The Varsitarian

Founded 1928

Volume LXXXII, No. 14 June 10, 2011 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOmAS Manila, Philippines

UST places 104th in annual Asian rankings

UST slid three places to 104th in this years Quacquarelli-Symonds (QS) ranking of Asias top universities -- behind University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila, which ranked 62nd and 65th, respectively, but still ahead of De La Salle University, which went down farther to No. 107. Rather than question the methodology of the survey, the University now views the annual ranking as a chance to improve itself, an official said. We can always question the process and the intention of the recognizing agency. However, rather than use my precious time disproving the results, Id rather approach it in a developmental way, said Fr. Arthur Dingel, O.P., assistant to the Rector for planning and management. But he noted that the QS survey was perception-based, which means the results may have been the product of brand management. If the identified respondents are not familiar with the accomplishments of an institution, there is a major chance that, even if the institution is doing well, [the respondents] will not list the institution as having top programs, Dingel said. Since it is perception-based, brand management is inevitable if an institution would like to be ranked as having top programs. UP ranked 62nd, up from last years 78th and overtaking Ateneo de Manila, which fell to 65th from 58th last year. De La Salle ranked 107th, down from last years 106th. Hong Kong dominated the top spots with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on first place, followed by the University of Hong Kong at second place. The survey ranked universities according to the following criteria: academic peer review (30 percent), research citations per faculty (15 percent), citations per paper (15 percent), Asian employer review (10 percent), student-faculty ratio (20 Asian rankings Page 14

Tuition up by 3 percent
By DAPHNE J. MAGTURO EDUCATION in UST is now more expensive by P35 per unit. The figure represents a three-percent increase, making the University the sixth most expensive college in the country, administration data showed. Despite the annual hike, Thomasians should be thankful as the increase was not as big as the additional 10 percent levied by some schools this year, the administration said. [Dapat] magpasalamat ang mga estudyante, UST comptroller Diomedes Yadao said in an interview. UST will just maximize its budget because the three percent tuition increase is significantly lower than the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas [reported] inflation of up to five percent. We also had to consider the financial capabilities of students, he added. According to the Commission on Higher Education, the average tuition hike this year is 10 percent, with more than 15 percent of private colleges and universities increasing tuition rates. Yadao said the University ranked sixth on its own listing of colleges based on tuition, at P1,207 per unit for Academic Year 2011-2012, up from P1,172 last year when the administration imposed a 4-percent hike. Historically, tuition rates increase every year, he said. By law, schools are allowed to hike tuition Tuition Page 14

ANNUAL INCREASE. Students pay their tuition at the Central Seminary Gym during this years enrollment. This year, UST imposed a three-percent increase in tuition following the rise of inflation rate, making UST the sixth most expensive school in the country, according to a UST official.

Special Report
By REDEN D. MADRID WITH AN unprecedented four out of its every 10 graduates given medals this year, the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM) is this years top producer of honor graduates, displacing the Faculty of Arts and Letters, which had dominated the University honor roll in the past three years. The youngest college in the University recorded the highest percentage of honor recipients to graduates since its foundation in 2006, with a skyrocketing 40.51 percent, or 158 of 390 CTHM students graduating with Latin honors this year. The figure was way beyond the University-wide ratio of just one in 10 graduates getting a medal this year.

CTHM leads Quadri batch honor roll; highest number of laudes recorded
In the colleges Tourism Graph shows the ratio between honor students program alone, three of five and graduates in CTHM graduates obtained honors. A from year 2007 to 2011. total of 122 out of 205 graduates were given medals, three of them summa cum laude, including Batch 2011 valedictorian Raphael Alfonso Acabado, who had a 1.122 general weighted average. In 2007, the then Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management gave honors to 15.44 percent of its graduates. The ratio was 20.21 percent in 2008, 15.74 percent in 2009, and 17.31 percent last year. CTHM Dean Ma. Cecilia Tio Cuison said the college itself Our regent gives incentives was surprised with this years is doing its best, that we are a figures. dynamic college, Tio Cuison said. like free tuition to top students, The figure shown is a She said motivation among and in our State of the College manifestation that the college students was the baseline. CTHM Page 14

Artificial contraceptives risky for women- experts

AMID congressional debates on the Reproductive Health (RH) billthe administration-backed measure seeking massive state funding for contraceptives Thomasian women doctors went out of their way to inform the public of the ill effects of artificial methods of birth control. In Harapan, the RH bill debate aired over ABS-CBN last May 8, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery professors Dr. Josephine Lumitao and Dr. Angelita Aguirre stood up against the controversial bill. Lumitao, a bioethics and embryology professor, explained why RH bill opponents keep on harping that life begins at fertilizationchemicals pills, for instance, not only prevent ovulation or a womans production of egg cells, they can flush out a fertilized egg in case the contraceptive pill fails. Once the fertilized egg, or zygote, has been formed, it starts to divide, she said. This division is purposeful, coordinated, and [the zygote] will be unable to implant if it werent alive because implantationwhich other groups claim to be the beginning of lifeis a complex process. RH bill supporters often argue that the matter of when life begins is irrelevant since the pill prevents ovulation, but what they dont say is that there can be breakthrough ovulation since pills are not 100% effective. In that case, the chemical pill has already caused the lining of the uterus to be hostile toward a fertilized egg. This is why pills are considered abortifacients, RH bill critics say. Moreover, the RH bill promises to provide access to a full range of contraceptives, which could include emergency Contraceptives Page 12

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Photo by PaUL aLLYSON R. QUIaMBaO

Ched order makes Nursing tuition more expensive

FEES for seniors at the College of Nursing have increased by up to 18 percent, following a Commission on Higher Education (Ched) directive requiring more hours of clinical duty at the start of the new school year. From last years 25 hours a week, Ched has increased the weekly Related Learning Experience (RLE) to 30 hours. With UST hiking tuition by three percent or P2.30 per hour, Nursing seniors were required to pay P79, 717.20 this semester, or an P18,000 increase. Nursing Central Board of Students president Honey Vao said additional hours in RLE include skills laboratory and research. With more professors and hours required of us, a hike in our tuition was necessary since 70 percent of [it] goes to the professors and our [clinical instructors], said Vao in a statement to Nursing seniors. Nursing Dean Glenda Vargas, however, said the higher payment was mainly due to a higher denominator of fees brought about by additional RLE hours. Miscellaneous fees added to the increase, she said. (See related story above). Nursing discouraged As schools like UST strive to follow government standards in nursing education, a government official last May 11 discouraged incoming college students from taking up the course. During a consultation in Baguio three days before International Nurses Day, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that if he had a daughter today, he would not let her take up nursing. Nursing Page 15

2 News

The

Varsitarian JUNE 10, 2011

Editor: Charizze L. Abulencia

After expansion was scuttled in 2007

Hospital extension to rise next year

THE NEW UST Hospital extension building is expected to be completed by the third quarter of next year, five years after the Dominican Order overturned plans to put up a P3-billion medical tower. The project, a nine-story building, is smaller in scale compared with the scuttled 17-story structure planned in 2007. I presume the Rector has already approved the project because the tarpaulin and scale model would not be released without his permission, said UST Hospital Medical Director Dr. Eduardo Vicente Caguioa. The scale model of the project was shown to Papal Legate Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski in a tour of the hospital during the Quadricentennial festivities in January. Architecture Dean John Joseph Fernandez, who made the plans for the UST Hospital Extension Building, said work would start soon after the construction of a P34-million vestibule and the demolition of the Medical Arts Building, which houses doctors clinics. In 2007, Fr. Carlos Azpiroz Costa, then the Master of the Dominican Order, asked top UST officials to resign amid a bitter dispute over the redevelopment plan for UST Hospital, which required a P3-billion bank loan and the spinoff of the hospital into a separate corporation with its own board of directors. The project did not have Vatican clearance, which is required under Canon Law in instances of alienation of Church property. University and hospital officials agreed on a new plan by Fernandez early this year. The Varsitarian asked the Universitys internal auditor, Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P., on how the construction of the hospital extension will be financed, but he declined to be interviewed. The hospital administration reduced the cost of the extension building to avoid the issues brought up against the earlier expansion project. From the original 25 floors, it was reduced to nine storeys. Clinics in the Medical Arts Building will be transferred to the fourth and fifth floors of the Clinical Division on August 1. Demolition will start after the transfer to pave the way for construction. Some hospital equipment such as MRIs and CT Scans, and intensive care units will be transferred to the extension building, said Caguioa. Caguioa also said the 25,200-square-meter Hospital Page 6

Photo shows the site of the UST Hospital extension, which is expected to rise next year. (Inset) The exterior perspective of the Hospital extension designed by College of Architecture Dean John Joseph Fernandez. SHeRWIN MaRION T. VaRDeLeON

No excommunication for RH bill supporters

By BRyllE B. TABORA THE PRESIDENT has said he was willing to be excommunicated for supporting the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill, but for Church law experts, all this talk of sanctions is nothing but the product of confusion. Msgr. Gary Noel Formoso, judicial and episcopal vicar of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, told the Varsitarian excommunication in connection with ones pro-RH bill stand was out of the question. It was [President Aquino] who said I will support this bill, even if they excommunicate me! This statement, I guess, is the cause of the confusion, he said. President Benigno Aquino III made the statement during the graduation rites of the University of the Philippines, in the thick of the debate over the RH bill, which seeks to establish a massive, state-funded birth control program employing contraceptives deemed by experts as abortifacients. The fuss over excommunication began with a radio interview last October, featuring Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. It was, ironically, Churchrun Radyo Veritas that fuelled the maelstrom, when an announcer speculatively asked Odchimar whether Aquino risked incurring the extreme penalty for supporting the distribution of contraceptives. Odchimar said: [R] ight now it is not a proximate possibility. But right now we are open for dialogue A Veritas transcript erroneously omitted the word not. The following day, newspapers reported that Odchimar had threatened to excommunicate the President. Odchimar is not even Aquinos bishop. The archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, had already ruled out excommunication. Indeed, abortion is punishable by excommunication, but under Church rules, one must be directly involved in the procedure to incur the penalty latae sententiae, or automatically. A process of healing In Roman Catholicism, excommunication is the most severe of all ecclesiastical penalties and is a censure that may bar or limit the participation of a person in the religious community. But according to AMVCollege of Accountancy Regent Fr. Isaias Tiongco, O.P., it can also be called medicinal penaltyit intends to make the wrongdoer realize the gravity of his offense, and then lead him to the act of contrition and his reintegration to the Church. [Excommunication] is a process of healing, he said, adding that excommunication takes the tone of the parable of the Excommunication Page 3

Civil engineering, CPa board exam passing rates drop

By RAFAEl l. ANTONIO THE UNIVERSITY recorded lower passing rates in the recent off-season licensure test for civil engineers and in the May board exam for certified public accountants (CPA). UST got a 72-percent passing rate in civil engineering with 18 of 25 examinees making the cut, lower than last years 78.26 percent. Our passing rate is not low if we use the national passing rate as the benchmark, said Rodelio Tiburcio, civil engineering department head. Regularly, the civil engineering passing rate ranges from 70 to 90 percent, and most of the time, the 70 percent passing score is from the May takers. The national passing rate went up to 38.34 percent after 1,195 of 3,117 examinees passed the exam. Last years national passing percentage was 36.28. [Civil Engineering] graduates of UST normally take the November board exams. After graduation, they would attend review classes for six months before taking the test, said Tiburcio. Those who normally take the May board exams are repeaters, Octoberians or those who failed to graduate the previous school year, and those who are daring enough to take the exam right after graduation, he said. Of the 25 Thomasian examinees, 15 are repeaters, and 10 of them passed, Tiburcio said. The problem with the re-takers is that, aside from their shortcomings, most of them are already working so they cannot focus [on their Board Exam Page 15

Usapang Uste
DAGDAG kaalamang panrelihiyon mula sa libreng edukasyon. Tinanggal noon ng Unibersidad ang matrikula sa mga asignaturang panrelihiyon upang makaakit ng mga magaaral na kumuha nito. Taong 1939 nang ipinatupad ng dating rekotor na si P. Silvestre Sancho, O.P. ang panukalang ito upang mapalawak ang edukasyong panrelihiyon sa Unibersidad. Ninais niyang mapalawak ang edukasyong panrelihiyon dahil sa pagtawag ng Santo Papa na si Leo XIII na ang Unibersidad ay Pontifiical noong 1902. Marami ang agad na kumuha ng oportunidad na ito, pati na rin ang mga guro dahil bagaman libre ang bayad ng mga mag-aaral sa mga asignaturang ito, nananatili silang sinusuwelduhan ng Unibersidad. Lumaki ang populasyon ng mga mag-aaral na kumukuha ng paksang relihiyon at maaring ito ang nagdulot sa pagiging opisyal na Katoliko ng Unibersidad, taong 1947 na iginawad ng Santo Papa na si Pius XII.

Libreng Teolohiya para sa mga Tomasino

Tinanggal ang sinabing panukala ng dating rektor nang patuloy na dumami ang mga mag-aaral at hindi na kaya ng Unibersidad ang magbigay ng libreng pagtuturo. Tomasino siya Alam nyo ba na isang Tomasino ang namumuno ngayon sa tanyag na Texas Instruments Philippines (TI Philippines) na kilala sa larangan ng makabagong teknolohiya? Nagtapos ng kursong Electronics and Communications Engineering, unang namasukan bilang product engineer ng TI Philippines si Engr. Norberto Viera noong 1979. Dito nahubog ang kaniyang galing sa pangangasiwa na nagdala sa kaniya sa pagiging pangulo at managing director nito noong 1996 hanggang kasalukuyan. Hindi naging madali para kay Viera ang pagpananatili ng TI Philippines bilang pinakamalaking tagapagtustos ng mixed signal and analog integrated circuit products sa buong bansa. Dahil dito, pinanni Viera at naitalang umaabot sa mahigit 2.1 bilyong dolyar ang export value nito sa bawat taon. Si Viera ay ginawaran ng ibat ibang parangal gaya ng Centennial Award, Total Thomasian Award for Science and Technology at Hall of Fame Award sa larangan ng pag-iinhinyero. Kasalukuyan siyang naninirahan sa lungsod ng Baguio kung saan unang itinayo ang Texas Instruments Assembly and Test Facility sa bansa na nagbukas ng 2,500 na hanapbuhay. Jonah Mary
T. MuTuc

gunahan ni Viera pagtatatag ng panibagong pabrika ng Texas Instruments sa Clarkfield, Pampanga na nakapagbigay ng 3,000 na trabaho sa mga Pilipino. Patuloy sa pag-asenso ang TI Philippines sa pamamahala

Tomasalitaan: Aranya (png) magagarbong ilaw, chandelier Halimbawa: Ipinag-utos ni Encar ang paglalagay ng aranya upang mapaganda pa ang bulwagang pagdarausan ng pagtitipon bukas. Mga Sanggunian: Usapang Uste Page 6

Editor: Alexis Ailex C. Villamor Jr.

JUNE 10, 2011

The

Varsitarian Special

Reports 3

Students Code set aside for special tasks

SPECIAL tasks, such as a number of Quadricentennial activities, hampered the progress of the Quadricentennial Central Student Councils (CSC) pet projects, including the long overdue Students Code. Reviewing the CSCs performance in the previous academic year, Leandro Santos II, who recently ended his term as council president, noted that the CSCs original projects were replaced by activities in connection with the year-long Q festivities. Although we wanted to [continue with our] projects, we decided to focus on the festivities, because UST will celebrate its 400 years only once in a lifetime, Santos said. The council worked together w i t h the Office for Student Affairs (OSA) for the Quadricentennial Week in last January, organizing the Q Parade and coming up with the idea of a Quadri Fiesta. Expectations were very high, he said. The planning stage that we (CSC) and other offices went through concerning the celebration was rigorous. Still, the CSC was able to intensify awareness of the proposed Students Code, making it accessible to students by putting up tarpaulins containing key provisions around the campus. According to him, the code is now at the Office for Student Affairs for review after consultations with the Student Welfare and Development Board, which resulted in some revisions. Once approved, the code should be incorporated into the constitutions of local student councils to avoid vagueness and inconsistency, Santos said. This is what we are leaving for the next batch of CSC officers to accomplish to erase the vagueness [of the constitutions of the respective colleges], Santos said. A number of projects originally included on the CSC checklist for Academic Year 2010-2011 were accomplished, despite demanding requirements of the Quadricentennial year. These include Infoblast, an information dissemination campaign that broadcasts announcements such as the suspension of classes and Q updates through mobile phones; Diamonds, a forum attended by all local student council treasurers which talked about fiscal accountability; Shape Up to 400, the councils health and fitness project; Growls: 400 characteristics of a true Thomasian and UShouT Tagline contest, which sought to boost Thomasian pride; and book drives. New administration, old challenges On the matter of unfinished businesses, such as the proposed Students Code, newly elected CSC vice president Peter Carlo David said the new CSC officers aim to not just to continue, but put an end to these projects. The new CSC president, Lorraine Taguiam, said the Students Code would be put on a plebiscite. If it gets a favorable response from students, it will be submitted to the Rector for approval. We will ensure its full and immediate implementation around the campus, she said. Taguiam, however, said the new CSC wont be focusing solely on the Students Code. There will be long-term projects. We aim to [establish] mandatory grievance committees in classes and rebuild the Legal Assistance Team, which is to be headed by the Faculty of Civil Law, she said. Aside from these, community development, academic excellence, and environmental awareness are on top of the agenda for Academic Year 20112012. As part of our agenda, we are planning to hold tutorials with our academic scholars, and to check the curriculum standards of different colleges and faculties, focusing on the policy side, she said. We also plan to impose a selective ban on styrofoams and plastics around the campus. The new CSC officers also plan to undertake a collaborative community development project with all local student councils apart from participating in USTs Simbahayan project. We have an obligation to every student, and we can only fulfill that through the local student councils. With their help, there should be no major problems, David said. Student participation is a vital factor in the success of the projects, he reiterated. Were very open to different options. Some are drastic like making participation mandatory, but the best solution we can think of is to organize activities that would be interesting to students, he said. Taguiam also called on local student council officials to help the CSC boost student participation. [Local student councils] are directly involved in the students [activities]. With their help it is likely that information will reach Thomasians, and more will be encouraged to participate to in the councils activities, she said. NIgeL BRYaNT B.

Although we wanted to [continue with our] projects, we decided to focus on the festivities, because UST will celebrate its 400 years only once in a lifetime -Santos
JaIMe T. CaMPOS

eVaNgeLISTa and MaRNee a. gaMBOa

Excommunication
FROM Page 2 prodigal son, where the father welcomes back his son with open arms. The Code of Canon Law states that an excommunicated person is forbidden from ministerial participation in the celebration of the Eucharist or any other ceremonies of public worship, the sacraments, and the exercise ecclesiastical offices, ministries, functions or acts of governance. Aside from abortion, grounds for excommunication latae sententiae include the profanation of the Holy Eucharist, physical violence against the person of the Roman Pontiff, and the ordination of a bishop without the apostolic mandate. The penalty is in effect upon the commission of the offense, but the bishop has to make a declaration. Tiongco said the Catholic Church is benevolent in imposing penalties, adding that any sanction may be lifted upon the discretion of the ecclesiastical authority, taking into consideration the gravity of the offense. Latae sententiae excommunications contained in the codeinvolving offenses such as apostasy, heresy, schism and abortioncan be absolved in accordance with the norms established in Canons 1354 to 1363. But Formoso, who is taking up his doctorate in Canon Law in UST, said Aquino may still face ecclesiastical penalties, but not directly in connection with abortion. Tiongco said that technically, excommunication was possible for Aquino on the grounds of heresy and schism. In the bill, there is mandatory sex education, which imparts the teaching of using contraceptives. This is contrary to the Catholic teachings. [Excommunication here] is by reason of heresy, he said. According to Tiongco, heresy is defined as the postbaptismal denial of the Catholic truth and teachings, while schism is the refusal to submit oneself to the Holy Father and to those in communion with him. Both fall under latae sententiae, where the person automatically incurs the censure on the mere commission of the offense. History of cut-off The history of the Church shows that a huge number of Christians, mostly of royalty, have been excommunicated. One of the well-known excommunications in history was that of King Henry IV, the Holy Roman Emperor of the 16th century, in which he was deposed by Pope Gregory VII when the former tried to take control of clergymen. Henry was said to have travelled to meet and beg forgiveness from the Pope. The event was called the Walk to Canossa. Another infamous event in Church history was the excommunication of Martin Luther by Pope Leo X for his rebellion against the Church and, later on, the emergence of Protestantism. Much recent is the excommunication of Margaret McBride, a nun who allowed abortion to be performed to a mother suffering from pulmonary hypertension. Formoso said the Church is like a perfect society governed by laws and anchored by goals, but its nature is different from that of civil society. [T]he Church moreover is governed by the sacred canons of the Code of Canon Law, which is also rooted on the word of God and Divine Law, he said.

No need to intensify Ustet, admission officials say

DESPITE criticisms that the University of Santo Tomas Entance Test (Ustet) is easier compared with exams given by other leading universities, admission officials are confident of the tests quality, and think theres no need to revise it. However, students interviewed by the Varsitarian said they had an easier time taking the Ustet compared with other admission tests, like the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (Upcat) and the Ateneo College Entrance Test (Acet). I guess you could say that Ustet was easier because the test focused on the fundamentals of what we learned in high school unlike in Upcat and Acet which covered advanced topics, said incoming Marketing junior Michael Miranda. Incoming Information Technology sophomore Jeremiah Soan said: Ustet is the easiest, compared with other leading universities. Christine Santillan, an incoming Accounting Management junior, said the exams of UP and Ateneo required more effort. [Upcat and Acet] were very lengthy and [challenging]. They were probably not meant to be finished by average students, Santillan said. Meanwhile, I found Ustet to be generally easy because the topics and questions were easy and familiar. A teacher at tutorial school MSA Institute, Kendy Angue, believes the UST test is the easiest among the four major college admission exams, based on the testimonials of clients who had passed the Ustet. Ustet seem less difficult to Data from Ofad showed Although the difficulty is pass, Bernarte said. still present in Ustet, the level Bernarte compared the that the Ustet passing rate of challenge is still different batting average of applicants for first-choice programs compared with Ateneo and at UST and the University decreased to 33 percent this UPs [entrance exams], of the Philippines. Out of year from last years 38 percent. I dont attribute it (the Angue said. approximately 65,000 hopefuls, decline of the passing rate) to However, according to only 16 percent get to pass [the the type of test; its more on Office for Admissions (Ofad) UP] exam, he said. director Mecheline Zonia On the other hand, the students who are taking it, Manalastas, there was no need Manalastas estimated that Manalastas said. Former Ofad chief and to administer overly difficult 40,000 to 42,000 students take exams to applicants just to the Ustet every year, and only now Guidance and Counseling match the difficulty level about 35 percent pass their first Department director Lucila Bance echoed Manalastas, required by other universities. choice of program. Every school has its own What sets these two saying that Ustet is still way of giving chances to its exams apart is the level capable of gauging students applicants, Manalastas said. of competitiveness. The intellectual abilities. I am very confident that College of Architecture difference in the percentage secretary Warren Maneja said of qualifiers makes [the UST Ustet Page 12 he found the Ustet difficult exam] seem easier to pass, when he took it in 1996. Three Bernarte said. years later, he became an exam proctor Every school has its own way of and saw how the test had giving chances to its applicants. Its evolved. useless to compare Ustet Ever y year, the type with other entrance tests. of exam is changing, so - Manalastas, Ofad chief it is never that easy, he said. Manalastas said the main objective of Ustet is to find out whether applicants have retained the knowledge they had acquired in high school, and not to punish them. For Arvi Bernarte, external affairs officer of Academic One Tutorial and Review Center in Manila, Ustet is generally easier if you look at its competitive nature. The number of applicants versus the number of students admitted in UST makes

Amid perceptions test is lightweight

SHeRWIN MaRION T. VaRDeLeON

4 Opinion The

Varsitarian

JUNE 10, 2011

Editorial

Porsche presidency drives RH campaign

IS IT his short memory or his short attention span? President Benigo Aquino III has changed his tune once again on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill. This time, he joins the attentionseeking, privilege speech-crazy and time-wasting lawmakers pressing for the passage of the bill. Earlier this year, Malacaang had said it would not certify the bill as urgent. But its an indication of how twisted this presidency isthat while Malacaang has made a policy statement of non-support for the bill, the President has, for all intents and purposes, staked his personal support for it. During his speech at the 100th commencement exercises of the University of the Philippines (UP) last summer, the President seemed to have toughened up when he said: Buo ang loob ko na maisabatas ang prinsipyo ng responsible parenthood. Buo ang loob seems uncharacteristic of someone known for his nebular policy statements and his lazy work ethic. Now that he has decided to take the bull by the horns, it is only too disappointing that he is manning up for the wrong cause. What made this man prone to dithering change his mind again? He himself gave the reason and shared with his audience an anecdote about a personal encounter with a teenage mother with a child in the slums. He explained that if the young girl had been given access to responsible parenthood services, she would not be in such a pitiful state. The anecdote appallingly reveals not only what goes on in the Presidents mind, but how policies are formulated shallowly in the new government. The anecdote smacks of melodrama and reveals the tendency of RH bill proponents to exploit sob stories about the poor in order to press for the passage of a measure that basically seeks to check poverty by compelling the poor to splay themselves. At the least, the anecdote reveals a presidency woefully lacking in the intellectual capacity to truly determine the causes of poverty. His superficial analysis is vintage bleeding-heart
Editorial Page 8

Of libel and label

SOME TIME in February this year, and if I recall, a few days after we finished the layout of the Quadricentennial supplement magazinethe issue that almost drained our energy which we were supposed to train on our undergraduate thesis defenseI saw a note calling the attention of one of our news reporters to get a registered mail at the UST Post Office. Wondering what the communication was all about, the news reporter and I went to the post office to get the mail without any inkling that the letter was a subpoena, informing the two of us that we had been slapped with a libel complaint. During our first appearance before the Makati Prosecutors Office, we were informed that UST multi-deck carpark owner Edgardo Angeles had faulted the reporter and I as editor in chief for publishing an article last December about the UST administrations law suit against the Carpark firm. Angeles cried foul that the report was released in the last week of January, in time for USTs Quadricentennial, apparently for the article to get a wider audience and the better for him to be smeared in public. In our defense, we told the prosecutor that January 26 was really the release date of the Varsitarian after the December issue of the paper and the Christmas

The Varsitarian is an independent campus paper. It is not pro- or antiadministration, proor anti-establishment. It is pro-truth.
break. Angeles also claimed that the article was malicious and intended to malign his and his companys reputation. But we, the two student-journalists who dont even have cars to avail ourselves of the services of his carpark, maintained that the article was written in good faith and merely meant to inform the Thomasian community about what was happening in the University. I wonder, where would malice come from? Apparently theres a notion that the Varsitarian is part of the UST administration. Of course, theres also the opposite notion that its the enemy of the administration. Both notions are mistaken. The Varsitarian is an independent campus paper. It tries to report events and tackle issues that affect UST in a manner that is accurate, objective, and fair. It is not pro- or anti-administration, pro- or anti-establishment. It is pro-truth. I dont hold a grudge against Mr. Angeles decision to file a lawsuit, as I understand that it is his right as an individual who feels he has been offended by a published report. If at all, the experience shows the need for the Varsitarian and the press in general to educate readers and the public on the role and function of a free press. For example, the Varsitarian staff has had to mollify some college officials who get mad when the paper reports a plummet in their board exam results. Their madness is misplaced since the Varsitarian has never failed to report in the past their excellent performances in state licensure tests. But of course the Varsitarian is pro-Church. It is, after all, the official student paper of The Catholic University of the Philippines.

The

FOUNDED JAN. 16, 1928

Varsitarian

CLIFF HARVEY C. VENZON Editor in Chief ADRIENNE JESSE A. MALEFICIO ROSE-AN JESSICA M. DIOQUINO Associate Editors ChARIzzE l. AbUlENCIA News Editor JIllY ANNE A. bUlAUAN Assistant News Editor JEREMY S. PEREY Sports Editor ALEXIS AILEX C. VILLAMOR JR. Special Reports Editor MIKA RAFAELA A. BARRIOS Literary Editor DANAlYN T. lUbANG Patnugot ng Filipino RObIN G. PADIllA Witness Editor ANTONIO RAMON H. ROYANDOYAN Sci-Tech Editor lESTER G. bAbIERA Circle Editor CARlA T. GAMAlINDA Art Director PAUl AllYSON R. QUIAMbAO Photography Editor News Rafael L. Antonio, Diana Jean B. Evite, Kalaine Nikka Kay C. Grafil, Reden D. Madrid, Daphne J. Magturo, bernadette D. Nicolas, Charmaine M. Parado, Rommel Marvin C. Rio, Darenn G. Rodriguez Sports Jan Edward b. ballesteros, Angelo Nonato P. Cabrera, Anne Marie Carmela l. Dayauon, Fidel P. Flores, Rodolfo Serafin Jerome T. lozada, Chenny V. Ramos, Frauleine Michelle S. Villanueva Special Reports Nigel bryant b. Evangelista, lorenzo luigi T. Gayya, Marnee A. Gamboa, Monica N. ladisla Features Erika Denise l. Dizon, Margaret Rose b. Maranan, Maria luisa A. Mamaradlo, Alma Maria l. Sarmiento Literary Marianne S. lastra, Jan Dominic G. leones, Azer N. Parrocha, Jonas Eleazar b. Trinidad Filipino Patricia Isabela b. Evangelista, Jonah Mary T. Mutuc, Maria Arra l. Perez Witness James bryan J. Agustin, Gervie Kay S. Estella, Jennifer M. Orillaza, brylle b. Tabora Science and Technology Camille Anne M. Arcilla, Alexis U. Cerado, Jan Eva Mari P. de Vera Circle Maria Joanna Angela D. Cruz, Ana May R. De la Cruz, Alexandra A. Dimatera, John Ernest F. Jose, Alyosha J. Robillos Art Fritzie Marie C. Amar, Patrick C. de los Reyes, John Daniel J. hirro, Angelica Gabrielle O. Navarro, Jasmine C. Santos, Jilson Seckler C. Tiu, Karla Mides C. Toledo Photography Josa Camille A. bassig, Jaime T. Campos, John Daniel J. hirro, Isabela A. Martinez, Jilson Seckler C. Tiu, Karla Mides C. Toledo, Sherwin Marion T. Vardeleon FELIPE F. SALVOSA II Assistant Publications Adviser JOSElITO b. zUlUETA Publications Adviser

But it practices its independence even if it declares to be the oldest Catholic campus paper in the country. And again for this, the paper has been jeered. For example, it has been lambasted for its pro-life stance. We have been labeled a hypocrite and a lapdog of the Church for our position against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill. Our detractors dont understand that the UST administration or the Church hierarchy doesnt even meddle with our editorial operations and positions. Our position on the RH bill is derived from our declaration of editorial principles, in which we view ourselves as a Catholic paper; so therefore we tackle events and issues from the Catholic point of view, or based on the principles of natural law, Thomism, and Catholic social ethic. And if they were not born yesterday, our critics would realize that the Varsitarian has been reporting even on negative issues hounding the Church. Sometimes, it is quite frustrating to see all the brickbats we get despite our earnest efforts to maintain a quality fortnightly paper while struggling individually to maintain a satisfactory academic standing. So to you who are reading this paper, please realize that Cliffhanger Page 8

Redemption
I REMEMBER wearing a black shirta sign that I was mourning for being kept in the dark. A year ago, while I was waiting for my name and position to be called out, I kept thinking how unfair it was that everybody around me already knew what their position was going to be, while I was the only one trembling, both with fear and excitement, anticipating my fate in my second and last year at the Varsitarian. As it turned out, it was because I was the twist everybody was talking about and they all silently agreed to keep me guessingthat way, no one takes the blame for whatever my reaction would be. So, while all my friends were being elevated to higher positions, I was in limbonot exactly the place where I wanted to be. Contrary to popular belief, however, I did not cry, throw a tantrum, or walked outone of which I might have actually done had I been in my right

looking at it now, it feels like a miracle that most of us stayed, making us all survivors of a turbulent year.
mind that night. Truth be told, I was just too relieved to be put out of my misery and to know that although I was not the news editor, the higher ups trusted me enough to promote mealbeit of a lesser status than most. In the beginning, being the assistant news editor was something I wasnt proud of because while its true that I am a step above the writers, Im also a notch lower than full editors. Still, I get to do what all the other editors do, and I get the same benefits so I wasnt about to complain. The thing is, I later realized that the news section did need someone like me since this year was, perhaps, the busiest one yet (for all of us who were left in the publication). Being called the Quadricentennial staff is, as the clich goes, both a gift and a curse. While it is true that it is an honor to document an occasion as big as the 400th year of UST, the additional work from all the other extra-editorial activities we organize each year plus a Q edition of Valik

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 authors 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, espaa, Manila.

Varsi, the Varsitarian alumni homecomingnot to mention the fact that several of the staff are at odds, made this year nearly unbearable and outright draining. Aside from dealing with the usual uncooperativeand sometimes rude sources, scant information, multiple deadlines, academic responsibilities, and mountains of requirements for graduating students, the rift between the once solid staff was taking its toll and was making it harder to get the work done. For a while, it felt like we were filming a spin-off of the reality show, Survivor, with the rules and strategies slightly changed. We agree to disagree on how to get things done, and then get on each others nerve, team up with whoever shares the same opinion and see who gives up firstof course, theres the occasional spy, eavesdropper, and turncoat. Looking at it now, it feels Kishi Kaisei Page 5

JUNE 10, 2011

The

Varsitarian Opinion

Beating the buzzer

SOMETIMES, I have this flight of fancy that the earth will be filled with angels and saints if people are just aware of their due dates. Think of a cancer patient given a three-month ultimatum by his physician, or a trailing team that only has 2.1 seconds to shoot from an inbound play, or a news writer obliged by his editor to pass the article an hour after the coverage. Maybe these are the kinds of people who knew the real definition of spending time wisely or living each day to the fullest. Come to think of it, men are becoming creatures of time, but every so often, they do not know how to make sense of it anymore by wasting their lives in meaningless routines, cycles, and customs. While I was gathering all the sentimental memories in my heart to write my last will and testament for the Varsitarian, apocalypse believers all over the world were busy waiting for the zero hourthe doomsday prediction of a US Christian group preacher that the grand kickoff to the end of days would happen on May 21. Most people had believed that the prophecy was a hoax, but it was an idea sold like hotcakes to both believers and skeptics alike what with Harold Campings utilization of technology and media to advance his doomsday message. The pressing question that day was: How do you want to spend the remaining moments of your life before the Judgement Day finally arrives? In a way, this mild scare reminded me of my waning days as the sports editor of the Varsitarian. Its a paradox. I am both lucky and unfortunate to know that my due date is on the 31st of Maylucky because I have the chance to prepare

Pamamaalam
everything else that we consider important and worth fighting for will soon approach its inevitable end. As Kazuo Ishiguro puts it, We all complete. Maybe none of us really understand what weve lived through or feel weve had enough time. And so we need not know when exactly our due date is, we just have to live our lives as if we were given the ultimatum. *** To Mama, Papa, Ate, and the rest of my family, sorry for all the troubles I have caused you and thank you for understanding and supporting me throughout the season. Ive always dreamed of returning the favor by giving you the Latin honor as a graduation gift. I fell short of doing so, but I do hope you are still proud of your girl. To my high school and college friends, I know that, at some point, you became jealous of the Varsitarian because I could not spend as much time with you as I had before, but I promise to catch up with you soon. Thank you for the sweet escapes and the breather. To the Golden Era and the succeeding batch, (Levine, Samboy, Cylyn, and Alena, who are always on-call in UST; my mentors Ate Ana, Emil, Mark, and Eli; and mid-year girls Nicole and Alexa), I owe you the happiest and most memorable experiences I had with V. Now, we are one with you, dear Amihans. To the Quadricentennial Batch, weve been through thick and thin, but weve managed to crawl our way up. Its been a great ride. To my V brothers Lester and Paul, I hope we wont end up behind the steel bars with Cliff. Thank you for the unplanned Never Say Die Page 6 *** Sa loob ng isat kalahating taon, ang pagiging bahagi ng Varsitarian ay isa sa pinakamagandang bagay na nangyari sa akin. Bagaman freshman pa lang ako ay gusto ko nang sumali, naunahan ako ng pangambang baka hindi ako pumasa kayat noong 2009 lang ako sumubok, dahil na rin sa pang-uudyok ng isang kamag-aral. Lubos na napamahal sa akin ang V, lalung-lalo na ang mga taong naging bahagi at bahagi nito. Ang pagpapaalam sa V ay maihahanlintulad sa pakikipaghiwalay sa iyong minamahal, masakit ngunit kailangan mong gawin dahil kailangan nyong magpatuloy at umunlad bilang mga indibidwal. Kaya sa abot ng aking makakayay susubukin kong magpaalam sa mga taong naging karamay ko sa lungkot at sayasa mga taong itinuring kong pamilya. Kay Sir Lito, Sir Ipe, at Sir Ian, sa pagiging ama nyo sa aming lahat. Madalang man namin kayong makasama ay ramdam namin ang inyong pagpapahalaga sa bawat isa sa amin; Kay Kuya Cliff, sa iyong walang patumanggang determinasyon at pagmamahal sa aming lahat, sa kabila ng mga kabiguang idinudulot namin sa iyo sa bawat pagtatapos ng cycle; Kay Paeng, gayon din kay Arra at Jonnie, kayo na ang bahala sa Pinoy. Huwag na huwag nyong pababayaan ang seksiyong minahal ko at patuloy kong mamahalin; Kay Robin G., na lagi akong inaasar, hindi kita makalilimutan at tandaan mong nandito lang ako lagi para makinig sa mga drama mo; Kay Rose, ang aking paboritong extra-editorial partner, na katuwang ko rin sa mga kuwento kong pangtelenobela: Walang limutan, at alam mo naman kung gaano kita kamahal; Kay Cha, ang kasingmaldita kong mars, salamat sa mga tawanan natin at sa pagiging isa sa mga tunay kong kaibigan. Hindi man tayo naging malapit sa klase, nadama ko naman ang pagkakaibigan natin sa V; Kay Ailex, ang mortal kong kaaway at kaasaran: Hahanap-hanapin ko ang pagtutulakan natin sa daan, pagpapalitan ng maaanghang na mga salita, mga kuwentuhan, tawanan, at siyempre ang ating katakawan. Kahit parehas nating hindi matukoy kung kailan at paano tayo naging malapit na magkaibigan, nagpapasalamat pa rin ako dahil naging bahagi ka ng buhay kolehiyo ko. Ikaw na ang bahala sa V, alam naming kayang-kaya mo iyan; At sa mga pinakamatatalik kong kaibigan sa VFrau, AJ, at Jilly: Mahal na mahal ko kayo. Salamat sa pagtitiwala at sa pagkakaibigan. Naging bahagi kayo ng buhay ko at patuloy kayong magiging bahagi nito. Walang limutan. Ngayon ay tuluyan ko nang masasabing, Minsang V, Mananatiling V! NITONG mga huling araw ay nabalot ako ng magkahalong saya, pangamba, at lungkot. Saya dahil sa wakas ay nagbunga na rin ang apat na taon ko sa kolehiyo, at nakamit ko na ang pinakaaasam kong diploma; pangamba dahil hindi ko pa natitiyak kung ano ang naghihintay sa akin sa labas ng Unibersidad; at lungkot dahil iiwan ko ang pamantasang buongpusong kumanlong sa akin mula noong akoy 15 taong gulang pa lamang. Sariwa pa sa aking alaala ang unang pagtapak ko sa Unibersidad na ito. Labing-apat na taong gulang ako noon, at lumiban pa ako sa klase para ipasa ang aking application form sa Main Building. Wala akong kamalay-malay na iyon na pala ang hudyat ng aking pagiging Tomasino. Sa katunayan, hindi ko naman pinangarap na maging Tomasino. Ngunit sadyang nakatadhana akong sa kanlungan ni Santo Tomas mapunta. Sa paglipas ng panahon, unti-unti kong natutunang mahalin ang UST. Natutunan kong mahalin ang mga rumaragasang sasakyan ng Espaa; ang mga karinderya ng P.Noval; ang baha ng Dapitan; at ang mga maliliit na tindahan ng Lacson. Lubos akong nagpapasalamat sa Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas, hindi lamang sa karunungang ibinahagi nito sa akin, kundi pati na rin sa mga taong nakilala ko sa pamamalagi ko sa institusyong ito. Sa aking mga naging propesor, lalung-lalo na kay Jeremaiah Opiniano, sa pagbabahagi ng inyong mga kaalaman na bagaman ipinagpalalagay naming ang ibay hindi naman namin magagamit, ay buong-husay nyo pa ring ibinahagi sa amin. Salamat Maam at Sir sa lahat-lahat, lalo na sa mga gintong aral na napulot namin sa inyo; Sa aking mga kamag-aral sa JRN1, lalung-lalo na kina Pineda at Mich, sa pagiging tunay kong mga kaibigan. Sa mga kapanalig ko sa thesis na sina Mich, Erika, at Maica, na kasabay kong nakaramdam ng tensiyon at taranta sa ating pases para makamit natin ang ating mga diploma.

The very concept of death teaches us that all people, no matter how much we loved and cared for them, cannot be with us forever.
myself before the big day, patch things up, and make the most out of the remaining time, but unfortunate because the countdown itself is excruciating, knowing that the end is near and theres nothing I can do to postpone it, and the only move left is to break free from all the familiarity, the memories, and dreams, and the people who I once shared these memories and dreams with. Usually, senior athletes who spend their last playing year in the collegiate league are the most emotional ones and also the most all-out in the team. Oftentimes, they are also the ones expected to grab the MVP title as a cherry on top of their victory cake. But this is not the conclusion of their sporting career for they can still turn pro or beef up the national team. So I still believe that there is a good in goodbyes, that this is not an absolute end but a means to a far greater end. *** Ever wondered why the champion always stands on the elevated ladder during the awarding ceremony of a sporting eventalways one foot higher than the second and the third placer? Anything that comes with the ordinal first or the nominal one is privileged to occupy the most dignified and important place on the planet. Thats why back in our childhood years, we were obliged to memorize the name of the first man on the moon, the first woman president, or the first circumnavigator of the globe. And who would forget the butterflies-in-your-stomach when you had your first crush, the highly emotional atmosphere when your favorite team won its first ever championship, or that strange feeling of a teenage girl who had her first period? In my entire stay in the sports section (three years to be precise),there were also a lot of first times: my first tour at the players dugout; first Gatorade (Champagne) shower; first UST bus ride; first trip to Naga; first stride at the Big Domes hardcourt floor; and first plane ride. For my first assignment at the Varsitarian, I was tasked to write a story about the funeral and the memoirs of ex-Glowing Goldie playmaker and former Olympian Gabby Fajardo. I will always be thankful to Sir Gabbys family and friends for the hospitality, and the trust they reposed on me and Tin when we were in Marikina for the wake. I consider this first assignment a sign of good things to come. The very concept of death teaches us that all people, no matter how much we loved and cared for them, cannot be with us forever. And thus,

Sa paglipas ng panahon, unti-unti kong natutunang mahalin ang UST. Natutunan kong mahalin ang mga rumaragasang sasakyan ng Espaa; ang mga karinderya ng P.Noval; ang baha ng Dapitan; at ang mga maliliit na tindahan ng lacson.

A promise worth breaking

WHEN I was in high school, I vowed not to be active in extracurricular activities in college. This resolution, perhaps, was a result of the exhaustion brought by my engagements in different activities in high school, where I was an active member of our school theater club, campus paper, and student government, among others. To be faithful to my college resolution, I rested for a year, doing the colleges academic demands and spending quality time with my high school friends. But as the popular saying goes, promises are made to be broken. It was during my first summer in college that I realized that I needed extra-curricular activities for experience and in preparation for life after graduation. Since I was a Journalism student, I aimed to become a member of the Varsitarian, the 83-year-old institution that produced many of todays brightest and undaunted pens in Philippine journalism. I told myself that no matter what happened, entering the student publication was a must. So one time, I was browsing the Internet where I found an advertisement that said the Varsitarian was in need of sports writers. Even without any prior experience in sports writing, I quickly asked for details and eventually took the exam. I invited my friend, who is a sports fanatic, to also try the examination, thinking that she

After two and a half years of working in the Varsitarian, I could now say that the promise that I made in high school was really worth breaking.
would also need this opportunity. Beginners luck did not work for me as my friend got the coveted slot. Weeks later, the Varsitarian opened slots for photographers. Desperate to enter the publication, I submitted my resume for the second time and hoped for a second chance. And this time, I nailed it. My Varsitarian experience was the most meaningful and colorful adventure of my life as a student. The publication and its people cracked me out of the shell of my own insecurities, and brought out the confidence that I never had when I entered college. After two and a half years of working in the Varsitarian, I could now say that the promise that I made in high school was really worth breaking. To my greatest mentor, friend, and father in the Varsitarian, Lito Zulueta, the lectures, reprimands, and the lessons you taught me will always be kept in my mind to guide me in my future endeavors. I would also like to give my gratitude to my parents for their support and for accepting the nature of my joblatenight coverage and overnight presswork, among others. To QJrn1, especially Team Petix, thank you for rescuing me during the most depressing time of my college life. To Cha, Jilly, Darenn, and Cliff, my blockmates whom I encouraged to enter this organization, I hope I did not fail in helping you find happiness and family in the Varsitarian. To my batchmates, Nicole and Alexa, even though you had an earlier exit, I know that you only left the office but did not leave us as our friends. To Josa, Ramon, Carla, Jilson, Brylle, Marnee, Cam, Melai, and Cham, like what I always tell you: just chill and always rock and roll. Play and work defined this years Circle section of the Varsitarian. To Anime, take the shift from Circle to Literary as an opportunity to improve your storytelling skills that you may apply as film director in the future. Ernest, extend the fun in work that we always do in Circle to the 2012 Varsitarian

batch. And to Alya, thank you for the lessons and the crispness that we shared, I know that youll never fail me in handling Circle and Inkblots. To next years batch of staffers, take care of the publication, maximize your capabilities, and always make the environment of the office happy; this will at least ease the toxic that the work gives you. And to my friends who gained the Amihan title earlier than I didLevine, Samboy, Alena, Clyntoot, Joseinne, Akemi, Rona, Rose May, and othersthank you for teaching me things in life. You have proven that Varsitarian is not just a student publication but also a family. And lastly, to Jeremy and Paul, who had my back when I was prone to falling down, saying thank you is not enough to compensate the things that you did to me. I still cant believe those crazy adventures we had, such as taking a ride in a patrol vehicle and the hurried trip to Sagada. I am glad that Ive shared them all with the two of you. The experience and the preparation for the bigger world that I yearn not to conquer are not the only things that I got from V, but also the bonus of having a home and a family that I will treasure, not to mention the heartbreaks that will serve as lifes lessons. Like what other Varsitarian alumni say, I am proud to be a Thomasian, but I am even prouder to be a Varsitarian staffer. Once a V staffer, always a V staffer!

6 Opinion The

Varsitarian

JUNE 10, 2011

Destiny at 2011
BEING A Varsitarian staffer was the greatest thing that ever happened in my student life, and this publication has become my second family and the cradle of my creative beginnings. *** Upon returning to UST from a Varsitarian staff development program in Caylabne, I took an unexpected turn to travel down memory lane. Suddenly I found myself standing with my camera and tripod before the Benavides Park, looking forward to capture the same scene but on a different time frame. It was the similar scenario two years when I captured the scene which became The Founder, the photo which won the grand prize in the UST Quadricentennial photo contest. But this time, there was a downpour. It came to me that if there was another photo that would defeat my The Founder shot, it would be the same picture but with another elementa lightning that would strike at the Benavides statue. I asked my successor in the Varsitarian, Jilson Tiu, to take a photo of me holding a copy of The Founder, in effect, capturing the same scenario but this time, including me in the photograph. When Jilson was about to press the shutter, a lightning bolt struck. He later told me that he almost got the perfect shot but missed the lightning by a split second. Nevertheless, I knew that I am meant for far greater things, after all. *** I was trying to fight back my tears during the opening of the Quadricentennial week because I had a misunderstanding with one of the University officials. Despite this, I braved my most awaited coverage and set aside my emotions. So I laid down my cameras in the UST chapel and whispered a prayer to Him. The Quadricentennial coverage experience tested my character and challenged my spirit. No person would accuse me that I never gave it my best shot because I always took the risk and braved the hazards just to immortalize the precious moments of the celebration for UST, the Thomasians, and posterity. Pain, love, stress, sacrifice, and tears paved the way to the success of my coverage during the Quadricentennial week. Shooting its glory for the past four years, I surrendered my might, vision, and photography career to UST and never asked for anything in return. It was the least I could do for my tribute to my ever beloved University, kasi mahal na mahal ko ang UST.

The shift
I shifted to the Faculty of Art and Letters from the Faculty of Pharmacy because it was my dream to be a journalist. However, my decision to have another home in UST came with a price, considering that I should have graduated by the time I was writing this final piece. But earlier in my days as an aspiring pharmacist, I found that people were too serious, that everything in this college was a competition. Never have I seen groups of people forming around with gifted individuals who are consistent deans listers. These people who deem it necessary to hang on to such talent so that they may have someone to boost their academic standing. Adding to that, classroom politics grew worse every semester. People twisted stories to destroy the reputation of their fellow classmates just for the sake of having more friends and supporters. I grew weary of this daily struggle to keep my sanity in check. In time, all I could see was the brutal hue of black and white, signifying the dullness and monotony of my life in Pharmacy. I felt my creativity and writing skills were being stunted with huge loads of scientific terms needed to be memorized. One time during class, I was on my way to the bathroom to escape the stifling atmosphere conjured by a lecture of supposedly infinitesimal scientific proportions, when I chanced upon a small flyer of the Varsitarian inviting students to apply for the student publication. There lay before me the salvation of my college life, my chance to pour my mind over an institution willing to take on students who could write. Before I knew it, on April 1, 2008, I officially became a Varsitarian staffer.

The Varsitarian is a classroom full of workhorses who strive to do their best without pulling their constituents back to the stable.
And all this time, I thought the only requirement was to write stories and pass them on time, which at first was a feat I failed as a Witness writer. It was a slow start until I became a Literary writer. There flourished the words in me that I could only write in my dreams, stories that I wished to be immortalized by own words and experience. It was also my greatest achievement that I was not subject to criticisms by the Renaissance man, Sir Joselito Zulueta, aside from the mysterious apple tree. By the time I finished my second year with the esteemed student publication, I was sapped of my energy to maintain my composure as a writer and staffer. But then I realized that I was enjoying every day working in the Varsitarian. It gave me a sense of purpose and taught me to be responsible. I shed my former self. I left behind my laziness and built my self-esteem. I finally became my natural self and I found my closest friends in the publication. And here I am, saying these things not for the sake of telling people that life in the Varsitarian is quite simple. The words that I deliver to you, my fellow Thomasians, is but a chunk of my experiences working in this organization. I do not regret that I shifted to Journalism entering my third and final year in the Varsitarian. (Melai, Frau, Gelo) Im proud of your triumvirate. Even though we were undermanned, we pulled it through. To the rookies (Chenny, Jan B., Bong, and Alexis), you have a very promising future to look up to in the sports world. Enjoy and treasure it. To the next batch of V, we believe that you can go the distance. Thank you for the short-lived moments that I hope to continue afterwards. To my coaches, Sir Lito, Sir Ian, and Sir Ipe: thank you for being father figures to us all; for the mentoring, patience, of staff has been determined, it is time for the rest of us to step down. Before I let go, however, I would like to sincerely congratulate the Quadricentennial Varsitarian batch for a fruitful year and a job well done. Amid all the adversities, the shouting, and the occasional tear-inducing, stress-filled, feels-like-a-test-of-friendship extra-editorials, we made it out unscathed! For a year full of both bliss and misery, I thank you, my Varsitarian family. To the advisers, despite this years countless tribulations, thank you for keeping us grounded and for helping us get through. Moreover, the last four floors of the building will be composed of private rooms with a total of 112 beds, at 30 to 40 square meters per room. Even if the whole campus is flooded, you can still go around the three buildings [because] they are connected by If I may, I could already admit that Varsitarian is a classroom full of workhorses who strive to do their best without pulling their constituents back to the stable. The grit and grind attitude that I, along with my fellow editors, have adopted opened my eyes to what we should be doing as individuals, which is to do our best while instilling in ourselves the value of competence, compassion, and commitment. At the very end of a dark tunnel, there is light that beckons a new beginning. My mission to give light to the darkest crevices of that tunnel would not have been meaningful and enjoyable without my companions of the pen. To the erudite Sir Joselito Zulueta and the fatherly Sir Felipe Salvosa II, the sources of our staunch religiosity and honesty in reporting, thank you for the many tasks you have beset upon me for the past three years. I shall never forget the snippets of knowledge you have shared with this writer. To my superiors, Cliff and AJ, I give you thanks for bearing with me and my erratic behavior as Witness editor. I am deeply sorry for not being of good help when you needed it the most. My friendship with you will be sorely missed. To Cha, Jilly, Lester, Ailex, Dana, Jem, Carla, Paul and Ramon, my fellow editors, may trust, and motivation. I wish I could be like you someday. To the Thomasian Athletics community, my prayers and support will always be with UST in its quest for excellence. To my best friend, who is one of the last cowboys, Im willing to gamble no matter how high the stakes are. We will make the chorus of that Barry Manilow song happen. To the Varsitarian, my heart will always be with you and you will always be a part of me. Minsang V, Mananatiling V. That in all things, God may be glorified. Dana, Frau, Jenn O., Paeng, Melai, Rose, and Robin, I am grateful for the friendship you guys offered when I was at my lowest. Know that I will be here for all of you just as you were there for me. To my News family, we made it out alive! Thank you for the teamwork. To the new boss, Ailex, you deserve to be on top and no matter where we may be, know that we got your back. Same goes for Ernest and Rommel. To the outgoing editorial board, Cliff and AJ, thank you for inspiring us to do our best. We look up to the two of you. Best of luck to us all. Che, Kaki, Cy, Suzanne, Ivomy friends outside V: bridgeways, Fernandez said. The soon-to-rise extension building will use light-emitting diode lights for low energy consumption, as well as recycled water. The new building will also have a separate waste management area on the lower ground

The V still has a mystical way of changing each staffers life for the better.
*** When I first saw a copy of the Varsitarian during my freshman year, I found it to be an ordinary campus paper. I even told myself, Ang pangit naman ng photos and printing nito. But as time went by, I began to love and respect the Varsitarian. In retrospect, I was very enthusiastic to post my UST photographs on Multiply in 2008. It was around that time that someone left me a message online, telling me that my Paskuhan 2007 photos could be viewed on Pinoyexchange. This is where former Science and Technology writer, Arian Rabino, commended my photos and encouraged me to join the Varsitarian. This was the start of my love affair with the V. When I entered the Varstiarian, I was so stubborn and indifferent to the point that my superiors had to resort to special measures to fix my problematic character. In a way, the Varsitarian has been my teacher for the past three years. It has forced me to recognize my flaws and eventually correct them through the guidance of the people in the organization. Aside from chronicling events and expressing myself through writing, the V has taught me to think and feel deeply. Through V, I learned to sacrifice and to look at things in a beautiful way. Most of all, V has taught me to love. The V molded me into who I am today. I cant imagine what my life would be without being part of this family. Beyond my banner photos that graced the pages of the Varsitarian, I found happiness, lifetime friendships, and a home. Despite the petty quarrels and literally sleepless presswork nights, the V still has a mystical way of changing each staffers life for the better. Its in this office where I was both hated and loved. No longer the wide-eyed adolescent I was when I entered this publication, but as I leave the portals of this institution, I broke the chains that bound me. The appreciation I have earned for my photographs has given me the chance to etch my name in the four corners of this University, I am proud to say that I am a Thomasian, but I am prouder to be a part of the Varsitarian. I would like to thank the Reverend Fathers De la Rosa, Tiong, Bolo, Abao, Timoner, and Pinto, and Miss Fontanilla: you were the pillars of my holistic Thomasian formation. I would not be the Paul Quiambao that I am today if not for your guidance and assistance. If not for the opportunities you have given me, perhaps I would still be drifting in the illusions of my dreams if I did not meet such benevolent souls. From the bottom of my heart, thank you! To the great Lito Zulueta: God was smiling down on me when he let my path cross yours. Youve been a father to me. I am lucky to have met a brilliant man like you. It is you, Sir Lito, who kept me grounded and inspired me to strive for excellence. Thank you for guiding me and Lester in the right direction and for teaching us to always find something new in the same old thing. You will be forever young in our hearts! Digital Eyes Page 10

you realize that your presence have already shaped my attitudes and helped me mature in the process. Thank you for bearing with my negativity. To my brother and sister under the Holy Cross, Brylle and Jenn, you have done well in the only year that we have worked together. Thank you for bearing with me, especially during those crucial instances like our reportage on the Reproductive Health (RH) bill and many situations that made us public enemies among RH bill supporters (or maybe it was just me). To Paeng, Melai, Cam, Cham, Ernest, Alya, Jilson, Fritz, Meg, Frau, and Isai, thank you for the small talks that made big impacts on my life. To Aki, the one girl I considered adopting as my little sister, it is with joy that I thank you for being my partner in problem-sharing, and how we could solve each others problem. The world is a big place. Tread carefully, little one. Of whom I gave my all my personal time, laughter, tears and my heartthere is no other that I would give my greatest gratitude but to my beloved Aica, who has also given me time to prove myself. Do not let the world bully you to hide within your silent heart for if you hold my hand, you can never falter in finding what matters most to you. Here I stand on a fork road, ready to begin another life outside Room 105 of the Tan Yan Kee Building. There will be great things ahead of me, but I will not forget that my mortality will force me to look back and see the things that I have done. And I will never forget what transpired in that room for three years. Until I enter my grave in old age, I will never forget that I was a V staffer, and always will be.

Never Say Die

FROM Page 5 escapades and the good talks about the old times. To my first teammates as a greenhorn (Ana, Aki, and Heinz), I look up to all of you so much. I miss covering games with you. To the black sheep team (Cha, Ate Athena, Lester, and Frau), thank you for not giving up when everybody doubted our ability. For me, you are the unsung heroes. To my current Sports Team

Usapang Uste
FROM Page 4 De Ramos, N.V. I Walked With Twelve UST Rectors. Central Professional Books Inc., 2000 Ust.edu.ph http://www.workforce. com/section/hr-management/ feat u re/global-work forcereport-emerging-markets-expanding-the/ 45th annual meeting of Philippine Economic Society Souvenir Program I dont know how I could have dealt with what happened if not for you guys. I will forever be indebted to all of you. Mom, Dad, Kuya, Jkar, what more can I say? You are the best family a girl like me could ever ask for. I hope I have made you proud. I love all of you. To the next batch of V staff, take care of the Varsitarian. Give it your best, because it deserves nothing less. And whenever any one of you feels like trapped in certain circumstances youll soon be facing, know that at one point, most, if not all, of us had thought of leaving but instead, chose to stay and redeem ourselves and eventually overcome adversitykishi kaisei. floor. The design of the proposed building is close to that of the old hospital and Clinical Division buildings at the administrations request, Caguioa said. BeRNaDeTTe D. NICOLaS with reports from DIaNa JeaN B. eVITe and RaFaeL L. aNTONIO

Kishi Kaisei
FROM Page 4 like a miracle that most of us stayed, making us all survivors of a turbulent year. It is even more surprising how much we all have missed the family that we used to be, and how were trying to fill that void with the time we have leftmaking saying goodbye a little more heartbreaking than I originally anticipated. Still, I am both proud and relieved that we got through the year just fine and are leaving a peaceful workplace and home, one that I never thought Id experience again. And now that the new set

Hospital
FROM Page 2 extension building will have a hotel-type lobby, a garden promenade on the sixth floor, and a floating church.

Editor: Rose-An Jessica M. Dioquino

JUNE 10, 2011

The

Varsitarian Features

Young entrepreneurs
mean
By JENNIFER M. ORIllAzA THESE Thomasians didnt wait long to find success in the real world. Gold Lester Navea, 21, was still a Marketing student when he put up University Scoop in September last year. The ice cream joint on A. Lacson Avenue has since become a hit among Thomasians. Dan Angelo Sangalang, 18, put up Disenyo Tomasino, an online apparel business, while Gabriele Benedict Pilapil, a nursing alumnus, is the man behind Goldstreak, a successful clothing line. Navea has always seen himself as an entrepreneur, but was somehow discouraged because of his familys financial constraints. But with a mix of persistence and passionand lots of support from friends and family he was able to start an ice cream business. When we were about to start, my family and I surveyed establishments surrounding the University to carefully decide on what particular product we could offer, he recalled. Since we were all ice cream lovers, and there was no ice cream shop in the area, we decided to start one. Navea, alumnus from the College of Commerce and Business Administration, found a small space near the Universitys Lacson gate and, true to his name, he struck gold. Scoop of success Scoop, as Navea calls it, has become a family efforthis mother takes charge of both ice cream and hot meal recipes, while his sisters help manage the finances and attend to customers. Less than a year into the business, Scoop has evolved from just an ice cream parlor into a fullscale restaurant serving hot meals at student-friendly price. Navea has also begun hiring fellow Thomasians as part-time employees. They get to work hard for whatever it is that they earn, he said. I want them to feel like an adult and it proved to be a good move. School spirit Sangalang also braved the risks of establishing a business at a young age when he put up Disenyo Tomasino. But unlike Navea, who carefully treaded the business stream, the incoming Management Accounting senior started his endeavor by making a Facebook page without having a concrete idea on what his merchandise would be. Combining his talent in graphic design with UST-designed merchandise, he launched his eightmonth-old product line, which features jackets and shirts. My designs are very simple, but they truly emanate Thomasian school spirit, he said. Like Sangalang, Pilapil also relied on Thomasian pride and the clothing industry for a business idea. He used his savings to launch Goldstreak in 2009, not as a student but as a registered nurse at the Philippine Heart Center. Its store is now housed at the ground floor of the multi-deck carpark. I noticed that compared to other prestigious universities, UST did not have any mainstream merchandise that promoted Thomasian pride and unity, so I decided to start this business, he told the Varsitarian via e-mail. All three entrepreneurs added that the Internet has been of great help to their respective businesses, given their markets reliance on social networking sites such as Facebook and Multiply. Young and earning With an early start in business, Navea said that being able to share in family expenses gives him a sense of pride. Through the help of other sources of income, I can help my sisters get through college. Aside from that, since my parents cant work forever, I would also like to help them, he said. Navea told the Varsitarian that having a business of his own nourishes his creative side, unlike what would have happened if he got into a franchise. When you get a franchise, you are required to follow rules. I do not like to be under those rules because I like to think of new gimmicks to satisfy customers, he said. But the Marketing alumnus added that he knows that income could become unstable in business ventures, so he is focusing on building his career, currently working for a high-end real estate company in Makati. I need a steady income because Im not sure if Scoop will continue to succeed or fail, he said. I have to be realistic about it, so I need something to look forward to every month. Sangalangwho shared that his childhood fancy of having a business never wanedechoed Naveas views, adding that he plans to continue building his career as an accountant and then use his earnings from that as capital for a bigger business. I do not want to spend my entire life working as an employee. I want to have my own clothing line in the future like that of Nike and Adidas. But in order for me to achieve this, I have to build my career first, he said. For Pilapil, having an early start in business has enabled him to learn the ropes of entrepreneurship, thus empowering you to [let your business] grow, as well as to start more businesses in the future. He told the Varsitarian that the profit from Goldstreak helps not only with his personal expenses, butmore importantlyin making the business grow and inspiring him to do more as a businessman. Unlike Navea and Sangalang, Pilapil said he looks at his nursing career and his clothing line equally, not seeing his business as a mere sideline. I believe that a mark of a good entrepreneur is the ability to multitask, he said. I aim to focus on

business

both my chosen career and my business. L e s s o n s learned N a v e a said he thanks his Thomasian upbringing for teaching him how to look after the customers, adding that this mindset has taught him to understand that whatever [social] level your customers are in, you have to reach out to them and adjust because they are customers nonetheless. He added that he learned about priorities while he was managing Scoop and studying simultaneously. You have to know your priorities and you have to know how to deal with them, he said, adding that student entrepreneurs have to plan ahead to make everything fit into their schedules. Sangalang, on the other hand, has learned how to think carefully where we would spend our money. It is also a must to save [money] so that we will have something to spend when an emergency arises, he said. For Pilapil, the best lesson he got from his experience as a young entrepreneur is that anything is possible with the Lord, as long as one strives to be better. I realized that, with Gods grace, all things are possible, especially when you work hard and believe, he said.

Thomasian merchandise. (left) University Scoop does not only serve as an ice cream haven for dessert lovers, but also as a favorite hangout place among Thomasians. (Right) Growling Tiger Jeric Teng models one of the famous designs of Goldstreak. Photos courtesy of gOLD LeSTeR NaVea and gaBRIeLe BeNeDICT PILaPIL

Emely Dicolen-Abagat
By MARGARET ROSE B. MARANAN AS AN accomplished teacher, Emely DicolenAbagat is expected to know a lot of thingseven, and perhaps most specially, the abstract concepts of love and dedication. But Abagat, who was dean of both the Graduate School and the Department of Arts and Sciences of Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the early 2000s, chose to leave her posts behind and embark on a new missionto spread the Catholic faith in South Korea. And thus began her most valuable lessons. The Development Education alumna went to this adventure as a lay missionary, working as a volunteer for the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center for Filipino Migrants in Seoul in 2005. She conducted several spiritual retreats and recollections, while offering her services as a paid tutor in English to Korean children. She then headed the education committee of Hyehwadong Filipino Catholic Community, where she became actively involved in training and seminars for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Connecting with kababayan Her role as a volunteer missionary is a heavy undertaking. It means being available to whoever needs her 24/7. Sometimes, someone I dont know would call me in the middle of the night, crying and worried about some family issue, she told the Varsitarian in an e-mail. Abagat has heard them all, sob stories of migrant Filipino workers battling sadness created by distance from loved ones. Not to mention abusive employers and the overall struggle in a foreign land.

Teaching and learning in a foreign land

Teacher Emely Despite her new mission, Abagat still hasnt forgotten about her first loveteachingand remains active in the academe. After her stint as a paid tutor, she became a professor under the Teacher Education Program of the Catholic University of Korea in 2009, where she became the first and only Filipina in the Faculty. At present, she teaches Business Ethics and English for International Studies. Abagats profession has provided her with a wider perspective in life, especially with her newest venture to a foreign land. I practice my profession in a very unstructured way [where the lessons I teach in class] are rather content-oriented, she shared. Teaching the basics of the real world is indeed challenging. A success story of hers as a teacher in South Korea involves a seven-year-old Korean boy who was very stubborn in class. She introduced him to what she called everyday therapy of sweet remarks, telling the boy that Mom and teacher love you. The boy was a tough nut to crack at first, but eventually became playful and happy, she recalled. Abagat said that it showed her one of the most important lessons of life in a foreign land that if you show love, language and culture are not barriers. I guess every teacher wants to see their students be successful, she said. Thats probably the greatest joy of a teacher like me. Despite the many challenges posed by her duties, Abagat says that she does not intend to stop helping and sharing love, especially now that she knows about the heartbreaks of our fellowmen who are far away from home. I plan to become a teacher and a missionary all my life, she said.

Emely Dicolen-Abagat moved to South Korea as a lay missionary, leaving her post in the academe behind. She worked as an English tutor to Korean children before she started teaching at the Catholic University of Korea. Photo courtesy of eMeLY DICOLeN-aBagaT

This is where she finds her role most relevantto be present when her compatriots need her the most. It is very fulfilling to be able to listen to those OFWs who share their sentiments with me, said Abagat, who recounted her experiences with workers abroad in her 2009 book, And God Smiled Back. People dont always need advice. Sometimes, they just need someone to talk to. Abagats efforts didnt go unnoticed. She

received the first Gawad Giovanni Jaron, or the Most Outstanding Filipino Individual in Korea Award, in 2008. She was also one of the 24 recipients of the Presidential Award for the Outstanding Organizations and Individuals Overseas. I was happy in a sense that people recognize our efforts in building a community, she said. I guess there will be more challenges ahead, and this will help us do more to be deserving of this award.

8 Circle The

Varsitarian

JUNE 10, 2011

Editor: Lester G. Babiera

A celebration of high couture and modern Filipiniana

THOMASIAN DESIGNERS OPEN Philippine Fashion Week 2011

A COLLECTION of Thomasian designers kicked off this years Philippine Fashion Week last May 10 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The collection of Filipiniana couture was supposed to be presented at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial fashion show last February 24, but last-minute problems cancelled the show. We were supposed to hold it in our alma maters grounds, but we encountered problems. In the beginning, we were supposed to be 20 designers, said designer Edgar San Diego. The all-Thomasian show, titled 10, featured elegant gown collections by UST alumni Danilo Franco, Edgar Allan, Edgar San Diego, Eric Pineda, JC Buendia, Johnny Abad, Noel Crisostomo, Nole Hans, Richard Papa, and the late Salvacion Lim-Higgins, who has been nominated for the posthumous National Artist award for fashion design. Allan used strong colors and extravagant silhouettes as his designs were envisioned to complement the Universitys Main Building. My works pay homage to nature and were planned to be visible on an external catwalk with the Main Building as the backdrop, Allan said. The Architecture graduate used matte-linen fabric to achieve the controlled luster of his extremely dazzling gowns. On the other hand, the collection of Papa engaged the conservatism of white and nude colors juxtaposed with the edgy concept of varying cut patterns. Made of silk, stool, and organdy, Papas creations were mostly short dresses embellished with simple details. San Diego paid tribute to the Filipino baro at saya by giving it a modern twist. His classic pieces were modish enough for everyday way, while still exuding the elegance of the barot saya as seen in the silhouette and the use of local material. Fine Arts and Design alumnus Franco said his contribution to 10 was his first wearable collection as he usually makes larger-than-life fashion. His unconventional designs showed eccentric weaves and a wide array of fabric such as denim, linen, and cotton. Even if they were unable to hold the fashion exhibition on UST soil, the Thomasian designers who participated in the countrys biggest fashion meet carried the Universitys banner with pride and made every Thomasian proud to be part of an institution that holds diversity, art, and culture close to its heart. FRITzIe MaRIe C. aMaR

Some of the pieces featured in 10, displaying the distinct contemporary Filipiniana flair of the collection, which was created by an all-Thomasian team of designers. ISaBeLa a. MaRTINez

and aNa MaY R. DeLa CRUz

UST dissertation in history is subject of Fake

By AlyOSHA J. ROBIllOS IT IS not common knowledge that American Episcopalian minister and Yale-trained historian William Henry Scott cracked the Code of Kalantiao and exposed it as a hoax. Its even more uncommon knowledge that Scotts expose was part of his dissertation in UST, where he took up his doctorate in History in the 1960s. Both uncommon revelations are disclosed in the original contemporary drama, Fake, written by award-winning playwright Floy Quintos and staged by the University of the Philippines (UP) Playwrights Theater last May at UP Dilimans Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan. As the title more than suggests, the Code of Kalantiao, which generations of Filipinos had known as an ancient penal code before the coming of the Spaniards, had been a sham all along, the product of history researcher Jose Marcos fancy manipulation. The play features controversial myths in Philippine history and combines them with a fictional plot that questions the Filipinos uncanny ability to believe irrevocably in things that are beyond logic. When I started writing the play in 2009, I knew only that I wanted to write about the human need to believe in something bigger than ourselves, bigger than the truth itself, Quintos writes in his notes on Fake. The story revolves around a skeptical man named Miguel, who believes that everything that is beyond reason is simply fake. A man with a mission, he seeks to expose Sister Emily, a Marian seer, as a hoax. Miguels own story unfolds. It turns out that he used to believe in the stories of Jose Marco, the infamous author of the Code of Kalantiao and La Loba Negra, about the avenging widow of General Bustamante who was killed by friars and ecclesiastics during an uprising. But Marco would be unmasked. Scott would expose the Kalantiao as a fraud right in front of Miguel and Marcos wife, Concepcion. This incident scarred Miguel and pushed him to question everything that people strongly believed in, including Sister Emily and her Marian apparitions. But, fate and faith leave Miguel aghast when in the end, the Virgin makes an appearance and even offers a rose to Miguel through Sister Emily. Aside from the set and acting, what made the story highly effective was how it toyed with the audiences emotions as it moved from one act to the other. In real life, Marco and Scott did not meet. The confrontation in the play is Quintos interpretation of what might have occurred if the two had the chance to converse about the history that Marco fabricated. While the script built up momentum for the climax that was enough to turn any devotee into a skeptic, the plays ending offered a simple and enlightening premise that is still very relevant todayit is unfortunate that peoples petty faith swiftly turns into bickering when the outcome of things do not align with their desires especially when the need to believe overtakes human reason. The diverse cast included film director Joel Lamangan as Jose Marco and seasoned thespian Ces Quesada along with editor-writer Alya Honasan who took turns playing Concepcion.

Editorial
FROM Page 4

lamangan playing the role of the scholar-turned-fraud, Jose Marco. KaRLa MIDeS C. TOLeDO

We know that those UP professors who declared their support for the bill did it on ideological purposes, reproductive health rights being an ideological shorthand. But even Marx rejected birth control because of its false social analysis: it doesnt strike at the root causes of poverty and injustice. Birth control is false consciousness; its a bourgeois panacea. What we witnessed therefore during the 100th UP graduation rites was a melding of right and lefta conspiracy of self-interest groups to blame poverty on the poor. What are the root causes of poverty? One is corruption. The President should be reminded that he won the 2010 elections on the strength of his anti-corruption platform Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap. Intrinsic to the platform is a correct analysis of corruption: that it is abetted by overregimentation, bureaucratization, of the state trying to extend itself to issues and concerns that are best left alone and to sorting out themselves, such as teenage pregnancy and family planning. (In the final analysis, what can the state really do about teenage pregnancy? And what right has the state to legislate an ideal family size?) Fast forward to a year later and the President has essentially reneged on his election vow by backing a bill that will expand the powers of the state, violate the natural-law provisions of the 1987 Constitution, provide it an excuse to spend at least P3 billion to shower on the poor contraceptives, many of which are abortifacients, and over all, provide new openings for overregimentation, bureaucratization, and corruption. The President may as well change his political slogan: Maraming corrupt, maraming mahirap. National suicide Blinded by the false glitter of high-end economic lifestyle, the President fails to take into consideration the pitfalls of population controlthe fostering of a contraceptive mentality and the unfolding of the so-called demographic winter, defined by American demographer Philip Longman as the ongoing global decline in human birthrates [which has become] the single most powerful force affecting the fate of nations and the future of society in the 21st century. The Philippine population growth rate of 1.95 percent is already below the demographically correct replenishment rate, yet RH bill supporters insist on their own demographic illusions, just as they insist that access to free contraceptives and family planning services are needed to check pregnancy mortality, even if pregnancy complications are hardly a leading cause of death among women. Still, the President keeps on zeroing in on the need to educate the couples by giving them a choice of family-planning methods. But the problem is more deep-seated than that: the problem (aside from the Philippine states long history of corruption) is the lack of quality education per se. How can you possibly expect someone who wasnt taught well to make informed, rational decisions if the informationand toolspresented to him are already tainted with bias? How do you expect people to make their own informed choice when you shove them free contraceptives? Perhaps it is high time for the President to realize that the RH bill offers false solutions to the nations pressing poverty. Soon enough, his standand the RH bill minions preference for easy ideological fixeswill lead to long-term problems that would rise from what the father of management science and social ecologist Peter Drucker has called as a collective national suicide.

liberal. Presumably, the President was beating his breast and doing the sympathizing for the teenage mother from the window of his Porsche. The fact that the UP crowd cheered him on for his declaration of resolve should indicate that UP, for all of its leftist claim of correct social analysis of the objective condition, shared his reactionary philistinism.

Cliffhanger
FROM Page 4 that the paper you pay for during enrollment is an independent paper that tries to practice its independence responsibly and along the line of Catholic social ethic. Peruse every issue that the Varsitarian staffers struggle to release, savor every story they research and write and be a little more kind and try to understand. *** When I look back and recall the turn of events in my stay in the Varsitarian, I couldnt

imagine how I managed, and with all modestysurvived the big shift that happened in my writing vocation. From a news reporter, I woke up one day at the helm of this premiere campus paper, naturally striving to maintain it as the best student publication in the country, at least for those who know how we operate. So it would be ungrateful if I would not thank those individuals who, in one way or another, helped me to endure the laborious publication year 2010-2011. To our advisers, Sir Lito, Sir Ipe, and Sir Ian: I am lucky to meet people like you. Your stature as journalists

has inspired me to take in my journalism education, dreaming that one day I would be at par with your caliber. For a year, I felt like a professional journalist because of the privilege of working with you. Salamat po. To my former editors, Ate Dan, Prinz, and Emil: during those times that I had to make a decision when confronted with an editorial or a managerial dilemma, I would always return to the foundations and lessons I learned from the three of you. Thank you so much. To Dioqs, thank you for the 15 issues of unwavering concern and dedication, I could not imagine this year without

your watchful eyes. Indeed, you are Gods gift to the Varsitarian. To the Quadricentennial staff, thank you for enduring a tiring year with a cranky EIC. I will always pray for you and for the Varsitarian. And to Him, whose goodness toward someone like me is unbelievable and unimaginable, thank you for the guidance and the grace. Now, after I have obtained by Journalism degree and as I end my term as this papers editor, I can now say: I am proud to be a Thomasian, but I am prouder to be a Varsitarian staffer! Minsang V, Mananatiling V!

Editor: Rose-An Jessica M. Dioquino

PaUL aLLYSON R. QUIaMBaO

Q grandeur
Santo Tomas in its
By ERIKA DENISE l. DIzON and MARIA lUISA A. MAMARADlO Tanlaycos death, Dimalanta passed away. She made her last homecoming last November 8 at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church, where writers, former students, friends, and admirers flocked to pay tribute to the love poet. The year also saw several controversies regarding the University and some Thomasians, which made the courts of law. In a resolution dated March 21, the Quezon City Prosecutors Office dismissed the libel complaint filed by UST Faculty Union president Gil Gamilla against the nine former union officers collectively called the Fidelity Group. The school was also caught in a win-lose situation over labor suits. In a resolution last April 13, the National Labor Relations Commission favored three former instructors at the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD), who sued UST for unfair labor practice and illegal dismissal after they refused to sign waivers renouncing their right to tenureship. The University was told to reinstate the three and to give them around P1.2 million in backwages and moral damages. But the University won against former instructors Buen Franklin Anthony Calubayan (CFAD) and Dianne Gene Aquino (College of Commerce and Business Administration) in two separate illegal dismissal suits. UST filed a lawsuit against carpark operator Selegna Holdings, Inc. for entering into fraudulent lease contracts and for failing to secure the approval of the University last December 29. The news story on the case made the Varsitarian pages on the January 26 issue, which, in turn, led to a libel complaint filed by Selegna president and CEO Edgardo Angeles against editor in chief Cliff Harvey Venzon and news reporter Rommel Marvin Rio. Maintaining that UST is prolife, the University joined the antiRH bill rally held at the Quirino Grandstand last March 25. It also released a statement against the controversial bill, saying that the purchase of contraceptives shall be the burden of all tax-paying Filipinos, even those who, in conscience, are pro-life. Laurels, places Thomasians continued to excel in a variety of fields. President Aquino appointed Economics alumnus Pa q u it o Jojo Ochoa Jr. and Education graduate Eduardo de Mesa as executive secretary and chief presidential legal counsel, respectively, while former Varsitarian Features editor and Journalism alumnus Ronald Llamas was appointed as presidential adviser on political affairs. Commerce alumnus Joel Villanueva, meanwhile, is the new director-general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. Thomasian Lt. Gen. Eduardo San Lorenzo Oban Jr., new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, has vowed to redeem the militarys stained reputation. The UST Singers was hailed as the Choir of the World again after surpassing 91 participants from across the globe at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in United Kingdom last July 10, making them the first choral group to receive the award twice. Fine Arts graduate Joseph Mateo received the Outstanding Achievement in Animation award during the 62nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards last August 21 for his work as storyboard artist in Prep & Landing, a computer-animated television Christmas special produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Topping the ranks Medicine graduate Chitra Deepak Punjabi topped the Physician licensure exam, with four other Thomasians joining her in the Top 10. UST recorded a passing rate of 99 percent. In the Occupational Therapy (OT) licensure exams, Kim Gerald Medallon also ranked first, with three other UST products making the list of topnotchers. While the national passing rate for OT declined to 37 percent, Thomasian occupational therapists could look forward to working abroad because the University has secured an accreditation from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists last June. Fourteen Thomasians made it to the Top 10 of the July nursing board exam. They were led by Allyce Joana de Leon and Anna Vanessa Ang Gan, who both secured third place with 86 percent. The University was named third topperforming school with a 99.34-percent

JUNE 10, 2011

The

Varsitarian Features

9
Photo by PaUL aLLYSON R. QUIaMBaO

uadricentennial
JILSON SeCKLeR C. TIU

THE WHIRLWIND that was school year 2010-2011 was indeed imbued with unending grace. The first half of the Universitys Quadricentennial year, which saw a grand week-long celebration, has been filled with many upsand downs that prove to be part of the colorful 400year history of the oldest institution of higher learning in the Far East. Celebrations began as early as December 2009, with the annual Paskuhan that marked the 400-day countdown to USTs 400th year, gathered a record crowd of 50, 000 peopleThomasians and nonThomasians alike. Showcases On Jan. 25, 2010, four UST landmarksthe Main Building, Central Seminary, Arch of the Centuries, and the Universitys open spaceswere declared National Cultural Treasures by the National Museum, a first for any educational institution in the country. In February, Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. announced the beginning of the Quadricentennial centerpiece project, Simbahayan: Tomasino para sa Simbahan, para sa Tahanan, para sa Bayan, which aims to build 400 villages for the poor nationwide. The University revealed its vast and priceless collection of rare books, historical documents and artifacts accumulated across four centuries in the year-long Lumina Pandit: An Exhibit of Historical Treasures at the Miguel de Benavides Library. To prove the Universitys stronghold in many sectorsbusiness, includedUST ran the three-day Thomasian Global Trade Expo at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City from Oct. 15 to 17, 2010. The Thomasian community united for two large human formations in thanksgiving to 400 years of guidance and grace and in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Recordsfirst on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, 2010, when an estimated 25,000 Thomasians joined hands to form the largest human rosary; and on March 9, Ash Wednesday, when about 24,000 people gathered to form the black-and-white Dominican cross. Passing, battles But amid all the festivities, the UST community mourned the lossand celebrated the livesof Thomasian professors who touched many lives. The Thomasian literary community lost two of their matriarchs in 2010, with the consecutive deaths of the teacher Milagros Tanlayco and the poetess Ophelia Dimalanta. On November 4, six months after

passing rate. Last April, the University emerged as the only top-performing school in the off-season electronics engineering board exam, with 59 of 71 exam-takers (83.1 percent) passing the test. In electrical engineering, UST got an 82.35-percent passing rate. In sports, UST won its 13th consecutive UAAP general championship, bringing to 38 its total number of overall titles. It also grabbed its 13th overall title in the juniors division. Week of the Tigers But the grandest celebration would come at the first month of 2011, with the much-anticipated Quadricentennial week finally realized after two years of waiting. The Universitys real foundation day is April 28, but according to Public Affairs chief Giovanna Fontanilla, the administration held the weeklong festivities in January for USTs most important stakeholdersthe students. January 28, meanwhile, is the feast of the Universitys patron, St. Thomas Aquinas. The beginning of the Q week also saw the beginning of the Jubilee Year in line with USTs festivities. The Roman Catholic Churchs Apostolic Penitentiary, the authority that governs indulgences, permitted Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales to bestow a Papal Blessing carrying a Plenary Indulgence after the opening Mass last January 24. For the second time, UST served as the venue of the biennial conference of the International Council of the Universities of St. Thomas Aquinas, where officials member-

universitieseither named after St. Thomas Aquinas or adhering to Thomistic idealsfrom 18 countries around the world met to review their respective visions and missions, policies and practices, and curricula and special advocacies. President Aquino graced the occasion as the keynote speaker, where he praised the University for producing alumni who have learned to balance their intellect on an unshakable foundation of morality. Thomasians partied hard the next night with a star-studded concert at the UST Grandstand on January 27, which featured popular acts like Thomasians Sarah Geronimo, John Lapuz, Jamie Rivera, and Jeffrey Mr. Fu Espiritu. But before the fireworks and merriment of three separate gatherings around the campus on January 28, the Thomasian community and the local Church hierarchy gathered in thanksgiving, in a Mass officiated by Zenon Cardinal Grochlewski, prefect of the Vaticans Congregation for Catholic Education and the Popes extraordinary envoy to the Quadricentennial celebrations. Asserting USTs place as the only Pontifical university in Asia, Pope Benedict XVI also took part in the celebrationwhich he said was a significant even in the life of the Churchthrough a recorded video message. I am confident that keeping in mind the faith and the reason, which are always part of a truly integrated approach to education, the University will continue to contribute to the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural enrichment of the Philippines and beyond, the Supreme Pontiff said.

Quadricentennial Page X

Photo by PaUL aLLYSON R. QUIaMBaO

10 Filipino The
SA PAGTATAPOS ng bawat akademikong taon, libu-libong Tomasino ang tumatanggap ng mga diploma na hindi lamang sumisimbolo sa apat na taon o higit pang sakripisyo sa kolehiyo, kundi nagsisilbing pasaporte na rin sa pagkakaroon ng magandang trabaho. Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng lahat na hindi madali ang maghanap ng trabaho. Sa katunayan, ayon sa Labor Force Survey na isinagawa noong Enero, tinatayang 2.9 milyong Filipino ang walang trabaho. Hindi pa tiyak kung ano ang naghihintay sa mga Tomasinong nagsipagtapos sa taong ito, ngunit handa na nga ba ang bawat isa sa pagharap sa buhay sa labas ng apat na sulok ng Unibersidad? Bukod sa kalidad ng edukasyon na ibinibigay ng UST sa mga mag-aaral nito, may mga proyekto rin ang ibat ibang departamento ng Unibersidad upang matulungan ang mga magsisipagtapos sa pagsabak ng mga ito sa pagtatrabaho. Isa na rito ang Career Seminar for Graduating Students ng Guidance and Counseling Department Office, na tumatalakay sa ibat ibang paksa na makatutulong upang matanggap sa trabahong kanilang ninanais ang mga magsisipagtapos. Tinatalakay dito ang paggawa ng resume, tamang pagsagot at tamang pananamit sa job interview, at mga paalala at kuwento mula sa mga matatagumpay na alumni na makapagbibigayinspirasyon sa mga magsisipagtapos. Ang UST Job Fair ng Office for Alumni Relations (OAR) ay naglalayong mapadali ang paghahanap ng trabaho ng mga magsisipagtapos at magtaguyod ng matatag na samahan sa pagitan ng Unibersidad at ng mga kompanya mula sa ibat ibang industriya. Sa kabila ng mga ito, may ilang mag-aaral pa rin ang nagsasabing hindi pa nakasasapat ang kanilang mga natutunan at paghahanda para maging matagumpay sa labas ng Unibersidad. Exit interview sa mga magsisipagtapos Isa sa mga aktibidad ng Guidance and Counseling Department ang exit interview na isinasagawa sa mga Tomasinong magsisipagtapos, kung saan kinakailangang sagutin nila ang ilang katanungan tungkol sa pamamalagi nila sa Unibersidad. Dito ay

Varsitarian IKA-10 NG HUNyO 2011

maaari nilang ipahayag ang kanilang mga suhestiyon upang maiangat pa ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa Unibersidad, gayon din ang kanilang mga komento. Ingles ang wikang dapat gamitin sa pagsagot nang sa gayon ay masukat kung gaano kaepektibo ang pakikipagtalastasan ng mga mag-aaral sa wikang ito, na siya ring ginagamit sa mga aktuwal na job interview. Ayon kay Dr. Ma. Regina Atinaja, guidance counselor ng Faculty of Arts and Letters, karaniwang puna ng mga magaaral ang kakulangan sa mga propesor na practitioner din sa larangan na kanilang itinuturo. Para sa mga mag-aaral, higit na magiging epektibo ang pagkatuto nila kung ang mga guro ay ginagawa mismo ang kanilang mga itinuturo. Dagdag pa ni Catherine Pascasio, guidance counselor ng Faculty of Engineering, hiling din ng mga mag-aaral ang mas high-tech na kagamitan sa mga laboratoryo nang sa gayon ay mas mapabisa pa nito ang pagsasanay nila. Komunikasyon naman ang nakikitang problema ng mga mag-aaral sa AMVCollege of Accountancy, ayon kay Neriza Pineda, guidance counselor. One of the most common comments is to enhance their (students) communication skills. We encourage reporting and recitation in class, but they feel that it was not enough. They feel that they need to improve their communication skills to help them express themselves in English, ani Pineda. Bagaman hindi lahat ng mag-aaral ay nahihirapang ipahayag ang kanilang mga sarili gamit ang wikang Ingles, isa sa mga nakikitang dahilan ni Pineda sa problemang ito ay ang pagiging pangalawang wika lamang ng Ingles sa mga mag-aaral. Maybe English is not the medium they (students) use at home. Also, many students lack confidence, especially when they need to speak in public, dagdag pa ni Pineda. Ayon kay Michael Angelo Malicsi, direktor ng OAR, ginagawa ng Unibersidad ang lahat upang mapaghusay ang kakayahan ng mga mag-aaral sa pakikipagtalastasan sa wikang Ingles. The University endeavors to train and to mold our students to be effective communicators. That is why we have speech classes, English classes, and the Department of English. The way the University trains To my beloved and versatile V Quadricentennial photographers Jilson, Isai, Josa and Karla: I am the proudest photography editor because despite my shortcomings, we still managed to produce a timeless Quadri supplement. As Ive discovered untouched dimensions of UST and relentlessly shared these with you last year, keep in mind that there is much to be unlocked. A wide array of stories were left untold and it is up to you to capture these images with what I am passing on to you, my legacymy digital eyes, which are now yours for the keeping. For me, we are now the timeless Thomasian photographers! You have the power and skill to ignite the Thomasians pride through your photographsand without a doubt, I know youll be able to surpass my expectations. Leave them speechless this publication year. To my comrades Lester, Jem, Alya, Ramon, Nicole, Paeng, Melai, Marnee, Cam, Fritz, Patrick, and Cliff: You are virtually my brothers and

Patnugot: Danalyn T. Lubang

Ang bagong mundo ng mga nagsipagtapos

its students is adequate. There are several factorspersonal factors why they (students) cannot communicate well [in English], ani Malicsi. Sa College of Accountancy naman, kung saan hindi pa bahagi ng kurikulum ang pagkaroroon ng on-the-job training (OJT), iminumungkahi ng mga magaaral na magkaroon nito upang magamit nila sa aktuwal na sitwasyon ang mga pinagaaralan nila sa loob ng silidaralan. They (students) feel that they are very well informed, with regards to knowledge of the subject matter. An OJT experience would be helpful to them to put theories into practice, ani Pineda. Buhay Tomasino sa labas ng Unibersidad Hindi maikakailang karamihan sa mga matatagumpay na propesyonal sa loob at labas ng bansa ay mga Tomasino. Ayon kay Carmen Quesada, guidance counselor ng College of Science, marami sa mga mag-aaral sa sisters! You molded me into a photographer with substance. Thank you for all the great memories, for being there whenever I was disheartened. Always remember this: Pag nasaktan ka nang todo, ibig sabihin ay nagmahal ka nang todo. My words cannot express how deeply grateful I am to be your friend. Youve really left me speechless! All the things may be gone but only memories shall remain. Being a Bosconian-Thomasian and Varsitarian staffer made me who I am today. With infinite pride, I will remain loyal to UST, an institution that chiseled my character with discipline and inculcated utmost faith in my heart. Being part of UST and Varsitarian is not merely a chance, but a destiny. This is Paul Quiambao and it has been a pleasure to show you what my digital eyes have seen. Without UST I am nothing and without Varsitarian, I am not Paul Quiambao! This mantra will always be forever in my heart: Minsang V, Mananatiling V!

naturang kolehiyo ang agad na nakahahanap ng trabahosa katunayan ngay ilan sa mga ito ay may trabaho na bago pa man sila makapagtapos. Gayon din sa Faculty of Engineering, kung saan bukod sa taunang Job Fair sa Unibersidad ay mayroon ding sariling job fair ang kolehiyo nang sa gayon ay mabigyan ng mas maraming oportunidad ang mga magaaral. Layunin naman ng AMVCollege of Accountancy ang maihanda ang mga mag-aaral nito sa paghahanap ng trabaho kung kayat kamakailan lamang ay naglunsad ang Guidance and Counseling Department ng kolehiyo ng mock interview kung saan nag-imbita sila ng mga human resources (HR) officers mula sa ibat ibang kompanya upang subukin ang kakayahan at ihanda ang mga mag-aaral sa aktuwal na job interview. Pinatunayan ni Malicsi na ang mga Tomasino ay madaling makibagay sa ibat ibang uri ng tao, at nananatiling mapagpakumbaba sa kabila ng pagkakamit ng tagumpay. We (Thomasians)

have good work ethics, we easily adapt to different environments. UST is a place where people experience the real world. We got floods; we easily get immersed in the city. You meet a lot of people here in UST, ani Malicsi. They come from all walks of life, different stratospheres in our society. We can easily adapt to different kinds of environment. Also, in the work place, we climb up the ladder silently, but we emerge victoriously. Hindi man magiging madali ang paghahanap ng trabaho, nagbigay ng ilang paalala si Malicsi upang magtagumpay ang mahigit pitong libong Tomasino sa kani-kanilang karera. Getting the right job also boils down to the right attitude. Thomasian graduating students have to hold on to their values. Its very important. The corporate world can be cruel, it can be tough, and it can be tricky at times. But whats going to help them survive the corporate world is not only their attitude but also their values, aniya. Naniniwala naman si theater production complete with music and gimmicks to attract attention. Because of these changes, people tend to forget that this is for their devotion to the Holy Mother, he said. Echoing the sentiment is Fr. Edd Lleva, a former Varsitarian editor who now serves as parish priest in National City, California. Catholics must prohibit fashion shows, third sex pageantries, and all kinds of immoralities in the procession, he said. Today, it is the pageantry that tends to lessen our respect for the sacredness of our Christian faith, he said. Beltran called on parish priests to teach the parishioners the right manner on how to conduct this tradition. It must always be simple so that its sacredness is preserved, he told the Varsitarian. We must not go outside the old ritual for this is a celebration dedicated to the Holy Mother.

Abigail Joson ng College of Commerce and Business Administration na malaki ang naitulong ng Unibersidad sa paghubog sa kaniyang kaalaman at kakayahan bilang paghahanda sa buhay manggagawa. In terms of theoretical and applied knowledge, the University has instilled the working principles of HR to me aside from the required internship which honed the practical side of my course, aniya. Para naman kay Erika David ng Faculty of Arts and Letters, mas makabubuti sana kung mas pag-iigtingin pa ang hands-on training sa halip na ikulong ang kaalaman sa apat na sulok ng silid-aralan. Sana mas pagtuunan ng pansin ang paghahanda sa mga mag-aaral sa aktuwal na mundo ng pagtatrabaho. Halimbawa, sa kurso kong Journalism, mas mainam sana kung lahat ng propesor ay media practitioners din dahil kung minsan, mas marami pa akong natututunan sa OJT kaysa sa loob ng paaralan, ani David. DaNaLYN T. LUBaNg

Digital Eyes
FROM Page 6 To my classmates from 4AR7: Even if Ive gone missing-in-action on you countless of times last school year, know that I am thankful for your company. You served as one of the breathers during my very hectic love affair with the Varsitarian. Congratulations to our four-peat in the Architecture basketball league! To my roommates Elbryan, Oyo, Biboy and Neil, who also served as my fortresses and cradles in life: thank you for bearing with me these past four years. I could not have withstood the trials Ive been through without you. To my parents, Delon and Susan, my sister, Rianne, and my brother Benedict, you are my guiding light in my chosen path. You taught me independence. Sorry for all my shortcomings. Thank you for all the support and love all throughout college and in my life.

Flores de Mayo
FROM Page 11 rituals and prayers for the month-long tradition. The portrayal of Reyna Elena has become a privilege reserved for the most beautiful girl in a village. Other titles have been blurred, with focus given to faces, popularity, and gowns. In more recent years, cities and towns have staged their own versions of Santacruzan, with movie and television celebrities imported as main attractions and carriers of the titles. In other parts of the country, the gay community also holds its own version of the procession, with homosexuals donning the gowns. Back to sacredness Beltran said the Santacruzan nowadays is becoming more and more commercialized, like a big

Dialogue
FROM Page 11 Aquinas and Meng Zi on Human Nature); Piotr Jaroszynski from Polands John Paul II Catholic University (Aquinas Metaphysics versus Mythology, Ontology, and Ideology); Noel Sheth from the Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Religion in India (The Incarnation of Hinduism and in St. Thomas: A Comparative Study); Godfrey Igwebuike Onah from the Vaticans Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana (Dialogue Between African Philosophy and Asian Philosophies); and Joao Vila-Cha, president of Conference Mondiale des Institutions Universitaires Catholiques de Philosophie (Violence Transfigured by Language: Dialogical Alterity and the Redeeming Power of Discourse). JaMes Bryan J.

agusTin and gervie Kay s. esTella

Editor: Robin G. Padilla

JUNE 10, 2011

The

Varsitarian Witness

11

Dialogue among different cultures sought

A NEED to rethink and represent our own beliefs, in order to understand others, arises from the various cultures and religions of different countries, a philosophical theologian said before an international philosophy congress hosted by the University from May 23 to 26. During the three-day conference Thomism and Asian Cultures: Celebrating 400 Years of Dialogue Across Civilizations, held at the Medicine Auditorium,
Fr. De la Rosa

Twenty-four countries meet in UST for philosophy congress

Canadian professor William Sweet underscored the need to establish an intercultural philosophy that will ultimately generate a shared, fruitful discussion granting equal rights to all. Intercultural philosophy is defined as the endeavor to give expression to the many often marginalized voices of philosophy in their respective cultural contexts. Pursuing an intercultural philosophy leads us to investigate other cultures and traditions that may also

force us to rethink and represent our own, said Sweet, who presented his study Faith and Reason and Intercultural Philosophy during the congress World Union on Catholic Philosophical Societies Forum last May 25. The unions current president also said that it was specifically necessary for Catholic communities to seek common ground to rediscover themselvesa feat that can be possible with innovations in communication. Despite the differences in approaches to philosophy that one finds in different cultures and traditions, and despite the recognition of the relation of philosophies to the cultures in which they arise, philosophical texts and traditions are not obviously restricted to their culture of origin, Sweet said, using Buddhist philosophywhich originated from India but has spread to China, Japan, and even North Americaas an example. Reaching out Sweet said that, in order to achieve this so-called intercultural dialogue, one must enter into the culture and tradition of others and share it from the inside. He added that knowledge of other cultures and tradition was as necessary as knowing ones own. All cultures and traditions were manifestations of human responses to the world, and said something that was, at least partly, true about the world, he said, adding that divisions and conflicts should be brought into some measure of coherence and consistency. Sweet also said that there can be truths which are not restricted to their culture of origin. It is important to know, he added, that many philosophical truths have not yet been fully expressed and those expressed in the past may need to be expressed

better today. Intercultural philosophy may be cautious in its statements about what truth has been attained and what exactly has been proven, it does so because it recognizes not only that experience is open-minded, but it also allows the possibility of an infinite, he said. Sweet also referred to St. Thomas Aquinas as someone who should be imitated for being a great model for theological studies. St. Thomas himself brought Christianity and pagan thought, Platonism and Aristotelianism, and Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, Averroes, and Avicenna into contact, he said. Advancing philosophy The four-day congress, according to UST Department of Philosophy chair Alfredo Co, was an effort to show what the University has achieved in philosophy through the centuries. We hope we can become a living testament of the Universitys commitment to the advancement of philosophy and intercultural dialogue in this part of the globe, Co said in his opening remarks last May 23. In his welcome address, Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., University rector, took pride that Cardinal Zeferino Gonzalez, a known neoThomism advocate, was educated not in Spain, but here in the University of Santo Tomas. He added that the preeminent and highly influential book Estudios sobre la Filosofia de Santo Tomas by Gonzalezwhich brought Thomistic Philosophy back in Europewas published by UST in 1864. William Leon McBride, president of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies, the umbrella organization of all

Dr. Co

Photos by SHeRWIN MaRION T. VaRDeLeON

philosophical groups in the world, commended UST for a continuing involvement with philosophy on the art of individuals in the University over a period of 400 years. It reinforces the sense of philosophia as being truly perennis, even as it takes on new forms and grapples with questions of which the founders could have not dreamed of in 1611, he said. The conference gathered 123 paper presenters from 83 foreign and local academic institutions, universities, and colleges from different parts of the globe. Joining Sweet in the plenary sessions were Vincent Shen from the University of Toronto in Canada

(Lao Zis Heavenly Dao in Dialogue with St. Thomas Natural Law); Walter Schweidler from Germanys Katholische Universitaet Eichstaett-Ingolstadt (The Eye of Reason: Intercultural Perspective on the Object of Action); Hans-Goerg Moelle, president of Academie du Midi (Moral Philosophy and its Critics in Greece and China); Karl-Heinz Pohl from Trier University in Germany (Chinese and Western Aesthetics Some Comparative Consideration); Australian Catholic Universitys John Ozolins (Thomism and East Asian Philosophy: Comparing Dialogue Page 10

JOHN DaNIeL J. HIRRO

Religious significance fading?

Pageantry and gimmickry in Flores de Mayo

By JENNIFER M. ORIllAzA THE MAY days of yesteryears used to be filled with the smell of fragrant flowers, fervent prayers, and solemn singing for the Blessed Virgin. The religious procession called Santacruzan, meanwhile, was done simply and quietlyminus the fashion show. But as Catholic tradition is passed on from one generation to another, fewer people are flocking to the month-long Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May), while the Santacruzan has all but lost its meaning. Amid the preference for the pageantry, Thomasian priests still hope that Filipinos would go back to the reason for all the bloom and beauty. Novena procession According to Fr. Franklin Beltran, O.P., Santisimo Rosario Parish priest, Flores de Mayo is a form of great devotion to our Blessed Mother. [This is] where the children are taught how to pray and sing in honor of Mother Mary, he said. This is a good thing to be instilled in their minds while they are still young. The practice, which dates back from the Spanish colonization, is a way of venerating the Holy Mother by offering flowers, prayers, and songs through the 31 days of the month of May. The culminating activity that is the Santacruzan, meanwhile, is a novena procession commemorating Queen Helena of Romes journey to find the Holy Cross. Legend has it that Constantine the Great, who was in battle with Roman Emperor Maxentius, turned to the new Christian God for help and saw in the night sky a glowing sign of the cross with the words In hoc signia vincit (By this sign thou shalt conquer). Using the Cross as his battle symbol, he emerged victorious, claimed Rome, and pledged his faith in Christianity. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, was said to have trekked Mount Calvary 300 years after Christs crucifixion to find the cross, which was brought back to Rome. Aside from the Queen, or Reyna Elena as the title is known locally, the Santacruzan also features other character roles such as Reyna Esperanza (for the virtue of hope), Reyna Caridad (charity), and Reyna Sentenciada (for innocents who have been convicted). Little girls also participate as the eight angels representing Ave Maria and Marys heavenly titles like Rosa Mystica (Mystical Rose), Reyna de las Propetas (Queen of Prophets), and Reyna Paz (Queen of Peace). All girls carrying titles for the procession hold symbols, like a cross for Reyna Elena. According to the Northern Illinois University Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Flores de Mayo may have started in the Philippines in the mid-1800s, when Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception a dogma through his encyclical, Ineffabilis Deus. In 1867, a translation of the devotional text Flores de Maria or Mariquit na Bulaclac na sa Pagninilaynilay sa Buong Buan nang May ay Inihahandog nang manga Devoto cay Maria Santisima was published. The text by Mariano Sevilla contained the Flores de Mayo Page 10

12 literary The

Varsitarian JUNE 10, 2011

Editor: Mika Rafaela A. Barrios

down to pieces. It was tough to have lost trust with a person you can hand your soul over to, knowing that they wont even let a fly lay one of its disgusting `1legs on it. Those images popping in my head every now and then spelled fragility to me. I became weak. But somehow, I also felt strong. On my tenth birthday, I climbed the roof of our home, screaming that I would protect the innocent and would rid the world of evil. I thought that I had superhuman powers. I thought that I had the power to control the clouds. As I waved my hands across the slowly dimming horizon, the white cottons above would drag along. But everyone else would know what really made the clouds move. I even jumped off the roof, knowing that God had granted me the gift of flight as a pigeons poop dropped on my head. I landed side first, breaking my hip bone. I cursed the ground, punching it a few times before I felt the pain. I had always found myself at the other end of the normal spectrum, even at the tender age of 12. After attempting to strangle my brother to death and cut the tail off a kitten, my father knew this was beyond childish behavior. Before matters got any worse, I was sent to the Mt. Carmel Asylum, which became my home for the next few years. It took only three months for my family to completely disregard my existence. It took me a while to understand, and for months I kept on thinking: Why are they blaming me? Although the asylum was mostly painted white, it wasnt enough to mask its identity. Above the room were pipelines infested with rats, some of which fell on my bed sometimes. The pipes dripping sounds drove the guy in the next room even more insane, he was eventually transferred to another room where the lights flickered constantly, giving it an eerie feel reminiscent of those in ghost movies. In Mt. Carmel, however, the patients were the lost souls haunting the premises. In a place between dream and reality, I saw myself standing in front of a wall, painting until my work looked stunningly vibrant. It made me feel contentwho knew art could be so relaxing to someone like me? By the time I snapped out of my reverie, blood was gushing from my wrist as it smeared on a pillowcase. A time of uncertainty, Im sure. Ironic, isnt it? There was a time I kicked my nurse because I had this gut feeling that it was a burglar wearing a mask of my nurses face. Now I know that it was surely her. Well, that was after I tore half her face off. How was it possible that I did all these things and would eventually forget it? My doctor claimed that it was never my fault, but I had grown so tired of blaming it on my subconscious. The truth lies, I told myself, even when I knew that it was far off from reality. Every bit of sanity left in me would leak out if this went on. I wanted to fix everything and be normal, however social dictates define it. I did everything in my own strength to stop those unwanted urges, and it was hard, so very hard to mentally challenge myself. It was practically having a skirmish game inside my head when I would try to remain calm and sane. An instance I can recall clearly was when I was writing on a piece of paper in the art and recreations room in the asylum. I was talking to the pencil. But I knew pencils couldnt talk. It was impossible. The pencil, on the other hand insisted that it was some form of new technology that Japanese scientists had created. They had given it the knowledge to speak. Dumbfounded as I was, I tried not to believe, but the pencil made a good argument. Poor little spoon and fork which I hid under my bed. Those two would daily sing the demons to sleep that haunt my cell. I had to throw them away. It was one stage of me trying to get better. But now Id have to sleep with demons playing chess in the corner. And I have to admit, they were pretty good at it. Beat me every time. Maybe that was why I had spoon and fork sing them to sleepso I could cheat and win. After all the psychological exhaustion, I thought to myself that I had enough. It felt like a war inside my head where I was the villain who started it all, and at the same time, the hero who ended it. Dr. Guzman assured me it would end. I believed him. I knew that he could take this all away in a snap, and it wouldnt even hurt a bit. For all I could remember during that last session, a glinting piece of pointed metal was shining a few meters away from me. I found myself not being held down by gravity. I loved that feeling, like there was nothing but tranquility, like life was merely a cruel shadow following me. There was no pain or fearjust me flowing through the tide of time, or maybe lack thereof. In my alternate universe, the spike receipt holder that once scathed my palm was locked in the doctors left eye socket.

T UTH
By JAN DOMINIC G. lEONES

Contraceptives
FROM Page 1 contraceptives or the morningafter pill that specifically prevents implantation. Meanwhile, Aguirre, also a bioethics professor, pointed out that the bill does not uphold family values, and does not say that a person should marry first before engaging in the sexual act. The bill guarantees access to contraceptives for all Filipinos, married or not a provision which critics say undermines the constitutional policy recognizing the sanctity of family life. Ang itinuturo po ay hindi values education. Nakita po namin ang modules, binasa po namin ito. Wala pong sinasabi doon na mag-asawa ka muna bago ka mag-relasyon. Kung hindi ka na makapagpigil, basta hindi ka magbuntis at hindi ka magkasakit, puwede, Aguirre said. Artificial contraceptives are harmful, Lumitao told the Varsitarian. She said that the use of contraceptives disrupts the natural process of a womans reproductive system and can have side effects such as nausea, depression, weight gain, decreased libido, breast tenderness, headaches, and breakthrough bleeding. It will not promote health among Filipinos because contraceptive agents are not medicines and, in fact, they may even cause adverse effects like cancer, blood clots, hypertension, and stroke, she said in a letter sent to the Varsitarian. Moreover, the use of contraceptives can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Women who use contraceptives that contain estrogen have an increased chance of developing blood clots, she said. This is especially prevalent in women who use high-dose contraceptives, such as the patch. Reproductive health The RH bill defines reproductive health as the state of physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in

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The

IS

Dont worry, this wont hurt a bit. That is what doctors usually say when they are about to inject someone, or do surgery. Dr. Guzman never told me anything like that, for my problem didnt need any medicinebecause there werent any. It was one of those psychotherapy sessions that I dreaded most. Each session was a marking of my lunacy, so I tended to disagree to Dr. Guzmans coaxing. On one occasion, I even slammed my hand on his table, eventually scathing my palm with a spike receipt holder he used to pile his bills on. I often find myself triggered into a morbid trance like that one. For me, it was a regular thing, but for him it was an illness. Schizophrenia, he called it. I didnt realize that it was a bad thing. I thought it was awesome that I would regularly go into an alternate dimension and come back to reality where things would suddenly be out of order. I thought it was just second nature, that it was just fine. But after I found out about this sickness I started hating this unprecedented feeling enveloping my head, like there was this some kind of paranoid insect controlling my judgment, my actions, and my emotions. It made me feel uncomfortable. And worst of all, it made me feel unsafe. For months, I watched the clock until I could gleem sunrise through my curtains. I couldnt sleep at night, because I, in some way, had pictured that my best friend would come into my room in the middle of the night, holding a chainsaw that would cut me

all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes. However, according to Lumitao, reproductive health is a level of functional and metabolic efficiency of a person or woman, as far as the process of child bearing and reproduction is concerned. It is not limited to absence of pain, injury, or illness, but manifested by giving birth to healthy babies with adequate spacing of children for optimum well-being of the mother and the baby, she said. It also includes regular examination and screening procedures to detect or prevent malignant conditions affecting organs of the reproductive tract. The RH bill also states that the elements of reproductive health care include prevention and management of reproductive tract infections (RTIs), HIV and AIDS, and other sexually transmittable infections (STIs). However, condoms have a high failure rate in preventing the transmission of STIs, and pills wont protect women from such diseases at all. The pores in the ordinary condoms are bigger than the AIDS virus, so clearly even with the use of condoms, AIDS transmission is likely, Lumitao said. Essential medicines Despite the harmful effects of contraceptives, the bill wants them declared essential medicines that can be procured by the Department of Health. But Lumitao argued: Fertility in women is an expression of normal reproductive function and not a disease which needs treatment. A provision in the bill says products and supplies for modern family planning methods shall be part of the National Drug Formulary and the same shall be included in the regular purchase of essential medicines and supplies of all national and local hospitals and other government health units. Lumitao said recognizing birth

control agents as essential medicines amounts to misuse of government funds. They are not medicines but agents which can cause side effects or diseases in women, she said. The budget earmarked for RH bill is better used for livelihood strategies or health care measures like better pre-natal and post-natal care, iron supplementation to pregnant women, and nutritional support. Lumitao said that while contraceptives are popular, they are not essential. Contraceptives are easy to use and have a high effectivity rate precisely because they are both contraceptives and potentially abortifacients. Contrary to popular belief, the Church allows family planning, but with the use of natural methods which can be highly effective if done correctly. These include the Billings ovulation method, the symptom-thermal method, and the basal body temperature method. Withdrawal, or coitus interruptus is not endorsed, while the rhythm method, while considered a natural method, can be ineffective. Natural family planning methods need the cooperation of husband and wife and initially are labor-intensive, as [they require] careful monitoring or observation of womans cycles. But [they have] no side effects and they [increase] communication and cooperation between the couple. If followed vigilantly, [natural family planning] boasts of a 95 percent effectivity rate, Lumitao said. Bill on reproductive health Despite loopholes in the RH bill, Health Service director Dr. Ma. Salve Olalia said in an interview that there should be a law that puts emphasis on maternal health. The lawmakers should focus [on making laws] that will improve the public health care delivery system, including maternal and child health, she said. Olalia added that the Department of Health has good programs concerning maternal and child health,

and that lawmakers should make sure these programs are carried out. Lumitao said health strategies to uphold womens health like free pre-natal check-ups and iron supplementation, nutritional support for pregnant women, counseling on safe family planning methods, and free screening to detect malignancies will be more cost-effective than the RH bill. Youth at risk Olalia said widespread access to contraceptives could do more harm than good. The intention purportedly is to reduce so-called unwanted pregnancies, but anti-RH campaigners have pointed to the example of societies that have acquired the contraceptive mentality, in which people take riskier sexual behaviors. The availability of condoms will only expose our youth to more dangers because they will engage in risky behavior, one of which is engaging in pre-marital sex, Olalia said. With the known side effects and complications of oral contraceptives, the youth are at risk of developing lifethreatening diseases. Sex education starting at Grade 5, which is mandated under the bill, may also introduce values alien to Filipino society. The provision of the RH bill to have early sex education in schools is, in reality, early exposure to sex without the proper values formation and without any emphasis for respect for the human body and the God-given procreative capability of man, Olalia said. Olalia added that she, together with other critics of the bill, are terrified that Filipino family ideals and values will be destroyed and replaced by utilitarian, selfish, and unchristian beliefs. The Filipino youth, including Thomasian students, will face a world devoid of the values that we, Filipinos, have long treasured and are known for the high regard for the family and the respect for life, she said. RaFaeL

Ustet
FROM Page 3 the test we give really measures what it intends to measure, Bance said. Bance said that if Ustet requires no sweat, then no one should be failing it. The Universitys entrance test Ustet constitutes math, science, English, and I.Q. tests compiled mostly by high school teachers and some college instructors who are experts in their respective fields. The process of devising the exam is called test development, Bance said. According to the Universitys student handbook, Ofad must perform regular upgrading of the Ustet for validity, reliability, and relevance. While there was no increase in difficulty, Manalastas said Ofad updates the exam based on assessments and feedback. For example, if there is a need to revise a certain portion of the test, we will assess it, she said. Sometimes we have a different way of emphasizing a certain subject for this year or the next, she said. Meanwhile, passing Ustet is not enough for four colleges who want applicants to submit other requirements besides good test results. Applicants at the colleges of Nursing and Tourism and Hospitality Management undergo interviews before being admitted, said Manalastas. Moreover, the colleges of Fine Arts and Design and Architecture, as well as the Conservatory of Music, require special exams. Manalastas said perceptions that Ustet is too challenge-free are baseless. The test is easy for those who are good, she said. They dont have a basis [to say its easy], but I have a basis to say its not. LOReNzO LUIgI

L. aNTONIO and CHaRMaINe M. PaRaDO

T. gaYYa with reports from MONICa N. LaDISLa

Editor: Mika Rafaela A. Barrios

JUNE 10, 2011

The

Varsitarian literary

13

Professor Milagros Inang Tanlayco

Miracle worker, gracious Teacher

Graduate School last May 9 to 10. American Studies expert Oscar Campomanes said that literature is not always considered valuable intellectually and institutionally, [but] it has an influence on ethical formation.

LITERATURE and its capacity for values-formation and character-building were the overriding theme of the first Milagros G. Tanlayco National Conference On Teaching Literature, an academic tribute to the well-loved Thomasian literature pedagogue who died on May 10, 2010. The forum series was held at the Tanghalang Te r e s i t a Quirino of the UST

Campomanes, who teaches literary criticism at the Faculty of Arts and Letters and Ateneo de Manila University, discussed the value of literature in the formation and cultivation of an intellectual culture in the academe. For the second plenary session, UST Publishing House director Cristina PantojaHidalgo delivered her lecture, I Teach as I Write: Values in Literature. According to PantojaHidalgo, literary values are strategies, rhetorical language, and stylistic devices through which insights are presented. I write because I need to make sense out of things, she said. The very act of writing is a way of imposing order, creating meaning out of chaos. The alumna from the old Philosophy and Letters (Philets) reminded fellow literature teachers who participated in the forum about their role to cultivate in our students openmindedness and a curiosity about the new and unfamiliar. Finally, it is a measure of the work we have done if the student finds that the act of reading has indeed been worth the effort, she said. Ateneo professor Danilo Francisco Reyes delivered the last plenary speech titled Exploring Theological Themes and Philosophical Values in

'WELL-LoVED TEAChER'. Inang Tanlayco taught a couple of generations of Thomasian students and writers, who were all influenced by her sense of drama and love for teaching and literature. Photos courtesy of FeRDINaND LOPez

Asian Literatures: Imaging and Imagining the Human Person and the Divine, where he talked about literature as a function that delights and instructs while exploring the enigmas of divinity. Literature is art, and art is persuasive, a subtle power that possess ability to change the world, Reyes said. Pen for the nation In his keynote speech, Our Roots, Our Rizal, National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose discussed the important role of literature in building a sense of community, and afterwards, a nation. Keep in mind that we are not yet a nation because our institution is being destroyed by the egos of the people, he said, adding that writersas craftsmenshould know the right tools and [use] them well. He also called on teachers to make literature an interesting subject. Admitting that National Hero Jose Rizal has been his greatest inspiration, the

Philippine PEN founder said that the hero came back to defend the Mother who nurtured him, using the one weapon that many take for grantedliterature. We honor a writer not [only] because he is a good writer but because he is a good individual; bringing the topic to a well-known and talented writer, the Philippines national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, he said. Jose, a former Varsitarian editor in chief, added that Filipinos should be long-rooted so that they will not be easily detached from the ground that gives life to our work. Roots, when long and spread, clinging to the earth, the tree will not be easily uprooted. The same is with literature, he said. However, it is not just the ideals of the writer that should be embedded in our genes. A writer as a writer is not the thing that should be regarded, but the writer as a person. Remembering Inang Jose also praised the late Tanlayco for her impeccable scholarship and her dedication

to her profession. Mila Tanlayco taught a couple of generations in this University, imparting to her brood her vast knowledge of modern and classical literature, he said. Known as a dynamic professor with a sense of drama, Inang Tanlayco was one of the well-reputed literature pedagogues of the University. She taught for 58 years, until her death on May 10, 2010 because of a stroke. She graduated cum laude from Philets (now Arts and Letters or Artlets) in 1951, then earned her masters and doctorate in literature at the UST Graduate School. She was named Professor Emeritus in 2002. The two-day conference included a panel exhibit on Tanlaycos life and achievements mounted by the Varsitarian, as well as teaching demonstrations staged by several literature instructors, including Department of English chair Marilu Madrunio, Elmer Hibek, (College of Nursing), and Ferdinand Lopez and Ralph Galan (Artlets). R. D. MaDRID

Lourd de Veyras Insectissimo!

Moving along with lifes rhythm

into variousand usually playfulcontexts, including art, history, and scenarios that will make the headlines. He writes that wasak describes the fundamental essence of chaos that is the cosmos, adding that it also celebrates the damaged, fragmented, and ironic culture that is the Philippines. In Jesus Disko DJ, De Veyra portrays Christ as a disc jockey, taking the scene of crucifixion to the disco, and putting Jesus out of the cross and behind a vinyl turntable, with headphones around his holy skull while he barks into a furious megaphone. Lose your soul in the music and be saved. How impossible it is to believe in a savior in a discotheque/Yet how impossible to believe in a god who does not know how to dance, De Veyra writes. Jesus will save us all: as long as the record plays/we wont hear the world falling apart. The author takes to storytelling in Fat Elvis in Kamias, where he puts The King in Quezon City, stripped of all his western charisma and good looks. De Veyra begins: Fat Elvis drags his fat ass across dark Kamias Road/Downed by Demerol, drunk with Emperador, and the fuming memory of fame past, and describes the character further as once beautiful now moving with a grace of oven grease. The author shows how people tend to complicate matters in The Happy Balloon, the final poem in the collection. In uneven verses, he takes the happy balloon that Beamed like never before, beamed like the moon/Or something like a bloody maroon sun at noon to the snooty literary critics, to the philosophers, to some big shot advertising executive sipping Diet Coke in Ayala, and even to a street party/ Where the air smothered by thousand-beatsper-minute-techno, and shows the many different ways by which they see the object floating above them. Then De Veyra shows: And like it always did, the happy balloon kept on/Flying and flying, drifting into pure space,/Indifferent to the gyration of the world/Indifferent to the gravity/Of whatever your concern may be. The 88-page collection, which is also part of the 400 Books at 400 project of the UST Publishing House, is heavy with tones, lyrics, and thoughts that are definitely De Veyras. His ability to put wondrous, pitiful, and even gross pictures into beautiful, sophisticated poetry is astounding, given his talent in putting the same pictures down for the common television viewer to understand. The collection, however, could have done better with sub-sections, given the different subjects contained in it. But taken into its overall context, the random arrangement of the 40 poems shows the awesome diversity of a poet that moves amid the chaos of modern lifestyle. Insectissimo! is a testament that in order to survive life, one must know how to dance to the music. MaRIaNNe
S. LaSTRa

HERE comes another dose of the Word of the Lourd. But save yourself from the trouble of picking up the remote control and just sit comfortably, for this one comes in leaves of newsprint bound in an old rose cover with a photo of a fly manning a sketch of a vinyl turntable. Insectissimo! (UST Publishing House, 2011) is the third poetry collection of Palanca winner, multimedia rockstar, and former Varsitarian writer Lourd Ernest H. De Veyra, a retreat to his first love amid a well-received television exposure in a thought-provoking news and public affairs segment. De Veyras project for the year is a collection of 40 poems laid out at random, sprinkled with a musicality that shows the authors persona. The introductory poem, Dub. New Excursions Into, drums up the collections common denominator with wordplay of musical terms in free verse. In it, the author writes about that sound, that sound//something liberating: the wild rhythm disrobes us, but how the chaos ultimately brings one to float through space/ laughing,/weeping//Over the heartbreakingly beautiful pointlessness of it all. De Veyra breaks away from convention even further with Wasak. Notes On, using enumeration to give different interpretations to the word wasak (loosely translated in Filipino as broken). From numbers one to 41, the word is taken

14 limelight The

Varsitarian JUNE 10, 2011

Art Director: Carla T. Gamalinda

Towazino by Jasmine C. Santos

Bits of Uste by Fritzie Marie C. Amar

Espaa Blues by Patrick C. delos Reyes

Tuition
FROM Page 1 to cover inflationthe increase in the prices of consumer goodswhich averaged 4.2 percent from January to May based on data from the National Statistics Office. Ateneo de Manila has the highest tuition rate of P2,401.85 per unit, followed by De La Salle University with an average of P2,312.75 per unit, according to Ateneos website and De La Salles registrars office. Ateneo and De La Salle imposed five-percent and 3.5-percent tuition increases, respectively, this year, Yadao said. Miriam College of Quezon City is the third most expensive at P1,737 per unit, followed by Mapua Institute of Technology at P1,481.55 and Far Eastern University at P1,250 per unit, Yadao said. The three-percent hike was intended to attract competent faculty members, the administration official said.

The increase is necessary to sustain the quality of education in UST, by providing competitive salaries to the faculty, he said. Kung hindi itataas ang suweldo, lilipat sila sa ibang school. Also by law, 70 percent of the increase will be allotted for the salaries of University employees, while the remaining 30 percent will be used to cover the increase in the prices of commodities and services, for maintenance and improvement of facilities, and return on investment, Yadao said. Miscellaneous fees The energy fee, meanwhile, has increased to P1,500 per semester from P1,200 to cover the forecast increases in the rate of electricity charges, according to a report by the Committee on Tuition and Other Fee Increases, a copy of which was obtained by the Varsitarian. Ang laki ng ibinabayad sa kuryente, Yadao said. The athletic fee also went up to year BS Pharmacy, introduced in 2006, she said. The program had 50 pioneer graduates, 27 of them honor graduates. Six got magna cum laude. We have [a] better quality [of] students, especially freshmen. We also enhanced our curriculum, and we have competent faculty members, Torres said. At fourth place was the Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets), the chief producer of USTs honor graduates from 2008 to 2010. Artlets produced 111 honor graduates this year out of 716 graduates, or 15.5 percent. The figure was down from last years 17 percent. Dean Michael Anthony Vasco said the facultys lower percentage was good, as Artlets implemented stricter rules on academic requirements like homework, exams, and research projects. If the number of honor graduates is overwhelming, the honor diminishes. The idea of an honor is rarity, given to the exceptional few, Vasco said. The College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD), meanwhile, increased its honor graduates this year. CFAD gave honors to 47 students out of 365 graduates, translating to 12.88 percent. Last year, the CFAD had 50 honor students out of 446 graduates, or 11 percent. This year, the College of Science produced 62 honor students out of 540 graduates, or 11.48 percent, higher than last years eight percent when 41 out of 489 graduates received honors. The College of Education, meanwhile, experienced a decline in the percentage of honor students to graduates. The college had 42 laudes out of 436

P1,250, from P1,000 last year, in light of USTs plan to join new events in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, and to provide more benefits to University athletes who [had] performed well in the previous games. The existing budget [for the athletes] is no longer enough, Yadao said, because the University [shoulders] the athletes allowance, food, and accommodation. The Varsitarian, or the student publication, fee was increased by P30, because of rising printing costs. The Varsitarian is also undertaking the research and publication project, 400 Greatest Thomasians, and is supporting University projects such as the Department of Literatures Premio Tomas, the Quadricentennial literary prize. A P400 cultural fee will be charged anew, to be used for the 40,000 Voices for 2012, which will be the highlight of the Quadricentennial closing ceremony in January 2012. The community singing event will be USTs third attempt to enter graduates, or 9.63 percent, lower than last years 14 percent when there were 28 achievers out of 196 graduates. The College of Nursing took eighth spot with 39 honors out of 485 graduates, or 8.04 percent, higher than last years six percent when it had only 27 honors out of 466 graduates. The Faculty of Engineeringfor the fourth time since 2007registered a single-digit percentage. Engineering had 63 honor students out of 914 graduates, good for a 6.89-percent ratio. This was higher than the five percent recorded in the last three years. The College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS), which recorded a ratio of seven percent in 2010, went down to 5.08 percent this year. CRS produced just 9 honor graduates out of 177 students, while in 2010, it gave recognition to 10 students out of 146 graduates. Lowest score and biggest drop The College of Commerce and Business Administration had the lowest ratio of honor students to graduates, with 4.33 percent, or 37 honors out of 854 graduates. Sought for comment, Commerce Dean Ma. Soccoro Calara noted that the courses in the college are mathematical, and professors are strict in implementing the grading system. Moreover, the college accepts freshmen students who are average. The college will take measures to etch a better performance in the coming years, she said. We will coach students to study better. As we see the loss of students interest in reading, we will encourage them to read diligently and seriously.

the Guinness Book of Records, after the largest human rosary and giant cross in December and March, respectively. But this will be the last time the cultural fee is collected, said Central Student Council (CSC) central board speaker Randolph Clet. Last years collection financed Quadricentennial activities last January. Next year, the cultural fee will be automatically removed from the schedule of fees, said Clet. There are no increases in other miscellaneous fees. Student leaders said the rise in tuition was acceptable, but there should be improvements in the University. We are okay with the threepercent [increase], said the new CSC president, Lorraine Taguiam. We recognize the need to provide professors with competitive salaries so they would not be pirated by other schools. Clet said: We expect more from our academic personnel because their salaries and benefits are better than what other Universities can offer. We will also give them more assignments and activities to enhance their abilities, Calara said. The College of Architecture, which was in fourth place last year, experienced the biggest drop in the percentage of honor students to total graduates, with only 23 honor students out of 304 graduates, or 7.57 percent this year. Last year, the college gave honors to 50 students out of 314 graduates, or 16 percent. Architecture college secretary Warren Maneja attributed the lower percentage and number of honor graduates to the colleges returning students. Many students in Architecture return just to finish their degree. The returning students are those who want to be a part of the Quadricentennial batch, Maneja said. However, the college boasts of four magna cum laude graduates this year, compared with none last year. It only shows that the college has maintained its good teaching methodologies, said Maneja. Records from the University Registrar showed that the Quadricentennial batch had a total of 626 cum laude, 93 magna cum laude, and five summa cum laude from 12 undergraduate units. There were 724 achievers out of 5,942 graduates, or 12.18 percent. This Varsitarian report excluded UST-Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy, which will hold its commencement exercises in June. Colleges offering post-graduate courses, such as the faculties of Civil Law, Medicine and Surgery, the Graduate School, and the Ecclesiastical Faculties were also not included.

Asian rankings
FROM Page 1 percent) and international factors (10 percent). International factors were based on international faculty, international students, inbound exchange students, and outbound exchange students. UST dropped to the 95th place in academic peer review from last years 90th, while UP, Ateneo, and DLSU ranked 32nd, 47th, and 73rd, respectively. In the Asian employer review, UST placed 59th, similar to last years rank. Results from academic peer review and employer review are taken from surveys sent to identified respondents, Dingel said. UST ranked first among Asian universities in the citations per faculty category from last years eighth place, but was not able to get a slot in the category citations per paper. An alternate direction has been taken in order to address the regional contexthere we are trying to address both productivity AND qualityand the area has been split into two indicators: papers per faculty member and citations per paper, the website said. UST ranked 109th in the international faculty indicator and 190th in the international students criterion. Meanwhile, UST ranked lowest in Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Social Sciences and Management, and Natural Sciences. In Social Sciences and Management, UST plunged to 136th from 83rd last year. It also fell in the field of Arts and Humanities, plummeting to 103rd from 69th last year. Meanwhile, UP, Ateneo, and De la Salle, ranked 20th, 29th, and 59th, respectively, in Arts and Humanities. In Social Sciences, UP ranked 27th followed by Ateneo at 46th and De la Salle at 79th. Last year, UST failed to get a slot in Natural Sciences and Engineering and Technology, but this year, the University ranked 104th and 170th, respectively. UST went up to 61st from last years 69th in the Life Sciences and Medicine category, beating Ateneo, which ranked 64th place this year. Dingel said the survey provided a chance to review and confirm the Universitys organizational processes, monitor and correct possible non-conformance to standards, and develop measurable indicators acceptable not only to the University community, but to the rest of the education community, both national and international. CHaRMaINe M.
PaRaDO

CTHM
FROM Page 1 Address, we announce the names of achievers. These things motivate them, Tio Cuison said. She also justified the figures by noting that the college was selective of its students, and requires a higher score in the entrance examination. The cut-off score of the college is higher than the Universitys cut-off. Applicants also undergo an interview. Most of the applicants are honor students in their respective high schools, she added. Commenting on the perception that CTHM courses are easy, Tio Cuison said most of the subjects in the college are skill courses. The college may not have medical or higher mathematics courses, but we have a lot of professional courses, and most of those courses are skilled courses. Students do not rely on paper and pen only, but rather, on application of the courses, she said. Meanwhile, the Conservatory of Music emerged as the second top producer of honor graduates, as 12 of its 46 graduates (26.09 percent) received honors. Landing on third place was the Faculty of Pharmacy with 16.93 percent as 121 of 715 graduates got medals. This was higher than last years nine percent and 2009s 12 percent. Pharmacy Dean Priscilla Torres attributed the rise in the number of honor graduates to the Clinical Pharmacy program of the faculty. The program is a more patient-focused five-

Editor: Jeremy S. Perey

JUNE 10, 2011

The Varsitarian Sports

15

Tigers gored by Red Lions; exit early in Filoil tourney

By RODOlFO SERAFIN JEROME T. lOzADA THE GROWLING Tigers succumbed to a 72-85 beating against NCAA defending champs San Beda Red Lions in their Filoil Flying V Pre-season Premiere Cup collision at the San Juan Arena last June 4. San Beda relied on balanced scoring from its premiere players to outmuscle the dazed Tigers, who missed head coach Pido Jarencio due to leg pains. The backcourt tandem of Jeric Fortuna and Jeric Teng combined for 41 points for UST, but were still no match to the total team effort of the Red Lions, which kept distance since the opening tip. Wingman Garvo Lanete and Cameroonian big man Ola Adeogun had 12 points apiece to lead the charge for the Red Lions, who now has a 5-2 win-loss record. UST fell to 3-4 in Group A of the tourney. The Lions dominated the Tigers from the get-go, mounting a 14-3 run early in the first quarter. UST simply had no answer to San Bedas fluid offense that exposed a variety of cracks in the Tigers defense. The torrid shooting of the Red Lions continued in the second quarter where they jacked up the lead to 15 and ended the half comfortably ahead, 31-46. San Beda continued its scoring tear in the third canto, blowing the gates open with an 18-point lead midway through the period capped by a two-handed flush by Adeogun that further electrified the Bedan crowd. Tigers Assistant coach Senen Dueas admitted that the size difference of the players played a huge factor in the game. He said the undersized Tigers tried to respond with speed, but the Red Lions were bigger and stronger especially in the paint. In the previous game, the Tigers squandered an 18-point lead and fell victim to cellardweller Arellano University Chiefs, 63-64, in their game last May 27. We were overconfident, Jarencio said. But I know we are capable of beating other collegiate teams. Defensive weapon Christopher Okpe, who played for only six minutes, gave Arellano the win on a go-ahead pass from Adrian Celada with 20 ticks left in the game. An ankle injury suffered by Fortuna early in the fourth quarter worked to the Chiefs advantage as Arellano slowly chipped into the lead. Teng tried to play hero for UST but could not connect on a three in the dying seconds of the game. Junior ball The Tiger Cubs survived a late-game scare and prevailed over a gutsy Adamson University Baby Falcons, 70-66, last May 25. The victory improved the Cubs win-loss record to 3-2, which was good for second place behind San Bedas 4-0 card. The game saw five players fouling outthree from the Cubs and two from the Baby Falcons. The Cubs could not establish a solid defensive effort in the game, giving the Baby Falcons several opportunities to take the lead. After the half, the Cubs led by a whisker, 27-26, after the Baby Falcons rallied from five points down in the first period. In the womens singles non-rank competition, Girly Apas of UST Paddlers Team B finished third after bowing down to Jaezl Inginiero of the University of the East, 5-11, 10-12, 11-7, 7-11. But Apas exacted vengeance in the semifinals match in the Girls Singles 17-and-under competition, as she mauled Inginiero with a convincing 12-10, 11-9, 11-2 victory to carve a runner-up finish. I was able to read her moves. I just used my spins to beat her, said Apas. In other events, Mediola and Celjun Ortalla shared the third spot in the mens single non-rank compet it ion. with reports

oUTMUSCLED. Tiger forward Carmelo Afuang tries to muscle his way to the lane against Red lion Dave Marcelo. JOSa CaMILLe a. BaSSIg

Coaches
FROM Page 16 Philippines for three years, from 2008 to 2011. Its really a big challenge for me knowing that UST is the defending champion in the UAAP mens lawn tennis, he said. Judo woes It remains to be seen whether Jojo Arce would continue to coach the Lady Judokas, last seasons champions, after he was embroiled in a controversy involving fund-raising for the teams training. In an interview, Arce said the team was able to raise P8,000 that allowed the

judokas to conduct training sessions outside of UST, whose facilities supposedly made them prone to injuries. They ended up training with the national team at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. Problem was the money reportedly came from three students, then members of Team B, who also asked that they be exempted from PE classes. On one hand, I know I also have done wrong. But the money didnt end up in my pocket and I did it for my players. Look at what they have become. They really improved a lot, he said in an interview with the Varsitarian. Volleyball

Odjie Mamon, assistant coach of the Tiger Spikers, was tapped to mentor the Lady Spikers following the departure of De los Santos, who led UST to a number of titles since he began coaching the team in 2004. De los Santos admitted that he will be coaching FEU from now on as he graduated Commerce major in Management there back in 1999. I hope people like you would understand. There are reasons why this things happen, he said as he revealed his new coaching position. Tigresses Cantonjos, a member of the dominant UST basketball team that collected four beat FEU. But now, I think the players are just off because of the vacation, said Simpao. Justine Medina was the lone player who bagged a win for his squad, hammering his opponent Rojo Gagujas body with 45-degree kicks en route to a 6-7 victory. Season 73 top rookie Clint Ferrers feisty roundhouse kick got countered with a turning long kick by Elijah Marcelino, who eked out a 6-5 win. Skipper Dane Pio de Roda, who had a flu the night before, had no answer to Jude Solis turning kicks and loss, 8-10. Marae Deo settled for a 2-2 draw against Raymar Bartolome. In the nightcap, national team members John Mendoza and Anthony Soriano lost to Alfonso Santillon of FEU, 6-7, for USTs fourth defeat. going to maintain the same passing grade, he said. In the November 2010 board exams, UST emerged as the second top-performing school with an 83.96-percent passing rate, higher than the 40.57-percent national passing mark. Meanwhile, UST obtained a 71.76-percent passing rate in the recent CPA licensure exam as 122 out of 170 examinees passed. This

consecutive titles in the 90s, is now the head coach of the womens squad. He replaced coach Julie Amos, whose contract was no longer renewed by UST. A former PBA player, Cantonjos will be joined by coaches Allan Ascue and Juben Ledesma, his assistants with the juniors basketball team. Athletics moderator Rodrigo Sambuang said the makeover was meant to further improve the teams performance in the coming UAAP seasons. Its for the sports development of UST. The replacements for the former coaches have good track records with them, he said.

Paddlers
FROM Page 16 Shanghai-siopao squad both settled for the third spot. H u a c h i n g - D o n i cs Henberd Ortalla stumbled against national team player Ting Ledesma in three straight sets, 9-11, 2-11, 4-11, in the first singles competition of the team open. In the doubles match, Ortalla and former UST coach Richard Gonzales of Huaching-Donic yielded to Lauro Crisostomo and Joseph Cruz of Metta in a five set thriller, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 5-11. few years. Vargas said Ched should only grant licenses to nursing schools that are capable of providing quality nurses. Vargas said there were only less than 200 nursing schools in the country in the late 1990s, but the number has ballooned to about 480 in 2011. If Ona exerts some influence, it should be objectivemore particularly with the healthcare demands of the country, she said, adding that some job opportunities in government and private institutions are available for nurses. Vargas, however, admitted that some of UST nursing graduates are having difficulty finding jobs. Before, our graduates right after the board exam or even before [taking it]got passing rate was 40.5 percent, slightly higher than last years 39 percent, as 2,130 out of 5,259 examinees passed. There was no topperforming school this year, under the new criteria set by the Professional Regulation Commission last year, which requires 50 or more examinees and at least an 80-percent passing rate. Last October, UST ranked as second top-

from RODOLFO SeRaFIN JeROMe T. LOzaDa

MBL
FROM Page 16 only a minute left in the game. With a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals, the Espaa-based dribblers walloped third-seeded Hobe Bihon group, 75-65, last May 14 to book an easy trip to the finals. They earlier lost to the Hobe squad,72-7, last May 12. The team is already complete. With just a little motivation, the team is ready to win. The MBL championship can serve as a winning outlook to prepare for future sports competitions, Jarencio said.FIDeL eLINO
MIgUeL P. FLOReS

Jins
FROM Page 16 Both fighters hanged on until the last minute, exchanging vicious kicks. But Dagpin showed greater desire and secured the win with a powerful ax kick. In the 53-60kg weight division, Camille Acodili knocked off Erika Alvaran, 3-1, using a turning long kick to highlight her victory in the curtain-raiser. Twist of fate UAAP runner-up Tiger Jins faltered against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Jins, 1-4, and dropped to a 2-1 win-loss record. Its ironic that, in UAAP, we dominated the mats and we

Nursing
FROM Page 1 If students fared well in mathematics and science, it would be better for them to take other health-related courses in line with their expertise like medical research and medical technology, he said. Sought for comment, Vargas said Onas statement was simply his choice as a parent [who], just like other parents, [may] also have his [personal] choice for his children. Probably, his basis [for saying that] was the oversupply [of nurses in the country], but you have to look into its root cause, said Vargas, adding that the reason for oversupply are the [various] nursing schools that have sprouted in the past was lower than last years 77 percent. We are not expecting to get a high passing rate since this is an off-season board exam, said USTAlfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy Dean Minerva Cruz. Yet we still regard it as a high mark because we sometimes get 50 or 60 [percent passing rates] in the previous exams. This years national

employed almost immediately. But now, there are many of them who are not [yet] employed, so they are waiting [for openings] even at UST Hospital, she said. But in some hospitals like the Philippine Heart Center, graduates of UST are given priority, she said. Based on an employment data provided by the college, 67 percent of graduates during the years 2006 to 2010 are already in practice, with 85 percent working in government institutions and 15 percent in private institutions and hospitals. Moreover, 97 percent of employed graduates are in hospitals, while the remaining are in the academe and nursingrelated businesses. ROMMeL
MaRVIN C. RIO with reports from BeRNaDeTTe D. NICOLaS

THE SCORES: UST-Ironcon (66) Fortuna 16, Afuang 12, Bautista 11, Teng 6, Ferrer 6, Camus 6, Abdul 4, Pe 4, Tan 3, Aytona 0, De Guzman 0, Javier 0, Lo 0, Sheriff 0, Ungria 0. Foscon (56) - Tajonera 22, Marquez 11, Martinez 9, Daroya 5, Villaflor 4, Gonzalco 3, Clemente 2, Paclipan 0, Castro 0, Calimpong 0. QUARTER SCORES: 15-11, 26-19, 53-39, 66-56

Board Exam
FROM Page 2 studies], he said. Despite the low passing rate, Tiburcio is confident the Quadricentennial batch would get a high mark in the November board exams. We have some students who graduated with Latin honors, and I think they are

performing school in the CPA licensure exams. Cruz said the college was aiming for a spot in the top 10 of the October exams. We have five [students who had graduated] magna cum laude and 40 cum laude last May. So we are hoping [that] some of them will land in the top ten, and the batch will have a pleasing passing rate this coming October, she said.

Sports
Tiger Paddlers extend winning streak in Metta cup
By CHENNy V. RAMOS TIGER Paddlers dominated the Metropolitan Table Tennis Association (Metta) Cup with a 1-3-5 gold-silver-bronze medal during competitions held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila from May 16 to 19. The tandem of Celjun Ortalla, Junior Paddlers head coach, and Mark Jimenez of the Lopues Table Tennis Association (Loptta) squad outsmashed the duo of former UST team captain Michael Paa and Glendo Nayre of Huaching-Donic, 6-11, 11-1, 11-7, 12-10, in the team non-rank competition. Paa and I spent a long time playing for UST, so it was a hard fight since we know each others game, Ortalla said in Filipino. The Ortalla-Jimenez duo came out more aggressively in the fourth set, forcing Nayre to whack the ball outside the oppositions table for 8-all deadlock. But Paa countered with two straight chops, to regain the lead for the Donic, 10-8. But the Loptta veterans kept their poise and pressured Paa into three straight errors to finish the set, 12-10. The tournament was a good exposure for our players. It allowed us to evaluate them and work on certain improvements, UST Paddlers head coach Henberd Ortalla said in Filipino. In the team open competition, the UST-powered Huaching-Donic settled for a runner-up finish after falling against the Metta squad via a 0-2 sweep. Celjun Ortallas Loppta and Zoren Mendiolas Paddlers Page 15

JUNE 10, 2011

The Varsitarian

UST nails first MBL plum

THE UST Tigers bagged their first Millennium Basketball League (MBL) championship at the expense of the Foscon Ship Management team, 6556, in their showdown at the Lyceum Gym last May 19. Playing under the USTIroncon banner, the Tigers bested six teams in the preseason tournament. The players have already developed a winning attitude in preparation for the UAAP season and for the Filoil games, said Tigers coach Pido Jarencio. Veteran guard Jeric Fortuna was named tournament MVP, a distinction that showed in the last game where he erupted with 16 points. Fortuna unleashed seven crucial jumpers to give the Espaa contingent a 15-point cushion, 59 -44, in the payoff period. [Winning the game] felt good because the game built character for all of us, said Fortuna. Big man Chris Camus denied Foscons attempt at a comeback by stealing the ball from Nino Marquez. Another basket put UST comfortably ahead by 10 points, 66-56, with
ALL SET FoR hIS UAAP DEBUT. Rookie Kevin Ferrer slashes through the lane against three Foscon defenders to J. T. CaMPOS carry the team to its first Millenium Basketball league crown, 66-56.

MBL Page 15

Jins score, stumble in Smart-PTA league

By ANNE MARIE CARMElA l. DAyAUON and JAN EDWARD B. BAllESTEROS THE UST Lady Jins broke a three-game losing streak at the expense of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 3-1, in their Smart-Philippine Taekwondo League match-up at the Ateneo de Manila University last May 20. We really need to earn points for the team, said Lady Jins coach Dennis Simpao. And this time, our players knew that our team had a big advantage against our opponent. The Lady Jins had a rough start when Marynel Niagno succumbed to the vicious attacks of Letrans Vianca Cardona, whose powerful turning long kick punctuated their 6067kg division bout at 3-6. But fellow UST Jin Jane Narra struck back and toppled Kaye Failangan, 13-4, in the over-67 kg weight category to register the schools first victory. Narra dominated with side- and-45-degree kicks that proved too much for her opponent. In a crucial exchange in the second round, Narra landed a strong ax kick to counter the rapid st rikes th row n b y Failangan. Early in the first round, Dyana Tabeta avoided a barrage of 45-degree kicks from Espaa-based jin Nikki Amarillo and countered them with solid sidekicks. But come round two, Amarillo crushed her foe with a swift ax in the under-46kg weight division, 5-4. Lady Jin Michelle Dagpin edged her opponent Sanya Amarillo in the sudden-death round of the 46-53kg division. Jins Page 15

Rival schools lure top Tiger coaches

FILe PHOTO

By FRAUlEINE MICHEllE S. VIllANUEVA NEW SEASON, new coaches. Fresh from USTs 38th UAAP general championship last season, four teams have gone a coaching revamp of sorts, following the departure of their chief tacticians for a variety of reasons. The tennis squad lost head coach Karl Santamaria reportedly to the National University, which is expected to parade a vastly improved line-up in several disciplines in the UAAP this year. His contract with UST had expired. Coach Ceasel de los Santos decided to left the Lady Spikers to coach in his alma mater, the Far Eastern University, while mentoring the Philippine team. The entire coaching staff of the Tiger

Santamaria De los Santos De los Santos Santamaria

bidding contest to land the best athletes available. Our primary belief is that if one player goes by the highest bidder, then it is dangerous to have them, he said. As an institution, we do not encourage that kind of practice. We dont rely on promises of money. We just rely on our name. Were playing for UST and thats all there is. Now a Bulldog? Assistant coach Gabby Remigio is back as head coach of the tennis squad in place of Santamaria. Remigio confirmed that Santamaria was indeed moving to NU. We cant blame him. NU is serious in building its tennis team this year. Ive heard they have the best graduating players this year, he said. Remigio was a UST player himself and mentored the tennis team years back. He had also coached the womens lawn tennis team of the University of the Coaches Page 15

Cubs, led by former UAAP standout Chris Cantonjos, will take over the womens basketball team. The womens judo team is still officially without a mentor. Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P., regent of the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA), acknowledged the reality of coaches being lured by other collegiate teams. As coaches, they are human, so they feel some insecurity also because their appointment is on a year-to-year basis. And if theres a school that tries to get them, theres

Bulldogs snatch UST tennister

ANOTHER Tiger has opted to become a Bulldog. Former UST rookie Kim Saraza has announced his decision to join the newly created tennis squad of the National University Bulldogs in the upcoming UAAP season. He admitted that he was following the lead of his mentor, ertswhile UST coach Karl Santamaria, who had apparenpart lured by NUs highly aggressive sports recruitment strategy. They will give me a good training support because I want to improve my standing in the national mens ranking, said Saraza, who played a vital role in USTs championship win over De La Salle University last season. Currently ranked sixth in the Philippine mens open, Saraza will join Santamaria, who earlier agreed to help build NUs tennis program. Santamaria coached the UST tennis team for 10 years. Its true that Im transferring (to NU) because Ill be following coach Santamaria, said Saraza in Filipino. Hes been my mentor since I entered UST. He also praised UST for the opportunity that was given to him during the first years of his collegiate career. Ralph Kevin Barte, team captain of the Male Tennisters, Sarazas departure was no surprise considering his close ties with Santamaria. When coach Karl left for NU, I already had a feeling that Kim would also leave the team, he said in a phone interview. Now it will be very different that well be battling against him, he added.
RODOLFO SeRaFIN JeROMe T. LOzaDa

gOOgLe IMageS

nothing we can do about it, he said. But de Sagon appealed for greater transparency from coaches opting to leave. Where they go after they have been with us, we dont scrutinize. Thats their privilege. I dont take it against them, but all they have to do is to be honest. They should not tell us many other reasons for leaving only (for us) to find out that they are going somewhere, he said. De Sagon said UST would not be dragged into a so-called

USTs Dane Pio de Roda gets tagged with a powerful kick from FEUs Jude Solis, who won their match 8-10. SHeRWIN MaRION T.
VaRDeLeON