The Varsitarian

The Varsitarian
Founded 1928
The Official student publicaTION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
Vol. LXXXI, No. 3 • July 31, 2009
www.varsitarian.net
Manila, Philippines
Dominicans out of ‘UST Ethiopia’
By PRINZ P. MAGTULIS
THE DOMINICAN order has withdrawn
“temporarily” from administering the first
Catholic university in Ethiopia, citing “several
complications” with Ethiopian bishops.
At last. Freshmen enter the historic Arch of
the Centuries as the long overdue welcome
walk finally pushes through (See related story
on page 3).
PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO
The bishops’ conference of Ethiopia is now incharge of the Ethiopian Catholic University of Saint
Thomas Aquinas (Ecusta) 10 months after its opening
in September last year.
The Varsitarian had reported that Ecusta was
supposed to be owned by the Ethiopian bishops’
conference, but run by the Dominicans. The former
sought help from Dominican Master General Fr.
Carlos Azpiroz Costa, O.P. to establish the university
six years ago.
In a letter early this month updating members of
the Order of Preachers on activities of the Dominican
headquarters, Fr. Edward Ruane, O.P., vicar of the
Master General, announced that the Dominicans had
withdrawn from the project.
Ruane said: “Unfortunately, there were several
complications that set in with the development of the
university, and the Ethiopian Bishops Conference.”
“After many consultations with the (Ethiopian
Bishops’) Conference, the General Curia, and our
brothers, it was decided that the brothers should
withdraw from the university, even if only temporarily,”
he said in the letter. “We are indebted to our brothers,
espeicially Fr. Rogelio Alarcon, who worked so well
and diligently on this project.”
Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, O.P., prior provincial of
Dominicans , Page 4
Alumnus
is new
CBCP head
By ROSE MAY Y. CABACANG
THOMASIAN clergymen will
head the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) come December 1.
Tandag bishop Nereo
Odchimar has been elected
CBCP president for a two-year
term, while Palo Archbishop
Jose Palma will take his place
as vice-president.
O d c h i m a r, a f o r m e r
Faculty of Canon Law
professor, will replace Jaro
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo.
He got 86 votes from 88
national dioceses during
the CBCP’s 99th Plenary
Assembly at the Pope Pius
XII Catholic Center in Paco,
Manila last July 11.
Known for his strong
stand against mining and
illegal logging, Odchimar is
the first bishop to be elected
CBCP president. Before
him, only archbishops have
occupied the post. The 68year-old prelate is also among
a number of bishops who have
called for the delay of charter
change until after the 2010
presidential elections.
Palma, 58, served as
rector of two seminaries in a
span of 10 years – St. Vincent
Ferrer Seminary from 1987 to
1988, and St. Joseph Regional
Seminary from 1988 to 1997.
He was ordained bishop in
1998, and was appointed
archbishop in 2006.
Odchimar obtained his
bachelor and doctorate degrees
in Canon Law in 1982 and 1983,
respectively; while Palma
earned his licentiate degree in
Sacred Theology in 1976, and
doctorate in Theology in 1987.
Both graduated magna cum
laude from UST twice.
‘Thomasian pride can’t make profs stay’
By CLIFF HARVEY C.
VENZON
THOMASIAN pride is not
enough to keep professors
from leaving the University–
fair college policies and work
satisfaction play big roles in
encouraging them to stay, a
recent study has revealed.
The study titled
“When the ‘Arms’ Begin
to Speak: University
Faculty Assessment of their
Development ‘Heads’,”
commissioned by the UST
Faculty Union, delved
on interpersonal working
relationships between
faculty members with
administrators.
The study showed that
professors in 11 of 18 academic
units in the University
have harmonious working
relationships with their deans,
assistant deans, regents, and
college secretaries, based on
six variables.
This contributed to
the professors’ “pleasure of
rendering service,” making
them “proud of being a UST
professor.”
The six variables were
“leader-member exchange”
or the interpersonal
relationship between the
professor and their college
administrators; “distributive
justice” or recognition and
rewards for a good job done;
“procedural justice” or the fair
implementation of policies;
“job satisfaction” or the
pleasure of rendering service;
“organizational commitment”
or, proud feeling of being
a Thomasian educator; and
“turnover intentions” or the
tendency of a professor to leave
the University.
Five academic units in the
University registered a score
lower than 2.0 in turnover
intention, indicating the high
tendencies of faculty to leave
the University.
The five academic units,
which were not named, are most
likely to suffer a faculty exodus
because of low organizational
commitment as a result of being
dissatisfied with their work,
the study showed.
Seven academic units
were also found to have low
organization commitment.
Dissatisfaction in work
may be caused by the unfair
implementation of University
policies, and incongruent
compensation to work done,
among other factors, the study
said.
The survey had a total of
559 respondents, representing
30 percent of tenured faculty
in the University. UST
elementary and high school
teachers, and employees of
the Miguel de Benavides
Thomasian , Page 4
Illustration by R.I. M. Cruz
UAAP fans question ‘Tigerbands’ gimmick
By Jilly Anne A. Bulauan
SHOWING Thomasian spirit just got more costly.
Basketball fanatics were irked after UAAP tickets for
the Season 72 opening games were sold with tiger headbands
worth P100 during the Recruitment 101 fair from July 6 to
10.
“Initially, I was shocked because of the price. I also
thought the headband was unnecessary because with or
without it, one can show support for UST,” said Veronica Anne
Villafuerte, a sophomore Legal Management student.
Janine Ma. Gonzales, a classmate of Villafuerte,
was also surprised that she had to shell out
P500 for two tickets that normally cost
P300.
“The P200 additional payment
is a big thing. I could have used it to
buy another ticket so more of us can watch
the game,” she said.
Central Student Council
President Jeanne Castillo explained
that the tickets and the “tigerbands”
were sold as a “package.”
“We sold the tickets with the tigerbands
during the week prior to the opening of the
UAAP. The Institute of Physical Education and
Athletics (IPEA) requested us to come up with a new
gimmick this year for the opening of UAAP so that the
UST crowd will really stand out,” Castillo said.
Maria Cecila Cruz, president of Student Organizations
Coordinating Council, said the tigerbands were sold ahead of
UAAP tickets.
“When the UAAP tickets arrived, we were told by the
Office for Student Affairs to sell them as a package so come
opening day, Thomasians will be well-identified as they all
will be wearing the headband,” said Cruz
Castillo said many students purchased
tigerbands.
“[Actually], the response was
above average because the students
really want to get the tigerbands. In
fact, some students complain why
they just get the tickets whenever
we ran out of tigerbands to sell,”
she said.
Castillo said sales from the
tickets and tigerbands were properly
liquidated.
“The sales from the ticket were
remitted to IPEA, while the sales from
the tigerbands were remitted to the Public
Affairs Office. The original price of the
tigerbands is P120 but we sold it for (only)
P100. CSC did not have a commission
in these tickets and tigerbands,” she
explained.
First flu
case recalls
ordeal
DON’T be selfish.
This is what a 20-year-old
Nursing student learned after
becoming UST’s first confirmed
case of the influenza A(H1N1)
virus.
After a five-day tour of
Hong Kong, the fourth-year
student skipped the mandatory
10-day quarantine period and
immediately went to school to
attend an organizational meeting
on the first day of classes. It was
on Wednesday, June 17, when
she felt flu symptoms.
“I was lying on bed, feeling
sick. When I can no longer bear
the pain, I asked my father to
bring me to the hospital,” she
recalled.
Although she was
immediately admitted at St.
Luke’s Medical Center, and had
swab test on June 19, it took two
days before results confirmed
that she was positive for the virus.
By that time, she had infected a
number of people, including a
fellow member of her student
organization.
Her friend, in turn, infected
her entire family in the province,
and it was a domino effect.
On June 22, the Office of
the Secretary General confirmed
on public the first flu case in
the University, resulting in the
one-week closure of the San
Martin de Porres Building, which
houses not only the College of
Nursing, but also the College
of Rehabilitation Sciences and
the Faculty of Medicine and
Surgery.
“I remember, when I
was walking in corridors, my
acquaintances would jokingly
lift their clothes’ collars, and
First, Page 4
The
Varsitarian
news
2 JULY 31, 2009
Ustet application goes online
By Adrienne Jesse A. Maleficio and Darenn G. Rodriguez
Secretary general Fr. Isidro Abaño O.P. tries the
new campus e-Radio system.
J.C.A. BASSIG
FIRST, it was off-campus enrollment. Now, UST is
allowing high school students who want to enter the
University to apply for entrance exams online.
Aspiring Thomasians may now register for UST
entrance examinations on the Internet with an online
application launched last July 1.
Admissions director Mecheline Zonia
Manalastas said that so far, more than 3, 000
examinees have used the new system.
“This is to lessen the anxiety of parents,”
Manalastas said. “As early as May, there are already
parents interested to send their children to UST. This
is the answer to their pleas.”
Upon signing in to the “Freshman Application”
link on the UST website (www.ust.edu.ph), an
application form will appear on the computer screen.
The student will have to pass the form together
with other requirements (photo, report card, birth
certificate) to the Admissions Office and pay the
examination fee to get a test permit, Manalastas
said.
Thirty-four provincial testing centers may also
accept forms and payments from applicants, but
not international testing centers, which do not have
official UST receipts.
“We see the possibility of accepting payments
online, but not for now,” Manalastas said.
The online application system saves time
and effort for applicants because students and their
parents no longer have to go to UST just to get an
application form, she said.
The probability of committing errors is also
minimized, she added.
“There are instances when a parent applying
for his or her child mistakenly puts his or her name
instead of the child’s name,” Manalastas explained.
Even with online registration, hard copies of
application forms will still be available because some
parents are “unaware of the new method, while others
would like to see the campus first before applying.”
New website design
Meanwhile, the Santo Tomas e-Service
Providers will unveil a new design for the UST
website on August 8, the feast of St. Dominic.
The website will have new layouts to allow
easier access to information.
The design team composed of Nico Orillano,
Jaime Dolor, Ahnizia Mae Mangalindan, and Allan
Paul Valera started working on the new web portal
last school year but it was only last month when the
public affairs office approved it.
“We thought the project was going to push
through during the second semester of last school
year because we already received a letter from the
Rector’s office approving the project. But the website
underwent fact-checking first before the Public
Affairs office finally approved it,” said Dolor.
New tabs like “Community Development
Donations” and “Research” were added “to
emphasize the University’s forte in research.”
The web designers are also working on a “trivial
time lab.”
“UST’s history is rich in tradition that is why
we are working on a tab labeled ‘This Time in UST
History’,” he added.
Usapang Uste
Ni M.K.L. COMANDA
BAGO pa man ang kontrobersiyal na
Nursing board exam leakage noong
2006, ginulantang na ang UST ng
katulad na anomalya sa Physical
Therapy (PT) licensure exam noong
­­1996, kung saan nagkaroon ng
pagdududa sa ilang bahagi ng
pagsusulit na umano’y pumabor
sa UST.
Nag-ugat ang kontrobersiya
nang lumabas ang mga paratang
na may mga ibinebentang kopya
ng mga tanong sa board exam sa
halagang P7,000 pataas. Isang
mag-aaral pa mula sa Fatima
Medical Science Foundation ang
nagsabing may isang Tomasinong
nagbigay ng tips na lumabas naman
sa eksamen.
Umigting ang mga akusasyon
ng dayaan nang makuha ng UST
ang una hanggang ika-90 puwesto
sa ikatlong bahagi ng eksamen na
PT Application. Animnapu sa mga
First campus e-Radio launched
By Jennifer Ann G. Ambanta
UST HAS invaded the Internet radio networks
after the Educational Technology Center
(EdTech) and the Office of the Secretary
General launched “Tigerradio”— the country’s
first online broadcasting university station.
e-Radio, accessible through http://
eradio.ust.edu.ph/tigerradio//, airs campusrelated programs like TAHO, a gospel reading
show, KwenTomasino, which features “real”
Thomasian stories, and Pusong Pamon, a show
similar to DZMM’s advice show “Dr. Love.”
The online station was launched last
July 22 at the UST Main Building ,with a the
congratulatolatory message from Fr. Butch
Bombase, O.P., founder of the Radio Dominico
of Manaoag. The call served as a phone patch
test for the e-Radio. Magic 89.9 disk jockey
Michaela “Junior Jock Mika” Langiton was
among the guests.
“The goal of the e-Radio is to gain more
intense public presence through the Internet.
Undoubtedly, the Internet reaches more people,
unlike actual radio, whose audience is limited
to how far the radio waves could go,” said
Emmanuel Guevara, EdTech technical adviser
for airing and engineer.
Through the Internet, Tigerradio will be
able to provide information faster, he said. A
radio frequency is hard to get in Metro Manila
considering the huge numbers, he added.
Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P., the director
of Santo Tomas e-service providers, said that
the University could not afford to set up a real
radio station.
The project was planned six years ago, but
it was only last January that UST administrators
approved.
“It took us almost six years defending the
budget for a radio station, finally we were able
to launch it tonight,” said Secretary General Fr.
First, Page 14
Central Library
readies 2011 exhibit
THE MIGUEL de Benavides Library will hold
the international exhibit, “A Treasure of our
Nation,” next year in connection with UST’s
quadricentennial anniversary in 2011, featuring
books dating back to as early as 1539.
The exhibit will showcase books stored at
the Antonio V. del Rosario Heritage section of the
library, some of which were donated by the founder
of UST the Dominican Miguel de Benavides, the
third bishop of Manila
Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. said the
exhibit would serve as a portal to the history of
the Filipino nation, which is connected to UST’s
own history.
“We hope that, with the enhanced sense of
history, Filipinos will learn to appreciate their
identity as a people, be grateful to their Spanish
roots and learn lessons which they can use to
determine their future,” De la Rosa said in his
opening remarks during a dinner meeting to plan
for the exhibit last April 28.
One of the publications to be included in the
exhibit is the Lectura In Legis Et De Allegationibus
by juris-consult and writer Rodrigo Juarez. The
book talked about the theory of legislature and
jurisprudence.
The Polyglot Bible, a fascinating rendition of
the Bible in four languages namely Hebrew, Greek,
Syriac and Aramaic, will also be displayed. Also
known as the “Biblia Regia,” the eight-volume
tour de force owes part of its fame to Christopher
Plantin, a famous printer of the 16th century. He
was able to produce the masterpiece under the
patronage of King Philip II of Spain, after whom
the Philippines was named.
The collection of historical books once served
to support the University in its early days — from
the formation of the clergy to the expansion of
course offerings.
Gathered during the Spanish era, some of the
University’s most precious books were obtained
from Jesuit territories. Some of them were from
other libraries of the Dominican Order, such as the
Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, and
the Santo Domingo Convent in Quezon City, which
suffered from the brutal bombardment during the
Japanese invasion Robin G. Padilla
Thieves strike again; invade University fast food chains
By Robin G. Padilla
SAVING a seat in restaurants inside the
University using bags and other personal
belongings may now be risky.
Barely a month after a similar incident on
campus, four Thomasian freshmen fell victims
to two separate petty thefts inside food chains
at the multi-deck carpark, after they left their
bags on their seats to order food.
According to a report by the security
office, Orlando Balisbis, 21, a resident of 2449
Tramo Street, Pasay City, was caught carrying
two cellphones stolen from Commerce freshmen
Dessa Estacio and Marielle Lanireen Belardo last
July 15 at the McDonald’s outlet.
Two unidentified accomplices escaped with
another cellphone that belonged to Monique
Cano, also a first-year Commerce student.
The three students left their bags to reserve
their seats, only to find their cellphones gone
when they got back.
When the victims reported the incident to the
security guard of the establishment, an inspection
was conducted, paving the way for the arrest of
Balisbis by civilian guards of the UST security
office and the Spartan security agency stationed
at the carpark.
Under police interrogation, Balisbis said he
and his accomplices had planned to steal valuable
items from carpark restaurant patrons.
“We have been circling the carpark for
days,” Balisbis said in Filipino. “I still cannot
believe they (accomplices) left me.”
Balisbis’ group was also tagged in a similar
incident last July 13 when a freshman Travel
Management student lost her laptop while
Thieves, Page 14
UST sa gitna ng iskandalo sa PT board exam
ito’y nakakuha pa ng tamang sagot sa
lahat ng katanungan.
Gayunpaman, pinasinungalingan
ng Professional Regulation
Commission ang mga akusasyon
kasabay ng paglabas ng listahan ng
mga bagong physical therapist noong
Setyembre 1996. Ayon sa komisyon,
wala silang nakitang matibay na
ebidensya upang isangkot ang
noo’y Institute of Physical Therapy ng
Unibersidad sa dayaan.
Napagpasiyahan din ng komisyon
na huwag na lamang isama sa
kompyutasyon ang 44 na tanong na
nabahiran ng pagdududa. Matapos
muling kuwentahin ang mga iskor,
tumaas pa sa 755 mula sa 337 ang
kabuuang bilang ng mga pumasa,
91 rito ay Tomasino. Nagdulot
ito ng pagtaas ng passing rate
ng UST – mula 89 ay naging 91
porsyento ito.
Nagpahayag ng pagkadismaya
ang administrasyon ng Unibersidad
sa pagkakasangkot ng UST sa
kontrobersiya. Pagkainggit dahil sa
patuloy na pamamayagpag ng UST
sa PT board exam ang nakitang
dahilan ng kung bakit isinangkot ang
Unibersidad sa pandaraya.
Tomasino siya
Nag-aaral pa lamang siya sa
Unibersidad ay nakitaan agad ng
potensyal sa pagpinta
ang
noo’y baguhang si
Angelito Antonio.
Isinilang
noong Pebrero
25, 1939,
hinasa niya
ang kanyang galing sa pagpinta sa
UST Fine Arts sa kursong painting. Sa
kanyang pamamalagi sa Unibersidad,
nahilig si Antonio sa pagsali sa iba’t
ibang mga patimpalak, gaya ng Art
Association of the Philippines at Shell
National Students Art Competition.
Dahil na rin sa kaniyang
natatanging galing sa pagpinta,
binansagan si Antonio bilang isa sa
ten most promising young artists in
the Philippines noong 1965.
Kabilang sa kaniyang mga obra
ang Mag-Ina, Sabongero, Harvest,
Vendor at Mother and
Child. Naitanghal na rin
ang kanyang mga likha
sa maraming bansa
gaya sa Saigon, New
York, Hong Kong at
Australia.
Bumalik si
Antonio sa UST upang
magturo sa noo’y
College of Architecture
and Fine Arts noong dekada
Dibuho ni F.M.C. Amar
sisenta.
Sa kasalukuyan, si Antonio ay
namumuhay sa Antipolo kasama
ang kabiyak na si Norma Belleza
na isa ring Tomasinong pintor.
Ipinagpapatuloy naman ng kanilang
mga anak na sina Marcel, Emil at
Fatima ang tradisyon ng pagkahilig
sa sining ng kanilang pamilya.
Tomasalitaan:
Kag-yat (pnr, pnb) – agad;
madali.
Halimbawa: Kagyat niyang
inakyat ang puno ng niyog matapos
niyang makita ang alagang pusa sa
tuktok nito.
Mga Sanggunian:
The Varsitarian, Tomo LXIX
Blg. 4, Setyembre 12, 1996
The Varsitarian, Tomo
XXXVII Blg. 8, Setyembre 1965
http://artcircle-gallery.com/
antonio.htm
The
Varsitarian
news
JULY 31, 2009 3
Danielle Clara P. Dandan, Acting Editor
‘Dignity, non-negotiable’ -theologian
A PHILOSOPHICAL theologian has
urged Thomasians to rekindle the basic
Christian value that is “seemingly
forgotten and taken for granted”––
dignity, pointing out that it is violated
not just by atrocities such as war and
slavery, but by cloning and human
engineering.
William Sweet, a Canadian
professor, said dignity, being the core
of human rights, distinguishes people
from mere objects or commodities.
“Dignity involves what persons
are not. If you treat your body or other
person’s body a property, and (for
instance) the government takes your
property, what logically follows that?”
Sweet said.
Sweet added that some people
downplay the importance of dignity
and are not even aware of it.
“People have forgotten the
meaning of dignity. Just because
people like or tolerate something,
does not mean it is right,” Sweet said
in an interview after his lecture titled
“Philosophy of the Human Person:
Human Dignity and Freedom” at UST
Graduate School last July 9.
Sweet quoted Laval University
professor Thomas De Konnick who
said that “it is perhaps only when
dignity is tested that we are most
aware of it.”
He cited war, slavery, human
cloning, and prostitution as concrete
examples of violations against human
dignity.
According to Sweet, the principal
standard of ethics is not about “simply
avoiding doing harm, nor justified
by the presence of a person’s mere
individual consent.”
He took surrogate mothers—
women who voluntarily bear a child
in exchange of money after labor—as
living examples of the unjust practice
of consent.
“We would find it morally
objectionable if someone were to
attempt to engineer a child who, like
a well-behaved dog, wanted to do
nothing but make his parents happy
and serve them as his masters,” Sweet
said.
Sweet also affirmed that slavery,
just like “human engineering” is a
clear violation, not just against one
child or person, but to humanity.
Apart from being a philosophy
Dignity, Page 4
Music Dean Sunico heads CCP
CONSERVATORY OF Music Dean Raul Sunico was named Cultural Center
of the Philippines (CCP) artistic director and vice president last June 16. He
is the first Thomasian to head the 40-year-old artistic institution.
Sunico replaced Nestor Jardin and Rodolfo Del Rosario as artistic
director and vice president, who were in charge of the CCP’s production and
directorial choices, and overall artistic division, respectively.
Despite the new post, Sunico will continue to head the Conservatory
of Music, and teach in the UST Graduate School.
Sunico, a world-renowned pianist, was hailed as one of the Outstanding
Young Men of the Philippines for Music in 1986, and was a recipient of
KATHA Cultural Heritage Award in 1997. He was awarded the “Patnubay
ng Sining at Kalinangan” for Music in 1998.
Sunico pioneered the traditional UST Christmas concert, which draws
artists and VIPs every year. Darenn G. Rodriguez
Publishing House leadership vacant
THE UST Publishing House is awaiting the appointment of a new director
after its officer-in-charge, John Jack Wigley, declined reappointment to
concentrate on his teaching.
Wigley’s term officially ended last May 31.
“I want to focus on teaching and to pursue my doctoral degree,” said
Wigley, a professor of literature at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences.
The Office of the Secretary General has administrative supervision of
the publishing house. Wigley, who was assistant to the director before he
became OIC, said the “400 Books at 400!” project, which seeks to publish
400 books from 2001 to 2011 to mark the quadricentennial of UST, will
continue under the secretary general.
Wigley said under his one-year watch, the publishing house published
around 80 books, bringing the number of publications since the project was
launched to more than 300. Cliff Harvey C. Venzon
Seminary holds journalism workshop
THE UST Central Seminary, aiming to be “updated with the new publication
trends and to raise the bar of competence in research,” conducted its annual
Journalism Seminar and Workshop last July 25 at the UST Martyr’s Hall.
The seminar was graced by fictionist and 2006 Don Carlos Palanca
awardee Eros Atalia, also a Filipino professor in the Faculty of Arts
and Letters, and former Varsitarian editor in chief Anthony Andrew
Divinagracia. Both lectured on literary and editorial writing, respectively.
Varsitarian alumni Carlo Patricio Franco and Alexa Remalante
delivered talks on layouting and photojournalism, while the paper’s acting
News editor Danielle Clara Dandan lectured on news writing and editing.
It was the first time that the Varsitarian was invited to deliver talks
to undergraduate and junior seminarians. The lecture was also attended by
nuns and guests.
Filmmaking contest launched
IN COMMEMORATION with the Buwan ng Wika, the Student
Organizations Coordinating Council (SOCC) has launched a month-long
celebration titled Pintig: Pinoy Muna! which showcases interpretative dance
and filmmaking contests.
“Daloy ng Diwa” will have groups from different colleges performing
three- to five-minute dances, while “Sineng Sining” will feature Thomasian
short films with the theme “Kalayaan, Wika, at Pagkakilanlan.”
“Sineng Sining” will be open to all UST students, and may be joined
individually or by a group of five. Movies should be between seven and 15
minutes in length, and must answer the question: “Ano ang tatak ng iyong
Pagka-Pilipino?” Application forms are available at the SOCC office, Room
205, UST-Tan Yan Kee Student Center.
Amid the scorching heat of the sun, the newly-inducted
freshmen patiently waits for the opening of the program.
MARK JONATHAN C. SEE
Freshman Walk pushes through
“YOU MAKE UST forever young.”
These were the words of Rector Fr. Rolando De la
Rosa, O.P. to Thomasian freshmen during the traditional
welcome walk last July 24.
De la Rosa advised the estimated 10,500 freshmen
to develop their skills in college.
“The wings are the God-given talents that allow you
to soar above your limitations,” De la Rosa said.
The traditional Thomasian welcome walk finally
pushed through more than a month after the opening of
classes, following cases of the influenza A(H1N1) virus
on campus.
Public Affairs director Giovanna Fontanilla said
the University decided to continue with the walk
since the welcome rite is an important part of life of a
Thomasian.
“This is a significant part of the Thomasian tradition.
Many great Thomasian men and women passed through
the Arch of the Centuries and we want the freshmen to
experience it also,” Fontanilla said. “The welcome walk
will instill a keen sense of pride among Thomasians and
that they will graduate from a 400-year-old University.”
The welcome walk impresses upon freshmen
students that they are now part of the Thomasian
community, as symbolized by their entrance through
the Arch of the Centuries.
It was first reported that the annual event may no
longer be conducted after the A(H1N1) virus hit the
University last month.
Despite the delay, freshmen still welcomed
the idea of undergoing the “perennial Thomasian
ritual.”
“The welcome was fun, even if we roasted under
the blazing sun, we still enjoyed the event,” said Neil
Tsai, a first year Commerce student.
“Passing through the Arch of the Centuries is
a must for me because legend has it that if you pass
through the Arch, St. Thomas Aquinas will guide you
in your studies,” said chemical engineering major
Marc Lester Tabafunda.
The event started with a freshmen parade followed
by a Mass celebrated by De la Rosa. It culminated in an
evening concert featuring bands Spongecola, Chicosci,
and Sandwich. Darenn G. Rodriguez
Teatro, unrecognized
VISIBLY missing in the Recruitment 101, a yearly event of recognized
student organizations to hire new members, was Teatro Tomasino, the
three-decade-old theater guild of UST.
Maria Cecilia Cruz, president of the Student Organizations
Coordinating Council (SOCC), said Teatro and Tomasinotaku, an
organization promoting Japanese culture, did not attend the Leadership
Training Seminar last summer, a requirement for student organizations
before they can be recognized by the SOCC and the Office for Student
Affairs (OSA).
She said so far, there are 177 recognized student organizations on
the council’s list, including those which are college-based. The list is
not yet final since there are still other requirements needed to be met.
“The Community Development Forum is [also] part of the
[requirements for an organization] to be recognized,” Cruz said, adding
that organizations also need to submit “recognition papers” to OSA.
Efforts to reach Teatro officers for comment proved futile.
Teatro has produced some of the biggest names in the television
and film industries, including director Wenn Deramas, Piolo Pascual,
and John Lapus, also the guild’s professional adviser.
Earlier this year, a Teatro member committed suicide during an
affair of the organization at the Fernandina Suites Hotel in Cubao,
Quezon City.
Following the incident, the Office of the Secretary General issued
a circular last May 28 banning acquaintance parties and other studentorganized activities outside the University.
Meanwhile, Cruz said this year’s recruitment drive was
“successful” based on the number of students who signed up for various
organizations.
The CFC-Youth for Christ got the highest number of recruits with
1,034 students signing up, followed by Earth-UST, an organization
promoting environmental protection, with 727.
The recruitment was postponed to July 6 to 10, from its original
schedule of June 22 to 26, after the University was hit by influenza
A(H1N1) virus last June 22. Jilly Anne A. Bulauan
Clarification
In the story “Vatican OKs sports complex” published on the July
15 issue of the Varsitarian, it was reported that Michael Malicsi, the
Rector’s executive secretary, said the new sports complex needed some
sort of a clearance from the Vatican, “noting” the scrapping of the 19story hospital tower project in 2007. Malicsi did not mention anything
about the hospital tower during the interview.
Palace appoints
UST’s Sevilla
ASSISTANT to the Rector for Research
and Development Fortunato Sevilla III was
appointed as a member of the Presidential
Coordinating Council on Research and
Development, designed to address the
problems of scientific research and
development among government agencies.
The formation of the council was
mandated in Executive Order 604 signed
by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
in February 2007, but was only formally
enacted last June 9.
The council is co-chaired by the
President and Science and Technology
Secretary Estrella Alabastro, with 13 other
Cabinet secretaries and government agency
heads as members. Five representatives from
the private sector were also included along
with Sevilla and Alvin Culaba from research
organizations Philippine Association for
the Advancement of Science, and the
Philippine American Academy of Science
and Engineer, respectively.
Sevilla said his extensive research
experience has contributed to his
appointment.
“We [appointees] were chosen based on
our academic and research tract,” he said.
Sevilla was a recipient of UST Gold
Series Award for Research and International
Publication. He was named one of the
“50 Men and Women of Science” by the
Department of Science and Technology in
2008, and was proclaimed as Outstanding
Professional Chemist by the Professional
Regulation Commission in 2002.
Specializing in the field of chemistry,
particularly instrumentation and analytical
science, Sevilla is known for his development
of optical chemical sensors and biosensors
and low-cost designs of chemical equipment.
Adrienne Jesse A. Maleficio
The
Varsitarian
SCI-TECH
4 JULY 31, 2009
Art by Carla T. Gamalinda
Giannina Nicolai P. Melicor
A FROG-KILLING fungus has reached the
Philippines.
Experts believe the Batrachocytrium
dendrobatidis (Bd), a fungus that causes the
lethal frog disease called chytridiomycosis,
arrived in the Philippines through foreign
carrier frogs.
College of Science professor Mae Lowe
Diesmos and her team composed by Dr. Rafe
Brown from the University of Kansas and
Dr. Arvin Diesmos, curator of amphibians
and reptiles at the National Museum of the
Philippines, found signs of Bd fungus in four
species of local frogs. Out of 20 frogs from
Cavite and the Bicol region tested, five were
positive for the fungus.
“There were no visible signs of the fungal
disease
among local
frogs. We just
[considered the
possibility] that they have
it,” Diesmos said.
Diesmos’ team is still in the
process of testing the frog species in the
country to see how far the fungus has spread.
Diesmos said that of about 110 species of frogs
in the country, the research team has run
tests on an estimated 30 species from Cavite,
Northern Luzon, Bicol, Negros, Zamboanga,
Iligan, and Butuan,.
“Not all species were tested because some
of these frogs don’t come out of their natural
habitats while the others are confined in one
‘...if the fungus wipes out frog species,
it can lead to disruption of the food chain
that will eventually affect us humans’
-Mae Diesmos
specific locality,” she said.
Philippine frogs in danger
Diesmos and her team have been
sampling live frog skins for the past two
years as part of their study on foreign frogs
that may have brought the fungus to the
Philippines.
Discovered in 1990 in South Africa,
chytridiomycosis is a disease caused by
the Bd fungus that creates deformities in
tadpoles and consumes keratin, a kind of
protein found in the skins of adult frogs
and toads. Loss of this protein in frogs
causes difficulty in breathing, which may
lead to death.
Thomasian
“It is important to study these invading
species because they could mean trouble for
the native frogs,” she said. “Some of them
can compete against native frogs for food
and resources, while some of them can
become carriers of disease agents, like the
chytrid fungus.”
In their article Field-Sampling Protocol
for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from
living amphibians, Dr. Joseph Mendelson
III, the acting executive officer of the World
Conservation Union, Amphibian Specialist
Group, and his associates studied how fast Bd
fungus spread when amphibian populations
in North America, Asia and Africa declined
dramatically. Scientists said the fungus’ spread
may had been caused by forest destruction and
climate change
since the fungus
spreads faster in
cold climates.
Diesmos
said the Bd
fungus may
h ave r e a c h e d
the country
with the arrival
of foreign frogs,
which
From page 1
Library were also surveyed, while the Faculty
of Civil Law and the UST Graduate School did
not take part in the study.
Administrators who have occupied their
positions for at least one year before the study
were assessed in the survey.
Reynaldo Reyes, former Arts and Letters
faculty club president and philosophy professor,
said the intention of the study was “good,”
but expressed dismay on how the study was
presented during the general assembly at the
UST Faculty Union last July 16.
“The study should have divulged the
name of the colleges since it was a scholarly
study, and the questions [in the survey] do not
necessarily reflect the performance [of the
administrators],” he said.
The study has a number of limitations
since there are other factors that influence the
relationship between the administration and
the faculty.
The study indicated that one of its research
impediments is that the data gathered were
from “collectivist perspective, and not from
an individualist view.”
Emil Sarmago, a professor of oral
communication at the College of Commerce
and Business Administration, agreed with
the study.
“In my case, I did not graduate from UST
and I finished my graduate studies from the
University of the Philippines, but when there is
the feeling of job satisfaction, I can identify my
self as apart of the community, which makes
me stick to my job,” Sarmago said.
Danny Balance, a High School faculty
member, also agreed with the survey results.
“Because if you are happy with your
work, you will never think of transferring to
another school,” Balance said.
Dominicans
From page 1
the Philippine Dominican Province, explained
this was because the memorandum of agreement
(MOA) between the Order and the Ethiopian
bishops expired last October.
“We started the MOA in October 2003, and
it was good for five years. We could not agree on
the terms of the renewal of the MOA between
the Order and the Ethiopian bishops,” Pedregosa
said in an inteview.
In August last year, the Varsitarian reported
that Fr. Virgilio Aderiano Ojoy, O.P., former UST
vice rector, would be the first Ecusta rector.
Pedregosa clarified that Ojoy was included
in the selection process but did not receive an
official appointment. Instead, Alarcon who
Flu
However, if the fungus wipes out frog
species, it can lead to disruption of the
food chain that will eventually affect us
humans,” she said.
She stressed the need for the country’s
researchers to focus on the prevention of
fungal spread.
“It is important for us to focus first
on expanding our knowledge about the
fungus to prevent its spread,” Diesmos
said. “We are collaborating with the
other researchers from around the world
to include the Philippines in the list of
countries that have confirmed presence of
the fungus in their local frog population,
for research purposes.”
The researchers are seeking the help
of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources to incorporate their
findings with the department’s biodiversity
monitoring system to document the spread
of the Bd fungus.
“The information gathered can then
be used to improve and support adaptation
pla n n i ng measu res for su r rou ndi ng
communities in areas that are identified
to be infected by the fungus,” she said.
Julienne Krizia V. Roman wi th
reports from Alena Pias P.
Bantolo
acted carriers of the fungus.
“The f rogs may have ar r ived
either by accidentally boarding ships
headed for the Philippines or by being
brought to the country to get rid of the
insects in the farms,” she said. “Alien frogs
may be more resistant to the fungus, and
only acted as carriers who infected
the local species, particularly the
river and stream frogs.”
But Diesmos clarified that while
the Bd f u ng us had invaded the
countr y, the situation is not yet
Rana similis, commonly known as the Luzon striped frog, is one
alarming.
of the native frogs found positive for the chytrid fungus.
“The country is still at an early
Photo courtesy of ARVIN DIESMOS
stage of the spread of the disease.
was part of the group of Filipino Dominicans
appointed by the Dominican curia to start the
project, was named rector.
Alarcon could not be reached for
comment.
Ojoy, for his part, said he did not proceed
to Ethiopia over certain “conditions.”
The project fell through over management
questions and appointments, he said in a separate
interview.
The brothers mentioned in the vicar’s letter
were Alarcon, Fr. Greg Gregory, O.P., who served
as treasurer, and Bro. Raymundo Bayaras, school
chaplain, Ojoy said.
Pedregosa said Ojoy was considered for the
post but only as an alternative to Alarcon, who
had been eyed for the post since 2004.
“We just don’t tell people that ‘You will
be rector.’ In the Order, we always dialogue. In
appointments, we ask, ‘Do you want to accept
From page 1
close their noses while giggling. I am not offended,”
she said, recalling her return to school after recovering
from the flu.
Although she did not mind having the virus, the
first Thomasian flu carrier said she felt guilty, especially
when her professor had to go on quarantine.
“She has a son who recently had renal transplant.
Her son should not acquire any sickness, otherwise his
recovery might be affected. My professor said that she
also quarantined herself, so as not to infect her son,” she
said. “I felt sorry for what happened.”
Right now, the first Thomasian case and 19 others
have “fully recovered,” according to the UST Health
Service. But for the first victim of the virus, it was an
experience she will never forget.
“Sometimes, even though how obnoxious the
measures are, we really have to follow them in order to
save others,” she added. Cliff Harvey C. Venzon
First
From page 2
Isidro Abaño in his opening remarks.
The Tigerradio runs like a typical
radio station, only that files are digitally fed
through a transmitter.
DJ search
In line with the new radio station, the
EdTech center is searching for a homebased disk jockey and hosts. All bonafide
students of the University are encouraged
to join. Applicants must be well-versed in
English and Filipino. Auditions include a
two minute conversation on-air. However,
the dates have yet to be announced.
“Successful applicants will be given
seminars and workshops from famous
Thomasian radio broadcasters,” said Junior
Jock Mika during the program.
the job? If no, it’s okay, but we also have to tell
you we are also talking to other people’,” said
Pedregosa, who is UST vice chancellor.
The Ecusta was a highly anticipated project
of the Dominican Order known for its missionary
and educational work.
The foundation of Ecusta was highlighted in
the acts of the 2007 general chapter of the order
in Bogota, Colombia, which noted that Filipino
Dominicans had started a community in Addis
Ababa, the House of St. Augustine of Hippo, and
that the opening of the new university, with five
faculties temporarily at Nazareth High School,
was “imminent.”
The chapter also cited the fact that the
university would be an undertaking of the entire
Dominican family, noting that the Congregation
of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of
Siena, which runs Siena College, had been
invited to join.
Dignity
From page 3
professor and director of the Centre for
Philosophy, Theology and Cultural Traditions
at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia,
Sweet is also president of the World Union of
Catholic Philosophical Societies.
A formidable task
Sweet emphasized that human dignity ought
to be respected, “but at the same time, it is not
just up to us to determine what our dignity is and
what it licenses us to do,”
Sweet has been delivering international
lectures and has authored more than 30 books
on religion and culture. This year, Sweet opted
to visit UST and Ateneo de Manila University.
Adrienne Jesse A. Maleficio
The
Varsitarian
SCI-TECH
JULY 31, 2009 5
Alena Pias P. Bantolo, Editor
The Thomasian’s
Illustration by R.I.M. Cruz
DUE TO her hectic schedule,
College of Commerce sophomore
Emperatriz Camille Sangil finds it
difficult to sit down for a while and
eat. To satisfy her growling stomach,
Sangil has resorted to a diet that
consists of fast food such as French
fries, burgers, and fried chicken.
“Fast food chains are very
convenient for us students because
it only takes a few minutes for us
to order our food, which we can
eat while going to class,” she said.
“They also taste as good as they
look, so I would not mind having
fast food all week.”
Sangil is just one of many
Thomasians who, because of limited
time, are forced to grab and go.
Eva Olarte, director of UST
Nutrition and Dietary department,
agreed that students prefer fast food
partly due to heavy school work.
“Students do not eat enough
fruits and vegetables to supplement
their diet because these things are
not regularly available. Even if
by ROBIN G. PADILLA and JULIENNE KRIZIA V. ROMAN
they do
know how to eat
healthy, they do not have a choice
but to eat what is available,” Olarte
said.
H o w e v e r, O l a r t e w a r n e d
Thomasians fond of eating in fast
food restaurants, saying that merely
filling their stomachs with just
about everything just to survive
hunger is not enough.
“Fast food sold in these
restaurants are rich only in
carbohydrates and proteins. If
students consume only these kinds
of food everyday they may not be
supplied with essential vitamins
and minerals which are usually
found in
fruits
a
n
d
vegetables,” she
said.
A deficiency in essential
vitamins such as vitamin A, which
increases eyesight, could lead to
night blindness, or worse, complete
blindness. Lack of vitamin C
could lead to scurvy, a disease
characterized by bleeding, bruising
easily, hair and tooth loss, and joint
pain.
Fast food remained the top
consumer choice in Fast Food
Facts at www.foodfacts.info, a
source of nutritional information
on fast food. Olarte attributed this
to easy access to fast food.
“Taste is also an important
factor in
filling their
stomachs. If the students do
not like the food or if it is not
appealing enough then they would
not buy it,” she said.
But Olarte said students should
not sacrifice nutrition for the sake
of speed of service or good taste.
“Eating adequate amounts
of fresh fruits and vegetables is
preferable since they retain most
of their nutritional value that can
be lost during processing. Fish
and chicken are also healthier
options than pork and beef,” she
explained.
According to the Food
Pyramid, a well-balanced
diet includes three to five
servings of vegetables,
and two to four servings
of fruits per day. This
is equivalent to two
to three rice cups
a day.
Daily meals
must also
include at least
one type of
food from
the three
basic
food
groups: energy giving foods like
rice and bread, body-building
food like pork and chicken, and
regulating foods like fruits and
vegetables.
“The ‘grab and go’ foods that
Thomasians usually eat are only
made up of energy-giving and bodybuilding food which make the diet
very limited,” Olarte said.
She also stressed the importance
of knowing the right kind of food
to eat.
It is for this purpose that the
University has built its own nutrition
clinic at the ground floor of the
Albertus Magnus Building. The
clinic offers nutrition counseling
in helping Thomasians keep a
good diet.
“It all depends on
the students having an
intelligent food choice,”
Olarte said. “Nutrition
education can help
them realize the
importance of
considering the
quality of the food
they consume
in terms of
vitamins and
minerals.”
V Graphics by Carla T. Gamalinda
Question from Jenina Martin, first year student from the College of Commerce:
What was
THE KING of Pop Michael
Jackson suffered from
vitiligo, a condition that
causes skin discoloration
especially among areas
of the skin with too much
exposure to the sun. Few
were aware that his vitiligo,
which he claims to have
inherited from his father’s
family, was an offshoot
of lupus erythematosus, a
disease characterized by
inflammation of tissues and
joints due to the immune
system attacking the body’s
own tissues.
“An autoimmune
disease is when the body is
being attacked by its own
immune system because it
thinks that the body’s tissues
are foreign,” said Dr. Ma.
Angela Cumagun of the
UST Hospital’s department
of dermatology.
Vitiligo is a chronic
skin condition caused by
the autoimmune destruction
of melanocytes—cells
responsible for skin
pigmentation. Cumagun
said the cause of vitiligo is
still unknown.
“Vitiligo can be caused
by a combination of genetic
and environmental factors
like sun exposure and stress,”
she said.
Signs of vitiligo include
appearance of white patches
on the extremities, which are
likely to spread to other areas
of the body once the disease
Michael Jackson’s
melanocytes, and chemical
depigmentation.
While vitiligo is not a lethal
disease, Cumugan said it can
have a dramatic effect on the
patient’s lifestyle.
Michael Jackson suffered from vitiligo, a skin condition that
causes discoloration.
worsens.
“The disease itself is
Karen Faye, Jackson’s
socially and psychologically
makeup artist, said in a television depreciating because of
interview that the singer had its effect on the patient’s
discolored skin on his arms, legs appearance. In Jackson’s case,
and face, which he tried to hide he had to use monobenzyl to
by using layers of make up.
cover up his vitiligo because
Cumagun said that “the of his celebrity status. If people
disease is incurable although its see him with vitiligo, it can
symptoms can be controlled.”
affect how the media see him,”
The use of corticosteroids she explained.
and PUVA therapy, a method
Discoid lupus
that uses a combination of erythematosus (DLE) made
medications and ultraviolet Jackson’s vitiligo worse. An
A therapy to repigment the autoimmune disease like
white patches, is effective if vitiligo, DLE is caused by the
the spread is mild. If more than overproduction of defensive
50 percent of the body have antibodies that begin targeting
vitiligo patches, the treatment healthy tissues.
should include grafting of skin,
Dr. Helmar Soldevilla,
Caught with a scientific conundrum? Let the Varsitarian solve it for you! Send your query along with your
name, year, and college to varsitar@yahoo.com. Selected questions will be featured in the upcoming
issues of the Varsitarian along with answers from Thomasian experts.
skin disease called?
fellow at the hospital’s department
of internal medicine, said that the
occurrence of vitiligo along with
lupus, such as in Jackson’s case,
is possible because of the nature
of the two diseases.
“Any autoimmune disease
can precede each other. It’s either
the lupus or the vitiligo arrived
first,” she said.
Soldevilla said that there are
two kinds of lupus. The first is the
cutaneous lupus, which includes
DLE. It produces lesions leading
to scarring, hair loss, and skin
patching on exposed areas like
the face and scalp.
“Its manifestations,
however, only show on the skin.
But there is still a big chance for
DLE to eventually evolve into
systemic lupus,” she said.
Another is systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE), which is
considered the most common
type of lupus. Kelley’s Textbook
of Rheumatology stated that one
in every 1,000 people has SLE,
mostly women. SLE’s onset
can be acute, with symptoms
manifesting within six months,
or chronic, if the condition lasts
for more than six months.
“Systemic lupus can
manifest in a variety of ways.”
Soldevilla said. “Because of
abnormal signals from an already
hyperactive immune system,
any tissue in the body can be
attacked.”
Common SLE symptoms
include swelling and scarring
of joints, pericarditis or the
inflammation of the sac
surrounding the heart, high
blood pressure, kidney damage,
and nervous system damage.
To diagnose lupus, the
patient’s medical history, and
physical assessment need to
be obtained. Laboratory tests
should be conducted.
“Early diagnosis
of lupus is difficult
because not all
the symptoms
manifest, and
because all lupus
patients are unique,”
she said. “The doctor
must have a good
index of suspicion
and must be alert for
the manifestations
characteristic to lupus
like the malar, or butterfly
rash.”
Lupus
is
also incurable.
Management of the
acute and chronic
symptoms
can only be
through anti-
inflammatory drugs, and
immunosuppressive agents.
Soldevilla stressed that the
main goal of the treatment is
only to control the symptoms
of lupus.
“There is no real cure
for lupus. And because there
are many different forms and
manifestations of the disease,
cooperation and dedication of
both the patient and doctor are
important,” she said.
Anti-neo plastic agents
(which are also used in
treating cancer) to stop
the hyperactivity of
the immune system,
may also be used,
she added.
But while
lupus may appear
to be a difficult
disease, Soldevilla
stressed that
symptoms can be
controlled if the
patient complies
with the treatment.
“If the patient can
follow the treatment
plan and report to the
doctor regularly, then
the current symptoms
can be controlled and
fatal symptoms can
be avoided.” she
said. Julienne
Krizia V. Roman
The
6 JULY 31, 2009
Editorial
Varsitarian
OPINION
Illustration by Carla T. Gamalinda
Death becomes her
A MAD person cannot think straight. Well, so does an
angry one.
If what presidential spokespersons were saying is
true, President Macapagal-Arroyo should calm herself
down and think first before making any move.
Of course, people cannot blame the President for
reacting vehemently on an “unverified” report of how
members of an anonymous drug syndicate allegedly
kidnapped and raped a daughter of an anti-narcotics agent.
Nevertheless, impulsive reactions, as evinced from her
own people in the executive and her allies in the legislature,
may sometimes lead to hasty decisions and actions that
may reflect on the mercurial -- and ultimately shallow -way of Filipino governance and policy planning.
Thankfully, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines has opposed knee-jerk calls for the return of
the death penalty by the administration and opposition.
The CBCP said that capital punishment “will not
address the real problem rooted in poverty and poor law
enforcement.”
In short, the government is looking for the wrong
solution.
The Philippines was hailed around the world, notably
by the Pope, Spain and the rest of Europe, in 2006 when
it abolished the death penalty. If the capital punishment
really does help deter crime, how come evil elements like
rapists continued to plague the society despite convictions
and killings of criminals since Leo Echegaray, the first
Filipino to die through lethal injection in 1999 since capital
punishment was first abolished in 1986?
Politicians are barking up the wrong tree in saying that
death penalty is the solution to the decades-old problem of
drug trafficking. How can a killer be a solution to another
killer? There is no difference between a drug smelled by a
person that kills himself slowly, and a drug being injected
to a criminal to stop his heart from beating. The latter
is even worse for it deprives the offender the right of a
second chance.
Harsher punishments may be readily available for
offenders, but nothing beats a speedy and fair trial that lead
to justice for both offender and offended. This can only be
attained if laws are properly implemented and followed.
As we see it, the problem lies not on the proliferation of
crime, but on the incapability of government to implement
laws. If drug pushers and users then are to be meted the
death penalty, government officials killing Filipinos with
a poor justice system should likewise be put in the death
row.
It may be time-consuming, but it should be noted that
there are no shortcuts to real justice. Intrinsic in authentic
justice is reformation: even criminals deserve that. The
Philippine justice system has a long way to go in terms of
upholding human rights, and reviving the death penalty, for
all intents and purposes, will just mean that the Philippines
has given up already its fight to curb the roots of social
iniquity and provide authentic justice for all.
The Varsitarian
Founded Jan. 16, 1928
Emil karlo A. de la cruz
Editor in Chief
PRINZ P. MAGTULIS
Managing Editor
dANIELLE CLARA P. DANDAN Acting News Editor
JEREMY S. PEREY Acting Sports Editor
aLPHONSUS LUIGI E. ALFONSO Special Reports Editor
SARAH JANE P. PAUYO Features Editor
MARIAN LEANNA T. DE LA CRUZ Literary Editor
MARK ANDREW S. FRANCISCO Patnugot ng Filipino
QUINIA JENICA E. RANJO Witness Editor
ALENA PIAS P. BANTOLO Sci-Tech Editor
JONATHAN ELI A. LIBUT Circle Editor
PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO Photography Editor
News Jennifer Ann G. Ambanta, Jilly Anne A. Bulauan,
Adrienne Jesse A. Maleficio, Darenn G. Rodriguez, Cliff Harvey C. Venzon
Sports Charizze L. Abulencia, Lester G. Babiera, Mary Athena D. de Paz
Special Reports Andrewly A. Agaton, Rose May Y. Cabacang,
Alexis Ailex C. Villamor, Jr.
Features Ronalyn M. Umali
Literary Mika Rafaela A. Barrios, Rose-An Jessica M. Dioquino,
Robin G. Padilla
Filipino Kacelyn Faye L. Paje
Witness Camille Abigael P. Alcantara, Florench May C. Corpuz
Sci-Tech Julienne Krizia V. Roman
Circle Maria Joanna Angela D. Cruz, James C. Talon
Art Carla T. Gamalinda
Photography Lester G. Babiera, Giannina Nicolai P. Melicor,
Mark Jonathan C. See
FELIPE F. SALVOSA II
Assistant Publications Adviser
JOSELITO B. ZULUETA
Publications Adviser
Letters/comments/suggestions/contributions are welcome in the Varsitarian. Only
letters with signatures will be entertained. Original manuscript contributions must be
typewritten, double-spaced, on regular bond paper, and should include a signed
certification bearing the author’s name, address, year, and college. The identity of
a writer may be withheld upon request. The editors will not be responsible for the
loss of materials. Contributions must be sent to The Varsitarian office, Rm. 105,
Tan Yan Kee Student Center Bldg., University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila.
Smells like school spirit
WATCHING the Growling
Tiger’s basketball games on the
college lobby television sets is
definitely one of the simple joys
of being a college student.
Apart from the free
viewing, being one with the
crowd in cheering your school
brings anyone a sense of pride.
A common scenario would be
the building guard opening the
television set and, like beetles
to a dung heap, students gather
in front of the square black
box once they hear the familiar
sounds of a live basketball
game.
My favorite viewing
place is the Faculty of Arts and
Letters’ lobby, mainly because
in there, you can really get a
good feel of the “school spirit.”
Of course, it’s pretty hard not to
especially when you’re cramped
like sardines in the building’s
small lobby, every one of you
tuning in to the game intently.
An outsider peering into the
“AB” lobby would probably
find it strange to see half of the
building’s populace camped in
front of the elevator, each one
looking up at the television set
with enough concentration as if
performing surgery. And that’s
only during the first quarter.
During the last period of
an exciting match, it would be
near-impossible to get through
the lobby and up the stairs so
you might as well forget going
to class, for doing so would only
...these UAAP
athletes are moving
heaven and earth
just to give glory to
the University
risk being caught up in the crowd
and swept away into a faraway
place. Also, whenever a game is
being shown on the lobby T.V.,
students would suddenly start
developing a strange disease
wherein their bladders are set
like perpetual time bombs, thus
their constant need to “go out.”
But instead of heading to the
C.R., they would head directly
to the lobby to watch the dying
minutes of the match.
I myself have been guilty
of this. In my case, however, it
is not the action of the match
which appeals to me, but rather,
it is the in-sync attitude of the
“lobby crowd” which strikes
me as fascinating. You can hear
the crowd reacting gladly in
unison with every shot made, or
groaning in chorus with every
shot missed. I even saw students
beside me closing their eyes in
prayer, leaving the outcome of
the game to divine intervention.
Others had focused looks on their
faces as if their concentration had
the power to give the Growling
Tigers the lead back. Not one of
them refused to give up on the
prospect of the team winning,
despite the score and time saying
otherwise. But perhaps the most
touching form of support I’ve
seen the lobby crowd do was
when they spontaneously raised
their fist to the UST hymn “God
of all Nations,” played after
UST won a hard-fought match.
Now that was school spirit.
That was a year ago. A lot
had changed since then, as I have
noticed less and less people are
showing up to watch the games
in the lobby. It would seem that
with last year’s exodus of the
original Season 69 “Cinderella
story” crew, along came the
waning interest of the campus
with basketball games.
At times, it has even
become depressing watching
the games at the lobby, mainly
due to the negativity of the
people around me. “Matatalo
din ‘yan” or “Tignan mo, talo
din ‘yan sa huli,” I would hear
the crowd around me say, even
if the new pack of Growling
Tigers are leading by as much as
15 points.
Perhaps the trauma of
winning the championship and
bitterly losing it the following
year proved too big a stigma
for the Growling Tigers to
handle, even more daunting
than the foes they face on the
hardcourt. In the end, no matter
what the Growling Tigers do, or
how many matches they win, it
wouldn’t matter to the students
unless it’s the “big one.”
This shouldn’t be the case,
as these UAAP athletes are
moving heaven and earth just to
give glory to the University; the
least students can do is to show
their support by watching their
matches, be it the eliminations or
the finals. They should believe
in the capacity of the teams to
hold their own and come out
victorious, devoid of any bias,
pessimism or cynicism.
If the wear and tear of the
“school spirit” continues on,
then I fear that it won’t be long
before we revert back to the
days wherein only a select few
would turn up and watch the
games. And when that happens,
it definitely won’t be necessary
to turn on the lobby television.
Life’s stream of fortitude
THE KOJIKI tells us the story
of the mythological creation of
Japan by its two great deities,
Izanagi and Izanami, who used
a mystic coral spear to churn
the sea below until drops of
salty water fell from the tip of
the spear, creating the islands
of Japan.
While this may be
folklore, it is a known fact that
great civilizations owed their
existence and preservation to
water. The early Egyptians
depended on the Nile River
for their agriculture. Likewise,
Mesopotamia relied on the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers,
while China built its civilization
along the Yellow River.
Indeed, water can
either sustain or undermine
civilizations. But most
importantly, it is an essential
component of the human body,
which is why the frequent intake
of water (commonly known as
water therapy) has become a
helpful natural prevention and
treatment against sickness or
diseases.
However, most people
nowadays disregard the
importance of water therapy.
For the ancient Indians,
Chinese, and Japanese,
water therapy
has been the most sought
therapeutic treatment
against diseases
It often irks me how people
fortunate enough to have clean
drinking water are the same
ones neglecting the importance
of water.
B o b M c C a u l e y, a n
American water technician
and author of many books on
health, once wrote that water
serves to energize every cell
and organ in the body, thus it is
crucial for the body’s operation.
Once we become dehydrated,
the body instinctively begins to
ration water to each organ.
Recent studies showed
that water therapy has been
helpful in regulating obesity,
anemia, cough, hemorrhage
and rheumatism, among others.
It also detoxifies the body
through the production of
sweat and urine, which in turn
removes body odor, maintains
body temperature, and even
provides a smooth and healthy
skin. See what a simple glass of
water can do?
For the ancient Indians,
Chinese, and Japanese, water
therapy has been the most
sought therapeutic treatment
against diseases. The Indians
called this usha paana chikitsa
and it has become their
common practice in treating
health problems. Today, the
Japanese has accepted water
therapy as a form of alternative
medicine. After waking up
every morning, one should
drink five to six glasses (1.5
liters) of water and avoid taking
food and other drinks for at
least an hour.
But be warned. Water
therapy can be dangerous if the
intake of water is unregulated.
The human body possesses a
natural mechanism for taking
out surplus water, but if this
cannot accommodate the
amount of fluid, one may be
at risk from hyper hydration or
“water poisoning,” which could
lead to heart failure or stroke.
This therapy should
actually be taken in moderation.
People taking it should also
learn that the human body has
limited capacity to draw out
excessive water, and thus, even
water therapy requires one to be
disciplined and determined.
Water therapy may not yet
be a health trend for now, but
history and science are both
certain on one thing: water
will always be life’s stream of
fortitude, just like how it was
centuries ago, when it gave life
to the ancient civilizations.
The
Varsitarian
OPINION
Traffic’s lingering problems
A FEW weeks back while
riding a jeepney, I got stuck
in traffic with a dear friend on
the stretch between Banawe
and Mabuhay Rotonda, along
Quezon Avenue. Despite the
pounding rain, we decided to
get off at Banawe and walk all
the way to E. Rodriguez Street
to hopefully hitch a ride there
that would allow us to escape
the infernal gridlock.
At first, I thought the
traffic was simply a product
of the heavy rain. But in the
same stretch during a bright,
sunny day, I got stuck for thirty
minutes. It got me wondering:
will we ever outgrow these
traffic problems?
Maybe it’s a matter of
discipline. Drivers in the
Philippines are simply reckless
and inconsiderate. Or maybe the
number of public utility vehicles
directly matches the number of
people in the country.
The last thought came
to mind while watching a
morning news feature show.
I couldn’t help but laugh at
a news item calling for the
reduction of buses in Edsa, due
to the traffic and pollution they
have caused.
The thought that the
longest and busiest street in
Metro Manila with fewer buses
is quite shocking. Personally,
it would be a noble effort to
The thought that
the longest and
busiest street in
Metro Manila with
fewer buses is quite
shocking
curb traffic, but due to the
dependency of commuters to
such forms of public transport,
the MRT would definitely not
be enough. This opinion is
rooted from the fact that I often
feel like a sardine whenever I
ride it during rush hour.
On the other hand this
would be very advantageous
for private motorists, who
often get stuck in traffic
due to undisciplined bus
drivers waiting for incoming
passengers.
In line with the proposal of
cutting the franchises for buses,
Neal Cruz of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer offered a good
solution in his July 20 column:
the three-strike rule. If more than
three violations are committed,
then it’s bye-bye for these
public utility vehicles.
But then again, why start
at Edsa? Edsa would be a good
place to start a traffic-curbing
revolution. But what if the
project turns out to be a big
flop?
The project should be just
as smooth as the computerized
elections in Mindanao, which
had only minimal problems.
Such plans are too
ambitious. The government
should hold a test-run of the
project in a smaller government
unit like a barangay or a small
district that has similar road
problems.
In his essay titled A
Heritage of Smallness, Nick
Joaquin said we tend to stick to
small things, but it’s fascinating
to know how dichotomous the
times are. In decision science, it
becomes a gamble between the
biggest payoff with the highest
risk and the lowest payoff, even
in the darkest of hours.
The problem perhaps lies
with the government’s lack of
moderation: they cannot weigh
when to use extremes and when
to stick with a middle decision,
with equally moderate amounts
of payoff and risk. That way,
everyone wins. The root of this
could be the negative image of
the government and its attempt
to redeem itself in a phoenixlike manner, but that’s another
story. Nevertheless, it’s either
we stick to our comfort zones
or totally leave them and try to
build another out of nothing.
Inevitably, the volume
of traffic will increase within
the coming years. To reduce
public transport would give
rise to unemployment for
many drivers and conductors.
Better policies like license and
franchise verification, adequate
traffic law enforcement and
the removal of a considerable
amount of less pink fences
should be implemented instead
of hastily hacking off a chunk
of traffic.
***
Kudos to the recent
Thomasian Thirteen Artists
awardees, Sir Iggy Rodriguez
and Sir Buen Calubayan. It is
my wish that their art, as well as
others’, will continue to flourish
in the Philippines.
Students have the right to their hairstyle
I HAD my hair cut “semikalbo”
a few weeks ago because I was
tired of the preppie boy-nextdoor style and I wanted to try
a more mature look. I also got
a stylized horizontal “scratch”
on the left side of my head
because I wanted “art” to be a
physical part of me, in this case,
via my hairdo. I had it done on
the left side so that the guards
in my building wouldn’t notice
it whenever I would enter the
premises.
Of course, going out after
classes is a different story. There
had been a couple of instances
when I was reprimanded by
the guards for my haircut. One
time, they even threatened not
to let me in until I get a new
haircut: skin head. Stubborn
as I have always been, I still
keep on entering and leaving
our building, blindly hoping
that my hairstyle wouldn’t be
noticed again. But there really
are unlucky days when I am
caught offguard, and I would
say: “Wala namang nakasulat
na bawal ang ganitong gupit
sa building na ito ah?” to
which they would often answer:
“Dapat alam mo nang bawal
iyan.”
Now, why the hair talk?
Physical
appearance, hair
style included, is
part of freedom
of expression
As an artist, I firmly
believe in freedom of
expression. And being the
dedicated photographer I am,
I have practiced this sense of
freedom countless of times,
even if it meant going against
authority if only to get that
perfect shot. I remember one
instance during last year’s
Paskuhan concert, when the
head of the Office for Student
Affairs firmly instructed not
to allow anybody to get on the
stage, not even a member of the
press or a Varsitarian staffer, for
that matter. But I’m not one to
waste an opportunity, especially
with my creative juices already
flowing inside, showing me a
vision of a wonderful concert
shot worthy of representing
Paskuhan ‘08. So I went up the
stage, bypassing organizers,
and took a picture of how
I envisioned it to look like.
Indeed, it was beautiful, and I
was satisfied.
Another instance I can
recall wherein freedom of
expression triumped was when I
took a picture of Mt. Pinatubo’s
crater. I was physically limited
by the craggy landscape, but I
didn’t want that to hinder my
creativity. So despite the danger
of standing at the edge of the
volcano, risking a deadly fall,
I pursued what I had in mind,
not wanting my creativity to
be limited, unlike others who
just stayed in their safety zone.
Magna Carta, ‘long overdue’
DURING the term of CSC
‘07-‘08, the CSC Central
Board was able to secure the
comments of the executive
offices, administration
representatives, deans, and
regents. After securing
the comments from these
o ff i c e s , t h e d o c u m e n t
was consolidated and was
scheduled to be presented
to the Academic Senate,
Council of Regents, and the
Board of Trustees.
These three bodies are
convened by the Rector.
As proof of this
accomplishment, we were
also instructed to rename
the document as Students
Code since many finds the term
“Magna Carta” a bit drastic
or offensive. Even though
the Central Board under the
leadership of then NSCB
President Jim Trinidad was
against it, we gave in so as to
push through with its approval.
Proper instructions were given
to the succeeding batch of
the CSC both Executive and
Central board as to what needs
to be done but apparently, none
was accomplished. Political
will is needed to bat for its
approval.
It is important that
members of the central board
(local SC presidents) must be
united for the Magna Carta
to push through. Unity and
persistence at the student level
must be realized.
Despite the students’ show
of force or unity, if the higher
ups will not be open-minded
and supportive of the approval
of this document, nothing will
happen. “Kung gusto, may
paraan, kung ayaw laging may
dahilan.”
Unfortunately, the likes of
Fr. Ernesto Arceo, Fr. Gerard
Timoner, and Fr. Clarence
Marquez are not in the key
campus offices now. Our
batch found true allies in these
priests. It seems that listening
nowadays is structured only
for those who sits at the right
Eventually, my daring paid off,
as that shot of Mt. Pinatubo’s
crater won first place in a
contest I entered.
My list of my “daring
adventures” can go on and
on. But simply put, I won’t
allow anybody to confine my
creativity. For me, physical
appearance (hair style included)
is no exception to the principle
of artistic freedom. Besides, I
recall the building policy stating
that men’s hair shouldn’t touch
the uniform collar at the back,
and I don’t exempt myself
from this rule. However, I find
it funny and weird that a male
student is allowed to grow
his front hair to any length
he desires. Talk about double
standards.
I understand that the
college administration in
general is only after the neatness
and formality of their students,
but then again, why are they
so concerned about the hair at
the back touching the collar,
while ignoring the hair in front?
Why am I being scolded when
in reality, I follow the standard
haircut rule?
It bothers me to think how
this could be read as censorship
and repression.
hand.
I would like to thank
the Varsitarian for keeping
this issue alive. The need
for a Students Code is nonnegotiable. How I wish all the
councils and organizations
in my beloved alma mater
including its strong alumni
would unite for this ISSUE.
On the part of student
leaders, it is truly frustrating
not to see its fruition. More
than anything else, the
approval of this document is
the unfinished task among the
seven-point agenda that CSC
‘07- ‘08 (both executive and
legislative) accomplished.
IT’S LONG OVERDUE!
Reyner Allan M. Villasenor,
CSC President, ‘07-’08
JULY 31, 2009 7
Taking out
the moon buggy
I GREW up in a world not
alien to Earthrise, a photo of
the world taken from the moon.
That awe-inspiring picture of a
serene, blue-and-brown marbled
Earth rising from a dusty gray
horizon is common for people
of my generation. However,
it was a tremendous paradigm
shift for others who experienced
first hand the wonder of hearing
“Man on the moon!” on radio.
This year marks the 40th
anniversary of the Apollo 11
moon landing. It’s been forty years since the first human
footprint on the Sea of Tranquility. Forty years since the
words “we came in peace for all mankind” was engraved
in a plaque at the bottom of a lunar crater, above then U.S.
President Richard Nixon’s name. Forty years since America
finally won the years-old “space race” against the Soviet
Union, who was the first to send people in orbit. Prior to
that, American physicists at first just watched in envy as one
Russian cosmonaut after the other circled the Earth. Then
came Armstrong and his crew. It was a victorious moment
for an entire generation, a cause of celebration across
America and even around the world. It even prompted CBS
anchorman Walter Cronkite to say that everything after the
landing is going to be less significant. Decades later, this is
hardly the case.
During the celebrations for the Apollo-11
anniversary this year, three of its crewmembers—Neil
Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin—urged their
fellowmen to come up with an encore to the landing.
In the age of technology,
what awe does a trip to
the moon still hold?
“It [allowed the USA and the USSR] to take the
high road, with the objectives of science, learning and
exploration,” Armstrong said of the two rival powers trying
to outdo one another. Eventually, the rivalry became the
foundation of good relations between the two countries.
Aldrin went straight for the heart: “America, do you
still dream a great dream?” He asked in the same forum. “Do
you still believe in yourself?” America might still believe,
but with the strain of the global financial crisis, coupled with
the ambitious new NASA project costing around billions,
the future looks bleak for further space travel.
This presents a problem for fans of space-age science.
In an era dominated by the Internet, it is a challenge to
sustain the youth’s interest in space travel. West Virginia
senator John Rockefeller IV stated it succinctly when he said
that NASA is a “splendid story of the past.” Recent forays of
the United States into space travel like the “Skylab” and the
“International Space Station” were not explorations; rather,
they were simply meant to keep the space agency alive.
The latest in space travel is the “Constellation Project,”
which aims to send humans back to the moon by 2020,
followed by a Martian landing. It is a pretty picture to revive
NASA’s glory days, but at what price? A modest estimate
would peg it at $150 billion.
Not surprisingly, this caught the attention of US
president Barack Obama, who ordered a review of the
project, with recommendations due late August. Also,
despite a $6-billion space budget for 2009, the agency
cannot produce the money needed for the Orion capsule, an
upgrade of the Apollo lunar module. “NASA simply can’t
do the job it’s been given,” said former astronaut Senator
Bill Nelson of Florida.
Yet beyond the budget deficits and the skepticism, a
simpler problem persists. In the age of technology, what
awe does a trip to the moon still hold? To an extent, science
fiction is responsible for the demystification of traversing
through the moon’s surface. “To boldly go where no man
has ever gone before” is so choked with promise that people
want to believe in it. Today’s technology is decades away
from producing a spacecraft that can land on another planet,
and no one knows for sure when first contact with alien
species will be, a far cry from the constant human-alien
interaction we often see on shows like Star Trek.
The bitter truth is that a new landing is not entirely
feasible at the moment, and another exploration of the moon
simply doesn’t hold the romance it once promised. Perhaps,
before thinking of another trip to the stars, the earth might
do better to fix itself first.
Correction
In the story “Flu cases reach 20; first four recover” published
on the July 15 issue of the Varsitarian, the dates when sections from
the College of Architecture and College of Commerce resumed their
classes after being hit by influenza A(H1N1) virus were mistakenly
interchanged. The sophomore Architecture section went back to
class on July 13, while the senior Commerce block resumed class
on July 6. Our apologies. -Editor
The
8
FEATU
JULY 31, 2009
Sarah Jane P. P
Mind behind your favorite
‘telenovelas’
‘Youngest hall-of-famer’
Even at an early age, Lana had
already been making waves in the
world writing. But he knew that
talent alone
couldn’t get
him through
so he had
it nurtured
by joining
writing
workshops in high
school, which gave him the
opportunity to learn under Palanca
hall of famer Rene Villanueva.
“He was the one who diligently
mentored me in my writing. He
also took me into his group, the
Telon Playwright Center,” says Lana.
At the young age of 17, Lana
represented the Philippines at the
1991 International Festival of
Young Playwrights in Melbourne,
Australia. The financial problems
of his family only galvanized Lana
to feel the need to earn to support
his siblings’ education and fulfill his
responsibility. And he just knew that
his passion for writing could do just
that.
“I couldn’t be selfish and just
write for myself. I needed to make a
career out of writing,” says Lana.
Thus, he tried his luck in the Don
Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for
Literature in 1995 to find “a platform
for me to get noticed.”
And get noticed he did, after
winning four awards for three
consecutive years. In 1996, his
screenplay Sa Pusod ng Dagat
(formerly Mga Bangka sa Tagaraw) was adopted into film by
director Marilou Diaz Abaya which
eventually won “Best Screenplay”
in the 1998 Brussels Film Festival
Award.
Lana won another award in
2006 for TV script Milagroso, which
also earned him the moniker for
being the youngest Palanca Hall of
Fame honoree at age 37.
From there sprang a fruitful
career in the entertainment industry
with the help of film producer Lily
Monteverde who sponsored Lana’s
scholarship in an Australian film
school for three months.
Writer’s muse
Lana’s tour-de-force was the
acclaimed historical film Jose Rizal.
He eventually delved into writing
for television and directing TV
programs. His works could go far
from comedy and drama to horror
but he says that he could only
cater to wholesome themes fit for a
spectrum of audience.
“You must keep in mind that
you have to please an audience. For
me, that’s the key to the success of
the show,” says Lana.
It was in college where Lana
started to dream big and began
to take leaps of faith in making
‘I couldn’t be selfish and just
write for myself. I needed to
make a career out of writing’
Photos by J.C.A. BASSIG
GMA-7 creative head Rodolfo ‘Jun’ Lana
TELEVISION has always been a
staple in most Filipino’s household
what with entertaining programs
that take our minds away from the
drudgery of routine living. But of
course, no great story can exist
without a greater storyteller behind it.
This may be an understatement
to describe TV director and
playwright Rodolfo “Jun” Lana Jr.,
who has tucked numerous Palanca
awards under his belt even before he
started writing for television.
A creative consultant of GMA
Network, Lana is the hand behind
internationally acclaimed films such
as Sa Pusod ng Dagat, Muro Ami
and Jose Rizal among many others.
He has also directed and written
several television shows such as
Obra and La Lola, which have
shown their depth and humor.
“I am a storyteller. It’s just a matter
of putting it all on screen,” says
Lana.
his dreams happen. The
Communication Arts
alumnus wrote plays for
Jun Lana
Artistang Artlets (AA), the
theater guild of the Faculty
of Arts and Letters and was
an advertising company for a year
a resident playwright for
and taught mass communication
the Philippine Educational Theater
subjects in UST and in the University
Assocation (PETA).
of the Philippines. But it was as if
But just like every budding
fate found him and realized that his
writer, Lana had his share of
passion was really to write stories. frustrations, too. He was in first
The nature of his job could
year when he wrote a play about
sometimes be demanding but the
a pregnant prostitute for AA.
storyteller kept in mind his priorities
But the play got stalled given the
and learned the advantages of
“conservative” nature of UST.
knowing one’s limit.
This, however, didn’t stop the
Time management has always
young artist from carrying on. One
been the key “[because] I want to
of his works almost made it to the
have a life. I want to spend time with
Rector’s Literary Award (RLA)
my family [and] friends,” he says.
of Ustetika with mentor Ophelia
He says he owes much of his
Dimalanta pitching Lana’s work to
success to values he learned as a
Rector Rolando Dela Rosa, O.P.
student.
“She used to tell me, ‘You know
“Discipline is important
Jun, I fought for you, I fought for
regardless of what sort of a writer you
you! You should win that rector’s
are…You have to be smart and study
award,’” recalls Lana. “I had issues
your craft,” says Lana. then and I felt I couldn’t express
Having learned from some
myself as a writer.”
of the best writers in the country,
Nonetheless, Lana still reaped
Lana has undoubtedly captured
accolades for his works that
the entertainment industry–and the
eventually won the first RLA for
Filipino psyche–with his captivating
katha on top of his “Tomasinong
stories which seem to leap out of the
Kwentista ng Taon” and
television screen and into the hearts of
“Tomasinong Mandudula ng Taon,”
viewers. Adrienne Jesse A. Maleficio
citations, respectively.
After college, Lana joined
Jonas Burgos’ brother JL Burgos
Photos by Mark Jonathan C. See
A Neverending Search
A family of advocates
The Burgos household is an intellectual
ON APRIL 28, 2007, Jose Luis “JL” Burgos
one, with five well-educated children raised by
and his family were waiting at home for
Thomasian parents. Veteran journalist and Malaya
his older brother, Jonas, to arrive. They
founder Jose Burgos Jr., is the family patriarch,
were supposed to have a family meeting,
who inculcated political and social awareness in his
which has been a Burgos tradition since the
children’s at an early age by exchanging opinions
children were young.
across the dining table.
That night, however, was different.
In 2003, Jose suffered from a stroke, eventually
Jonas would usually inform his family of
leading to his death on the same year. But JL said
his whereabouts so that they won’t worry
that the family remained intact even after his father
about him. But after a series of unreturned
was gone. Perhaps Jose’s strong personality carried
inquiries without signs of Jonas showing
on to his family, which would explain their neverup, JL and his family came to a chilling
say-die outlook.
conclusion: Jonas had gone missing.
Jose’s second-youngest son, JL was a UST
Jonas Joseph Burgos is an agriculturist
Painting Alumnus. JL was close to finishing
and an active member of Alyansang
his course until he fell short on some academic
Magbubukid ng Bulacan, a group that
requirements. Even so, he believes that life’s
promotes privileges and equality for local
lessons are best taught outside the classroom.
farmers. He is seen on the forefront of rallies
JL took different jobs before being an active
demanding for farmers’ rights, which made
member of Ugat-Lahi, a cultural movement for
him a hot target of local leaders in their
Filipino artists in 1998. In 2001, he ventured into
province.
a new career and started his own “editing house,”
It has been more than two years since
eventually becoming the filmmaker and freelance
Jonas disappeared. JL said that his family
video editor he is today.
is still clueless of Jonas’ whereabouts, and
JL’s short films usually had a “human rights”
anxious of his condition wherever he might
motif. But the disappearance of his brother in 2007
be. But for them, giving up was never an
affected his outlook, evident in the new direction
option.
his films took.
The filmmaker started creating
short movies which talked about
the grim prospect of “missing” or
“abducted” persons.
“I am very close to my family,
especially to my brothers. Jonas and
my other brother were my usual
companions in gimiks (hang outs),”
he said. “Until now we are looking
for any traces of my brother. Any
lead to Jonas’ whereabouts would
be very useful for us,” JL said.
Gone, too. JL Burgos looks at the pictures of victims of forced
disappearances like his brother.
By RONALYN M. UMALI
Va
Facts, proofs and campaigns
A day after Jonas disappeared,
his family received a text message
from his mobile phone saying,
“pasensiya na ligo lang ako”
(sorry, I’ll just take a bath), and was
followed by another: “sige, bukas
JL Burgos
pag-usapan natin” (okay, we’ll talk
about it tomorrow). The family tried
to call back but to no avail. Soon after, Jonas’
number could no longer be reached.
This only roused more suspicion, forcing the
family to call for a press conference to announce
that Jonas is missing. Someone then informed the
family that Jonas was seized by four armed men
and a woman inside a mall. Jonas was apparently
heard shouting “aktibista lang po ako!” (I’m just
an activist!) while being dragged into a maroon
van with the plate number TAB 194.
The family immediately went to the mall
and found the said vehicle. JL said that they also
discovered another vehicle with the same plate
number, only it was impounded and kept by the
military in Bulacan.
JL’s camp also got hold of a list called “order
of battle,” which contains the names of people
pursued by the military. Jonas’ name was included,
with the word “neutralized” beside it, meaning a
person was either captured, became their ally or
was already killed.
“The military denied existence of such list,”
JL said.
This only sparked the Burgoses’ fight against
forced disappearances and human rights violation.
The family organized the Free Burgos Movement
and made JL its spokesperson. JL also became a
member of Desaparecidos, a movement founded
by families of the abducted.
For JL, art was a vital ally in his advocacy.
He made paintings about Jonas and created short
films and exhibits about forced disappearances.
JL and his friends also made an album called
“Huling Balita,” a compilation of songs for the
disappeared.
Finding justice
After exhausting all administrative means
but to no avail, Jonas’ family decided to file the
case before the Supreme Court (SC). On July 24,
2007, SC granted the family’s petition ordering
the military to find Jonas and for the Court of
Appeals (CA) to conduct hearings on the case.
But luck was not on the Burgoses’ side
when the CA decision turned down their appeal
for Writ of Amparo (an order issued by a court
to protect the constitutional rights of a person) on
July 21 last year. The case was then raised to the
highest court and is currently pending.
Given the condition of things, JL said he
can’t help but doubt if the government will
follow up on its promise of finding Jonas. But
with the downpour of support from friends,
media, and other organizations, the Burgoses
are just hoping that through these, justice will
soon be given.
“Maybe these people are helping us
because of my father. But more importantly, I
believe they have faith in this journey and that
we are fighting for a just cause,” JL said.
Up to now the state of Jonas Burgos
remains a mystery, but even after two years of
relentlessly searching, the family holds on to
the belief that their beloved Jonas will come
home soon.
“We won’t stop until we find him,” JL
said. arsitarian
URES
JULY 31, 2009 9
Pauyo, Editor
MATH
supportforums.blackberry.com
What to do in case of
Math wizards give tips on how to survive numbers
Illustrations by F.M.C. Amar
ONE PLUS one? Simple
enough right? But how about
the square of the logarithm of
one billion divided by three
cubes minus one?
Not a few students would
probably scratch their head
at the question, if not avoid it
like a plague.
No matter how hard
students try to dodge
Mathematics, the truth of the
matter is that Math is already
a part of our daily lives.
Sooner or later, Thomasians
will have to face this subject,
whatever their course is.
Understandably, it’s hard
to imagine that there are select
students walking among us
who simply breeze through
these equations as if by magic.
One “math wizard” is
Jacky Belleza, Mathematics
junior from the College of
Science. He first got hold of
a calculator at age seven, and
that’s when he began his love
story with numbers.
Since then, he has been
joining math competitions and
training session conducted
by the Mathematics Teachers
Association of the
Philippines (MTAP).
His efforts
eventually paid off
when he won first place in
the senior division of an
interschool math contest.
But for Belleza, it’s not
hard work only that bagged
his victory but rather his
hunger for knowledge.
“Along with my passion
for the subject (math), my
thirst for knowledge motivated
me to learn more,” he said.
Accountancy junior
Natalie Lao is also into
numbers. She particularly
“Knowing the formula helps
because it is easy to derive
another formula which is easier
to use.”
Mathematical society
president Miguel Agbulos
agrees, noting that students
need not memorize a lot of
formulas since they could do
away with a simple derivation.
Contrary to the usual
practice of students of aiming
for the correct answer, Agbulos
believes that the solution to a
answer. It will depend on your
knowledge of going through
the math problem,”
he said.
In a study by the
National Center for
Education Statistics
of the United States,
the Philippines used to rank
23rd out of 25 top countries
that reached standards of
mathematical competency by
the Trends in International
No matter how hard students try to dodge
Mathematics, the truth of the matter is that
Math is already a part of our daily lives.
likes short formulas to
go around difficult math
problems. She’s a mainstay
in interschool competitions,
including the Pautakan quiz
contest.
“I always try to
solve math problems
using shortcuts,” she said.
Math problem should be the
first problem, rather than the
answer.
“It is important to get the
answers correctly, but what’s
the use if you cannot master
the technique of getting the
solutions?” Agbulos said.
True enough, Agbulos got
92 out of 100 points in Math
aptitude test when he took the
UST Entrance Test in 2005.
He also constantly registers
grades not lower than 90 in
his Math units.
“There are
many ways to
arrive at the
correct
Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS). In 2008,
however, Philippines bombed
out of the list.
Consuelo Gotauco, the
Math, Science, and Computer
coordinator of the Faculty of
Arts Letters, said the poor
showing could be blamed on
the students’ general lack of
interest to learn Math the hard
way by memorizing formulas
and instead resorting to
taking the easy way by using
calculators and computers.
“Students nowadays
solely depend on these things,
which in effect diminishes the
competencies needed for Math
subjects,” Gotauco told the
Varsitarian.
Maria Carlota Decena,
head of Mathematics and
Physics Department at the
College of Science, also
emphasized “lack of interest”
among students as an offshoot
to the poor attitude towards
Math.
“The students in our
college, specifically the nonMath majors, think that math
is not important because it is
not their core subject,” Decena
said.
But apart from this,
Students would often resort to taking the “easy way” out of Math by
using the calculator for shortcuts. However, this can greatly diminish
the solving skills needed for the Math subjects.
she said students with poor
English skills might also have
a hard time with Math, since
the analysis of a problem
would depend on how students
understood the problem.
“If they are poor
in English or reading
comprehension, they will not
be able to see the whole picture
and be able to translate it in
mathematical concept,” said
Decena.
“In math exams one will
get either the right or wrong
answer, unlike in essay type of
exam where the answer is open
to argument.” Gotauco said.
Bad impressions and an
almost “traumatic” attitude
toward Math can be dispelled
by the manner of delivery of
the Math professors. Gotauco
said that it’s actually on
the treatment and teaching
methods of the teacher that
will make Math a more fun
learning experience, which
will also affect the students’
comprehension.
“When the students get to
appreciate the application of
Math in their lives, then that is
the time that they will say that
Math is not that difficult,” she
said.
In addition, Gotauco said
that in the world of Math those
who survive are not really the
talented ones but those with
the best attitude adding that
students should practice as
much as they can and pretty
soon they will get the hang
of it.
“As long as they practice,
they should be able to
comprehend the concepts of
math,” Decena agreed.
If you give importance
in understanding the concept
of logarithm, square and cube
roots, and other math terms,
you’ll realize that you don’t
need to crack your brain in
solving the equation above
because the answer to it is as
easy as one plus one. Andrewly
A. Agaton and Robin G.
Padilla
The
Varsitarian
circle
10 JULY 31, 2009
o
c
CINEMALAYA Cin
Insightful slices of reality on digital features
By LESTER G. BABIERA, ROSE MAY Y. CABACANG, MARIA JOANNA ANGELA D. CRUZ and JAMES C. TALON
FOR THE first time, a comedy won
the grand prize in the the Cinemalaya
Film Festival, the annual showcase of
independent movies. Last Supper No.
3, a farce about what its filmmakers,
Veronica Velasco and Jinky Laurel,
claim is a true incident, an extended
legal wrangling over a lost Last
Supper print, beat more popular
favorites, including Astig, a cinemaverite-style tale of Manila’s seamy
underbelly which, during the awards
night on July 26, had early on been
winning the most awards, such as
best director (Giuseppe Sampedro),
best sound, and best supporting actor
(Arnold Reyes). Some considered
Last Supper’s triumph as an upset.
The movie tells the story of an
assistant production designer, Wilson
Nañawa (Joey Paras), who loses the
Last Supper he has loaned for a TV
commercial, and is sued by Gareth
Pugeda (Jojit Lorenzo), the owner.
The seemingly trivial incident results
in a court case that lasts two years,
during which the plaintiff has to
interrupt his work and attend hearings,
resulting in lost manhours and
personal suffering. In short, the movie
is a parable on the Philippines’ rotten
justice system.
Unfortunately, the movie derives
much of its humor from the fact that
the chief character is gay; its slapstick
scenes make fun of Nanawa’s limpwristed and “swishy” personality.
True, previous best picture
winners—notably Ang
Pagdadalaga
ni Maximo
Oliveros in
2005
and Jay last year—have chief
characters that are homosexual: but
they are not comedies and despite
their humorous asides that sometimes
derive from their chief characters’
“gayness”, they provide a serious
and reflective study on the person,
morality and social reality.
Too mainstream for an indie
Astig, a gritty and perverse
take on Manila as seen through the
eyes of a philandering conman, a
dedicated young father, a faithful son
thirsting for revenge, and a country
bumpkin—comes in the tradition
of celebrated indie movies such as
Brillante Mendoza’s Tirador and
Jim Libiran’s Tribu, which won the
Cinemalaya best picture in 2007.
Sampedro does all of the obligatory
accoutrements of an indie urban
fiction—the handheld camera, the
extended takes, the lingering focus on
squalor and violence. All in all, it is an
effective feat.
But one can’t help feeling that
Astig is merely aping the tradition of
indie films and is in fact, a mainstream
movie, what with its cast
of “bankable” actors
such as Dennis
Trillo,
Edgar
Allan
Guzman,
Sid Lucero, and
Arnold Reyes,
who’s effective in his
small role as a halfChinese from the province
who fights for his inheritance
against his greedy Chinese kin in
the city. Some of these actors in fact
are managed by television personality
and talent agent Boy Abunda, who’s
executive producer of the movie.
Abunda’s presence should explain
why the movie has commercial actors
in its cast, some of whom, like Trillo,
are too pretty for an indie movie about
lower-depths characters.
The runner-up best picture
award, Special Jury Prize, was shared
by Jon Steffan Ballesteros’ Colorum
and Alvin Yapan’s Ang Panggagahasa
Kay Fe. In the former, Simon (Alfred
Vargas) is a young cop who sidelines
as a “colorum” (undocumented)
FX driver. He accidentally hits a
pedestrian, runs off, and takes with
him the passenger and sole witness,
Pedro (Lou Veloso), a 70-year-old exconvict, in order to finish him off in
Leyte and wash his hands clean of the
crime. But during the road trip, they
become friends and the cop learns
of the ex-con’s humanity. Veloso’s
honest performance earned him the
best actor award.
Marital abuse turned magic realism
Panggagahasa kay Fe tells the
story of Fe (Irma Adlawan), who
suffers from marital abuse from
her husband, Dante (Nonie
Buencamino). When
strange
baskets
of fruits start
to appear in her doorstep,
Fe thanks her husband who
denies he’s behind the offering, and
thereby suspects she has a lover.
Coincidentally, Fe’ former suitor,
Arturo (TJ Trinidad), has started
to woo her back but she resists his
advances. Gnawed by jealousy and
suspicion, Dante beats Fe and rapes
her.
An honest picture of
domestic abuse and spousal abuse,
Panggagahasa is gripping and
harrowing. However, the movie’s
magical-realist closing is too much
of a surprise ending as to reduce the
movie’s power in the end. To some
extent, it’s a negation of Fe’s ordeal,
and may indicate the filmmaker’s
own incapacity to come to grips with
reality.
Mike Sandejas, who helmed
the 2006 best picture, Tulad ng Dati,
a quasi-biographical rock movie,
returns to rock land with the endearing
Dinig Sana Kita, about a deaf dancer
(Romalito Mallari) who falls in love
with a rock musician (Zoe Sandejas).
Focusing on the friendship and later,
the romance that blossoms between
two very opposite personalities whose
common passion is music, the movie
is notable for its musical score and
well laid-out scenes. The Cinemalaya
crowd gave it the Audience Prize while
the National Council for Children’s
Television gave it an award for its
“child-friendly” qualities.
Ana Agabin wins the audience
over with visually stunning scenes
of Ilocos Sur in 24k, which covers
expectant father Manok (Julio Diaz)
as he treks with his best friends up
Thomasians in the indie film scene
By JAMES C. TALON
DESPITE the absence of a film education
program, UST has produced a number of
filmmakers who have contributed to the
vibrancy of the Philippine independent
cinema, such as Gil M. Portes, who predated
indie filmmaking by some 30 years (his first
movie, Tiket Mama, Tiket Ale, Sa Linggo
ang Bola, starring Gina Pareno and Eddie
Garcia, was independently produced in
1976; so was his internationally acclaimed
Munting Tinig in 2002), Michiko Yamamoto
(writer of the award-winning Magnifico,
Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, and
Endo), and of course, Brillante Mendoza,
who was named best director in this year’s
Cannes international film festival and was
honored by the Cinemalaya this year with
the special screening of his Serbis, which
became last year the first Filipino movie in a
quarter of a century to break into the Cannes
competition.
The Thomasian contribution to indie
cinema has been reinforced in this year’s
Cinemalaya Cinco. The production design
of Nerseri, a competition entry about a boy
forced to take care of his mentally deranged
siblings, is by Aped Santos, who graduated
from the UST High School in 1977. Santos
is best known for last December’s Metro
Manila Film Festival best picture winner Baler,
which won for him the best production design
award. Earlier, in the 2006 Cinemalaya, Santos
won best production design for Batad sa Paang
Palay, which is set in the Cordillera rice terraces.
Playing a part in Nerseri is actor Alwyn Uytingco,
currently a student at the Conservatory of Music.
Another award-winning Thomasian
production designer is Neil Daza, a product
of UST Fine Arts who made the design of
Engkwentro, about the street gangs and death
squads of Davao. The film features a cameo
appearance by indie filmmaker and Faculty of
Arts and Letters Sociology alumnus Jim Libiran,
director of the celebrated Tribu, which won the
grand prize in the 2007 Cinemalaya.
Last Supper No. 3 also showcased
Thomasian talent Malou Crisologo, a
Communication Arts graduate, who showed her
acting chops in the said comedy.
Actor Joem Bascon, who studied Electrical
Engineering in UST but later on pursued a career
in show business, did not only star Sanglaan,
a competition entry, but topbilled other festival
features out of competition, such as Adolfo Alix
Jr.’s family drama Karera, and the last part in
Ellen Ramos and Paolo Villaluna’s love trilogy,
Walang Hanggang Paalam.
UST Communication Arts graduates
collaborated in the short film, Tatang: director
Nico Hernandez, writer Alexis Jeffrey Asuncion,
producer Janice Jose, first assistant director
Lucille Sodipe, script supervisor Reynadel
Valera, storyboard artist Karl Orit, and
production assistants Vera Lorraine Celestino,
Kenneth Tan, and Shayne Guevarra. Hernandez’
short film was also honored with this year’s
Audience Choice trophy.
Another Communication Arts graduate,
Rommel “Milo” Tolentino, has outdone himself
by serving as director, writer, cinematographer,
editor, production designer, soundman, and
producer of his short film, Blogog, which
focuses on the story of a boy who finds a ball
afloat on a creek followed by a series of strange
occurrences, awarding him with a Special Jury
award. Last year, his short film, Andong, about
a poor boy’s quest to get a colored TV, won the
Cinemalaya grand prize; this year it was again
screened as part the festival’s new Kids Treats
Shorts program.
Finally, actor Robert Seña, who took up
Industrial Design in UST, adapted his short
story, Wat Floor Ma’am, into a short film and
directed it together with Mike Sandejas. The
movie revolves around a former first lady (Pinky
Marquez), obviously Imelda Marcos, who gets
stuck in an elevator with a “bad boy” movie
actor (Lex Marcos) and proceeds to tell him
the location of the fabled Yamashita treasure,
allegedly the source of the Marcoses’ incredible
wealth.
the mountains of Suyo in search of a
Japanese treasure. But as the group
gets nearer to their goal, strange things
start to happen.
Agabin cooks up the story with a
perfect blend of humor and suspense.
Because of the movie’s landscape
photography, Pao Orendain received
the best cinematography award.
Sanglaan is a multi-plot movie by
Milo Sogueco that breathes life to the
mundane pawnshop. An interesting set
of characters see their paths crossing
in a pawnshop close to bankruptcy – a
troubled businesswoman, a young timid
girl, a security guard, a mysterious
seaman, and a loan shark. The movie
is noted for its lighthearted humor and
restrained melodrama. As the pawnshop
owner, Tessie Tomas delivers a careerdefining performance and won the best
supporting actress award. Meanwhile,
Ina Feleo, as her timid adopted daughter
who appraises pawned items, won best
Cinemalaya, page 11
Short in length
but long on substance
By LESTER G. BABIERA, MARIA JOANNA ANGELA
D. CRUZ and JAMES C. TALON
THE SHORT movies in competition were very
engaging. Borgy Torres’ Bonsai, which won the
Cinemalaya best short film, is about an obese
security guard trying to woo a washerwoman.
For a short space of 20 minutes (the limit in
the competition), it manages to draw from the
audience varied emotions of repulsion, interest,
and heartbreak.
The Special Jury Award as runner-up
best film went to Thomasian Rommel “Milo”
Tolentino’s Blogog, which, like his celebrated
Andong (last year’s grand prize winner), is
another charming take on Pinoy childhood. It is
about a boy who finds a filthy ball in the creek
that tosses by itself and can even teleport. The
seeming magical ball conjures the magic and
yearnings of childhood.
Dexter Cayanes won the best director
for Musa, about Tatang, an old man who can
miraculously heal wounds, and Bienvenido,
who desires revenge against people who oppress
women and homosexuals. The film is noted for
its poetry and power.
Winning best screenplay for Mark Philipp
Espina is Behind Closed Doors, about a married
couple who try to hide their mutual betrayal. The
Short, page 11
The
Varsitarian
circle
JULY 31, 2009 11
Jonathan Eli A. Libut, Editor
M
y mom once told me that my first
awareness of music had dated back more
or less four weeks before my expected date
of delivery. Mom could not understand why
she was gasping for breath when lying flat in
bed. She said I was “relentlessly” moving and
squirming inside her womb. My eight-year-old
sister, who by then already knew how to play
the guitar, got her favorite instrument and sat
by her side to sing for mom the latter’s favorite
piece, in order to console
her and lull her to sleep.
When my sister was about
to sing she accidentally
strummed her guitar. Its
sound amazingly calmed
the baby down inside her
womb and pretty soon, she fell
asleep.
In my later years, I heard
stories that unborn babies indeed possessed
the capacity to listen to music. In my particular
case however, a CS (caesarian section) delivery
by my physician revealed I almost got strangled
by my own umbilical cord. But to this day, I
keep remembering that the music I heard while
still in my mother’s womb must have enabled
me to survive, and the incident had been to me,
infinitely worth keeping.
After high school, I took an entrance
examination for Architecture at UST. I did not
see my name among the passers. I went back
to San Beda College, my High School Alma
Mater, to enroll in an Economics course. After
two weeks however, I had to drop my subjects
because I felt I could never be an economist.
A year afterm I went back to UST and took
up a qualifying test for Music. I was delighted
to see my name appearing among the top two
of the heap. After two months of summer
classes in the Conservatory; curiosity drove me
back to check my name again at the College
of Architecture; to my surprise, my name
appeared in the waiting list but I was already
enjoying the ambience of the Conservatory.
First four weeks of classes was
enormously challenging for me. Along the
school’s hallway I was awed by what I heard:
angelic voices of students in the classrooms,
and rhythmic, almost flawless piano renditions
in another room. I was a late bloomer in
the keyboards because my peers had piano
lessons since pre-school. This left me feeling
almost bewildered. But I was not daunted. I
kept hoping that someday, I would be able to
acquire the rather elusive music degree. In my
third year at the Conservatory my dad “devised
a curriculum” for me, that is, requiring me
to master on the piano at least two standard
/ jazz songs or
a l l - time
favorites in
one
Cinemalaya
From page 10
actress, her second in Cinemalaya after
2007’s Endo.
Crazy quilt
Vic Acedillo Jr. also has a
smorgasbord of stories in Nerseri, but
he fails to meld them into an integrated
whole. The rather touching movie tells
the story of Kokoy, a young boy given
the responsibility of taking care of his
older siblings who are suffering from
addiction and psychological disorders.
The narrative tries to approximate
the psychological meanderings of its
characters but leaves the audience
confused and befuddled. Acedillo
further oppresses his audience with
the photographic technique of using
blue and green in most of his shots as
well as interspersing certain scenes
with phallic symbols using still shots
of plants. Beneath the palimpsest of
images and echoes, a good movie may
be found somewhere, but we left the
theater quite daunted by all the fancy and
stressful archeology. Perhaps because
of the brashness of Acedillo’s artistic
intention, his movie was given the best
screenplay award.
‘Confessional 2’
Jerrold Tarog, who directed
Confessional, the best picture of the
Mining
the hidden gold
in
music
week. By the end
of the tenth week I
was playing at the piano
with ease. That experience
could have given me the
courage to venture on my
own.
Shortly after I
found myself musically
directing company or
government choirs. I was
practically winning against
all odds as I realized, I was
competing with seasoned
and veteran musicians.
It was virtually an uphill
climb. With an “Awit Award” in
1995, and a composition which
won in a competition sponsored
by Yamaha Electone National
Festival, I felt I had begun to
blaze the trail because
that
composition
became
the
Philippine entry
to the AsiaOceania Yamaha
Electone Festival
held in Sydney,
Australia.
Things
happened rather so fast
because from 1998 to the
present I am the musical director of “Maalaala
Mo Kaya”, a multi-awarded ABS-CBN drama
anthology. Subsequently, on the side, I musically
directed such television soap operas, namely:
“Wansapanataym,” “Marina,” “Kampanerang
Kuba,” “Pangarap na Bituin,” “Walang Kapalit,”
not to mention such youth-oriented shows as
“Lovespell” and “Your Song”
Perhaps, the TV music scorings weren’t
the result of thechnical training learned in the
classroom as, to date, scoring principles aren’t
formally pursued in many schools. Much of my
skills were rather learned through painstaking
self-study. I would occasionally indulge viewing
local or foreign films not so much for their videos
but for their music -- their tonal twists and moods,
their bends and turns.
I guess, as in many other professions,
the secret still depends much on the individual.
2007 Cinemaone Originals, another
independent film festival, joined the
Cinemalaya this year with Mangatyanan.
The movie is supposed to be sequel to
Confessional, which has won several
international awards, and is Part 2 of
what Tarrog calls his “Camera Trilogy.”
The movie chronicles the vanishing
Labwanan tribe of Isabela and their
strange ritual, the Mangatyanan, a
ritual of rebirth. As in Confessional,
the world is seen through the eyes of
a man-behind-the-camera, in this case
travel photographer Laya Marquez (Che
Ramos), who wants to leave behind her
incestuous past.
Tarog focuses on the dying
indigenous culture of the Philippines,
giving his audience a sort of “last look”
at a native tribe, depicting how these
people fight to maintain their cultural
identity. Ramos delivers a dignified
performance and the film has shades
of the brash brilliance of Confessional.
As in his first movie, Tarrog, who’s also
a musician, provides a vital scoring
to a very vital story. Also a camera
man and editor, Tarog’s shots are also
well-composed, in this case effectively
depicting the natural beauty of Isabela
province. The movie was given the best
production design award (for Benjamin
Padero).
Pepe Diokno’s Engkwentro tackles
a controversial subject: alleged death
squads that try to clean Davao City of
violent street gangs, often with extreme
means that match the violence of the
I honestly believe in
the truism that doing
even simple task, can be
fulfilling and rewarding if
it is something one wants
to do and is happy doing
it.
I often heard
from elders there is
no money in music,
that music is generally
reserved for those who
wish to expand their
cultural horizons. In this
year’s Commencement
Exercises to mark the
graduation of the 2009 UST Conservatory
Students I heard one graduate ask: What awaits
us after graduation? Can we land a gainful
employment? What can the Music Alumni do
for us? To these myriad of questions I don’t
have ready answers. My case however
seems to have negated that notion.
Perhaps, music education can be
fulfilling. Those truly gifted ones can be
performing artists or musicians. They can excel
in their chosen fields. These are as varied as their
major subjects may permit. I wouldn’t, however
wish to touch on the other fields which are, as
conceived in my theme – mining the hidden gold
in a music career. And what are these?
There’s life after
Conservatory of Music
education, says the musical
director of the 18-year-old
TV drama hit, ‘Maalaala
Mo Kaya’
First, Musical Scoring for Film and
Television. This is a challenging creative work
because governments worldwide are presently
bent on solving the problems regarding intellectual
property rights. Thus, “canned music” is on the way
out. Emphasis is now on original compositions
and this is a boon to honestto goodness musicians!
Second,
Commissioned
Work. Creation of commercial
“jingles” for advertising or
promo of a particular product,
person or idea. This sounds
loose-sounding. But this is
conceptualizing a tune for
the “juiciest” idea to portray
their qualities within a particular time
frame running either for a few seconds to a
minute. Still falling under commissioned work
are Development of Theme Songs, Anthems,
gangs. The subject is meaty but Diokno
chooses to concentrate on the fictional
story of brothers Richard and Raymond
(Felix Roco and Daniel Medrana), who
end up as members of rival gangs and
thereby are at each other’s throats. The
Cain-Abel story somehow removes the
focus on the death squads, which are
suspected to have the blessing of the
civilian, police and military authorities
in Davao (suggested in the movie by
the radio broadcast of the law-and-order
mayor who proclaims, “’Pag kriminal
ka, patay ka!”), and blunts the impact of
the movie. The climax may underscore
the violence of the death squads, but the
depiction is black-and-white, it does not
go into an honest sociology and study
of why the death squads exist, and why
people join them. With reports from
Robin G. Padilla
Short
Company Hymns, fittingly portraying the ideals
of an institution – its vision and mission.
Third, Musical Arranging and/or
Composing for CD Albums (CD Production),
Sage plays (Musicales), Orchestra, band (for
Classical/Pop/Jazz concerts), ensembles or choir
groups.
Fourth, Music Entrepreneurship.
These seems to be a growing impetus to venture
on production of concerts or shows. Falling
under this is managing performing groups for
music lounges or pop/
jazz bars or for special
events. Fifth, Music
Publishing
which
includes printing and
publishing of original
musical compositions/
pieces developed in English
or in the vernacular which, to date, continue to
be well-lobed fro their cultural value. Here the
publisher or writher could playa a role in the
preservation of the nations’s cultural heritage.
Sixth, Setting up of a Recording studio for
artists is of inestimable value.
Imperceptibly, foregoing discussions
lean not so much on music theory and
techniques but perhaps on the individual’s over
all perception of his role as creative changing
demands of the music industry, name ly, choice
of musical genre, knowledge of computer
music, and a practical knowledge of the over-all
thrust in music industry.
When I produced and directed a Jazz
Concert at Centerstage SM-Mall of Asia last
September 18 and 19, which incidentally was
endorsed by Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, I was
so touched by the invocation
of Msgr. Celso Datin, spiritual
director of the Legion of Mary,
Senatus of Northern Philippines.
He said: “Music is faith in God
made alive.” I strongly believe
that: for as the musician feels God’s
presence in everything he does, he can
never go wrong.
The author of this article, Peter Paul Cifra, is
the president of the UST Conservatory of Music
Alumni Association.
From page 10
movie has impressive performances
by Bart Guingona and Ana Abad
Santos.
Tatang is about the
granddaughter of an old pickpocket
who tries to outdo him in the trade
when he unwittingly calls her an
onerous burden. The short film also
won the Audience Choice award.
Hulagpos, a film student
thesis from the University of
the Philippines-Diliman, tries to
redefine the Philippine horror genre.
Wat Floor Ma’am is a
humorous take on Imelda Marcos
as she explains away the fabulous
Marcos wealth as having come from
the mythical Yamashita treasure.
It is distinguished by the superb
performance of
Giannina nicolai p. melicor
Pinky Marquez
as the former first
lady.
Despite a
nearly dialogueless narrative, Ariel
Reyes’ Ugat Sa
Lupa effectively
conveys the
anguish and
suffering of
farmers after their
water supply dries
The annual Cinemalaya exhibit gives spectators a taste of
out.
what’s to come in this year’s batch of independent films.
Despite its humor, Si Bok at ang
Trumpo by Hubert Tibi leaves its
audience confused offer the movie’s
depiction of a child’s mischievous
acts – drawing the horned image of
his cruel grandmother and posting
insulting graffiti against his neighbors.
From Davao comes John Paul
Seniel’s Latus, which comes out strong
in its advocacy against child abuse,
but is weighed down by its histrionic
acting and over-the-top depiction.
Filipinos in the Himalayas
Cinemalaya Cinco also featured
the world premier of Ferdinand John
Balanag’s documentary, Walking
the Waking Journey, about a Tibetan
monk on the border of Tibet, Nepal,
and India, and his work with poor
children in the Himalayas. The movie
accompanies him in his trek to reunite
with the children he has helped who
have promised to do their share
in alleviating the poverty of their
communities.
Although the documentary
appears unrealized, Walking is notable
since it was filmed by an all-Filipino
crew and production. The Filipino
filmmakers were in fact the first
Filipinos to reach that remote portion
of the Himalayas. For the stamina
and fighting spirit of the Filipinos, the
documentary deserves to be seen and
appreciated.
The
Digmaan
Dibuho ni J.C. Santos
Ni LOUIE JON A. SANCHEZ*
Kagabi’y sumuko ako sa pag-irog.
Nagtatakbuhan ang mga binatilyo
Na hinahabol ng tabak at balisong,
Magkahawak-kamay tayo.
Sinisinta ang kumikislap na liwanag
Ng mga bituing nakasilip sa langit,
Nilalasap ang ating katahimikan
Matapos malagpasan ang hinihintay
Na pag-uusig sa pintig ng damdamin,
Sa tapang ng dibdib at pananalig.
Nabalisa ang aking buong pagkatao,
Napahawak nang husto sa kamay mo.
Sa kanto, nakatakda nang lumipad
Ang mga ipinukol na kahoy at bato,
Ang ‘di masawatang pagbigkas
Ng malulutong na mura at sumpa
Ng sindak, ng ganti, ng kamatayan.
Nahaharap tayo sa gulo at galaw
Ng isang kakatwang munting digmaan
Ay ganap na ganap ang aking pagsuko—
Hindi pagkatalo ang nais ipabatid
Kung hindi lubos na pagpapaubaya.
Bigla-bigla’y humupa lahat ng galit,
Nagbalik ang kalye sa angking tahimik.
*Dating katuwang na patnugot ng Varsitarian si Sanchez. Tapos siya
ng AB Journalism sa Faculty of Arts and Letters at MFA in Creative
Writing sa De La Salle University. Dalawang ulit na siyang itinanghal
na Makata ng Taon (2006 at 2009) ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino.
Bilang pagtangkilik sa malayang pagpapahayag, bukas ang pitak
na ito sa mga Tomasinong nais magbahagi ng kanilang saloobin,
kuwento, ideya, o pananaw. Magsadya lamang sa opisina ng
Varsitarian para sa mga detalye.
Kuwentong
Uste ko
Ni MARA CLARA O. SABADO
ROYAL, Pontifical and Catholic University of the Philippines.
Nakita ko ito sa folder ng kaklase ko. Sabi ko, “UST ba
‘yun?”. Nagliparan ang grupo ng mga bubuyog papunta sa
kumikinang na bumbilya sa itaas ng aking ulo. Parang may
bumulong sa aking mga tainga na UST daw ang magiging
daan upang matupad ko ang aking pangarap.
Simple lang naman ang aking pangarap. Ang mabigyan
ng litrato ang aking nanay at tatay kung saan nakasuot ako
ng tela’t sumbrerong itim habang may hawak na ni-rolyong
papel. Ngunit naisip ko rin, saan kaya ako magsisimula para
matupad iyon? Muli na namang nagliparan ang mga gamugamo. Nagising ang diwa ko habang hawak ko ang folder ng
aking kaklase. Nakatingin ako sa ibabang bahagi ng folder
kung saan nakalagay ang address, website, telephone at kung
anu-ano pang impormasyon tungkol sa UST.
Ang maliit kong kamay ay nagkaroon ng silbi. Kumuha
ako ng kapirasong papel sa likod ng kuwaderno at kinopya
ko ang lahat ng dapat kong kopyahin. Natapos ang klase at
pagkauwi ko ng bahay ay malapit nang dumilim. Dumilim
nang dumilim nang dumilim at lumiwanag.
Linggo. Sa dami ng sasakyan sa España, akala ko wala
na kong pag-asa. Tinawag ang mga mata ko ng isang arko
papasok sa Unibersidad. Nag-iba ang oras, araw at lugar
na kinatatayuan ko. Nakasuot na ako ngayon ng itim na
pantaloon, at grey na blusa.
“Aba! USTe na ako!”
Sa dinami-rami ng sasakyan na iyon sa España at sa lahat
ng nakita kong kakumpitensiya, isa ako sa mga pinagpala.
Ngayon, nagsusulat muli ako sa pilas ng papel mula sa likod
ng aking kuwaderno hindi para isulat ang address, website,
at telephone number ng UST, kung hindi para ikuwento
kung paano ako napadpad sa Royal, Pontifical and Catholic
University of the Philippines – University of Santo Tomas.
*Si Sabado ay nasa unang taon sa kursong Information Systems sa
Faculty of Engineering. Siya ang nagwagi ng unang gantimpala sa
timpalak sa pagsulat ng sanaysay ng Central Student Council.
filipino
Mark Andrew S. Francisco, Patnugot
T
ILA malalakas na hataw ng
tambol ang tibok ng aking puso sa
kaba. Malamig ang panahon pero
pinagpapawisan ako at maging ang mga
kamay ko ay walang tigil sa panginginig.
Para bang bumabaliktad ang aking sikmura
at masusuka ako.
Lalong bumilis ang pintig ng aking
puso nang makita ko ang mahabang kamay
ng orasan na papalapit sa numerong 12.
Limang minuto na lang pala bago mag
alas-otso.
Umalingawngaw ang tunog ng bell
sa buong koridor. Habang nagsisipasukan
na sa kanilang silid-aralan ang ibang
estudyante, nanatili akong nakatayo sa
labas ng aming kuwarto.
“Tan, tara na. Magsisimula na ang
eksam,” sabi ng matalik kong kaibigang si
Bert.
Bago pumasok ay bumulong muna
ako ng maikling panalangin. Bahala na,
sabi ko sa sarili ko. Suntok sa buwan ang
gagawin kong pagpasok sa loob.
Ganito na lamang palagi
ang aking nararamdaman sa
tuwing magkakaroon kami
ng pagsusulit. Pakiramdam
ko kasi, hindi ako gaano
nakapaghahanda kumpara
sa aking mga kamag-aral.
Sa halip kasi na umuwi
Dibuho ni Carla T. Gamalinda
12 IKA-31 NG HULYO, 2009
Varsitarian
Bago pumasok ay
bumulong muna
ako ng maikling
panalangin.
Bahala na.
Suntok sa buwan
ang gagawin kong
pagpasok sa loob
ng silid
‘yang eyebags mo,” sabi ni Bert habang
hinihintay namin ang proctor.
“Pagod na ako.”
Bukod sa nahihirapan na ako sa
aking trabaho, sawa na rin ako sa mga
mabababang grado na natatanggap ko
mula sa aking mga pagsusulit. Madalas,
nakukuntento na lamang ako sa mga
pasang-awang marka. Natatakot ako
na maaari akong matanggal bilang
isang iskolar at mas malala pa, maaari
akong bumagsak kung patuloy akong
makakakuha ng mabababang marka.
Bigla kong naisip ang mga magulang
ko. Ano na lang ang mararamdaman
nila kapag nawalan ako ng scholarship?
Mayroon pa akong dalawang kapatid sa
hayskul at isa sa elementary, ayaw kong
alalahanin pa nila ako. Hindi ako papayag
na makadagdag pa sa mga problema nila.
“Ayokong bumagsak, Bert. Ayoko.
Pero nahihirapan na ako.”
“Kapit lang. May final exam pa.”
Dama sa apat na sulok ng kuwarto
ang tensyon. Nakayuko ang lahat at
sinasamantala ang natitirang panahon para
sa mga huling sulyap sa
mga libro at kuwaderno.
Bumukas ang pinto.
“Keep all your
things. Only ballpens,
pencils, and calculators on
linggo-linggo akong nagsisimba noon
sa Quiapo para matupad lang ang aking
kahilingang scholarship. Hindi naman
ako nabigo at hindi nagtagal ay natanggap
ako bilang student assistant sa library
kapalit ang libreng paaral ng unibersidad.
Nagtratrabaho ako ng hindi bababa sa
limang oras kada araw.
Kahapon nga ay gabi na ako nakauwi
ng bahay. Hanggang alas-nuwebe kasi ang
duty ko. Bukod sa pagod na ako mula sa
trabaho at may nakatambak pang mga libro
at makakapal na hand-outs na naghihintay
sa akin, dumagdag pa sa sakit ng ulo ko
‘yung estudyanteng nakainitan ko.
Inaalala ko ang pagsusulit namin
sa cost accounting na halos hindi ko
nasagutan nang biglang dumating ang isang
estudyante na may makapal na make-up at
punung-puno ng “burloloy” sa katawan.
Iniabot niya sa akin ang numero ng
kanyang bag.
“Can you move a little faster please?
I’m already late na eh,” sabi ng estudyante.
Binilisan ko ang aking pagkilos,
ngunit hindi pa rin siya nakuntento.
Lalong tumaas ang tono ng kanyang
pananalita na may halo pang pang-iinsulto.
“Faster, please! Ang kupad mo naman
kuya.”
Nag-init na talaga ang dugo ko. Kung
hindi lang babae yung kaharap ko, kanina
pa dumampi sa mukha niya ang kamao
ko. Iniabot ko na lamang ang kanyang
bag at umalis siya nang hindi man lamang
nagpasalamat.
Nakakainis. Bukod sa ang arte niya
magsalita, ang yabang pa niya umasta.
Kasalanan ko ba kung mahuhuli na siya
sa klase? Nakita na nga niyang hindi ako
magkanda-ugaga sa pagbubuhat ng gamit
niyang mas malaki pa sa akin, siya pa
‘tong may ganang magreklamo. Mabuti
at nakapagtimpi ako, kung hindi, baka
napatawag na ako sa office at natanggalan
ng scholarship.
Ngayon, panibagong pagsubok na
naman ang kahaharapin ko para sa aking
scholarship. Kailangan kong mapasa ang
eksam na ito.
Binuksan ko ang libro pagkaupo ko
sa tabi ni Bert. Pinilit kong tapusin ang
pagbabasa kahit na ilang beses na akong
humikab dulot ng sobrang antok.
“Bakit parang balisa ka? Hindi ka
na naman natulog, ano? Nagsusumigaw
your desks. No scratch papers,” ang sabi ng
propesor pagpasok sa silid.
Nagmadali ang lahat na mag-ayos ng
gamit. Walang maaaring masayang na oras.
Abala ang lahat sa pagsagot habang
ang iba naman ay maririnig mong
minumura ang kanilang papel sa hirap ng
mga tanong. Ako mismo, nahirapan sa
kabila ng pagsusunog ko ng kilay. Halos
labinglimang minuto na ang lumipas pero
kahit isang numero ay wala pa rin akong
nasasagutan. Muling namuo ang kaba sa
aking dibdib. Naririnig ko ang tibok ng
puso ko kasabay ng pag-ikot ng kamay ng
aking relo.
Naglibot ang proctor para pirmahan
ang aming test permits. Nang lumapit siya
sa harapan ko, nagbalik sa aking alaala ang
panahong hindi ako pinakuha ng pagsusulit
dahil hindi ako nakabayad ng matrikula.
Mas mabuti na ito kaysa sa noong hindi ako
nakakapag-exam, sabi ko sa sarili ko.
Huminga ako ng malalim. Unti-unting
napanatag ang loob ko. Binasa ko ang
unang numero – problem solving. Hindi
naman pala ganoon kahirap ang tanong.
Talagang naunahan lamang yata ako ng
kaba.
Nagpatuloy ako sa pagsagot. Ibinuhos
ko ang lahat ng makakaya ko sa bawat
numero. Maya-maya pa, tumunog ang
unang bell hudyat na limang minuto na
lamang ang natitira.
“Transfer all your answers to your
answer sheet.”
Sinikap kong masagutan lahat ng
tanong sa kabila ng maikling oras na
natitira. Wala akong iniwan ni isa mang
blangko .
Muling umalingawngaw ang tunog
ng bell. Nagmadali ang lahat. Ang iba ay
nakiusap pa na bigyan kami ng dagdag
na limang minute pero naging istrikto an
gaming propesor. “Pass all your papers.”
Ibinababa ko ang aking panulat at
calculator. Alas diyes na.
Inayos ko ang aking gamit bago
lumabas ng kwarto. Naririnig ko ang
iba’t-ibang hinaing ng mga estudyante sa
paligid. May nagmumura, may nag-iiyakan,
may nagrereklamo. Ang iba naman,
nagkukumpara ng kanilang mga sagot.
Hindi na ako nakinig pa. Nagpaalam ako
kay Bert at tinahak ko ang daan papuntang
library para sa panibagong araw ng
pagtatrabaho. Kacelyn Faye L. Paje
O
ako kaagad pagkatapos ng aming klase,
dumederecho ako ng silid-aklatan hindi
para mag-aral kundi para magbuhat at
magbantay ng gamit ng ibang estudyante sa
package counter.
Ibang-iba ang sitwasyon ko ngayon
kumpara noong nakaraang taon. Dati kasi,
nakapaghahanda ako kaya kahit na mahirap
ang accounting ay nakakakuha pa rin ako
ng mataas na grado dahil mayroon akong
sapat na panahon para mag-aral.
Ang problema ko nga lang noon,
sa tuwing nalalapit na ang examination
period, hindi na alam ng aking mga
magulang kung saan sila kukuha ng perang
pambayad para sa matrikula ko. Kahit
gaano pa ako kahanda, ang tanong naman
ay kung makakakuha ba ako ng eksam.
Minsa’y hindi ako pinakuha ng eksam
ng propesor namin dahil wala akong
permit. Nakaramdam ako ng awa sa sarili
dahil habang lahat ng mga kaklase ko’y
nagsasagot sa loob ng aming silid, mag-isa
akong naghihintay sa labas, nag-iisip kung
papaano ba makakakuha ng pagsusulit.
“Anak, pasensya ka na. Wala pa
tayong pera. Baka naman pupuwede mo
ulit silang pakiusapan na idaan muna ulit
sa promissory note ang utang natin,” sabi
ni Mama nang minsang humingi ako ng
pambayad ng matrikula.
Naiiyak na lang ako sa tuwing
maririnig ko ang mga katagang ito.
Nararamdaman ko ang kanilang hirap
sa pagpapa-aral sa aming apat na
magkakapatid. Gayunpaman, hindi ako
nagrereklamo dahil alam ko kung paano
sila kumayod sa araw-araw para lang
maipasok kami sa magandang eskwelahan.
Nais ko silang tulungan ngunit ano ba
ang magagawa ng isang tulad ko para
mapagaan ang kanilang problema?
Hanggang sa dumating ang isang hindi
inaasahang pagkakataon.
Nang mabalitaan kong nagbibigay ng
scholarship ang aming unibersidad, hindi
na ako nagdalawang isip pa na subukang
nito.
Hindi biro ang pagkuha ng
scholarship. Bukod sa maraming
requirements ang kailangang ipasa, marami
kaming nagbabaka-sakali na mapagaan
ang buhay, ngunit kakaunti lang ang
mapagbibigyan.
Araw-araw ay ipinagdadasal
ko na sana’y matanggap ako. Halos
ras
O
The
Varsitarian
WITNESS
JULY 31, 2009 13
Quinia Jenica E. Ranjo, Editor
Photo Collage by F.M.C. Amar
“Nursing is an art… it requires
an exclusive devotion as hard a
preparation... having to do with the
living body, the temple of God’s
spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had
almost said, the finest of Fine Arts.” - Florence Nightingale
Unexpected
enlightenment
By Camille Abigael P. Alcantara
WE OFTEN see them every
Sunday, standing behind the
altar and celebrating the Mass.
But have you ever
wondered how a priest spends
the rest of the week, once he
gives his final blessing and
utters the words “the Mass is
ended”?
A priest’s duty does not
end with the Sunday service.
The Eucharistic celebration
is central to his life as an
alter Christus, a visible
representation of Christ. But
much is expected of him.
The vocation demands
constant and visible presence,
from Sundays when he
celebrates Mass until the wee
hours of the morning when an
emergency calls for his service.
“If there is a person who
should make you feel the
presence of Christ, it should
be the priest,” said Fr. Manuel
Lamprea, Jr., parish priest of the
Immaculate Conception Parish
in Batac, Ilocos Norte.
Last March, Pope
Benedict XVI declared June
2009 to June 2010 as “Year for
Priests” to help deepen priests’
commitment to their vocation.
This special year marks the
150th anniversary of St. John
Mary Vianney, the Universal
Patron of Priests whom the
Holy Father considers as the
“true example of a priest at the
service of the flock of Christ.”
The celebration, which started
last June 19, will conclude on
the same date in 2010, during
the World Meeting of Priests in
Rome.
On and before Sunday
Managing a parish with
around 25,000 Catholics is no
easy feat. The diocesan priest
provides pastoral services such
as outreach programs, spiritual
formation for the youth and
counseling on family life and
marriage preparation, preaches
God’s words and holds
sacraments for the people living
in the area entrusted to him by
the bishop.
For Lamprea and his
associate priest, the first two
Catholics who seek for our
services,” Lamprea said.
Besides counseling with
parishioners on family, workrelated and other personal
matters, priests are dedicated to
daily Mass and administering
the sacraments. For Lamprea,
his everyday routine starts with
a 6:30 a.m. Mass followed by
sacraments and other services,
depending on the day of the
week.
Sacraments like Baptism
and Marriage are celebrated on
We have to drive down the muddy road to
get to the barrios...we celebrate mass under
a tree and bear the heat because there are no
electric fans - Fr. Manuel Lamprea, Jr.
days of the week are the least
busy. He considers Mondays
his “day off,” while Tuesdays
are intended for meetings
with the Parish Pastoral
Council, a group of Catholic
parishioners who advise the
priest regarding pastoral
matters such as missionary
and apostolic undertakings.
However, there are times when
these idle days are devoted
to performing religious rites
and accommodating the
parishioners’ needs. Indeed,
being a priest is a full-time
commitment.
“We have to accept
arrangements on these days
because of the number of
particular days of the week set
by the parish while Confession
is given upon request.
Weddings are officiated on
any day except Sundays and
Tuesdays, while Baptismal
days are on Wednesdays and
Saturdays.
Lamprea also holds
afternoon Masses in the barrios
from Wednesdays to Sundays.
Thus, Sunday proves to be the
busiest day of the week for
the priest as he officiates two
Masses in the morning and one
in the afternoon. Meanwhile,
his associate priest drives to the
far-flung areas to take charge of
three to four Masses, two in the
morning and one or two in the
afternoon.
“We have to drive down
the muddy road to get to the
barrios,” Lamprea said. “We
celebrate mass under a tree and
bear the heat because there are
no electric fans.”
Lamprea doesn’t see such
conditions as a discomfort,
but rather opportunities to
further deepen his vocation.
He’s familiar with most of
his parishioners, too, his
community being relatively
small.
“The people recognize you
as a priest,” he said. “It helps us
guard our actions, and it makes
us conservative and upright.”
The task of managing
a community of people with
the common goal of spiritual
formation, as well as being
transferred to different
assignments, required Lamprea
to be patient and have good
communication skills.
“If there are unexpected
problems with your people, you
have to wait for six years to be
reassigned to another diocese,”
Lamprea said.
Despite the difficulties,
the man remains committed to
his vocation since he made his
vows 21 years ago.
The slow growth in the
population of ordained priests
cannot keep up with the rapid
increase in the number of
Catholics. Earlier this year,
bishops called on the faithful to
be one in praying for vocations
and the sanctification of priests.
Florench May C. Corpuz, with
reports from Maria Joanna
Angela D. Cruz
Pope stresses charity in new encyclical
“CHARITY is at the
heart of Church’s
social doctrine.”
This was Pope
B e n e d i c t X V I ’s
reminder in his
new Encyclical
Caritas in Veritate
(“Charity in Truth”)
delivered last July 7 in Vatican City.
The document stressed the need for
real human development, insisting on
progress in the moral and spiritual realms.
“Charity with this close link of truth
is the principal driving force behind the
authentic development of every person
and of all humanity,” the Pope said.
According to the Holy Father,
charity had long been emptied and
misconstrued, its meaning often
misinterpreted, disconnected from
ethical living, and undervaluated. With
these alarming issues obscuring the
true meaning of charity, he prescribed
“truth” as a cure for these problems.
“A Christianity of charity without
truth would be more or less interchangeable
with a pool of good sentiments,
helpful for social cohesion,
but of little relevance. In
other words, there would
no longer be any place for
God in the world,” he said.
Being the Pope’s first
“social” encyclical, the
document revisited and took
off from Paul VI’s message
in his 1967 Populorum
Progressio, an encyclical on
integral human development.
Populorum Progressio is
also regarded as Pope Leo
Pope Benedict XVI
XIII’s “Rerum Novarum
of the present age,” and
Today’s interdependence among
was first updated by John Paul II’s
encyclical Sollicitudo Rei Socialis. people and nations, divided by ethical
The encyclical also emphasized interaction of consciences and minds,
two criteria that governed moral served as the Church’s obstacle, he added.
“Only charity, illumined by the light
action: justice and the common good.
“Charity goes beyond justice, of reason and faith, gives the possibility of
and that desiring and striving for pursuing development goals that possess a
the common good is a prerequisite more humane and humanizing value,” he said.
Caritas in Veritate is the third
of justice and charity,” he said.
I n t h i s m o d e r n w o r l d , h e encyclical of Benedict XVI following, Spe
said infusing “love” in “truth” was Salvi (Saved by Hope) and Deus Caritas
a great challenge for the Church. Est (God is Love). Lester G. Babiera
Illustration by J.C. Santos
Confessions of a clergyman
STANDING beside a bedridden old man while compressing
his artificial breathing mask wasn’t my idea of spending that
sunny July afternoon. While other students in the campus
were enjoying the great weather outside, I was stuck inside a
cold hospital room, monitoring the old man.
He could not turn, speak, or open his eyes fully. His
grave condition made it difficult for him to even breathe
on his own will. In the field where life and death is a day to
day matter, I was ironically afraid that he might lose his life
anytime soon. But after seeing how his nurses dealt with his
condition with utmost care, I felt assured that this man was in
good hands. At that point, I once again began to wonder if I
was in the right path like them.
Throughout my almost four years as a nursing student,
I have often doubted my place in a field where thousands of
students face many hardships to get a diploma and a license.
I found myself lost in the sea of people who thought that a
nursing degree was synonymous to a ticket abroad and high
salary, though I took it up for three different reasons: parental
advice, nursing as a possible pre-med course, and finally, a
chance to fulfill my first childhood dream of becoming one.
During those years of studying, I couldn’t grasp the
meaning of the things we routinely did. Administering
medications and the like had their immediate rationale in
textbooks, but I was searching for something deeper than
what books could provide. I often wondered, what really was
the meaning behind this popular profession?
Since the start of our clinical practice, I have been
considering the value of its technicalities, hoping to find
inspiration in them. For a short while, my fascination with
the science of our field quelled my curiosity. I was amazed
by the knowledge of human anatomy, its physiology, and
its alterations. Unfortunately, the feeling faded eventually
and I was back to zero. It was a scary thought, thinking that
my search would end in vain and that I would graduate not
knowing, or rather, not feeling the essence of what I had been
doing all along.
But just when I was about to call it quits this school year,
I realized that what I was actually looking for was sitting right
beside me several months ago—my patient.
I remembered her recently when we discussed
psychiatric nursing as a possible topic for research. I would
sit beside her twice a week, talking about her life and dreams.
Her hair was quite short, and her smile was a toothless grin.
She was a psychiatric patient whose thoughts did not fit
the conventions of society and yet, it was through her thoughts
that I came to understand the reality of my course.
As weeks passed, I came to know more about this
woman whose illness was poorly understood by many.
Aside from the many conversations we had about her past
and the other things that interested her, my group mates and
I conducted “activity therapies” for all psychiatric clients,
including my patient, to help them express their thoughts and
their feelings.
During our last day in their psychiatric institution,
my patient told me that she looked forward every week to
those two days when we would visit them. She told me that,
somehow, I made a difference in her life by simply listening
to her and giving her hope to continue living. As a victim of
physical abuse and a broken family, she found it hard to open
up to people before. Due to my consistency in checking her
condition, she became comfortable with me.
Hearing those words from her, I guess all I really needed
was a patient to show me the essence of what I was doing. For
me, patients do not just give meaning—they are the core of
the nursing profession.
I know I still have a lot of things to learn, and my search
has just begun with its newfound direction.
The
14 JULY 31, 2009
Varsitarian
LIMELIGHT
Tomas U. Santos
By R.I.M. Cruz
Towazinos
By J.C. Santos
Bits of USTe
By F.M.C. Amar
Thieves
From page 2
ordering food at Ate Eva’s Grill.
“Since my bag contained my laptop,
we decided to cover it so that it would not be
obvious. But before we left the food place, my
bag felt lighter than before and that was when
I discovered that my laptop was stolen,” said
Princess Roviel Atienza, 16.
The belongings of Atienza and Cano have
yet to be retrieved by authorities.
The opening of classes last June 15 was
marred by a theft incident when a sophomore
B.S. Chemistry student nearly lost her mp3
player worth P25,000.
Joseph Badinas, acting detachment
commander of the security office, said the office
was coordinating with the local authorities
to protect the Thomasian community from
“harmful elements of society.”
“We will try to maintain peace in and
outside the campus with the help of other
offices like the Manila Police District,”
Badinas said in Filipino.
Balisbis is detained at the Manila Police
District Precinct 4 in Balic-balic, Sampaloc,
and will be transferred to the Manila City Jail
upon orders of the court.
The man
This photo was taken by Akira Liwanag, a student from the Faculty
of Arts and Letters. Out of 17 entries, it was Liwanag’s photo that
bagged first prize in the photography contest held by the CSC, with
the theme “Unang ngiti sa USTe.” The 1st runner-up was Eizelle
Yee from the College of Architecture, followed by Nerriza Ann D.
Abundo, from the Faculty of Engineering.
Cubs
From page 16
counterparts who relied heavily on
starter Kevin Villanueva’s shooting,
UST showed no mercy as it unleashed
a barrage of jumpers to end the first
half on a high note, 47-23.
In the third quarter, the Tiger
Cubs’ consistent shooting paved way
for a whopping 35-point lead, 62-27.
UST banked on their second-chance
scoring, burying UP alive, 81-45,
toward the end of the game.
Neypes led UST with 17 points
while Villanueva was the lone bright
spot for UP with 20 points and 20
rebounds.
The Cubs’ domination came after
an 82-73 whitewashing of Ateneo De
Manila University Blue Eaglets last
July 18.
A flurry of treys from Jazreel
Jimenez and Gonzalez gave the Tigers
a 60-49 lead toward the end of the third
period. Refusing to raise the white flag,
Keifer Ravena picked up the slack for
the Eaglets and dangerously close, 7069, with 3:26 left in the game.
But UST’s consistent shooting
From page 15
“I always tell the players that I don’t pretend to know a lot,” he
said. “In fact, they might know more than I do. It just so happened
I was assigned the position to make the final decision.”
Learning from the discipline-oriented Del Rosario, who
started his practices at exactly 6 a.m. and did not obscure holidays
except Holy Thursday and Good Friday, Tanquincen admitted
that as a coach, he is somewhat a slave-driver. He requires long
practice hours, lets his boys do things repetitively, and keeps on
looking at different scenarios. However, once the players already
get into the groove of his game plan, he begins to tone down.
“Mas mahirap kung papakawalan mo ang mga players bago
mo sila rendahan. Mas madali kung rerendahan mo muna sila saka
mo unti-unting pakakawalan,” he said.
Coaching alongside the unorthodox Pido Jarencio, assistant
from the stripe sealed the deal.
“We prepared hard for this game. We
looked out for Ateneo’s every movement
and their every shooter. We know that
Ateneo is one of the toughest contenders.
I think it was our desire that gave us the
win,” coach Ascue said.
The Tiger Cubs are set to face DLSZ
Junior Archers for a solo claim of the top
spot on August 1.
Tigers
From page 16
team’s defense.
“I didn’t like their performance. It
was awkward, especially their defensive
plays. They were different from our
practices,” he said.
The España based dribblers began
to pull away from the Bulldogs in the
third quarter, with a 22-point advantage,
74-52. The Bulldogs, however, came
within 12, after the Tigers relaxed on
defense. But the lead proved too big for
the NU squad.
San Miguel coach, was also a big help, as the two combined their
ideas to greatly boost their chances of winning.
“He’s a great help,” Tanquincen said. “Having somebody
who also has great knowledge of the game, playing and coaching
wise, is a privilege for us.”
It was not an easy task going against Ginebra’s sixth-man
factor, but Tanquincen said this could work as a good test of his
players’ mental toughness.
And although he had long hung up his Ginebra coaching staff
uniform, he brought with him the “never-say-die” attitude of his
former squad, helping him revive San Miguel’s legacy of winning
championships.
“You can’t force somebody to have your own style or thinking.
That’s the beauty of basketball,” Tanquincen said. “Everybody
has the same destination but you could get to it in many different
ways. That makes it more interesting.” Jeremy Perey
The
Varsitarian
sports
JULY 31, 2009 15
Jeremy S. Perey, Acting Editor
Revisiting the athletes’ home
By MARY ATHENA D. DE PAZ and JEREMY S. PEREY
THOMASIAN athletes now
have every reason to go
“home” after a hard day’s work.
Their new home, the GMG
Active Dormitory, has gotten
an upgrade, befitting top-class
athletes who have made UST
A sneak peek at the Thomasian
athletes’ comfort room
perennial UAAP champions.
Surveillance cameras
were installed in each floor
to ensure the security of
the entire dormitory, which
currently houses 199 athletes.
This way, the management
can efficiently monitor the
situation inside the premises.
Upon the University’s
request, grills were also
constructed around the
building to prevent thieves
from climbing up the walls of efficient and spacious. Also, the
the dorm. There’s also an ample utensils in our present residence
number of security guards. are sometimes dirty,” she said.
“We are also having some
Besides the strict security
arrangements, athletes are conflicts with the 10 p.m.
also served three meals a day, curfew especially since most
free of charge. A new cook of us have training late at night.”
Another athlete, who
was hired, supervised by his
predecessor, to ensure that no s p o k e o n c o n d i t i o n o f
substandard food is served. anonymity, shared the same
T h e d o r m a l s o h a s sentiment on food sanitation.
Also reacting about the
five water dispensers, and
the management conducts matter is an athlete who
monthly water analysis to likewise preferred the meals
check the water potability. served in their previous dorm,
U S T s t i l l p a y s t h e the Isabel Building. He said
dormitory P6,000 monthly for they were more “nutritious.”
House discipline
every athlete for the board and
lodging, the fee exclusive of i s a l s o a n i s s u e .
“We’re trying our best to
electricity and waterexpenses.
S h o u l d a n a t h l e t e impose discipline among the
want the luxury of having UST athletes,” said Josephine
additional appliances meant Danganan, administrator
for entertainment, he has to o f A c t i v e D o r m i t o r y .
shell out some extra
cash—P100 monthly
for electric fan, P200
monthly for laptop, and
P150 monthly for TV.
An area on the rooftop
has a sub-meter for a more
accurate computation
of the occupants’
water consumption.
Despite these
The athlete’s bedroom
improvements, Lady Jin
Jade Zafra said that the
“Unfortunately,
dormitory still had a lot of work
to do, especially when it came t h e r e a r e s o m e w h o
to sanitation and maintenance. constantly break the rules.”
“Our former dorm was more Properly securing a leave pass
Golden Booters show promise
in pre-season tourney
Golden Booter Mandy Lunag zigzags towards the goal area to roll in UST’s first goal
at the 24th minute of the game.
J.C.S. BASSIG
By JEREMY S. PEREY
The defensive wit of
De La Salle-Lipa goalkeeper
Gregg Atijon was tested for
the nth time, with UST firing
a series of attempts to the goal.
Finally, Golden Booter Mandy
Lunag sidestepped countless
La Salle defenders to unleash
a fiery kick, giving UST a vital
one-point advantage as the
ball kissed the net at the 24th
minute of the first half.
A few lapses in UST’s
defense opened a rare chance
for De La Salle’s Yazan
Aburashideh to score an
equalizer, nine minutes after
Lunag’s goal, but his efforts
were in vain as UST goalie
Ramon Borigas hugged the
ball.
The Golden Booters
continued to assert the
dominance, scoring another
goal at the 61st minute, thanks
to a rifle shot kick from
Christian De Juan off
David Basa’s sensational
feed from the left side of
the field at the 61st minute.
Shaken by the turn of
events, Aburashideh fired
another dagger from the
right field but instead of
scoring a goal, the ball went
to the UST goalie’s hands.
UST sustained its
composure in both the
offensive and defensive end
up until the final whistle.
“Right now, we still
have a lot of things to settle
in the team, but we’ll be
gaining support from our
six rookies, two of which
are part of the first eleven of
Palarong Pambansa Under14 National team. So even
if they’re newbies, they are
also
well-experienced,”
Allado said.
signed by the Office of Student
Affairs is a major concern of
the management throughout the
students’ stay in the dormitory.
“There are students who
just leave without filling out
a leave pass,” Danganan
said. “Sometimes, we
cannot even identify
them because not all have
pictures in their IDs.”
According to Danganan,
the maintenance crew was
also having a hard time
keeping the dorm clean and
pest-free. She said some
athletes often violated
the rule against bringing
food inside the rooms.
“Some even throw
their food in front of
the elevator,” she said.
Asst. Prof. Francis John Patrick
Vicente, Institute of Physical
In the spirit of improving
Education and Athletics
Moderator, preferred not to pass the relationship of both parties,
the blame on any specific party. Vicente collects comments,
“Both sides are responsible complaints, and suggestions
for the matter. Both the from the athletes every month,
discipline of the athletes and which will then serve as the
the facilities of the dorm basis of their next actions.
“Although we do this, only
should be considered,” he said.
Vicente acknowledged the reasonable demands of the
that there were just some athletes are granted,” he said. athletes averse to the idea of
following house rules.
“These cases,
when reported to us,
are relayed to the
coaches,” he said.
“ B e f o r e
sanctioning
misbehaving athletes,
they first determine the
gravity of the offense.
If proven grave, the
athlete may be kicked UST players munching on their food at the
out of the dorm.” GMG Active dormitory’s dining area.
Thomasian Siot Tanquincen
The man behind the Beermen
AS CHAMPAGNE poured into the San Miguel
Beermen dug-out, the limelight dwelled on a
former UST Growling Tiger spitfire and now San
Miguel head coach Bethune “Siot” Tanquincen.
He steered the country’s winningest
ballclub in the 2009 Philippine Basketball
Association (PBA) Motolite Fiesta Cup to
its 18th championship crown, snapping the
Beermens’ four-year title dry spell last July 17 at
the Araneta Coliseum.
“I told the players before Game 6 that
God gives opportunities. It is how you respond
to these opportunities that will define you as a
person and as a team, said Tanquincen, whose
team bounced back from a 2-3 finals series en
route to a classic fairytale sequel.
Incidentally, the dagger went straight into
the heart of his former squad, crowd-favorites
Barangay Ginebra Kings, the same team he led
to the “Promised Land” during the 2004 PBA
Gran Matador Fiesta Conference.
“In a way you would think it’s surreal but
somehow, you would realize that this is our job,”
he said, adding that going against his former team
was a challenge because of the good relationship
he had established with his former players, based
loosely on respect.
Even before his stint as a youthful tactician
in the PBA, the bench has been Tanquincen’s
proving ground since his college days in UST,
being a back-up guard and a second-stringer for
the Tigers.
“I rode the bench for practically three years.
I was just given sufficient playing time during
my fourth and last year, [when] UST won the
UAAP title,” he said.
The 5-foot-9 former Thomasian playmaker
added that, although it was a humbling experience
for him, he treated it as a chance to learn from
the bitter lessons of reality that “one has to earn
his stripes and wait for his turn.”
This turn eventually came in an unexpected
form. In 2004, he was tapped to take over Allan
“The Triggerman” Caidic as the head coach of
the Ginebra Kings.
But a huge revamp hit San Miguel Corp.:
former San Miguel coach Jong Uichico became
the head coach of Ginebra in 2006, forcing
Tanquincen to settle as assistant coach for the
Kings. He soon reclaimed his position as head
coach in 2007, but this time for a familiar team –
the San Miguel Beermen – taking over erstwhile
mentor Chot Reyes, who was then busy calling
the shots for the Philippine Team.
This year, the virtually unstoppable San
Miguel team posted a superior 11-3 win-loss
record in the eliminations, catapulting it to the
podium of the team standings for a semifinals
berth. There was no stopping the title-hungry
Beermen as they ferociously devoured the
Burger King Whoppers in just six games during
the semis, before their best-of-seven finals series
upset of a depleted Ginebra lineup.
“It was a blessing. We have a lot of injured
players at that time [like Marc Pingris, Danny
Ildefonso and Mike Cortez] but somehow we got
an import fit for the chemistry of our team,” he
said.
In planning the blueprints of a successful
campaign, Tanquincen patterned his style of
coaching from his former mentors. He learned
the virtue of hardwork from his high school
coach Vicente Chua; discipline and dedication
from ex-UST coach Aric del Rosario, and the
value of good preparation from erstwhile SMB
head coach Uichico.
The man, page 14
MARK JONATHAN C. SEE
AS THEIR rebuilding
stage progresses, the UST
Golden Booters kicked off
their pre-season tune ups
with a morale-boosting
2-0 opener against De La
Salle-Lipa in the Ang Liga
Football Cup last July 26
at the San Beda College
football field.
“We don’t have many
problems in our offense
and defense. The players
just need more experience
and exposure,” said Golden
Booters’
head
coach
Marjo Allado. “Our ball
movement is good but we
still need to look into how
we finish.”
The ball rolled inside
UST’s bailiwick for most
of the game, showing a
more
offensive-minded
squad throughout the duel.
UST athletes take a well-deserved rest in front of the television after a tiring afternoon of studying and
training.
Photos by PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO
Former Growling Tigers’ playmaker Bethune “Siot”
Tanquincen piloted the San Miguel Beermen to their
18th championship title.
Tigers maul Warriors, 92-88
The Varsitarian
SP RTS
Founded 1928
www.varsitarian.net
Vol. LXXXI, No. 3
By Mary athena D. de Paz
and CHARizze L. Abulencia
IT WAS a payback four years in
the making.
After a heartbreaking loss to
season favorite Ateneo Blue Eagles, the
Growling Tigers got their momentum
back at the expense of the University
of the East (UE) Red Warriors, in a
92-88 seesaw chase last July 25, at the
Philsports Arena in Pasig.
It was UST’s first win over UE
since an 82-81 decision in the Final
Four of 2006, the same season when
the Tigers won the championship over
perennial rivals Ateneo.
Winning against UE catapulted
UST on the top of the team standings,
tying with Ateneo with a similar
3-1 win-lose slate. The Blue Eagles
received an unlikely loss, 58-68
courtesy of the University of the
Philippines Fighting Maroons last
July 26.
“We were able to prepare and
execute the right defense and offense
tailored-fit to the strengths and
weaknesses of the opponent,” coach
Pido Jarencio said about their UE
match.
Ti g e r s ’ a c e g u n n e r D y l a n
Ababou erupted for 28 points and
seven rebounds while Khasim Mirza
contributed 20 points and six boards.
UST big man Christopher Camus
also had his share of the spotlight as
he registered a “double-double” figure
of 12 markers.
Mirza’s fiery hoops forged a
73-all deadlock with less than six
minutes left in the ballgame, erasing
the Warriors’ six-point deficit at the
start of the fourth quarter.
But UE’s Raphy Reyes tried to
start a scoring run with back-to-back
baskets that gave the Warriors a fourpoint lead, 73-77, with five minutes
on the clock.
Camus aced a pair of charities,
before an Ababou hook locked the
game 77-all. Ababou scored 11 of his
28 points on the last five minutes of the
fourth canto, before Camus and Teng
sealed the deal at 92-88.
“I had to step-up for my team
because I’m the senior,” Ababou
Aug. 2 - UST vs DLSU
4 pm, Philsports Arena
Aug. 6 - UST vs FEU
4 pm, Araneta Coliseum
Aug. 8 - UST vs UP
4 pm, Araneta Coliseum
said. “Having experienced the same
pressures and situations before, I
remained calm and just played our
game the way it should be.”
The shaky game gave UAAP
basketball fans a great deal of
adrenaline as it showcased six
deadlocks and seven lead changes all
throughout.
In the second quarter, rookie Jeric
Teng drilled a triple that forced UE to
take the back seat, 29-27. This was
short-lived as UE’s Narciso Llagas
fired a jumper to tie the count at 29all with 7:36 left. But Ababou sank
a hook shot that broke the deadlock,
31-29, followed by a barrage of treys
courtesy of Mirza, Teng, and Ababou
en route to a swelling 12-point lead,
44-32. Another three courtesy of Clark
Bautista iced the first half for the
July 31, 2009
Tigers, 47-36.
Open three-pointers and penalty
shots from UE’s Rudy Lingganay, Paul
Zafar and Narciso Llagas paved way
for the Warriors to trim UST’s lead to
just three. A basket from Lingganay
managed to close the gap to one
point, 3:25 in the third quarter until a
Llagas’ free throw locked the scores
in another 59-all deadlock. A series
of three-pointers and UE’s consistent
shooting from the line allowed the
Warriors team to claim the lead, 65-71,
at the end of the third period.
Jarencio was satisfied with his
squad’s good start and consistency,
win or lose.
“What most of my players lack
is experience. But as time pass, these
kids will be a big boost to the UST
Tigers,” he said.
Completing the Tigers’ balanced
scoring crew are sophomore Allein
Maliksi and dependable rookie Jeric
Teng who combined for 22 points and
six rebounds.
Tamed by Eagles, tamed Bulldogs
The heart of the Tigers to win
in their UE battle came after the
Ateneo Blue Eagles tainted UST’s
unblemished record with a gut
wrenching 77-93 victory.
Rookie-revelation Emman
Monfort led the onslaught for Ateneo,
firing triples in the second and third
quarters, to bury UST with a 48-86
lead.
UST’s weak defense in the
fourth quarter allowed Ateneo to take
advantage of the penalty situation. The
Eagles connected on 11 out of 18 shots
from the stripe.
Maliksi and Ababou led the Tigers
with 20 and 17 points respectively.
“We focused too much on [Rabeh]
Hussaini and [Nonoy] Baclao. We
underestimated their outside shooting.
It just so happened that they were
Cubs remain unscathed, 4-0
By CHARizze L. Abulencia
and Alexis Ailex C. Villamor, Jr.
LESTER G. BABIERA
THE FIRST round just became even sweeter
for the Tiger Cubs.
Marching to their fourth straight
victory in the season, the Cubs thwarted
the Adamson University Baby Falcons, 7460, to stay unscathed, at the Filoil Flying V
Arena in San Juan last July 25.
Wanting to erase last year’s stigma of
faltering during the fourth game, the Cubs
came out confident in their face-off
against Adamson
even leading by as
much as 15 points
in the fourth
quarter, 62-47,
courtesy
of
Cederick
Labingisa’s
Cubs, page 15
effective in the 3-point area,” team
captain Ababou said.
The lack of tall players for the
Tigers prevented them from racking
up both defensive and offensive
rebounds, which could have been
turned into second-chance points.
The Tigers’ cold shooting against
Ateneo was a disappointing follow-up
to their victory against the National
University Buldogs last July 16.
The Tigers tamed the Bulldogs,
104-89, to register their second straight
win.
Ababou registered a doubledouble performance of 30 points and
10 rebounds to lead UST. Despite
this, Jarencio was dissatisfied with the
Tigers, page 14
Tigresses fall prey to Lady Maroons
By Lester G. Babiera
and Alexis Ailex C.
VIllamor, Jr
THE ERRATIC Tigresses
absorbed their second loss in
three outings, bowing to the
UP Lady Maroons, 44-55, at the
Philsports Arena last July 25.
Despite playing solid
defense, the Tigresses didn’t
take care of the ball well
against the Lady Maroons,
which was pretty much the
story of behind the 33-56
drubbing they got in the hands
of the defending champion Far
Eastern University.
Against UP, the Tigresses
committed 33 turnovers, which
the Lady Maroons converted
into 24 points.
“They had good defense
but their composure was lost
because they were rushing,”
coach Julie Amos said. “They
were still half-hearted during
the game and forgot to look for
mismatches.”
The first half was close
with UST leading 25-23. But
passing errors in the third
quarter allowed UP to gain the
upperhand, 36-32.
UST rookie Mary Joy
Galicia and Ann Leonardo
tried to keep the team within
striking distance, mainly from
the stripe. But back-to-back
jumpers from UP nullified the
charity shots.
with 14 points apiece.
The Tigresses committed In the Tigresses’ opening
costly errors in the fourth game, the FEU Lady Tamaraws
canto, which allowed UP to capitalized on a number of
score seven points from the UST miscues, highlighted by a
freethrow line.
10-0 run to leave the Tigresses
Leonardo picked up the behind at 24-34 in the third
slack for the Tigresses with 19 quarter.
markers while Galicia hauled
UST’s Katrina Fermin
down13 boards.
made a jumper to start the fourth
Amos said the Tigresses period, but FEU’s offense was
needed to improve on their just too much.
outside shooting
and going into
their match against
a dangerous
University of the
East squad on July
29.
Last July 19,
the Tigresses scored
their first victory
by upsetting the
National University
Lady Bulldogs, 6150.
Galicia’s
jumper off a steal
awarded her team
the lead, 15-14,
minutes into the
second quarter. The
Tigresses rode on this
momentum until the
third quarter, where
they built a sixpoint buffer, 40-34.
G a l i c i a a n d Rookie Mary Galicia takes a jump shot from
J u v e l y n A n d a y a the perimeter, despite being double-teamed
topscored for UST by UP defenders.
MARK JONATHAN C. SEE
Tigercub Jerick Sumampong protects the
leather against the outstretched arms of a
Junior Maroon.
steady shooting.
“It was a hard-fought game for us. They
played a little tensed because they are bothered
by last year’s experience,” coach Allan Ascue
said.
A 6-0 opening salvo gave UST an early
advantage, bolstered by a resounding dunk
from Kyle Neypes, 12-7, going into the final
two minutes of the period.
Come second quarter, the España-based
junior dribblers began to pull away from the
Baby Falcons with a flurry of jumpers from
Neypes, ending the period at 32-18.
Fritz Gamban led Adamson’s onslaught
in the third quarter with his consistent inside
and outside shooting, 34-26. But Kevin Ferrer
retaliated for UST, 41-31, dominating the
painted area.
Toward the end of the third quarter,
Adamson posted mini-runs that allowed them
to come within four, 44-40, going into the final
period.
Treys from Ferrer and Labing-isa sealed
the deal for UST, iced by a buzzer-beater layup from Molline Gonzalez.
Ferrer registered 21 points while Neypes
churned in 20 baskets. Gamban led Adamson
single-handedly with 20 points.
UST now shares the top spot with De La
Salle Zobel Junior Archers with an identical
4-0 win-loss card.
Previously, the Tiger Cubs preyed on
a hapless University of the Philippines (UP)
Baby Maroons, posting a 91-50 walk-in-thepark last July 21 to remain unbeaten in three
games.
Unchallenged by their Diliman-based
Khasim Mirza slams the baby home against Blue Eagle Rico Salva, to awaken
the daydreaming Tigers with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter. Despite the effort, UST
PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO
bowed down to Ateneo 77-93.