Volume LXXXII, No. 8 • November 30, 2010 THE

The Varsitarian
Founded 1928
Volume LXXXII, No. 8 • November 30, 2010 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas Manila, Philippines
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2 News
The
Varsitarian November 30, 2010
Assistant Editor: Jilly Anne A. Bulauan
A spiritual preparation for the quadricentennial
Admin, faculty, staff join ‘Q Retreat’
Talking about the “dearest” of all virtues,
Villegas said on the last day of the retreat that love
is a manifestation of contemplation, compassion,
communion, and communication.
“The love of God is too much to be
understood by the human mind,” Villegas said.
He added that love is best manifested
through silent contemplation, unity, and sincere
communication. “If you know silence, you can
speak with him and understand him. Love is
Q Retreat page 14
Toastmasters UST
chapter launched
By JENNIFER M. ORILLAZA
Toastmasters page 12
(Left) US AMBASSADOR Harry K. Thomas Jr. tries the woodblock printing at the Lumina Pandit exhibit at the Miguel de Benavides Library, where
Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. gave him a tour. (Right) Businessman Manny V. Pangilinan recieves a commemorative Lumina Pandit book at the
Rectors’s Hall. Pangilinan visited the University last November 17 to discuss about UST quadricentennial projects.
VIPs forge ties for UST Quadricentennial
A NUMBER of diplomats and
a top businessman visited the
University in the past two weeks
to forge partnerships with the
oldest university in Asia, barely
two months before the grand
Quadricentennial celebration in
2011.
United States Ambassador to
the Philippines Harry K. Thomas Jr.
went to UST last November 23 to
talk about a “fruitful collaboration
between UST and the United States
of America.”
In a luncheon meeting with
Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa,
O.P., Thomas vowed to actively
participate in the upcoming
activities of UST.
“We are going to ask Father
[De la Rosa] in what way he would
like us to participate, then we will
evaluate that and give a response,”
Thomas said in an interview.
Iraqi Ambassador to the
Philippines Wadee Al-Batti also
came to UST last November 25
for a courtesy call to Father De la
Rosa.
“I wish I would see more and
more Iraqi people in [the University
of] Santo Tomas, and we would see
more and more from Santo Tomas
in Baghdad,” Al-Batti said.
Last November 22, Foreign
Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo
went to the University to get an
overview of preparations for the
Quadricentennial festivities.
“This is a great historical
event. UST has been at the
forefront of our history and it
should be credited for producing
national heroes,” Romulo said.
Thomas and Romulo were
given separate tours by Father
Medicine profs oppose
biometric system in
attendance checking
THIS one gets a thumbs down.
A number of doctors at the
Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
are opposing a plan to require
them to log on to a biometric
“thumb-scanning” system to
monitor absences and tardiness
in class.
Although the system is not yet
operational, physician-lecturers
said the proposed system will be
inconvenient.
The biometric system will
require faculty members to
personally “bundy in and bundy
out” for their attendance by
scanning their fingerprints on the
machine.
Medicine Assistant Dean
Dr. Emelita Tan-Gan said the
office simply wanted to simplify
the process. While Medicine
does not have problems with the
attendance of instructors, Gan
said the dean’s office was having
a hard time monitoring faculty
members.
“The problem is that we have
around 300 faculty members and,
unlike in other colleges, there are
no fixed rooms for teaching and in
clerkship,” Gan said.
“The faculty council has
thought of the biometric system.
We asked the Office of the
Academic Affairs and Research
if we can do it, and they had no
objection. It’s the Faculty of
Medicine and Surgery which
initiated it,” Gan said.
Sought
for
comment,
Dr. Bernardo Conde, faculty
association president, said: “We
did not have the choice, because
it was basically a policy that came
from the dean’s office.”
“We asked if the policy
was university-wide. If it came
from the dean’s office and it’s
university-wide, it would seem
like they’re working on it as a
group,” he said.
Academic Affairs chief
Clarita Carillo said the policy did
not come from her office, adding
that the biometric system was
not applied university-wide for
faculty members, but only for
support staff members.
“To date, the biometric
system remains to be the initiative
of the respective units,” Carillo
said. “It is up to them whether
or not they will choose to adopt
this as a means to check faculty
attendance.”
Medicine page 13
Rector to the Lumina Pandit
exhibit at the Miguel de Benavides
Library, while Al-Batti was given
a tour of the Museum of Arts and
Sciences.
Meanwhile,
businessman
Manuel Pangilinan had a dinner
meeting with De la Rosa last
November 17 to discuss the
Quadricentennial celebration.
Pangilinan,
who
heads
companies like the Philippine Long
Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT),
Smart Communications, Inc., and
the Associated Broadcasting Co.
(ABC), said it was a good thing
for the University to undertake
social intervention projects, such
as Simbahayan, wherein UST will
rehabilitate 400 villages.
Pangilinan, an alumnus of
San Beda College and Ateneo de
Manila, also praised Thomasian
graduates, especially in the fields of
engineering, medicine, and nursing
for their “excellent performance.”
“We are very happy on how
they perform and we would like to
employ more graduates from UST,”
Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan’s top executives,
including Thomasian alumni Beth
Lui, president of PLDT information
technology unit ePLDT; lawyer
Rey Espinosa, president and chief
executive officer of ABC; and Helen
de Guzman, first vice president
and comptroller of power utility
Meralco, also joined the meeting.
Alumni Relations Director
Michael Angelo Malicsi said
Pangilinan will donate to the
University. Ana May R. Dela
Cruz, J C. V. Garcia, Jennifer
M. Orillaza and Darenn G.
Rodriguez
Usapang Uste
Tomasinong
alagad ng mga layuning liberal
MATAPOS mapasailalim ang
Unibersidad
sa
puwersang
Amerikano noong 1945, marami
sa mga sundalong banyaga ang
nag-aral ng mga asignaturang
liberal arts sa UST nang walang
bayad.
Alinsunod sa kautusan ng
noo’y Chief of the Department
of Information of the Liberation
Forces, nabigyan ng pagkakataong
makapag-aral ang mga sundalong
Amerikano habang hindi pa sila
naitatalaga sa ibang lugar. Sa
kondisyong may mga gurong
kusang-loob na magtuturo sa mga
sundalo, agad na isinaayos ng
noo’y Rektor P. Eugenio Jordan,
O.P. ang mga asignaturang nais
pag-aralan ng mga sundalo.
Namangha
ang
mga
nagsilbing guro sa programa, na
binubuo ng mga pari at laymen,
dahil sa ipinakitang masidhing
pagnanais ng mga sundalo na
matuto, patunay na ang pagdalo
ng mga ito sa klase nang walang
liban sa kabila ng pinagdaanan ng
mga ito sa katatapos lamang na
Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig.
Bagaman hindi pa lubusang
handa ang Unibersidad sa
pagbubukas muli ng klase dahil sa
tinamo nitong pinsala sa digmaan,
pinatunayan ng mga sundalong
Amerikano na hindi ito hadlang
upang sila’y matuto.
Tomasino siya
Alam n’yo bang isang
Tomasinong manananggol at
mamamahayag ang tinaguriang
“alagad ng mga layuning liberal”?
Isinilang noong ika-28 ng
Nobyembre, 1891 sa Mandurriao,
Iloilo, nakilala si Gregorio Perfecto
dahil sa kaniyang mga pananaw
na
libertaryano,
malikhaing
pagsusulat, at mga sumasalungat
Usapang Uste
PAHINA 13
Dibuho ni JILSON SECKLER C. TIU
INTERNATIONAL
public
speaking
organization Toastmasters Club (TMC) has
revived its chapter in UST to “provide a good
avenue for Thomasians where they can develop
their skill to speak well and the confidence to
speak up.”
Nine years after the demise of the first
UST-TMC, which was established in 1995, the
organization was relaunched last November 13
at the Beato Angelico Auditorium.
“I do not question the ability of Thomasians
to speak well. But I feel that they need to
speak up more,” said UST-TMC President Pia
Tenedero, a professor from the Alfredo M.
Velayo-College of Accountancy.
The first UST-TMC did not last long because
of conflicting schedules among its members,
she said. The revival of the club serves as a
contribution of the English department to the
400th anniversary of the University, she added.
“I want UST to be known as a hub of good
public speakers—those who know how to
speak and use the right words, as well as to earn
accolades for the University,” she said.
While not recognized by the Office for
Student Affairs, the club is open to all members
of the Thomasian community. Interested
applicants do not need to undergo screening.
They just need to apply for membership, attend
meetings, and pay fees.
The organization has so far recruited 22
Photos by JILSON SECKLER C. TIU
The Thomasian community is “on the
right track” by starting its Quadricentennial
celebrations with a spiritual retreat, living up to
the ideals of founder Miguel de Benavides, O.P.,
Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales
has said.
In the Quadricentennial Retreat (Q Retreat)
attended by the faculty members, administrators,
and support staff at the SMX Convention Center
in Pasay last month, Rosales praised UST for
preserving the fruits of the labor of Benavides,
the third archbishop of Manila whose bequest of
P1,500 worth of property and his personal library
led to the foundation of the University of Santo
Tomas in 1611.
Evoking the image of the mustard seed in
the New Testament parable, Rosales said in his
homily for the opening Mass last November 3:
“What was then a small perspective has now
become a big institution.”
The Q Retreat, bearing the theme “Tria
Haec: Impelled by Faith, Propelled by Hope,
Compelled by Love,” was held last November 3
to 5 for the first time in the University’s 400 years
of existence.
Tria Haec, which means “these three” in
Latin, refers to the three theological virtues: faith,
hope, and love cited by St. Paul, and portrayed by
three statues on top of the Main Building.
Guest speakers Bishop Teodoro Bacani,
auxiliary bishop of Manila, Imus Bishop
Luis Antonio Tagle, and Lingayen-Dagupan
Archbishop Socrates Villegas discussed during
the three-day event the importance of faith, hope,
and love in a Christian’s life.
Faith is belief in the divine, Bacani said. “In
this technical-positivistic age, what we see is what
we get,” He said. “We should believe not only in
what is created in our mind.”
Noting the importance of hope, Tagle said on
the second day that “the prevailing poverty makes
people become more cynical about life.”
“The one big complaint of Filipinos today:
nothing seems to work. Even simple things, they
don’t work… people become angry, some even
reach the point of cynicism that nothing will ever
work,” he said.
He said that it is only through God that
people will find true hope and happiness. “When
we are talking about hope, we are talking about
life … It is a matter of life and death,” Tagle said.
Editor: Charizze L. Abulencia
november 30, 2010
The
Varsitarian
News 3
‘Lab breakage fee’ surprises students during enrollment Advertising Arts
THE ACCOUNTING office
has started charging students
for
breaking
laboratory
equipment at the start of
every semester, catching some
students by surprise.
This was to clean up the
University’s
books
every
semester, and because parents
have been complaining of
having to pay accumulated
breakage
fees
before
graduation, the Laboratory
Equipment
and
Supplies
Office (Leso) said.
Students interviewed by
the Varsitarian wondered how
the Leso computed the fees,
since they often work together
in groups during laboratory
classes.
“I don’t know how they
came up with individual
breakage fees. Also, we were
not informed about it prior
to enrollment,” said Nursing
junior Maricar Anastacio.
Leso administrator Ross
Vasquez said members of
a laboratory group would
be charged every semester
depending on policies of the
college and the professor in
charge.
“Since
[previously]
the breakage fee was only
collected before graduation
for their whole stay in the
University,
the
amount
that students would pay
individually greatly varied
[as they belonged to different
groups],” said Vasquez.
“This [academic] year, the
accounting office required us
to submit a laboratory breakage
fee report every semester, which
will then be collected from
the students upon enrollment
to achieve clean accounting
records,” Vasquez said.
He said the “laboratory fee”
is different from the “breakage
fee” since the former is charged
for using the laboratory and
‘Lab breakage’ page 14
Teachers with MAs, PhDs up
...but a quarter of the faculty remain without master’s
THE NUMBER of faculty
members with graduate degrees
increased to nearly threequarters of UST’s teaching
force in the last four years,
while the rest still have to earn
master’s degrees to comply
with government standards,
data from the Office of the
Academic Affairs and Research
showed.
In the first semester of
the academic year, 515 faculty
members still had to get
master’s degrees, equivalent to
26.38 percent of the 1,945 total
faculty population including
the Graduate School, Medicine,
Law, and the elementary, high
school, and library departments.
Master’s degree holders
totaled 961 or 49.41 percent
while the number of doctorate
degree holders stood at 470 or
24.16 percent, an improvement
over the last four years. In the
first semester of school year
2006-2007, 34.26 percent of the
faculty did not have master’s
degrees, while a little over
65 percent had master’s and
doctorate degrees.
The Faculty of Engineering
had the most number of teachers
with graduate degrees at 113,
while the College of Education
(7 out of 82) and College of
Science (10 out of 120) had
the least number of faculty
members without graduate
degrees.
Meanwhile, the College
of Fine Arts and Design
(CFAD) had the most number
of faculty members without
master’s degrees at 44. Only 41
CFAD professors had graduate
degrees.
Fine Arts Dean Cynthia
Loza declined to comment.
The College of Nursing,
meanwhile, also has a big
population of instructors without
master of arts (MA) or master of
science (MS) degrees. Of the
115-strong Nursing teaching
force, 58 had graduate degrees
while 57 instructors still had to
get MAs.
Sought
for
comment,
Nursing Dean Glenda Vargas
said some teachers with master’s
degrees had left UST to go
overseas.
“We cannot stop them
[because] they are leaving for
greener pastures. We have to
replace [those who left] but there
are no qualified [applicants
with the minimum requirement
of an MA],” she said.
Nursing requires just
one year of clinical practice
in a field of specialization
as a registered nurse in the
Philippines, and membership
in an accredited professional
organization of nurses, Vargas
said.
Science Dean Maribel
Nonato said the college
provides support to professors
who want to continue further
studies. Faculty members with
post-graduate degrees serve as
role models for other teachers,
encouraging them to aspire for
Advertising page 15
higher studies, she added.
“As long as they (faculty
members) have the initiative to
study, we make sure that we give
them enough support,” Nonato said.
Engineering Dean Josefin de
Alban, meanwhile, said having an
MA is a “natural move.”
“We start by telling faculty
members to keep on studying
[although] there are no available
Faculty page 14
Photos by ISABELA MARTINEZ
Pampanga
Archbishop
Paciano Aniceto said Filipinos
should learn from the Americans
where a policy on reproductive
health resulted in a “culture of
death.”
“We don’t have to be like the
first-world countries. They’re rich
but they’re unhappy. We must
instead remain God-loving and
peaceful Christians,” Aniceto said
in a press conference at the opening
of the congress at the Dusit Hotel in
Makati last November 6.
Human Life International
Director Brian Clowes said
Catholics worldwide are watching
developments on the RH bill in the
Philippines.
“Do not become Americans.
Fight as hard as you can, the whole
world is watching you,” Clowes
said.
He claimed the RH bill was
masterminded by foreign groups
who want the Church to “shut up.”
“That RH bill was funded
and written by groups such as the
Center for Reproductive Rights
in New York City. They have put
in $100 billion for their cause and
DE SOUZA
the United States government also
allotted $100 billion on RH in the
last 20 years,” he said.
Aniceto
said
long-time
“brainwashing” by foreign groups
was the reason so many people are
calling for the approval of the RH
bill.
Odchimar said the CBCP
will keep on blocking the passage
of the bill despite the backing
of President Benigno “Noynoy”
THE COLLEGE Fine Arts and Design
(CFAD) will be implementing new academic
policies for its Advertising Arts program,
including the mandatory on-the-job-training
(OJT) for junior students and a revamp of
major subjects.
Starting next school year, subjects such
as “costume and fashion design,” “package
design” and “life painting” will no longer be
regular subjects, instead they will be offered
as elective courses, while a new subject
called “figure drawing” will be included
in the curriculum, the Varsitarian learned
in a forum titled “Cross PolyNation” last
November 10 and 11 at the Beato Angelico
Building.
“We have already moved computer
and photography down to second year since
computer was originally taken by fourth year
students and photography was taken in the
students’ third year,” Advertising department
chair Mary Christie Que said. “We will also
be doing electives and practicum for the
incoming third year students next year.”
But according to CFAD student council
President Ron Marco Taguimacon, some
students did not like the new curriculum.
“Some of the students in the lower
batches find the electives unfair since they
will not be able to take all of these subjects
anymore, unlike the previous batches,”
Taguimacon said. “They also dislike the fact
that there are limited slots per elective, which
means that there is no assurance that they can
get into the class they really like.”
Meanwhile, Que saw a problem on the
implementation of OJT for junior students
during the summer.
“Only a few advertising firms and offices
offer student internships at present, posing a
major problem in requiring all of the students
to undergo the OJT program,” she said. “If the
industry could provide a continuous support
system for UST in terms of its practicum
program, this would probably help alleviate
the problem.”
Needs improvement for conceptualization
Meanwhile, UST alumni and international
advertising practitioners Gem Habito and
Carol Ong said advertising arts graduates
Church leaders, experts: RH bill may ruin Filipino culture
THE PHILIPPINES may go
the way of the United States —
where a “contraceptive mentality”
and abortion is rampant—if the
“reproductive health” (RH) bill
becomes law, lay experts and
clergymen have said.
At the 17th Asia-Pacific
Congress on Faith, Life and
Family organized by Human Life
International, Church leaders said
they were preparing for a “headon” collision with proponents of the
population-control bill, which will
set aside billions in state funds for
contraceptives.
The head of the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP), Tandag Bishop
Nereo Odchimar, told reporters
the fight against the RH bill was
an uphill battle with the growing
number of lawmakers supporting it.
Odchimar said the CBCP
will enlist lay experts to help
explain the Church’s position on
the bill, which has provisions
that will outlaw “disinformation”
and violate freedom of speech,
and force employers to distribute
contraceptives to their workers.
to start requiring
summer OJT
ODCHIMAR
Aquino III and the Liberal Party.
CBCP legal counsel Jo Imbong
said priests, clergy, and laymen were
willing to go to jail if the RH bill is
enacted, referring to the provision
on disinformation, which will fine
or jail individuals or institutions
expressing opinions on the measure.
The bill will provide access
to state-funded contraceptives
RH bill page 15
Campus crime
rate decreases
THE INSTALLATION of closed-circuit
television (CCTV) cameras inside the campus
may have lessened the number of petty crimes
in the University.
In the first semester of the academic year,
the security office recorded 22 such cases,
compared with 39 and 31 in the first semester
of school years 2008 and 2009, respectively.
“Majority of the crime incidents
happened outside the campus,” security chief
Joseph Badinas said.
Based on security office records, España
Boulevard was the haven of pickpockets, who
prey on students by joining crowds crossing
the street. On Dapitan Street, “snatchers”
were usually aboard motorcycles, grabbing
mobile phones and other valuable items from
people on the sidewalk.
Thomasians must also be cautious in
parking outside the UST campus — in the
afternoon of October 11, a junior Architecture
student parked his car on P. Noval Street and
later found the left window of his car broken.
A backpack, important papers, and an mp3
player were taken away.
Also at P. Noval at 6 p.m. on the same
day, a roving guard caught a 14-year-old boy
trying to unscrew a tire from a car owned by a
second-year College of Science student.
“Usually, some [people] use minors [for
criminal activities] because we cannot file any
case against them (minors),” Badinas said.
Second semester crimes
While the campus is already equipped
with CCTV cameras, Thomasians should not
be complacent because just last November 4, a
security guard caught two outsiders who tried
to get a wallet and mobile phone from a bag
left in a pavilion across the open field by an
Art and Letters student, who was practicing
football at that time.
Crime page6
4 Opinion The
Varsitarian november 30, 2010
Editorial
Resurrection
WITH the passing of the University’s first
writer-in-residence, former Faculty of Arts and
Letters Dean Ophelia-Alcantara Dimalanta,
the administration has raised the prospect of
reviving the Center for Creative Writing and
Studies (CCWS), of which Dimalanta was the
inaugural—and ironically enough, the closing—
director.
The revival should be supported and
encouraged if only to provide a fitting tribute
to Dimalanta and sublime writers like her that
constitute the Parnassus of Thomasian letters.
The reconstitution of the Center will also
ensure the sure coming of the next generation of
Thomasian men and women of letters.
In an interview with the Varsitarian
after her appointment as UST’s first writer-inresidence, Dimalanta had said her appointment
was an opportunity for mentoring and guiding
the young. She also said that one of her
responsibilities was to encourage young writers
and to nurture the atmosphere of creative reading
on campus.
True enough, she was able to organize the
first all-Thomasian writers workshop last May.
But now that the UST’s premiere woman
poet is gone, what is in store for UST’s literary
future?
There will not be another Ophelia Dimalanta
who has the passion and fervor to foster the
creative literary environment in the campus.
And with the abolition of the CCWS in
2008 because of austerity measures (why, oh
why, are the arts and humanities the first to be
sacrificed during crisis and belt-tightening!), the
University may have dealt a death blow to the
future of Thomasian literature.
It is creative havens such as the CCWS,
the old Philets (“the biggest little college in the
Philippines whose students and alumni cow
into fear other schools because of the former’s
superiority in arts, humanities, and writing, an
admission made even by Conrado de Quiros),
the UST fine arts and architecture programs, and
the Varsitarian (the only school paper to have
an entry in the Cultural Center of the Philippines
Encyclopedia of the Arts for having produced
top writers and artists) where creativity and
genius are nurtured and nourished.
Consider Thomasian literary titans such
as F. Sionil Jose, Bienvenido Lumbera, Cirilo
Bautista, Wilfrido Nolledo, Cristina Pantoja
Hidalgo and Rogelio Sicat, and such artists as
J. Elizalde Navarro (a National Artist), Danny
Dalena, Cenon Rivera, and Julie Lluch! Looking
at them, one would realize that Thomasian literary
Editorial page 5
The
Condolences
I WAS NOT yet a fan of
poetry when I entered
college, and so I got only
acquainted with the name
Ophelia Dimalanta when I
shifted to AB Journalism in
2007.
I could not recall the first
time I read her name, was it
in a Varsitarian article? Or
was it during my encounter
with LIT102? I could hardly
remember.
After
being
quite
intrigued by her poem “Finder
Loser,” I tried google-ing her
name to know more about
her profile (I often do such
when I encounter a writer
that put me in amazement,
like when I chanced upon
Jessica Hagedorn’s Leopard
and Ronald Baytan’s poems),
and so I found out that she
was once a former Faculty of
Arts and Letters dean.
When I was not yet
member of the Varsitarian
staff, I would usually read
her being quoted in the
paper about literary issues
like the dwindling number
of Thomasians winning the
Palanca literary prize and the
closure of research centers
that included the Center for
Creative Writing and Studies
Varsitarian
ADRIENNE JESSE A. MALEFICIO
Associate Editor
charizze l. abulencia News Editor
JILLY ANNE A. BULAUAN Assistant News Editor
JEREMY S. PEREY Sports Editor
ALEXIS AILEX C. VILLAMOR, JR. Special Reports Editor
ROSE-AN JESSICA M. DIOQUINO Features Editor
MIKA RAFAELA A. BARRIOS Literary Editor
DANALYN T. LUBANG Patnugot ng Filipino
ROBIN G. PADILLA Witness Editor
ANTONIO RAMON H. ROYANDOYAN Sci-Tech Editor
LESTER G. BABIERA Circle Editor
CARLA T. GAMALINDA Art Director
PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO Photography Editor
News Charmaine M. Parado, Rommel Marvin C. Rio,
Darenn G. Rodriguez
Sports Angelo Nonato P. Cabrera, Anne Marie Carmela L. Dayauon,
Frauleine Michelle S. Villanueva
Special Reports Marnee A. Gamboa, Monica N. Ladisla
Features Margaret Rose B. Maranan, Alma Maria L. Sarmiento
Literary Azer N. Parrocha, Jonas Eleazar B. Trinidad
Filipino Patricia Isabela B. Evangelista
Witness Jennifer M. Orillaza, Brylle B. Tabora
Science and Technology Camille Anne M. Arcilla
Circle Maria Joanna Angela D. Cruz, Ana May R. De la Cruz, John
Ernest F. Jose, Alyosha J. Robillos
Art Fritzie Marie C. Amar, Patrick C. de los Reyes,
Jasmine C. Santos, Jilson Seckler C. Tiu, Karla Mides C. Toledo
Photography Josa Camille A. Bassig, Isabela A. Martinez, Jilson Seckler
FELIPE F. SALVOSA II
Assistant Publications Adviser
JOSELITO B. ZULUETA
Publications Adviser
Letters/comments/suggestions/contributions are welcome in the
Varsitarian. Only letters with signatures will be entertained. Original
manuscript contributions must be typewritten, double-spaced,
on regular bond paper, and should include a signed certification bearing the author’s name, address, year, and college. The
identity of a writer may be withheld upon request. The editors will
not be responsible for the loss of materials. Contributions must
be sent to The Varsitarian office, Rm. 105, Tan Yan Kee Student
Center Bldg., University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila.
where she was the director.
There were times that
I planned to attend some
seminars at the Graduate
School where she was set to
deliver talks or speeches.
Even when I was already part
of the Varsitarian, I always
wanted to meet her since she
was a former staff member,
too. But I deliberately skipped
my chances to meet her due
to my other engagements,
and knowing that Ma’am
Ophie would always be there.
She would always be there at
her office at St. Raymund’s
Building. She would always
be there when there are
literary conferences in UST
that I would surely attend
if my schedule permits me.
She would surely be there
on the Valik Varsi alumni
homecoming on December
11. Because in that event, I
intend to invite her to be one
of our guest columnists in the
Varsitarian quadricentennial
supplement. I just thought that
she would always be there. Or
quoting former Varsitarian
editor in chief and actor
Bernardo
Bernardo’s
Facebook comment: “We just
felt that she was going to live
forever.” I regret that I wasn’t
able to meet Ma’am Ophie
personally.
Condolences
to
the
family of Ma’am Ophie, and
to all Thomasian writers who
lost a “mom.”
***
Last November 23, the
***
Last November 15, the
University suddenly called
for a suspension of classes at
around three in the afternoon
due to the strike of bus
groups in a protest against the
Cliffhanger page 14
Keeping out of touch
Founded Jan. 16, 1928
CLIFF HARVEY C. VENZON
Editor in Chief
Condolences to the
riding public, for we
have such kind of
public vehicles that
are ready to leave us
hanging when their
profit is at stake
“Maguindanao
Massacre”
that killed 57 people,
including 32 journalists,
turned a year old. But 365
days after the worst single
attack to journalists, we
have not seen justice. What
we have seen is the slow
judicial process, what we
have seen is the government’s
incompetence for a thorough
investigation on the case,
what we have seen is the
culture of impunity remained
in some parts of Mindanao.
President Aquino earlier
vowed to hold the murderers
accountable for the massacre
and to dismantle private
armies by powerful clans.
But where is the case now?
And where is it going?
Condolences
to
the
family of the civilians
and journalists killed at
the November 23, 2009
Maguindanao carnage.
OUT OF a whim, I sent a
rather “dramatic” message
to some of my blockmates
via Facebook. I told them
to reach me through text
or e-mail and not through
the social networking site,
where most of the class (and
personal life) updates were
posted. I haven’t accessed
my account for almost a
week when this happened,
and maybe my drama queen
tendency kicked in because I
haven’t been “in the know.”
I ended the short note with:
“I’m lonely, and Facebook
only makes it worse.”
One of them immediately
sent me a text message,
asking me what was wrong. I
replied “Wala naman,” which
I followed with a tirade of
how sad it is that Facebook
seemed to have robbed us the
human touch.
Call me sentimental, but I
feel sad when I hear people say
“I-FB mo na lang,” dashing
out of the conversation and in
the company of the computer.
It makes me wonder: is it the
culture of instants and hurries
that drives us to do this to
family and friends?
Thinking about it, a
significant chunk of the 367
“friends” I have there are
Not everything must
be up for online public
consumption; that’s the
luxury (or curse) that
only celebrities must
live with
not my friends, but mere
acquaintances—someone
I
met at a gathering, contacts
needed for ‘official’ business,
or a friend’s friend. I get
invites, seeing “1 mutual
friend” on the notification,
and I hit the “Ignore” button
from time to time. But I’m
often tempted to accept the
request when there’s a tiny
hint of familiarity. For now, I
keep some of the requests in
the “Not Now” vault because
I really don’t know what to do
with them.
I’m also torn between
freedom of expression and
what qualifies to be expressed
in that arena. Undoubtedly, the
habit of answering the inquiry
“What’s on your mind?” has
led some to wash dirty linens
in public, or to bring someone
else’s filthiness out for all of
Facebook-land to see.
Then there are those who
confuse the mind with the
heart, thus opening up about
their lives’ misery—bluntly or
in codes. I would have to plead
guilty for the times that I
poured my disgust or sadness
on my Facebook wall,
but lately I’ve learned the
importance of keeping mum
and approaching people.
Don’t get me wrong; the
high-speed, almost limitless
communication line provided
for us today is an amazing
innovation that may be
used to come up with good
results. It has also become
an avenue for relationships
to go on even with distance.
But, as in everything else,
there are things in life that
must be presented to the right
audience in the right time.
Not everything must be up for
online public consumption;
that’s the luxury (or curse)
that only celebrities must live
with..
I have this fear that we
might never find our way
around this dilemma. But
maybe we can make things
a little better by striking a
balance—by remembering
that interaction is an essential
for us humans, and by
reminding ourselves that
face-to-face encounters are
still much better than access
to Facebook pages.
***
To Ma’am Ophie, the
woman who knew how to
weave the human touch
in words and in teaching:
Summer had passed, as
everything else must. But I
know that it will not be the
end. The habit of reading will
go on and I’ll start writing
again. I’m grateful for the
opportunity to be one of
your “kids”, even for just a
week. I hope that all of us can
make you proud someday.
And maybe, when the time
comes, we’ll find you again,
writing verses and singing
the classics in the company of
angels.
November 30, 2010
Conversation with the poetess
IT WAS, undoubtedly, my first
and last encounter with the Lady
Polyester.
While on the lookout for
a credible source for my last
column regarding Thomasian
Palanca winners and the defunct
Center for Creative Writing and
Studies (CCWS), I chanced
upon an abrupt interview
with Dr. Ophelia Alcantara
Dimalanta, the University’s then
writer-in-residence who was
affectionately called “Ma’am
Ophie.”
Greeting me with a warm
smile, she beckoned me to a seat
next to her paperwork-laden
table. Perched on top was the
laudable title bestowed on her
by the Rector, emblazoned on
a white plaque with her name
inscribed above it.
“Not
all
universities
can have that title [writerin-residence] unless there is
one reputable writer in its
community,” said Ma’am Ophie,
who humorously took back
the statement. “Ang yabang ko
naman pala pag sinabi ko ‘yan.”
Though this title spoke
much of literary grandeur, given
that she was handpicked among
a pool of other excellent writers
who hail from the University
as well, Ma’am Ophie did not
exhibit that haughty, snobbish
air established poets are known
for, nor was she visibly eccentric
or contemplative and brooding.
In fact, she was motherly
at best. She spoke to me as
if she was talking to longlost
granddaughter
who
Maam Ophie did not
exhibit that haughty,
snobbish air established
poets are known for...
In fact, she was
motherly at best
suddenly had a change of heart
and decided to pursue her
sidetracked literary dreams.
“You should let me read
some of your works,” she said.
“I’m encouraging you to create
more!”
Nevertheless, she still
kept her “professor” demeanor,
keeping tabs on my grammar
lapses
and
pronunciation,
like
how
I
incorrectly
pronounced Quadricentennial as
“Quadricen-ti-nial.”
“Sorry, but my being
a professor just comes out
every time I hear somebody
mispronounce
the
word
quadricentennial. It should be
‘quadricen-TEN-nial’,”
she
reprimanded.
What should have been
a talk merely on the lackluster
literary
performance
of
Thomasians stretched to all
sorts of topics, ranging from the
recent Varsitarian-Thomasian
Writers Guild tension to the
quadricentennial
play
she
was writing with Varsitarian
publication adviser Joselito
Zulueta.
Ma’am Ophie mused on the
tight budgets the administration
has implemented, thus limiting
the means of further harnessing
the creative minds of the
students. Stating that she was
“a little disenchanted” by this
lessened support, she still hopes
that budding writers have it in
their heart to write despite the
lack of aid from the academe.
The abolishment of the
CCWS, which also suffered
from the budget setback,
could’ve been a massive help
for students who are on the brim
of discovering their knack for
literary writing.
“I don’t want to be blamed
for the lukewarm turnout
of creative writing in the
University, because in truth, it
still depends on the students,”
she said.
Concerning the growing
clash between the Varsitarian
and the TWG, she hopes nothing
but unity for the two writing
groups. For her, an alliance
would generate a stronger and
greater writing force. Also, she
wishes to recruit even more
writers to the pack, in case this
plan is taken into action.
Prior to her untimely death,
Ma’am Ophie was also planning
to set-up another Thomasian
Writers Workshop reminiscent
of last summer. In fact, had her
workload comprising mainly of
teaching and writing lessened,
she would’ve started more
projects.
The musical play she was
writing with Zulueta about
Miguel de Benavides, which
was to be shown later in the
quadricentennial celebrations,
supposed undergoing revisions
that time.
“My imaginative touches
to the play did not sit well with
them [UST administration], but
I was not writing a historical
account, so there had to be
figments of imagination there,”
she claimed, disconcerted
that her writing was deemed
“aprophical”. “I wanted to show
the human side of Benavides, the
many layers of his personality,
to stay true to the fact that plays
must have a particular issue to
hold on.”
Ma’am
Ophie
had
probably more unfinished plans
she would’ve wanted to see into
fruition, but the wave of support
which seemed to smother her
with love as transcendental
as her famous poetry verses
could only echo one thing ─
as her words burn into eternal
brightness, so shall all who knew
her meet in mutual purpose.
The sum of all fears
A COUPLE of weeks ago, I
opened my Facebook account
and received a notification
containing a link from my
fellow Varsitarian editor,
so I went to the link and saw
Carlos Celdran’s profile.
For those who were
born yesterday, Celdran was
the Intramuros tourist guide
who interrupted a Mass at
the Manila Cathedral last
October 1. He brought with
him a placard with “Damaso”
written over it, and shouted:
“Stop getting involved in
politics” in reference to the
Church’s staunch opposition
against the Reproductive
Health (RH) bill.
He posted a link of the
Varsitarian’s editorial found
in the paper’s online edition
and said: “…is reading the
Varsitarian of University
of Santo Tomas condemning
me and lamenting the
“apathy” of today’s Filipino
Catholics. Sigh...” I imagined
a man getting tired of being
condemned but that was not
what caught my eye.
There were comments
posted by people who
support Celdran and what
bothered me the most, aside
from the grammatical and
factual errors, is that some
Editorial
FROM PAGE 4
and artistic greats have always
been associated with Philets, the
humanities curriculum, the arts
programs, and the Varsitarian—
or all of these!
But the legacy and
reputation have been waning
and paling for some time, and
the demise of the CCWS has
worsened the situation. The
centralization of research centers
by the UST administration
should have spared the creative
writing center.
of the comments say that
Varsitarian staff members,
and perhaps, the Catholics
opposing the RH bill, are
defending their faith solely on
the basis that they “do not bite
the hand that feeds them.”
The irony of the statement
was devastating; I realized
the world we are living in is
losing its sense of propriety
with regards to religion.
UST is basically a part of
the Catholic community
in the Philippines, and the
implication of the statement
was not only directed to
UST but also to the Catholic
Church.
A column of Rector
Father Rolando de la Rosa,
O.P. last November 14 in the
Manila Bulletin seem to echo
the current situation in the
leading Catholic country in
Asia.
Using his example and
based on what I had read,
the Belgian parliament had
a similar scenario when they
approved the legalization of
abortion in 1990.
Although Belgian Prime
Minister Wilfried Maertens
opposed such law, he was
outvoted by ruling parties of
the Parliament. It was now up
to King Baudouin to accept
the abortion law.
With much bravado and
integrity, he refused to sign
the law and insisted that it
was against his beliefs as
a Catholic to approve of
abortion.
The Parliament did not
stop there. They tried to
overrule the King and in 1990
declared the throne vacant
due to the incapacity of the
King to rule Belgium.
While
reading
this
anecdote in Father Rector’s
column, I cannot really
fathom why there is so
much unholy fervor among
Filipinos, especially with the
officials persistently trying to
pass the RH bill.
We cannot anymore
distinguish what is right from
wrong. It is now a matter of
whether a law, a situation or
even an action, is beneficial to
the people or not.
Moreover, there is no
longer any concern for what is
moral and what is due to the
people the Church is trying
to protect. She is not only
defending herself, but more
importantly, the people who
get strength from her.
But that may not be the
case anymore. A great number
of people the Church swore
to protect are now turning
against her.
Without faith, the time
may come when there is no
one left to defend the Church
and all of those she once gave
spiritual food, shelter and
strength have come back to
destroy her.
Browsing through more
Memento Mori page 7
As Dimalanta had said, the
output of the creative writing
center is different with the
research centers on the sciences
and technology.
The UST administration
should have considered UST’s
literary glory as the birthplace
of some of country’s brightest
and most illustrious men and
women of letters and the arts. At
the least, the UST administration
should have considered the
efforts of Dimalanta to mold
young Thomasian writers. What
seems to be the more appalling
setting is that budding creative
Thomasian creative writers
hardly get support from the
University!
Also the move of several
deanships to drop humanities and
literature subjects might have
added to Dimalanta’s dismay.
Moreover, is Dimalanta’s book
on Philippine contemporary
literature still being used in the
University nowadays? Worse,
does any of her work form part
of the undergraduate curricula
and textbooks on literature?
Alas, the UST curriculum had
long killed Dimalanta off before
she succumbed to a stroke Nov.
4, 2010!
Now that Dimalanta and
others of her ilk (such as the
well-loved teacher of literature,
Milagros Tanlayco) are gone,
the best thing that the University
could do is to continue their
passion and mission to train
and nurture aspiring writers and
artists in the University.
If not, UST may be
heading for the dark age of the
humanities.
Now
that
Ophelia
Dimalanta
has
died,
a
resurrection should be in order—
the resurrection of the CCWS
and the return of the exiled
regime of letters and the arts to
Thomasian soil. Let Thomasian
ground be hallowed again by the
spirit of the humanities and the
Catholic imagination!
But that may not be
the case anymore. A
great number of people
the Church swore to
protect are now turning
against her
The
Varsitarian Opinion
5
Homage to a friend
and teacher
The Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta
that I met as an undergraduate in
that small college that lives on in
literary legend as “Philets” had
a formidable reputation as a poet
even then. Trying to describe it to
me, a male classmate said: “Let’s
put it this way, she’s UST’s answer
to UP’s Virginia Moreno.”
I had wonderful literary
mentors in Philets, and all of them
were women: Erlinda Francia
Rustia, Piedad Guinto Rosales,
Josephine Bass Serrano. The best
of them all I met when I entered the graduate school, Dr.
Carolina Garcia.
Ophie was not as dramatic and striking as Linda
Rustia, or as quick and humorous as Pity Rosales, or as
motherly and effusive as Josephine Serrano. She was quiet,
low-key… even reclusive.
There were those who claimed that she was rather
aloof when it came to her girl students, that she was warmer
toward the men. Maybe it was this which made me initially
indifferent to her. Also, one had strain to catch some of her
words when she lectured on those difficult poets, Wallace
Stevens or William Butler Yeats. Or Edith Sitwell. One’s
attention wandered. She lacked the panache, the dash, the
“dating” of our other women mentors. But unlike them all,
Ophelia was herself a writer. And for me and my classmates
who aspired to be writers ourselves, that made a world of
difference.
Later, when I joined the faculty of what had
become the College of Arts and Letters, Ophie and I would
find ourselves sharing one of those long tables in the Artlets
Faculty Room, and having long chats over merienda. (Not
over lunch, as far as I can recall. Ophie’s classes were
invariably in the afternoon classes or the evening—I don’t
now remember why she preferred it that way.) Anyway, I
would find her to be quite the opposite of the remote, elusive
prima donna I had taken her to be. Ophie, I discovered,
was surprisingly warm, given to sudden, spontaneous
confidences, girlish, giggly even. Soon we had become
good friends.
You were what most of us
aspire to be, but which not
very many of us achieve: a
gifted writer, a dedicated
teacher, a loyal friend, and a
true gentlewoman in the finest
sense of the word
When I returned to the Philippines after 15 years of living
abroad, and I began, timidly, to try to publish my new
stories here, I felt very insecure. I had been away for too
long. Even if I had published three books here while living
overseas, I had no idea what people in my own country
thought of them. In those days—before e-mail and the
Net—an expatriate felt very cut off from her roots. Besides,
I was experimenting with what for me was a new form—
the modern tale.
Ophie did not wait for me to ask. She simply
demanded: “O, ano, gusto mo bang sumulat ako ng
introduction?” So my short story collection, For Whom the
Moon Rages is one of the very few books of mine which has
an introduction, and it is by Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta.
But now I want to speak about another side to
Ophie, a side I was to discover quite unexpectedly before I
left the country in early 70s. I don’t know how many people
know this side of her. I am referring to the fierceness of her
loyalties, and the strength of character.
I have never spoken about this in public before.
Perhaps now is the right time. There was a time when I
found myself hounded by some persons who held what
might be called positions of power, and who, for some
reason I have not fathomed to this day, wanted me thrown
out of the institution for which I was working. Only Ophie
took my side. And when she found that she could do nothing
to help me keep my position, she did her best to help me find
a place elsewhere.
That was a long time ago, and we never spoke
about it again, Ophie and I. But I hope she knows I have
never forgotten that debt which I owe her,and can now
never repay.
So, Ophie, I say this with deep affection and an
abiding gratitude: maraming salamat. It was a privilege
to have been both your student and your friend. You were
what most of us aspire to be, but which not very many of us
achieve: a gifted writer, a dedicated teacher, a loyal friend,
and a true gentlewoman in the finest sense of the word.
*Above was the eulogy delivered by Dr. Cristina PantojaHidalgo during the necrological services for Dimalanta last
November 9 at the Santisimo Rosario Chapel. Hidalgo is the
new UST Publishing House director.
6 Features The
Varsitarian november 30, 2010
Editor: Rose -An Jessica M. Dioquino
12th Inkblots: Learning the ways of journalists
C
ELEBRATING a dozen Inkblots,
fellows again gathered to hear
experts pass on their grains of
wisdom regarding the industry’s pressing
issues.
The annual tradition of the
Varsitarian continues as it reminds young
journalists of their duty to uphold the truth
in journalism in a three-day seminar held
at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex
Auditorium last October 18 to 20.
Lawyer and Philippine Star columnist
Jose Sison encouraged over 300 fellows,
consisting of student journalists and
publications advisers, to “write about the
truth” while maintaining sensibility and
sensitivity in certain matters.
This year’s keynote speaker noted
that a writer should be sure of his facts and
use proper words, so as not to cause too
much damage on a person’s reputation. He
added that journalists should avoid ‘trial
by publicity,’ or passing on judgment to a
person who has yet to be tried through due
process of law.
“Be charitable,” Sison said to the
young journalists at the Thomas Aquinas
Research Complex auditorium, where he
also expounded on issues that currently
affect the media—particularly the
Reproductive Health bill.
Fr. Nick Lalog of Radyo Veritas also
recognized the power of media in his
lecture in Catholic Journalism.
“Communication, like the one
practiced by the journalists, is a power
shared by God in which it is more than an
expression of emotion,” the Varsitarian
alumnus said.
Tricks of the trade
Tackling the basics of news writing is
Philippine Daily Inquirer political reporter
Christian Esguerra, who emphasized the
importance of inquiry and commitment in
gathering information and in writing the
story.
Esguerra, who established Inkblots
in 1998, shared tools which reporters
can use to tell a story more effectively—
news judgment, patience, commitment,
discipline, and respect for the language
used.
He said one has to “dig deeper”
to avoid missing an important detail,
especially if the unknown information
would add more flavor and meaning to the
story.
“Don’t be irritated with yourself if
you have a lot of questions because that’s
where everything comes from. That’s just
being inquisitive,” Esguerra said.
Going down to the campus level, the
former Varsitarian editor in chief
said that a reporter’s commitment
is primarily to the truth, while
the commitment to the school or
institution is just secondary.
GMA 7’s Jun Veneracion
echoed
Esguerra
in
his
investigative journalism lecture,
saying that intricate data gathering
is essential in establishing the
backbone of the story.
“You have to find the story
behind the story,” he said. “Being
change-agents of society is a
journalist’s greatest contribution.”
Then and now
Other speakers delved into
trends brought by technological
advancement, which can affect the
Crime
FROM PAGE 2
Last November 21, three
people who have reportedly
been swindling Thomasians
since 2009 were finally caught
on España Street.
Senior Pharmacy student
Brian Martin Guballa was
at the corner of España and
P. Noval streets when a man
suddenly stopped him and
asked if he belonged to a
fraternity. When another man
came followed by still another
accomplice, Guballa felt
threatened and immediately
asked for help.
“Noong nakita ko na may
binubunot s’ya, natakot ako,
tumakbo ako agad sa crowd
ng mga tao na magsisimba,
tapos nagsumbong na ko sa
guard sa P. Noval,” he said.
Guballa together with
UST guards looked for the
suspects and found out that
the three were with another
victim, Ram Lester Mondez, a
second-year Nursing student.
“Sinasabi ko nga na
gusto ko na umalis pero ayaw
pa rin nila kong paalisin,”
Mondez said.
The suspects, who all
came
from
Novaliches,
Quezon City, were identified
as Edwin Dela Rosa, 32;
Jayemm Cumigad, 25; and a
16-year-old boy.
“Nagawa ko `yun dahil sa
hirap ng buhay. Hindi naman
kami nananakit,” De la Rosa
said.
Aside from the crime
prevention, the CCTV “pantilt-zoom” cameras enable the
security office to see as far
as 420 meters, helping them
in monitoring Thomasians
exhibiting “public displays of
affection.”
“We have the ability to
control things because of the
CCTV cameras. When we
see in our monitor that they
(students) are going to do
something, we immediately
send someone to stop them,”
Badinas said.
In ordinary school days,
UST, which has a student
population of 40,000, has
more or less 70 security
guards.
The 70 security guards
are divided into a “call force”
of security guards assigned
to buildings and gates, and a
“skeletal force” which includes
six civilian and two roving
guards for the whole day. Ana
May R. Dela Cruz
way
journalists
do
their
work.
Discussing
the
broadcast industry, Cesar
Apolinario said the enemy
of media
today is envelopmental journalism—a term
coining bribery on the members of the media
industry.
“But if you want to be honest and if
you don’t want to tarnish your name and
reputation, you have to say no to that,” he said,
encouraging fellows to be “true reporters” by
not accepting bribe.
The
award-winning
documentary
reporter and director talked about the rise
of online and citizen journalism, where the
public can be reporters themselves through
the use of gadgets readily available to them.
“Alam n’yo ba na bukod sa pagla-live
report ay nauuna pa ang Twitter sa pagrereport [ng mga balita namin]. Doon na unang
pinupulot [ng audience] ang aming report,”
Apolinario said.
Sharing a different view is Philippine Star
sports columnist Joaquin “Quinito” Henson,
who sees the electronic media as a challenge
for journalists, and even acknowledged a
possibility that print media could be obsolete
a few years from now.
“But for me, more than the challenge, I
feel that it is time for us to show how good we
are as writers,” Henson said.
Going with the changes in the new
media, BusinessWorld associate editor
and Varsitarian assistant publications
adviser Felipe Salvosa II discussed how
the University’s official student publication
became open to comments, particularly in its
website.
“The Internet provides everybody a
venue to put out their opinion, even opinions
that are not well-informed, [misinformed],
and [not authoritative],” added Salvosa, who
is also a professor of Information Technology
in the Newsroom at the Faculty of Arts and
Letters.
Manila Bulletin associate editor and
former Varsitarian managing editor Nestor
Cuartero also talked about evolution in
feature writing.
He said news today has become more
featurized because of the need to touch and
connect well with the readers through the high
entertainment level on the style of reportage,
which gives the readers amusement.
“The objective [of featurizing news] is
not just to inform, not just to educate, but also
to reflect, to illuminate, to entertain, to help
the reader form an opinion, [and] to arouse a
human reaction to the story,”
Cuartero said.
Applying the same ideas of featurizing in
opinion and editorial writing, Manila Bulletin
columnist Victor Emmanuel Carmelo “Vim”
Nadera who gave a few tips in writing.
“Organize your head and heart,” said the
multi-awarded poet and former Varsitarian
editor in chief.
In writing opinion and editorial articles,
Nadera said one should be informative, but
entertaining as well.
“Inspire others as others inspire you,” he
added.
Other speakers in this year’s Inkblots are
Inquirer chief photographer and Engineering
alumnus Ernie Sarmiento (photojournalism),
Sunday Inquirer Magazine Associate Editor
Ruel de Vera (lifestyle writing), renowned
poet and former Varsitarian staff member
Rebecca Añonuevo (literary writing), Filipino
fictionist and Artlets professor Eros Atalia
(filipino writing), Philippine Star layout artist
Dominador Dumaraos (layouting), and Kiko
Machine cartoonist Manix Abrera (editorial
cartooning).
The event was also graced by sports
celebrities Chris Tiu and Dylan Ababou and
Emmy-nominated actor Sid Lucero. Rommel
M arv i n C . R i o a n d A l ma M ar i a L .
Sarmiento Photos by PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM
Social disaster USTv
FROM PAGE 11
FROM PAGE 11
accelerate from slow to fast in
an instant, which is very evident
du r i ng the i nterchangi ng
lawsuit and flashback scenes.
T he Social Net work ,
do e sn’t on ly n a r r at e t he
revolution and evolution of
social networking, it is also
a moral tale of a man in his
rise to the top of the corporate
ladder and the enemies that
he ma kes along the way.
Zuckerberg and Saverin’s
friendship was indeed put to
the test as power and money
worked like a double-edged
sword for them. The f ilm
shows that mixing friendship
and business can be disastrous.
The special effects of both
“Ilumina” and “Imortal” still
need improvement, something
that is not unheard of in the
country’s film and television
i n d u s t r y. P r o s t h e t i c s ,
m a ke - u p a nd v i s u a l a nd
sound effects have always
been some of its waterloos.
Considering the
con se r vat ive nat u re of
Filipinos and the general
viewership of television, local
TV stations have never really
mastered the art of crafting
shows fit for all ages, even on
primetime. With the industry
seemingly losing its ow n
identity, isn’t it about time to
break the mold in local TV?
John Ernest F. Jose
Alyosha J. Robillos
Memento Mori
FROM PAGE 5
comments
in
Celdran’s
status, I cannot help but think
that these numbers of Celdran
supporters will still grow and
eventually overwhelm the
Christian society.
Worse comes to worst, a
country like the Philippines
will be a casualty of
unfaithfulness and apathy
and would later be forgotten
in history, all because a group
of people rallied against
bastion of divinity they once
sought refuge
Browsing through those
comments, with a little pity
and disappointment, I ask
myself: So who’s biting the
hand of those who feed them?
8
Editors: Cliff Harvey C. Venzon and Rose-An Jessica M. Dioquino
REmembering lady
THE LOVE Woman of UST
serenaded her readers with her
captivating poetry, taught literary
aspirants to go with the flow
of imagery and emotions, and
mothered a great number of famous
literary artists in the country.
But the root of all her poetic
prowess and the occasional
flirting of deep emotions were
once attributed to her stay in the
Varsitarian.
Ophelia Alcantara-Dimalanta,
who passed away last November
4, once wrote for and edited UST’s
student paper.
During her first year at the old
Faculty of Philosophy and Letters
(now Arts and Letters), she joined
the esteemed publication and first
became a Literary section writer in
the summer of 1951.
“When I entered UST, I took
the editor’s exam and I won it,”
Dimalanta said in an interview with
the Varsitarian in 2008. “I was
only first year back then.”
Her skills developed in such
a short time and she was made
assistant Literary editor by the
beginning of the school year.
Dimalanta was not made a full
editor because she was only a
freshman.
“They could not give me the
Literary editorship yet since I’m
still in first year so they made
me assistant Literary editor,”
Dimalanta explained. “After that, I
was made the Literary editor.”
The first of her two sonnets that
made it in the pages of the student
paper was “Offer me but…”, which
tells of a give-and-take limits of
woman, of her demands from her
love where she says “...offer not too
much beyond love’s bounded limits,
lest I grow heads and demand still
more and more…”
“Affinity,” the second sonnet
written together with “Offer me
but…” and an apparent prototype
of her famous poem, “A Kind
of Burning,” is a comparison of
fragility of the relationship of the
woman with an acquaintance to a
candlelight.
Despite the demands of her
studies, Dimalanta was able to
juggle her work in the student
publication and her academic
obligations, while having fun in
between.
“I was able to attend to my
lessons and still find time to go out
on dates,” she said in an interview
with the Varsitarian last 2008.
By the time she became
assistant literary editor, Dimalanta
adopted the title “Of Rhyme and
Reason” as her column name.
The Varsitarian published a
Silver Jubilee issue in 1952, where
Dimalanta wrote a poem titled
“Summer Ravings.” The piece
breathed of the tragedy of a lost
summer passion.
After a year of honing literary
skills in the publication, she
became the literary editor during
the leadership of Vicente Rosales.
It was during her term as editor
when she published “Bedtime for
Fidela,” the first poem of her Philets
schoolmate, Bienvenido Lumbera,
to make it on print. Lumbera is now
National Artist for Literature.
She did not only edit pieces
of literature but she also was
outspoken in her column. Almost
all of her columns tackled feminism
and how poetry became an avenue
for women for self-expression since
they are the ones who were capable
of deep feeling.
“Before we could unite poetry,
then we should be capable of
feeling; otherwise, we could only
write beautifully but vacuously,”
she said in one of her columns.
“Before we could feel, we should
know. Otherwise, we can feel
arduously but soullessly.”
Her influence and support
to the student publication would
extend to activities organized after
she left the publication and moved
on to become a literary icon. Former
Varsitarian editor in chief Vim
Nadera credited the popularization
of Ustetika, the annual literary
awards of UST, among the literary
giants to Dimalanta, who served as
judge in different categories over
the years.
“If it weren’t for Ma’am
Ophie, Ustetika as a universitywide activity would not be taken
seriously,” the Ustetika founder said
in his eulogy for her.
She also mentored a number
of Varsitarian staff members
like Nadera, Varsitarian adviser
Joselito Zulueta, and poets Lourd de
Veyra and Rebecca Añonuevo, who
eventually became published and
respected literary writers themselves.
Robin G. Padilla with reports
from Alma Maria L. Sarmiento
FACULTY of Arts and Letters Sociology Professor Josephine Aguilar-Placido mourns as she pays her last respects to former
Artlets Dean Ophelia Alcantara-Dimalanta at the UST Santisimo Rosario Chapel. Dimalanta’s remains were transferred to
the University at around 3 p.m. last November 8. Dimalanta died of stroke. She was 78.
JILSON SECKLER TIU
Graphics by CARLA T. GAMALINDA
The making of UST’s premiere woman poet
Reading
the poetic
genius
OPHELIA
AlcantaraDimalanta’s much celebrated
reputation as a poet is
summed up in the Ophelia A.
Dimalanta Reader: Selected
Poetry (UST Publishing
House, 2004). But the critical
consensus on her work as
a poet is contained in the
second volume of the reader,
Selected Prose, published in 2006, which contains prose works by her and by her
critics and supporters.
In the second volume, noted poet Cirilo Bautista describes her as “without
exception, the best woman poet in the country.” The acclaim is well-earned, but
comes despite the fact that her poems, according to Bautista, is “difficult to like at
first reading.”
In the book, Father Rector Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. considers Dimalanta the
“Sappho” of Philippine literature, referring to a well-known poet in ancient Greece.
Philippine Star columnist Isagani Cruz suggests that the best way to understand
Dimalanta’s poetry is by the use of the five external senses in harmony with another
five internal senses so as to “recreate poetry, that make reading part and parcel of
the poetic act.”
Critics regard Dimalanta as a feminist, since her lyric works are focused
mainly on womanhood and the female experience. But Dimalanta during her
lifetime had considered the claim with ambivalence.
Excellence in wordplay
In Ophelia A. Dimalanta Reader: Selected Poetry, her selections of poetry
are divided into five major themes: the art of poetry, romance, life and death, the
different images of a woman, and travel.
The collection contains her best-known work, “Montage”, the title poem of her
first collection in 1975, which won the Palanca grand prize. The title poem alone
won Best Poem of the Year (1974) in the Iowa State University in the United States.
“Montage” depicts a woman on a Monday morning with a weekend hangover.
The first lines are easily among the most familiar to poetry lovers: “Monday jolts
and she bogs down, a ragbag/Splayed off at tangents.” Dimalanta describes the
woman’s many faces in fluid consistency, collating it into one integrated image of
a woman—a montage.
Another famous poem is “A Kind of Burning,” about unconsummated love:
“one way or the other/we keep this distance / closeness will tug us apart/in many
directions.” The poet seems to say that no matter the distance love finds a way
to close the gap. As the reader delves deeper into the musings of lovers separated
by distance, one finds that the rush of love also deeply resembles Dimalanta’s
whirlwind play of words.
Dimalanta can also weave excellent stories, as exhibited in her prose collection,
which includes the short story, “Polyester Woman” (also called Lady Polyester),
published in the late ‘70s by the Philippine Focus magazine.
Using fabrics as recurring themes, Dimalanta paints in stark contrast two
women of different personalities, Amelia and Bayla: the former is polyester for
her “strength lacking elegance” while Bayla personifies the opposite. Together,
polyester and silk represent two distinct womanly traits—those who seek beauty
and those who are strong-willed.
Creative non-fiction writer Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo associated Dimalanta’s
literary prowess with some of history’s greatest writers such as Virginia Woolf,
Katherine Mansfield, and Wallace Stevens, who are also known for their wizardry
in words. Coincidentally, Woolf and Mansfield are fictionists while Stevens, a
man, is the poet. Which should show that Dimalanta has—to generalize—both
masculine and feminine sensibilities.
Straying from the typical, Dimalanta’s works are definitely not for the “weakhearted”, as Bautista writes. Few may understand her fanciful take on words, but,
when one pursues the poetic artist within, one may find himself interlaced in the
flurry of her words, her magic, and ultimately, the pure essence of her soul. Jonas
Eleazar B. Trinidad
Online love pours forth for ‘Ophie’
WORDS of adulation for Ophelia Dimalanta
immediately flooded the cyber space as
the news on the demise of UST’s greatest
woman poet came out.
According to Al Dimalanta, son of the
late poetess, the number of fans in the “We
Love Ophelia Dimalanta” page surged from
around 300 to over 800 overnight, just as the
news of his mother’s death started spreading
online. The fan page now has over 1, 300
“likes.”
The page looked like a “freedom wall”,
where family, friends, former students,
colleagues, and other Thomasians aired their
admiration and gratitude for “Ophie”.
“Thank you, Dean Ophelia A. Dimalanta
for teaching us form and substance,” wrote
Christian Dimaandal. “You were a shining
example of both.”
Alma Anonas-Carpio, one of Ophie’s
mentees, wrote: “Thank you for demanding that
I bite off more than I can chew so I’d know I
could chew more than I thought I could.”
The fan page’s wall also became a memory
lane for some who shared their experiences with
the late writer and teacher.
Fleurdeliz Altez, a Philosophy professor
at the Faculty of Arts and Letters, posted: “I’ll
never forget our debate on phenomenology and
the 1.0 [grade] you gave me in contemporary
literary theory. Ma’am, I still couldn’t believe
it.”
“I enjoyed our quiet talks whenever I pass
by the Creative Writing office to ask for advice,”
wrote Journalism alumna Liza Seco. “Thank
you for letting me read and have a glimpse of
your greatness. It [was] an honor to have met
someone as great as you, Ma’am.”
A Facebook user, who goes by the name
Patrik Kintos, posted: “You once said my poem
wasn’t even one. And it really wasn’t. Thank
you, Ma’am.”
Janice Valestra wrote: “Dean Dimalanta
gave me a chance to teach at UST 10 years ago.
Because of her, I discovered my career path
and passion as an educator.”
US-based Filipina poet-teacher Rowena
Tiempo-Torrevillas,
daughter
of
National Artist Edith Tiempo, posted:
“The coat you left in Iowa [USA] for
me, and the white dress in cutwork
embroidery—I’ll go on wearing them to
keep you close by.”
Others expressed their regrets over
not being able to meet the literary icon in
Online page12
Graphics by CARLA T. GAMALINDA
lady polyester
The
Varsitarian november 30, 2010
AN AUSTRALIAN writer once
wrote that in order to have words
in one’s funeral, one needs life in
life. For the interment of renowned
poetess
and
mentor
Ophelia
Alcantara Dimalanta, words came
easy as people who loved her dearly
remembered the vivacious character
that she was.
On her last “homecoming”
in the University, fellow writers
and teachers gathered at the UST
Santisimo Rosario Parish Church
to share their memories of the Love
Woman, as goes the title of one of her
poetry collections.
Photos byJILSON SECKLER C. TIU
Among the writers
Speaking on the night of
November 8, National Artist for
Literature and former Varsitarian
editor in chief F. Sionil Jose described
Dimalanta as “a woman who wrote
with her ovaries,” and said that it
was “very likely of her to be the very
reason” why writers were gathered
that night.
Jose’s fellow National Artist,
Bienvenido
Lumbera,
recalled
Dimalanta as his editor during their
days in the Varsitarian, joking that
the late poet did not like to admit that
she was a year ahead of him and that
they were contemporaries.
“Kaya tayo nagsusulat ng tula
ay para tapatan ang tula ni Ophie,”
he said.
Multi-awarded poet Rebecca
Añonuevo, who also teaches literature
Sionil-Jose
at the Faculty of Arts and Letters,
thanked her mentor for respecting the
language that she opted to write in.
She also echoed Lumbera’s sentiment
after sharing fond memories of her
teacher during the heydays of the
abolished Center for Creative Writing
and Studies.
“Mananatili kang buhay sa
iyong mga salita,” said Añonuevo,
overlooking
the
writer-inresidence clad in her regal grace.
“Ipapagpapatuloy namin ang iyong
Pantoja-Hidalgo
mga tula, ‘di man kami karapat
dapat.”
Acclaimed fictionist Jun Cruz
Reyes, who prides himself for having
seen the glamorous poet without
make-up, said that he has known
different version of Ophie—the
writer, the teacher, the mother, and the
supposed relative—but the version he
loves best and will miss the most is
Ophie the friend.
The well-loved teacher
Coroza
Reynaldo “Bong” Lopez, who
also teaches at the Artlets, recalled
how Dimalanta held on to her faith in
people.
“May ugali si Ma’am Ophie
na kapag bumilib siya sa’yo,
habambuhay na siyang bilib sa’yo,”
he said, adding that his former
professor did not only give him a flat
1.0, but also the opportunity to work
for his home faculty.
The lawyer also expressed
regret over not being able to keep
Nadera
9
his promise to take her to a five-star
restaurant, but called on the literati in
the audience to advocate a National
Artist bid for the late writer.
Nerisa Guevara, a professor at
Artlets and one of Dimalanta’s “other
children”, recalled the motherly
encouragement that her mentor
poured on them.
“She would look into a student’s
eyes and say, ‘I believe in you, even if
you break my heart and leave,’” she
said.
Publicist and former Ateneo
professor Chuk Gomez, who was
introduced as one of Dimalanta’s
favorite students, shared his former
professor’s “gay” side—how she
insisted that he join an Artlet beauty
pageant as Ms. Literature and how
she would often say “ang ganda mo,
bakla.”
He added that it was Dimalanta—
along with the late literary pedagogue
Milagros Tanlayco—who inspired
him to give teaching a try, knowing
that it made them and his parents
happy and proud.
“It was the hardest four years of
my life, but it was also the best four
years of my life,” he said, getting
emotional over the fact that his
favorite professor has passed away.
Last respects
Writers page 12
Lumbera
Call him ‘Al’: A dutiful son remembers
A MAN clad in black stepped up on
the podium with his laptop in hand
and began with a declaration that the
other people who spoke before him
couldn’t make.
“I am Al, and I am the son of
Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta,” he
said.
It was on a Tuesday morning
when former students and colleagues,
and friends, paid tribute to Ophelia
Alcantara Dimalanta, one of the
most important women writers of the
country, through words and songs
“I was never more proud to say
this than today,” he added.
But the bold statement was soon
followed by pauses and deep breaths
as Al, a UST graduate just like his
mother, tried to gather himself to get
through the rest of his speech. He
apologized for this, saying that he
didn’t know how to speak about his
mother without being “utterly sad.”
“How can I say something about
someone who is simply everything to
me?” he said.
Memories of a son
His mother might have been an
accomplished and admired professor
and writer, but for Al, ‘Ophie’ was
just the normal mom who rallied
behind her children no matter what
they wanted to pursue in life.
“She wasn’t strict,” he told the
Varsitarian. “She knew how to give
you space.”
As a teenager, Al began to follow
Ophie’s footsteps by writing poems,
but he eventually turned his verses
into lyrics as he became part of a
band that played punk rock. He is
the front man of Throw, “a four-piece
hardcore band” that he and bandmate
Dennis Maniego formed in 2000.
Though Ophie, who preferred
classical music and love songs, aired
her disagreement to Al’s choice of
music, she never stopped him into
pursuing the craft.
“She would always say that my
music was too loud, or too offensive,
but she let me,” he said. “She didn’t
force me into anything. She just
wanted me to be myself.”
He added that he “had a feeling
that she was happy knowing that I
was happy doing it.”
Al added that while his mom
maintained her stance as a career
woman, she managed to balance her
role as a professional and as a mom.
He said that she was a good cook, one
who prepared meals for her children
because she didn’t want to rely on
house help for that particular task.
He added that despite being
busy attending to her other “kids”
in school, Ophie never failed to
accomplish her maternal duties.
“She was always there for me,
even when I wasn’t always there for
her,” Al said.
Losing ‘Mom’
The sudden passing of his
mother was a heavy burden on Al,
with whom the great poetess spent memorable.”
He added that he had no regrets
most of the last year of her life.
He went home from Singapore to over leaving Singapore despite the
be Ophie’s “personal driver” and fact that the job allowed him to do
assistant as she took on the task of something that he loves while being
being the University’s first writer-in- able to travel.
“I’m glad that I came back
residence.
What Al never told his mother, because I got to spend more time with
until the eulogy, was that the overseas my mom in what would be the last
advertising project had yet to start. year of her illustrious life,” he shared.
He added that Ophie “was the
He just told Ophie that the project
had been done “so that she wouldn’t
feel guilty.”
As Ophie’s assistant, he drove
her to and from UST, during which
they would share tidbits on life and
on their shared interest in literature.
He had to spend time waiting for her
to call it a day, often bringing his own
work at her office.
But he was able to do what
many writers would have wanted—
he served as the editor of the literary
icon.
“She would say: You are the
only person younger than me
who can edit me like that,” he
said, echoing his mother’s
teasing.
Asked for the most
memorable moment
he had with Ophie,
Al said that he
couldn’t
point
his finger to
one
specific
memory because
Photo by KARLA MIDES TOLEDO
“everyday
with her was
best mom anyone could ever hope for”
and that he “will miss her terribly.”
“I just hope that the things I did to
make her happy [would] outweigh the
things I did to make her sad,” he said,
ending his eulogy. Margaret Rose
B. Maranan with reports from RoseAn Jessica M. Dioquino
10 Circle The
Varsitarian november 30, 2010
Olazo/Orlina: Of light and delight
PA I N T ER Romu lo Ola zo a nd scu lpt or
Ramon Olazo, two of the country’s most
re sp e ct e d se n ior v isu al a r t ist s, joi ne d
forces in Olazo/Orlin, a tandem exhibit
h e l d l a s t N o v e m b e r 13 t o 2 8 a t t h e
ArtistSpace gallery of the Ayala Museum.
Both are alumni of the old UST College
of A rch itect u re a nd Fi ne A r ts alu m n i,
where the sculptor finished Architecture
and the painter took up Fine Arts. But aside
from their educational lineage, the two are
joined by their artistic experimentations.
A s not e d by a r t c r it ic Cid Reye s , t he
t wo a r t i s t s a r e “ Vi r t u o s o s of Lig ht .”
“ Bot h Ola z o’s a nd O rl i n a’s work s
seem lighted from within, thus their strong
spiritual resonances,” said Reyes. “Their
show is a glowing optical exper ience.”
Both are also into abstraction. Olazo is
arguably the best living Filipino abstractionist
while Orlina is noted for his glass abstractions.
Olazo in recent years has gone more
and more into large-scale abstract canvases
despite undergoing a heart bypass in 2003
and depending on a pacemaker since then.
The 1972 Thir teen Ar tists Awardee
has held exhibits in France, United States,
Brazil, Japan, Malaysia and I ndonesia.
“I worked with an advertising agency
and got tired of it, but with painting, it is just
a continuous f low in my blood,” Olazo said.
Olazo has become the darling of collectors
for his continuing series. Diaphanous, which
has in the past years become larger and larger,
belying his advanced years and the toll of
age on his health. The series is a luminous
showcase of his talents in form, line, and
color. From the Greek word “ diapanes”
which means “to show through,” Diaphanous
shows overlapping geometric figures, their
soul or aura in a brilliant configuration.
His paintings are modernist in their
seeming simplicity and transparency;they
embody the ar tistic process itself.
“I love simplicity, I want to show light
and transparency in things,” Olazo said.
“Diaphanous # 733” and “Diaphonous
# 741” l o o k l i k e f l o r a l f o r m s , t h e i r
phosphorescent and organic green
t i nt s d e pic t i ng g r a c e u nd e r p r e s s u r e.
Olazo said he loves doing Diaphanous so
as to register transparency in his works. The
radiance from the interplay of cool and warm
colors provides a soothing ambiance to the eyes.
“His paintings are usually not based
on figurative patterns, not like what you
see in a still life,” his wife, Pat Olazo, said.
Glass reflections
Orlina, a licensed architect, credited
the lack of construction jobs during the
Martial Law period for giving him the gift
Olazo/Orlina page 12
(Clockwise from top right) Venus (Orlina), Diaphanous #754 (Olazo), Cityscape (Orlina),
Mini-Diaphanous #288 (Olazo), Mini-Diaphanous #289 (Olazo), Mini-Diaphanous #290
(Olazo), Mini-Diaphanous #291 (Olazo) and Diaphanous #726 (Olazo).
Jilson Seckler C. Tiu
Thomasian sculpture troika unite in exhibit
By ANA MAY R. DELA CRUZ
R A MON O rli na , Joe Dat ui n
a nd Edu a rdo Cast r illo showed
t hei r scu lpt i ng prof icie ncy i n
glass, stainless steel and metal,
respectively, in Tres, held at the
Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong
C i t y l a s t O c t o b e r 2 5 t o 31.
The exhibit, presented by the
Atelier Alu m n i Association i n
collaboration with the College of
Fine Arts and Design, Office for
Alu m ni Relations and Reseach
Cluster for Culture, Education and
Social Issues, is the third of an
exhibition series titled Artistang
Toma sino Ak o!, wh ich rev ives
the pride of the UST Alumni and
students as a part of the countdown
for the Quadricentennial celebration.
“The uniqueness of this event
is t he me re fa ct t hat we have
gathered a powerhouse,” Johnny
Hubilla, president of Atelier Alumni
Rel a t io n s , p r o u d ly r e m a r ke d .
Orlina, an architect t ur ned
sc u lpt or, pr e se nt e d h is work s
i n lig ht-f illed blocks of glass.
“ M i c h a e l’s M a r t i a l A r t s 09” is made of amber crystal, it
heightens the sense of masculinity
through strong edges and fluency
of brownish lucidity. On the other
hand, “Caraballo Highlands,”
is a lime green crystal carved
as f lou r ishi ng veget at ion.
“Glass has one unique quality
of transparency that allows the
play of light such as absorption,
ref le ct ion a nd pr ism ef fe ct s
that make the sculpture have a
fourth dimension,” Orlina said.
Joe Datuin is an Advertising
Arts alumnus and 2008 Beijing
Olympics Sports and Art Contest
Champion. He is also k now n
a s t h e “ P i c a s s o i n c a r n a t e ,”
because of h is br illia nce
on canvas and stainless steel.
“I chose steel because it is
a Zen belief that glaze removes
negative energy,” Datuin said.
His “Chandelier” and “Ripples”
are molded into numerous steel
rings amassing into sophisticated
a r r a nge d con f ig u r at ion s. O n
the contrar y, “Las Piñas” and
“Homage to Burj Dubai Skycraper”
digresses from the circular route
with the combination of vertical
stack of stainless steel t ubes.
Being a monument maker,
jewelry designer, sculptor of all
medium and also an Advertising
alu m nus, Eduardo Cast r illo
is a rare package of ingenuity.
“Abstract is a statement on a
particular theme,” he explained
a s a s u m m a r y of h i s wo r k s .
An avian creature is shown in
his work, “Flight.” It defies from
the ground of typicality in a metal
structure with soft-edged curves of
brown and gold shades. “Union,”
a bizarre hand crafted brass and
Philippine Mahogany sculpture,
complements an antique depiction of
harmony. Lastly, a hammer-out silver
metal work, “Tribute to Botong,”
share the artist’s zeal to depict history
just like the country’s foremost
mu r al ist Ca rlos V. Fr a ncisco.
Tres is the third installment of
Artistang Tomasino Ako! It previously
showcased Triptik: Jane ArrietaEbarle, Mario Parial, Oliver Rabara,
and The Colors of Amor Lamarroza.
Thomasians feted in
Shell art competition
TWO STUDENTS from the University
of Santo Tomas (UST) emerged as
winners in the calendar category of Shell
National Students Art Competition. Last
year, only one Thomasian won in the
contest and it is under the same category.
Aside from the two first place
winners, five other students from
UST also bagged awards from the
sculpture and digital fine arts category.
Winning calendars
The calendar, “Isang watawat,
isang ugat” by Raymond Ignacio,
is a collage of pictures forming the
Philippine f lag. The photos that
composed the artwork depicted sceneries
and sights around the Philippines.
Karen Louise Magano’s winning
work “PaPaKaPi (Patuloy na pag-asa
sa kabuuan ng Pilipinas)” is also a
representation of the Philippine flag.
Taking the form of a native Capiz
lantern, it is divided into the three main
colors of the flag—yellow, blue and red.
Victorious Pieces
Landing in third place for his
sculpture, “Martilyo,” Advertising Arts
student Enrico Manalang Jr. shows two
human forms hammering a giant nail.
The body of the two men is attached to the
Tracksters
FROM PAGE 16
Delos Angeles also bagged thirdplace honors in the 200-meter dash
(22.11). Also good for bronze were
Michael Angelo Baay in the 400-meter
dash (50.86), Ernie Sabiduria in the
javelin throw (51.53), and Marvin
Lupinario in the long jump (6.66).
(From left to right) Datuin’s Ripples made of stainless steel and
Castrillo’s The three prngs of success made of brass.
ISABELA A. MARTINEZ
Another title-defender
The UST Lady Spikers showed no
trace of on-court rust as they devoured
side of the nail that they are hammering.
Meanwhile, Miguel Senires’
“Art of Battle” won third place in the
digital fine arts category. It portrays
a warrior-like man under red lights.
On the other hand, Joshua
Mogol’s “Hope” garnered an honorable
mention on the Sculpture category,
while Danroled Gonzalez’ “Lady
Ardor” and Alexander Santos’ “This
is for you” were proclaimed honorable
mention in the digital fine arts category.
In the 2009 competition, only one
Thomasian was able win under the
calendar category, which required oil
or acrylic as the medium. “Old Binondo
Church” by Miguel Angelo D. Lopez was
a scenic painting of the Binondo Church
during the Spanish era. The yellowish
tone of the painting gave it a classic look.
The competition was composed of
five categories: oil or acrylic, watercolor,
sculpture, digital fine arts and calendar.
The calendar category was the only
category which required participants to
apply this year’s theme “143 Pilipinas,
the new Philippines: Pledges of hope,
love and peace through Philippine Art”.
The works of this year’s winners
were put on show last October 13 to 30
at the Ayala Museum. Maria Joanna
Angela D. Cruz
De La Salle in a straight-set beating in
the winner-take-all finals, 25-19, 26-24,
25-21 at the Siliman University Gym last
October 30. Prior to the championship, the
España-based volleybelles had won a
tightly contested semifinals match against
the University of Saint La Salle, 25-21,
25-14, 21-25, 25-20. The Tiger Spikers failed to defend
their Unigames crown and settled for
third place after succumbing to FEU in
the semifinal round, 25-22, 19-25, 25-20,
24-26. 15-11. Frauleine Michelle S.
Villanueva with a report from
Anne Marie Carmela L. Dayauon
november 30, 2010
Editor: Lester G. Babiera
Sex-prone scenes and copycats of hit Hollywood
sci-fi flicks dominate Philippine prime-time TV
S T U D E N T S’ C H O I C E O F
D R A M A A N T H O L O G Y/
DR AMA MI NI-SER IES/
FOREIGN SOAP OPERA
A go o d d r a m a t i c s h o w
blends all the technical elements
of television in order to depict
realistically and critically the
human condition, its struggles,
its highs and lows. Christian
dimensions are intrinsic in such a
meaningful depiction. Therefore,
between technical excellence
and significant content, the latter
should carry more weight.
TH E N EW wave of local
primetime television shows
targets younger audiences.
But their content—whether
subliminal or outright—may
not really be appropr iate
fo r v ie we r s of a l l a ge s.
“Alyna” and “Kristine”
a r e Ta g a log p o cke t b o o k
novels-turned-TV programs
under ABS-CBN’s Precious
Hearts Romances series shown
during weekdays. “Alyna”
is ai re d eve r y af t e r noon
while “Kristine” holds a time
slot during the Philippine
television’s primetime. On
the other hand, GMA has
recently released “Beauty
Queen” as the newest addition
t o i t s p r i m e t i m e bl o c k .
Based on Martha Cecilia’s
novel Dominic, “Alyna” tells
the story of a girl who feels
neglected when her father died.
Played by Shaina Magdayao,
Alyna ends up in an orphanage
and later on blossoms into
a beautiful young woman.
Eventually, she falls in
love with Rex (Sid Lucero)
who, in the course of their
r e l a t i o n s h i p, l e a ve s h e r
car r ying their baby. Soon
after Rex’s disappearance,
Alyna chances upon
Dominic del Carmen (Jason
Abalos), a brood i ng ma n
who c a pt u r e s he r he a r t .
The show tackles
controversial issues such as
pedophilia and child abuse. But
while these may be effective
means of spreading social
awareness on the existence of
these taboos, some scenes are
too much to comprehend for
young viewers, considering
that “Alyna” airs when most
children arrive home from
school. It has foul language and
sexily-clad women seducing
men, excessive drunkenness,
and titillating acts, which
to marry his true love, their
mother, Ana (Angel Jacob).
The series features scenes
of characters in compromising
sex positions in bed and half
naked. Although these did
not lead to a love scenes,
the obvious suggestion of
pre-marital sex was quite
Illustration by CARLA T. GAMALINDA
do not really make “Alyna”
a good show for youngsters.
“Kristine”, on the other
hand, tells the tale of forbidden
love also based on one of
Cecilia’s novels. A spin-off
of Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliet, it revolves around a
bloody feud bet ween t wo
p r om i ne nt fa m i l ie s — t he
For talejos and De Silvas.
T he For t alejo sister s
Emerald ( Den ise Lau rel)
and Jewel (Cristine Reyes)
find themselves tangled in a
messy situation that sprang
from a broken pact between
their family and the De Silvas
when their late father, Roman
(Christian Vasquez), decided
exhibited. Skimpy outfits are
seen all throughout the show,
akin to young adult programs
in the United States such
as “The Hills” or “90210”,
to ra ke i n more viewers.
“Beauty Queen” is one
of GMA’s shows in primetime
starring Iza Calzado. The series
offers a refreshing storyline in
local TV as it generally spills
the politics inside the world of
beauty pageants. Aside from
the excessive show of skin,
the program also displays
garish aesthetics and lack
of wits among contestants,
often observed in pageants.
Perhaps inspired by the
hype of Miss Universe 2010
Kilos Kabataan delivers own rendition of ‘Glee’
I NSPI R E D f r o m t h e h it
American TV series, “Glee”,
t he mu sical g roup K i los
Kabataan staged a musical play
titled “Klik” at the Philippine
Amusement Gaming
Corporation Grand Theatre in
Parañaque City last October 16.
T he event took its
musical references from pop
music to convey each of the
character’s emotions. They
Kilos Kabataan performs to the fullest during their final
performance in ‘Klick.’
ISABELA A. MARTINEZ
performed Cindy Lauper’s
“G i rls Ju st Wa n n a Have
Fun,” Miley Cy r us’ “The
Climb” and Diana Ross’ “I’m
Coming Out,” among others.
T he mu sical ai m s t o
demonstrate the dichotomy of
the girl’s experiences as they
either live a life of morality
or otherwise. Some of the
girls wounded up as a teenage
mom, drug dependent and
victim of sex scandals. On the
other hand, some became a
successful nurse, teacher and
even lawyer, among others.
The musical emphasized
the virtue of chastity, love,
altr uism and nationalism.
T he wh i m sical play of
lights, the optimistic mood
and the predictable happy
ending cont r ibutes to the
youth-centered theme, giving
it a light and jovial mood.
The play successfully
conveyed the appeal that
“ Gle e ” h a d i n t e r m s of
lighting and dance routines.
However, there are still lots of
room for improvement such
as the actresses’ voice and
projection, as most of them do
not leave a lasting impression.
T he p r o c e e d s of t he
play will be given to the
Lightomorrow Foundation, a
non-government organization
dedicated in building
homes to the less fortunate.
J oh n Er n e st F. J os e
fisrt runner-up Venus Raj, it
focuses on Maita (Calzado),
a p r ov i n c i a l l a s s w h o s e
childhood dream is to become
a beauty queen. However,
the stor y on ly gets more
complicated as dark secrets are
revealed but is made less grave
by the presentation of common
pageantry parodies seen in the
question and answer portion.
Primetime’s lack of new
appeal
Aside f rom d ramas,
a n ot h e r big h it i n lo c a l
TV are the “fantaser yes”
or fantasy series.
GM A’s “ I l u m i n a” i s
a vivid story of an ancient
war between two camps of
magic folk—the white and
the black. This is one of the
few family-oriented series
aired that are appropriate
for general audiences.
“ I lu m i n a” r e s e mble s
the Harry Potter series as
it entails a cursed magical
birth, but instead of a chosen
boy, it features twin girls
who embody the st r uggle
bet ween the magical
real m’s opposi ng sides.
On the other hand,
“Imortal” is a fantasy series
about werewolves starring
Angel Locsin and John Lloyd
Cruz. This time, vampires
have been added to the show,
imitating popular vampire
movies and shows such as
Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight
Saga and the popular HBO
s e r i e s , “ T r u e B l o o d ”.
The stor y becomes
tiring at some point because
some scenes are obviously
c o p i e d f r o m “ Tw i l ig h t ”
a n d “ Tr u e Bl o o d ”.
This program is also a
let-down for Filipino culture
as it totally ignores Philippine
fol klore about bloodsucking or shape-shifting
creatures that could have been
interjected in the story line.
USTv page 6
The
Varsitarian Circle
11
Dominican artist combines
spirituality and art
By ALYOSHA J. ROBILLOS
FOR FRENCH-CANADIAN Dominican priest Fr. Gaston Petit,
O.P., in the beginning was the Word—along with scribbles and
crayola.
“I learned to create art even before I learned to walk,”
Petit said. “I always scribbled and did things at a very
early age, but the point is, I kept on scribbling. Usually
every child scribbles, but they stop. I did not stop.”
He recalled that during his childhood, there were only a
few means of entertainment so he would often amuse himself
by drawing the cartoons he would see on the newspaper.
However, as he grew older, he felt that he had a religious calling
and he eventually entered the Dominican order. He said that priesthood
is a vocation and it came first before he thought of becoming an artist.
“[Being a] priest is the vocation, it is a call,” Petit said. “When
you get the call, you either answer or you don’t answer. At that time,
I was not thinking of becoming an artist at all. I wanted to be a priest.”
Nevertheless, Petit’s priestly duties led him right back
to his passion. On one of his pilgrim missions in Japan, he
immersed himself in the country’s diverse culture, specifically
the arts. There, he became an adviser for a new church,
where he painted its murals and even taught art lessons.
It was in Japan that Petit was able to study the art of
Japanese calligraphy and his expertise on the subject encouraged
him to produce various works inspired by the calligraphic art.
He eventually mounted an exhibit that integrated
calligraphy with Japan’s four seasons. The works, although
abstract, gave off the exact vibe that Petit wanted to exude,
bringing to life the season in focus through each piece.
During a lecture last November 15 organized
by the Varsitarian and UST Archives, titled “Japanese
Aesthetics and How it has Influenced My Art,” he discussed
the diversity of Japan’s art. He explained that not only do
Japanese art forms result in products of utmost beauty, they
are also made with the most exquisite methods of crafting.
“The Japanese perception of beauty stresses
balance and intertwines the senses,” he said.
Dominican page 14
FR. PETIT
JIlson Seckler C. Tiu
The social disaster behind a social network
FACEBOOK is perhaps one of
the biggest and most popular
social networking websites
in the world. Founded by
Mark Zuckerberg, today’s
youngest billionaire, it has
reached almost 16 million
users—and counting—
i n t he Ph ilippi nes alone.
But as the film, The Social
Network, shows, Zuckerberg’s
climb to the top is not exactly
a case of good social relations.
Directed by David Fincher,
the movie revolves around the
socially inept and computer
programming prodigy
Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg),
and his legal disputes with
other Har vard Universit y
students who want to have a
piece of the corporate cake.
During his college days,
Zuckerberg’s programming
skills gains recognition and he
is invited by Harvard students
and Olympians Cameron and
Tyler Winklevoss to create
a website that will connect
students within the university.
He then tweaks the idea
f u r t her w it h h is f r iend s,
Eduardo Saverin (Andrew
Garfield) and Sean Parker
(Justin Timberlake). In just a
matter of months, the website,
which will be later known
as “Facebook,” is conceived.
However, what was once
a simple website conceived out
of chains of computer codes
Photo taken from GOOGLE IMAGES
escalates into an all-out legal
furor with the Winklevoss
filing a case for intellectual
theft against Zuckerberg and
Saverin, creating conf licts
regarding his stock share.
Beyond its exterior as an
account of the beginnings of
the website, Social Network
is also an exploration of man’s
moral tendencies when faced
with overwhelming success.
Zuckerberg apparently has
burned some people on his
way to success. Indirectly, the
movie indicates man’s greed,
evident when both parties
agree to drop their complaints
for a fixed “settlement fee,”
showing that for some people,
money supersedes principles.
Timberlake effectively
portrays the crafty behavior
of Parker—a performance that
might elevate Timberlake’s
status in the Hollywood scene.
On the other hand,
E i s e n h o w e r ’s a c t i n g
f lair successf ully depicts
Zucke r b e rg a s a n avat a r
of s o c i a l a w k w a r d n e s s ,
which is ironic, considering
his cont r ibution to the
world of social interaction.
Some viewers may view
the movie only as a relentless
filibuster between Zuckerberg
and his legal adversar ies
and the early beginnings of
Facebook. But the sharp and
intelligent dialogues will keep
the audience roused to the
next chain of events. The
progression of the plot can
Social disaster page 7
12 Literary The
Varsitarian november 30, 2010
Editor: Mika Rafaela A. Barrios
Lit Out Loud: The Manila International Literary Festival
Creating 'literary' noise
By Azer N. Parrocha and
Jonas Eleazar B. Trinidad
PHILIPPINE Literature has taken
the first step in its campaign to
encourage writing in the country
and be recognized worldwide
with its first international literary
festival.
Local and international
literary icons, as well as teachers,
students, and book enthusiasts
gathered in the country’s first
Manila International Literary
Festival held on November 18 to
20 at the Hotel Intercontinental
Manila in Makati City. The threeday event, Lit Out Loud (LOL),
was organized by the National
Book Development Board
(NBDB). It featured various
seminars and workshops on
creating a worthy literary work.
According to NBDB
Executive Director Atty. Andrea
Pasion-Flores, the festival aims
to bolster hidden literary talent in
Filipinos, as well as to make them
recognized by the global literary
community.
“It is a great undertaking
of the NBDB. It’s a great
achievement and there is hope
among writers that it can be held
annually,” said renowned poet
and critic Gemino Abad.
Abad also noted that
seminars such as LOL serve as
Writers
FROM PAGE 9
Words and emotions
flowed on to the next day at
the necrological services that
followed the concelebrated
Requiem mass officiated by
Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa,
O.P.
Assistant to the Rector
for Administration Pilar
Romero recalled how the
former Artlets dean—true
to being a poet—came up
with appropriate words when
everyone else had none.
“[Dimalanta]
makes
me wonder how [she] could
transform the language of
illness into poetry,” she said.
ABS-CBN
Corporate
Communications chief and
Artlets professor Ramon
“Bong” Osorio remembered
Dimalanta as the influential
mentor and mother figure who
cared enough to give her two
cents’ worth about the things
he did.
“She was one of my
staunchest critics,” he said.
“But she let me be most of the
time.”
In his eulogy, Isagani
Cruz, Dimalanta’s colleague
in the Manila Critic’s
Circle, recalled how he
first encountered the name
Ophelia
Dimalanta—she
wrote a review on his play,
“Halimaw,” saying that it was
awful; he, in turn, questioned
her credentials in print, not
knowing that the former was
already an icon.
“I would feel deeply
Toastmasters
FROM PAGE 2
members, 20 of which are
University professors, while
the other two are students from
Accountancy and the College
of Commerce and Business
Administration.
“[Through Toastmasters],
we know that we will
eventually have a generation
of Thomasian educators,
college students, and staff
the
great opportunities for Philippine
literature to flourish.
“We are opening a big door
for reading Philippine literature
to enter. What we need is [for
Philippine literature] to be
seen on TV, radio, and
other mass media.
Modern technology
should be used
by literature for
dissemination,
not destruction of
literature,” he said.
Faculty of Arts
and Letters professor,
poet and critic Ralph
Galan said that the
title “Lit Out Loud”
implied creating
some kind of
noise, as it is
derived from
contrite and ashamed of myself
every time I remember how
brash I was, but not having
grown out of being immature,
spoiled, and self-important,
I never apologized to her for
that juvenile silliness,” he
said. “I should have. I do now.”
He also recalled how
gracious Dimalanta was when
they first met despite what he
did to her in the past. What
began as hurting of writers’
egos
eventually
became
decades of fruitful friendship
and learning that Cruz is
grateful for.
“I did grow up and she
stayed around long enough
for me to love her,” he said.
“Thank you, dearest Ophie,
for showing me what it really
means to be a teacher—to be
patient, to trust, to applaud,
and, above all, to teach all the
time and to teach everyone.”
Creative
non-fiction
writer
and
new
UST
Publishing House Director
Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo also
recalled Ophie the teacher,
who eventually became her
friend and defender.
“[As a teacher], she was
quiet, low-key, [and, at times],
elusive,” Hidalgo said. “[But
I would find out] that she was
surprisingly warm—girlish,
giggly even.”
Hidalgo also noted the
“fierceness of Dimalanta’s
loyalty,” talking in public for
the first time about the help
that Dimalanta extended when
she found herself “hounded
by some persons who held
positions of power” in the
University.
who can speak well with the
organization’s brand of skill
and confidence,” Tenedero
said.
Toa st m a st e r s’
international policies require
club members to deliver 10
speeches to gain a higher
ranking. The levels are
toastmaster,
competent
communicator,
advanced
communicator
bronze,
advanced communicator silver,
advanced communicator gold,
and distinguished toastmaster,
respectively.
widely-used Internet acronym
LOL which means “laugh out
loud.”
“I think NBDB wants to
drum up the event regarding
the importance of reading and
appreciating books,” said Galan,
who was spotted in the event.
But Galan said he is rather
skeptical whether such seminars
would make an impact,
knowing that Filipinos
prefer towards foreign
titles rather than the
local ones.
“We [Filipinos]
do read, but we do
not necessarily read
Filipino authors.
Hopefully it would
make an impact
in the publication
industry and
literature in the
long run,” Galan
added.
During the
last day of the
Photos by JILSON SECKLER C. TIU
“I say this with deep
affection
and
undying
gratitude—maraming
salamat. It was a privilege to
have been both your student
and your friend,” she said.
“You were what most of us
aspired to be, but not many
of us have achieved—a
gifted writer, a dedicated
teacher, a loyal friend, and
a gentlewoman in the finest
sense of the word.”
Varsitarian Publications
Adviser Joselito Zulueta,
Dimalanta’s former student
and close friend, compared
her to Maria de Carrion,
the character of the Blessed
Mother in the collaborative
musical they were writing
about the life of UST founder
Miguel de Benavides, despite
the fact that “she should have
been the oldest living erotic
poet in the world.”
“Ophelia
Alcantara
Dimalanta was her own
transcendent earth, herself
the perfect embodiment of
dirt uplifted, of flesh exalted,”
Zulueta said.
He also thanked his
mentor for the opportunity
of learning and warm
companionship.
“You have sought that
journey through poetry that
moves and flows,” he said as
he ended his eulogy. “Now
you you rself have moved
on, have f lowed on. You,
Ophie, have become your
own best poetry.” Charizze
L. Abulencia, Justinne
C h y n n a V . G arc i a ,
Azer N. Parrocha, and
Rommel Marvin C. Rio
Olazo/Orlina
FROM PAGE 10
of time, which led him to his
pioneering glass structures.
For his sculptures, Orlina
has won the ASEAN Awards
f o r V i s u a l A r t s (19 9 3) ,
To y a m u r a I n t e r n a t i o n a l
Sculpture Biennale
(Japan,1999) and II Bienal
International del Baloncesto
Online
event, Man Asian Literary Prize
(MALP) chair director David
Parker announced a change in the
rules and regulations of the contest.
According to Parker, writers will
b e l i m i t e d t o t h o s e li v i n g i n
their respective Asian countries
instead of Asians living abroad.
Parker’s argument is that
living in the United States or
Europe allows an Asian writer
to join various competitions
which will cater an advantage
in the MALP. It also defeats the
purpose of the title itself, saying
that the objective of the MALP is
to promote writing in Asia.
Palanca winner Abdon
Balde Jr. talked about creating
opportunities for literary activity
to flourish outside of Manila.
In his talk, he addressed certain
difficulties in such as the effect
on metaphorical meaning when
literature is published in the
dialectic tongue.
In connection with Balde’s
talk, writer Merlie Alunan
discussed various programs of
state colleges and universities
outside Manila on working with
dialects. Alunan also noted the
reason for the frequency of
writing in English.
“They tend to write in English
because there is no prospect
in writing [the language] of
the motherland,” said Alunan.
Wall to wall
While
the
social
networking site proved helpful
in disseminating information
on the late poetess’ interment,
there were others who also
expressed their thoughts
over the sudden demise on
their own Facebook walls,
and on posts by friends and
colleagues.
Former Varsitarian staff
member Carmen Dulguime
commented
that
“she
(Dimalanta) was the reason
why I write poetry” in a “note”
calling for contributions for
a magazine’s tribute for the
writer.
“With the loss of the great
Dr. Ophelia Dimalanta, I don’t
think UST has enough reasons
to celebrate its 400th year,”
wrote Thomasian Writers
Guild’s Reinier Dave Zapanta.
Palanca winner and
Literature alumnus Angelo
Suarez, whose writing talent
was recognized and honed
by Dimalanta, posted an
imagined
“confrontation”
with his mentor over an essay
about her poetry.
“We end up still in
disagreement, but I thank her
nonetheless for being largely
responsible for my formation
as a writer, even if I’ve ended
up doing the kind of writing
she adamantly disapproves
of,” he wrote.
Natasha
Gamalinda,
former Varsitarian literary
editor, posted: “Sometimes we
forget that mortality haunts
even the ones we look up
to. Farewell, Ma’am Ophie.
I regret not visiting UST
sooner.”
Commenting on the
Facebook status of UST
Publishing House Director
Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, actor
and former Varsitarian editor
in chief Bernardo Bernardo
said: “Prof. Dimalanta was
such a classy lady, a vital
presence during our college
life and way after—we
somehow just felt she was
going to live forever.”
Beyond the famous social
networking site, writers and
former students also paid
homage to their “mother poet”
through blog entries, recalling
wonderful moments they
shared with the literary icon,
or merely saying thanks.
Palanca hall of famer
Rodolfo “Jun” Lana, who
called Dimalanta the “rockstar
of the poets”, “the gay icon”
and “the fairy godmother of
‘closet writers’”, shared how
the writer-in-residence fought
for him to win the Rector’s
Literary Award when it was
re-launched in 1991.
According to Lana, the
victory brought about by
winning the RLA that year
wasn’t sweet, knowing that
the Rector didn’t think his
entry was really worth the
prize. After the awarding,
Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, who
was on his first term as rector,
approached him—albeit with
a smile—and told him that
his stories were too dark. He
felt belittled by the experience
and had his “drama queen”
moment at the office of the
former dean.
“Simula’t sapul inakay
ako ni Dr. Dimalanta,
ginabayan, at nu’ng gabing
‘yun na napakaliit ng tingin
ko sa sarili ko, at sa mga
sumunod pang pagkakataon
na nagdalawang-isip ako
sa kakayahan ko, tinuruan
niya akong magkaroon ng
kumpiyansa at maniwala sa
sarili ko,” he wrote.
He added that while he
could laugh at it now, the
wound that the experience gave
him was deep, and if it wasn’t
for Dimalanta, “malamang
tumigil na ako sa pagsusulat.
Malamang ni hindi ako
nagba-blog ngayon.” Rose-
en las Bellas Artes (Spain,
2000), His works trap light
within the edges of glass,
t ransfor m i ng the glass
work i nto a hallowi ng of
space. Multiplicity of angles
makes the glass sculpture
a su r pr ise at ever y t u r n.
“I n sculpt u re, one of
the most important things
is light, because th roug h
ref lections it becomes
d i f f e r e n t ,” O r l i n a s a i d .
“ R o l l i n g R i v e r s ,” a
carved azure blue crystal,
portrays the circular motion
of water in pure stillness.
On the other hand, a bluegreen glass shaped into three
f ig u r e s at t a che d t o e a ch
other is entitled “Household
o f F a i t h ,” a n a b s t r a c t
depiction of the Holy Family.
For t he la st ye a r,
O rli na has been work i ng
on a monumental
outdoor sculpt u re cast in
bron ze a nd gla ss for t he
Q u a d r ic e nt e n i a l of UST
called “Quat t roMondial.”
O n Ja n u a r y 27,
2 011, w h i c h i s a l s o h i s
birthday, the 10.32 meters
high sculpt u re will be
inaugurated. The monument
is being cast in Thailand.
“The monument
h a s fo u r h u m a n f ig u r e s
representing the 400 yeas
of the university,” he said.
“T hey a re Piolo Pascu al,
Charlene Gonzales, Rev. Fr.
Rolando de la Rosa and my
daughter, Monina Orlina.”
FROM PAGE 9
person, or over not being able
to visit her in the past years.
“I never tried to see
her because I always had
an excuse,” wrote Rhoneil
Panganiban. “I kept thinking
she would always be there.”
Josua Mariano of the
Faculty of Arts and Letters
posted: “Sana noon pa
hinanap ko na po kayo para
magpasalamat. Dahil po sa
poem n’yo na ‘Read Me’,
nakilala ako ng [Literature
professor] ko. Dahil du’n
nakapag-recite po ako. Ang
alam ko lang, ‘yun ang isa sa
pinakamasayang araw ko sa
[Arts and Letters]. Thank you
po!”
An Jessica M. Dioquino
A N A M AY D E L A C R UZ
ika-30 ng NOBYEMBRE 2010
Patnugot: Danalyn T. Lubang
Nasyonalismo ngayon
Ang pag-awit ng Lupang
Hinirang at pagbigkas ng Panatang
Makabayan ay isang aspeto ng
pagiging makabayan na kadalasa’y
nakaliligtaan ng maraming Filipino.
Ayon kay Imelda de Castro,
tagapangulo ng Departamento ng
Filipino, ang lingguhang flag ceremony
ay hindi na bago sa Unibersidad
d a h i l n o o n g p a n g 1 9 7 0 ’s a y
ginagawa na ito ng bawat kolehiyo.
“Noon ay may kaukulang batas
Usapang Uste
MULA PAHINA 2
na mga opinyon sa Korte
Suprema.
Nagtapos ng abogasya sa
UST, naging manunulat din si
Perfecto sa mga pahayagang La
Vanguardia at Consolidacion
Nacional, dalawa sa mga
pangunahing peryodiko sa
bansa noon. Taong 1919 nang
maging patnugot siya ng La
Nacion, kung saan naging
kontrobersiyal ang kaniyang
pangalan dahil sa kabikabilang pagtuligsa sa mga
mapang-abusong kawani ng
pamahalaan.
Taong 1922 nang maging
kinatawan siya ng Mababang
Kapulungan,
kung
saan
nanungkulan siya ng anim na
taon. Bagaman naging biktima
ng polio noong 1931, hindi
ito naging hadlang upang
Lingguhang flag ceremony sa UST
Pagpapasidhi ng
nasyonalismo
Dibuho ni JASMINE C. SANTOS
S
IMULA ngayong semestre, hindi
lamang mga Tomasinong nasa
mababa at mataas na paaralan ang
magbibigay-pugay sa ating watawat
matapos lumabas ang circular mula
sa Office of the Secretary General na
naglalayong magkaroon ng flag-raising
ceremony tuwing Lunes ng umaga.
Gaganapin sa Arch of the
Centuries, pangungunahan ng bawat
kolehiyo ang programa na binubuo
ng Quadricentennial prayer, pagawit ng Lupang Hinirang, Panatang
Makabayan, at University hymn.
Marami ang nagtataka kung
bakit ngayon lamang ito ipinatupad
sa Unibersidad. Sa Unibersidad ng
Pilipinas, ang flag-raising ceremony
ay ginagawa tuwing Lunes ng
umaga para sa mga mag-aaral sa
kolehiyo, samantalang sa Ateneo
de Manila University naman
ay araw-araw itong ginagawa.
Ayon kay Secretary General P.
Florentino Bolo, O.P., ang lingguhang
flag-raising ceremony ay matagal
nang programa ng Unibersidad,
ngunit ang pagpapatupad nito
ay ngayon lamang naibalik.
“Isa itong ideya na matagal nang
[naisip] pero ako lang ang nagpatupad.
Alam ko noon pa ay mayroon na nito
(flag-raising ceremony),” ani Bolo.
Aniya, ang lingguhang flagraising ceremony ay may layuning
mapaigting ang damdaming
nasyonalismo ng mga Tomasino.
“Hindi naman ibig sabihin na
walang nasyonalismo tayong mga
Tomasino. [Ito ay upang] maitaguyod
nang higit pa ang nasyonalismo ng mga
Tomasino. Kung titingnan mo naman
tayo [mga Filipino], kay Pacquiao pa
lang ay makikita mo ang pagsuporta
natin (mga Filipino),” aniya.
Ayon kay Bolo, ang flagraising ceremony ay ginawang
lingguhan upang hindi mabigla
ang mga mag-aaral sa kolehiyo.
“Ang lingguhang [flag-raising
ceremony] ay susubukan muna upang
hindi maging biglaan [para sa mga
mag-aaral]. Kung umarangkada ito,
muli itong titingnan kung paano
ito tinanggap ng Unibersidad at
kung maayos naman ay bakit hindi
gagawing araw-araw?” ani Bolo.
“I will look at it in a more
holistic way. Hindi mo ito puwedeng
ituro sa isang [aspekto], marami
talaga. Culturally, there is so much
globalization happening and it
also affects the way we see things
around us,” dagdag pa ni Bolo.
“Kapag tinanggap natin iyong
mga [ideyang] panlabas, tunay na
maapektuhan tayo. [Dahil may]
negatibo itong epekto sa atin, ang ating
layunin ay pagtibayin at muling makita
ang kagandahan ng ating bansa.”
The Varsitarian Filipino
na nagtatalaga na hindi lamang sa mga
tanggapan ng pamahalaan isasagawa
ang flag ceremony. Ang lahat ng
opisina sa pamantasan ay mayroon
nito (flag ceremony), hindi lamang sa
mababa at mataas na paaralan,” aniya.
Sa obserbasyon ni De Castro, ang
mga Filipino ngayon ay mayroong
kapabayaan o moral laxity kaya’t
makatutulong ang mga gawaing tulad
ng lingguhang flag ceremony upang
maiangat ang kamalayan ng mga
ito sa mga pangyayari sa lipunan.
“Kung hindi ipanunukala ang
pagkaroroon ng flag ceremony, hindi
ito gagawin ng mga Filipino. Ang
tunay na sensiridad ng pagpupugay
o pagpahahalaga ay wala naman
talaga [sa mga Filipino]. Ang layunin
natin ngayon ay ang maiangat ang
kamalayang panlipunan,” aniya.
Ayon kay Augusto de Viana,
tagapangulo ng Department of History
sa UST, ang flag-raising ceremony
ay ginagawa upang bigyang-diin
ang pagka-Filipino ng isang tao.
“You begin your day with
a flag-raising to emphasize your
being a Filipino, being a citizen
of this country. As an educational
institution, it is mandated to
teach the duties of citizenship and
patriotic values,“ ani De Viana.
Dagdag pa niya, higit na mainam
kung may isang resource person
bawat linggo na tatalakay sa buhay
ng isang Filipino o ‘di kaya’y isang
makasaysayang pangyayari sa bansa o
sa Unibersidad upang madagdagan ang
patuloy siyang makapaglingkod
sa bayan. Isa si Perfecto sa
mga kongresistang naghain ng
mga batas na makabubuti sa
kalagayan ng mga manggagawa
at sa pagkaroroon ng karapatang
bumoto ng mga kababaihan.
Naging bahagi rin si Perfecto
ng kasaysayan nang mapabilang
siya sa Constitutional Convention
noong 1935, kung saan pumirma
siya gamit ang sariling dugo.
Makalipas ang sampung
taon, itinalaga siya ni Pangulong
Sergio Osmeña sa Korte Suprema,
kung saan nanungkulan siya
hanggang 1949. Sa kasaysayan
ng Korte Suprema, siya lamang
ang hukom na nakapagtala ng
mas maraming salungat na
opinyon kaysa sa pangunahing
opinyon.
Si Perfecto rin ang naghain
ng batas upang hindi lagyan
ng buwis ang suweldo ng mga
hukom.
Taong 1949 nang namatay
si Perfecto dahil sa sakit.
kaalaman
ng mga
mag-aaral.
A y o n
pa sa kaniya,
maraming mga Filipino
ang binabalewala ang kanilang
pagkamamamayan dahil sa pagnanais
na maghanapbuhay sa ibang bansa.
“This is [an] opinion. They
(Filipinos) take their citizenship for
granted. After they graduate, they try
to go to other countries and become
citizens, not knowing they would turn
out to be second-hand citizens there.
And in the end, they keep crawling
back to the Philippines and retire here.
We should remember that [Apolinario]
Mabini said that you should love your
country because it is the only paradise
God has given you,” ani De Viana.
Para sa kaniya, ang flag ceremony
ay dapat gawing kusa ng mga magaaral dahil nagpakikita ito ng pagiging
ganap na mamamayan ng bansa.
“Dapat maging bahagi siya ng
ritwal, ibig sabihin dapat involuntary
[ang paglahok sa flag ceremony].
Ginagawa ito ng mga mag-aaral sa
mababa at mataas na paaralan tapos
mawawala rin [pagdating niya ng
kolehiyo]. Remember, this is the last
stop until you become a citizen of the
country. This is the last chance that
you have to form yourself in order
to become a proper citizen,“ aniya.
Dagdag pa niya, ang unang
hakbang upang maging makabayan ay
punahin ang sarili bago tumingin sa iba.
Bagaman matagal nang
pumanaw, nananatiling buhay
ang alaala ni Perfecto matapos
isunod sa kaniyang pangalan
ang Gregorio Perfecto High
School na matatagpuan
s a To n d o , M a y n i l a .
D a n a ly n T. L u ba n g
Tomasalitaan:
nepnep (png) – tag-ulan
Halimbawa: Hindi na nagtaka
si Bb. Rosales nang magkasakit
ang ilan sa kaniyang mga magaaral dahil sa panahon ng
nepnep ngayong buwan.
Mga sanggunian:
De Ramos, N. V. I Walked
With Twelve UST Rectors.
Central Professional Books,
Inc., 2000
“ G r e g o r i o
Perfecto.” Academic
Dictionaries
and
Encyclopedias. N.p., n.d.
Web. 24 Nov. 2010. <http://
en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/
“ A n g
pinakamainam na
gawin ay tingnan mo
muna ang sarili mo,
whether you’re doing
your duties as a citizen
or look at what our founding
fathers had said and see whether
we are following that blueprint
towards nationhood,“ ani De Viana.
Ayon kay Fernando Pedrosa,
tagapangulo ng Department of Social
Sciences, ang pagkamakabayan ay
madalas binabalewala ng maraming
Filipino dahil sa iba’t ibang bagay na
mas pinagtutuunang pansin ng mga ito.
“They (Filipinos) take it for
granted (flag-raising ceremony). As
time goes by, we tend to forget the
basics. As you go higher, we tend to
forget those basic things because we
go into specialization,“ ani Pedrosa.
Aniya, ang pagbabalik
ng flag-raising ceremony sa
Unibersidad ay isang hakbang
upang masuring muli ng mga
Filipino ang kanilang nasyonalismo.
“Kaya nga ibinabalik ito (flagraising ceremony) ay upang masuri
nating muli ang ating mga sarili—ang
ating pagkamakabayan, na kadalasa’y
naipagwawalang-bahala natin,“ aniya.
Para sa kaniya, ang moral laxity
ng mga Filipino ngayon ay dulot
ng impluwensya ng media, na may
malaking tungkuling ginagampanan
sa paghuhulma ng mga Filipino.
“There is such [a] thing as
global influence ng media [which
is happening] not only in the
Medicine
FROM PAGE 2
Anesthesiologist
and
lecturer Dr. Anniela YuSoliven said a bundy system
would make it hard for doctors
to respond to emergency
cases.
“As practicing physicians
we are dealing with lives, and
[in] dealing with lives, we
cannot particularly predict
[when] an emergency will
arrive,” Soliven said.
Soliven, along with
other faculty members, said
the change in the system
of
checking
attendance
would be in conflict with the
strategic juggle of hospital
and academic responsibilities
of teaching doctors.
She noted that during a
meeting attended by some
Medicine faculty members,
the consensus was against
the use of a biometric system
as each department of the
13
Philippines but [throughout the world
as well.] There is a big conflict between
industrial mentality and cultural
identity. The industrial mentality is
represented by the highly-industrialized
countries while the cultural identity is
represented by the developing countries
like the Philippines,“ ani Pedrosa.
Dagdag pa niya, isang dahilan ang
korapsyon kung kaya’t maraming mga
Filipino ang nagiging hindi makabayan.
“Corruption is another
reason. If they are nationalistic,
they would forget about their
personal interests,“ ani Pedrosa.
Flag-raising ceremony sa kolehiyo
Ang AMV-College of Accountancy
ay ang unang kolehiyo na nanguna sa
flag-raising ceremony na ginanap noong
Nobyembre 15, kasama ang mababa at
mataas na paaralan ng Unibersidad.
Ayon kay Jernold Vergara, pangulo
ng AMV-College of Accountancy
student council, sa kaniyang apat na
taon dito sa Unibersidad, ito ang kaunaunahang pagkakataon na naranasan niya
ang maging bahagi ng flag ceremony.
“Madalas kasi itong gawin noong
high school, kaya parang nagbabaliktanaw na rin ako. Ngunit ngayon,
hindi ko na masyadong kabisado
ang Panatang Makabayan, pati
iyong iba napansin ko, hindi na rin
masyadong makasabay,” ani Vergara.
Para kay Vergara, ang hakbang
na ito ng Unibersidad ay isang
magandang simula upang buhayin
ang nasyonalismo ng mga Tomasino.
“Isang paraan upang maipakita
ang nasyonalismo ng mga Tomasino
ay ang kaalaman sa mga pangunahing
bagay ng pagka-Filipino tulad ng
pag-awit ng Lupang Hinirang at
panunumpa sa watawat. Madalas
kasi kapag may random interviews sa
kolehiyo, halos lahat ay nakalimutan
na ang Lupang Hinirang,” aniya.
Bagaman pang-high school sa
mata ng ibang mag-aaral, para kay
Vergara ay magandang natatandaan
pa rin ng mga mag-aaral ang liriko
ng Lupang Hinirang at ang mga
kataga sa Panatang Makabayan.
“Kung may isang bagay na
dapat hindi mo makalimutan sa
buong buhay mo, iyon [Lupang
Hinirang at Panatang Makabayan]
na ang mga iyon,” ani Vergara.
Sa sampung mga mag-aaral na
nakapanayam ng Varsitarian, siyam
sa mga ito ang hindi na saulado ang
Panatang Makabayan. Ang unang
rason ng mga ito ay dahil hindi na
ito ginagawa ngayong kolehiyo.
“Noong high school, tuwing
binibigkas ang Panatang Makabayan,
hindi ako sumasabay. Ngayong
nasa kolehiyo na ako, hindi na ito
(flag-raising ceremony) ginagawa.
Siguro piling linya na lang [ang
alam ko],” ani Mumtazah Umal,
19, ng Faculty of Arts and Letters.
Ayon kay Shanine Sia, 17, ng
College of Rehabilitation Sciences, hindi
na raw niya ito matandaan dahil wala
ng flag-raising ceremony sa kolehiyo.
Ngunit para kay Katrina Sison,
18, ng Faculty of Arts and Letters,
naalala pa niya ito dahil mula pa
noong siya ay nasa high school, ito
ay nakasanayan na nila araw-araw.
“Saulado ko pa ito dahil nga
noong high school, araw-araw itong
ginagawa,” ani Sison. PATRICIA
I S A B EL A B . E V A N G ELI S T A
faculty has its own way of
dealing with problems on
how to handle students.
Conde said a survey
initiated by the Medicine
faculty association, which
had 55 percent of the total
population of physicianlecturers as respondents,
found that around 80 percent
disagreed with the proposed
system.
Soliven
said
the
Department
of
Anesthesiology, for instance,
allows make-up classes.
“For me to say that I have
not short-changed [students]
if I cannot attend my class for
a clerkship load, I schedule
the makeup on another day
or another hour when the
students
are
available,”
Soliven said. “Now, with
biometrics, it will definitely
reflect [on] me as being an
absentee for that particular
load.”
However, Gan said the
dean’s office will be giving
consideration to emergency
cases as long as absences or
tardiness does not become
habitual.
“There are few who
have expressed their negative
reactions like remarks that
the whole University should
implement the biometrics,”
Gan said.
In 2005, the College of
Architecture started using the
biometric system to monitor
professors’ daily time records.
The Faculty of Pharmacy also
tried to implement the system
two years ago, but majority of
the faculty members preferred
signing attendance sheets.
“Sad to say it was not
acceptable to the faculty
members. You must ask
them personally on why they
disapproved,”
Pharmacy
Dean Pricilla Torres said.
The Varsitarian tried
but failed to get comment
from the UST Faculty Union
on the biometric system.
Ana May R. de la Cruz
14 Limelight The
Towazinos
Varsitarian november 30, 2010
Art Director: Carla T. Gamalinda
by Jasmine C. Santos
Bits of USTe
by Fritzie Marie C. Amar
España Blues
by Patrick C. De los Reyes
Faculty
FROM PAGE 3
degrees
[related
to
Engineering],” De Alban said.
“We must keep on developing
ourselves, we have to make
the most of this time.”
Ched requirement
Vargas said Nursing
teachers without MAs had
been told that a master’s
degree is a requirement and
that they must finish their
studies in five semesters.
This was specified in their
contracts, she said.
“If they cannot finish
[the degree] for a certain
period, then they will not be
[re-hired],” she said.
But Vargas pointed
out that teachers without
MAs also contribute to the
college, citing Nursing’s
performance in the recent
board examinations. “We are
not going hire them if they
are not qualified. If we are
going to take them in, then
they are with experience,”
she said.
Nursing also prefers
graduates of the college,
a
government-designated
center of excellence in
Nursing.
“At least if we get our
graduates, we know that
our students are in good
hands because they know
the concerns of our college,”
Vargas said. “When they’re
in, we train them to become
effective faculty members.”
Aside from being a
minimum requirement set by
the Commission on Higher
Education or Ched, a master’s
degree is also necessary for
promotion.
“Completion of postgraduate degrees does not
guarantee promotion in rank.
However, granting [that the
faculty classification] criteria
were satisfied, a faculty
member cannot be promoted
to assistant professor level
unless he has an MA/MS
degree. Likewise, one cannot
be promoted to associate
professor level unless he has
a PhD degree,” said Editha
Fernandez, Office of Faculty
Evaluation and Development
director.
Issue on tenureship
Last
March,
the
University
administration
began to strictly implement
Dominican
Thomasians
FROM PAGE 11
Petit does not confine
himself to a certain genre or
medium. Although he is known
for his Japanese prints, stained
glass pieces and paintings, he also
does sculptures and even works
with architects in designing
chapels. He experiments with
different styles and incorporates
Christian, Shintoist, and
Buddhist beliefs in his works.
In his sculpture Jésus en
Croix, he depicts Jesus on the
cross using a single piece of
what appears to be driftwood.
The piece borders between
abstract and Christian symbolism
Despite his busy schedule
and all the travelling it requires,
Petit does not see his love for
the arts as a hindrance to his
responsibilities as a priest. In
fact, he even considers art as
his own way of glorifying God.
“My art is a song of glory,”
Petit said, “It is my prayer.”
FROM PAGE 16
with reports from MA. JOANNA
ANGELA D. CRUZ
in her event, the 19-year-old
athlete showed promise.
“I was really after the
experience,” said Palma, who
was only on her first Asian
Games. “I got to meet a lot
of people. I learned to be
independent and to handle
pressure especially with the
absence of our coach during
the tournament.”
The young Palma has been
to three other international
events: South East Asian
Shooting Championships
(where she placed sixth
overall), Singapore Open
Shooting Championship
(where she placed seventh),
and the prestigious World
Cup.
In softball, former UST
Softbelle Esmeralda Tayag
also played as a relief pitcher
for the rookie-laden RP Blu
Girls squad in the tournament.
“The RP team for softball
Ched Memorandum Order 40
series of 2008 or the “Manual
of Regulations for Private
Higher Education,” requiring
all college teachers to have
“at least” a master’s degree.
However, dispute ensued
between the administration
and the UST Faculty Union
after the issuance of a waiver
to
non-tenured
faculty
members without master’s
degrees at the start of the
academic year. The waiver
places them on probationary
status despite a provision
in the collective bargaining
agreement that allows faculty
members to attain tenure
or regular status after five
consecutive semesters of
teaching.
Those
who
refused
to sign the waiver were
terminated. Three CFAD
professors sued UST before
the National Labor Relations
Commission last July for
“unfair labor practice.”
But Fernandez said that
ef fect ive 20 03, a facult y
member cannot attain tenure
without master’s degree under
University policies. “So there
is no chance they will get
tenured now unless they have
the MA/MS degree,” she said.
Charmaine M. Parado
will have a difficult time with
experienced teams from China
and Japan, but their stint as
UAAP players will be big
help because of their exposure
to the games,” coach Sandy
Barredo said in Filipino.
The Blu Girls defeated
their Thai rivals in the
preliminary round, 1-0, but
yielded to South Korea and
eventual champion Japan.
In billiards, 29-year-old
accountancy graduate Rubilen
“Bingkay” Amit, the first
Filipina cue artist to win the
World Pool Championship,
was also lined to represent
the country for the 8-ball and
9-ball category. Amit outlasted
Mongolian contender Uyanga
Battulga in the preliminary
round of the woman’s 8-ball
pool singles however failed
to deliver against Ga Young
Kim of Korea. An unfortunate Amit also
loss her first match in the
9-ball pool singles against
Xiaoting Pan, who eventually
bagged a gold medal. ‘Lab breakage’
FROM PAGE 3
equipment, while the latter is
the cumulative amount that
students have to pay every
semester for equipment or
materials they have broken,
chipped, or stained.
“The guidelines are
printed at the back of the
borrower’s form to inform
students of how to use
and take care of various
laboratory
equipment,”
Vasquez said.
Last,
semester,
breakage fees ranged from
P18 to P12,000 for a single
student.
“[When] most parents
[started] complaining about
the expensive amount they
[had to] pay, the accounting
office decided to do the
collection per semester,”
Vasquez said.
Q Retreat
FROM PAGE 2
allowing yourself to enjoy
God,” he said.
Villegas noted that people
are easily affected with disunity
even if there is one God, one
Church, and one Trinity.
“Before we search for our
differences, we must first look
for what binds us all—one
faith,” Villegas added. “We are
all children of the same God.
And there is only one God.
If you are able to find God in
your heart, you can find God
everywhere.”
Nueva Caceres Archbishop
Leonardo Legaspi, who became
the first Filipino rector of the
University in 1970, addressed
the virtue of hope and said
that “lucid truth is the basis of
authentic hope.”
“There is crisis in every
part of the world. The immediate
answer of faith that grounds
our hope is the love for God,”
Legaspi said in his homily
during the Mass for the retreat’s
second day.
He also praised the
University
for
remaining
humble despite its commendable
performance in state licensure
examinations.
“Ang Tomasino, hindi
mayabang, magaling lang,”
Legaspi said. “It is also the
Vazquez said colleges
with laboratory courses were
informed beforehand of the
change. “Once we release
the list of due breakage
fees, it is the college’s
responsibility to inform the
students about it,” he said.
The
breakage
fee
computation is based on
the borrower’s form which
includes the list of group
members in each class. The
entire group will then be
held liable for any damage
done to equipment. The total
amount will be divided by
the number of members in a
group.
Engineering
student
Royce Salvatierra, who
paid P920.83 for breakage
during enrollment, said the
computation was unclear.
“I inquired about the
matter at the dean’s office
and [they] said that they
cannot show the records to
me at the moment because
Thomasian soul that vivifies the
Thomasian community.”
In the closing mass on the
third day of the retreat, Rector
Fr. Rolando de la Rosa said
the retreat was not about the
participants. “The retreat is not
about us feeling good, holier, or
better. It is about thanking God,”
he said.
De la Rosa led the
participants in a candle
ceremony signifying that Christ
is the “light of the world.”
Aside from the daily
celebration of Holy Mass and
talks from some of the country’s
most respected clergymen,
the retreat also featured
“witnessing”—a sharing of
spiritual thoughts from lay
people.
Parish Pastoral Council for
Responsible Voting (PPCRV)
chairwoman Henrietta de Villa,
a former ambassador of the
Philippines to the Holy See,
said: “UST is a home for joy. It
gives [happiness] to those who
know her.”
UST seminarians served
as staff for the Q Retreat,
facilitating activities such as
the Holy Hour, the recitation of
the rosary, morning prayers, the
sacrament of reconciliation, and
the Way of the Cross.
Faculty members thanked
the University administration for
holding a “once-in-a-lifetime”
event.
College of Fine Arts and
they only have those which
are dated in 2010,” he said. “I
think it’s too much because
we haven’t even utilized
much of the equipment for
chemistry laboratory.”
In such cases, Vazquez
said it was possible some
students broke something
without their group mates’
knowledge.
“But
it’s
impossible to have our
computations wrong since
we do it per semester.”
He added that the
breakage
fee
varies
depending on the type and
price of equipment.
“If they don’t want to pay
for what is due then try to be
careful with the glasswares,”
Vasquez added. “Students
must read the reminders on
the back of their borrower’s
form, and be more careful
when handling laborator y
apparatus.” Camille Anne
M. Arcilla and Alyosha
J. Robillos
Design professor Victoria
Mortel-Flores said the retreat
achieved its aim of thanking
and praising God. “The retreat
is not solely about unifying
the members of UST, but
rather thanking God,” she said,
echoing the Rector.
UST High School teacher
I meld a Ro s a le s s a id t he
retreat was “an opportunity
to bring the entire Thomasian
community under one roof.”
Jennifer M. Orill a z a ,
Rommel Marvin C. Rio
and Brylle B. Tabora
Cliffhanger
FROM PAGE 4
number coding scheme. The
scheme was made in a bid
to ease the traffic in Metro
Manila, but apparently, bus
drivers and operators, who
are the frequent lawbreakers
by illegally loading and
unloading bus passengers in
prohibited areas, could not
understand it. And so last
November 15, 70 percent
of the buses plying in the
metropolis reportedly took
part to the strike and left the
public stranded in the streets.
Condolences to the riding
public, for we have such kind
of public vehicles that are
ready to leave us hanging
when their profit is at stake.
november 30, 2010
Editor: Jeremy S. Perey
The Varsitarian Sports
15
Can UST sustain momentum in the second round?
WHAT SEPARATES the España army from their Taft-based
challengers is a precarious 13 point-lead, while the University of the
Philippines (UP) and the Far Eastern University (FEU) are not too
far away in the third spot in the UAAP general championship race.
With the level of intensity getting tougher in the second semester
sports events, does the team has enough diesel to carry the Thomasian
spirit to the finish line?
Editor’s note: More fearless forecasts in the next issue.
LAWN TENNIS
Male Tennisters
Last season: Champion
Prediction: Any of the Final Four slots
Amid losing the core of last
year’s champion team, including
former team captain Keane
Barraquias, and Season 72
co-MVPs Miguel Narvaez,
Raymond Villarete, surrender is
option for the Male Tennisters.
Last season’s rookie
revelation Arn Procianos, together
with new recruit Kim Sarasa, a
top rank RP Under-18 tennister,
will carry the torch for UST this
year with the absence of their
veteran players.
Promising rookies such as
Bernalou Bering and Alfrancis
Potutan are also expected to
and
never an
Illustrations by JASMINE C. SANTOS and FRITZIE MARI C. AMAR
ATHLETICS
Female Tracksters
Last Season: Second place
Prediction: Champion
Failing to break the five-year bridesmaid curse last season,
the Female Tracksters can only find themselves thirstier to
finally nail the elusive crown.
Coach Manny Calipes believes that the team has a higher
potential to outrun the seemingly insurmountable FEU and
University of the East (UE) with his new recruits, who proved
their worth in UST’s recent championship in University Games.
Because FEU keeps defeating them in the point-system
of UAAP, Calipes tried to adjust his tactics as the Female
Tracksters were trained to be multi-event athletes, who shall
concentrate not only in their field of expertise, but also in other
events.
“We already have back-up runners to score more
points,” said Calipes, explaining that if the back-up
runners could also keep up, even if they don’t top the
events, they could give the team a big lift in points.
“They will be given extra events,” he said.
“They know they have to sacrifice. I just told them
to stay ahead of every FEU runner.”
Male Tracksters
Last Season: Fourth place
bolster the España crew who will go up
against the dangerous squad of De La Salle,
Ateneo, and UP.
“We always come out hungrier every game,” team captain Ralph Kevin Barte, an AB Economics
sophomore said in Filipino. “The players are well-motivated and focused because we have this
mindset that every opponent is capable of beating us.”
VOLLEYBALL
FENCING
Male Fencers
Last Year: Second Place
Prediction: Second Place
For the undermanned UST Fencing team, the riddle remains unanswered: how to attract
more players in a sport that is not too popular to the crowd and make them stay for a couple of
years.
Recruitment has been a pain in the neck for the team and the dilemma continues
with the departure of Donnie Navarro, one of the ace players of UST, who bagged a
silver in the individual sabre category last year.
“Our main problem is the lack of players in the team,” said team captain Harris
Orendain, who is expected to bolster UST in men’s sabre. “Because of this, one player is bound to play two weapons
instead of specializing in a single weapon alone.”
Last year, the Male Fencers fell short of carving a grandslam title after their loss against the University of
the East, but with the valuable addition of rookie Jordan Sapitan in men’s foil and their constant practice with the
National team, redeeming the crown will not be an impossible dream.
“We are more united now and we play as a team, unlike before, kanya-kanya kami ng laro,” he said.
Lady Fencers
Last Season: Fifth Place
Prediction: Second or Third Place
Resurrecting from a dismal fifth place won’t be a walk in the park for
the Lady Fencers, but with their daily training with the National team at
the Philsports Arena, their skills are constantly getting tougher and they
are also well-provided with the required equipment.
Last year’s bronze medalist Daryl Kaye Natividad of
women’s epee will be hanging her fencing uniform
due to graduation, but it won’t cripple the
team entirely with Michelle Manimtim,
Mikaela
De Torres, Emmie Sapitan, Donita Navarro,
and Joanna Marie Guevara armed with enough experience from last season, and
as they are expected to give their hearts out for this year’s UAAP hostilities.
Although the team has not been very active in off-season games, some of
the players participated in the first recreational tri-weapon fencing tournament last
November 20 to 21 in Ultra.
RH bill
FROM PAGE 3
even to unmarried people,
and may allow a person to
undergo surgical sterilization
without the consent of his or
her spouse. Contraceptives
will be declared as “essential
medicines,” despite the fact
that many medical practitioners
consider some chemical pills as
abortifacient for rendering the
female uterus inhospitable to a
fertilized ovum.
It will also teach children
“sexual rights” as part of an
overall aim for Filipinos to have
a “safe and satisfying sex life.”
Doctors will be penalized for
not referring patients to another
doctor if their consciences
dictate against providing RH
services.
‘Head-on collision’
Cebu Archbishop Cardinal
Prediction: Any of the
Final Four slots
After ending
University of the East’s
eight-year dominance in
the oval in Season 65, the
Male Tracksters seem to
be doomed under a spell, as
they
would suffer eight years without
a
championship title if they fail to
win
now.
With rookie players covering more
than half of
the team, they have to go through the
rocky road
before reaching the Promised Land.
“They need a lot of improvement as they are composed of
more than 50 percent rookies,” said coach Manny Calipes.
The only outstanding recruit, according to Calipes, is
Rizal Kasim, the lone gold medalist for UST in their Unigames
stint. This superb javelin thrower was spotted in the Palarong
Pambansa.
“Compared to UAAP throwers, he [Kasim] has a higher
standard throw. Other recruits are too young. In athletics, there
is an advantage in training when your players are older,” said
Calipes.
Ricardo Vidal said there would
be a “head-on collision” with
those who want the RH bill
passed.
Vidal said the Church was
being unjustly portrayed as an
“intolerable power bloc.”
“The Church, in its
pronouncement against the
RH bill, is not imposing its
religious tenets, but purifying
and shedding the light on the
collective conscience of the
nation so that citizens may
appreciate the objective moral
values which the RH bill
threatens to undermine,” Vidal
said.
‘Unhappy’ nation
Clowes, meanwhile, said
reproductive health is a “softer
term for abortion” and claimed
it made the United States an
“unhappy” nation.
“The solution to poverty is
not to tell families not to have
children because in the last 50
years of using contraceptives
in America, we still have 30
million poor people,” Clowes
said.
Odchimar said there were
other aspects of poverty that
needed to be addressed such
as the “equitable distribution of
resources and land reform.”
“Ours is an agricultural
country, how much of the budget
is dedicated to agriculture?”
Odchimar asked.
He said it was ironic
that despite the fact that the
International Rice Research
Institute is based in the
Philippines, the country is a
major importer of rice.
“Now, Vietnam, despite
being devastated by war, is
one of the top rice-producing
countries after modernizing
the agriculture sector. That is a
sort of [proof of the] lopsided
utilization of our resources,”
Odchimar said.
About 500 delegates from
various countries participated
i n the cong ress. K N. C.
Gra fil and Darenn G.
Rodriguez
Lady Spikers
Last season: Champion
Prediction: Any of the Final Four slots
Fresh from a championship cruise in Unigames
against title contender De La Salle University, the Lady
Spikers definitely have a bright future to look
forward in Season 73.
However, coach Cesael de Los Santos does
not want overconfidence to ruin their momentum
and instructed the team to take things one step at a
time.
An intact and experienced lineup will be UST’s
advantage over the other squads despite the graduation of
open spiker Angeli Tabaquero and the unexpected departure of
Dindin Santiago, who will play for the National University after
the completion of her two-year residency.
Expected to raise the stakes for the squad are three-time Shakey’s
V-league Most Valuable Player (MVP) and team captain Aiza Maizo who will
play alongside the veteran antics of Season 72 Finals MVP Rhea Dimaculangan,
Maruja Banaticla, Judy Caballejo, and Maika Ortiz.
De Los Santos will also be banking on prized greenhorns like Midori
Hirotsuji from UST high school and Dancel Busaran’ who hails from Bacolod
City.
“I have a huge faith with my veteran players to aid the rookies inside the
court so they will not feel nervous.”
Tiger Spikers
Last Year: Champion
Prediction: Champion
Like their female counterparts, the hard-slapping Tiger Spikers will boast
an intact lineup from last year’s champion team to anchor them to the fulfillment
of their “four-peat” dream this season.
The void left by chief setter Ray Karl Dimaculangan won’t be easy to fill
in but promising rookies Mark Alfafara, John Subiere and Romnick Rico are
expected to bring it on with their A-game’ along with seasoned veterans Henry
Pecaña, Kerr Ucang, John Paul Torres, Paul Jan Doloiras, Jayson Ramos, and
Harby Ilano.
The Tiger Spikers essayed a third place finish in the Unigames after an
unlikely debacle against rival team FEU in the semifinals but coach Emil Lontoc
is still in high hopes that UST is capable of defending the UAAP crown with
their rigid training and championship experience.
Advertising
that the college requires,” said
Cambodia-based advertising
practitioner Habito in the
forum
between
invited
advertising practitioners and
faculty members.
But the professors agreed
that most advertising students
today obviously lack mastery
and know-how in the use of
basic tools and the application
of fundamental skills, making
this proposal unadvisable at
present.
FROM PAGE 3
of UST excel in drawing,
but lack the capability to
conceptualize original and
genuine ideas, thus making
conceptualization exercises
highly recommended.
“The students need to
explore. They need to be
allowed to use different
media aside from the ones
“O ne of my g r e at e st
f r u st r at ion s is t hat most
students now don’t know why
they are in fine arts. Even if
spoonfeeding is done, they
are not able to prove that they
know enough to make it in
the industry,” Rey Amado
Mañago, a professor of Fine
Arts, said during the forum.
A lyosha J . R ob i l l os
w i t h re p o r ts f ro m Fr i t z
MARI Amar and IsaBELA
Martinez
Corrections
In the article Lady Judokas steal crown from UP appeared in the October 29, 2010 (Volume
LXXXII No. 7) of the Varsitarian MVP title of Annie Ramirez was mistakenly identified as Lady
Judoka Setsuko Ando. In the same article, Lady Judoka Princess Amerah Lucman's surname was
misspelled as Lucerman.
In the article Campus may be next bar exam venue published in the same issue, Raissa Laurel, who
lost both legs during the bar exam bombing, was identified as a student of San Beda College. Laurel
is an alumna of San Sebastian College.
Our apologies for the errors. -Ed
Sports
november 30, 2010
The Varsitarian
Thomasians light PH medal chart in Asian Games
ROMERO
By anne Marie carmela l.
dAYAUON and fRAULEINE
MICHELLE s. villanueva
THOMASIAN athletes made
modest contributions in the
country’s dismal performance
in the 16th Asian Games in in
Guangzhou, China from November
12 to 27.
In the Philippine contingent’s
16-medal haul, tourism alumnus
Engelberto “Biboy” Rivera struck
gold with 1,414 pinfalls, 10 points
ahead of silver medalist Mohammed
Algreebah of Kuwait.
GO
Former Tiger Jim Tshomlee
Go and 19-year-old Paul Romero
chipped in a bronze medal apiece
in the men’s under-63 kg and
under-58 kg categories, respectively.
In all, the Philippines collected three
gold medals, four silver, and nine
bronze and finished 19th out of 34
countries in the regional meet.
Rivera, who graduated from
UST in 1997, was the first to grab
a gold medal followed by national
team member Frederick Ong, who
nailed a bronze with a 1,390 total.
It was a sweet comeback for the
Filipino bowlers, who failed to reap
Tracksters paGE 10
AVENIDO
a single medal in the 2006 Doha
Asiad.
Just last October, Rivera placed
third at the 46th Quebica-AMF
Bowling World Cup in Toulon,
France, making him the top Asian
player in the event. His success
i n t h e Wo r l d Te n p i n M a s t e r s
in 2006 ended the Philippines’
26-year title drought in the
world bowling championships.
In combat sports, Go flaunted his
taekwondo prowess after trouncing
Ta j i k i s t a n - b a s e d j i n K h u r s a v
Giyosov in the quarterfinals. But
he settled for bronze after bowing
PALMA
down to Korea’s Dae Hoon Lee in
the sudden-death semifinals round.
Romero of the College of
Commerce duplicated the bronzemedal finish after he fell against
Chen Yang of Chinese Taipei in the
semifinals, 3-0. The loss was partly
blamed on a torn muscle in his right
hamstring.
“I am very happy because I
have contributed in the medal tally;
not to mention this [Asia Games]
is my first major international
competition,” he said in Filipino. Also joining the taekwondo
contingent were UAAP Season 72
AMIT
Athlete of the Year Marlon Avenido,
Season 73 MVP Camille Manalo,
and Lady Jin Jade Zafra.
In judo, former Lady Judoka
Karen Ann Solomon pinned down
Libyan Louize Bourached in the -70
kg category but a series of losses
did not allow her to qualify for the
next round.
Third-year Food Technology
student Charisse Palma got the
chance to carry the Philippine colors
in the women’s 50m rifle prone event. Although she failed to clinch a medal
Thomasians page 14
Thomasian cue artists sweep
De La Salle in B-League opener
Tracksters reign as
‘Queens of the oval’
in Unigames
BACK-TO-BACK champions UST Female
Tracksters barely broke a sweat in defending
their crown in the 15th University Games
in Negros Occidental last October 26 to 30.
But UST head coach Manny Calipes refused to
read too much into the victory, noting the absence
of collegiate powerhouse Far Eastern University
(FEU) and the University of the East (UE) in
the athletics meet held at the Governor Mariano
Perdices Memorial Coliseum in Dumaguete City.
Making up for the fourth-place finish of their
male counterparts, the Female Tracksters topped the
tournament with a 16-7-6 medal tally---a blowout
given Ateneo de Manila University’s 2-4-3 output
and Rizal Technological University’s (RTU) 1-2-1. The tournament is patterned after the Olympics
wherein the team with the most number of gold
medals is hailed as the winner. The UAAP format
uses a point system.
“In the Unigames, there is really no dominating
school,” said Calipes. “The system used is (based
on) medal standing. They (officials) count the
golds.”
The Female Tracksters took control of the
team events and swept the gold in all relays: 4x100meter (49.15), 4x200-meter (1:47.56), 4x400-meter
(4:10.48) and classical (2:21.97) relays.
Keizel Pedrina collected three gold medals
in the 200-meter dash (26.19), 400-meter dash
(59.54) and 800-meter run (2:24.23), while Season
70 Rookie of the Year Luville Dato-on ruled the
100-meter dash after clocking 12.47 seconds. Datoon also clinched the bullion in triple jump (11.49)
and long jump (5.83).
Also fueling the medal rush of UST is Viena
Mae Banebane, who won a twin-gold in the
100-meter (15.96) and 400-meter (1:07.76) hurdles.
Rookie Jilla Dela Rosa is dominated the 1500-meter
run (5:12.54) and 3000-meter run (11:27.57).
Miriam Miranda conquered the 5000-meter
(20:59.88) and 10000-meter run (44:51.16).
Among the Thomasians who collected a bundle
of silvers were team captain Meriam Colangoy in
100-meter dash (11.52), Joy Albino in triple jump
(12.20), Banebane in 200-meter dash (26.38),
Dela Rosa in 800-meter run (2:26.56), Miranda
in 3000-meter run (11:51.13), Jenelyn Surdilla in
5000-meter run (21:42.15) and Marinel de Chavez
in long jump (5.10).
Colangoy earned a bronze in the javelin
throw (33.29) while Ma. Dela Paz Banebane
ruled the 100-meter hurdles (16.64) rookie
Gwendolyn Narciso the 400-meter dash (1:03.78),
and 400-meter hurdles (1:09.76), Surdilla the
1500-meter run (5:35.20), and Chairy Palermo the
high jump (1.35).
The Male Tracksters settled for fourth with a
decent 1-2-4 output, behind reigning titlist Ateneo (50-4), De La Salle University (3-3-1) and RTU (2-3-2).
Rookie trackster Rizal Kasim got the lone gold for
UST in the javelin throw event (54.11). Emmanuel delos Angeles and Mark David
Madera placed second in the 110-meter (14.95) and
400-meter hurdles (58.77), respectively.
GOOGLE IMAGES
GOOGLE IMAGES
RIVERA
Gerthee Estrella sharply aims at the cueball, skewing out DLSU’s Chester Labez
Ong,7-1, in the nine-ball event.
JOSA CAMILLE A. BASSIG
FOUR Thomasian cue artists
surfaced as the early favorites
in the first National Collegiate
Billiards League (NCBL) or
B-League, walking over the De
La Salle University with a clean
3-0 sweep last November 20 at
the Manila Ocean Park. Bannering UST was the
black-and-gold quartet of team
captain Aaron Cedric Gonzales,
John Michael Hipolito and
Con rad Roy Cr uz Jr. f rom
the Faculty of Engineering,
and Gerthee Estrella from the
College of Commerce.
They faced a tough
opposition in 19 other schools
such as Ateneo de Manila
U n i v e r s i t y, Fa r E a s t e r n
University, Lyceum University
of t he Ph il ippi nes, Sa n
Sebastian College-Recolletos,
and the Philippine Maritime
Institute.
Estrella carved the first
win for UST over De La Salle’s
Chester Labez, 7-1, in the 9-ball
event.
The gritty Estrella
collected rack after rack but La
Salle’s Labez managed to mark
the Thomasian’s near-spotless
record after an Estrella misfire
in the sixth rack, enabling
Labez to clinch his first and
only score, 5-1.
Gonzales followed suit
as he pou nced on Carlwin
Ong, 7-3, in the 10-ball event.
O ng h a d a l s o e a r n e d h i s
points due to erratic shots, but
Gonzales’ sleek and versatile
hits enabled him to subdue the
Taft -based player in the last
four racks.
Cruz and Hipolito capped
the final victory for UST with
a sweet 5-0 sweep against De
La Salle’s Earl Velasco and
Lance Barlaan in the eightball scotch doubles match. Avenue for greatness
NCBL president Reli de
Leon said the new league was
a way to promote billiards as a
national sport. “This is a sport
where we can excel since we
have the strongest chance in
winning internationally,” he
said.
In the future, organizers
hope that the NCBL could
produce more inter national
champions such as Efren “Bata”
Reyes, Francisco “Django”
Bustamante, and Den nis
Orcullo.
“Ou r champions are
al ready old a nd sooner or
later, they will retire,” De
Leon said. “In three to five
years, there might not be any
players left who can compete
in international tournaments.”
De Leon hopes that the
NCBL would be a catalyst in
entrance of billiards in the
famous collegiate leagues.
“We have to open ou r
minds to other sports,” De Leon
said. “I hope the UAAP and
NCAA will recognize the sport.
Angelo Nonato P. Cabrera
and Robin G. Padilla
Tigers, Cubs partake in UAAP-NCAA All-Star benefit Games
By Angelo Nonato P. Cabrera
THREE of UST’s finest cagers
speckled stars with gold to
reinforce the stellar cast of UAAP
in its battle for pride against its
sister league in the UAAP-NCAA
All-Star Games for Bantay Bata
163 at the San Juan Arena last
November 13.
UST Growling Tigers’
three-point king Clark Bautista
contributed a total of nine points
in the seniors’ match including his
signature trey, opening the first
score for UAAP’s powerhouse
quintet en route to a 90–76 win
over the NCAA squad.
University of the East star
guard Paul Lee emerged Most
Valuable Player (MVP) for the
benefit game, pumping in 14
points while San Beda’s Garvo
Lanete topscored for NCAA with
17 markers.
Season 73 MVP and RPYouth stalwart Kevin Ferrer
together with hot-rod rookie and
Mythical Five cager EJ Corre,
represented the Tiger Cubs in the
juniors’ tiff, despite an 81-85 loss
against their NCAA counterparts.
Ferrer marked his presence
In the land of
the giants. UST’s
sweet shooting threepointer Clark Bautista
tries his luck inside
the paint this time
against a n NCA A
opponent in a benefit
game for Bantay Bata
163.
Photo by JOSA CAMILLE A. BASSIG
in the paint as he made 14 points
capitalized by a jaw-dropping
block on San Beda Red Cubs’
Von Chavez, even with 6:49 to
go in the final frame. Corre saw
11 minutes of play and chipped in
three points with the same number
of boards.
Ateneo de Manila Blue
Eaglets’ star point-guard and
UAAP Finals MVP Kiefer
Ravena exploded with 30 big
points, while San Beda’s Baser
Amer went home with the juniors’
All-Star MVP plum as he carried
the team with 14 points.
In the side events, Jeric Teng
and his father, San Miguel Beer
ace Alvin Teng, clinched second
spot in All-Star two-ball contest
as they combined for a total of
50 points. But it was Ateneo’s
Ravena and his dad Bong who
ruled the challenge with 57 points.
Meanwhile, Aljon Mariano
finished third in the three-point
shootout as he sank 11 points
to settle behind Jose Rizal
University’s Nate Matute and
Ateneo’s Emman Monfort,
who scored 15 and 14 points,
respectively.