in the contest. Apart from the
championship plum, special awards
were also given to acknowledge the
chorale groups’ talent.
Engineering’s
One Voice was the
night’s champion.
Engineering’s ‘One Voice’ raises their trophy in jubilation after winning this year’s Himig Tomasino
Accountancy
Chorale and the
Chorus of Arts and
Letters were first and
second runners-up.
Engineering
also got the People’s
Choice Award, which
was determined by
votes on Facebook,
and by ticket holders.
Best Costume
was won by Arts and
Letters, for their custommade Filipiniana gowns
and barongs splashed with
the blue color of their
college.
Special awards
were won by
Accountancy (Best
Interpretation of
Concert Piece) and
Pharmacy’s Vincent
Evangelista (Best
Conductor).
The
Varsitarian
FEATURES
MARCH 26, 2010
Sarah Jane P. Pauyo, Editor
Vasco, De Alban, and Loza
9
Photos by JOSA CAMILLE A. BASSIG, GIANNINA NICOLAI P. MELICOR and LESTER G. BABIERA
New deans take the lead
WHAT is the number one goal
of a new dean?
The Varsitarian pores
over newly-appointed Michael
Anthony Vasco of the Faculty
of Arts and Letters (Artlets),
Josefin de Alban Jr. of the
Faculty of Engineering, and
Cynthia Loza of the College of
Fine Arts and design (CFAD)
as they set the agenda for their
respective colleges in their next
three years of deanship.
Vasco, who was appointed
last October, has one goal as
dean: to make Artlets “the
number one liberal arts school
in the country,” he says.
He may be one of the
youngest deans in the University
at 37, but he has his 14-year
experience as an administrator
to back him up.
“I was just an ordinary
faculty member then all of a
sudden, they elevated me to the
rank of a dean,” Vasco says.
To reach his goal, he
focuses on the development of
education in Artlets by rooting
for excellent educators.
“A teacher of the liberal
arts should be at the forefront in
pushing the limits and frontiers
of knowledge. There’s a need to
improve faculty qualifications
in the college,” he says.
Vasco’s top agenda is to
have a 90-percent faculty with
post-graduate degrees where
35 percent has Ph.D.s, and 55
percent with master’s degree.
“The teaching staff is
encouraged to pursue postgraduate degrees that are
directly related to the discipline
that they actually teach. If you
are teaching history, you must
have an MA and Ph.D. in
history,” he says.
Vasco also aims to revise
the curricula of 10 majors in
Artlets. From 200 units per
degree, it will be reduced to
between 174 and 180 units,
including Physical Education
and National Service Training
Program.
After the addition of
AB History and AB English
Languages in the school year
2011-2012, Vasco aspires
to add more majors like AB
Development Studies and
Loza of Fine Arts
De Alban of Engineering
Vasco of Arts and Letters
AB Humanities among the
accreditation of level-one
majors would also follow.
Vasco taught at the College
of Nursing at 20. The cum
laude Philosophy graduate
received the following year his
Master of Arts in philosophy
“Benemeritus” award, which is
equivalent to magna cum laude.
In 1995, he became the
college secretary of Nursing,
making him the youngest
academic official of UST then.
The young achiever was also
a summa cum laude for his
doctorate in philosophy at 26.
Vasco was the faculty secretary
of the Graduate School for more
than a decade, where he now
holds the academic rank full
professor 2, and in Artlets.
‘Approachable’ dean
Despite being in the faculty
for more than 30 years, De
Alban’s appointment may have
come as a “breath of fresh air”
for engineering students and
faculty alike. De Alban bridges
generation gap by using social
networking sites like Facebook
to connect with his students.
The 52-year-old dean has more
than 2,500 friends online, and
counting.
‘You have to do it step by step because all
the aspects in managing and educational
organization need time and effort’ -Loza
“Students may not be
sending too many messages,
but the fact that they can have
easier access to me is enough
motivation for them,” De Alban
says. “Respect should still be
there but at the same time,
communication lines are open.”
His mantra as the new
dean is to make Engineering the
center of excellence.
“The
Faculty
of
Engineering is the oldest
engineering school in the
Philippines,” De Alban says.
“It must be known as the center
of excellence. We must live
up to that, and not just go with
years of experience—we must
continue toward our goal for
excellence.”
With this, he makes it
a point to balance physical
changes like laboratory and
classroom improvement, and
non-physical ones such as
people’s outlook and interaction,
in the faculty.
De Alban had to flex his
muscles and bones to support
his education. He was a working
student throughout his college
life until he became the assistant
to the department chair of civil
engineering in his senior year.
“Today’s working scholars
work only five to six hours a
day. But during my time, you
have to work 40 hours a week
and you must have your own
SSS (social security system),”
De Alban says.
After graduation, he taught
in the faculty until he became
the department chair for more
than 20 years.
However, De Alban took
up law after being influenced by
his father and siblings who are
also lawyers. This resolve turned
out to be a family affair when he
and his siblings focused on real
estate for three years. Students
and professionals also consult
him on the matter.
De Alban still stuck with
engineering, and is currently
finishing his doctorate in UST.
He also went outside the
academe to practice as a project
engineer in City Land in 1981
then flew to Saudi Arabia to
work as a company planner.
“I wanted to work outside
UST to practice engineering.
But after a year, I came back
because of my love in teaching”
he says.
‘Accidental’ teacher
Loza eyes to improve the
quality of learning, attend to
the needs of faculty and staff,
and to have the accreditation of
CFAD during her term.
“I’d like to make the
college’s system participative,”
Loza says. “I want all our
faculty members to do their
part and be involved with
the activities. It’s not good if
everything comes from me,
we need to be interrelated and
connected.”
Unlike Vasco and De
Alban, Loza’s appointment
came earlier in July last year.
She says implementing change
will require longer time.
“You
can’t
really
implement so much in a year,”
Loza says. “You have to do
it step by step because all
the aspects in managing and
educational organization need
time and effort.”
Loza admits to be tolerant,
but knows certainly when to
flex authority. However, she
counts students’ opinions in
making decisions.
The advertising alumna
was a graphic artist for
publications and television
productions.
But it wasn’t until 1995
that Loza entered the world of
teaching. She was endorsed to
be a substitute teacher in the
then College of Architecture
and Fine Arts, and she accepted
the job for experience.
“At first I wasn’t really
planning to stay because I was
only a substitute teacher. But
later on, I became a regular
faculty instructor,” she says.
This resolve encouraged
Loza to pursue higher studies
and felt the need to meet the
qualifications to “make me
worthy of teaching,” she says.
And worthy she is when
Loza graduated summa cum
laude in the Graduate School
after finishing her master’s
degree
in
Development
Studies. She was also granted
scholarship by the Cultural
Heritage Center for Asia and the
Pacific in the Deakin University
at Melbourne, Australia.
In 2008, Loza was
hailed magna cum laude for
her doctorate, while she also
simultaneously served as an
assistant director of the Thomas
Aquinas Research Complex,
a college secretary, and a
professor in CFAD. She also
taught in the Graduate School.
Ronalyn M. Umali
Illustrations by Fritzie Marie C. Amar
Graduates relive highlights of college life
WHILE some fresh graduates would say
that the pinnacle of their stay in UST would
be gaining the much-coveted Latin honors
at the end of their academic road, others
remember memories that are far simpler,
but equally close to the heart.
The Varsitarian asks Batch 2010
about their most memorable moments of
their college life, from the simple joys of
eating isaw to finding lifelong friends.
What will you miss most about UST?
I will miss the roar of the Tiger, the
unrelenting school spirit even if UAAP is
over, the friendships which started over
Theology and Literature presentations
and also the overnight
cramming for papers
and projects. I will
miss the way UST
shaped
up
my
college life.
-Angelo Hongo
Journalism
Faculty
of
Arts and Letters
I will miss the Paskuhan 2009 and the
floods, especially when we were stranded
because of Ondoy.
-Oliver King
Electronics and Communications
Engineering
College of Engineering
I will surely miss the staircases.
Never in my whole stay in UST
that I was not able to use them,
not to mention the number of
times I had an accident there.
-Jane Kathleen Acosta
College of Commerce
Which professor will you remember
the most and why?
Sir Joselito Cariño, his way of teaching
motivated us to study more. His focus was
on application. He could relate almost all
his lessons to the real world, stimulating the
student’s mind.
-Elise Chua
Major in Entrepreneur
College of Commerce
I will remember Sir Jeremaiah
Opiniano the most. Among all the
AB professors, he’s the most
receptive and attentive to the needs
of his students. He shows tender loving
care to all AB students in and out of the
classroom.
-Mary Jessa Caritativo
Journalism
Faculty of Arts and
Letters
The professor I
will remember the
most is Ms. Pri-An
Tinipunan
because
she is very supportive of her
students since I had a lot of organizations, she
always reminded me of my schedule.
-Maria Joanna Maritz O. Dasig
Library and Info Science
College of Education
What is your favorite hangout?
I love to in at Meals to Go because it’s
affordable and the servings are bountiful.
-Ralph Raceus
College of Accountancy
I love to eat in Carpark, the food is
delicious and I also love the isaw sold on
P.Noval Street.
-Nerie Rose Santos
Food Technology
College of Education
My favorite eatery is the Liempuhan on
P.Noval since that’s the only place where I
usually meet my friends from other colleges.
-Christine Coundres
College of Architecture
The
10 MARCH 26, 2010
Varsitarian
features
Ramon ‘Mon’ del Rosario, Jr.
A doctor’s music and lyrics
PH YSICI A N- composer Ramon
“Mon” del Rosario, Jr. was literally
in the right place when the idea for
his famous pop music composition
Sino Ang Baliw? dawned on him: He
was a UST Medicine student on duty
in the psychiatry ward attending to
mentally-ill patients.
With its catchy melody and
stunning lyrics, Sino Ang Baliw?
went on to win the grand prize in
the Metro Manila Popular Music
Festival songwriting competition. The
amateur composer got the P50,000
cash prize.
“It was such a happy moment
when I won for Sino Ang Baliw?. I
never thought that the money would
be such a big amount,” Del Rosario
told the Varsitarian.
From Baliw, Del Rosario went on
to write songs in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s
that perfectly captured the Filipino’s
romantic psyche with monster hits
like Isang Linggong Pag-ibig, and
Somewhere in My Past, among others.
He also became a top movie
scorer.
Del Rosario merged his love of
music with his tough studies at the
College of Science.
“I was just in f irst year of
Medicine when I started doing music
professionally,” he said. “Sometimes
it would take me three to five days
to write songs. But I never felt
tired of doing things I love. I was
writing lyrics, and pairing them with
melodies.”
Del Rosa r io w rot e songs,
recorded and submitted demos to
different music companies. His
school allowance came from the
compositions.
Del Rosario got Bachelor of
Science in 1978, and Medicine in
1982. His famous batch mates from
Medicine are singer Nonoy Zuñiga,
and for mer secretar y of health
Francisco Duque III.
Del Rosario was a medical intern
at the Fort Bonifacio Hospital when
Ninoy Aquino, Jr. was assassinated
and rushed there.
After taking the Medicine board
exams, Del Rosario worked as an artist
and repertoire director at Emerald
Music, Inc., where he worked with the
late singer, Julie Vega, and created the
memorable song. Somewhere in My
Past. At the same time, he was also
a record producer and made theme
songs for films such as Working Girls
influence was composer Snaffu Rigor,
composer of T.L Ako Sa ’Yo and
lyricist of Bato sa Buhangin. “His
attitude is as good as the music he
makes,” he said. “I am not what I am
now without my mentor, my brother,
my friend - Snaffu.”
Composer George Canseco and
National Artist for Music Levi Celerio
are also musicial influences. Canseco,
he said, taught him lyric-writing
(Canseco was nephew of Tagalog
poet and “Ama ng Balirala,” Lope
K. Santos), while Celerio gave him
pointers on musical arranging and
He wrote the famous song, ‘Sino ang
Baliw?’ His batchmates are Nonoy
Zuniga and Francisco Duque III
under Viva Films.
Wit h t wo ye a r s s p e n t o n
supervising musical recordings, Del
Rosario tried his luck in being a
musical director for full-length films
in 1987.
Soon, he was producing music
for two to three films a month, such
as Masahol Pa Sa Hayop, Starzan,
Elvis and James, and Wanted Perfect
Mother.
Del Rosario worked with various
artists such as Joey de Leon, Vic
Sotto, Dolphy, and Sharon Cuneta,
and became the music scorer of
choice for Star Cinema, Regal, and
Viva Films. He considers one of his
greatest achievements the score he
did for Macho Dancer, which was
directed by National Artist for Film
Lino Brocka, and which garnered
acclaim in Europe.
Del Rosar io said his chief
instrumentation.
Medical financer
But i n 20 0 0, Mon made a
surprising career twist: he entered
the world of financial services.
“I didn’t want anymore to hear
music. I don’t actually know why or
how come. I just had to leave music
for some time. I wanted to experience
life without the sharps and flats,” he
explained.
As a financial planner, he dealt
in credit cards and insurances. He
prepared hospitalization coverages
and benefits for corporations. While
in medicine school, he had learned of
the social inequalities in health care.
So that in his financial planning career,
he felt like a doctor again, diagnosing
the ills of the financial-services world.
But toward 2002, Del Rosario
re-established his connections in
Mon is in his Talent Asia recording studio where he teaches his students how to sing
and write songs, among others.
M. R. B. MARANAN
the music industry. He returned to
the Filipino Society of Composers,
Authors and Publishers, Inc., a
non-stock, non-profit association
of composers, lyric-writers and
music publishers. Currently he is the
association’s president.
Del Rosario has also been busy
with Talent Asia, a music training
and artist management center that
offers training courses in singing,
songwriting and musical arrangement.
He has also developed an innovative
training technique, “edutainment,”
which employs educational
entertainment in music instruction.
He tells his students his technique in
effective song-writing is an “artistic
process with a twist of science.”
“Every sound has a frequency,
ever y frequency has a melody,”
Mon del Rosario said. “I may have
graduated as a doctor, and could have
gone far in the medical field. There
was never a day that I regret that where
I am right now, not knowing where this
could be heading.”
“We don’t make decisions to
be unhappy. I want to teach and
train people because I can be their
instrument to cure life’s ills.” M.R.B.
Maranan
Accountancy bags its first History
Pautakan championship
“Four Dominicans served him in
succession, but none of them had
any part in the administration of
the seminary or became rectors.”
The columnist also noted
that the old Universidad de San
Ignacio was “incorporated as a
mere College of Medicine and
Pharmacy” into UST after the
Jesuits left the country.
De Viana rebutted: “The
colleges of Medicine and
Pharmacy were established in
1871, more than a century after
the expulsion of the Jesuits in the
islands.”
“UST was the first university
in Asia to offer degrees in these
disciplines,” he added.
De Viana noted that some
of Cruz’ arguments in his column
were from a Wikipedia article that
quoted the UST website.
The website already bears
the corrections as of the last
viewing of the Varsitarian.
A
FTER three
fruitless years, the
Alfredo M. VelayoCollege of Accountancy
finally made it to the top
of the podium, toppling
defending champion
Faculty of Arts and Letters
(Artlets) en route to
bringing home their first
Pautakan trophy.
“The word ‘euphoric’
sums it all up. We didn’t
expect it, but we had our
high hopes,” said team
captain Fermin Yabut
who led the seven-man
team to the championship.
Accountancy always
fell short of bagging
the championship since
joining the quiz contest in
2007. They did manage
to claim the individual’s
plum last year in the form
of Yabut.
Accountancy
blazed past
Sweet victory. Accountancy brings home its first Pautakan
trophy after beating 14 colleges and faculties in the team
category of the quiz bee. Picture above shows Ernesto Paruli
III, David Nadora Jr., and Artlets’ Fermin Yabut (right), who top
the individual category.
JOSA CAMILLE A. BASSIG
Nursing with a 40-point
lead, answering six difficult
round questions worth 20
points each to end with
230 points over-all in the
annual quiz contest held last
February 24 at the Medicine
Auditorium. Nursing ended
as bridesmaids with 190
points, while Artlets
dropped to third place
with 175 points.
“We didn’t expect to go
this far, or to be competing
with last year’s champions. It
was a good fight and we are
proud of the honor we gave
to our college,” said Nursing
team captain Clark Edward
Uytico.
Artlets made up for their
team’s loss with political
science senior David Nadora,
Jr. claiming the individual’s
crown. Yabut looked to bring
a back-to-back championship
for Accountancy had
Nadora not spurned a last
minute burst in the final two
questions of the difficult
round to come out on top with
a 190-170 register.
“I guess I just had the
gift of luck,” Nadora said.
“I didn’t really know much
on Philippine history or
international sports, but I’ve
made it through.”
Ernesto Paruli III of
Science placed second with
125 points, while debuting
Pautakan soloists Francisco
Montalvo III of Engineering
and Mary Ann Estigoy of
Nursing tied at third place
with 120 points each.
“We hope to keep this
trophy with us until we can.
The team worked together
[for] this victory. Accountancy
will surely be back in next
year’s Pautakan with fervent
hope to defend the throne,”
Yabut said. M. R. B. Maranan
UST website corrected
In his letter to the
Varsitarian, De Viana clarified
entries about historical markers
on the UST website as earlier
corrected by historian Jose Victor
Torres.
Torres earlier said that
the “black bronze plaque” that
marked the opening of what was
then the new campus building
was installed in 1935 by the
National Historical Commission
headed by Eulogio Rodriguez Sr.
“The first plaque is really
a cast iron marker, not a bronze
plaque,” De Viana said. “It
was installed in 1935 by the
Historical Research and Markers
Committee, not the National
Historical Commission. [The
latter] did not come into existence
From page 1
until July 1, 1965.”
The committee’s first head
was an American journalist
named Walter Robb, he added.
“Eulogio ‘Amang’
Rodriguez never headed the
agency. There was however
a namesake named Eulogio
B. Rodriguez who served as a
member of the committee,” De
Viana said.
De Viana clarified that the
wooden marker said to carry the
names of University colleges
actually bears the names of
“courses” such as Curso de
Enfemeria or Nursing, and
Diplomacia y Servicio Consular
or Diplomacy and Consular
Service, among others.
But he agreed with Torres
that there were only around 3,700
civilian internees in the UST
internment camp during World
War II, not 10,000 as earlier
stated in the UST website.
Torres, for his part, said De
Viana did not debunk anything
that he said, but merely “clarified”
them. “[He] merely added to the
veracity of the facts by correcting
errors,” Torres said in an e-mail
to the Varsitarian.
However, Torres still
spotted another hitch in the
corrected website. “It said that
[UST] was internment camp
for ‘allied civilians,”’ he said.
“‘Allied’ is not a mere adjective
or verb. It should be a proper
noun [since] it refers to the three
main Allied nations during World
War II –United States, Britain,
and France, as well as other
nations who joined them against
the Axis powers –Germany, Italy,
and Japan. Thus, the people
confined were ‘Allied civilians.’”
Sarah Jane P. Pauyo
The
Varsitarian
filipino
IKA-26 NG MARSO, 2010 11
Mark Andrew S. Francisco, Patnugot
A
NG PAGSUSULAT ay kukuha
ka ng kapiraso sa karanasan
mo, kapiraso sa nakita mo,
kapirasong gawa-gawa mo…at kung
saan-saan.”
Ito ang tinuran ni Genoveva
Edroza-Matute (1915-2009), ang
kinikilalang “Ina ng Makabagong
Maikling Kuwentong Filipino.” Ito
rin marahil ang pormula kung bakit
nananatili ang pagtimo ng kaniyang
mga akda sa puso’t isipan ng kaniyang
mga mambabasa isang taon mula ng
kaniyang pagpanaw.
Isinilang noong Enero 3, 1915
sa isang dampa sa Tayuman, Sta.
Cruz, Maynila, kilala si Matute o
“Aling Bebang” sa kaniyang mabisang
paggamit ng wikang Tagalog. Nagtapos
siya ng kursong Bachelor of Secondary
Education major in English sa UST
College of Education habang nagtuturo
siya sa Paaralang Elementarya ng
Burgos sa Sta. Mesa, Maynila. Sa UST
din niya tinapos ang kaniyang master’s
at doctorate degree. Ilan sa kaniyang
mga naging guro sa Unibersidad ay
sina Jose Villa Panganiban, ang ama
ng Varsitarian; Paz Latorena, kilala
bilang isa sa mga unang Filipinong
manunulat sa wikang Ingles, at ang
mamamahayag na si Mauro Mendez. Asawa ni Aling Bebang ang
yumaong Epifanio G. Matute na isa
ring manunulat at kilala sa kaniyang
kathang Kuwentong Kutsero na
isinalin sa seryeng pang-telebisyon
at pang-radyo mula noong dekada ’50
hanggang ’60.
Ayon kay Eros Atalia, kuwentista
at propesor sa Faculty of Arts and
Letters, si Matute ang isa sa mga
“pinakamaimpluwensiyang manunulat
ng kaniyang panahon.”
“Naimpluwensiyahan ni
Genoveva Edroza-Matute ang mga
batang manunulat at mga kasabayan
niyang manunulat. Hindi lang iyon,
naging bukambibig si Matute ng
mga guro na nagtuturo ng panitikan
lalung-lalo na iyong mga nasa liblib
na eskuwelahan ng ating bansa,” aniya.
Para sa Pambansang Alagad
ng Sining sa Panitikan na si Virgilio
Almario, bihasa si Matute “sa
pagtatanghal ng mumunting kibot
ng damdamin,” sa pamamagitan ng
“pagtitimpi” na kaniyang pangunahing
tatak sa mga akda.
“Pinatitibok ni Matute ang
damdamin nang buong lumanay sa
pamamagitan ng mga mapagpahiwatig
na kilos at pangungusap ng tauhan,
tinudling sa mga piling larawan,
at binubuo nang hindi tahasang
tinutukoy,” ani Almario.
Sinang-ayunan naman ito ni
sa pagkakanulo niya sa isang matalik
na kaibigan. Genoveva Edroza-Matute
Roberto Añonuevo, makata at Don
Carlos Palanca Award Hall of Famer.
Aniya, ang mga tauhan ni Matute ay
“pumupukol ng mabibilis na salitaan
o nagsasalita sa guni-guni, at ang mga
kataga ay waring makapaglalagos sa
kalooban ng mambabasa.”
Dagdag ni Atalia, madadama
ng mambabasa ang sensibilidad at
sinseridad ni Matute bilang kuwentista
dahil laging may kurot sa dulo ang
kaniyang mga kuwento.
Halimbawa nito ang kaniyang
mga akda na Yumayapos sa Takipsilim
at Pagbabago na tumatalakay sa
nararamdaman ng mga matatanda
kabilang na ang kawalan ng seguridad
at pagiging pabigat sa kamag-anak.
Nasa hulma naman ng love triangle
PINARANGALAN ng National Commission on Culture and the
Arts ang UST Singers, ang Tomasinong direktor na si Brillante
Mendoza, at ang manunulat ng UST Publishing House na si
Abdon Balde, Jr ng “Ani ng Dangal” bilang pagkilala sa kanilang
pagkapanalo sa mga pangdaigdigang patimpalak.
Kinilala ang UST Singers
matapos nilang iuwi ang mga
unang gantimpala para sa
mga kategoryang Required
Pieces at Folk Competition sa
2009 California International
Choral Festival Competition
na ginanap mula Hunyo 2628, 2009 sa San Luis Obispo,
California.
Ti n a n g g a p n a m a n n i
Mendoza ang parangal para
sa pagkakapanalo niya ng Best
Director sa 62nd Cannes Film
Abdon Balde, Jr.
Festival para sa pelikulang
Kinatay, habang si Balde
naman ay kinilala dahil sa pagkapanalo niya sa South East Asian
Writers Award sa Bangkok, Thailand noong Oktubre.
Si Mendoza ay nagtapos ng Advertising Arts sa College of
Architecture and Fine Arts. Pitong katha naman ni Balde ang
inilimbag ng publishing house. Tatlo dito— ang “Mayong,”
“Hunyango sa Bato,” at “Calvary Road” ay nanalo sa National
Book Awards noong taong 2003, 2004, at 2005. Mary Athena
D. de Paz
Ang pamamaalam ni Aling Bebang
Matapos pumanaw si Matute
noong Marso 21, 2009 ay maraming
naghimok na gawin siyang
Pambansang Alagad ng Sining sa
Panitikan. Mayroon ngang lumabas na
fan page sa social networking website
na Facebook para lamang dito.
Ngunit ayon kay Atalia, kahit
hindi maging Pambansang Alagad
ng Sining si Matute, patuloy siyang
magiging buhay sa tuwing may
magbabasa ng kaniyang mga akda.
“Tumugon siya sa hamon ng
kaniyang panahon. Kaya dakila
siyang manunulat kasi tumalima siya
sa tawag ng tadhana, sa hamon ng
kaniyang panahon. Tinugon niya ang
pangangailangan ng kaniyang bayan sa
kaniyang panulat,” ani Atalia.
“Hangga’t may bata, hangga’t may
guro, may manunulat na nagbubulatlat
ng mga sinulat ni Aling Bebang—
muling binabasa, itinuturo at muling
itinuturo, sinusuri at muling sinusuri
[at] binabahagi, laging buhay si Aling
Bebang,” dagdag niya. Danalyn T.
Lubang
Guro at manunulat. Ilan
sa mga librong inilathala
ni Matute, kasama ang
kaniyang unang libro sa
Ingles na “None of the Bitter”
(ikatlo mula kaliwa) at ang
“Mga Akda” na binubuo ng
mga akda nila ng kaniyang
asawang si Efifanio, ang
sumulat ng “Kuwentong
Kutsero.”
Kuwento ng Pag-ibig
Ni louie jon A. Sanchez*
MARAHANG nilalakad ng Babae
Ang makipot na landas ng hardin;
Nakaabang sa dulo ang Mahal
Na nagbabasa ng lumang nobela.
Palaging hinihiling ang kalinawan
Kaya’t itinatala ito ng sino mang
Magsasalaysay: mahabangMahabang panahon ng isang digmaan
Ang pumagitan.
Babanggitin din na bago nagkalayo,
Iniukit ng dalawa sa kampana
Ang kanilang mga pangalan—
Sumpaan ng tapat na tipanan.
Bibigyang diin na natapos ang giyera
At hindi na nakita ang Lalaki.
Ipinagpalagay nang siya’y nasawi
At ipinagpatugtog ng Rekiyem.
Ngunit mananaig ang kutob ng Babae.
Patuloy siyang maghahagilap.
Hinding-hindi siya mabibigo.
Dibuho ni Rey Ian M. Cruz
Mga Tomasino
pinarangalan
ng ‘Ani ng Dangal’
ang Parusa na tungkol sa katiwaliang
nagaganap sa pagpapasahod sa mga
manggagawa, habang ang Pagbabalik
ay tungkol sa isang lalaking
nagpatiwakal matapos makonsensiya
Bilang maestra
Bukod sa pagiging tanyag na
manunulat, si Matute ay kilala rin
bilang isang guro sa loob ng 46 na taon. “Ang laging paksain ni Aling
Bebang ay ang pagiging guro, pagiging
babae, pagiging nanay. Kitang-kita
rito ang kaniyang pagmamahal sa
mga bata at sa estudyante,” ani Atalia.
Ang kaniyang akdang Paglalayag sa
Puso ng Isang Bata na tumatampok sa
isang ulilang batang lalaki na nagturo
sa kaniyang guro kung paano maging
mapagpakumbaba at mapagpatawad,
ay base sa katauhan ng isang estudyante
niya dati.
“Alam mo bang hanggang ngayon,
nakatago pa iyong class picture namin
noong bata sa kuwentong iyan?” ani
Matute sa isang panayam sa kaniya ng
Varsitarian noong 1998 nang igawad
sa kaniya ang Parangal Hagbong bilang
pagkilala sa kaniyang kontribusyon sa
pagyabong ng panitikang Filipino.
Isa pa sa mga hindi malilimutang
akda ni Matute ang Ang Kuwento
ni Mabuti na tumatalakay sa isang
butihing guro sa pagsasalaysay ng
kaniyang mag-aaral. Nagwagi ito
sa unang Palanca noong 1950 at
nagtanghal kay Matute bilang kaunaunahang babae na nakapag-uwi ng
parangal.
Naging tanyag mula sa
kuwentong ito ang linyang: “Iyon
lamang nakararanas ng mga lihim
na kalukungkutan ang maaaring
makakilala ng mga lihim na
kaligayahan.” Ayon kay Atalia,
nagpapakita ito ng “katimpian ni
Aling Bebang sa pag-develop ng mga
character, sa haba ng pasensiya, at
iyong diplomasya sa talinghaga ni
Aling Bebang.” Ang Kuwento ni Mabuti rin
ang pinakamadalas gamitin ng mga
estudyante bilang halimbawa ng
maikling kuwento sa mataas na
paaralan sa asignaturang Filipino.
Maraming karangalan pang
natanggap si Matute gaya na lamang
ng Gawad Cultural Center of the
Philippines para sa Sining (Panitikan),
Republic Literary Awards ng National
Commission for Culture and the
Arts, Lifetime Achievement Award
para sa Panitikan na ginawad ng
Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
at St. Hildegarde of Bingen Award for
Women-pioneers of Philippine Media
ng St. Scholastica’s College. Ito ang una nilang pagkikita,
At maaaring umusbong ang pag-uusig:
Ano ang bukod-tangi sa sandali?
Sa pagpinid ng Lalaki sa aklat,
Sa pag-upo ng Babae,
Alikabok namang aahon
Ang tagpo na magwawakas.
*Dating katuwang na patnugot ng Varsitarian si Louie Jon
Sanchez. Nagtapos siya ng Journalism sa Faculty of Arts and Letters
at MFA in Creative Writing sa De La Salle University. Dalawang ulit na
siyang itinanghal na Makata ng Taon (2006 at 2009) ng Komisyon ng
Wikang Filipino.
The
Varsitarian
WITNESS
12 MARCH 26, 2010
Quinia Jenica E. Ranjo, Editor
Theology and Philosophy:
Finding a common ground
POPE JOHN Paul II once wrote that faith and reason were the
wings which the soul used to fly to the light of the infinite. But
these seemingly different faculties need not contradict each
other but rather work harmoniously, as proven by St. Thomas
Aquinas.
Graduate School Regent Fr. Jose Antonio Aureada, O.P.
argued that contrary to wrong impressions, St. Thomas was “not
through and through Aristotelian.” His works were attached
to Aristotle’s concept of man as a rational animal, but he was
able to reconcile faith and reason in his works. In fact, Aureada
described St. Thomas as someone who used Philosophy to help
him understand the Christian faith.
“He (St. Thomas) had such a synthesizing mind,” Aureada
said in the St. Thomas Aquinas forum titled “Theology and
Philosophy: friends or enemies?” held at the Martyr’s Hall last
February 12. “He would welcome opposite points of view in
philosophy so that his synthesizing ability could work the math.”
The annual forum in honor of the Feast of St. Thomas
delved into the relationship between Theology and Philosophy
in a Catholic university setting. It was attended by Philosophy
majors, Central Seminary students and professors of the Institute
of Religion .
Inter-related faculties For Fr. Enrico Gonzales, O.P., former dean of the Faculty
of Philosophy, UST was a testimony that both faculties could
exist in harmony, citing that the first two faculties founded in
the University were the Faculties of Theology and Philosophy.
“This University has existed for 400 years because there
is a friendly relationship between Theology and Philosophy,”
he said in the forum organized by the Institute of Religion,
and Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets). “They have been like
that ever since this University existed.”
Gonzales noted that both disciplines need not be
dichotomized because both of them were inter-related.
“Faith becomes dynamic because you inquire,” he said. “We should be holistic in the way we see reality.” Thomasians should also be thankful that the University
offers both Theology and Philosophy curricula, giving them
a “complete set of knowledge” derived from using faith and
reason, he said.
On the contrary, Artlets professor Reynaldo Reyes had a
different outlook: it is through faith’s intellectual engagement
with Philosophy that Sacred Theology is born. Sacred Theology is a science about God, in which
conclusions are derived from two premises―reason and
faith. As Pope John Paul II puts it in his encyclical Fides et
Ratio, “the Church considers philosophy as an indispensable
Theology, page 13
Ordination of laity sought
to end ‘eucharistic famine’
IN ORDER to address the dwindling number of priests in the world,
a proposed ordination of lay persons was discussed in a memorial
lecture honoring Dominican theologian Fr. Edward Schillebeeckx,
O.P.
Titled Revolutionizing Priesthood the lecture delved on
Schillebeeckx’s ideas on priesthood, especially his advocacies in
revolutionizing the ordained ministry. It was attended by Thomasian
seminarians and held last February 17 at the Martyr’s Hall, UST
Central Seminary.
Schillebeeckx, one of the foremost and influential
icons of 20th century Theology, died last Dec. 23, 2009
at Nijmegen, Netherlands due to natural illness. He was 95.
Institute of Religion professor Noel Asiones, who focused his
talk on the “lay perspective,” said it is about time to ordain lay people.
Asiones tried to consider the idea after recognizing the
impossibility of the “ordination
of women and mandating the
celibacy [as] optional,” both ideas
supported by Schillebeeckx.
“The ordination of
community leaders will introduce
two kinds of priesthood––the
community leaders themselves
and the priests who will
continue the community elder’s
education,” he said, adding that
this would address what others call
“Eucharistic famine.”
“We can, and must respect
some form of resistance. But I still
Schillebeeckx.
believe this theological movement
we do together now is a small step
to that direction,” Asiones said.
However, Central Seminary Rector Fr. Gerard Timoner, O.P.,
expressed reservations on some of Schillebeeckx’s ideas on the
evolution of priesthood.
“There are things that in my gut feeling are not yet time [for
implementation]… maybe in Holland, (Netherlands), but not in the
country,” Timoner said.
“[However], Schillebeeckx once said, a theologian knows that
what he will say will not be welcomed by everyone,” Timoner said.
Meanwhile, Bishop Teodoro Bacani, one of the speakers during
the panel discussion, noted that changes in the ordained ministry
need proper contemplation, saying that it is difficult to go back once
changes have one.
Bacani also told the seminarians that a priest’s goal “should not
Ordination, page 6
Thomasian priests return home
By Rose May Y. Cabacang and J. M. Orillaza
FINALLY, the Thomasian
priests have come home.
Aiming to rekindle
the camaraderie between
Thomasian bishops, priests,
and ex-seminarians, the Alumni
Priests Association (Alpa)
celebrated its 75th homecoming
last January 29 and 30, at the
UST Central Seminary.
With the purpose of
going back to their roots, 264
registered alumni graced the
two-day event, 12 of whom are
bishops from various dioceses
throughout the country.
“This serves as a cominghome, where the priests
started and formed the gift of
priesthood,” Alpa president Fr.
Alfredo Guerrero said.
The event also recognized
the Silver Jubilarians for 25 years
of service to their parishioners,
and the Golden Jubilarians who
have spent half-a-century of
service to the Church.
Manila Auxiliary BishopEmeritus Teodoro Buhain,
Tarlac Msgr. Vidal Cruz, Cebu
Msgr. Achilles Dakay, and
Manila Msgr. Ceferino Sanchez
were the four Golden Jubilarians
honored in the celebration.
Among the 37 Silver
Jubilarians honored was
Archbishop Bernardito C. Auza,
the Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti.
Auza was not able to attend the
homecoming as he was in Haiti
when the earthquake struck
last January 12. Fortunately, he
survived the catastrophe.
Despite the small number
of attendees, Guerrero said that
the event was a success and
was “well-attended compared
to their previous homecomings
mainly because of the National
Clergy Congress.”
The oath-taking of the
“Benjamins,” or newly ordained
Thomasian priests, served as the
curtain-raiser, wherein a total of
32 Benjamins took their oath as
new members of Alpa.
“I feel very happy now
because I’m a new [ordained
Benjamin] priest and God has
sustained me,” said Fr. Noel
Abalajon of the Archdiocese
of Capiz. He was ordained last
December 14.
Surigao Bishop Nereo
Odchimar, president of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines, presided
over the homecoming’s final
Mass. He acknowledged the
contribution of the University in
the formation of the clergy in the
Philippines, and also recognized
the contribution of Thomasian
bishops to the Church.
“We celebrate the 75
years of alumni homecoming
of UST priests. It marks the
fact that UST has served as a
formatory of priests and bishops,
thereby contributing its role
towards developing priests in
our country,” Odchimar said in
his homily.
Also part of the event was
the launching of the University’s
centerpiece project for its
quadricentennial celebration—
Simbahayan 400: Tomasino
para sa Simbahan, Tahanan, at
Bayan. The project with Gawad
Kalinga seeks to build 400
Thomasian villages for the poor
nationwide.
Officially launched
by Rector Fr. Rolando de la
Rosa O.P. last February 4, the
Simbahayan 400 depends on
alumni participation as they
will be the ones who will
suggest target communities
and offer help in the following
areas: education and values
formation in school and at home
(karunungan/pagpapahalaga);
housing, site planning, and
ecological management
(kanlungan/kalinisan); health
care (kalusugan); livelihood
(kabuhayan); and formation for
peace (kapayapaan).
“The committee
decided that when we invite
alumni to participate in the
Quadricentennial event, it
must not only be in the way of
donation or [compensation],”
De la Rosa said. “The University
must not [settle] only as a
recipient of the generosity and
goodwill of the alumni but as
their partners in building the
country, the Church, and the
home.”
Grand clerical reunion
The Thomasian reunion
followed the Second National
Congress for the Clergy at the
World Trade Center in Pasay
City last January 25 to 29, which
served as the grand retreat of
priests from all over the country.
“This year’s homecoming is
a complement to the Congress of
the Clergy, and also a preparation
for the quadricentennial
celebration of the University,”
Alpa homecoming coordinator
Bro. Dominic Derramas said.
The congress was graced
by Franciscan Capuchin Fr.
Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher
of the papal household of Pope
Benedict XVI, who gave a series
of talks to the almost 5,500
priests in attendance.
The congress focused on
the renewal of the ideals of the
priesthood. It also saw the visit
of the relics of St. John Mary
Vianney, patron saint of parish
priests, from France.
UST historian named Master of Theology
A TITLE revered by the Dominicans and held
by St. Dominic de Guzman himself has been
bestowed on UST’s renowned historian, Rev.
Fr. Fidel Villarroel, O.P., last December 2009.
Villarroel was dubbed Master of Sacred
Theology, a second-level professional degree
granted by seminaries and theological
colleges. For the Dominicans, it is an
honorary title given to its most distinguished
scholars.
“It is a rare honor, especially nowadays,”
Faculty of Sacred Theology Dean Fr.
Rodel Aligan, O.P. said. “In order to be a
recipient, one must have shown exemplary
performance in scholarly pursuits.”
Before being named Master of Sacred
Theology, one should at least be a scholar of
theology, a full time professor of theology for
10 years, and a published writer of Vaticanacclaimed books and articles.
“Before, one has to pass an oral exam
conducted by 25 Masters of Sacred Theology.
Today, upon recommendation to the Master
of the Order, the Dominicans will then
evaluate the candidate’s performance to
determine if he is worthy of the title,” Aligan
explained.
Born on March 18, 1929, Villarroel
hailed from Tejerina in Leon, Spain. He took
up Philosophy and Theology at the House
of Studies in the Convent of Avila, where
he started his Dominican vocation. After his
ordination in 1952, he pursued postgraduate
studies at the University of London.
Villarroel went to the Philippines in
1957, devoting much of his time to historical
research, particularly on Philippine history.
He held various posts UST since 1957, from
being the head of the Spanish Department for
25 years, archivist for almost 50 years, and
professor of Church History in the Faculty of
Sacred Theology.
Fr. Fidel Villarroel, O.P.
In addition, Villarroel has authored
23 books and 65 articles regarding Church
history and Theology. He even authored the
positio or cause of beatification leading to
the canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz and
his companion martyrs.
Aligan said that Villarroel is truly
deserving of the title because of his dedication
to his studies and to the Dominican life.
“He exemplified a well-balanced
Dominican lifestyle, dividing his time equally
between his studies, community service and
prayer,” he said. “More importantly, his vigor
to education and research, and the time as an
archivist paved the way for him to produce
excellent works.”
Apart from the title, Villarroel was
also named as an Outstanding Thomasian
Awardee for Historical Research in 1982, and
was given the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
in 1984 from the Vatican for his distinguished
service to the Church. He also received the
Cruz de Isabel la Catolica in 1985 from the
Spanish government for his works which
exemplified the relations between Spain
and the international community, and
the Catholic Authors Award by the Asian
Catholic Publishers Inc. in 1991.
According to him, his recent title was
different from the others he had received
because it was granted through the direct
request of the Dominican Province where
he belonged.
But despite receiving such a
prestigious award, Villaroel affirms that
being a professor and an author remains
his two most significant contributions to
the Church.
The historian was diagnosed with
Parkinson’s disease two years ago.
He remains hopeful that his last book,
consisting three volumes dealing purely
with UST History, will be released this year
Historian, page 2
The
Varsitarian
LIMELIGHT
MARCH 26, 2010 13
Tomas U. Santos
By Rey Ian M. Cruz
Bits of USTe
By Fritzie Marie C. Amar
SINTOmas
By Carla T. Gamalinda
Gibo
From page 1
Richard Gordon, who had the
biggest leap in the survey -getting 15.4 percent in the last
poll, from 7.7 percent previously.
He overtook Nacionalista Party’s
Sen. Manuel Villar, who landed
fourth with 7.2 percent.
Coronacion said the
controversy over the C-5
road project, which allegedly
benefitted Villar’s property
firms, may have affected the
senator’s image among students.
Religious leader Eddie
Villanueva ranked sixth with 1.5
Gamilla
From page 1
president), Aurora Domingo
(treasurer), Marie Anne Guanzon
(auditor), and Leticia del Rosario,
Alberto Paulino, Revenvenido
Vargas, Maria Corazon Unas,
and Beatriz Ribleza as board
members. Go, Reyes, Asiones,
Guanzon, and De Vera were
uncontested in their respective
positions.
Electoral reforms
Outgoing vice president for
grievance Jose Ngo said it was
“about time to introduce political
reforms.”
“I believe that electoral
reforms should be introduced,
to see to it that colleges with
big population of voters will not
overwhelm other colleges,” Ngo
said. “It might be that only few
colleges will be voting for you,
yet you would still win because
your college has a very big
percent, while former president
Joseph Estrada had one percent
at seventh place. A total of 1.1
percent of the respondents had
no response, while 6.9 percent
chose “none of the above.”
Environmentalist Nicanor
Perlas butted in at ninth place with
0.7 percent. He was not included
in the second survey, following
his initial disqualification from
the race by the Commission on
Elections (Comelec). Olongapo
City councilor John Carlos de
los Reyes dropped to 10th place
with 0.2 percent, while Sen.
Ma. Ana Consuelo “Jamby”
Madrigal was at the bottom with
0.1 percent.
In the vice presidential
race, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas,
Aquino’s running mate, was still
the favorite with 46.5 percent.
Former Metropolitan
Manila Development Authority
chairman Bayani Fernando and
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay
retained their positions at the
third and fourth places with
21.9 percent and 15 percent,
respectively.
Villar ’s running mate
Sen. Loren Legarda plunged
to fifth place with 6.4 percent,
while former Optical Media
Board chairman Eduardo “Edu”
Manzano was at sixth with 1.2
percent.
Perfecto Yasay, broadcaster
Jose “Jay” Sonza, and
population.”
He said Medicine professors
probably voted according to their
profession, and not based on the
issues that hounded the present
administration.
“All the doctors won, except
for [Elvis] Llanera, whose rival
candidate is also a doctor (Lim).
So what would that indicate?”
Ngo asked.
Medicine professor Melinda
Atienza said Ngo’s statement was
“unfair.”
“[We voted for Gamilla]
because we believe in his
achievement, and not [because
of] personality,” Atienza said.
Ngo is one of the nine
union officers that demanded
accountability from Gamilla and
union vice president Gil Garcia on
the alleged illegal disbursement
of P9.5 million worth of union
funds to Saturn Resources Inc.,
a property developer supposed
to build condominium units for
the UST faculty in 2006.
Ngo said the “call for
fidelity” won’t stop even with
Gamilla’s victory.
“[The fight] will be
continued by the winning
candidates of TAPAT until we
get back the P9.5 million [in
union funds] lent to Villamor,” he
said, referring to Mario Villamor,
president of Saturn Resources.
In an interview after the
counting of votes last February
26, Gamilla vowed to address
the “mess” that had prompted
some faculty members to demand
his ouster.
“Definitely, we will correct
all these things,” he said. Earlier,
Gamilla said he was seeking reelection to clear his name.
For his part, Aguas thanked
all faculty members who voted
for him.
“I am honored by your
trust and confidence. I truly
believed that your vote is more of
a vote for change, for betterment,
and for the ideal and values
that I stood for,” Aguas said in
a statement. Cliff Harvey C.
Venzon with reports from Prinz
P. Magtulis
Dominador Chipeco completed
the list with 0.5 percent (seventh
place), 0.3 percent (eighth
place), and 0.2 percent (ninth
place), respectively.
In the senatorial race, Sen.
Miriam Defensor-Santiago
bested her rivals with 7.4 percent
to top the survey. DefensorSantiago was the top choice for
senator of Thomasians in all
three surveys.
Other senatorial candidates
who made it to the top 12 were
Franklin Drilon (6.6 percent),
Pia Cayetano and Ralph Recto
(6.1 percent), Senate President
Juan Ponce Enrile (six percent),
Sergio Osmena III (5.5 percent),
Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand
“Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (4.1
percent), Bukidnon Rep.
Teofisto Guingona III and
Gilbert Remulla (four percent),
Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr.
(3.8 percent), whistleblower
Jose “Joey” de Venecia III (3.4
percent), and Vicente “Tito”
Sotto III (3.2 percent).
Sonia Roco (three percent),
and Muntinlupa Rep. Rufino
“Ruffy” Biazon (2.5 percent)
dropped out from the top 12.
The number of respondents
was larger -- 13,599 students
from all year levels -- as the
survey coincided with electronic
voting for the student council
elections. Only 2,147 students
joined the January survey. All
Theology
From page 12
help for a deeper understanding of faith.” It is
through proving and confirming a principle that
reason helps to understand faith.
Reyes discussed the incompatibilities of faith
and reason, but also cited three main reasons why
both could be compatible.
“God can be the object of faith and reason,” he
said. According to him, God becomes the object of
faith known as religion, “when supernatural truths
are accepted as revealed or taught to man by God
or through his prophets.” However, God becomes
the object of reason, loosely called Philosophy of
Religion, when truths about God are proved using
reason alone.
Secondly, faith should be considered as the
“middle way between opinion and science.” Man,
by reason, can either have an opinion about God
(one which lacks full support from reason but is
inclined to accept it as true) or a science about
God (which is based on “reasonable grounds so
compelling to accept the conclusions about God
firmly).” St. Thomas said that the latter possesses
certitude resulting from the understanding of
principles, while faith is in the middle, surpassing
opinion with its firm adherence but lack of reason.
Finally, Reyes stressed that reason systematized
surveys were conducted through
the e-Learning Access Program
system.
Coronacion said large
student participation in the survey
did not necessarily translate to
big youth involvement in the
elections.
“Kasi hanggang survey
lang sila (students) e, pagdating
sa election wala na,” he said.
In the January youth
survey, roughly 60 percent of
the respondents said they are
registered voters, an increase
from only 30.4 percent in the
first youth survey last August,
following Comelec’s extension
of voter’s registration up to
December 29.
faith. As supernatural truths are accepted by faith,
reason can and ought to understand them.
Allan Basas of the Institute of Religion
echted this compatibility, saying that Theology
needed Philosophy but said the latter should not
be reduced as a mere tool for the understanding
of Theology.
“For as long as we will be talking to human
beings about Theology, there will be a need for
Philosophy,” he said. “Theology is in need of a
method that would allow its content to come out
in a way that is understandable to human beings.”
Robert Montaña of Artlets’ department of
philosophy discussed the delicate task professors
had in teaching anti-religious philosophies to
Catholic students.
“The first real step toward handling [this
task] is for the professor not to be perplexed
himself,” he said. “If he keeps on deliberating
upon matters which he himself cannot answer,
then his very own confusion overflows to
the students, leaving more questions than
answers.”
He added that to integrate one’s
philosophy in his own faith is dangerous. One
can only attempt to do so “unless he is really
knowledgeable of his faith that he can tamper
with it but not lose it.”Florench May C. Corpuz
The
Varsitarian
sports
14 MARCH 26, 2010
Beyond UAAP
De la Torre leaves diamond with legacy
By F.M.S. VILLANUEVA
WHAT lies ahead for UST’s best
softball player in recent memory?
With nothing else to prove in
collegiate sports, Aiza de la Torre is
eyeing a career in broadcasting as
soon as she earns her communication
arts degree next year. The 21-yearold star pitcher has played out her
UAAP years, and is entering her
senior year at the Faculty of Arts
and Letters.
“I will not be playing anymore
so I gave my all last UAAP season,
but in my studies, I still have one year
left.” she said.
De la Torre made history by
Lester G. Babiera
leading UST to its first-ever UAAP
title since the league was founded in
1938. The Softbelles did so in emphatic
fashion, sweeping the tournament,
and unseating defending champion
Adamson University in the process.
For her efforts, the team captain
became the first Thomasian to win both
the MVP and Best Pitcher trophies at
the same time.
Part of the problem naturally
confronting someone like De la Torre
involves the transition from star athlete
to student, just a student. All but gone
is the spotlight she usually got from
collegiate softball’s biggest stage.
But De la Torre is convinced
that the experience will involve no
major paradigm shift, considering
Josa Camille a. Bassig
that the lessons—especially the
hard ones—she got from playing A jubilant Softbelles team poses for the press after winning against the much-favored
softball for almost a decade are Adamson team. De la Torre is seen here wearing the white cap, alongside her coach.
basically life lessons applicable errors but you have to make up for We don’t know what might happen,”
in her studies and broadcasting them,” she said.
she said.
career in the future.
And then there’s faith. “God is
Consider perseverance. She would
She learned, for instance, not have survived—and excelled— with us.”
how to deal with criticisms, and in her chosen sport without it. She
These were the very same attitudes
how to channel them for self- said: “Being a Tiger means having that turned De la Torre into UAAP’s best
improvement. “What they say, the fighting spirit and the heart to win, softball player, a rare feat for someone
you should just absorb. They holding on when the game is crucial.”
like her who began playing at a school
won’t correct you if you’re right,
Or reality check. “Don’t relax too named Paglaum Village National High
anyway. It’s okay to commit much or be overconfident with yourself. School.
As young as 11, she represented the
Philippines in the Little League World
Series, and went on joining the team on
at least five more occasions. She was
also a pitcher for the 2003 RP Belles
team when she was just 14.
The Bacolod standout was soon
discovered by UST Softbelles coach
Sandy Barredo through his friend
‘What they say, you should just absorb.
They won’t correct you if you’re right, anyway’
- Aiza de la Torre on criticisms
Spikers
John Paul Torres handed UST
an early 1-0 set advantage
down the line, 25-21.
FEU controlled the tempo
in the second set, 5-4, but UST
felt at ease with Finals MVP
Henry Pecaña’s offensive
valor that leveled the game at
5-all. Jayson Ramos launched
a 12-9 blast, supported by a
Julius Sioson through-theblock push to pound FEU
down. Best server Rey Karl
Dimaculangan set up Ilano on
an easy point, 23-15, followed
by a Torres spike that blasted
FEU’s defense to take the set,
25-17.
The Morayta-based
squad tried to regroup in the
third set, but the title-hungry
Tiger Spikers shuttered an
8-all deadlock with Ramos’
unanticipated running attack.
Nonetheless, FEU locked the
scores to 13-apiece, which
was broken by Ilano’s swift
endline burst.
From then on, FEU
faltered behind as Pecaña
and Ilano’s fiery combination
bagged the third set for UST,
25-18.
Ilano and Torres chalked
up a combined 28 points for
UST, while Ramos chipped
in 10 points. Joshua Alcarde
topscored for FEU with 13
points. “I thank God for
everything He has given for
the team,” Pecaña said.
In their previous game,
the Tiger Spikers asserted
their dominance after
overthrowing FEU, 25-20,
25-22, 25-22, in the Finals
opener last February 24. They
also sent the University of
the Philippines to an early
vacation, 25-10, 25-19, 2521, last February 20. They
scored a Valentine’s Day
From page 16
Out of reach. Tiger Spiker Salvador “John” Depante tries to block the
ball but misses by a longshot, enabling the opposition to score.
ISABELA A. Martinez
heartbreaker against FEU, 2521, 25-20, 25-13, at the end of
the eliminations.
Equally deadly
W i n n i n g
t h e
championship was just as
sweet for the Lady Spikers.
“It is really overwhelming
because we won in all the
games that we played since
the start of this year [2010].
We were really confident after
winning Game 1 and we came
to today’s game with high
morale,” Delos Santos said.
“We dedicate this victory to
coach August Santamaria.”
Santamaria is the former
Lady Spikers head coach who
suffered a stroke three years
ago which forced him to retire
from coaching.
UST punctuated the
opening set with early aces
from Rhea Dimaculangan,
Angeli Tabaquero and Maruja
Banaticla, bolstered by a
running spike from Dindin
Santiago. Back-to-back hits
from Banaticla iced the set
at 25-18.
The Lady Spikers
continued their onslaught in
the second set with a series of
attacks from Aiza Maizo, and
the rest of the squad before
Tabaquero’s off-the-block hit
gave the set to UST, 25-14.
This momentum carried
on to the next set, with
Tabaquero’s off-the-block
hit giving UST a 2-0 set
advantage, 25-18.
In the third set, however,
UST committed a lot of
unforced errors which allowed
La Salle to establish a 9-point
cushion, 8-17, anchored on
Jacq Alarca’s persistent attacks
and Charleen Cruz’s consistent
blocking.
A pair of quick kills from
Maika Ortiz and Santiago tried
to lift UST from the slump,
but La Salle kept its poise to
secure the set, 14-25.
Come the fourth set, the
Lady Spikers was down by
as much as five points from
a series of offensive errors,
but the lead evaporated after
La Salle committed faults of
its own. A 7-0 run sparked by
Tabaquero placed the Lady
Spikers back on the driver seat,
14-10. UST never looked back
from then on.
Twin drop shots from
Maizo bulldozed La Salle’s
defense allowing UST to surge
ahead, 18-12, before Maizo
displayed her own blocking
prowess, 24-13. Finally, a kill
from Tabaquero sealed the deal
for the jubilant España squad.
Tabaquero topscored for
the Lady Spikers with 13 points
while Alarca and Maraño
chipped in ten points each for
La Salle. Rhea Dimaculangan
was also awarded Best Server
in the league and Finals MVP.
“I am very happy because I
never expected the recognition.
But I knew we would win over
La Salle today because they
lost their momentum [since we
defeated them in February],”
Dimaculangan said.
In their previous games,
the Lady Spikers routed La
Salle in the Game 1 of their
Finals, 24-26, 25-23, 25-16,
25-21, last February 24 and
swept Ataneo De Manila
University in the semi-finals,
25-12, 25-23, 25-20, last
February 20. The Lady Spikers
also escaped a grueling fivesetter match on February 14,
23-25, 25-20, 26-28, 25-16,
15-12, to close the elimination
round.
Reynaldo Fuentes, who was de la
Torre’s high school coach.
De la Torre owes her
development into a top-caliber
athlete to both Barredo and
assistant coach Roberto“Master”
Iturralde. The two coaches helped
hone whatever natural gifts she had
inherited from her family.
Her grandparents Juanito and
Catalina Confesor as well as
her parents, Felipe and Alma,
all played either as infielders or
pitchers in school. Oddly though,
only Aiza went to softball among
the five de la Torre children. But her college playing years
are over. Now begins her pursuit of
new dreams.
Season 72
MVP and Best
Pitcher Aiza
d e l a To r r e
ushered UST
to its first ever
championship
in the UAAP.
Josa Camille a. Bassig
Night of UST champions
SPORTS legends of the black-gold-white fleet trooped back
to España on a memorable “night of champions.”.
Former Purefoods TJ Hotdogs forward Rey Evangelista,
San Miguel Beermen head coach Siot Tanquincen, RP
taekwondo bet Tshomlee Go, and other UST spor ts
celebrities returned to the UST Gym last February 27
to reacquaint themselves with the current crop of UST
athletes, in time for a planned grand alumni homecoming
in connection with UST’s 400th anniversary.
Organized by the UST Varsity Alumni Association
and Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, the event
also raised funds to support varsity athletes.
“We asked the support of alumni in the formation
of the association and [the realization of its] plans which
include raising money to help the school in taking care of
our athletes the best way we can,” alumni group president
and former Lady Spiker Mozzy Ravena said.
Others who graced the event were former Talk N’
Text guard Patrick Fran, former Tiger Spiker Adrian Paolo
Laurel, former Tanduay Rhum cager Chris Cantonjos,
and Growling Tigers wingman Dylan Ababou. Darenn
G. Rodriguez
Athletes
From page 16
the Best in Talent and Best in Formal Wear awards, respectively.
Erese said that the Institute of Physical Education and
Athletics hopes to have a representative in next year’s Mr. and
Ms. Thomasian Personality, the university-wide beauty pageant
of UST. Lester G. Babiera and Jennifer M. Orillaza
Thomasian Athlete Personality 2010 winners: (From left) Jesus San
Andres, Emron Golding, Christian Arbasto, Hazel Grecia, Eduardo Andan,
Dianne Villalobos, Salvador Kapunan, and Carla Benedicto.
ISABELA A. Martinez
The
Varsitarian
SPORTS
Woodpushers slip to third
By MARY ATHENA D. DE PAZ
UNLUCKY “13” casted its
dry spell on the UST Male
Woodpushers’ 13th round
skirmish at the boards against
D e L a S a l l e U n i v e r s i t y,
relegating them to third place
at the end of the Season
72 chess tournament at the
UST Gym last February 28.
T h e Wo o d p u s h e r s ’
0.5-3.5 loss to La Salle last
February 21, 5-3.5, at the
UST-Tan Yan Kee Student
Center threw away a do-or-die
battle for the top spot against
defending champions Far
Eastern University (FEU),
when FEU posted a 4.5 point
lead in aggregate markers,
38.5 against UST’s 34-point
output.
UST’s Joey Florendo
gained a half-point for UST in
board one after drawing with
Paolo Bautista after 47 moves.
But Joey’s older brother
Patrick (board four), Gerald
Ferriol (board two), and
Patrick Fronda (board three)
fell to La Salle’s Kevin
Vasallio, Joseph Turqueza,
and Emmanuel Emperado in
30, 52, 22 moves, respectively.
Male Woodpushers head
coach Winston Silva said his
players had a good chance of
winning the championship
this season if not for their
inconsistency.
“[I tell my players] they
have to be consistent. There
are still fluctuations even
when facing weaker teams,”
Silva said.
UST had to battle with
season’s favorite FEU in the
14th and final round of the
tournament, gaining only a
measly half point for a total
of 34.5, just one whisker away
from second-placer University
o f t h e E a s t ( U E ) ’s 3 5 . 5
outcome.
All of UST’s boards
succumbed to FEU’s Lyndon
Sombilon, Jamse Bulicaton
and Lufee Magdalaga. UST’s
only mark was against the
brickbat defense of Fronda
who settled for a draw with
Season 72 Most Valuable
Player Sheider Nebato.
But despite their
unexpected finish, Ferriol
and Patrick reaped gold in
boards two and four during the
awarding ceremony.
Prior to its 13th round
loss to La Salle, UST carved
a 3-1 shutout of Ateneo de
Manila University in the 12th
round last February 20 for a
33.5 aggregate marker behind
FEU’s 34.5.
Outstanding
UAAP jersey with an MVP
medal. Ababou was also part
of the Mythical Five.
The Tiger Spikers’ duo
of Ramos and Henry Pecaña
dominated the sand courts
anew, with Ramos bringing
home the MVP plum.
Co-MVPs Narvaez and
Villarete f ueled the Male
Tennisters’ title retaliation bid
against perennial contenders
De La Salle and to carry the
team to the championship via
a tournament sweep.
Saluan was hailed MVP
a nd ROY i n he r m a ide n
year as a Female Trackster,
accounting for UST’s seven
out of ten gold medals, and
registering new UAAP meet
records in the 5,000 meterrun, 10,000 meter-run and
4x400 meter relay.
Other athletes named
best rookies of the season were
Maruja Banaticla (women’s
volleyball), Alexis Albor
(men’s judo) and Jeric Teng
(men’s basketball), Henezy
Aragon (women’s table tennis)
and Christian de Juan (men’s
football).
I n t he ju n ior s’ play,
MVPs Unso, Valdez, Berino
Booters
From page 16
on the suspension of FEU’s
Game 1 hero Jason Cordova,
who was given a red card after
brawling with Golden Booter
Shinmar Felongco last February
25. Incidentally, he was also the
lone goal scorer for FEU (0-1)
that game, forcing a rubber
match against twice-to-beat
UST.
Prior to the championship,
UST prevailed over FEU,
3-1, last February 21 in the
semi-final round, after a 3-0
Valentine’s Day whitewashing
of home team Ateneo de Manila
University.
Fronda surrendered to
Ateneo’s Emmanuel Plan in
board three after 45 moves,
while the two Florendos,
and Ferriol contributed one
point apiece after outsmarting
Francis Bayocboc, Ronald
Tong and Nathan Sarigumba
in 22, three, and 49 moves,
respectively.
The Male Woodpushers
also posted a 2.5-1.5 conquest
over UE last February 13, to
tie with FEU with 28.5 apiece.
Patrick outwitted UE’s
Amam Rivas in a rousing 53
moves, while Ferriol won over
Jayson Visca by 38 moves.
UST’s Fronda settled for a
draw with Aaron Rivas in
board three, while Joey lost to
Nelson Mariano in 30 moves.
Prior to the end of the
first round, the Woodpushers
returned to make up for their
lackluster performance against
La Salle (3.5-.5), NU (22) Adamson University (3.5.5), UP (3.5-.5), Ateneo (4-0),
and UE (2-2).
Dismal season
Unlike their male
counterparts’ neck-and-neck
battle for the title, the Lady
Woodpushers had a dismal
season and were good only
for sixth place with 19 points.
From page 16
Not even their
dominating 4-0
performance against UE
last February 13 was
enough to erase the
stigma of a rocky season
for UST.
Going against newly
crowned champions FEU
in the last round of the
tournament, only bronze
medalist Rizza Dizon
and silver medalist
Vianca Cañada escaped
FEU’s Jenny Palomo,
and Lovely Medina with
a draw. Rohini Vergara
and gold medalist Carina
Lumacad lost to Jedara
Docena and Rulp Jose.
U S T s u ff e r e d a
similar blow against
the University of the
Philippines (UP) last
February 20. Vergara
accounted for the team’s
half point in board one
after ending a 32-move
match with Crystal
Mendoza. Teammates
Lumacad (board two),
Dizon (board three),
and Cañada (board four)
yielded to UP’s Rida
Young, Krizza Abasolo,
and Mavrel Exconde in
39, 34, and 46 moves,
respectively. Lady Woodpusher Camille Silvestre plots her next moves in a chess
match against a De La Salle opponent. UST dropped to sixth place in
women’s play with an inferior 19 points.
Paul allyson R. Quiambao.
CRS interns complain of lack
of sports medical supplies
By LESTER G. BABIERA
Tiger Jin Marlon Avenido receives the Athlete of the Year plaque from
outgoing UAAP president Anton Montinola last March 11 at the FEU
Auditorium.
ALEXIS AILEX C. VILLAMOR, JR.
and Del Rosario ear ned a
ticket to the spotlight for
their performances in their
respective battlefield.
Also claiming individual
awards were David Basa (best
defender, men’s football),
Siblings Rey Karl and Rhea
Dimaculangan (best servers,
volleyball), Arlene Gavile
(best goalkeeper, women’s
football) Marianne Narciso
( b e s t s t r i k e r , w o m e n’s
football), Lani Sar miento
(best hitter, softball), Ana
Paghubasan (homer un
queen).Antonio Ramon H.
Royandoyan
De Juan was named Rookie
of the Year, while veteran David
Basa went home with the
Best Defenderaward.
Fall of the off-season queens
The Lady Booters looked
primed for back-to-back titles
this year until they ran into La
Salle, which they had beaten
in the Unigames and the
Metro Manila Girls’ Football
Association.
“The intensity of their game
went down,” coach Rozano
Estrabon said in Filipino. “There
are players whose play becomes
off, and there were a lot of them.
Maybe they were nervous.”
Season 72 MVP and
ROY Adrianne Yniguez of
La Salle converted Isabelle
Kilayko’s sensational feed to
the winning goal, which caught
Best Goalkeeper Arlene Gavile
of UST by surprise in the 56th
minute of the game.
In the next 34 minutes of
the game, the Lady Booters
tried to force an equalizer with
frontliners Anne Barruga and
Nikki Regalado’s crunch time
attempts. But they failed to
capitalize on easy attempts in the
penalty area.
The high-spirited Lady
Booters blanked the twice-tobeat La Salle, 2-0, in the first
finals game, courtesy of this
season’s Best Striker Marianne
Narciso last February 25, to
send the series to a sudden-death
match. UST ended the second
round of the eliminations with a
draw against FEU last February
21. MARCH 26, 2010 15
ARE UST athletes—other than members of
the basketball team—being properly taken
care of?
Interns from the College of Rehabilitation
Sciences (CR S) have come for wa rd to
complain about inadequate medical supplies
and other game essentials made available to
other varsity teams by the Institute of Physical
Education and Athletics (IPEA).
Annie Grace Laygo, who is assigned to
the women’s volleyball squad, said she and
other interns often had to shell out their own
money to cover basic items such as plastic
strips, pain relievers, ointments, and even
ice. “I spent P35 on ice every practice,” she
complained.
But IPEA Assistant Director Felicitas
Francisco said all the interns had to do was
to request for such items. She said only those
assigned to the men’s basketball team had
asked for medical supplies.
“If they don’t ask, how can we give?”
she said.
Reyl Espino, internship supervisor, said
the CRS usually wrote the IPEA to request
for medical supplies in time for the UAAP
season. After that, he said the CRS did not
have control on when the materials would be
released by the IPEA.
“The IPEA is responsible for working
the requests out,” he said.
Rector
From page 5
population? If you add to this the active work
force, the total number would be enough to
produce the votes needed for a truly qualified
person to be elected to public office. Until
now, so many politicians whose only assets
are their faces, their wealth, or their popularity
Francisco said requests for medicine
require a doctor’s prescription. But the reality
on the court is that interns and athletes cannot
go through such a long process. Inter ns
usually produce their own medicines for
emergency cases.
“When it comes to sudden pain like
shoulder aches, I use my own medicines,”
Laygo said.
Some materials like athletic and kinesio
tapes were given only in the middle of
competition, according to Marie Bunagan,
an intern for the women’s lawn tennis team.
“I received the materials only when the
tournament was ongoing so I had to use my
own tapes for the Lady Tennisters,” Bunagan
said in Filipino. “The tapes were okay, but
insufficient.”
Francisco said only coaches and team
captains were allowed to request for tapes,
which were allocated based on the number
of players.
Athletics moderator Francis John Patrick
Vicente declined to comment on the issues
raised by the interns.
Even Gatorade was a problem. Laygo
recalled one instance when CRS faculty
members had to purchase sports drinks for the
Lady Spikers because they were not provided
to them by the IPEA.
Francisco said Gatorade sponsors only
the men’s and women’s basketball teams,
that’s why other squads did not get the sports
drink regularly.
understood that in a decromacy, number is
power.
This lack of understanding has resulted
in a wasted oppurtunity. If only the youth
understood their extraordinary collective
power, the same colllective power that gave rise
to the revolution of 1898, and the unforgattable
Edsa revolution, perhaps our ccountry would
be indeed great again. I hope you, the young
Thomasian , will suceed where we, your elders
have failed.
Correction
In the Varsitarian article titled “Golden Booters ahead in football race” published
last February 18, it was Mar Oscar Mungcal, not Caballero, who scored UST’s lone goal
against Ateneo de Manila University during the game last January 31.
Our apologies. - Ed.
UST roars in ‘Year of the Tiger’
SP
The Varsitarian
Founded 1928
RTS
Jeremy S. Perey, Editor
Vol. LXXXI, No. 12
www.varsitarian.net
March 26, 2010
UAAP championships seem to be a dime a dozen for UST.
Illustration by Jasmine C. Santos
Ca r v i ng t hei r n a me s
alongside UST’s towering
stature in the UAAP history
are MVPs Avenido (men’s
taekwondo), Paulo Jay Dawal
(men’s badminton), Aiza de
la Tor re (sof tball), Dylan
Ababou (men’s basketball),
Jayson Ramos (men’s beach
volleyball), Miguel Narvaez
and Raymond Villarete (men’s
lawn tennis), Serenata Saluan
(women’s track and field) and
Alyssa Valdez (girls’ indoor
volleyball), Patrick Ma. Unso
( juniors’ track and f ield),
Berino (boys’ swimming), and
Gerry del Rosario (juniors’
taekwondo).
Dawal propelled the Male
Shuttlers to the championship
after a 3-2 thriller against De
La Salle University to put an
icing in UST’s victory cake.
De la Torre pitched in
the best throws to lead the
Softbelles toward their first
ever championship in the
UAAP. She is also awarded
this season’s Best Pitcher.
Carrying the Growling
Tigers to the Final Four this
year, Ababou will hang his
Lady Booter Vanessa Fabon
steals the ball from her La Salle opponent.
The Lady Booters blanked La Salle in
Game 1 of the Finals, 2-0, only to falter
in the end.
the sneaking Archers were only
17 points behind.
In all the 28 events, UST
won seven, tying with FEU as the
schools with the most number of
championships won in the season.
The España-army claimed the top
spot in Men’s Tennis, Men’s
Taekwondo, Men’s Badminton,
Men’s Beach Volleyball, Men’s
and Women’s Volleyball and
Softball.
After two fruitless years
of campaign, the fourth-seeded
Male Shuttlers reclaimed their
crown after a come-from-behind
victory against perennial rivals
La Salle, while the Taekwondo
Jins asserted dominance and
defended their title in the mats
against FEU, en route to starting
another formidable championship
dynasty. Meanwhile, the duo of
Tiger Spikers Jayson Ramos and
Henry Pecaña planted their flag
in beach volleyball to rule the
Twice as sweet for Spikers
Outstanding athletes
of Season 72 honored
THEY are the wings that
propelled UST to the top spot
for the 12th consecutive year,
breaking their previous “tenpeat” back in 2008.
Bannering the España
flagship are two Athletes of
the Year, 12 Most Valuable
Pl aye r s ( M V P), a n d si x
Rookies of the Year (ROY)
that led the other greats who
received individual honors in
their respective sports events.
Two Thomasians went
home with the most prestigious
UAAP individual awards as
Marlon Avenido was feted
Athlete of the Year in the
seniors’ division for leading
the Tiger Jins to a back-toback title slam.
He also cl i nched t he
bullion in the Southeast Asian
Taekwondo Championships
and pocketed a twin-silver
finish in the Southeast Asian
Games in Laos and Asian
Mar tial Ar ts Games in
Thailand last year.
Gian Berino’s ferocious
performance in the pool wars
earned him the Athlete of
the Year plum in the juniors’
division despite the team’s
bridesmaid finish this year.
Emerging as general
champions for the twelfth straight
year, the Tigers remain unbeaten,
defending UST territory and
claiming its 37th title since the
league’s conception in 1938.
“We have been general
champions all these years
because of the athletes. They
are the ones we should thank
because without them, we are not
here,” said Fr. Ermito de Sagon,
O.P., director of the Institute of
Physical Education and Athletics.
The España squad painted
the season black and gold after
amassing 305 points leaving
perennial title contenders De
La Salle University and host
Far Eastern University (FEU)
way behind with 252 and 229,
at second and third place,
respectively.
UST was on the driver seat
from the first half of the season
with a massive 153 points but
Outstanding, page 15
By CHARIZZE L. ABULENCIA
and ALEXIS AILEX C.
VILLAMOR, JR.
A THREE-PEAT and another
championship.
UST dominated the
UAAP Season 72 volleyball
wars with the Tiger Spikers
scoring a rare third consecutive
championship and their female
counterparts ending a threeyear title drought.
Riding on an immaculate
slate going into the finals,
t h e Ti g e r S p i k e r s s w e p t
their archrival Far Eastern
University (FEU), 25-21, 2517, 25-21, last February 27 to
claim the championship at a
packed The Arena in San Juan.
The Lady Spikers repulsed
defending champion De La
Salle University, 25-18, 25-14,
16-25, 25-15, to secure the title
in Game 2 of their best-of-three
finals series. It was their first
UAAP title in three years under
coach Cesael de los Santos.
“There is nothing new in
winning championships, but
this is our first time to grab
a three-peat,” Tiger Spikers
coach Emil Lontoc said. “I am glad that the team’s
play has returned to its peak.
THE SO-CALLED dark
horse of Season 72, the Golden
Booters barged into the finals but
fell short of the championship
after stumbling against Far
Eastern University in
a winner-take-all
match at the Ateneo
Erechun Field last
February 28.
The Booters
saw their miracle run
end in a 0-1 heartbreaker
against FEU, which
improved on its runnerup finish last season. But
the finals appearance was
a feat in itself for UST,
considering that it placed an
embarrassing fourth last year.
The Lady Booters lost their
title, 0-1, against De La Salle
University, the team they beat in
last season’s finals.
Golden Booters coach
Marjo Allado said his
wards bungled two scoring
opportunities in the second half
but lost their composure. “But
overall, I’m still satisfied with
the team’s performance because
entering the championship was
something we didn’t expect,”
he said.
FEU rookie Dexter Chio
riffle-kicked the marginal goal of
the season at the 75th minute off
teammate Filsan Akut’s missed
attempt. Golden Booter Vincent
Champions, page 6
Athletes
enter
different
battle
Villanueva stopped Akut in the
goal area, but this left Chiowith
a clear access to UST’s net and
allowed FEU to score.
UST’s ace striker OJ
Clariño ventured on a header
in the final minutes of the game
but his shot went way off the
goalpost as the final whistle
sounded.
Adding insult to injury
was the suspension of
Season 72 Rookie of the
Year (ROY) Christian de Juan,
who missed the game after
acquiring his second yellow
card of the season in Game 1 of
the Finals.
UST also failed to capitalize
Booters, page 15
Athletes, page 14
followed by quick kills to
jack up UST’s lead at 9-6. But
FEU’s Kirk Beliran refused to
yield the set as he tapped the
ball offspeed, 23-19, before
Spikers, page 14
Booters end wonder run in a heartbreak
By MARY ATHENA D. DE PAZ and JEREMY S. PEREY
Halfway to the crown
UST typified league
dominance in the second
semester with four more event
titles, bolstering its first semester
campaign.
Decades of frustration
finally ended for the Softbelles,
as they finally copped their firstever championship crown in
the UAAP. The victory was
twice as sweet as the team
swept the eliminations in a
convincing fashion, 10-0, for an
outright title berth, out seating
perennial strong-armed Adamson
University with an 8-3 finish
on their last game. Not to be
outdone, the Male Tennisters
also had an immaculate campaign
with an 8-0 sweep, bulldozing La
Salle, 4-1, on their season-ender
UST ATHLETES are not
only competitive in the
field of sports, but also in
the spectacle of beauty and
brains, as 32 contestants
vied for the third Mr. and
Ms. Thomasian Athlete
last February 26, at the
UST Gymnasium.
“Our main objective
is to expose our athletes
and to show that they are
not only trained in sports
but in (other) talents as
well,” Prof. Liza Erese,
overall chairman of the
competition, said.
Lady Jin Emron Mae
Golding from the AMVCollege of Accountancy
and Tiger Spiker Jesus
San A nd res f rom UST
High School were hailed
as champions.
“You should [also]
look on other things in
wh ich you ca n excel,”
said Golding, who sang
A Very Special Love en
route to bagging the female
division’s Best in Talent
and Best in Formal wear
awards.
Me a nw h i l e , Tig e r
Spiker Christian Arbasto
a n d L a d y Te n n i s t e r
Hazel Grecia snared the
first runners-up plums,
while Lady Judoka Diane
Villalobos a nd Yellow
Jacket Eduardo A ndan
grabbed second runnersup honors. Lady Spiker
Carla Benedicto and Male
Shuttler Salvador Kapunan
landed as the competition’s
third runners-up.
G recia a nd A nd a n
also received the Best in
Sportswear awards, while
Golden Booter (Juniors)
Li mon ick L a c s on a nd
Growling Tiger Jeric Teng
received the other half of
In your face! The double blocking of Tiger Spikers Harby IIano and
Salvador “John” Depante sends the ball straight to FEU’s Arvin Avila’s
face.
ISABELA A. MARTINEZ
We hadn’t lost a set since the
start of the second round [of
eliminations], and this left a
good impact to the team.”
Harby Ilano fueled the
Tiger Spikers’ opening salvo
with his back-to-back aces
sands anew.