Truth, Accountability, and Reform - Loyola Schools

Most Outstanding Finance
Educator p.4
Sports p.12
The World According
to Impy Pilapil p.8
Peace and Economic
Development in the Age
of Globalization p.5
Making Reading More
Attractive p.9
we build community we nurture hope
February – March 2008
Volume VI • Number 1
Ateneo Community Called On to Stand for
Truth, Accountability, and Reform
By Jet Damazo
“I pray that we in the Ateneo de
Manila University will stand to the
challenge and participate in the mission to bring renewed hope and healing in our country,” said the memo issued on 29 February by Dr. Antonette
Palma-Angeles, Academic Vice President and Officer-in-Charge, to the
University community .
The memo was released three days
after the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a
pastoral statement in relation to the
ongoing political crisis over the controversial National Broadband Network (NBN) deal. The pastoral statement said: “We are convinced that the
search for truth in the midst of charges
and allegations must be determined
and relentless, and that the way to
truth and integrity must be untram-
meled, especially at the present time
when questions about the moral ascendancy of the present government
are being raised.”
Indeed, members of the Ateneo
community have been responding to
the bishops’call. Faculty, students,
and professionals from the Loyola
Schools, the Law School, and the
School of Government, in partnership with the Jesuits, have been at
the forefront of the Watch, Pray and
Act Movement, which not only provided sanctuary to key witness Jun
Lozada, but more importantly has
been helping direct and coordinate
the response of Catholic institutions
within the framework of promoting
truth, accountability, and reform.
“We are providing leadership
in the process of forming ‘circles of
discernment’ among our faith-based
communities. Some of our alumni/ae
have also been involved in various
capacities in information-dissemination, advocacy, and organizing work
so that the truth may prevail in the
present crisis,” Dr. Angeles said in her
memo.
In addition, lawyers and law students from the Ateneo Human Rights
Center and the Law School were responsible for filing the petition for a
writ of habeas corpus during the disappearance and police custody of Lozada. They are likewise involved in legal work to help resolve questions on
Executive Order 464 and executive
privilege, which many sectors have
identified as a key stumbling block
to getting full testimonies from Cabinet officials and relevant government
documents on the case.
On 29 February, members of the
Ateneo community from both the
Loyola Heights and Rockwell cam-
puses, together with the Simbahang
Lingkod ng Bayan of the Society of
Jesus, participated in the interfaith
and multisectoral rally in Makati. In
the mass action, the Ateneo and Jesuit
groups joined other Catholic schools,
religious and lay organizations, as
well as civil society organizations.
These groups have come together
in a coordinated effort and network
called BUSINA (Buong Bansa Sinisigaw: Tama Na, Itama Na!) that is
fighting for Truth, Accountability and
Reform as a response to the present
national situation.
A concert for truth, accountability
and reform was also held on 25 February at the Ateneo Loyola Heights
campus.
(Read the statements issued by
Ateneo economists and the Loyola
Schools Department of Political Science on page 4.)
ORP Launches a Festschrift
for Dr. Soledad S. Reyes
GK and Ateneo Alumni launch SIMULA
By Gary C. Devilles
Gawad Kalinga (GK) together with Ateneo
Alumni Association (AAA) launched a
fund-raising auction of notable art works
of revered Filipino artists last February 7
at the Serendra Sales Pavilion, Taguig City
for the benefit of the AAA-GK Molave Village.
GK is a Philippine-based and nationbuilding movement that cares for worse-off
Filipinos and survivors of natural disasters.
Now a growing multisectoral partnership,
GK continually seeks local and international partners to establish itself as an alternative solution to the blatant problem
of poverty by bringing back dignity and
peace for every Filipino.
Since AAA has always been active
not only in fund-raising activities for
Ateneo scholarships but also in their advocacy in promoting better lives for their
adopted communities, it is not surprising then that this partnership of GK with
AAA is just one of the many projects that
the two institutions will launch in the future. Thus, for GK and AAA, this is just
the start or “Simula” as they aptly called
their art auction.
Featured in the Simula art auction
were the works of both upcoming and
seasoned artists like Bembol dela Cruz,
Jaime Gubaton, Edgar Fernandez, Raul
Isidro, Buen Abrigo, Rodel Tapaya,
The Office of Research and Publication launched a festschrift for Dr.
Soledad S. Reyes last March 10 in recognition of her valuable and pioneering studies in the field of literature,
literary criticism, and popular culture. Entitled, “Thought the Harder,
Heart the Keener,” the festschrift is
edited by Eduardo Calasanz, Jonathan
Chua, and Rofel Brion. Contributions
for this festschrift come from various
universities and departments, showing the extent and impact of Soledad
Reyes’ scholarship.
National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera recalled his days
in Ateneo de Manila University when
Reyes was still taking up her masteral
studies. Lumbera believes that Reyes’
singular contribution is her study of
Rosario de Guzman-Lingat, which
brought Lingat’s works to the academe
and ushered in an interest in Philippine Studies among colleagues and
students in an academic milieu typically American in orientation.
Eventually, Reyes would also be
recognized in the field of Popular Culture in a time when such study was
deemed as not academic. Reyes would
pioneer such studies in Ateneo and
a problematization of uneven power
relations inherent even in the production of knowledge. Fr. Bienvenido
Nebres would remark that the nation
is grateful for her in bringing to contemporary consciousness the voices of
Macario Pineda, Lina Flor and others
who would otherwise be buried by our
preoccupation with the foreign and the
forgetting of our native soul.
With all the works of Soledad
Reyes, one inevitably asks the question
of how she would sum up her more
than 30 years of teaching and doing
research. Soledad Reyes hopes that in
the final reckoning, the future generation will look back to her and say: she
dared and took risks because she never
lost her passion for scholarship. Her
university helped and nurtured her so
she could make a difference in those
heady, and sometimes perilous years,
when writers negotiated a difficult
critical terrain.
By Gary C. Devilles
Emmanuel Garibay, and Noel Quizon.
Raphael Doval-Santos, Communications Manager of AAA, tells us how GK
and AAA engage donors to be active partners in the work for the poor emphasizing the hands-on participation required to
make the program a success. Doval-Santos
maintains that GK in the past has established many partnerships with individuals,
corporations, religious groups, charitable
institutions, schools, and even foreign
government agencies. Art auctions like
“Simula” provide the opportunity to help
by donating funds to build GK villages and
through sponsoring a child’s education.
At present AAA-GK has already served 94
families in Molave Village since 2006 with
49 houses to be finished this year.
AAA and GK believe that responding
to the problem of poverty is more than just
a charity work. For them real resources
refer to that which has value to life and
community. That is why GK and AAA go
beyond fund management to relationship
management and resource sharing. GK
and AAA continue to inspire people of varied fields to contribute their talents: architects and engineers design houses, doctors
and nurses attend to the people’s health,
teachers contribute their time and knowledge to the young, and business leaders tutor others towards self-sustenance.
Simula art auction was sponsored by
PLDT and Serendra Two.
University Dormitory topped off after
3 months
By Michelle Camille Correa
Dr. Soledad S. Reyes at the launch of her festschrift
By June 2008, an additional 400 dormers
will be welcomed to their second home
at the University Dormitory, Ateneo
Loyola Heights campus. On March 8,
the community, composed of administrators, faculty, students, alumni, architects, engineers, and friends, took part
in the dorm’s topping off ceremony.
Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng was
“amazed at how fast the building is going up.” The groundbreaking was held
on 8 December 2001, and exactly three
months later, the main structure is almost complete. Cuyegkeng thanked
contractors ASEC Development and
Construction Corporation, SP Castro
and Associates, and the university community for a job well done.
Vice President for Finance and Treasurer Jose M. Santos expressed optimism
that by October 2008, the entire building
will house 200 additional dormers, completing the 600 dormers that the dorm
was designed to accommodate.
Fenruary - March 2008
Loyola Schools Recognizes
Outstanding Seniors, Groups
The Loyola Schools is pleased to announce the winners
of the Loyola Schools’ Awards for Leadership and Awards
for the Arts for school year 2007-2008. The awards are
presented each year to organizations and seniors of the
Loyola Schools who have done outstanding work.
Loyola Schools’ Awards for Leadership
and Service 2008 Winners
Special Citation: IMPUKAN
Through Impok at Ugnayan para sa mga Kababayang Nasalanta (IMPUKAN), psycho-social support is aimed to be readily available to disaster victims. During one
activity with Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB), Jaymee along with volunteers
from COA and some psychology graduate students and psychologists offered and
gave psychological support to disaster victims. From this activity, the Sikolohiyang
Lingkod Alay sa Bayan (SiLaBan) was established. Jaymee formed IMPUKAN as
the resource generating arm of SiLaBAN. IMPUKAN’s mission was to develop a
rapid disaster response system sustained by a network of donors and volunteers.
IMPUKAN envisions a society wherein everyone is involved in the alleviation of
the effects of disasters on the less fortunate members of our community. IMPUKAN also aims to change the mindset of disaster response management from the
giving of relief
Most Outstanding Project: SLATE Magazine
SLATE Magazine is a non-profit publication by the Ateneo Management Engineering Association (MEA) and is the first student-run and initiated magazine of
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Philippines. Founded in April 2006,
SLATE was established so that businesses can be informed that they play a critical
role in helping create a better world. Also, SLATE aims to inspire today’s students,
tomorrow’s business leaders, that they too can make a difference and that there is
and must necessarily be a way to do business that is both profitable and sociallyresponsible. SLATE’s production created greater awareness about CSR can be seen
in the Ateneo through different projects focusing on CSR, two new CSR-related
classes and increased applications to MEA’s CSR Program. Outside the University, business and organizations have also realized SLATE’s impact and invited its
founding editor to talk at events like the 2007 CSR Expo, Zuellig Foundation’s
Health Managers Leadership Program and the UP Junior Entrepreneurship Society’s forum for young leaders.
Most Outstanding Individual: Clark Jefferson N. Cue
Clark Jefferson Cue (BS Management Engineering/AB Economics Honors) is the
president of the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA). One of the innovations Clark started in COA this year is the Understudy System which gives
interested students opportunity to serve the 43 COA member organizations by being immersed in the different activities of the council and learning skills that will
help them lead the council in the future. Through his leadership, COA increased
student participation in activities like Blue Christmas, formation seminars and the
COA Super Project. Outside of COA, Clark still lives and breathes excellence and
service. He is a magna cum laude candidate double majoring in Management Engineering and Economics Honors. Clark, along with his classmates, also founded
the Handog na Oras Para sa Edukasyon (HOPE) Program, a summer program for
public school students in grades 5 and 6. He was also a delegate to the Ayala Young
Leaders Conference.
Most Outstanding Student Group: ANI
Alay ni Ignacio (ANI) is an accelerated summer program that provides academic leverage to intellectually gifted but financially disabled high school sophomores and
juniors from different public schools. Students under this program go through academic and non-academic classes grounded on the principles of Ignatian Spirituality.
Non-academic activities involve recollections and Confirmations. ANI is not only concerned with the development of its students, but also the volunteers who work for
their organization. Volunteers were given seminars on the state of education in our
public schools and taken on visits of different schools. Volunteers also participated in
formation programs designed to result in a closer and more effective organization. Sixteen ANI graduates passed this year’s Ateneo College Entrance Test. Also expected this
year is the first batch of college graduates to have passed through the ANI program.
Because of its success, ANI served as the framework for similar student organizations
in the Philippines.
Loyola Schools’ Awards for the Arts 2008
Winners
Creative Writing
Jason G. Tabinas, IV AB Economics
Andrew Carl S. Robles, IV BFA Creative Writing
Martin V. Villanueva, IV BFA Creative Writing
Jerome K. Chua, IV BFA Creative Writing
Theater Arts
Alleyne Julia I. Enriquez, IV AB Communication
Dan Joseph S. Chua, IV AB Management Economics
Ma. Carissa A. Alejandro, IV BS Psychology
Celine Trency E. Caga-anan, IV BFA Theatre Arts
Virlynn Rose R. Ramirez, IV AB European Studies
James A. Jumalon, IV AB Management Economics
Screen Arts
Angelo S. Jose, IV AB Communication
Josemaria Lorenzo S. Valdez, IV BS Communication Technology
Visual Arts: Photography
Henson Tyler T. Wongaiham, IV AB Communication
Scott Davis L. Kho, IV AB Communication
Visual Arts: Graphic Design
Aaron G. Roselo, IV AB Interdisciplinary Studies
Maria Isabella T. Cabanban, IV BS Communication Technology
Music
Maria Cecilia R. Lacap, IV BFA Theater Arts
Ma. Ramona Linda G. Fernando, IV AB Psychology
Ma. Cecilia N. Custodio, IV BFA Creative Writing
Dance
Liana A. Lim, IV AB Psychology
Office of the Vice President for the Loyola Schools
Jet Damazo
EDITOR
Ronnie R. Elefaño
LAYOUT ARTIST
Grip Bueta, Michelle Camille Correa, Gary Devilles, Erlinda Eileen Lolarga,
Eeya Litiatco-Martin, Rick Olivares
WRITERS
PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
Gary Devilles, Michelle Camille Correa, Ali Figueroa, Erlinda Eileen Lolarga, Alyson Yap (www.
fabilioh.com), LS Bookstore, Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF:
Connie C. Camacho, School of Humanities; Marivi Cabason, School of Science and
Engineering;
Anna Galvez, John Gokongwei School of Management; Milet Tendero, School of Social
Sciences; Gia Dumo, web editor; Miguel Martin R. Vilchez, ADSA, Ateneo Placement Office
Loyola Schools Bulletin © 2007 (ISSN: 1656-8354) is published bimonthly by the Office of
Research and Publications, 2F Gonzaga Hall, Loyola Schools, Ateneo de Manila University,
Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
E-mail: [email protected]
Mailing address: POBox 154, Manila 0917, Philippines
Telephone (632) 4266001 local 5002
Fax (632) 4266096
http://www.ateneo.edu > Loyola Schools > LoyolaSchoolsBulletin
The Loyola Schools Bulletin is looking for contributing writers and photographers. If you are
interested, send an email to [email protected].
Two faculty members of the Fine Arts Program, Dr. Matthew Santamaria
(left) and Dr. Ricardo Abad (right), deliver their joint paper on the appropriation of the igal, a dance tradition of Southern Philippines, for modern
drama, at the International Conference on the Performing Arts as Creative
Industries in Asia. The conference was held last February 28-29 at the
University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.
VOL. VI NO. 1
Dr. Darwin Yu Declared Most
Outstanding Finance Educator
by FINEX and Citi
Dr. Darwin D. Yu, associate professor, Finance and Accounting Department, and chair, Leadership and
Strategy Department, John Gokongwei School of Management, was
awarded the Rafael B. Buenaventura
Most Outstanding Finance Educator
on 27 February 2008 at the Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The nationwide search is organized
jointly by the Financial Executives
Institute of the Philippines (FINEX)
and Citi. FINEX is an association of
about 700 finance executives, while
Citi is the world’s largest financial services company.
The award aims to honor the finance education profession, to rec-
Dr. Darwin Yu accepting his award
2005 Ateneo Top Grad Shines
in World of Astrophysics
Astrophysics Genius Reinabelle Reyes
Reinabelle Reyes, a PhD Astrophysics student at Princeton University who graduated with a BS Physics
degree, summa cum laude, from the
Ateneo de Manila University in 2005,
has cast in her lot with the stars and
is now a bright light in the field of Astrophysics.
After graduating from the Ateneo,
Reyes earned her Diploma in High
Energy Physics at Abdus Salam Inter-
national Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy in 2006. At the
Princeton Graduate School, she is a
recipient of three fellowship grants:
the Centennial Fellowship, the Merit
Prize Fellowship Grant, and Martin
the Schwarschild Graduate Fellowship. She received the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award,
Honorable Mention, from the American Astronomical Society, during its
211th meeting in 2007. She also has
several research works and two pending journal publications to her name.
Recently, as head of the team from
the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSSII) that identified a hidden population
of powerful black holes, Reyes has
again caught the world’s attention.
Using the distinctive light-spectrum
signature that even highly obscured
quasars show as a marker, the SDSS-II
team sifted through more than a million spectra to discover 887 hidden
quasars, by far the largest sample of
these objects ever found.
The research team presented its
discovery on 9 January 2008 at the
annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas. It
also submitted a paper describing the
research for publication in the Astronomical Journal.
Ateneans Shine in Math Tilts
Ateneans bagged prizes in two contests: the 8th Mathematical Society
of the Philippines (MSP) Search for the Ultimate Math Wizard and the 35th
Annual Nationwide Search for the Math Wizard.
Charles William Ang (III-BS ME) and Emerson Escolar (II-BSMAMF) won
first runner up and second runner up, respectively at the 8th Mathematical
Society of the Philippines (MSP) Search for the Ultimate Math Wizard held on
26 January 2008 at the San Sebastian College in Manila.
John Garret Go (III-BS ME) and Charles William Ang (III-BS ME) won first
place and third place, respectively, in the 35th Annual Nationwide Search for
the Math Wizard on February 16, 2008 at the UP NISMED Auditorium in Diliman, Quezon City. Among the 250 participants nationwide, Ateneo bagged the
first and third place, while UP Diliman placed second and fourth.
Ateneo Bags Top Places
in IT Competitions
The Department of Information Systems and Computer Science
(DISCS) is proud to announce that two Ateneo teams placed second and third in
the University of the Philippines (UP) Java Cup held at UP Diliman on Feburary
20, 2008.
In second place were Ivan Clement (1ME) and Clarisse Ligunas (1CS), while
Wilhansen Li (2CS) and John Patrick Manalo (3CS) bagged the third place.
First and fourth place went to the teams from UP Diliman. Twelve teams
competed in all, representing six schools: Ateneo, Far Eastern University, St.
Paul’s College, University of Santo Tomas (UST), UP Diliman, and UP Manila.
Meanwhile, the team composed of Ivan Clement (1ME) and John Patrick
Manalo (3CS) won first place in the Quizzandry contest also hosted by UP Diliman on 20 February. The team of Daniel Go and Eric Sy, both 1CS, came in
fourth. Second and third places went to UP Manila.
Twelve teams competed in all, representing Ateneo, Centro Escolar, Far Eastern University, St. Paul’s College, UST and UP Manila.
ognize the outstanding qualities and
contributions of finance teachers, to
inspire teachers to achieve excellence
in finance education, and to actively
promote finance education to make
college graduates more competitive in
the global work force.
Rafael B. Buenaventura, after
whom the award is named, served as
the ninth BSP governor, and the first
Filipino chief executive officer of Citibank Philippines. The search culminated in five regional winners, one
each from Mindanao, Visayas, and
Luzon outside NCR, and two from
NCR. From among the regional winners, the Most Outstanding Finance
Educator was chosen.
Ateneo ECCE Teams
Bag Awards in
4th Smart SWEEP
Two teams of fifth year Electronics, Computer and
Communications Engineering (ECCE) students triumphed at the
4th Smart SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards held on February 1-2, 2008 at the Trade Hall of SM Cebu City. A total of 59
mobile solutions were submitted as entries from colleges and universities all over the country.
This year’s theme, “Going wireless for disaster preparedness,”
addresses the country’s growing need to improve its ability to respond to the threat of disaster. All teams were tasked to come up
with wireless service applications accessed via the Smart network
using SMS, MMS, WAP, GPRS, SIP, voice, 3G, wireless broadband or
Bluetooth.
SMART FAST (Flood Alert Service Texts), created by Adrin V.
del Rosario (Team Leader), Roy Khristopher O. Bayot, and Archie
Q. Dolit, emerged as the first runner-up with a cash prize of Php
300,000. It proposes the use of SMS to automatically collect and
transmit data from sensors that determine flood levels in rivers and
other bodies of water. This system also integrates services that allow for community participation during disasters through donation
(Smart Money transfer services) and evacuation site status reports.
The goal of the system is to prepare the community and the entire
government machinery to anticipate the onset of and respond to
possible damage caused by flood.
The second runner-up trophy and cash prize of Php150,000
went to SMART-GUARDS (SMART-Geared Up for Automated Response Disaster System), created by Jimson G. Ngeo (Team Leader),
Adrielle Matthew Julius A. Dagasuan, Chrisandro M. Favila, and
Jan Lester Gerard M. Lofranco. The team also received the People’s
Choice Award.
SMART-GUARDS is a wireless disease outbreak tracking system
that monitors and provides information, description, alert dissemination protocols, and mathematical analysis accessible via the Internet, SMS, and MMS. Based on the data provided by hospitals
and authorized health centers, the system is able to track and map
trends, patterns, and the degrees of outbreak for a particular city
using mathematical algorithms and software image processing. Essentially, this system protects Filipinos from viral and epidemic outbreaks such as dengue, bird flu, capillariasis and other contagious
diseases.
The university also received equivalent amounts in the form of
grants.
Another team, composed of Ted Angelo T. Chua (Team Leader),
Mark David G. Abat, Jose Raphael C. Arenas, and Adrian Joseph C.
Mozo, made it as finalist. They received Php 35,000 through Smart
Disaster Aversion, which integrates different inexpensive and easy
to deploy sensors in order to prevent, empower, and locate the subscribers of impending disasters such as flood, typhoon, landslide,
and earthquake.
All the three teams were mentored by engineer Marie Engelene
J. Obien. Support to the teams was provided by the SWEEP laboratory under the supervision of engineer Maria Leonora C. Guico.
A highlight of the event is the PalaECEpan quiz contest, where
37 ECE student representatives from colleges and universities nationwide converged. Daryl Aaron C. Gaerlan (V - BS ECE), mentored by Guico, topped his group elimination round and made it to
the finals.
Fenruary - March 2008
A statement from economists of the Ateneo de Manila University
To fellow economist and former colleague, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo:
We are outraged by the revelations made by Engr. Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. at the
Philippine Senate Blue Ribbon hearings last 8 February 2008 about the overpriced Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Company-National Broadband Network (ZTE-NBN) project. The project has no clear public rationale in
the first place. We are dismayed by the revelations of Mr. Lozada that former
Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., with the alleged involvement of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, ordered the inclusion in the
proposed project a large amount of kickbacks, amounting to as much as 130
million US dollars (or more than 5.2 billion pesos), enough money to remove
the yearly public school classroom backlog, or purchase 5.8 million sacks of
NFA rice, or alternatively secure the basic needs of about 29,000 poor families
for a year. Simply put, a lot is being sacrificed for the greed of the few.
We are angered by the continuing attempt to cover up the anomalous circumstances surrounding the project, including the supposed kidnapping of Mr.
Lozada to keep him from testifying in the Senate. We demand that government
remove the cloak of Executive Order 464 and the invocation of executive privilege to allow public officials that have knowledge on the transaction to publicly
testify on the circumstances of the deal. We demand the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) to release records of the meetings that allowed
the contract to be processed. Because of the nature of the work of the NEDA
in national economic planning to promote national development and public
welfare (and not for private or individual interests), these minutes are public
records. We want Secretary Romulo Neri, an Ateneo High School alumnus and
supposed staunch advocate of reforms, to eradicate transactional politics and
oligarchic dominance in the country, to reveal all that he knows about the matter. Efficiency and equity demand no less.
We abhor the habit of this administration of forging secret deals and engaging in non-transparent processes in developing and contracting large infrastructure projects, especially foreign donor-funded programs, contrary to the tenets
of good governance. We call on friends and colleagues in the government, especially the alumni of our university, and other sectors to help ferret out the
truth about other alleged irregular deals entered into by corrupt public officials,
including the fertilizer scam, the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority book scam and the North Rail project.
We urge fellow economist, alumna, and former Ateneo colleague, Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, to fully explain and account for all the anomalies under her
administration to prevent our country from plunging into another political and
economic crisis. Indeed, we are dismayed that Mrs. Arroyo has not exercised
the vast powers and resources available to the Presidency to ensure that largescale corruption in the government is not only blocked but also punished, and
that these irregularities have only increased political instability and uncertainty
in the country. We are also offended that the Presidency has instead utilized
these vast powers and resources to turn its back on servicing the public and
contribute to the advancement of private greed, including the Machiavellian
buying of congressmen, governors, and anyone else who gets in the way. And
sadly, these abuses have eroded the meaning and legitimacy of the Presidency.
If she fails to fully account and explain the anomalies and corrupt practices in
her administration, the most honorable thing she can do is to resign from the
Presidency.
Finally, we publicly pledge to heed the Catholic Bishops’ call to communal
action by supporting the activities that would promote transparency, accountability, and good governance, and we call on our fellow social scientists and
academics to support this advocacy. We pledge to make our voices heard by
committing to various ways of peaceful and non-violent political mobilization.
Signed
Fernando T. Aldaba, Cristina M. Bautista, Germelino M. Bautista, Edsel L. Beja Jr.,
Diana U. del Rosario, Luis F. Dumlao, Cielito F. Habito, Leonardo A. Lanzona Jr., Joseph
Anthony Y.Lim, Romelia I. Neri, Marissa Maricosa Paderon, Ellen H. Palanca, Malou A.
Perez, Joselito T. Sescon, Tara Sia-Go, Patrick Gerard C. Simon-King, Rosalina P. Tan,
Philip Arnold P. Tuaño
Let the Truth Be Told
Statement of the Ateneo de Manila University
Department of Political Science on the ZTE-NBN Controversy
The events leading to, during and after the testimony of star witness Rodolfo “Jun”
Lozada on the anomalous US$330 million national broadband network deal with
Chinese company ZTE depict a classic tale of how allegations of corruption, abuse of
power and human rights violations are and have been addressed under the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: evade, deny and cover-up. For more than five years
now, this modus operandi has kept the government barely stable, albeit hounded by
unresolved cases that have piled up over the years: failure to automate and modernize
the elections, alleged fraud during the 2004 presidential elections, the fertilizer scam,
and extrajudicial killings among the most prominent with the NBN-ZTE deal as the
most recent.
As a response to these scandals, the Arroyo government has not hesitated in deploying mechanisms meant to suppress the truth behind the allegations. For three
consecutive years – 2005, 2006, and 2007 – Arroyo’s allies in the House of Representatives have made a sham out of the impeachment proceedings by filing weak
complaints, suppressing evidence and harassing members of the opposition in congress. In 2006, Arroyo issued Executive Order 464 (EO464) prohibiting members
of the cabinet from testifying in congressional investigations without her prior approval. While the Supreme Court has in broad strokes already decided against the
legality of the said order, Arroyo has yet to revoke the directive. During the Senate
hearings on the NBN-ZTE controversy in the past months, Arroyo’s cabinet members have persistently invoked “executive privilege” in order to evade answering
substantive questions that may shed light on the issues. The administration has also
not been reluctant to co-opt, bribe and threaten government officials willing to tes-
tify about their knowledge of corruption. The dole-outs, payolas and other forms of
inducements attested to by Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio and Bulacan Governor
Joselito Mendoza last year stand witness to this practice.
On the other hand, the Arroyo administration has given its loyal allies a freehand
in pursuing their self-interests in wild abandon. The top brass of the military remains
shielded by a culture of impunity despite being implicated by the United Nations and
other international human rights watchdogs in the continued rise of extrajudicial killings. Time and again, Arroyo has toyed with the idea of constitutional change to sate
the hunger for power and influence of her congressional and local government units
(LGU) allies who have stood behind her in crisis moments.
These are not isolated cases of corruption but components of an interwoven web
of tactics that result from an insecure administration resting upon repressive mechanisms on the one hand and unrestrained pursuit of its allies’ self-interests on the other
hand because it has lost the people’s trust and confidence. These are systematized and
brazen attacks on key democratic institutions supposed to guarantee the public’s right
to information and the accountability of elected and appointed officials. Such assaults
have alienated a large part of the Filipino public from political engagement and have
sowed widespread cynicism among the youth. But this is hardly unintended – keeping the public disaffected means Arroyo remains in power.
As educators, scholars and students of politics, we in the Department of Political Science are deeply disturbed by this growing sense of disenchantment and
distrust in the democratic process as a result of the Arroyo government’s continued
mockery of our political and judicial institutions.
Our call resonates with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP), the Watch and Pray Movement’s, the
Ateneo School of Government’s and the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan’s framework of truth, accountability and reform:
•We appeal to the conscience of government officials to divulge what they
know about corruption and abuses of the present administration. We ask
them to heed the CBCP’s call for personal conversion. As a start, we demand
from Secretary Romulo Neri nothing but the whole truth of his knowledge
of and participation in anomalous deals of the Arroyo government. We demand that he be allowed to testify in the Senate investigation without threats
to his life and security. We support efforts by the Church, other universities
and civil society groups in providing sanctuaries to would-be-whistleblowers as well as the collection of funds for their material sustenance and legal
defense.
•We ask the Supreme Court to rule without delay on the petitions filed by Senators
Manuel A. Roxas and Benigno Aquino III requesting that the National Economic
Development Authority (NEDA) release pertinent documents on the NBN-ZTE
deal. Similarly, we ask the Supreme Court to resolve the petition filed by Secretary Neri on the question of executive privilege and his appearance in the Senate
investigations. Neri’s participation in the Senate hearings and the NEDA documents are being claimed as covered by EO 464. We reiterate calls for President
Arroyo to finally revoke EO 464.
•We support the proposal to establish an Independent Counsel through the passage
of a statute that will investigate and prosecute those who are culpable. We urge
the public to closely watch the investigation being conducted by the Ombudsman
and the Department of Justice, even as we consider these as fresh attempts of the
administration to confuse the people, frighten and destroy the morale of present
and future witnesses and sow mistrust of the Senate-led investigation.
•We call on lawyers, civil society organizations and private individuals to link
with each other to gather information that will clearly establish the culpability
of government officials named by the witnesses in the NBN-ZTE deal and the
abduction of Jun Lozada. We ask them to disseminate such information so the
public can be guided in judging the issues themselves.
•We urge the public, their immediate and wider communities to continue being
vigilant and informed. We put our trust in the public’s judgment in actualizing
the bishops’ call for communal action through mass demonstrations and public
forums where people can be informed and can express their collective outrage in
a militant but non-violent manner.
•We realize that the success of these efforts rests largely upon a citizenry committed to the pursuit of truth, active and informed engagement with state institutions. We commend all whistleblowers for their courage and for showing us that
no matter how much we are part or have been part of corruption and injustice
– in little or large ways – we can still redeem ourselves and bring hope back in
our democratic institutions. We hope that their initiatives can help transform our
political culture towards upholding truth and accountability.
We believe, however, that a restoration of the people’s trust in our democratic
institutions can only begin when the personalities identified by Jun Lozada and by
previous whistleblowers are held accountable for suppressing and covering-up the
truth behind allegations of wrongdoings in the government.
Failure of the administration to do so justifies the intensifying public clamor for
Arroyo and her government to resign.
VOL. VI NO. 1
Peace and Economic Development
in the Age of Globalization
The 2004 Nobel Laureate for Economics, Finn
Erling Kydland, a Norwegian now teaching at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the Tepper School
of Business of the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, gave a talk entitled “Peace and economic development in the age of globalization” at the Ateneo’s Henry
Lee Irwin Theater on 7 February 2008.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner
visited the country for a series
of talks on economic development, as part of the program series called “Bridges - Dialogues
Toward a Culture of Peace,” initiated and facilitated by the Vienna-based International Peace
Foundation—an international,
intercultural, and interdisciplinary platform for dialogue between representatives of science,
politics, economy, culture, religion, the media and youth.
Of Business Cycles and
Macroeconomics
Professor Kydland’s began his
talk by pointing out a commonly
recognized fact: “Deficient economic development often comes
in the way of peace.”
What was the economic development of the countries in the
world like (income and wealth
disparities across nations, protection of vested interests, political-
ly-motivated policy reversals that
bring about more trouble in the
long run)? What has been done
to address monetary and financial crises of countries (creation
of central banks, the importance
of good economic policy)?
Among the highlights of his
talk was his explanation of the
framework of modern macroeconomics which is closely tied to
the work that earned him a Nobel
Prize, along with his colleague,
Professor Edward C. Prescott of
Arizona State University, with
whom he was jointly given the
2004 Nobel Peace Prize for their
research on the driving forces behind business cycles and macroeconomic policy, specifically, the
time inconsistency of economic
policy.
Kydland said that what he and
Prescott did was to come up with
a simplified economic framework by which to understand
the upturns (growth booms) and
Prof. Kydland and Dr. Cielito Habito at the Open Forum
Photos by Eileen Lolarga
By ERLINDA EILEEN G. LOLARGA
2004 Nobel Laureate for Economics Finn Erling Kydland at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater
downturns (recessions) of business, its effect on the productivity of the economy, people’s reactions to what he termed “random
shocks” (technological change,
bad weather, oil price hikes, etc.)
and how policy makers could
best chart economic policy directions.
Lessons for Policy Making
He shared lessons learned for policy from the respective successes
and failures of both Argentina
and Ireland as these countries
tried to deal with their own financial crises. For example, Kydland cited findings that Argentina
could have attained even higher
rates of economic growth in its
boom years in the 1990s if not for
the history of policy moves that
undermined the government’s
credibility to investors. Unwise
economic policies brought Argentina down. He said that there
is no easy answer to the question
of restoring investor confidence.
Ireland, in contrast, adopted policies that were credible and forward looking and thus, the country has grown spectacularly.
On a positive note, Professor
Kydland concluded his talk by
saying that with a good policy,
there is potential in poor countries for not just a 1–2 percent
income increase, but 1000–2000
percent increase that could happen reasonably between a 20-30
year period. He reiterated that
peace and economic develop-
Prof. Kydland with Ateneo students and teachers
ment are closely related.
During the open forum that
followed his talk, he shared other tips about policy and dealing with crises (and the “many
shocks” happening to the world
today):
•During a crisis—In the longrun, there is not much that the
government can do; if they intervene in the short run, there
may be trouble. Governments
have to commit themselves
to long-term goals, and policies have to be consistent with
these long-term goals.
•Get over the crisis—For developed countries, in the longrun, their ability to produce is
not really diminished; they recover in a couple of years.
•People should try to read signals and assess change.
•Smart people should try to find
solutions. Don’t be too pessimistic (about the future) and
simply give up!
•The model he and Prescott created does not make predictions
but points out the importance
of how to avoid policy changes
in the future (that would have
an adverse effect on economic
development).
•Each country has a particular
set of resources, talents, etc.
Don’t use exactly the same
policies. Different rules apply
to different countries. Have a
fair assessment of your abilities
and resources.
Fenruary - March 2008
Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines
Photos courtesy of the Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines
A Journey of Faith
The basic value needed in a JVP volunteer is the desire to serve for 10 months
By Eeya Litiatco-Martin
It is the day and age of incessant—at times discordant—public outcry for change and for the demand to
dismantle unjust social and political structures. But as history has revealed, there is no dramatic cure to the ills of the
nation. Still in places where the voices of those in dire need
go unnoticed amid the clamor, hope comes in the form of
those compelled to facilitate change by taking the road less
traveled—the total giving of self.
Now on its 28th year, the Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines (JVP) has been recruiting lay men and women from
various colleges and universities, extensively training and
fielding them for long-time volunteer work to marginalized
areas. Founded in 1980 in Ateneo de Manila University at
the height of the oppressive martial law era, JVP to date has
“commissioned” 700 volunteers to assume participatory
roles in indigenous and rural areas and institutions where
The “Others”
Alternative Jobs and the Atenean
By Grip Bueta
We often wonder and ask
where our old friends and classmates
have gone to after graduation. Maybe
you bump into an old friend once in a
while, or meet with some close friends
for lunch or a couple of drinks, but
more often than not, you have no idea
where a good number of the people
you knew work, or what they are doing with their lives. You often speculate, even rely on rumors at times, but
still end up wondering and asking.
According to the Ateneo Placement Office, over the past five years
on average, 73% of surveyed fresh
Ateneo graduates go straight to work
after school, 18.2% pursue further
studies, and around 2.6% remain unemployed. Some also go abroad for a
vacation.
Of the Ateneans who went on to
work, 89.4% have gone to the various industries, ranging from banking, manufacturing, consultancy, and
the IT sector. A few have also gone to
sales, marketing, and managing family businesses.
It is interesting to note that of the
graduates surveyed, only 6.5% went
on to work in the academe, 1.14%
Table 1 Employability of Ateneans in the Last 5 Years
Employment Status
Batch 2002
Batch 2003
Batch 2004
Batch 2005
Batch 2006
No. of Respondents
995 (88%)
1,108 (86%)
1,121 (71%)
1,104 (70%)
1,254 (76%)
Employed
663 (67%)
846 (76%)
849 (76%)
793 (72%)
933 (74%)
Industries
587 (89%)
754 (89%)
739 (87%)
719 (91%)
846 (91%)
Academe
44 (7%)
64 (8%)
66 (8%)
39 (5%)
42 (4.5%)
Government
NGO
Unemployed
Further Studies
Abroad
13 (2%)
8 (1%)
9 (1%)
8 (1%)
7 (0.7%)
15 (11%)
17 (2%)
22 (3%)
27 (3%)
19 (2%)
34 (3%)
46 (4%)
33 (3%)
19 (2%)
15 (1%)
211 (21%)
154 (14%)
169 (15%)
227 (21%)
254 (20%)
90 (9%)
62 (6%)
70 (6%)
65 (6%)
88 (7%)
Source: Ateneo Placement Office
their skills are needed the most. It is a form of volunteerism where one is called to be integrated into the community,
sharing their values and helping change lives.
To be catapulted into a far-flung region—where language,
culture, and lifestyle drastically differ, where modern conveniences are scarce or at times unheard of, and where the fear
of the unfamiliar is perfectly justified—may seem a daunting
proposition. After all, it is contravention to the sumptuary
route of the educated whose first, logical option (as the milieu to which they belong dictates) is to immediately jumpstart on their chosen career path for personal and professional gain. The emotional and physical challenges are real
and one’s patience and skills are put to the test of a lifetime.
So why should anyone choose to embark on this fool’s road
of giving up so much and at the same time, giving oneself
completely?
“The JVP year is (always) unforgettable. It’s a time when
you’re put into a new environment where you are challenged
to grow, work, and live. When you have gone through the
JVP volunteering experience, no one can take that away from
you. You are marked for life,” says Nathaniel Hipolito (Nikki), JVP’s Program Officer for volunteers in the Visayas and
Mindanao.
A two-year Jesuit Volunteer himself, he recounts the experience of teaching in an indigenous community in Lake
Sebu, South Cotabato and in Miarayon, Bukidnon. The process of integrating himself into the community—from learning their language, appreciating their rich cultural heritage,
and adapting to the cold climate—was, in itself, an exhilarating journey of discovery, but it did not compare to the heartwarming satisfaction of having forged meaningful friendships
with his students.
“It was a beautiful place but the people I met made the
place even more beautiful. They shared their stories with
me: they shared their struggles, they shared their dreams.”
says Nikki. As a Jesuit Volunteer, he had become more than
just a teacher, but a confidante and a friend as well. “You attend mass with them, you share their happiness in festivals,
you are angered with issues hounding their community. You
mourn and grieve when someone passes away.”
Students under his wing at his first volunteer experience
were people older than he was and who had to walk several
kilometers to attend school everyday. From farm or home life
to attending school, some had to regain study skills and habits. Though at times frustrating, it was their fierce determination to receive an education that inspired Nikki everyday to
give more and serve them well.
Nikki explains that JVP’s social development theory goes
beyond giving relief: it is fellowship, with the community
you’re working with—a highly-participatory and empowering experience that springs from the core values of the JVP
or the 5 S’s: Service, Social Justice, Solidarity, Simplicity, and
(Ignatian) Spirituality. In a nutshell, a concrete response to
the faith-driven desire to serve and to go the extra mile in being men and women for others. JVP’s model of volunteerism
is a commitment to community development by providing
willing, skilled and dedicated individuals who, with a mod-
served in the government, and 4.2%
started out in a non-government organization. This means that each year,
less than 10% of fresh graduates from
the Ateneo worked outside the corporate sector. Is this a cause for alarm,
or something which we shouldn’t
even bother about? Aren’t these jobs
the kind of jobs that Ateneans, as men
and women for others, should go to?
Of the less than 10% who have
gone to not-so-common fields of
work, here are three who took time
to share their stories.
Development Work
Boyet Dy graduated valedictorian of
class 2006 with a degree Development Studies and now works in the
Asian Institute of Management–TeaM
Energy Center (AIM-TeaM Energy
Center) for Bridging Societal Divides
as the Project Coordinator, helping
train community leaders and teaching them achieve sustainable and collaborative work. Boyet says that ever
since college, he knew he wanted to
do development work. So when he
heard about the job at AIM, he knew
it was a perfect opportunity for him.
He also adds that he is at home with
what he does, especially since it is
teaching which he loves to do.
Boyet adds that there are two misconceptions about development work,
which in a way discourage people
from getting into it. First is that you
need special training for this, but in
reality, he says that what you actually
need for the job is what you learn on
the job—hands-on training in other
words. He adds that what you need is
the drive to be deliberate in learning
and improving as you go along. Another misconception is that it is not
financially rewarding. On this, Boyet
says that while corporate jobs do pay
higher, the pay in development work
can be reasonable, especially with
other benefits such as the opportunity
to travel.
Working for a Cause
Next we have Celine Esguerra, also a
2006 graduate, with a degree in Political Science. After graduation, she
began working with the Ayala Foundation, Inc., where she did communication work for the project GILAS
(Gearing-Up Internet Literacy and
Access for Students), which aims to
provide all public schools with Internet connection. Celine says that she
chose this job because she wanted to
work for a cause she believed in, and
that being a fresh graduate, she was
eager to contribute to the development of society. She adds that working to give education to others is her
way of showing her gratitude for her
own education.
When asked to comment on the
lack of people in this kind of job, Celine says that it is a reality that NGOs
are under-staffed and under-funded,
and that just like any other job, it attracts a certain type of person. She
suggests that everyone should experience working in an NGO at least once
in your life, or if not as a first job,
something to keep oneself open to in
the future.
VOL. VI NO. 1
est allowance to sustain them, work in rural schools,
non-government organizations, and parishes to help
uplift peoples’ lives.
The 10-month volunteer service program is a defining moment of personal and professional growth,
where one is bound to emerge with a new perspective
of oneself and of the society at large. “Your views become different,” Nikki attests. “Sometimes you have
different views on poverty and on certain issues, down
to the choices you make. You begin to realize that a P50
meal is enough and filling over the P150 you would
normally have in a city.”
The new world that awaits prospective volunteers
goes beyond fulfilling assigned tasks. Volunteers are
inspired to initiate creative solutions given limited resources. They are a firsthand witness of the tangible difference one can make in the lives of individuals in the
community.
JVP works within five areas of social action, namely: Formal Education, Alternative Education Systems,
Community and Youth Organizing, Socio-Economic, and Socio-Pastoral Sector. The
evaluation and assessment held under
the stewardship of the Program Officers and the Executive Director determine which sector is most suitable for
the applicant given the accepted volunteer’s educational background, work
skills, interest and participation in social
issues, and even personality.
“We are looking for volunteers who are
leaders and who are no strangers to volunteering,” says Nikki. Preferred volunteers
are those equipped with the experience and
knowledge to address the urgent need in marginalized communities. “But the basic value is the
desire to serve for 10 months.”
No volunteer comes home empty-handed. The
pot of gold at the end of the rainbow comes in
the form of a second family and the gift of a lifechanging experience. Nikki animatedly shares the
rewards of being a former volunteer. “JVP builds
communities. Your batchmates are your newfound barkada, a new family.” Former volunteers
are absorbed by their local chapters where they can
organize get-togethers, pursue volunteering opportunities
and deepen community life.
JVP paves new roads of opportunity for former volunteers
whose hearts have found a home in volunteer work. Many
opt to stay in their area of assignment or get employed in the
institution they had been assigned to, while others channel
resources to set up foundations in their area of assignment.
Most volunteer returnees emerge from their JVP experience
as advocates of the issues that they once battled in the communities they served.
In some cases, the inspiring spirit of volunteerism is reawakened in the communities JVP volunteers have worked
Public Servant
Last, we have Kriselda Marie Songco,
a 2007 Economics graduate, who currently works as an Economic Development Specialist I for the National Economic Development Authority, where
she monitors and evaluates government
projects with official development assistance (ODA) from foreign countries
(a very interesting job in light of the
scandal’s and issues surrounding our
country today). Kriselda says that she
wound up in NEDA because she realized in her last year in college that she
wanted to be part of the million strong
civil service in the country. She also
says that she considered working for
NGOs, but with the little knowledge
and experience that she had about
them, she went to NEDA, which she
says is a good training ground for Economics graduates.
Kriselda says that it is disappointing that very few Ateneans consider
and end up working in the government. She says that what’s even more
disappointing is the fact that these
idealistic, intelligent, and dedicated
individuals are what the country
needs to “revolutionize” the government, but alas, are shunning away
from the public service.
BUILDING COMMUNITIES: JVP gives volunteers
new friends, a new family
Consider This
The stories of the three Ateneo
alumni above are not the usual postgraduation stories that you would
normally hear. Dig deeper into their
experiences in these jobs and you’ll
surely be surprised. The whole point
in sharing their stories is to remind
our fresh graduates—our new jobseekers—that there are other options
out there, options and fields which
are badly in need of the fresh zeal and
idealism that each and every Atenean
carries with him or her. Most soon-tobe graduates start aiming for the highpaying, Makati-based corporate posts,
or a lucrative career in a fast growing
industry. In their pursuit for wealth
and prosperity, they overlook the fact
that the talents and gifts that God has
given them may be meant for other
greater things.
Don’t get me wrong. Corporate
jobs are not bad; an Atenean will always be an Atenean where ever you
place him or her. He or she will carry
with him that light which our university has given us. However, maybe
more Ateneans should open themselves to the possibility that their light
is meant to shine in fields and paths
few people dare to tread.
Table 2 Top 5 Industries Ateneans Went To After Graduation
Batch 2002
Batch 2003
Batch 2004
Batch 2005
Batch 2006
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Computer/IT
Computer/IT
Computer/IT
Banking/Finance
Banking/Finance
Banking/Finance
Banking/Finance
Banking/Finance
Computer/IT
Computer/IT
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Consultancy
Consultancy
Consultancy
Telecoms
Telecoms
Manufacturing
Telecoms
Telecoms
Sales
Education
Family Business
Source: Ateneo Placement Office
with. Upon Nikki’s return to Lake Sebu, he found some
of his former students actively involved with community
health programs. In Bukidnon, his former students returned to their school to teach upon graduation. This is
a testament to how volunteering can be an effective catalyst for positive change.
Out of the 29 applicants for the program year 20082009, 13 are from Ateneo de Manila University. One of
the accepted JVP volunteers from Ateneo is Cherie Ann
Lo, a graduating senior of BS Psychology. It was her stint
as a tutor in a home for abandoned children in Naga
during her sophomore year that she felt the first intimations of plunging into full-time volunteer work. There
had only been one housemother designated to care for
forty children. The disheartening reality of the situation
further revealed itself to Cherie Ann when she realized
that the children were years behind in their educational
progression.
But it was her poignant encounters with the children that embedded and struck an eternal compassionate
chord in her heart. “One child there hugged me, and
I was moved to tears. You know, they were
abandoned, and yet they had so much
love to give. Despite their situation, they
had love to give. How much more from
me?”
She brought the plight of the children to the Filipino Chinese Catholic Youth
in that region and from thereon, the organization has been conducting weekly visits to
the home. An eye-opening experience, it led
her to take notice of the alarming disparity
between the rich and the poor. The unsettling
feeling persisted and eventually
ripened into a calling of becoming a JVP volunteer.
It was the same sense of solidarity with the poor that Nikki
experienced during his stay in
Bukidnon where farmers were
being driven out of their lands
by a prominent family in the region. “This family would survive
even if they don’t take the land.
But the farmers there, they really
have nothing aside from the land
they are tilling. If you enclose
their land with barbed wires, if you encamp where they are
planting, they are left with nothing to eat and survive with.”
Releasing our country from the clutches of poverty and
social injustice does not come in the form a messianic solution but in a concrete response rooted in the ideals of progressive change. JVP volunteers heed this call for action through
the faith-driven service of working together with marginalized communities and through this selfless course of action,
help awaken and fulfill the respective communities’ potential
to contribute to nation-building.
Advice to
Fresh Graduates
One of the hardest things a fresh graduate has to do after graduating
is choosing the right job. In the myriad of choices that abound, one
will surely be confused. Below are some tips that will hopefully help
you find the path that will be the journey of your life.
1. Do not worry about not getting a job. There will always be a job
waiting for each Atenean.
2. Take some serious time to reflect on the job you really want. Boyet Dy says that one has to look at both his external and internal
motivations. The external motivations are your need for financial
stability and building one’s professional reputation, and internal
motivations are following one’s passion and seeking genuine happiness. He says that, “Most fresh graduates fall into the trap of just
considering their external motivations in looking for a job… If all
that is brought into the equation are the external motivations, one
runs the risk of burning out early on.”
3. Your first job doesn’t have to be your “perfect job,” which may
take quite a while to find. Celine Esguerra says, “If you’re still unsure of what to do for the rest of your life, take advantage of your
youth (and inexperience) to explore every possible option that interests you.”
4. Lastly, and perhaps the most apt advice, Kriselda Songco says you
should consider all your conditions and constraints when choosing
a job, but never at the expense of compromising your dreams.
Fenruary - March 2008
Esteemed modern artist Impy
Pilapil, together with the Ateneo Art
Gallery, held an exhibit of large outdoor interactive sculptures on February 22 at the front and side gardens of
Ateneo de Manila University.
Her famous glass sculptures
redolent of reflection and images
of the sea, according to the artist,
reflect what Theosophist Rudolf
Steiner called the 12 senses: the ego,
thought, word, hearing, balance,
movement, life, touch, warmth,
sight, taste, and smell. Art, after all,
should give the audience a full-bodied experience that also engages the
mind.
For Impy, such interaction between the art and audience is kindled
by a benevolent force present in the
piece through the process of creation.
In The Mangrove: Nature’s Embrace,
Impy was inspired by the Mangrove
trees, in particular how the prominent
root zone of the trees become an apt
metaphor for the nature’s harmony
with humanity.
Art and Humanity
“As a highly productive ecosystem
that thrives between water, the roots
provide an all embracing, protective
and nurturing habitat that serves the
life cycle of a whole range of marine
life and land-dwelling species, and
Humming Stone
The Nautilus
Photos by Gary Devilles
Gary C. Devilles
Students try out the “Sungka”
also a key factor in preventing soil
erosion,” Impy said.
The artist perceives a parallel between the tree and humanity’s purpose
on this planet. The challenge therefore is to find the balance between advancing technology while maintaining environmental consciousness.
“On the physical level, mangrove
roots grow to a dome-like pattern that
symbolically brings to mind ideas like
shelter, protection, and safety, comprising the needs of all living things.
On another level, it evokes an embrace that provides the most basic
emotional need of man from the time
he is born,” Impy explained. For the
artist everyone is deeply rooted to a
family or culture and such rootedness
invites one to reflect on our innate desire to be loved and to belong.
Body tremors
In Humming Stone Impy said that everyone has his or her own vibration
or body tremor that is brought out by
humming. She believes that in ancient
times, humming was more practiced
than dancing, singing or the playing
of musical instruments. Humming
enlivens the toning of the whole human organism and in this sculpture,
one is instructed to place one’s head
in the hole and then hum as long as
one is able to until no air is left in the
lungs. With this activity, one becomes
aware not only of breathing patterns
but one’s specific body tremor that
should be cultivated as this reverberates not only within but in the universe as well. Humming could have
been humanity’s most ancient form of
communication and in this stone one
attempts to talk to the past.
Hearing and Feeling
Impy believes that sound created by
wind and other natural forces are
Esteemed modern artist Impy Pilapil
also the most primeval sound of the
world, and thus in Chime Halo, she
recreated how chime works using
bamboo. Here, one is instructed to
make a sound path by going through
the hanging bamboo from different
points. The sound emitted are believed to attract benevolent spirits
while driving away malevolent ones.
The percussion tones also harmonize
one’s energy by relieving stress and
emotional blockage. Similarly in Music Chamber, Impy believes that music speaks what cannot be expressed,
soothes the mind, heals the heart, and
makes one whole again.
In The Barefoot Trail, one is instructed to walk barefoot with eyes
closed and led by another. This activity creates an experience of a soothing
massage coming from different natu-
Barefoot Trail
ral textures on the soles of the feet.
By closing one’s eyes and by feeling
through from beneath one’s feet, Impy
believes that our senses become more
acute. “We are reminded that there
are other ways to perceive and experience things, as well as how there can
be much more to what we see,” Impy
said.
A Refuge
In this installation exhibit one can
indeed take a refuge, especially in
Nautilus where the spiraling bamboo
walls resemble the inner journey one
takes as one communes with the self
or paint with what one desires on the
Wishing Table, or play sungka as this
ancient game reminds Filipinos of our
instinctive ties with the sea since the
sungka resembles a boat and the shells
we play with it are the gifts of the sea.
This installation art might as well be
Impy Pilapils gifts to us especially
now in this opportune time that we
are called to discern critically on the
fate of our nation.
Philosopher Hannah Arendt believes that even in the darkest of times
we have the right to expect some illumination, and that such illumination may come less from theories and
concepts than from the uncertain,
flickering, and often weak light that
some men and women in their lives
and works will kindle under almost
all circumstances. Impy Pilapil gives
us the chance to hope.
Foreign students at the Music Chamber
The Music Chamber
Wishing Stone
Chime Halo
Rainbow rings
Photos courtesy of the Ateneo LS Bookstore
VOL. VI NO. 1
Books published by Ateneo faculty are prominently displayed in the window of the LS Bookstore
Making Reading More Attractive
By ERLINDA EILEEN G. LOLARGA
Since opening its doors under
new management in November 2007,
the LS Bookstore at the ground floor
of the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for
Student Leadership has been enjoying
brisk sales and a steadily increasing
flow of clientele from students and
other University patrons.
A visibly pleasant change as one
enters the air-conditioned premises
is the inviting living room—a sofa
set surrounded by bean bag chairs
for those who want to browse the
books and magazines conveniently
displayed in the surrounding shelves.
The tantalizing aroma of freshly brewing Figaro coffee wafting in from the
hallway outside helps create a relaxing ambience that entices one to unwind and chill out.
University clientele dropping by
for various needs now have a greater
variety of school supplies, gift items,
and other knick-knacks to choose
from. Grouped together in the display
shelves under banners saying “Everything Php20”, “Everything Php30,”
and “Everything Php 40,” and so on,
this new feature is useful for budgetconscious students who need to grab
supplies 10 minutes before their next
class.
More popular magazine titles, too,
are now available for leisurely reading.
Books published by faculty members
are also attractively and prominently
showcased at the display window. Envisioned to be a one-stop-shop for the
Loyola Schools community and essentially an outlet for everything the
school produces, the bookstore seems
to be living up to expectations and
more.
Student Entrepreneurs
On 11 February 2008, the LS Bookstore opened its doors to student entrepreneurs through a project called
“Mga Produckto ng Mga Mag-aaral
ng Ateneo” (Products of Ateneo Students.) The Bookstore converted one
section in the far side of the store into
a space for student-decorated booths
that carry student-produced and student-designed items, such as T-shirts
and dresses, accessories, notebooks,
journals, bags made from recycled
textbooks for their courses, the Bookstore adopted a new scheme that involves three ways of getting your purchases quickly.
The first one has students line
up per batch—freshmen and sophomores line up in the mornings, while
juniors and seniors can make their
purchases in the afternoon. A second option is to have the beadle buy
materials for the entire class. Or, students can opt to take the “next day
service” mode of paying, where they
fill up an order slip with the cashier
and return the next day to pay and
get the book.
No more long lines in the LS bookstore with three new purchasing schemes
A new living room set-up makes reading more accessible and inviting
tarps, and even CD games.
William Mallari, the new LS Bookstore Manager who came on board in
October 2007, says they introduced
an element of competition into the
project. The students’ booths were
judged based on how they decorated
their booths and how this enhanced
their products by a select group of
judges whose identities were kept
confidential. A group of students who
sewed bags out of recycled tarpaulin
materials—trendy bag designs promoting
environmental-consciousness—emerged as the winners.
No More Long Queues
In answer to the long queues that
plague the start of each semester,
when students rush to get their class
Other Things in Store
Mr. Mallari is brimming with hot
ideas and schemes to make the Bookstore more customer-friendly. “We are
still learning from the customers what
they want…and we try to be very sensitive to their needs,” he says.
Coming from the competitive
world of corporate sales, he saw the
opportunity posed by the academic
community market and did not stop
just at increasing textbook sales—the
primary objective originally assigned
to him. For instance, the staff has
been monitoring clientele in-flow,
and they observed that peak hours of
the Bookstore is from 12pm to 4pm
daily. Thus, Mr. Mallari imposed a nolunch-break policy.
Other projects in the pipeline include getting more book titles from
other big publishing companies and
university presses, such from the
University of the Philippines, De La
Salle University, and University of
Santo Tomas, in order to widen the
choices for reading and research of
faculty members and students.
Things are really looking up for
the LS Bookstore and its ever-increasing clientele. Mr. Mallari is really thankful for the support of the
University community and looks
ahead to cooking up new projects
in the future. He says his objective
really is to bring back the interest
in and the art of reading among
students and the rest of the Ateneo
community. That’s a bookstore not
only for bookworms but also a place
where reading is made attractive to
everyone.
10
Fenruary - March 2008
Celebrating Humanities
By Gary C. Devilles
S. Reyes’ reading of Macario Pineda’s
Ginto Sa Makiling, Marita Concepcion C. Guevarra on Ricky Lee and
Ishmael Bernal’s Himala, former IS
Chair Jonathan Chua on Jose Garcia
Villa’s Footnote to Youth, and Dr. Rofel
G. Brion on Marilu Diaz Abaya’s film
Moral. These lectures were sponsored
by The Doreen Gamboa Fernandez
Xtreme Fellowship Awards.
The Philosophy Department held
a lomography exhibit featuring the
works of Philosophy Department
Chair Dr. Remmon “Momok” Barbaza, Anjeline de Dios, PJ Mariano,
Guss Rodriguez, and Maan Villanueva of the Philosophy Department, as
well as of SOH students.
odern Languages Department
held an exhibit of Indonesian culture
at Natividad Galang Fajardo Conference Room. The exhibit featured important Indonesian artifacts and demonstration of culture such as the Batik
craft, a two dimensional decorative
art on cloth; Wayang, a traditional
form of traditional Javanese theatrical
performance; and the Balinese Dance
known as Legong.
The English Department mounted a poetry reading, titled One Night
Only: A Night of Poetry, Spectacle and
Song. The Department’s resident poets
and writers, Mark Cayanan, Miguel
Lizada, Amina Abola, Larry Ypil, Ino
Habana, Vince Serrano, and Exie Abola graced the event, with their Literature Majors performing dramatic
presentations of Masquerade, Grease,
and Glass Menagerie. Foreign Ph.D.
and M.A. students also read their
works as part of the program.
The Fine Arts Program also mounted a poetry reading, titled Ash Moon
and Juniper-Tree: A Literary Recital
Honoring the Humanities. New and
promising poets like Nikay C. Paredes and Zoe Dulay read their works,
followed by a demonstration from the
Fine Arts Dance Class of Dr. Matthew
Sta. Maria. L. Lacambra Ypil and Yol
Jamendang delighted the crowd with
their dramatic reading, while Kislap
SEAWrite awardee Michael Coroza
serenaded everyone with La Vie En
Rose. Twice recipient of the Jules and
Avery Hopwood Award at the University of Michigan, Peter Mayshle, read
an excerpt from his The Burden of the
Grasshopper. The performances of
Mookie Katigbak, Anjeline de Dios,
and Benilda S. Santos were fitting culmination of the event.
The Humanities celebration concluded with the Filipino Department’s
Sagala ng mga Sikat Parade, an annual
parade of students in Filipino classes
to dress up as the characters in the
Filipino movies, plays, poems, novels, and short stories. As a spectacular
production, students also festooned
their floats with appropriate motifs
and themes coming from the literary
piece that they have chosen. There
were about 27 floats this year—22
from the Filipino classes and 5 from
other offices and departments. The
School of Management and the High
School Department also joined the
parade. The float from Marx Lopez
class, Mga Bayani ng Martial Law,
emerged as the winner.
The Wayside Café
nesses the aftermath as dust, gravel,
and the character’s body parts fly
into the air just as described by the
character Redentor Soliman. Ricky
Abad’s voice and delivery sends images through one’s mind in slow motion making one feel that they are part
of this tragic scene. Yet, from this intense moment, the play does not leave
you on your own at this height, but
slowly brought you down and back
to the conversation between the two
actors, allowing enough space and
time for a much needed release to
extricate one’s self from being part
of the performance and back again
to being part of the audience. This
is one of the most notable achievements of this play.
Production design was done by
Gino Gonzales, lights design by Vol-
taire de Jesus and sound design by
Reamur David. This trio aptly set
the mood of the play. The small art
gallery’s stark white walls plastered
with post-it note paper, blinding blue
lights, cold air-conditioning, and only
two chairs and a table for sets, further
enhanced the feeling that indeed the
setting was an in-between place.
The play, in the brief half an hour
it takes, amid its very minimal set-up,
was able to stir up complex emotions
among the audience not to mention
leaving those who have seen it with
an experience that stays until after it
is over. A task quite daunting, challenging, and am sure very fulfilling to
those involved in its production.
I consider myself quite privileged
for being given the opportunity to
watch it on its final day.
The winning float in the Filipino Department¢s Sagala ng mga Sikat Parade: Mga Bayani ng Martial Law
By Elizabeth J. Aguilar
Once in a while, one comes across a very powerful and moving performance that leaves you breathless
and you come out of it asking yourself just what it is
you’ve experienced. That is the effect the Wayside Café
leaves you.
The Wayside Café is a premier production of the play by Tony Perez and
performed by the Ateneo Fine Arts
Program, in cooperation with the
Ateneo Art Gallery, in celebration of
their 2008 Humanities Week.
The play is about two college instructors who meet at the Wayside
Café. One is a recent arrival, Richard
Lustre (1967-2002), and the other,
Redentor Soliman (1952-1992), is an
old hand at the place. Having spent
more time at the cafe, Red takes it
upon himself to help Richard adjust
to the rules of the place as well as his
new situation.
Two faculty members of the
Loyola Schools play the main characters—Tats Quiblat plays the younger
Richard Lustre while Ricky Abad performs as Redentor Soliman. Both lead
actors were excellent in their portrayal of their character that one fully believed that they were indeed who they
were—men who were abruptly taken
from their wonderful lives. One could
readily commiserate with their misery, fear, frustration, and helplessness.
Each actor’s portrayal made us appreciate the difference between the one
who has spent time in the Wayside
Café (a more relaxed and accepting
attitude gained through the realization that events are now beyond one’s
control) and the one who just recently
arrived (the anger and denial of being
thrown into something against one’s
volition). No competition could be
seen between the two actors on stage
and it was refreshing to see portrayals complementing each other, giving
and taking when necessary.
The Waiter, played by Nicolo
Magno, also did a great job in setting
and bridging the scenes and never has
serving coffee or tea ever become so
important in a play! The hauntingly
beautiful singing which added to the
overall viewing experience was by
Eugene Soyosa, a student member of
the Ateneo Glee Club.
Ricky Abad and BJ Crisostomo codirect the play and successfully spellbind the audience. From the start, the
initial lines take hold of each person in
the room and captivate them through
the full 30-minute duration of the
presentation. The two main characters delivered their parts extremely
well and were able to transport the
audience to the scene that they were
relating. As a result, one became not
just a spectator of the performance
but ultimately became a part of the
scene albeit on the sidelines. While
watching, one could clearly see one’s
self walking alongside some commercial area somewhere, finding a man
shocked to find a grenade in front of
him, watching him stare at the metal
object spinning, spinning, and finally
exploding! Subsequently, one wit-
Ali Figueroa
Humanities Week began almost
four years ago with then Dean Leovino Garcia, who wanted to showcase
the best practices and activities of the
various departments in Humanities
and at the same time welcome Ateneo
merit scholars—high school students
who aced the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET).
This year, Dean Benilda S. Santos
wanted to address how the School of
Humanities contributes to the understanding of our world with its growing complexity and how students are
equipped with pertinent skills as our
experience of modernity or postmodernity poses more challenges.
The Department of Theology
sponsored a symposium regarding
faith questions and church issues our
students confront today. Dubbed as
“I Like Jesus but the Church, I Have
Some Questions,” the symposium was
held on 1 February with Dr. Michael
Asis, Dr. Raymond Aguas, and Mr.
Michael Liberatore as panel presenters. Ateneans raised issues on sexual
practices and homosexuality, and
asked why women can’t be ordained
as priests. Fr. Joseph L. Roche, SJ,
Professor Emeritus, joined the round
table discussion with students and
found the discussion engaging and illuminating.
The Interdisciplinary Studies Department, in celebration of their 35th
anniversary, held a series of public
lectures on great works, novels, and
films for the whole month of February.
Among the lectures were Dr. Soledad
Tatol Quiblat and Ricky Abad in Wayside Cafe
11
VOL. VI NO. 1
SOCIAL SCIENCES WEEK
Tribute to Heroes
By Erlinda Eileen G. Lolarga
“The excellence of the Filipino and the redefining
and revolutionizing role of the Filipino youth” in building the country was the highlight of Social Sciences week,
which ran from 5–9 February 2008.
As part of the event, captioned
“balikBAYAN: SOSS Week ’08,”
which aimed to celebrate contemporary Filipinos from all aspects of
life, a Heroes Awards was set up to
pay tribute to unsung heroes from
the student population and the nonteaching staff of Loyola Schools.
Tagged as “Heroes! Saving the
world before class time,” five students
and five non-teaching staff of Loyola
Schools were honored, with T-shirts
bearing the same tag as proof.
The Search for Heroes
The Heroes Awards project was spearheaded by the Sanggunian Board’s Social Sciences representatives from all
levels, led by freshman Hannah Cocos, AB Economics-Honors student.
Hannah explained that the Heroes
Award was successfully launched for
the first time last school year, but it
focused only on student heroes and
achievers. This school year, they
decided to expand the event by including non-teaching personnel as
part of the heroes line-up. From the
nominations, the 10 awardees were
chosen through a series of interviews
conducted by the Board members
themselves.
Candidates for the awards were
solicited from students through a
“freedom wall” set up at the ground
floor lobby of the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership. Here, students wrote the names
of their candidates, including their
reasons for nominating the person
and the contact numbers of the nominees. Hannah happily reports that
the freedom wall space was taken seriously and no pranksters marred the
nominations process. Over 40-50 students and 20 non-teaching staff were
nominated.
Upon getting the names, the Sanggunian Board members went about
the tedious task of interviewing everyone in the list, but had to limit these
further by choosing those whom they
could actually contact. The interviews
covered topics such as their principles
in life, challenges they faced and their
solutions to these, their ambitions in
life, changes they would like to see or
virtues they would like to impart to
others, etc.
Other Activities
Social Sciences Week was celebrated
with front liners and nation builders in mind. The week-long festivities
were jointly sponsored by the School
of Social Sciences’ Sanggunian Board,
Departments, Programs, and student
home organizations. Other activities
that marked the week include an SOSS
Fair at the SEC Field; course exhibits
at Colayco Hall; explaining the Filipino
Psyche through talks on blogging, juvenile delinquency, and technology at
Escaler Hall; various events that challenged the skills and talents of participating student teams around the campus; and a talk cum open forum with
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando.
The culminating event was a Saturday evening “Kalye Pinoy” shindig
held at the Cubao Shoe Expo that
showcased Social Sciences students’
talents in music, dance art and fashion.
Reimagining Rizal:
A seminar on the man and his works
The Department of History of the
School of Social Sciences invites college
and high school teachers who would like
to be exposed to advanced studies on
Jose Rizal to attend “Reimagining Rizal:
A seminar on the man and his works,”
a seminar-workshop on the teaching of
Rizal’s life and works, from 8am to 4pm,
21–25 April 2008.
The course on José Rizal’s life and
writings is a requirement for all tertiary
level students in the Philippines and
is usually taught by the History or Filipino departments of tertiary institutions.
At the secondary level, Rizal’s two novels, the Noli me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo are required and are usually
taught at the third and fourth year levels.
The teachers of these courses are often
a young Filipino’s first real introduction
to the life and works of José Rizal. Thus,
these teachers are critical instruments in
imparting Rizal’s experiences and ideal to
the students. For this reason, it is important to continually enhance and sharpen
their skills, introduce them to new methodologies and expose them to advanced
studies on José Rizal.
Lectures and workshops for the fiveday seminar include the following topics:
Calamba, nineteenth-century life, new
perspectives on the Morga including the
Migration Waves Theory, Rizal in the Propaganda Movement, the on-going debate
on Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Catholicism in the nineteenth
century, various angles on Rizal and the
Revolution of 1896, a guided field trip,
and a workshop on syllabus-making. In
addition, the seminar will also include activities involving primary sources written
by, or related to Rizal.
The seminar-workshop fee is P5,000
for all five days. It is equivalent to a 3unit credit course in the M.A. level on
condition that participants fulfill additional requirements. To earn graduate
units, participants must enroll in Hi 229.3
(Seminar in Philippine History: Rizal and
Philippine Nationalism) during the regular registration period of the University
(10-12 April 2008).
For more information, call 426-6001
local 5240 or 5241.
The Students
Steph Verano (II AB Comm)—She said: “People blame the office too much
when the problem is indifference.”
Jam Ong (II AB Comm)—She said: “There is stigma, that is why there is no
progress.”
Bym Buhain (II AB Psy)—He said: “(I) hope we become developed.”
Macoy Javier (I AB Psy)—They said he’s “a gentleman.”
Knight Roderos (I AB DS)—They said about him: “Laging may panahon
upang tumulong.” (He always has time to help others.)
The Non-Teaching Staff
Alma Fermano (SEC B photocopy lady)—She said: “Gusto kong maipamahagi ang dasal sa mga Atenista.” (I want to share prayers with Ateneans.)
Richard Gabito (Maintenance staff)—He hopes that the Ateneans would be
able to live out what the Ateneo has been teaching them about being men
and women for others.
Joseph Buhain (MVP Center security guard)—He said: “Igagapang ko ang pamilya ko hanggang kaya ko.” (I will work hard for my family as much as I can.)
Sonny Santos (MVP Center security guard)—He said: “Ibigay na lang sa iba
ang award para sa akin.” (Give the award to someone else.)
Julie Matibag (Rizal Library photocopy lady)—Regards her fellow personnel
as her family.
SOSE Names Outstanding
Student Research Works
The School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) awarded the winners of
the SOSE Awards for Outstanding Student Research on 7 March 2008 at the Escaler
Hall, Ateneo Loyola Heights campus.
The first prize winners made brief presentations of their research and were given
plaques. The semi-finalists, meanwhile, were given certificates of recognition. Listed
below are the winners:
Undergraduate—Basic Science Category:
First Prize:
Kendricks S. Lao (Chemistry)
“Molecularly-imprinted Polymer Microspheres for the Selective Extraction of Artemisinin”
Adviser: Dr. Regina C. So
Second Prize:
Kevin Kiel V. Apeles and Greg Matthew E. Teo (Biology):
“Towards Gene Cataloguing of the Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL) and CaffeateO-Methyltransferase (COMT) Genes from the Rhizomes of Zingiber officinales Rosc,
and Alpinia galanga (L.) Sw”
Advisers: Dr. Vivian A. Panes and Mr. Neil H. Tan Gana
Undergraduate—Applied Science and Technology
First Prize:
Hannah D. Arce, Cyndee D. Jocson and Steven D. Tamesis (Biology)
“Enhancement of Middlebrook 7H10 Culture Medium for Rapid Detection of
M. Tuberculosis”
Adviser: Mr. Crisanto M. Lopez
Second Prize:
Herwin Jerome Unidad (Physics)
“Development of a DC Magnetron Sputtering System”
Adviser: Mr. Ivan B. Culaba
Honorable Mention:
Dulce Marie Romea, Miguel Angelo M. Vicente and Jose Maria V. Villamor
“Ethanol Production from Rice Straw by Saccharification and Fermentation with
Phanaerochete chrysosporium, Trichoderma reesei, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae”
Adviser: Mr. Crisanto M. Lopez
Graduate Research Category:
First Prize:
Enrico Paolo C. Bugarin (Mathematics)
“On Color Groups of Bravais Colorings of Planar Modules with Quasicrystallographic
Symmetries”
Adviser: Dr. Ma. Louise Antonette N. delas Penas
Second Prize:
Erwine S. dela Paz (Biology)
“Augmenting the Action of Polymyxin B in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Treatment through Combination with Bacteriophage”
Adviser: Dr. Merab A. Chan
12
Photos by Alyson Yap
Fenruary - March 2008
Life, Death, and Ateneo Football
By Rick Olivares
There is no consolation for a
losing side.
It’s something that may be eased
with the passing of time, but you never
forget.
Ironically there’s none as well for a
winning team (if you’ve got blue blood
in your veins).
Vince Santos knows what it’s like.
He was Ateneo’s top striker during it’s
first ever UAAP football title when they
beat La Salle in 1996. The following year
the Green Booters of Hans Smit gained
a measure of revenge as they beat the
same blue side in the finals. Santos is
now the Program Head for FEU after
an acrimonious departure from handling the Ateneo team a few years ago.
And moments after his Tamaraws beat
Ateneo 1-0 in game two of the UAAP
2008 Men’s Footballs Finals, Santos had
trouble keeping his resolve. “It’s bittersweet,” he softly said twice.
The Morayta elevens’ coach Adolfo Alicante raised his fists in triumph
when head zebra Gerry San Andres
drew to a close an exciting and excruciating game. Then, as if in respect to
the Ateneans who fell to the pitch and
wept, he simply shook the hands of his
players and said no more. As I congratulated him, the champion coach nodded and managed a humble, “thanks.”
Almost throughout the tournament he
wore his trademark sunglasses refusing to let the game’s fortunes betray his
emotions. What was one more day?
Yes, the blue and white lived to
fight one more day last Sunday, February 17, as they beat FEU 2-0 to set up
the ultimate match. If you say that it’s
just a game, then obviously you don’t
subscribe to what the late great Liverpool manager Bill Shankly said about
the sport, “Some people think that football is a matter of life and death. I assure
you it’s much more than that.”
Ask assistant coach Bob Manlulo
and current program head Jong Castaneda who both played for Ateneo
that lost the 1989 football finals to a
UP team that prominently featured several Ateneans from their powerful high
school batch. They’ve never lived down
that day (it was an upset) and continue
to get ribbed by their marooned cohorts.
If you’re an Atenean then you
should know that more than any other
sport in the last 12 years, it’s the beautiful game that has given us pride and a
measure of bragging rights. Eight finals
appearances in the collegiate level and
five titles. And that’s not counting the
multitude of championships reaped in
the grade and high school levels.
The Blue Booters provided the
school’s first three-peat from 2004-06,
the first since the track team booked
the trick way back in the 1960’s. And
unfortunately, the loss also marked the
end of an era.
There’s a theory that when you surround fresh blood with champion players then it provides a sound environment for the young to learn and soak
in. Ateneo coach Arnulfo Merida knows
this and he’s infused the team with remnants of its last three-peat squad. For
team captain Pat Ozaeta, the moment
he stepped into Ateneo’s back four, he
helped turn the team’s fortunes around
wit his stellar defense. A model of consistency and dedication, he has been a
rock and has received accolades from
teammates, alumni, and foes alike. And
he has been an inspiration to his teammates and even his younger brother
Fred who turned the sport from a mere
pastime into a passion. The Ozaeta
brothers along with Alvin Perez, Doods
Lansang, Jolo Peralta, Gino Tongson,
and Gerard Cancio have strapped the
team onto their backs and gave the
school something great to cheer for in
the new year.
And in a sparkling turnaround from
a dismal Season 69, they played heads
up ball three-fourths of the way. They
showed what they can do when their
backs are against the wall like when
they stole a game from UP in the late
second round. And they answered FEU
by beating them at their own game in
game one of the finals. But the end
game magic ran out in match two.
I wondered if it was an omen when
the FEU Lady Tamaraws also ended an
era for La Salle women’s football as they
dealt the green and white’s great sweeper Stephanie Pheasant her first finals
loss. I mentioned it to my batchmate
and fellow sports shooter Philip Sison
(who also once played for Ateneo) who
optimistically told me that it might be
nothing. But when the Tamaraws midfielder Glester Sobremisana flicked in a
goal from close range after he was unmarked by the Ateneo defense (he even
had time to control the ball), I felt my
hair stand up. In all our finals’ appearances in UAAP football, when the opposition scored first they went on to
win the game and the series. In 1997,
La Salle’s Norman Azarcon scored the
match’s first goal before Vince Santos equalized. But within minutes, the
greenies’ Christian Lozano smashed in
the game winner. In 1998, the rubber
match of the three-title series between
the two arch-rivals, La Salle scored first
before Monch Espejo equalized. But by
the second half, La Salle found its range
as they peppered the Ateneo goal for
four more goals.
Last season, Ateneo scored a measly
four goals in eight matches. This year,
they had 19 but were held scoreless for
the second time in the tournament by
a very good FEU team that sought redemption for their lackluster finish last
year.
As Gino Tongson crumpled to the
ground, James Arco ran over to placate
the fallen winger who cried unabashedly. Pat Ozaeta quickly made the rounds
picking up teammates urging them to
stand up and be proud of their accomplishments. Ozaeta fought back his own
as for one final time he led the team to
bid their supporters a heartfelt “thank
you.” Merida lurked outside the pitch
unsure of what to feel or say but his face
couldn’t mask the pain. He was kicking
himself too for not being on the bench.
His game one gambit of getting sent
off backfired. For one final moment he
wasn’t there to prop the team up during
halftime and it was obvious the team
missed their head coach in spite of the
able job done by Manlulo.
Ozaeta was named the tournament’s
best defender for a third time in his
college career. Rufino Mantos was adjudged the best goalkeeper while defender Miguel Tuason, the Rookie of the
Year. It was small consolation for them
but when you put things in perspective,
for all the team’s belief that it could
challenge for a title, they were never
seeded to compete for it. FEU, UST,
and even UP were considered the favorites. Instead, the blue and white almost
snatched another improbable victory.
There’s no consolation for a losing
side.
But for what it’s worth… thanks for
a great season, team.
One big fight!