Welcome, future Ateneans! - Loyola Schools

January 2008 • Volume III • Special Edition
Countdown to Sesquicentennial Begins
By Christine Mallion
No less than the Very Reverend Daniel Patrick
L. Huang, Provincial Superior of the Society of
Jesus, presided over the mass, while University
President Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ, served as
the homilist. Fr. Carmelo “Tito” Caluag II and
Grade School Headmaster Fr. Jose Moises Fermin
were also in attendance.
In his homily, Fr. Nebres remembered the
beginnings of Ateneo de Manila in 1859, when the
Jesuits returned to the Philippines, taught Ignatian
Spirituality to Filipinos, and started what was then
called Escuela Municipal de Manila. “We have
a history of almost 150 years,” Fr. Nebres said.
“We are children of a distinctive parentage, going
back to St. Ignatius and the first Jesuits, Fr. Cuevas
and the founding fathers of the Ateneo and the
generations who have gone ahead of us.”
When Ateneo first started, the school had
only 23 students. Today, Ateneo is a university that
inspires 17,000 grade school, high school, college,
graduate school, and professional schools’ students
to be the best that they can be.
Fr. Nebres also shared in his homily that
Ateneans, whose mission is to be men and
women for others, have a history of service to
the community that dates back to the 1860s. He
recounted how Jesuit scholastic Padre Federico
Faura founded and built the Manila Observatory
to predict the weather and forewarn people of
typhoons, and how our national hero, Jose Rizal,
one of Ateneo’s renowned alumnus, strove to
improve the lives of our countrymen by introducing
modern methods of farming and new technology
in fishing to farmers and fishermen, and by healing
and educating the poor.
Fr. Nebres says this legacy of service lives on
in Ateneans today who engage in nation-building
activities by tutoring public school students,
THES-QS Ranks Ateneo as
One of World’s Top 500 Universities
ATENEO DE MANILA University was ranked
as the 451st best university in the world by the
2007 THES-QS World University Rankings.
Ateneo is the only Philippine university that
increased its ranking from last year.
The University of the Philippines—Diliman
came in at 398th, De La Salle University was
ranked 519th, and the University of Santo Tomas
was at the 535th place.
“We are happy to be in such a position, but
perhaps, this is also the best time to reiterate what
we have been saying about rankings, in general,”
said Vice President for the Loyola Schools Dr.
Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng.
“We maintain that rankings like these (their
survey instrument, the weights they use) don’t reflect
our vision/mission. Thus, we will not allow these to
distract us from pursuing our goals. We will continue
Lara Chuavon
SUNDAY, THE 5th of August 2007, marked the beginning of the
remembrance, celebration, and renewal of Ateneo de Manila’s 150-year
heritage, as the three-year countdown towards Ateneo’s sesquicentennial
celebration in 2009 was launched at the Church of the Gesù.
Reverend Daniel Patrick L. Huang, Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus, presiding over the
mass, with University President Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ, and Fr. Tito Caluag II in the background.
delivering public health livelihood, and joining
disaster relief and rehabilitation operations. This
legacy of faith, excellence, and service is what
Ateneo will proudly celebrate in its sesquicentennial
anniversary.
The activities lined up over the next three
years towards Ateneo’s 150th anniversary aim
for the Ateneo community to recall the rich
history and humble mission of Ateneo and
strengthen in their minds Ateneo’s thrust of
academic excellence and spiritual formation to
be of service to others. Sesquicentennial-themed
theater plays, retreats, and fundraising concerts
featuring Jose Mari Chan and Lea Salonga are
among the activities lined up for the three-year
celebration.
to work harder at being better known in the region to
highlight the leadership and excellence of our faculty
and students and the institution’s contribution to
national development. We will continue to do what
Ateneo does best: the total formation of students
and the preparation of students for leadership. This
formation for leadership is what makes Ateneo the
highly regarded university that it has been for almost
150 years.”
As University President Fr. Bienvenido
F. Nebres, SJ, has said: “Rankings in the Times
survey are important because they measure how
the world perceives us. But just as a person has to
take what people think of them in the context of
their own values and priorities, we, too, have to
reflect on these perceptions and measures within
our own view of our vision and mission. Thus,
while we will work on strengthening our research
and publications in ISI journals… we need to do
this in a way that does not move us away from
our vision/mission and our traditional strengths:
leadership formation and contribution to national
development. These have to continue to be our
priorities as a Jesuit university committed to the
service of faith and the promotion of justice and
as a university in a Philippines, whose greatest
challenge is overcoming poverty and national
development.”
Welcome, future Ateneans!
Welcome to the Ateneo de Manila.
As you enter the Ateneo Campus, you will encounter posters and
tarpaulins with the strange word “Sesqui”—short for “Sesquicentennial,”
the 150th anniversary of the Ateneo de Manila in December 2009, when
you will be in your sophomore year. You have the privilege of joining our
community and our life at an exciting time, as we remember and celebrate
a distinguished history which you will share with national heroes and
leaders, Jose Rizal, Gregorio del Pilar, Claro Recto, Raul Manglapus, and
Horacio de la Costa.
Our remembering and celebration focuses on three themes that
define Ateneo history and culture: Celebrating Excellence, Deepening
Spirituality, and Building the Nation.
The themes are pegged to lines from our Alma Mater Song, a song
which will soon be your own:
We stand on a hill – Celebrating Excellence (2007–2008)
Between the Earth and sky – Deepening Spirituality (2008–2009)
Down from the hill – Building the Nation (2009–2010)
A two-page spread on 10 December 2007 in the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star celebrated
the first year theme: Scaling New Heights of Excellence in the Service of the Nation.
Yes, an invitation to Ateneo is an invitation to a tradition of excellence. We will help you discover your gifts
and give you the opportunity to be the best that you can be in them: in theater, in arts, in debate, in computing,
in sports, in the humanities, social sciences, management and entrepreneurship, science and engineering.
It is also an invitation to a tradition and to a community. I have been meeting with Ateneo alumni in their
places of work, many of them recent graduates not much older than yourself. It is wonderful to see that they
are doing well. It is even more wonderful to see their friendship and camaraderie and the warm memories they
have of campus life. They each have their own achievements, but beyond that, they are friends who continue to
be there for each other. At the Ateneo, we will help you become the best that you can be in your chosen field.
We will also give you lifelong friends and a community and campus you can always go home to.
It is also a community that seeks, like the first Jesuits, who founded our school tradition, to be “friends in
the Lord.” In seeking to deepen spirituality, we want to help you discover not just your gifts, but your deepest
self, the person God wants you to be.
Finally, the Ateneo is a community not just for itself, but for others. “Non nobis solum nati sumus,” wrote the
Roman politician and orator Cicero, a favorite of the early Jesuits, “We are not born for ourselves alone.” We will
educate you for excellence and success, yes, but beyond that, Ateneo will offer you many opportunities to make
a difference for others. Together with a century and a half of Ateneans, you will discover that it is in making a
difference for others that you will find your deepest fulfillment and happiness.
Welcome once more to the Ateneo. May the Lord give you all grace and blessings.
Congratulations on your acceptance to the Loyola Schools of the Ateneo
de Manila University!
We welcome you to this Filipino, Catholic, and Jesuit University that
has made its mark by producing heroes, leaders, experts, movers, and pioneers among its graduates of the past 148 years. We commit to this same
tradition of excellence, now redefined in the context of global competitiveness, Filipino and Asian perspective, and transformative leadership.
Global competitiveness begins with competencies developed through
a proper and exciting learning environment. You will have teachers who will
challenge you to sharpen your mind, deepen your insights, and broaden your
views. Your top-caliber classmates will engage you in discussions, work with
you through course requirements, and be your friendly competitors. You will
have access to the outstanding Rizal library with its online features and special collections, state-of-the-art labs (whether in science, communication, or business), Internet service, modern
sports facilities, and audio-visual rooms. You will have opportunities to do research; write poems and fiction;
practice your skills for IT and telecomm firms, banking and microfinance institutions, broadcasting companies,
ad agencies, health programs, government institutions, NGOs; or run your own business. You might even study
for a term in one of more than 35 schools in any of 11 countries, should you take part in the Junior Term Abroad
program.
Although the Filipino and Asian perspective can be partly learned in the classroom, we are also helping
define these through theater, music, dance, debate, writing, science, IT, business, social involvement, disaster
management, or sports. You will also get a chance to know different aspects of the way of life of the poor and
the marginalized.
Developing leadership is one of the hallmarks of an Ateneo education. Our Integrated Non-Academic Formation Program helps to develop leadership through focused and systematic student formation through the
four years of college life. Student activities are very much alive on campus, from the Sanggunian ng mga MagAaral (the student council) to the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo to the 43 accredited organizations,
to the several varsity teams. There are opportunities, too, to quiet down and find one’s self through prayer,
retreats, recollections, and community celebrations of the Eucharist. In the end, we hope that this leadership
can be transformative and, thus, we want our students to engage the world by sharing their time and talent
and by becoming professionals for others.
Although we put emphasis on academic and non-academic formation, there is room for enjoying our
Loyola Schools community. After all, your development is best nurtured in this context: a community and culture inspired by St. Ignatius of Loyola to seek God in our lives, to find God in all things, to strive to be our best,
to care for each other, and to serve others.
Join us as we move towards our 150th anniversary, celebrating excellence, deepening spirituality, and
building the nation—the Ateneo way.
Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J.
President
Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng, Ph.D.
Vice President for the Loyola Schools
Volume III, Special Issue
School of
Humanities
The School of Humanities,
through its six academic departments and one program, aims to
provide students with a liberal humanistic education distinguished by
sapientia et eloquentia. This liberal
humanistic education draws from
the rich traditions of philosophy,
faith, literature, language, art and
culture. It is manifested through
courses designed for the holistic
formation of students who are articulate and critical, imaginative and
productive, students who are rooted in their own culture, yet open
to other cultures, proactive in the
global environment, and strongly
committed to faith and justice.
Benilda S. Santos, Ph.D.
Acting Dean
1/F Horacio de la Costa Hall
Tel. No. 426-6001 local 5300
Direct line and fax no.: 426-1042
E-mail: [email protected]
A Literary Work
by Any Other Name
By Gary Devilles
School of
Social
Sciences
The School of Social Sciences
works toward a society made more
human by its commitment to teaching, research and action. It sees a
world dedicated to academic excellence, in which humanistic values
and Ignatian spirituality harmonize
with modern technology, in which
passion for justice bonds with service to the country. The School seeks
to form a world of mature spirituality, focused on respect for the individual, freedom of scholarship, unity
in collegiality, and the diversity of
disciplines—thus recognizing a multiplicity of perspectives from which
to examine society, its history, and its
social, political and economic lives.
Its pursuit of scientific study is
grounded in Philippine society and
culture, from which it seeks to contribute to national development and
to Asia-Pacific and ultimately global
inter-cultural heritage. It envisions itself collaborating with other Schools
of the Ateneo de Manila University,
the other Ateneos, and other partners in the education of the Filipino.
The School of Social Sciences
thus sees itself in the context of service to the nation, as a partnership
of different departments and programs, each offering an expertise
and a commitment.
Fr. Jose M. Cruz, S.J.
Dean
4/F Leong Hall
Tel No. 426 6001 ext 5200
Fax No. 426 1277
E-mail: [email protected]
Office of the Vice President for the Loyola Schools
Jet Damazo, EDITOR
Ronnie Elefano, LAYOUT ARTIST
Loyola Schools Bulletin © 2007 (ISSN: 1656-8354)
is published by the Office of the Vice President for the
Loyola Schools, Ateneo de Manila University.
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.ateneo.edu > Loyola Schools >
LoyolaSchoolsBulletin
THE HARVEST OF awards and recognition at the 2007 Don
Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards and 26th Manila Critics Circle
National Book Awards was quite a surprise for Ateneo’s Filipino
Department—an esteemed poet winning for children’s literature, a
children’s literature writer winning for short story category, a Filipino
poet winning for the English Poetry category and, finally, a multiawarded fictionist winning the grand prize for short film category.
Mike Coroza believes, however, that his work (Palanca third
prize awardee for Imbisibol Man ang Tatay in the Maikling Kwentong
Pambata category) is not a complete departure from poetry since,
for him, a fictionist is a also a poet, working on various images and
dramatic encounters in a form that suits his reading public.
What motivated Coroza to write a short story for children was
the prodding of his son, Miggy, who one day asked him if he is
a “real author,” since “real authors” are those who write children’s
stories. Coroza felt that there is a need to reach out to children in a
literary form that is easily accessible and understandable to them,
although not at all simplistic. Coroza explored the consciousness of
a child and, in his winning entry, he tried to show how a child deals
with the problem of being illegitimate, seeing his father with another
family, and consequently hoping that he would acquire the power to
be invisible from his classmates and playmates.
Allan Derain (Palanca first place awardee for Paputian ng Laba in the
Maikling Kuwento category), a fictionist and last year’s Palanca awardee
for Children’s Literature category, agrees with Coroza.
Derain believes that writing for short fiction is no different from
writing children’s literature and that is why in his collection of stories,
Iskrapbuk, he added two stories for children. Derain wants to be daring not
only by experimenting with genres but with the retelling of stories itself.
For instance, he wants to retell the popular corido Ibong Adarna, where
the protagonists will be Aetas trapped in the bottle of King Salermo, Don
Juan is actually a weakling, and Adarna tastes like ordinary grilled chicken.
For Mikael Co (Palanca first prize awardee for Hands for a Fistful
of Sand in the Poetry-English category), who has been recognized
for his works in Filipino poetry, points out that although poetry is
a function of language, in the end, language is also a function of
poetry. Poetic language can be Filipino or otherwise, and it is the
purpose of poetry to estrange even the use of Filipino or English.
For Co, knowing English does not guarantee that you will understand
English poetry, and being proficient in Filipino does not necessarily
translate to adeptness in Filipino poetry.
Alvin Yapan, who received the 26th Manila Critics Circle
National Book Awards Juan C. Laya Prize for Best Book of a Fiction
in a Vernacular Language category for his novel, Ang Sandali ng mga
Mata, and the grand prize for Rolyo in the Cinemalaya Film Festival
Short Film Category, says that although writing for film requires an
approach different from novel writing, the important challenge a
writer must surmount is the tedium of the writing process itself.
Writers must be output oriented, according to Yapan, whether
one is working on the filming of novels or the novelization of a film,
since what is important is that readers or viewers must always be
challenged by a literary work.
Leong Hall: Engaging the World and Making a Difference
By Eileen Lolarga
THE NEW HOME of the School of Social
Sciences, the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong
Hall, had its blessing and inauguration on 17
October 2007. Built in a record time of just over
10 months, it stands as a firm testament of how
a couple’s inspiration can bring forth amazing
results for a University seeking to engage the
world in better and more transformative ways.
In acknowledging with profound gratitude
the generous donation of Ricardo and Rosita
Leong during the inauguration program,
University President Father Bienvenido F.
Nebres, SJ, said that apart from making the
building a reality, “We have shared many other
dreams with Ricardo and Rosita—to improve
education and health of our people, to inspire
and invite others to this enterprise of nationbuilding and encounter between the cultures in
our region, in short, to make a difference in our
country and in our world!”
Fr. Jose M. Cruz, SJ, Dean of the School of
Social Sciences, likewise, was enthusiastic about
the many energetic and creative possibilities
for scholarly work that the new environment
of the Leong Hall could bring forth. Showing
his delight at the results of the building which
he carefully watched over as it rose from the
ground, Fr. Cruz described the building as
“stunningly beautiful” with the trees and the
greenery around seeming to be fully part of
the faculty workrooms. It is truly a “hushed
and nurturing place” for students, scholars and
teachers alike to wrestle with gripping social
issues of the day, and also to exert greater efforts
toward the understanding of China—the two
related yet distinct purposes for the support of
the Leongs for this University endeavor.
Mr. Ricardo Leong, who was inspired
by reading Chris Lowney’s tale of a 450-
year old company that changed the world,
responded by sharing his own journey with
the Jesuits that eventually moved him and
his wife to give substantive support to the
“the passion, dedication and eagerness to
learn” which they saw in the students and
the faculty of the University. He saw heroic
leadership in those “driven by love of
teaching, learning, and giving.”
The inauguration of Leong Hall—the new home of the School of Social Sciences
John Gokongwei
School of Management
www.ateneo.edu
JGSOM obtains status as Centers
of Excellence in Business Administration
and in Entrepreneurship
By Art Valencia
JGSOM is a regionally recognized center of excellence in business education. Our business courses
combine the rigors of academic learning with experiential learning, to create a student-centered experience that provides opportunities for both critical reflection and practical application of theories learned
inside the classroom. Our liberal-arts courses help our
students to develop a strong set of core values and an
interdisciplinary outlook.
Together, this combined curriculum shapes our students into business leaders who can respond to the
needs of tomorrow’s world: young men and women
who are global in perspective, innovative, technically
proficient and analytical, able to provide ethical and
principle-centered leadership, eager to make a difference in the world around them.
JGSOM RECENTLY SCORED a double-first distinction when
the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recognized it as
a Center of Excellence (COE) in two business areas: Business
Administration and Entrepreneurship—the first and only such
designations in the field of business education among the 1,500
schools nationwide overseen by CHED.
Dean Rudy Ang accepted the awards on behalf of
JGSOM in simple awarding rites attended by CHED
Chairman Romulo Neri and ranking officials in education,
business, and government on December 7, 2007, at the
Crown Regency Hotel in Makati.
The singular designation of COE is reserved for
colleges that have demonstrated outstanding performance
in three departments: (a) instruction, curriculum and faculty;
(b) research related to business and management; and
(c) outreach activities consistent with national development
goals—with the desired result of graduating well-equipped,
world-class business professionals.
CHED’s quest for the schools with the required
superlatives involved a year-long process of defining
exacting criteria, strict on-site evaluation, in-depth panel
interviews, and final recommendations by the regulatory
body’s technical panel.
In the same awarding rites, seven other institutions
were designated as Centers of Development (COD),
a category for schools with programs that have clear
potential to become Centers of Excellence in the
future. These were Ateneo de Naga University, Centro
Escolar University, Holy Angel University, University of
Mindanao, University of San Carlos, St. Paul University
(Tuguegarao), and Silliman University.
COE/COD status had been previously conferred to
other universities in the fields of sciences and humanities,
but this is the first batch of awards focusing on business
education.
In his acceptance of the recognition, Dean Ang
touched on the continuing efforts of JGSOM towards
excellence: rigorous enrollee selection, first-rate faculty
sourced from the corporate sector, and businessgrounded research.
Rudy Ang
Dean
3/F John Gokongwei School of Management Building
Tel No. : 426-1204 loc. 5502
Fax No. : 426-1204
Website: http://www.ateneo.edu/som/
School of
Science and Engineering
The School of Science and Engineering envisions a Philippine
society in harmony with nature, where the fruits of science and engineering are used in the service of God, country and all its people.
The School of Science and Engineering aims to provide excellent
training for students in basic and applied disciplines. The School seeks
to build its strength both in individual departments and through active interdisciplinary undertakings, where the greatest progress is
likely to occur. The School seeks to meet the challenges of globalization, sustainability, poverty, and the environment.
Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit
Dean
Joanna Ruiz
School of Science and Engineering
Tel No. : 426-6001 loc. 5600
Fax No. : 426-5985
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Ateneo Revives Leadership
in Atmospheric Sciences
CLIMATE CHANGE AND the expected destruction caused by extreme weather conditions have
become major concerns of countries all over the world. In response to these concerns, the Ateneo
de Manila University is opening a new Master of Science in Atmospheric Sciences program in June
2008. This program is expected to contribute to the training of meteorologists at the country’s
weather bureau, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA).
The initial batch of students will be made up of two groups of graduate students made up of
staff members of PAGASA and applicants to the weather bureau. The studies of the initial batch
will be funded by the Department of Science and Technology’s Science Education Institute (DOSTSEI). The students will start with courses preparatory to the program proper this second semester.
The MS Atmospheric Sciences program will have three specialization tracks: Meteorology, Air
Quality and Climate Change. The Meteorology track has the most relevance to PAGASA. The tracks
on Air Quality and Climate Change will address the concerns related to environment and sustainable
development.
The MS Atmospheric Sciences program is being offered under the Department of Physics
of the Loyola Schools, in close collaboration with the Manila Observatory (MO). The Ateneo
and the MO combined have the largest concentration of PhDs in this area and the best equipped
laboratories. Dr. Fabian Dayrit, dean of the Ateneo’s School of Science and Engineering, expressed
optimism that the program will be able to attract students from the Asian region.
This important program calls to mind the origin of the Jesuit-run Manila Observatory which
functioned as the first weather bureau in Southeast Asia. The Manila Observatory is a private
non-stock, non-profit, scientific research institution that was established in 1865 by the Jesuit
mission in the Philippines. Lead by Jesuit Fr. Federico Faura at its inception, the MO began serving
typhoon warnings in 1879 and embarked on earthquake observations in 1880. In 1884, The Spanish
government issued a royal decree formally recognizing the Manila Observatory as the official
Philippine institution for weather forecasting. The weather forecasting function was subsequently
taken over by PAGASA after World War II.
The Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA)
invites you to take this first step towards a journey of self-discovery by joining an org during the Recruitment
Week. The path to embark on is one’s own choice, but the organizations are committed to making it a
meaningful and worthwhile journey. As significant as that first step is the journey itself. After joining the
organization of your choice, COA encourages you to make the most of it by becoming an active member,
participating in the various activities that the organization has to offer.
Ateneo Science Guild (ASG)
ASG is a cluster of five accredited science
and environment orgs of the Ateneo
sharing one vision—that of creating a
community that is aware and active in
spreading the beauty and wonders of
science, health, and the environment.
Ateneo Chemical Society
The Ateneo Chemical Society is the cocurricular student organization of the
Chemistry Department but it is exclusive for
chem majors. Anyone with the heart and
curiosity for chemistry can join! Members
participate in seminars, exhibits, quiz bees,
company tours, sales, sports festivals,
parties, and interschool activities.
Ateneo Mathematics Society
We define what real passion
for math is and prove it.
We maximize friendships
and minimize conflicts.
We choose to make a difference.
We let the limit of our excellence
approach positive infinity.
We set no bounds for our
service.
We are the inverse of mediocrity
and apathy.
We make the complex real.
We integrate minds.
We differentiate individuals.
We count.
Excellence + Service + Camaraderie =
Ateneo Mathematics Society
Environmental Science Society
The Environmental Science Society provides
a venue for students who want to be
dynamically involved with the environment.
It initiates various environmental advocacies
in the Ateneo, offers first-hand experience
through ecotours, and promotes volunteerism
in participating in environmental issues.
Loyola Mountaineers
As a Loyola Mountaineer, you will go to
places where you can swim in pristine lakes,
relax atop summits in the clouds, and sleep
beneath clear night skies with stars made
brighter by the thin mountain air. Seeking
the reservation, appreciation, and welfare
of God’s creation through the promotion of
mountaineering as a sport and as a medium
for environmental concern is the mission of
the Loyola Mountaineers.
Pre Medical Society of the Ateneo
The Pre Medical Society of the Ateneo
gives its members a first-hand chance to
participate in socially oriented activities, such
as medical missions, medicine drives and civic
based health programs. The organization
also provides its members with career talks,
activities, medical school tours, and other
programs designed to help prepare premedicine students for medical school and
deepen their passion to become doctors.
Business Organizations of the Ateneo
The Business Organizations of the Ateneo was established to form responsible leaders in
the pursuit of excellence in the business setting. The cluster is made up of nine organizations
with different fields of specializations. BOA is not just about making money, closing deals,
hosting events, talking to big companies, and sponsoring projects; BOA can be an exciting
and enjoyable way to meet new friends, contribute to the Ateneo and society, enhance or learn
new skills, develop character, and grow as a person.
Ateneo Association for Communications
Technology Management
ACTM members are primed to be proficient,
creative, and exceptional in their chosen fields
in the corporate world, through excellent
and intensive training and an impressive and
extensive network of fellow Comtech majors,
alumni, and business contacts. Members are
encouraged to innovate and lead, not just
to bring in profits, but to unleash their talent
and potential.
Ateneo Economics Association
We strive to continue the success and the
lessons passed down by generations of
members. AEA’s 45 years has tempered it
into a formidable organization. Its vision of
breaking barriers has been recognized in
many aspects. Now we endeavor to gain
more ground; to establish this organization
as one of Ateneo’s best.
AIESEC
AIESEC is the largest student organization
in the world and has grown from 7 to 89
countries with a worldwide membership
base of 50,000 proactive members; earned
the respect and support of over 10,000
established companies worldwide; and has
received the endorsements from country
presidents, leaders, and secretary generals of
the United Nations and other international
organizations. It is through this vast
network that AIESEC is able to facilitate its
core work—the international traineeship
exchange program that enables participating
companies to tap and develop international
talent via a mutually beneficial relationship.
AIESEC-Ateneo allows its members to
prepare themselves for professional careers
while experiencing the joys of student life.
Ateneo Junior Marketing
Association
The Ateneo Junior Marketing
Association is the organization with the
largest membership base and the most
projects in the Ateneo. AJMA has been
recognized by the Philippine Marketing
Association as one of the Three Outstanding
Student Marketing Associations of the
Phillippines (TOSMA) besting 60 other
schools for three consecutive years. AJMA
has won the Best Student Marketing
Association in the Philippines award two
years in a row from the Agora Youth Awards.
Ateneo Management Association
Ateneo Management Association
(AMA) aims to promote the spirit of
entrepreneurship by providing its members
with a competitive atmosphere ideal
for hands-on business experience that
encourages leadership, professionalism,
creativity, and social responsibility. The strong
project line-up includes the AMA Mall,
Akbay, and the annual concert.
Ateneo Collegiate Society
of Advertising
Talk to the Hand!
The Hand, the logo of the
Ateneo Collegiate Society of Advertising, illustrates
what COSA really is about: the pinky stands for
creativity; the ring finger, commitment; the middle
finger, integrity; the pointer, growth; and the
thumb, will. COSA is involved in the university’s
biggest events, such as the Cheer Rally and Halikinu
Radio Festival. COSA is home to the Umbrella Party
Series and Ad Dimensions.
Ateneo LEX
The projects of Lex revolve around a dynamic
mix of business, law, and people, to fully utilize
the capabilities of its diverse membership.
Entrepreneurial opportunities are provided to hone
management skills while working with premiere
law schools to provide exposure to the legal setting
in which every business must operate.
Management Engineering
Association
Established in 1969, MEA has since evolved
into one of the largest and most influential
organizations in school. Although membership
is exclusive to ME majors, MEA has a member
base of almost 500, and has almost 30 projects
and departments. MEA is proud of its strong
internals department - among the best in member
care and development, assisting in academic,
extracurricular, and personal growth of each
member. Its finance and external projects have
proven to be both successful as well as formative
in nature.student life.
Management Economics Organization
MEcO is the perfect avenue for the application of
investment banking and finance lessons. Backed
by the course’s curriculum, the organization
aims to promote a heightened awareness of
banking mechanics and systems and the role
such institutions play in the economy. MEcO’s
projects include tutorials, microfinance programs,
seminars, sports competitions, bazaars, and
game simulations for stock trading.
Management Information
Systems Association
When you find yourself amongst the most
interestingly normal of even the techiest people
and your idea of a cool afternoon is spending it
in acclaimed leadership and IT-related seminars…
when you stumble upon competent and
charismatic people, good enough to be your
leaders and your friends…when all bases are
covered—whether it be academic assistance or
simply the need to hang out and have fun…
when you realize your niche in the bigger schema
to become the best IT individual committed to
service beyond your limits… You know you got it
from no other than one org. You’re different and
you know it…. YOU ARE MISA-fied.
Galian
The Galian ng Sining at Kultura is a cluster composed of ind
through their art. They aim to perfect their craft, and bring
and theatre. It is this diversity that Galian continues to cele
imparting art appreciation and cultural awareness to the A
Ateneo College Glee Club
The oldest university chorale in the country, the Ateneo
College Glee Club is recognized for its excellence, with
awards in the College Choir Category of the 1980
National Music Competition for Young Artists; Best
Traditional Music Album, and Best Pop Rendition of a
Traditional Song in the 1996 Katha Awards; the Best
Choral Group in the 2001 ALIW Awards. The ACGC
has participated in various festivals and reaped honors
in competitions in Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, France,
and Germany. In the summer of 2004, the group went
on a two-month long US Concert Tour.
Ateneo Debate Society
The Ateneo Debate Society (ADS) is one of Asia’s most
awarded debate institutions, having garnered numerous
awards and set several records both nationally and
internationally. It has been the National Champion
for six consecutive years, Asian Champion for four
straight years, has reached the Final 8 of the World
Championships, ranked 5th in the world above the
entire US Ivy League, and named as one of the Ten
Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) in the
Philippines. It provides debate training for secondary
school and university students, faculties, moderators,
and coaches, including technical assistance; leadership
training and policy analysis; research publication, and
special lectures, public fora, and symposia.
Ateneo Musician’s Pool
Everyone in ((aMp)) makes music as the organization
has successfully redefined what it means to be a
musician. Aside from being a training ground for
great performers, ((aMp)) strives to excel in the
production of events, believing that the people
backstage have as much to do with making music as
the people onstage. Through its activities over the last
10 years, the members have created a community
bound by their passion for sound.
Blue Repertory
Ateneo Blue Repertory is a musical theatre organization
in which members come together and celebrate their
passion for their art with a perennial sense of optimism
that is reflected in its productions. The organization
strikes a balance between entertaining its audiences
and maintaining professionalism and has developed
a reputation for giving outstanding musical training
and producing high-quality musicals that attract large
audiences.
The Faculty and Student cast of Tanghalang Ateneo
Inter-Cultural Exchange
TThe Ateneo Inter-Cultural Exchange
Cluster (ICE) is made up of five
organizations, namely Ateneo Lingua Ars
Cultura (ALAC), Ateneo Student Exchange
Council (ASEC), Celadon, HPAIR Union,
and the Assembly. Here at ICE, we celebrate
unity in diversity. We conquer barriers across
races and promote harmony. ICE offers
culture, friendship, and identity.
dividuals and organizations that strive to make a difference
g life to their ideals through debate, music, dance, film,
ebrate in order to form a united cluster with one vision of
Ateneo community.
Company of Ateneo Dancers
A minute and a half away from the front doors of the
cafeteria (1:28.55 to be exact) or a 48-step climb from
the college chapel, you will find yourself in front of
a most peculiar group of people who forever call on
Astroboy in their quest for dancing excellence before
using their talents in unending praise for the Ultimate
Choreographer of life; a group that has mastered
the art of counting up to eight. They are experts at
balancing six-day school weeks and seven-day rehearsal
sessions; performers grooving to the beat of unheard
drums.
Loyola Film Circle
As the only film organization in the Loyola Schools, the
Loyola Film Circle continues to advocate not only filmmaking, but film appreciation and critiquing, as well.
With projects ranging from independent film screenings
to movie premieres, truly the Loyola Film Circle quenches
the thirst of those looking for a venue to express a wide
array of talents, or simply to unwind in the best possible
way. Video production workshops are conducted during
the course of several weeks, and capped off with the
annual Blue Screen Film Festival.
Tanghalang Ateneo
Tanghalang Ateneo, the theater company of Loyola
Schools, is an amalgam of a theatrical tradition
descended from the Spanish times: the devotion of
the salon de actos at the Escuela Municipal in
Intramuros, the eloquence of the pre-war Ateneo
Dramatics Guild, the joie de vivre of the post-war
Ateneo Players Theater, and the aesthetic sensibility
of the Ateneo Experimental Theater during the
revolutionary 60’s. Like these theater companies
of Ateneo’s past, Tanghalang Ateneo employs the
theater to foster the ideals of Jesuit pedagogy. It sees
itself as a theater company in the service of student
formation. TA has shaped itself into one of the
country’s leading school-based theater companies.
Its repertoire of productions covers world classics,
with a special affection for Shakespeare; Filipino
originals; and documentary texts turned into theater
pieces.
o’s Death of Memory.
Ateneo Lingua Ars Cultura
The Ateneo Lingua Ars Cultura is an
organization that celebrates the foreign
languages, exotic arts, and exciting cultures
around the world. ALAC aims to make the
Ateneo community more aware of the world
and to learn, understand, and appreciate the
differences between cultures. ALAC offers
exciting cultural nights, foreign film showings,
interesting exhibits and museum tours, and
other festive activities. It is one big history
lesson, and a million times more fun!
Ateneo Student Exchange Council
ASEC creates avenues for Ateneans to learn
and discover the diversity of different cultures
by allowing the students to experience these
cultures on a first-hand basis. ASEC makes
this possible through the interactions with
foreigners and with those from provinces
around the Philippines, and through various
cultural projects.
Celadon
Celadon is the Filipino-Chinese organization
of Ateneo. It seeks to foster awareness,
understanding, and appreciation of
the Chinoy culture and to cater to the
developmental needs of Celadon and
Celadoneans. Rooted in Ignatian and
Chinese-Filipino values, Celadon envisions a
Filipino-Chinese community in harmony with
the Philippine society, comprised of excellent
leaders, geared towards nation building. It
was awarded the Most Outstanding Student
Organization for 2004-05.
Ateneo Harvard Project for Asian
and International Relations Union
(Ateneo HPAIR Union)
Shanghai, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo–these are
just some of the places HPAIR members have
visited for international conferences. But
HPAIR also aims to bring what is global to
the local setting, with national conferences,
inter-school summits, and other activities
to promote awareness of important
issues. HPAIR’s goal is to produce future
leaders–catalysts of social change and cultural
exchange–by providing leadership training
sessions, team building programs, marketing
talks, and research training.
The Assembly
The Assembly is a community of Ateneans
driven to be catalysts for political awareness
and involve-ment. It provides media for
discourse between students and the most
prominent leaders and organizations of the
country. The Assembly actively campaigns
for change, from apathy to involvement,
from being reactive to being proactive. The
Assemby provides a vehicle for promoting
socio-political awareness through projects
such as the Kapihan Sessions, Politalks, and
its official newsletter, “The Citizen.”
Socially Oriented Activities
SOA dates to the late ‘70s when a group of organization presidents came together seeing
the potential in the unity of organizations working for the same cause. SOA is now a cluster
of twelve accredited organizations that includes ACIL, ACLC, Ateneo College Ministry
Group, AtSCA, Gabay, Kaingin, Kythe Ateneo, Musmos, Special Education Society, Tugon,
and Youth for Christ -Ateneo. While the apostolate work of SOA orgs has become more
and more diverse over the past years, the spirit of service continues to bind SOA with its
vision of forming persons fully alive, imbibed with the conviction for justice and solidarity,
and equipped with the skills for development, guided by the principles of justice, solidarity,
development, excellence, and service.
Ateneo Christian Life Community
Through the years, ACLC has given much value
to the holistic formation of Ateneans who
are willing to deepen their relationship with
Christ by living in a community for others.
The Spiritual, Apostolate, Community and
Education aspects of ACLC give the members a
chance to reach out to our brothers and sisters
in Payatas as they go through the process of
deepening their understanding and practice of
the Preferential Option for the Poor. Through
tutoring, enrichment activities, catechism, medical
missions and social integration, ACLC members
continuously strive to make God’s love real to
every person they meet in Payatas.
Ateneo Catechetical Instruction League
ACIL specializes in giving catechism classes to
children living in urban poor communities. Its
programs within these areas are not limited to
classes, as it also has a scholarship grant and
livelihood programs. ACIL members undergo an
Ignatian For-mation Program through weekly
prayer meetings and education sessions.
Ateneo College Ministry Group
ACMG takes care of the Loyola Schools’ liturgical
requirements with the help of the Campus Ministry
Office. The group prepares for and serves in the
university masses. Furthermore, ACMG can boast
of a magnificent choir that sings both religious and
nonreligious songs.
Ateneo Student Catholic Action
AtSCA is an organization that strives to form its
members to be real persons-forothers through
Ignatian formation. Members of this group have
weekly prayer sessions and apostolate work. This is
complemented by education sessions held several
times in a semester. One of the organization’s
strengths is its community work in urban poor
communities, where they have strong ties with
both the children and the adults.
Enterteynment para sa Tao, Bayan,
Lansangan, at Diyos
ENTABLADO is a theater group that has for its
vision the development of awareness of the
different social issues plaguing our nation. All its
performances strive to raise consciousness and
change perspectives. Aside from staging plays, the
organization also gives theater workshops to youth
groups, usually of the urban poor.
Gabay
Gabay is an organization comprised primarily
of scholars of the Ateneo that strives to make a
contribution to the education sector through its
efforts in public schools in the Quezon City and
Marikina areas, where they give enrichment and
supplementary classes. The organization also raises
funds for its high school scholarship program.
Kaingin
Every Saturday, Kaingin goes to two urban
poor communities (Kaingin Dos and Marikina
Heights) to conduct tutoring classes. Aside from
its apostolate, Kaingin gives importance to the
holistic formation of its members as well as
fostering a sense of community among them.
Kythe Ateneo
Kythe Ateneo is the student arm of the Kythe
Foundation, which is dedicated to uplifting
the spirits of children with cancer. It is a group
dedicated to giving psychosocial support for
the children and their families through various
activities that may address their different needs,
such as regular hospital visits, outdoor activities,
and other orga-nized events. Through this, Kythe
hopes to be able to form its members to speak
with their hands, to listen with their eyes, to see
with their heads, and to touch with their hearts.
Musmos
On the streets of Cubao and around the
sideroads of Katipunan, numerous children
are found scattered–small angels on whom
the efforts of Musmos are centered. Musmos
members help these children through play
therapy and activities that stimulate learning and
creativity, in the hope of putting smiles on their
faces and greater hope in their spirits.
Special Education Society
The Special Education Society is an organization
that deals with kids with autism, Down
syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other physical
disabilities. They teach, play, sing, and learn
with these children. Making special people feel
special is what SPEED is all about.
Tugon
Tugon is an organization that undertakes
volunteer work in institutions that cater to
children who are survivors of abandon-ment
and abuse. Tugon visits three areas on a weekly
basis – CRIBS in Marikina, Laura Vicuña in
Cubao, and Redeemers’ Home in Antipolo.
Youth for Christ - Ateneo
YFC Ateneo is more than just an organization,
it’s a family. Youth for Christ is a community
of young happy Christians, in which members
have concerts, parties, prayer meetings, sports
programs, and apostolate work. In all of these,
what’s important for the members is that they
are able to celebrate God’s love. Members of
the organization are currently working closely
with children from Malanday and San Roque,
Marikina, together with the help of the Society
of Catholic Communities in Action (SCCA).
Volume III, Special Issue
“Many Faces of the teacher” Awardee
Fr. Roque Ferriols, SJ
By Christine Mallion
FR. ROQUE FERRIOLS, SJ, University
professor emeritus and three-time National
Book Awardee, is no stranger to awards.
Especially poignant, though, was the “Many
Faces of the Teacher” award given him by
the Bato Balani Foundation, Inc. (BBFI) and
Diwa Learning Systems, Inc. (DLSI) last 2
August 2007.
As one of the award’s four recipients this
year, Fr. Ferriols is recognized as representing
countless of teachers in the Philippines who
have performed their work with resolute
commitment and dedication, and have led a
life of humility and simplicity.
For the past 52 years, Fr. Ferriols, who
celebrated his 83rd birthday last August 16, has
committed himself to promoting philosophy
in the Filipino language.
“Ang pag-iisip ay hindi laro kungdi taimtim
na paghahanap sa totoo… Kung mamimilosopya
ka sa Ingles habang ang nagwawalis sa kalye,
namamasada sa jeepney ay nag-iisip sa Pilipino, anong
uring paghahanap ng katotohanan ito? Kailangang
kilalanin na ang ordinaryong tao ay namimilosopiya
din sa naghahanap ng katotohanan,” Fr. Ferriols
once said to a national daily.
His efforts to promote teaching in Filipino
in the classroom were first recognized by the
Ateneo when they awarded him the Gawad
Tanglaw ng Lahi in 1989.
Aside from this, Fr. Ferriols serves as an
example to his colleagues for his ingenuity,
simplicity, humility, and, most of all, his
commitment to his students. Philosophy
professor Dr. Manny Dy describes Fr. Ferriols
as: “One of a kind …a creative genius. He
points to the truth. He leads you to the
insight.”
“Fr. Ferriols deserves the award
because he is a teacher who gives
from his very person,” says Roy
Tolentino, a colleague at the Ateneo’s
Philosophy department and a
former student. “Fr. Ferriols was
one of the teachers who inspired
me to pursue the teaching life.”
Fr. Ferriols is an inspiration to
students as well. Among Ateneans,
he has a reputation for challenging
his students to pagmumunimuni—
reflecting and thinking in their own living
language. “His quiet demeanor allows
the students to enter into philosophical
reflection and his method gives them the
opportunity to discover their own capacity for
Fr. Roque Ferriols, SJ--the
teacher who keeps the light of
truth burning.
Photo courtesy of the Department
of Humanities
thought,” says Mr. Tolentino.
BBFI is a non-profit foundation which
aims to improve the quality of education in
the country. BBFI partnered with DLSI in
2004 and founded “A Tribute to Teachers,”
an occasion for Filipinos to express
gratitude to the thousands of teachers in the
Philippines who have touched lives, given
inspiration, and shaped the souls of our
youth even in the midst of insurmountable
obstacles and difficulties.
Within this program is the annual
“Many Faces of the Teacher” search where
outstanding teachers are commended to
inspire other teachers to continue in their
selfless mission to enlighten the minds of
the Filipino youth. The “Many Faces of the
Teacher” Award is given to teachers who not
only have exemplified excellence in teaching
but have influenced society through their
profession as well.
The award also recognized three other
teachers: mobile teacher Ronyla Santiago
of Nueva Ecija, special education teacher
Elsa Grafilo Duran of Cotabato City, and
journalism professor Luis Teodoro of the
University of the Philippines. The four were
recognized at the annual celebration of “A
Tribute to the Teachers” held last 1 September
at the Araneta Coliseum, attended by 15,000
teachers.
Outstanding teacher Dr. Benilda Santos (center) with University President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ
(right) and her family.
Metrobank Outstanding Teacher Awardee
Dr. Benilda Santos
OUT OF THE 200 nominated teachers from all
over the country, Dr. Benilda Santos was chosen
as one of the 10 winners of this year’s Metrobank
Foundation Search for Outstanding Teachers.
Dr. Santos, currently the acting dean of the
Ateneo School of Humanties and a professor in the
Filipino department, was recognized for her efforts
and contributions in literature and the arts as a
teacher, writer, poet, and critic of Filipino literature.
A prolific writer and author, Dr. Santos is
a three-time Palanca awardee for poetry and
received the National Book Award in 1997 for
Kuwardro Numero Uno (Frame Number One).
She also received the Loyola Schools Publication
Award for Poetry in 2004 and Parangal Amado V.
Hernandez ng Samahang Anak Hagunoy Award
in 2003.
As an educator, she was given the Irwin
Memorial Teacher Award in 2006, a university
award for excellence from the Ateneo de Manila
University, and was recognized as an Outstanding
Senior Teacher by the Ateneo Schools Parents
Council in 2003.
Fondly called Ma’am Beni by her fellow
teachers and students, Dr. Santos is seen as a
mentor who gives special attention and care to
younger teachers by patiently guiding them and
helping them hone their skills as instructors.
“Hindi siya madamot sa pagbabahagi hindi lamang
ng kaalaman kundi ng sarili. Kahit na minsan ay may
limitasyon ang kanyang pisikal na katayuan, hindi
iyon hadlang upang hindi magbigay si Ma’am Beni sa
mga taong nangangailangan ng kanyang karunungan,
kaalaman, at maging ng kalinga,” says Christine
Bellen, a colleague at the Filipino Department.
(She is generous in sharing not only her knowledge
but herself. Though she has physical limitations,
Ma’am Beni does not allow these to keep her
from being of service to those who need her
knowledge, wisdome, and care.)
Metrobank Foundation initiated the 10
Outstanding Teachers Program in 1985 to bestow
honor and due recognition to exemplary teachers
who have shown profound commitment to honing
the minds of the youth, dedication to their craft,
and effective educational leadership. The program
aims to elevate the quality of education in the
Philippines by choosing outstanding educators
to serve as inspiration to thousands of teachers
to continue their selfless mission to change the
future of the country.
The nationwide search for the Outstanding
Teachers is open to elementary, secondary and
tertiary education levels. The nominees were
officially endorsed by the head of their respective
schools and the winners were carefully chosen
by a panel of judges headed by Senator Richard
Gordon. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ma.
Alicia Austria Martinez, Department of Social
Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza
Cabral, De La Salle University President Bro.
Armin Luistro, FSC, and Philippine Stock
Exchange President Francis Lim were among
those included in the board of judges.
Making a Difference through Mathematics
On 18 October 2007, Dr. Catherine Vistro-Yu
was congratulated by President Gloria MacapagalArroyo in Malacañang for being named as one of
the 2007 Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s
Service (TOWNS) by TOWNS Foundation Inc.
The formal ceremony was held in Dusit Hotel on
26 October 2007 together with the other awardees
from the science, education, journalism and
business sectors.
Having taught for 23 years, Dr. VistroYu was recognized for her passion for teaching
mathematics. She helped found the Philippine
Council of Mathematics Teacher Educators
(MathTEd), an organization with a mission to
elevate the standards of mathematics teaching,
learning, and research in the Philippines.
MathTEd, spearheaded by Dr. Vistro-Yu
with 19 others, worked with the Department of
Technology Science Education Institute (DOSTSEI) to create and implement the national
curriculum and framework for Basic Mathematics
Education and Mathematics Teacher Education.
“The TOWNS award is a recognition of all the
efforts that I, my colleagues in MathTEd, and all
mathematics teachers and mathematics educators
have made to raise the quality of mathematics
learning and teaching and mathematics education
research here in our country,” Dr. Vistro-Yu said.
Her colleague and friend, Dr. Flordeliza
Francisco, says the TOWNS award is “an
affirmation of the good things [Dr. Vistro-Yu] is
doing, as well as an inspiration others like her to
keep working for education, to keep working for
the future of our nation.”
Dr. Vistro-Yu, who is currently a professor
in the Mathematics Department at the Ateneo de
Manila University, has publishedover 20 journals,
articles, technical papers, reports, and books
combined. The latest publication she has edited
together with 7 other editors is Internationalization and
Globalization of Mathematics and Science Education.
Closer to home, her service revolves around
her students. “She meets with her undergraduate
students individually after every unit test to discuss
with them their difficulties and ways to improve
their performance in the next exam. This is truly an
example of cura personalis,” shared Dr. Francisco.
Dr. Vistro-Yu, along with Eva Maria
Cutiongco de la Paz, Alyssa Peleo-Alampay, Ma.
Corazon Ungria, Hilly Ann Maria Roa Quiaoit,
Glecy Cruz Atienza, Dina Ocampo, Alexandra
Prieto Romualdez, Maria Ressa, and Elizabeth
Lee, are the women who can say they have made a
difference in our country.
Outstanding Woman of the Nation: Dr. Catherine
Vistro-Yu
January 2008
Ateneo’s NSTP Gets a PLUS
The National Service Training Program (NSTP)
received a “plus” from Ateneo and became the NSTP Preparatory
Leadership Undertaking for Sophomores, or NSTP PLUS.
NSTP is a nationwide required course for university
and college students that aims to develop civic
consciousness and defense preparedness among the
Filipino youth by deepening the values of patriotism
and ethics. NSTP includes the Reserved Officers’
Training Corps, the Literacy Training Service, and
the Civic Welfare Training Service.
The PLUS in Ateneo’s NSTP is the involvement
of various Loyola Schools formation offices: the
Office of Student Affairs (OSA), the Campus
Ministry Office (CMO), the Office for Social
Concern and Involvement (OSCI), and the Loyola
Schools Guidance Office (LSGO).
OSA is responsible for resources, while CMO
organizes the send-off masses and recollections.
OSCI handles the implementation of the social and
civic formation activities including the logistics for
the formation sessions. LSGO provides technical
expertise in creating process questions for the
various program activities and orientation of the
facilitators.
NSTP PLUS was developed from a series of
discussions among the Loyola Schools formation
offices and Dr. Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng, Vice
President for Loyola Schools. The Loyola Schools
believe that administrators, faculty members, and
professionals should work together to make this
formation program an effective means of preparing
Ateneans to be good leaders who are actively
involved in the community.
The NSTP PLUS, whose coordinator is Dr.
Washington Garcia, is part of the Loyola Schools’
four-year formation program. Freshmen take the
Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Traditions
(InTACT), which seeks to equip them with the
knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to cope with
the demands of college life.
Third year students go through the Junior
Engagement Program (JEEP), which deals with
identifying workers’ issues and the development of
integration skills and critical thinking with worker
issues, as well as respect for workers themselves.
ADS Wins its 7th National Debate Title
Courtesy of the Ateneo Debate Society
The victorious Ateneo Debate Society pose with their trophies.
Beating more than 130 teams
from more than 30 colleges and universities
from around the country, the Ateneo Debate
Society (ADS) won its seventh national title in
the recently concluded 9th National Debate
Championships. The tournament was held in
the Philippine Military Academy from October
22 to 28, 2007.
The final round was a battle between Ateneo
de Manila University and University of the
Philippines Diliman. ADMU-C and ADMU-A
were on the Affirmative side while UPD-B and
UPD-C were on the Negative side of the motion
“This House is Willing to Pay the Price for
Relaxing Anti-Terror Laws to Empower Social
Activism Against the Arroyo Government.”
Emerging victorious was ADMU-A, composed
of Michael Biscocho (III BS ME) and freshman
Angelica Simone Mangahas (I BS Ch-MSE).
Biscocho was also proclaimed the best speaker
Sophomores: Waiting to hear about NSTP Plus
Ophalle Alzona, OSCI Student Affairs
Professional and JEEP coordinator, says JEEP aims
to “provide students with experiences to awaken in
them the need to grow in social engagement and
responsibility.” JEEP is integrated in the Philosophy
of the Human Person course.
Pabaon, a non-academic integration program,
is the final formation program for graduating
students. According to CMO director Fr. Roberto
Buenconsejo, SJ, Pabaon “aims at integrating
the personal, social, and spiritual features of
Jesuit education,” through immersion programs,
recollections, and retreats.
With NSTP PLUS, OSCI Director Mary
Ann Manapat says that the Loyola Schools will
better help Ateneans heed the call “to develop
themselves to the fullest and truly become men
and women for others”.
in the final round and for the whole tournament,
while Mangahas followed closely at second. In
ADMU-C were Pauline Gairanod (II AB PoS)
and Stephanie Co (IV BS Psy), who was ranked
sixth best speaker in the tournament.
Two other ADS teams competed in the finals
series. Semi-finalist team ADMU-B was composed
of Jasmine Cruz (II BS Mgt) and Eleanor Zosa.
A student of cultural anthropology, Zosa tied as
sixth best speaker. In the Octo-finals, Vincenzo
Tagle (II AB Eco) and Danielle de Castro (III AB
PoS) debated for ADMU-D.
The rest of the debate teams successfully
broke through the elimination rounds. Awarded
Best Rookie Team, ADMU-F with Eliza Diaz
(IV AB Eu) and Shiveena Parmanand (I AB
Psy) ranked 11th. Following closely at 12th was
ADMU-G, composed of Joseph James Alcantara
(IV AB SoS) and Stephanie Poon (III BS Psy).
ADMU-H, composed of Mikhail Errol Albano
(I AB Hum) and Cecile Danica Gotamco (I AB
PoS), ranked 23rd. At 29th was ADMU-I with
Faith Raagas (IV BS Mgt) and Hernando Betita
III (IV BS ME). ADMU-E remained potent at
30th with Adrian Clarc Mundin (III BS ME) and
Darren Chester Cheng (II BS ME).
Other strengths of the contingent were
its judges led by the Chief Adjudicator,
Sharmila Parmanand (AB PoS ‘07), who was
the tournament’s top adjudicator. Beating some
members of the tournament’s own Adjudication
Core, Lisandro Elias Claudio (AB Com ‘07)
and Kip Oebanda (MA Eco) were the firstand second-ranked non-Core adjudicators.
Charisse Borromeo (IV BS ME) ranked fourth
and went on to judge the quarter-finals. Patricia
Hernandez (IV AB Meco) placed ninth, while
Bernadette Marie Angangco (III AB PoS) and
Gayle de Leon (II BS ES) also broke to judge
the Octo-finals. As Ateneo debaters filled all the
rooms, the Ateneo adjudicators could not go on
to judge the final rounds.
Once again, ADS demonstrated its
dominance in the Philippine debate circuit. With
a stellar performance from the entire contingent,
the ADS’s continues its commitment to being the
best, most-awarded debate institution in Asia.
To impart excellence to the next generation,
the ADS hosted the 6th Philippine Schools
Debate Championship, the country’s largest and
most prestigious national high school debate
tournament, on 7–11 November 2007.
LS Info Desk
Ateneans at Your Service By Charmagne Cruz (II MCT)
ON ITS FIRST 14 days of operation, the LS (Loyola
Schools) Information Desk, at the ground floor of
Xavier Hall, entertained some 1,142 queries, a third
of which were admissions-related.
Located in the middle lobby of Xavier Hall,
the LS Info Desk is there for anyone who needs
help and information, similar to a shopping mall
concierge service. The desk, equipped with a phone,
telephone directory, logbook and info materials,
is manned by volunteer scholars from Monday to
Saturday during office hours.
The Info Desk is the brainchild of Dr. Ma.
Assunta C. Cuyegkeng, Vice President for the Loyola
Schools. Noticing the incessant inquiries of visitors
to the guards on duty and to various offices with
windows at Xavier Hall, she sought a way to handle
the situation. The idea of the Info Desk came up.
During the first semester of school year
2007–2008, 32 of us scholars underwent a thorough
orientation regarding the various tasks and
responsibilities of an Info Desk volunteer. Wearing
Sesquicentennial shirts, we began our work on
August 13 at the height of submission of application
forms to the Office of Admission and Aid.
Regardless of our initial reasons to volunteer,
all of us made the same commitment to serve
the Ateneo community. We agreed to don the
same blue and white shirt each time it was our
turn to “Info Desk”; we promised to be prompt
and regular in our attendance; we pledged to be
courteous and kind and patient to all. We were
made aware that we represented the Ateneo to
everyone who approached the Info Desk. It was a
serious responsibility we all recognized.
It was for this reason that the Office of the
Vice President for the Loyola Schools sponsored
a seminar for Info Desk volunteers this sem break.
We needed to be reminded about how we should
conduct ourselves and to work on skills necessary
to our important task. Mr. Manolet M. Siojo, parttime lecturer of the John Gokongwei School of
Management, conducted the seminar “Ateneo’s
call to service” on 18 October 2007. Twenty three
volunteers attended.
“What do the people need from you?” he first
asked. “Information,” came the obvious reply from
one of the volunteers. He agreed with the answer
but said it was more than that. “Customers want
accurate and timely information.” People who
approach the Info Desk want immediate answers
to their queries and of course, the answers have to
be accurate. Giving wrong information is just plain
unacceptable. In addition, customers also expect
something more from us—quality service.
Customer service means being polite and
approachable. A smile on the face, being encouraging
with words, greeting visitors as they approach
the desk make all the difference in the world to a
troubled customer. Mr. Siojo gave the example
of the service of hoteliers and bank tellers. One
group is always polite and goes out of its way to
accommodate requests of guests; on the other hand,
some bank tellers are brusque in their manners and
are almost too eager to end a conversation with a
customer. Which one should we be like?
The second principle was efficiency or
competence. This is related to giving accurate
and timely information. Customers will never
Mr. Manolet M. Siojo conducting ‘Ateneo’s Call
to Service’ seminar
appreciate an informer who gives wrong
information or is unable to give the needed
information on time. Mr. Siojo emphasized
that informers must be imaginative and able to
find ways around problems, misinformation,
misdirection, and the like. They must be skilled
in handling haughty, irate or impatient customers
as well. A competent Info Desk volunteer should
never lose his or her cool with a customer and
must be willing to go beyond the simple requisite
of giving information. All of these abilities
reflect Ateneo’s Jesuit tradition of “magis”. If
we are not efficient or competent, customers will
be dissatisfied. And extreme cases of customer
dissatisfaction could result in walk-outs, shoutouts, bad words hurled, or much worse, negative
customer feedback which when told to friends
and families, would mar the good image of the
Ateneo. This is what we want to avoid at all
cost.
The last principle was physical projection.
Every customer, as soon as he approaches the
Info Desk, will make up his mind about the
informer. An unkempt informer projects the
image of an incompetent person. An informer
who has his legs up on the desk reveals someone
The scholars who participated in the seminar.
rude and undisciplined. A clean and cheery
Info Desk volunteer however, will always seem
helpful and smart. Even after the first encounter,
physical projection still matters. While talking to
customers, having an aura of confidence can be
apparent in one’s smile, how one sits, or converses
with people.
Mr. Siojo reminded us that good service is what
really makes people come back. It is what people
will relay to their friends and families. It may even
affect a parent’s decision to send his child to the
Ateneo. He wisely concluded that a customer’s
encounter bears with it a ‘Moment of Truth’ that
imprints on the mind a good, bad, or so-so image
of not only the informer and the Info Desk
service, but of the whole institution that is the
Ateneo.
Every value and tradition that our beloved
school upholds is verified and tested in every
one of these encounters with our customers. As
volunteers this is exactly why we must do our best.
We must continue to live up to the Jesuit traditions
of excellence and service. With love and loyalty to
the Ateneo and a renewed image of the people who
approach the Info Desk, we volunteers once again
gladly heed our call to serve!
Volume III, Special Issue
Bong Tiaoqui
The future
looks bright
in blue and
white
By Benjamin Jose A. Sipin III
THE PAST YEAR saw Ateneo varsity teams engage different opponents in different sports, painting an
“Ateneo versus the rest of the world” or “Blue versus the other colors of the rainbow” scenario. The 2007–
2008 UAAP season saw the Ateneo Lady Eagles win their second UAAP crown against the UP Lady Maroons.
The Blue Eagles, on the other hand, giving hope to a possible trifecta in UAAP basketball competitions,
battled archrival De la Salle University for the right to face the University of the East to claim the UAAP
Seniors basketball championship for 2007.
Alyson Yap
veteran by establishing her game in the finals. Cassy Tioseco proved to
be the pillar in the post for the Lady Eagles as she established the post
game for the team, gathering crucial rebounds and defensive stops.
The tri-captains readily acknowledge that the experience of
playing for the Lady Eagles and winning two championships have
definitely helped shape their characters. Now on their last year with the
Lady Eagles, Kat, Cassy, and Che will move on, taking with them the
character-building experiences of an Ateneo student-athlete.
Next season, the flight of the Lady Eagles would rest upon the
wings of seniors Treena Limgenco and AJ Barracoso, and sophomores
Sarah Mercado and Crystal Ballentyne. Treena has shown that she can
both score and serve as a defensive stopper, as she managed several
crucial defensive stops against the Lady Maroons in the decisive Game
2 of the Finals. Last season’s prized recruits, Ballentyne and Mercado,
will be wiser, stronger, and equipped with the experience of playing
and winning a championship in their rookie year. Ballentyne, showing
that she can be a dual sport athlete, is currently proving her mettle as
a valuable recruit for the Lady Eagles volleyball team. A crucial factor
for the Lady Eagles campaign in 2008 would be the commitment of
AJ Barracoso to play out her last year of eligibility. Her return would
stabilize the squad’s post slot as this will give the Lady Eagles a feared
post threat in Ballentyne and Barracoso.
With three finals appearances in the last four years and two
championships, it seems that the Lady Eagles will continue to take
flight.
A Gallant stand
The Ateneo Blue Eagles put up a gallant stand and would have
pulled off a tremendous feat had they won the UAAP championship
for season 70. But as fate would have it, they weren’t able to fly high
enough to hurdle De La Salle and earn the right to face UE in the
finals. It would have been a true Cinderella story if they did, but
the journey of the Blue Eagles was a story in itself. The ups and
downs, the peaks and valleys, are all part of the yearly journey of
the team—a journey of growth and discovery. It was a season when
the Blue Eagles, in the eyes of believers, discovered itself not for
the present, but for the future.
It was a year when Mr. Last Two Minutes, Chris Tiu, showed
that Ateneo produces not only excellent shooting guards, but also
excellent student-athletes. Chris served as the poster boy for a true
Ateneo student-athlete—excelling both in sports and academics.
It was also a year when Ford Arao brightly shined and
established a post game reminiscent of another King Eagle, Enrico
Villanueva. Although Ford has played his last year with the squad, it
was truly a memorable one for him and his teammates.
The Blue Eagles may not have won the UAAP championship
last year, but the season gave us hope—a hope for the future. With
Nonoy Baclao and Kirk Long leading the charge for next season, the
future does indeed looks bright. In the recent National Champions
Spiking their way
While the basketball program received the bulk of the attention,
a sport that is slowly gaining steam is volleyball. A stint in the Shakey’s
V-League proved fruitful as the Lady Eagles, bolstered with help from
Thai guest players, finished 3rd in the tournament—an experience now
useful in their campaign in the current volleyball season of the UAAP.
The V-league experience was truly helpful for the top players: Season
69 best digger Patty Taganas, V-league best server Karla Bello, and
season 69 3rd best scorer Maria Soriano. The inspired play of Misha
Quimpo, Trisha Limgenco, and Bea Pascual would surely bolster the
chances of the Lady Spikers to wallop their way to a strong Season 70
finish.
The Ateneo community has a lot to be thankful for this year in
terms of its basketball sports programs as Ateneo teams and studentathletes continue to uphold the true virtues of amateur sports. And
as said by University President Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ, in the
Thanksgiving Mass, more important than winning a championship is
the experience of playing, winning, and even losing, which will shape
us and our character.
As another UAAP season ends, we should be all thankful to the
student-athletes and teams who continue to uphold the true Ateneo
spirit. The future looks bright in blue and white. One Big Fight!
Nono Felipe
Queens of the sky take flight
While the community anticipated a return to the championship
for the seniors team, the Ateneo Lady Eagles lifted to new heights
and took flight on the backs of veteran players Kat Quimpo, Cassy
Tioseco, and Che Ngo to bag the second championship in three years
for the Lady Eagles.
It was a memorable journey for the Lady Eagles who, coming into
the UAAP season, were not favored to bag the crown. The first game
and the first win of the season changed all that, as they won against the
defending champions, UST Tigress. Although the Lady Eagles toted
a 12-2 win-loss mark in the eliminations, the championship still did
not come easily as all sights were set on who among the opponents
can clip the wings of Lady Eagles. But it seemed that the Lady Eagles
soared higher than any arrow, claw, or bite that could derail them from
destiny.
A healthy Kat Quimpo became the heart and soul of the Lady
Eagles offense as she directed plays especially when it mattered most
during the eliminations and most glaringly in the two finals games.
Che Ngo struggled for most of the season but proved her worth as a
Alyson Yap
While the Blue Eagles fought the good fight, the dream of UAAP
basketball supremacy is one whose time has not yet come. But the feat
of sending the women’s, juniors, and the seniors in the thick of battle
for the championship of the UAAP signals a strong message that the
Ateneo sports program is on the right track.
Since former Blue Eagle head coach Joe Lipa was tasked to
resurrect the Ateneo basketball tradition by organizing the Ateneo
Basketball Program, the program has seen a renaissance, which reached
its fruition when the men’s team won the UAAP Championship in
2002 under coach Joel Banal. The emergence of the Lady Eagles,
under coach John Flores, as a dominant force in the UAAP, by itself, is
a testament to the effectiveness of the sports program and the people
behind it.
While winning the UAAP crown in the men’s, women’s, and juniors’
divisions all in one season still remains a dream, it is surely something
that would soon become a reality with the continued support given by
the administration, the community, and the supportive patrons of the
basketball program. Even with the failure of the men’s team to make
it to the finals of UAAP Season 70, the future looks bright for Ateneo
basketball.
League, the shooters still reigned supreme, beating champions of
other collegiate tournaments in the Philippines.
Indeed, there is a lot to look forward to in the coming school
year for the Blue Eagles.