The Varsitarian

The Varsitarian
Founded 1928
The official student publication of the university of santo tomas
Tuition rises by four percent
Vol. LXXXI, No. 13 • May 13, 2010
www.varsitarian.net
Manila, Philippines
THOMASIANS will enter the quadricentennial school
year paying a four-percent tuition increase, lower than
the initially recommended six-percent hike and last
year’s five-percent tuition rise.
“The increase is mainly
to balance the loss of buying
power due to [the] inflation
rate,” University Comptroller
Diomedes Yadao said.
Initially, the administration
proposed a six-percent tuition
hike, which is higher than the
country’s inflation projection of
3.5 to 5.5 percent for this year.
March’s inflation rate was 4.4
percent.
“But after considering
concerns from parents and
students, finally, it was settled at
four percent,” Yadao said.
Former Central Student
Council president Jeanne Luz
Castillo said the increase was
“reasonable.”
“We know that an increase
is inevitable, but our goal was
to at least temper the increase
to [what is] really necessary and
reasonable,” Castillo said.
With the four-percent
increase, students will now pay
P1,172 per unit, P45 more than
the P 1,127 per unit charged last
academic year.
Under the law, 70 percent
of tuition increases must go to
salaries of school faculty and
staff, 20 percent to the operational
expenses of the school, and 10
percent to return on investment.
Faculty pay was recently
increased by two percent (see
story below).
“The rising price of basic
supplies, like electricity and
water, and the need for faculty
[and] employees to maintain
the purchasing value of their
compensation, prompted the
increase [of] the amount of
tuition and [other] fees students
pay,” Yadao said.
This year’s hike is relatively
lower than the previous years
because the University had
“also considered the economic
condition of the country today,”
he added.
But some parents still find
the increase inconsiderate.
“Parents are already having
a hard time working and earning
to have their children finish
their education. Not all parents
Tuition, Page 19
Members of the Manila Fire Department douse fire at the kitchen of Sticks and Bowls restaurant (left). A fireman conducts surveillance of the
place, where a blaze damage around P20,000 worth of property (See story on page 3).
PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO
Civil Law Student Council opposes ‘midnight’ chief justice
T H E FA C U LT Y o f Civil
Law Student Council has
expressed opposition to
the Supreme Court ruling
allowing President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo to appoint
the next chief justice after
Reynato Puno retires on May
17.
In a statement issued last
April 12, the student council
cited Article VII, Section 15 of
the Constitution, which states
that “two months immediately
before the next presidential
elections and up to the end
of his term, a president or
acting president shall not
make appointments, except
temporary appointments to
executive positions when
continued vacancies therein
will prejudice public service
or endanger public safety.”
“There is no need to
prevent a vacuum in the
chief ‘justiceship.’ Under
Section 12 of the Judiciary
Act, in case of vacancy in the
Office of the Chief Justice,
the power of its office shall
be transferred to the associate
justice until another chief
justice has been qualified,”
the statement read.
Nine justices, including
three Thomasians, ruled that
President Arroyo can appoint
the next chief justice, saying
the appointment of the chief
UST researcher finds
novel algae in RP
By Antonio ramon h. royandoyan
FOR FISHERMEN, an algal bloom is considered a “pond
scum,” a parasite to their source of livelihood. However,
for scientists like Rey Donne Papa, algal growth may help
solve the country’s energy problems.
During field work, Papa of the Research Center for
the Natural Sciences and his thesis students accidentally
found Botryococcus braunii Kützing(B. braunii), more
commonly known as green algae, in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.
The novel discovery was documented in a study titled
“Blooms of the Colonial Green Algae, Botryococcus
braunii Kützing, in Paoay Lake, Luzon Island,
Philippines.”
Papa’s research was published
on the Philippine
Journal for
Systematic
Biology back
in 2008. Data
analysis was
done with
Ta i w a n e s e
scientist Dr.
Jiunn-Tzong
Wu.
Thomasian, Page 8
justice is not covered by the
election ban on appointments
in a landmark decision last
March 16. The Supreme Court
junked last April 20 a motion
for reconsideration filed by 17
petitioners and interveners,
ruling with finality that the
President can name Puno’s
successor.
Despite the ruling,
Civil Law Student Council
president Randolph Clet said
Mrs. Arroyo should leave it to
the next president to appoint
the next chief justice out of
delicadeza.
He described the effect of
the Supreme Court decision
as a “depressing scenario.”
“The Supreme Court
must be impartial even on
appearance,” Clet said in an
interview.
If the President decides
to appoint the next chief
justice, all 15 justices in the
Supreme Court have been
appointed by her, creating an
“Arroyo Court,” he added.
Civil Law professor
Rene Gorospe said it won’t
be necessary for Mrs.
Arroyo to appoint Puno’s
replacement. He cited the
“Aytona vs. Castillo” case
under the 1935 Constitution
when former president
Carlos Garcia appointed 350
executive officials just before
his term ended. Garcia ran
for re-election in 1962, but
was defeated by Diosdado
Macapagal.
“Officials appointed by
Garcia when his term was
about to end was disregarded
by Macapagal. Aytona filed
a lawsuit, but the Supreme
Court favored Macapagal,
ruling that no one should
affect the ability of the new
President,” Gorospe said.
“An outgoing president
is considered as caretaker,
concerned over smooth
transition, not making those
appointments,” he added.
Conchita Carpio-Morales voted
“no,” while Antonio Eduardo
Nachura, and Presbitero
Velasco, Jr. said the case should
be dismissed because it was
“premature.”
The Supreme Court, with
the same vote, dropped a motion
for reconsideration filed by
petitioners and intervenors last
April 20, ruling with finality on
the case.
The nine justices argued the
judiciary branch is not covered
by Article VII, Section 15 of
the 1987 Constitution, which
prevents an outgoing president
from making appointments to
government posts two months
before the elections.
“Two months immediately
before the next presidential
elections and up to the end
of his term, a President or
Acting President shall not
make appointments, except
temporary appointments to
ECONOMIC provisions of
the collective bargaining
agreement (CBA) between
the administration and the
faculty were revised last
March 10, resulting in a two
percent increase in salaries of
faculty members starting next
academic year.
UST Faculty Union
President Gil Gamilla said the
re-negotiated agreement did not
include a “customary bonus”
from the administration “due
to economic hardship.” The
administration is supposed to
share in the “signing bonus”
given upon the ratification of a
new CBA.
Instead, faculty members
got a P15,000 signing bonus
from union funds. Professorial
lecturers or contractual mentors
hired before 2001 also got a
signing bonus.
In 2008, faculty members
received a P20,000 signing
bonus after the ratification
of the CBA for 2006-2011,
P5,000 of which came from the
University.
The re-negotiated CBA
created a new salary scheme
for professors according to their
ranks, with instructors having
a full 24-unit load getting
P33,690 a month (Instructor 1)
to P42,231 a month (Instructor
5).
Under the previous CBA,
instructors got only a maximum
of P40,293 a month.
The three levels of
assistant professors will
get P44,715, P47,982, and
P51,495, respectively, while
associate professors 1-3 will
be given P63,102, P68,665,
and P74, 728, accordingly, for
24-unit loads.
Supreme, Page 8
CBA, Page 9
Midnight, Page 8
Thomasian Supreme Court justices
rule: GMA can appoint next CJ
THREE Thomasian justices in
the Supreme Court have ruled
in favor of President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, giving her
the power to appoint the next
chief justice when Reynato
Puno retires on May 17.
Thomasian associate
justices Roberto Abad and
Diosdado Peralta concurred
with the ruling of the majority
that President Arroyo may name
Puno’s successor as the chief
justice post is not covered by
the constitutional prohibition in
“midnight” appointments.
The landmark ruling
was penned by Associate
Justice Lucas Bersamin, also
a Thomasian professor. Abad
was a former dean of the Faculty
of Civil Law, while Peralta, who
graduated law in UST, teaches in
the faculty.
Ironically, the ruling was
opposed by the Civil Law
Student Council in a statement,
and did not sit well with a
constitutional law professor in
the faculty.
“Personally, I don’t agree
with them. It seems to me that
the spirit and the language on
constitutional ban are clear
enough,” said Rene Gorospe,
constitutional law professor.
Civil Law Dean Nilo
Divina did not comment on the
outcome of the Supreme Court
voting where all Thomasian
justices, except Renato Corona
who inhibited himself, ruled in
Mrs. Arroyo’s favor.
“I am a disciple of the
law and I also have my own
interpretation of the issue even
before the decision broke. At
a certain point, controversies
must end, the Supreme Court
always has the final say,” Divina
said.
Other justices who
concurred with the decision
last March 16 were Jose Perez,
Martin Villarama, Teresita de
Castro, Arturo Brion, Jose
Mendoza, and Mariano del
Castillo. Only Associate Justice
CBA revised,
faculty pay
increased
The
Varsitarian
NEWS
2 MAY 13, 2010
‘Inefficient’ MyUSTe draws flak
Philippine Star columnist and 2008 Ten Outstanding Thomasian Alumni awardee for media Jose Sison delivers the 7th Jose
Villa Panganiban Lecture about the reproductive health bill to more than 150 students from different colleges and universities
last April 22.
KARLA MIDES C. TOLEDO
UST third in Medtech board
UST RANKED as the third
top-performing school in the
Medical Technologist licensure
examination, and garnered a
100-percent passing rate in the
Mechanical Engineering board
last month.
However, the Professional
Regulation Commission (PRC)
did not recognize UST as the
top performing school for the
Mechanical Engineering test due
to the low number of Thomasian
examinees.
The University’s passing
rate in the Medical Technology
board rose to 83 percent from
last year’s 65 percent as 38 of
the 46 Thomasian examinees
passed. Thirty-three were firsttime takers.
Faculty of Pharmacy’s Zane
Kevin Gervacio, magna cum
laude of batch 2009, led the 514
passers, yielding an 88.3-percent
passing rate. The national passing
rate was 58.88 percent, higher
than last year’s 42.84 percent.
UST was the top-performing
school with 89-percent passing
rate in the September 2009
Medical Technologist test with
five Thomasians in the Top 10,
including topnotcher Alvin Rey
Flores.
This time, UST trailed
behind Saint Louis UniversityBaguio and Far Eastern
University-Nicanor Reyes
Usapang Uste
Blanco said STePs expected the
grades to be available for uploading
last March 31, but was told by the
registrar’s office that there would be
a delay.
STePs posted a notice on the
portal weeks before the March 31
deadline, saying grades would be
available for viewing by April 1, Holy
Thursday.
“On March 31, we asked the
registrar’s office, but they (registrar’s
office) told us to hold [the uploading]
first because records were still
incomplete,” Blanco said.
University registrar Rodolfo
Clavio said the release of final grades
last semester was deferred because
some faculty members failed to encode
grades on time.
“Supposedly, March 31 was the
deadline of encoding, but a week after
this, still not all colleges have entered
the students’ grades,” Clavio said.
Being the custodian of student
records, the registrar’s office gives the
signal to STePs as to when grades can
be uploaded online.
Blanco said March 1 to 10 was
the scheduled encoding of grades
Abad, Corona present differing
opinions on ‘Ang Ladlad’ case
TWO THOMASIAN Supreme
Court justices had differing
views on homosexuals being
represented in Congress
as shown by their separate
opinions in the case of Ang
Ladlad party-list.
Associate Justice Roberto
Abad, former dean of the
Faculty of Civil Law, agreed
that Ang Ladlad, a sectoral
group representing the so-called
lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and
transsexuals or “LGBT” sector,
can join the party-list elections,
but Associate Justice Renato
Corona said the group could
not since it did not represent
a marginalized sector. Abad
concurred with the majority
decision of the Supreme
Court that the Commission
on Elections (Comelec) erred
in disqualifying the group for
being “immoral.”
In a separate opinion
released last April 8, Abad
said “the Comelec erred
when it denied Ang Ladlad’s
petition for sectoral party
accreditation on religious and
moral grounds,” describing
it as an “unwarranted”
restriction inconsistent with
the Constitution.
“I fully agree that the
Comelec erred when it denied
Ang Ladlad’s petition for
sectoral party accreditation on
religious and moral grounds,”
Abad said. “The Comelec
Abad
Abad
has never applied these tests
on regular candidates for
Congress. There is no reason
for it to apply them on Ang
Ladlad.”
Comelec had denied Ang
Ladlad’s accreditation as partylist twice, ruling that the group
advocated “sexual immorality”
and “immoral doctrines,”
quoting Bible passages to
support its claims.
Abad noted that
Inefficient, Page 8
Debaters
finalist in
int’l tilt
discrimination against
homosexuals remain persistent.
“[T]hey are by and
large, subtly if not brutally,
excluded from the mainstream,
discriminated against, and
persecuted,” he said. “That the
Comelec denied Ang Ladlad’s
petition on religious and
moral grounds is proof of this
discrimination.”
In a text message sent
to the Varsitarian, Civil
Law Dean Nilo Divina said
everyone must respect each
other’s rights regardless of sex,
gender, or inclination.
He agreed homosexuals
should be given a chance to be
represented in Congress.
Comelec Commissioner
Nicodemo Ferrer, in upholding
the poll body’s decision to
drop Ang Ladlad, had said
gays were “over-represented”
in Congress, without naming
names.
“I believe though that
they have responsible leaders
who can legitimately protect
the group’s interest without
having to espouse anything
THREE student debaters from
the Faculty of Arts and Letters
landed in the quarterfinal round
of the 2nd Malaysia Debate Open
held in Melaka, Malaysia from
March 5 to 8.
Communication arts senior
Kayleen Ortiz, journalism
junior Buena Bernal, and legal
management junior Paula Azurin
finished 11th place.
Bernal, Ortiz and Azurin,
also members of the Thomasian
Debaters Council, garnered
above-average scores in the
competition. Bernal and
Ortiz ranked 21st and 22nd,
respectively, while Azurin ranked
65th out of 219 participants.
The team finished six
preliminary rounds, defeating
a team from the Universiti
Teknoligi Mara, a grand finalist
of the 2009 Malaysia Debate
Open.
The Malaysian Debate
Open was a comeback for UST
from the international debating
scene since 2008.
The debate used the Asian
parliamentary format where
two debate teams represent the
Abad, Page 8
Debaters, Page 19
Logic, Ethics, at Theology para sa mga Tomasino
high school.
Taong 1936 naman sa
ilalim ng pamumuno ng rektor
na si P. Silvestre Sancho, O.P.
naging isang mandatory ang
pagkuha ng Theology sa kahit
na anong kurso sa Unibersidad.
Sa mga sumunod na taon,
kinakailangang matapos ng
bawat mag-aaral ang tatlong
yunit ng Theology bawat
semestre upang makapagtapos.
Sa kabuuan, ang isang mag-aaral
ay kinakailangang magtamo ng
labinlimang yunit ng Theology.
Ngunit noong taong
pang-akademiko 1948-1949,
dalawang mag-aaral ng Faculty
of Engineering, kasama ng
kanilang mga magulang,
ang nagreklamo ukol sa
pagkakaroon nila ng mga
asignaturang Logic at Ethics
bukod pa sa Theology.
Ipinaliwanag noon ni
Norberto de Ramos, dating
registrar ng Unibersidad, sa
kaniyang libro na kasama
sa curriculum ang mga
asignaturang ito upang
maiwasan ang pagiging
“uneducated specialists” ng
mga mag-aaral.
Ang terminong uneducated
specialists ay tumutukoy sa
mga mag-aaral na labis ang
pagbibigay halaga sa mga
specialized courses kaya
naman naisasangtabi ang
mga general subjects. Dahil
dito, napagpasyahan ng
Unibersidad na ilagay ang mga
general subjects sa lahat ng
kurso, kasama rito ang mga
asignaturang Logic, Ethics, at
Theology.
Ayon kay P. Juan Labrador,
O.P. sa kanyang inaugural
speech noong 1961, ang misyon
ng Unibersidad ay hindi lamang
upang magturo kundi upang
hubugin din ang mga kabataan
na mapalapit sa Diyos.
Dagdag pa rito, alinsunod
sa utos ng rektor P. Jesus
Castañon, O.P. noong Hunyo
24, 1954, nagpalabas ng
paunawang-liham si P. Francisco
Villacorta, O.P., punong kalhim
ng Unibersidad, na nagtatawag
ng mga mag-aaral na sumali sa
Catholic Action, isang grupo ng
mga mag-aaral na nagtuturo ng
relihiyon sa mga pampublikong
paaralan.
Bago pa man naganap ang
Ikalawang Digmaan Pandaigdig,
ang mga asignaturang
Logic, Ethics at Theology
ay ipinatutupad na sa
Unibersidad.
B a g a m a n
nakadaragdag sa
yunit at matrikula
ng mga magaaral, nananatili
pa rin ang mga
asignaturang
ito sa lahat
ng kurso sa
Unibersidad.
Sa kasalukuyan,
may limang asignatura
ng Theology ang kasama
curriculum ng Unibersidad:
contextualized salvation
history, church and sacraments,
christian ethics, social
teachings of the church, at
marriage and family.
Tomasino Siya
Dibuho ni Patrick C. De Los Reyes
UPANG mapaigting ang
pagbibigay ng Katolikong
edukasyon, idinagdag ang
mga asignaturang Logic,
Ethics, at Theology sa
c u r r i c u l u m n g U S T.
Ngunit para sa ilan, naging
masyadong mabigat para sa
mga estudyante ang tatlong
kurso na siyang nagdulot ng
pagtawag sa pagtatanggal
nito.
Ipinanukala ng dating
rektor P. Manuel Arellano,
O . P. n o o n g A g o s t o 1 ,
1924 ang pagkakaroon ng
pangrelihiyong asignatura
(Theology) sa Unibersidad,
na ituturo isang beses isang
linggo ng mga pari. Ito
raw ay dahil hindi lahat ng
pumapasok sa UST ay may
asignaturang relihiyon noong
Medical Foundation, which
ranked first and second in the top
performing school list with 100
percent and 97 percent passing
rates, respectively.
Meanwhile, UST had seven
successful examinees in the
Mechanical Engineering exam.
PRC, however, did not include
UST among the top performing
schools since it only gave the
credit to schools with 10 or more
examinees that had high passing
rates.
R o g e l i o A l m i r a , J r. ,
mechanical engineering
department chair, said UST was
supposed to have 12 examinees.
“But [five of them] were
unable to submit requirements
like transcript of records and
diploma on time due to sudden
change in test schedule,” said
Almira, “I think, if only the 12
supposed examinees were all
able to take the exam, 90 or 100
percent of them would still have
passed.”
The test was moved to
March from April.
The national passing rate
jumped to 53 percent from last
year’s 49.57 percent as 601 of
1,134 takers passed.
UST ranked second in the
April 2009 licensure examination
after obtaining 83 percent passing
rate as 15 of the 18 takers passed.
Charmaine M. Parado
THE MY USTe Student Portal has
drawn flak for its “inefficient” service
in releasing last semester’s grades.
Aside from the late release
of grades, students complained of
the difficulty in accessing the site
on the day the grades were finally
posted online, a problem website
administrators acknowledged.
Polly Blanco, Santo Tomas
E-service Providers (STePs) assistant
director for software development
and applications, admitted there were
glitches in the student portal as users
flooded the site on the first day grades
were released.
Because of this, STePs decided to
double the capacity of the site to 3,600
users per session from 1,800.
“From 1,800, we increased
[its capacity] to 3,600 [users per
session] so that we may avoid the same
problems in the future,” Blanco said.
UST has more than 40,000 college
students.
Blanco said the increase in the
number of users logged into the site
was unexpected since there were also
kiosks inside the University.
“After re-modifying it (student
portal), we are consistently monitoring
it and so far, all is well,” he added.
Isang mambabatas, bar
topnotcher, pulitiko, at higit
sa lahat, isang Tomasino.
Siya si Emmanuel Pelaez,
ikalimang pangalawang
pangulo ng ikatlong
Republika ng Pilipinas at
Usapang Uste, pahina 17
The
Varsitarian
NEWS
MAY 13, 2010 3
Danielle Clara P. Dandan, Editor
Health Service warns
of STD, food poisoning
...but Olalia says UST is still STD-free
Lumina Pandit. Fr. Angel Aparicio, O.P., prefect of libraries, demonstrates
to attendees the old printing process during the launching of the Lumina Pandit
exhibit for the UST quadricentennial last month.
JILSON SECKLER C. TIU
THE UST Health Service has advised
Thomasians to abstain from sexual
encounters to “best” prevent sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs).
But Health Service Director Dr.
Ma. Salve Olalia said her memorandum
dated March 8 had nothing to do with
the recent findings of the government’s
Integrated HIV Behavioral and
Serological Surveillance that reported
rising STD cases in age bracket 18 to
25 years old.
“[The memo on STD] has long
been a topic of our wellness conventions
under USTeps to Wellness: Fit@400
[project],” Olalia said. “It’s part of
information dissemination.”
She said her office has so far
not recorded a single case of STD
involving a Thomasian.
“In case there will be one,
full medical care will be rendered
according to the student health care
package,” she added.
Olalia said information about
STDs is still the best defense.
“Remember that diseases are
preventable,” she advised Thomasians.
“Carriers of these dreaded diseases are
initially symptom-free.”
The Integrated HIV Behavioral
and Serological Surveillance had
reported that HIV cases went up to
530 people per 100,000 population
from 99 per 100,000 in 2007. Highrisk individuals include female sex
workers, sexually active homosexual
men, call center agents, and drug users
who share and re-use needles.
But a UST Hospital doctor had
said the proportion of HIV-infected
people with the population was not
“high enough,” debunking a recent
claim by a Philippine General Hospital
doctor that cases of people who have
human immunodeficiency virus has
reached “epidemic” level in the
Philippines.
‘Pressure’ food owners
In the same memo, Olalia said
students should look for health permits
of food establishments and health
certificates of food servers to avoid
food poisoning.
“If students will look for these,
the owners will be pressured to comply
with [the government requirements
on food safety],” she said, adding
that contaminated food may lead to
serious illnesses such as Hepatitis A
and Typhoid fever.
Pharmacy senior is batch 2010 valedictorian
By Adrienne Jesse A.
Maleficio
UST ALUMNUS and IBM
Philippines President James
Ve l a s q u e z e n c o u r a g e d
Thomasian achievers to treat
their small achievements as
“indicators of greater things
to come.”
“Almost 400 years
ago, Miguel de Benavides
invested some P2,500 to
establish what is now the
landmark institution of UST.
From there, you can see
that by starting small, you
acknowledge the presence of
something bigger, something
to learn from,” he said during
the UST Student Awards last
March 17 at the Medicine
Auditorium.
The Student Awards was
held to honor outstanding
T h o m a s i a n s f o r t h e past
school year that have achieved
awards and recognitions in
and out of the campus. The
highest award, the Rector’s
A c a d e m i c Aw a r d , w a s
received by Maria Cecilia
Santos of the Faculty of
Pharmacy.
In her speech, Santos
expressed her deepest
gratitude to the University
that honed her to be a
competent, committed, and
compassionate individual.
The Rector’s Academic
Award is given to graduating
students who have garnered
the highest weighted average
in their respective faculties
and colleges. Santos, who
graduated summa cum laude
last month, had a 1.12 general
weighted average, the highest
among 14 other Rector ’s
Academic award winners,
and the whole batch of 2010.
“My fellow awardees
and I would like to assure
our alma mater that the
competencies, values, and
truths in life that we have
acquired through our stay
in the University will be
channeled into service not
only for the Thomasian
community, but also for all
the people whose lives we
shall touch after earning our
degrees,” she said.
Rector Fr. Rolando de la
Rosa, O.P. urged Thomasian
award recipients to stand up
and initiate change.
“One drop can change
the ocean, one lifetime can
change the direction of
history, and one person can
make a difference. I believe
in you, our young Thomasian
achievers. Make your voices
heard,” De la Rosa said.
Other Rector’s Academic
award winners were Francis
Jiao Shuang Li of the Faculty
of Sacred Theology, Ian de
Leon (Civil Law), Sharlene
Lao (Medicine and Surgery),
Joana Martin (Arts and
Letters), Maria Kimberly
Tan (Engineering), Alvin
Ramos (Education), Maribel
Gavilan (Science), Regina
Tan (Commerce), Clarence
Aguila (Architecture), Anna
Gan (Nursing), Maria Erika
Carmelotes (Music), Kim
Medallon (Rehabilitation
Sciences), Faye Evangelista
(Fine Arts and Design),
L e a n M a g s o m b o l ( U S TAMV Accountancy), and
Rayzel Gaw (Tourism and
Hospitality Management).
Since 2002, there have
been no recipients of the
T h o m a s A q u i n a s Aw a r d ,
which is given to students
who receive the Rector ’s
Academic Award, and two
other personal awards.
Thomasian athletes
Dylan Ababou of basketball
a n d M a r l o n Av e n i d o o f
taekwondo were given the
Benavides Outstanding
Achievement Award, which
is conferred on students who
have gained recognition
from regional, national or
international competitions.
V a r s i t a r i a n
photography editor Paul
Allyson Quiambao and
Varsitarian alumnus Juanito
de la Rosa received their
second Benavides awards,
while photographer Isabela
Martinez got her first.
Olalia pointed to “food
adventurism” amid the proliferation
of street food outside the campus.
Arnel Ladrera, 29, who has been
selling isaw (fried chicken intestine)
for three years along Dapitan Street,
said that so far, he has not encountered
complaints among Thomasian
customers of getting sick after eating
his food.
“I properly clean the isaw before
selling them, also, I sell new and
fresh ones every day,” Ladrera said
in Filipino.
Jocelyn de Lara, 26, said her
newly opened eatery along Dapitan
Street has yet to secure a health
permits from authorities.
“I have no problem with the
memo. It was a good measure, but on
our part, we observe proper cleanliness
in food preparation, you could even
check our kitchen,” she said.
The recent memo also gave tips
on how to avoid heat stoke amid the El
Niño phenomenon like: avoid intake
of alcohol and caffeinated drinks;
avoid too much exposure under the
sun; and drinking more than eight
glasses of water a day. Cliff Harvey
C. Venzon
Carpark fire halts classes
AN EXPLOSION at one of the
Multi-deck Carpark restaurants
last April 23 disrupted summer
classes at the College of
Accountancy, and stopped
operations of neighboring
stalls for two hours.
Based on initial reports,
the fire that started at 9:11
a.m. was due to an overheated
exhaust duct at Sticks and
Bowls restaurant located at the
carpark’s ground floor.
Chief Arson Investigator
Major Bonifacio Carta said
the fire reached second alarm,
and caused damage worth
around P20,000. Electricity at
stalls beside Sticks and Bowls
was cut.
The UST security office
said no one was hurt from the
fire that lasted for half an hour.
Carta said the carpark’s
ground floor was immediately
vacated, with Accountancy
students at the fourth floor
ordered to evacuate.
Around 15 to 25 fire
trucks from the Manila Fire
Department, together with
fire volunteers, responded to
the incident.
“Station 12 (Sampaloc
Fire Station) received the
phone call from UST. When
the fire alarm was raised,
other fire teams automatically
responded,” Carta said.
Eric Sulais, an employee
of Sticks and Bowls, said
the explosion was triggered
by smoke coming from
Hotshots, another restaurant
beside Sticks and Bowls.
“I was preparing to cook
when I noticed smoke coming
from Hotshots. I tried to turn
off the [exhaust] breaker,
but the fire spread quickly,”
Sulais said.
The Manila Fire
Department declared the fire
out at 9:41 a.m. Hotshots
decided to close shop for
the day. Adrienne Jesse A.
Maleficio with reports from
Rommel Marvin C. Rio
Artlets pay tribute to alumni in first Gantimpala
THE FIRST Faculty of
Arts and Letters (Artlets)
Gantimpala Awards saw the
homecoming of more 31
alumni awardees to their alma
mater last March 13.
The Rizal Conference
Hall was filled with the 31
recipients of the first Artlets
alumni awards that recognized
outstanding alumni of the
oldest humanities school in
Asia.
I n h i s s p e e c h , Vi c e
Rector Fr. Pablo Tiong, O.P.
recognized the “pedigree” of
Thomasian alumni Artlets has
been producing for the past
four decades.
“Without the sense of
the past, the heart remains
ungrateful. Let yourselves be
torches that inflame fellow
Thomasians,” Tiong said.
Wi n n e r s c a m e f r o m
different sectors including
public service, education,
media, and the Church.
Public officials Judge
Oscar Herrera, Jr. and Rizal
Mayor Ramon Ilagan were
awarded for Government
Service, Jesus Carlos
Vi l l a s e n o r f o r I n d u s t r y /
Management, and Jose Javier
for Nation-Building. Civil
Law Dean Nilo Divina, a
behavioral science graduate,
was awarded for his
excellence in the field of Law.
Former Ecclesiastical
F a c u l t i e s d e a n F r. J o s e
A n t o n i o A u r e a d a , O . P. ,
and Artlets professor Jose
Garcia were recipients of
the Gantimpala Awards for
Teaching/Philosophy and
Advocacy/Apostolate,
respectively.
Media veterans and
communication arts alumni
Herman “Isko” Salvador,
popularly known as “Brad
Pete,” was awarded for
Entertainment; Ruben
Nepales and Emmie Velarde
for Media, GMA Network
reporter Sandra Aguinaldo
for Broadcast Media, Juanito
“Lito” Tacujan for Print
J o u r n a l i s m , N e w s b re a k
managing editor Glenda
Gloria for Management,
and Lucien Dy Tloco for
Advertising/Marketing. Osias
Barroso and Cesar Apolinario,
also a GMA Network reporter
a n d f i l m d i r e c t o r, w e r e
recipients for the Arts and
Culture Gantimpala award.
The family of
Varsitarian editor in chief
Emil Karlo de la Cruz was
given the Gawad Angkan
Award. He received the award
with his father Edwin, former
Varsitarian Circle editor
and managing partner of De
la Cruz Entero Law Offices;
mother Pennie Azarcon,
former Varsitarian associate
editor and current executive
editor of the Sunday Inquirer
Magazine, and sister Andrea,
a multimedia specialist of an
outsourcing company.
Other award winners
were Maria Liza LopezRosario and Noel Albano
for Gawad Alab; Loida
F l o r e s a n d C e z a r Vi r i n a
for Gawad Bigkis; Luisa
Mendez-Marshall for Gawad
Bagwis; Butch Francisco for
Gawad Adhika, and Victoria
Alcantara, Emi CalixtoRubiano, Dante Santiago
and Justice Ezperanza FabonVictorino for Gawad Alagad.
Darenn G. Rodriguez
The UST Health Service conducts the “USTeps to Wellness:
Fit@400” project during summer
LORENA D. MONDRAGON
The
Varsitarian
OPINION
4 MAY 13, 2010
Editorial
Illustration by Carla T. Gamalinda
Vilifying the Pope
MEDIA have their own way of destroying credibility.
But each time these charges are proven false, the
“free” press loses some credibility of its own.
This was the case of the Western press’ relentless
coverage of sexual abuse cases in America and
Europe involving Catholic clergy. Indeed, the damage
done to innocent children victimized by predatorpriests is a shame and the Church should exert all
effort prevent further abuses.
The recent coverage of influential media outlets
like the New York Times, the Associated Press, and
others, as many observers have pointed out, had more
to do with undermining the Church’s moral authority
on issues like homosexuality, premarital sex, priestly
celibacy, contraception, and abortion, than protecting
innocent children.
Reporters and commentators zeroed in on Pope
Benedict XVI, accusing him of sitting on abuse cases
and abetting child molesters. The salacious stories
were timed for the holiest of all Christian feasts,
the Easter Triduum, apparently to shock and then
weaken the resolve of the one-billion-strong Roman
Catholic faithful.
The series of “bombshells” turned out to be
duds, showcases of journalistic irresponsibility and
bias against what is now the only remaining beacon
of morality in an increasingly secular world.
First they wrote about the abuses in the
prestigious Regensburg choir in Germany – while the
Pope’s older brother once headed it as choir master,
Georg Ratzinger was not involved in sexual abuse,
although he admitted to having slapped children,
something that was not unheard of three decades ago.
Next, the secular press criticized Benedict for
giving housing to a priest undergoing therapy for
abusing children, when he was still archbishop in
his native Bavaria. That priest was later on allowed
to return to active ministry. But in 1980, the Munich
diocese merely followed the medical opinion
prevailing at the time, that pedophilia is curable. Of,
course, we know better now. But it’s simply dishonest
to apply today’s standards to past events.
Editorial, Page 18
The Varsitarian
Founded Jan. 16, 1928
Emil karlo A. de la cruz
Editor in Chief
WHILE taking the steps to
the LRT station in Tayuman
nights ago, I suddenly turned
my attention to those beggars
waiting on both sides of the
staircase for people who
would drop coins. And then I
thought of Manny Villar, the
Nacionalista Party presidential
candidate, who became famous
for his tagline: “Tapusin
ang kahirapan.” And then I
imagined the beggars out of
the stairs, and living in their
own homes at one of Villar’s
subdivisions.
It is funny how a politician
can promise such a tumultuous
task. Villar, who had flaunted,
or boasted his rags to riches
story, had been dropping on
surveys recently against his
closest rival Benigno “Noynoy”
Aquino. This is because of the
controversies, like the C-5 road
diversion, hurled against him
by opponents from the “politics
world.”
There is another case,
this time, not election-related,
but rather personal. Days ago, a
surprise visit from two students
of De La Salle UniversityDasmarinas caught me off
guard. They were asking if I
could be interviewed on the
spot after a miscommunication
News Jennifer Ann G. Ambanta, Jilly Anne A. Bulauan,
Kalaine Nikka C. Grafil, Adrienne Jesse A. Maleficio,
Charmaine M. Parado, Darenn G. Rodriguez,
Jonas Eleazar B. Trinidad, Cliff Harvey C. Venzon
Sports Charizze L. Abulencia, Lester G. Babiera,
Angelo Nonato P. Cabrera, Mary Athena D. de Paz,
Ana Carmela M. Dayauon, Frauleine Michelle S. Villanueva
Special Reports Ian Carlo B. Antonio, Andrewly A. Agaton,
Rose May Y. Cabacang, Monica N. Ladisla, Alexis Ailex C. Villamor, Jr.
Features Justinne Chynna V. Garcia, Margaret Rose B. Maranan,
Marnee Sue A. Gamboa, Alma Maria L. Sarmiento, Ronalyn M. Umali
Literary Mika Rafaela A. Barrios, Rose-An Jessica M. Dioquino,
Robin G. Padilla, Azer N. Parrocha
Filipino Julie Ann Dominique P. de Leon, Patricia Isabela B. Evangelista,
Danalyn T. Lubang, Kacelyn Faye L. Paje
Witness Abigael P. Alcantara, Florench May C. Corpuz,
Jennifer M. Orillaza, Brylle B. Tabora
Sci-Tech Camille Anne M. Arcilla, Julienne Krizia V. Roman,
Rommel Marvin C. Rio, Antonio Ramon H. Royandoyan
Circle Maria Joanna Angela D. Cruz, Ana May R. Dela Cruz,
John Ernest F. Jose, Alyosha J. Robillos James C. Talon
Art Fritzie Marie C. Amar, Rey Ian M. Cruz, Patrick C. de los Reyes,
Carla T. Gamalinda, Lorena D. Mondragon, Jasmine C. Santos,
Jilson Seckler C. Tiu, Karla Mides C. Toledo
Photography Lester G. Babiera, Josa Camille A. Bassig,
Giannina Nicolai P. Melicor, Isabela A. Martinez, Lorena D. Mondragon,
Jilson Seckler C. Tiu, Karla Mides C. Toledo
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.
between them and Emil, our
editor in chief. Emil is in China,
probably parading the Great
Wall, as of this writing.
And so, I was interviewed.
The two were basically asking
about the Varsitarian history
and my experience as the
second top boss of the country’s
premier Catholic campus
paper. I breezed through the
questions, but one of them
almost made me speechless:
“What do you consider the
biggest challenge or problem
you have encountered in your
stay at the publication?”.
There were just too many
things that I could answer, but I
chose what I consider the most
unique they would hear from a
professional interview: internal
problems with the staff.
Of course, anybody who
belongs to an organization
can understand why: a chaotic
organization will not function
properly. It will not serve its
purpose to the society because
it is disgruntled by issues
within its portal— that is no
matter how professionalism is
considered.
What’s the point of all of
these? For one, trust issues. I
always wondered how survey
firms rate trust of the people
to their leaders with only a
question. But defending the
process of the Social Weather
Stations and Pulse Asia will
be much easier because it’s
scientific, and the people they
rate are public figures. But what
about their private lives? How
can one qualify that within the
The biggest break
PRINZ P. MAGTULIS
Managing Editor
dANIELLE CLARA P. DANDAN News Editor
JEREMY S. PEREY Sports Editor
aLPHONSUS LUIGI E. ALFONSO Special Reports Editor
SARAH JANE P. PAUYO Features Editor
MARIAN LEANNA T. DE LA CRUZ Literary Editor
MARK ANDREW S. FRANCISCO Patnugot ng Filipino
QUINIA JENICA E. RANJO Witness Editor
ALENA PIAS P. BANTOLO Sci-Tech Editor
PAUL ALLYSON R. QUIAMBAO Photography Editor
More than a just smile
Critical thinking
requires knowing
that there is
something behind
that smile
IT WAS in August 2008 when
I first met Fidel Perez Jr., an
ice cream vendor who was
manning his cart waiting for
more customers before calling
it a day just about sunset.
Students flocked to his spot
at the Quadricentennial Park
to have their sugar fix as if to
reward themselves after a long
day. But when the customers
thinned out, I approached
Mang Fidel and interviewed
him.
He was very shy at first,
his answers monosyllabic,
a man of few words which I
thought was not exactly a good
sign. I had to win him over
so I engaged him in a more
interesting conversation.
We talked about the nitty
gritty of his business and his 15
years as ice cream man in the
university. But the real story
surfaced after I asked about
his family.
V: Napagtapos n’yo po
ba ang mga anak ninyo? (Were
you able to put your children
through college?)
Mang Fidel: Tapos ng
industrial engineering ang
panganay ko sa Mapua. ‘Yung
pangalawa, ECE dito sa UST.
Nag-working scholar siya for
two years. (My eldest is an
industrial engineering graduate
at Mapua. The second one
is taking up electronics and
Perhaps getting
the good message
across is more
fulfilling than scoring
a byline for the story
communications engineering
in UST. He was a working
scholar for two years.)
V: K a y o p o b a ,
nakapagtapos din po ba ng
pag-aaral? (How about you?
Did you also finish your
studies?)
Mang Fidel: Oo,
med tech. (Yes, medical
technology.)
My jaw almost dropped.
Mang Fidel, a humble
sorbetero, was a licensed
professional who had worked
for the government and had
travelled overseas. He had
already gone to places as far
as Germany, which many of us
could only fantasize.
Writing the story was
hard. I must find the right
words to describe him aptly
and flesh out the ironies in his
life so that readers could better
appreciate him more.
After the story was
published, I went back to Mang
Fidel and asked how he was.
He smiled and told me that
students now talk to him more
than simply ask how much or
what flavor of ice cream he
had in his cart. With that I just
knew that Mang Fidel was
happy not only because he has
more customers now, but the
people who had read his story
became inspired and learned
that there’s joy in simplicity.
Such stories remind us
that we always have a choice,
and whether or not we have
made a good decision, what
matters is how we live with and
not regret any of it.
It is also our goal in the
Features section to give people
a second look before judging
them, because behind every
face and name is a larger-thanlife story that would humble
scope of the survey, and how
much weight will firms give
it if ever?
People often talk about
transparency. But if you will
ask me, there is really no such
thing. People are naturally
secretive because they value
privacy for their own security.
Criticisms may be hurled
against certain personalities
for what they portray in front
of the camera, campaign rallies,
and in my case, through this
column. It serves as a mirror
to politicians, public servants,
social workers, but it does not
reflect what we really are. I
am not a pro-Villar, but I can
fairly say that every politician
deserves a time out from the
limelight to become a “person.”
We journalists are often
regarded as workers at the back
side of the story. You see our
bylines in our articles, but it is
not us who become famous and
remembered, but our write-ups.
So for those who were hurt,
offended, irritated, and amused
(if there are any) by the words
written in this smooth tablet for
the past year, think about one
thing: critical thinking requires
knowing that there is something
behind that smile you see in my
column picture.
each one of us.
As the outgoing Features
editor, I hope our team has
given you the best stories to
learn from and made you more
proud to be a Thomasian, along
with Mang Fidel, Washington
SyCip, and Judge Jocelyn
Reyes, among many others.
As a writer, perhaps
getting the good message
across is more fulfilling than
scoring a byline for the story.
It is about striking a balance
between the disheartening
events around the world and
the hope that keeps us human.
Doing so, while applying the
canons of truthful reporting, is
very rewarding.
All of this I Iearned
during my two-year stint in
the Varsitarian, where I spent
the most thrilling part of my
life as a student and a writer.
‘V’ showed me what UST is,
warts and all, and it allowed
me to share what I have seen
to the Thomasian community.
But there had been tests
of character which were not
confined to deadlines alone.
There came a time that I had
been faced by millions of
reasons to quit, the workload
almost taking its toll on my
health, academics, and even
personal life. Writing seemed
not enough. Passion was
Reverie, Page 7
The
Varsitarian
OPINION
FOR THE nth time of being
issued with a tardy slip in class,
my default reason aside from
waking up late is traffic jam.
Sandwiched at the middle
of the busy street of Dapitan
during rush hour, I chanced upon
another queer political stratagem
of local government officials
to establish “name recall” this
coming elections—jinglesounding caravans.
Yet there are those lucky
enough who don’t need cheesy
gimmicks to garner votes from
the electorates. Movie stars,
singing sensations, hijos and
hijas of veteran politicians
and ex-actors, and yes, sports
superstars who found their new
battle in the political ring.
Among the sports
personalities who will try
courting the public for its sweet
yes this coming “E-day” are
Edu Manzano (vice president),
Manny Pacquiao (congressman,
Sarangani), Ato Agustin
(councilor, San Fernando
Pampanga), Yeng Guiao (vice
governor, Pampanga), Joey
Marquez (mayor, Parañaque),
Atoy Co (councilor, Pasig), Jason
Webb (councilor, Parañaque),
Franz Pumaren (congressman,
Quezon City third district), Binky
Favis (councilor, Parañaque
second district), Kenneth
Duremdes (board member,
Koronadal, South Cotabato) and
others.
There is no existing law that
prohibits sportsmen from filing
their certificates of candidacy.
No rule can also stop them from
E-day
Service is often
regarded as a
generic term, but
it’s not. It comes
in different faces
simultaneously holding office
while playing or coaching. But
can they really practice good
governance without forsaking
their athletic commitments? And
more importantly, are their sports
credentials enough to run a career
in pubic office?
News about Pacquiao
pursuing a congressional bid in
his hometown General Santos
last 2007 came as a shocker
among his supporters and critics.
There were a great number of
enthusiasts who did not favor
his candidacy because they want
him spared of dirty politics.
Fate made it easier for him
to decide when his opponent
Darlene Antonio-Custodio, the
incumbent congresswoman of
Gen San, won the elections.
Now he’d be trying his luck once
more, but this time, in Sarangani
province while the issue about his
retirement and a possible match
against Floyd Mayweather Jr. is
still dubious.
There is no doubt about
Pacman’s willingness to serve the
nation. But “willing” is different
from “able” because benevolence
differs from omnipotence. In
his case, he might be willing
but not really able, not because
of putative illiteracy or lack
of experience but because of
a sparse sense of priority. He
cannot possibly concentrate in his
congressional job in Sarangani
while he is in Nevada suiting up
for his next fight.
The “Big J” era is a perfect
example of how people showed
their undying support to the
sportsmen turned politicians.
Former senator Robert Jaworski,
undisputedly the most-loved
PBA Hall of Famer whose name
and legacy defined Philippine
basketball’s glory days won the
elections in 1998, even though he
ran as an independent candidate.
Time and tradition proved that
Filipinos have the tendency to be
fanatics of the “hero syndrome.”
The masses adore epics and
fairytale endings, thinking that if
these hardcourt heroes managed
to save their teams from a do-ordie game, they could also do the
same to the sinking economy of
the country.
Colonialism may have
much to do with this. Our
ancestors were deceived to
having been saved by the white
knight after suffering years of
oppression under the tyrants. And
up to now, we still find it hard to
move on and continue to wait
for the anointed one, the hero,
the savior.
Having the wrong notion
of service is another cancer we
have to fight. Notice that most
of the athletes and coaches who
pursued political affairs were just
persuaded to run by their friends
in politics. After months of soulsearching, they are convinced
that they are qualified to serve
in public office because they
wanted to help and have the
support of the people. Service is
often regarded as a generic term
but it’s not. It comes in different
faces and unless we know how
we’re meant to serve, the purpose
of serving is defeated.
This is not to discriminate
and discourage us from voting
our well-respected athletes and
coaches but to help us decide in
which arena do we really want
to see them play and serve. It is
wiser to choose only one because
they might not be able to serve
two masters at the same time.
Leave no room for hero
worship this “E-day,” my fellow
Thomasians. And the next time
we’re caught in traffic, may we
shut our ears to the promises of
these jingle caravans and listen to
the inner voice that speaks within
us—our conscience.
Originality and God’s theater
“BEING original is overrated,
but being you isn’t.” – Raul
Echivarre.
That was one quote
that caught my attention
when reading this month’s
issue of Digital Photographer
Philippines magazine. This
issue, which centered on travel
photography, seemed rather
fitting and timely to me because
it arrived days before I had
an unforgettable photo shoot
experience where I practiced
what I had learned on how to be
a travel photographer.
When our college
magazine editor-in-chief told
us that we would be having a
“cultural immersion” in Brgy.
Batad in Ifugao, I didn’t hesitate
in joining, having seen some
awe-inspiring photos of the
place on the Internet. After all,
in Ifugao lies one of the famous
eighth wonders of the world.
Misfortune tagged along
as our trip almost got cancelled
twice due to drought and its
It was as if
we were audience
to a theatrical
play which
God directed
effects. It had been reported on
television that the rice terraces
may collapse any time. If that
would happen, I told myself that
it would be a thrill to cover such
momentous albeit saddening
event. In other words, I took
that chance more as a challenge.
With eagerness to journey
up north, I experienced my first
successful travel photography
endeavor. Browsing the stunning
photos of my colleagues left me
in awe of how the place looked
like. In pursuit of learning
photography on my own, it had
been my habit to browse the
Internet, examining the works
of professional photographers
and adapting their style so
as to discover myself in my
shots. This might be the reason
why I never actually attended
workshops or seminars on
photography – all you need is
good visualizing skill.
Sadly, a friend of mine
advised me against my methods.
“When you travel to a new
place, don’t research the place
before even reaching it,” he said.
“Also, clear your mind of any
kind of expectation, and just be
there to experience the place.”
His words triggered in me this
thought: Yesterday’s Batad
would definitely be different
from today’s Batad– yesterday’s
was of green fields while today’s
has already suffered El Niño
wrath. There indeed is difference
from what was and what is, and
the “what is” should be where I
should focus.
This reminded me
of my previous Mt. Mayon
expedition, a could-have-been
travel photography experience
for me. For the same reason
as Batad’s, I got interested in
this experience because of the
photos I found online. That
and the fact that this is one of
those few times that one could
feel the earth alive turned my
interest into excitement. Sadly,
luck was not on my side then.
Digital, Page 6
Letter to the Editor
Corrections
Fine Arts dean reacts to article
In the article “College of Holy Spirit student wins grand
prize in UST painting contest” published on the March 26 issue
of the Varsitarian, the paper mistakenly labeled the painting as
“Basta Maprotektahan” of Kathleen Yeo, instead of “Ina Marina”
by Russel Trinidad
I would like to thank you for including me in your article
titled ‘New deans take the lead’ in the March issue of the
Varsitarian. I sincerely appreciate it.
However, may I just make some correction regarding
the posts to which I was assigned. I was College Secretary
for the College of Fine Arts and Design from 2001 to 2004,
Assistant Director for the Center for the Conservation of
Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics at that
Thomas Aquinas Research Center from 2004 to 2005. I began
teaching at the Graduate School in the second semester of
school year 2008 to 2009. Hopefully, the Graduate School
will still allow me to have some teaching load in the coming
school year.
Thank you for kindly considering this matter. More
power to you and your publication.
Best regards,
(SGD) Cynthia B. Loza, Ph. D.
Dean, College of Fine Arts and Design
In the article “Engineering sings high note in Himig Tomasino”
of the same issue, Pharmacy Glee Club conductor was wrongly named
Vincent Evangelista, instead of Jutstin Brian Chiongson.
In the article “Accountancy bags its first Pautakan
championship,” Alfredo M. Velayo - College of Accountacy team
captain Fermin Yabut was mistakenly identified with Arts and Letters
in a photo caption.
The headline “Outstanding athletes of Season 76 honored” of
the Sports section should have been Season 72, not 76.
Joan Charmaine Lim of the College of Nursing was mistakenly
identified with the AMV - College of Accountacy in the news article
“Independents rule CSC polls.”
The baccaulareate Mass was held last March 19, not 29 as stated
in the caption of the front page photo of the same issue.
We apologize for the errors. -Ed.
MAY 13, 2010 5
Tweet for tat
THE U.S. Library of Congress
will take your Tweets now. The
social networking site Twitter
has allowed the largest library
in the world to archive all
“Tweets”—online status updates
not exceeding 140 characters—
that were published on its site
ever since 2006. More than 50
million Tweets are published
everyday, so the total number
of posts for the four years the
site has been online must be
staggering.
Preserving online news materials isn’t something
alien to the Library. It started collecting political
campaign websites since year 2000, and it now has
more than 100 terabytes of data. The news about this
particular acquisition was first released, understandably,
on the Twitter page of the Library of Congress. This
was followed by a news feed on Facebook, another
social networking site, and it eventually made its way
to other news websites. The online community is mostly
undecided on this one—some people find it stupid that a
library would even consider filling its archives with mostly
mundane posts on what people are doing at the moment.
Others think that this is probably one of the purer ways
of preserving history. A Library press release cites the
first-ever tweet from site co-founder Jack Dorsey, Barack
Obama’s Tweet on his winning the 2008 elections, and
even a series of tweets from a photojournalist who was
wrongly imprisoned in Egypt.
Because of Twitter,
and other microblogging websites
like it, people can follow
more than two streams
of thought at once
In this country, Twitter was instrumental in relief
operations for Ondoy and Pepeng, and it also served as
a sounding board on news and opinions about the twin
typhoons for weeks to come. Also, the project’s defenders
are quick to point out in history, first-hand accounts are
favored over second- or third-hand ones.
Grouped status updates on pertinent issues—those
that fall under a specific “hashtag” (#)—are some of those
that will be worth collecting and reviewing. In March
2009, for instance, a group of educators and like-minded
people gathered in Manhattan for a private conference.
Dubbed Hacking Education, it was basically about the fate
of education in America, and had only about 40 people
present. However, a virtual conference room was set up
in Twitter, one which the whole world was privy to. The
participants in Hacking Education were posting status
updates about the conference, as well as their reactions
to the issues discussed. Thus, a live commentary on the
proceedings of the event started, one which branched out
dramatically. As TIME Magazine writer Steven Johnson,
who was one of the participants in the conference said,
“Injecting Twitter into that conversation fundamentally
changed the rules of engagement.” The participants
Tweeted what they heard, and people responded to their
Tweets. Others pulled information from the update stream
and talked about it in the conference. Still others linked
their Tweets to external links that they think would be
useful. What is probably the most interesting thing that
happened to the commentary is that people who weren’t
in the conference physically were given a chance to
participate in it. Searching for #hackedu in Twitter, will
produce dozens more comments after the last one made
during the conference.
This multi-faceted, multi-layered way of responding
is a unique product of today’s very fast technologies.
Because of Twitter, and other microblogging websites
like it, people can follow more than two streams of
thought at once. The conversations are enriched and
there are more avenues opened because of each status
update. However, this can also be used to a disadvantage.
Imagine seeing a couple together in a coffee shop, not
talking to each other, but Tweeting their replies. It’s just
like how some people do not talk to each other, but just
texting their conversation—even if they’re inside the
same room. It’s ironic how sometimes, technology made
for communication actually hinders people from doing
just that. And when people do communicate, is it genuine
discourse or just small talk?
Preserving data for posterity is always a good thing.
However, saving the entire archive of a website seems a
bit like overkill. For every profound or socially important
status update, there must be lots more that are just chitchat.
The challenge, then, is to find out which updates are worth
saving and which ones are not. If the Library can figure
out a way to store terabytes of data, they should be able
to find a way to select their Tweets.
The
6 MAY 13, 2010
Varsitarian
special reports
Extremes in UST honor rolls 2010
Artlets still tops list; Pharmacy honors drop,
while Civil Law has lone cum laude
Jilson Seckler C. Tiu
THE FACULTY of Arts and Letters
(Artlets) and the College of Tourism
and Hospitality Management
remained the highest producers of
honor students in the University,
even as other colleges have lowered
the number of honor graduates as a
percentage of the total.
The Faculty of Civil Law
produced just one cum laude,
which the dean said was due to the
difficulty of the course.
In Artlets, a slight increase in
honor graduates was attributed by
its dean to “good students” lured
by the faculty. Artlets saw a rise
in the number of honor graduates
this school year, and was still the
top producer of cum laudes for the
third consecutive year, data from the
registrar’s office showed.
While official figures showed a
stable trend for the entire University
– with only one in 10 students
graduating with medals overall for
the past several years — Artlets had
17 percent of its batch 2010 honored,
a slight increase from 16.10 percent
last school year, and 16 percent in
2008.
Artlets, and another consistent
top-placer in giving honors, Tourism
of Hospitality Management had
one honor student out of every six
graduates.
Artlets produced 105 honors,
nine of whom were magna cum
laudes, out of a total of 617 graduates.
Artlets Dean Michael Anthony
Vasco said the figures only showed
that the faculty has the “best students
in the University.”
“The [entrance exam] cut
off [of the faculty] is above the
minimum cut off scores of the
Digital
From page 5
We were welcomed by grey
skies and heavy downpour
upon arriving in Mt. Mayon
that, though still possible, made
taking photos difficult and risky
for the camera. It was a disaster
trip!
I honestly admit
photography and travel have
never been a good mix for me.
Ever. Whenever I involve myself
in a photography trip, heavy rain
and grey skies seemed to always
crush my spirit. On the other
hand, whenever I don’thave
a camera with me, I would
always find something perfectly
“photograph-able,” be it unusual
cloud formations popping out of
the sky, or the almost magical
splendor of either sunrise or
sunset. God probably wanted
me to just to enjoy the scene
University so chances are we
(Artlets) are attracting the best
students in the University.” Vasco
said.
He added however that Artlets
should guard against giving too
much honors because “17 percent
is high.”
Tourism, which has a greater
proportion due to the lower number
of graduates—387 students—
followed with 17.31 percent. A total
of 67 students finished college as
cum laudes or magna cum laudes..
The College of Architecture
joined the top three top cum
laude producers this year, giving
recognition to 50 honor students out
of 314 graduates. Architecture had a
10 percentage point jump from last
year’s ratio of six percent.
“The college lauds the
team work of the faculty and the
administration,” said Architecture
Secretary Warren Maneja.
The College of Education
landed fourth while maintaining a
total of 28 honor graduates from last
year. But the ratio of honor students
to the total number of graduates
increased to 14 percent from 11
percent as the number of new
Education degree holders dropped.
The College of Fine Arts
and Design had a total of 50 honor
students out of 446 graduates,
translating to an 11.21 percent ratio.
Last year, the college had 68 honors
and a 12.59 percent ratio.
The Faculty of Medicine and
Surgery, which has been stable in
giving honors at around 15 percent
of the graduating batch for the past
six years, dropped to 10.20 percent
last school year, producing 10 honor
graduates out of 392.
In terms of percentage, the
Conservatory of Music actually
had the highest with 25 percent
of graduates given honors. But it
‘In Civil Law, it
is difficult to get
a grade of 1.80
unlike in undergraduate courses
-Dean Nilo Divina
during those times. Further, I
also never got a good night’s
sleep during my travels due to
insomnia.
Going back, the day of the
Batad trip came. Tired and sore
after a rugged eight-hour, 400km road trip and an hour hike,
we arrived at the hillside house
where we would be staying.
And wanting to experience
the Ifugao culture, I chose to
sleep in an Ifugao hut. When I
entered the hut, I was fascinated.
Huts were something I only
encountered in books until this
moment when I would actually
sleep in one.
Our first day in Batad was
for unwinding. No strenuous
activities were scheduled in
order for us to get the feel of
the place. For me, however,
indulging in the ambiance of the
place IS taking pictures itself.
I wandered around and
met an old man named SangHo, a person with such dense
character you would almost
only had 40 graduates, out of which
10 were given honors. There were
only three honor graduates from the
conservatory last year.
Drops
The Faculty of Pharmacy, last
year’s fourth placer in having the
most number of honor students,
experienced a big drop this school
year, with only 61 of its 661
graduates given honors. The ratio
went down to nine percent from 12
percent.
The same rate was reached by
Pharmacy in 2008, while in 2007,
13 percent of graduates had medals.
A different story happened
at the College of Commerce and
Business Administration.
Commerce, dubbed by its dean
Helena Ma. Cabrera, as an “earning
college,” nearly doubled the ratio of
honor students to total graduates to
Chart shows proportion of honor students to college graduates of cour colleges and faculties. Table shows the Conservatory of Music
yielded the highest percentage of honor students followed by the Faculty of Arts and Letters, College of Tourism and Hospitality
Management and the College of Architecture.
Graphics by Jasmine C. Santos
5.88 percent, from just three percent
last year.
Commerce saw a decrease
in the number of graduates to 697
from 811.
The College of Nursing, on
the other hand, cut its ratio from a
stable 13 percent for the past five
years to 5.80 percent this school
year. Only 27 of the 466 graduates
had honors.
The College of Science also
recorded a drop in its honor roll
ratio to 8.38 percent from 10.82
percent in 2009.
Tail-ender
Civil Law had only one honor
student, Ian Jerny de Leon, who
graduated cum laude among 81
other graduates.
touch it. I asked permission
from him if I could take pictures
of him eating, and he allowed
me, fortunately. I wanted to
show him the photos I took, but
I was rather left poignant upon
discovering his blindness. His
right eye suffered from cataract
infection. But even though he
didn’t get to see his photos, I
know he was happy by the way
we conversed.
Late in the afternoon, I
pictured in my mind the scene
I wanted to take next morning.
Beating my 5 a.m. alarm, I
quickly ran down the terraces as
the sun gradually rose behind the
grandiose mountains. I noticed
the sunrays passing through the
mountains of Cordillera, hitting
the terraces of Batad. I already
had hunches on what would
happen and what I wanted to
call my Batad photo album:
“The Batad Show: Witnessing
a Display of Lights Directed By
God”. It felt like I was inside
a theater with those vibrant
Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina
attributed this to the difficulty of
the course.
“Here in Civil Law it is
difficult to get a grade of 1.80
unlike in undergraduate courses.” Divina said.
Civil Law Student Council
president Randolph Clet agreed,
saying a lone cum laude in the
faculty did not mean that Civil Law
has bad students.
“In Civil Law, you can be
a dean’s lister, but on a seasonal
basis like you’re a dean’s lister this
semester, but next semester, you are
not,” Clet said.
He noted that Civil Law has
been “marketing” itself by offering
scholarships to honor students from
UST and other universities.
lights surrounding me. The
sunlight was my stage’s curtain,
slowly unveiling the beauty that
was Batad. The rice terraces
mimicked an amphitheater
rising up the hillsides, the
semicircle engulfing the village
and even farther down the valley
below.
Though I initially wanted
to take photos of the sunrise
like I always did, I dropped
my camera and went on to
just indulge in it. I realized
I was better off just feeling
the scenario, with no cameras
to capture this sunrise for
once. I felt a sudden feeling
of peacefulness then, that all
I wanted to do were sit back,
relax, and immerse myself in the
beauty of Batad – the best place
for me to unwind
After indulging in the
sunrise breeze at around 9 a.m.,
we headed to the Tappiya Falls, a
three-hour trek from the balcony
of the hillside. While traversing
the other side of the rice terraces,
Divina, who took helm as law
dean this year, said improvements in
the curriculum are underway.
“Starting this year, we will
hold a mock bar examination. Mock
bar exams will imitate real bar
exams,” he said. “With this, they
(students) will be familiar with how
the actual test is given and taken.”
Still, graduating cum laude
in Law “still makes a difference,”
Clet said.
The number of graduates this
academic year totalled 5,581, out
of which 564, or a tenth, graduated
with honors. The data excluded the
Ecclesiastical Faculties, Graduate
School and the AMV-College of
Accountancy, which will hold its
graduation rites in June. Ian Carlo
B. Antonio and Monica N. Ladisla
the terraces looked liked flights
of stairs reaching the heavens. It
made me feel like I was walking
in pavements made of clouds.
I really felt the majesty and
splendor of God’s creations:
cumulus clouds passing atop
the rugged mountainscapes
of Cordillera, and the
amphitheater-like terraces
that, in a certain perspective,
somewhat instructed the sun to
“spotlight” only the small Batad
village in the center. It was as if
we were audience to a theatrical
play which God directed. I
can only think of one word to
describe this event – Perfect!
After thousands of steps,
we finally arrived at the Tappiya
Falls. Sadly, I had expected that
the falls will be as exquisite as
what I saw in posters, but to my
dismay, the falls looked meager
and lackluster. Instead of taking
pictures, I swam the whole
afternoon away.
On our way back my legs
gave in to the pain, the seven-
inch rise of each stair of the
terraces was very unusual, it was
straining to tread. We instead
took a shortcut passing through
Batad village. “Backbreaking”
as others would call it, each
of us 11 souls who braved
the mountains could say, “I
SURVIVED BATAD!”
And I somehow felt there
still is hope for me to become a
travel photographer.
Batad gave me a lot of
pictures to celebrate for. But
looking back and recalling
Echivare’s quote, I somehow
reviewed my photos. And,
despite the hardships I had to
undergo to achieve such shots,
I was glad it turned out how I
wanted it to be.
Sure, a photo is original
since it can only be found on
your camera. But the question
here is this: does that specific
picture (or any end product) of
yours reflect who you are as a
photographer and a person in
general?
The
Varsitarian
SPECIAL REPORTs
S
Alphonsus Luigi E. Alfonso, Editor
OME COLLEGES are offering fewer
humanities subjects, a move that does not
sit well with the head of the University’s
humanities department.
“It (dropping Humanities subjects) is
like destroying the foundational knowledge
that [UST] students ought to have,” Joyce
Arriola, chairperson of the UST department of
humanities, said in an interview. “After all, UST
is a ‘classical’ university.”
H u m a n i t i e s c o v e r s T h e o l o g y,
Communication, Media, Journalism, Arts (Fine
Arts, Architecture, Music, Dance, and Film),
History, and Social Sciences.
“For contemporary concepts, it’s fine to have
fewer offerings of Humanities subjects, but not
for UST, which ought to retain the conventional
way of teaching,” Arriola said.
According to her, Humanities subjects are
“mother sciences,” which serve as foundation
for other disciplines like applied and natural
sciences.
Dr. Felizardo Francisco, director of the
Commission on Higher Education’s (Ched)
Office of Programs and Standards, explained that
Ched, in regulating the number of units offered
in tertiary-level schools, prescribes two general
education curricula designed for Humanities and
non-Humanities programs.
Ched Memorandum no. 59 series of 1996
or General Education Curriculum (GEC) A for
Humanities courses requires universities to
offer at least 24 units in Language (English and
Filipino) and Literature, six units of Humanities
(three units of Arts and three units of Philosophy),
and 12 units Social Sciences (Economics,
General Psychology, Politics, and Sociology
and Culture).
Another memorandum prescribing GEC
B, on the other hand, requires a lesser number
of Humanities subjects for non-Humanitiesbased colleges like the faculties of Pharmacy
and Engineering, colleges of Accountancy,
Architecture, Education, Nursing, Rehabilitation
Sciences, Science, and Tourism and Hospitality
Management.
Under GEC B, Languages and Humanities
were combined, with the minimum required
units at 21.
Also under GEC B, colleges are only
compelled to offer six units of English and six
units of Filipino under Languages, and nine units
of Humanities, three units lesser than that offered
by GEC A.
However, Arriola noted that some colleges
UST colleges dropping
humanities courses
Chart shows the two general education curricula (GEC) issued by the Commission on Higher Education. GEC A for Humanities courses requires universities to offer
at least 24 units of Humanities subjects, while GEC B was issued as an alternative for specialized courses, which have lesser number of units.
Graphics by Carla T. Gamalinda
do not even comply with GEC B.
Data from by the department of humanities
showed that the College of Fine Arts and Design
(CFAD) only offers six units of Humanities
(Literature and Philosophy).
Rita Serranilla, department of languages and
literature coordinator in CFAD said technical
subjects replaced Humanities subjects because
“they are more needed.”
“Our curriculum is of a more specialized
form for this is a Fine Arts school,” Seranilla said.
She noted that Humanities is a vast area of
discipline and that other art subjects in different
art forms are under it.
“I think it is okay for us to remove some
Humanities subjects because our major art
subjects are still under the Humanities,” Seranilla
said.
“The [Ched] memo has a minimum
requirement of units for humanities subjects
and [the university] should comply. If we find
out that they are not following, then we have to
send them a letter ordering them to comply with
‘We are prescribing the minimum number
of units, but they should not sacrifice
the education of the students’
-Joyce Arriola, department of humanities chair
Voters From page 11
just gotten into ‘V’s best section!
Reverie
There will always be pressure,
simultaneous survey that projects each
From page 4
wearing thin.
But why stay? Because I
wanted to.
Perhaps gratitude has it for
me to return tenfold what ‘V’ had
given me. After all, everything I do
in ‘V,’ I do for UST.
My deepest gratitude goes to
my mentors, Sir Lito, who taught
me that there is always something
to be critical about, Sir Ipe, who
is always straight to the point, and
Sir Ian, who taught me everything
I need to know about writing the
best he could.
The writer I am today, I owe it
to my “ancestors” Raydon and Ate
Raye. Thank you for steering me in
the right direction and inspiring me
to be a good editor just like you.
Emil and Prinz, you are a
dynamic duo. Thank you for not
giving up on us during hard times.
I’m also proud of what
my fellow outgoing staff had
accomplished. We will leave the
confines of the university with good
memories and high hopes for one
another. We did it! We can finally
breathe.
I hope I have taught you well,
Rona and Meg, and the things we
did together may someday come
in handy. Thanks for your patience
and understanding. Hugs for Mia,
Marnee and Justinne, for you have
MAY 13, 2010 7
incumbent and incoming staff, since
you will have to cover a maelstrom
of events in 2011. Keep the faith
and learn from our mistakes. But
always remember that respect
begets respect. Harden your core
and just be professional. I hope
you’ll also find the joy amid stress,
just like I did.
Whatever path we take in
the future, we’ll someday be the
best journalists this country could
ask for, JRNJRN1. See you at the
crossroads!
I don’t know what to do
without you, my crazy posse, Mark,
Prinz, Danielle, Ching May, and
Athena. You are my basic “life”
support.
It has been a pleasure
meeting all of you, dear friends
in the Pautakan. Your zeal made
our efforts worth it. You’re all
champions in your own right.
A toast to UST’s
quadricentennary!
Mom, Dad, and Ate Maan,
thank you for being “shockabsorbent” and incredibly
understanding. I love you, and this
Latin honor is for you.
I owe everything to God who
made all things possible. With His
guidance I shall now enter a new
threshold in life. And in my silent
reverie shall reverberate: Once a ‘V’
staffer, always a ‘V’ staffer!
candidate’s believablility rate, based on
the audience’s vote.
A noticeable difference between
Harapan and Kandidato can be seen in
the production, with the former being
livelier. Complete with a marching band,
a musical ethnic group and majorettes,
it almost borders on the rabelaisian,
giving the informal feel of a barrio
fiesta or bayle. Ironically, this hinders
the audience from hearing the speakers’
answers.
The atmosphere of the vicepresidential debate could be likened
to the fanfare seen in noontime shows.
Although this was meant to capture
interest, it seemed to remove the
formality of the forum and reduce the
gravity of the issues at hand. But then
again, this may be the Filipino’s way of
relieving the pressure the election period
has brought on.
There were also moments in
the vice-presidential debate where
the candidates seemed to be more
Fairytale
From page 11
Almiro (Aljur Abrenica), the last prince
of the magical kingdom of Paladino.
Almiro takes everything for granted
and judges solely by appearance. He
refuses to marry the ugly Bawana
(Bianca King), daughter of the most
powerful witch in the kingdom. For
his shallowness, a curse is placed on
it,” Francisco said.
Arriola said CFAD had argued that it already
offers Art History, and offering the course
Art, Man, and Society will mean redundancy.
Pharmacy and Accountancy are merging two
Humanities subjects, with three units each, into
a subject with only three units.
“We are only prescribing the minimum
number of units, even if they take out other
subjects [or replace it with theology] then it
is okay,” Francisco said. “But they should not
sacrifice the education of the students.”
Francisco said Ched is working on a general
education curriculum that is suited for both
Humanities and non-Humanities courses. It is
supposed to come out this year. A.A. Agaton,
R.M.Y. Cabacang, and A.A.C. Villamor, Jr.
interested in bashing each other rather
than discussing their platforms, perhaps
fueled by the audience rooting for this
type of exchange.
The venues, being schools, has a big
impact on students, most of whom are
first-time voters. Addressing the problem
of the youth’s indifference to the political
scene became the underlying message
of the debates, and the forums served
as grass-root information vehicles for
these first-timers.
‘Presidents for hire’
On the other hand, Kandidato’s
strong suit would be its presentation of
the presidential aspirants for what they
truly are—job applicants. The audience
is thus given the opportunity to witness
how an interviewee promotes his self
as well as see the interviewer’s role
to make sure that the interview goes
beyond a self-serving facade. Most of
the questions asked by the panel are the
same with each candidate, aside from a
few strays. Other than that, the program
produces an objective interview every
time it airs.
Its multiple-camera set-up makes
the program distinct. It enables the
audience to observe both the panel
and the candidate’s reaction. However,
every focal shift is accompanied by
bothersome sound effects, which may
make the viewers pay more attention
to the accentuated movement onscreen
rather than the substance of what the
candidate is saying.
M o r e o v e r, l i k e H a r a p a n ,
Kandidato threatens occasionally to
become entertainment, not information.
It tends to go for the lowest common
denominator—a great soundbyte that is
neither here nor there—in the process,
sacrificing content and critical thinking.
All in all, engaging the audience
and helping them realize the power of
their active participation in the electoral
process are the main objectives of the
two programs. Harapan and Kandidato
try to provide information without bias
as they present political aspirants to
the electorate, allowing the people to
evaluate their future leaders and decide
who is credible, who is not, with mixed
results, of course.
him. His face becomes ugly and he is
banished from the kingdom by Bawana
who usurps the kingdom of Paladino.
The only way the curse can be lifted is
if someone truly falls in love with him
despite his appearance.
The plot is noticeably drawn from
Beauty and the Beast. Other classic
fairytales are also recalled such as
Cinderella, especially since Lara (Kris
Bernal), Almiro’s lady love enslaved
by her aunt and her cousin; and also
The Frog Prince as seen from the
story of Javino (Geoff Eigenmann),
the brother of Almiro who is turned
into a frog by Bawana and could only
be freed with the kiss of a true love.
The Last Prince therefore is
hardly original, has also become too
focused on Lara and Bawana’s battle
over Almiro’s love. Because of this,
The Last Prince fails to send the
message that good looks don’t matter
but one’s heart. The repetitive cycle
of the villain resurrecting and taking
revenge has made the story boring.
The
Varsitarian
SCI-TECH
UST researcher
finds
novel algae in RP
8 MAY 13, 2010
From page 1
According to Papa, the need for renewable
energy sources prompted him to delve more in
the study of whether the B. braunii is a good
source of renewable energy.
A ‘chemical reaction’
Papa said B. braunii was initially thought
to be a chemical reaction in the water.
However, examination done by Dr. Susana
Baldia, a Thomasian phycologist or an expert
in the study of algae, identified the “chemical
reaction” as B. braunii, a colonial green algae
that form blooms in the environment.
Algae populations in ecosystems are
considered to be a threat because they release
allelochemicals, substances that may affect
another species’ growth or behavior.
Furthermore, oil produced by algae
prevents the entry of oxygen to the lake. This
reaction becomes harmful to fish and other
sea creatures.
Oil is created by B. braunii through
‘With the need for renewable energy
rising, B. braunii just needs to be in a
controlled environment for it to be further
developed’ -Rey Donne Papa
photosynthesis, wherein algae and other
photosynthetic organisms capture sunlight and
transform it in oxygen and biomass.
With the abundance of B. braunii within
Paoay Lake, sea creature population in the
lake is decreasing.
But Papa said oil produced
by the algae can be a source
of renewable energy, and is
in fact being developed in
other countries like the United
States and Netherlands for this
purpose.
“ Wi t h t h e n e e d f o r
renewable energy rising, B.
braunii just needs to be in a
controlled environment for it
to be further developed,” Papa
added.
B. braunii’s population in
Paoay Lake grew at an average
of 155 percent from May 2008
to June 2008—to 24,656 from
9,670. Papa said the bloom’s
Illustrations by Rey ian M. Cruz and Karla Mides C. Toledo
occurrence was seasonal.
However, despite the knowledge of B.
braunii’s capacity to produce oil for energy,
the process of extracting fuel from B. braunii
is yet to be known.
“Once B. braunii is in a controlled
environment, it may be used
as a source for cleaner and
renewable energy,” Papa said.
He said the Philippines
may have to wait longer
before it can harness the “full
potential” of the research.
“If properly funded,
the results may be seen in
10 years,” he said. “Many
scientists have tried looking
for B. braunii, but they never
encountered one with such
proportion and sustenance.”
At present, Dr. Baldia
and her students still continue
to study B. braunii in Paoay
Lake.
Are alkaline foods healthy?
From page 2
By Rommel Marvin C. Rio
BEAT the summer heat with fresh
fruits and vegetables.
Clinical dietitians from the UST
Hospital’s dietary department have
encouraged students to eat fruits and
vegetables rich in fiber that cleanse
our body system of toxins and
waste. Fiber-rich foods lessen
a person’s chance of acquiring
cardiovascular diseases and
colon disorders—they are
mainly called alkaline foods.
Alkaline foods are known
to lessen the risks of acquiring
cancer because of their fiber and
mineral content like potassium,
sodium, and phosphorus, which help
regulate normal body function.
Khristine Llave, a clinical
dietitian, said alkaline-based foods
are needed to balance the pH (power
of hydrogen) level of blood. A low
blood pH may result to acidosis, a
pH imbalance caused by a rise in
Supreme
From page 1
executive positions when continued
vacancies therein will prejudice public
service or endanger public safety,” the
provision stated.
But former Varsitarian managing
editor and lawyer Teodoro Lorenzo
Fernandez said the decision had legal
bases.
“If you will look at the decision, it
is legally sound, the explanation is very
well written because both contradicting
Abad
From page 2
contrary to positive and natural laws,”
Divina said.
Chief Justice Reynato Puno,
in his separate concurring opinion,
agreed with Abad.
“The assailed resolutions of
the Comelec are in violation of
the constitutional directive that no
religious test shall be required for the
exercise of civil or political rights,”
Puno said.
But another Thomasian
magistrate, Corona, in a dissenting
opinion, sided with Comelec, stating
that homosexuals could not be
considered marginalized since the
sector was not included in Article
Inefficient
Illustration by Jilson Seckler C. Tiu
hydrogen concentration characterized
by increased pulmonary loss of carbon
dioxide, which may cause hepatic
coma, congestive heart failure,
and central nervous system
failure. But dietitian Bernadette
Platon warned a high pH level
is also dangerous because it may
result in alkalosis characterized by
acquiring of lesions in the central
nervous system.
Platon said alkaline foods are not
healthy because of their pH level, but
because of the nutrients they contain.
She said fiber in alkaline foods
blocks cholesterol and absorbs fats.
When cholesterol is absorbed by fiber,
it will easily be released in feces.
“A blood pH six to seven is
considered neutral; below six is
acidic and seven to 14 is alkalinic.
A blood pH level exceeding 14 may
lead to death; therefore, high alkalinity
has to be neutralized by taking acidic
foods,” Platon added.
provisions [Article VII and Article VIII]
in the Constitution were included,”
Fernandez said. “The appointment is
now upon the President’s discretion.”
Article VIII, Section 9 of the
Constitution provides that the President
can make appointments to the judiciary
within 90 days upon the existence of a
vacancy in the judiciary.
But Gorospe said: “An outgoing
president’s job is to ensure a peaceful
transition to his successor’s term. It
would be the next president’s agenda to
appoint his officials,” he added.
Divina said the case should be
put into rest since the Supreme Court
had spoken.
“The Supreme Court has already
spoken, and we have to abide by it,
[whether it is] right or wrong” Divina
said.
Fernandez agreed.
“The decision will always be
subjected to various interpretations.
Though some may not agree, the fact
remains that a final decision has been
reached,” he said. Adrienne Jesse A.
Maleficio
VI, Section 5, paragraph 2 of the
Constitution, and Section 5 of Republic
Act 7941or the Party-List System Act.
Article VI, Section 5, paragraph 2
of the Constitution states that “party-list
representatives shall constitute twenty
per centum of the total number of
representatives including those under
the party list. For three consecutive
terms after the ratification of this
Constitution, one-half of the seats
allocated to party-list representatives
shall be filled, as provided by law, by
selection or election from the labor,
peasant, urban poor, indigenous
cultural communities, women, youth,
and such other sectors as may be
provided by law, except the religious
sector.”
Section 5 of the Party-List System
Act states that “any organized group
of people may register as a party
provided that the sectors include
the following: labor, peasant, fisher
folk, urban poor, indigenous cultural
communities, elderly, handicapped,
women, youth, veterans, overseas
workers, and professionals.”
“The petitioner (Ang Ladlad)
i s c u t o ff f r o m t h e c o m m o n
constitutional thread that runs through
the marginalized and underrepresented
sectors under the party-list system,”
Corona said. “It lacks the vinculum,
a constitutional bond, a provision in
the fundamental law that specifically
recognizes the LGBT sector as
significant to national interest. Jilly
Anne A. Bulauan and Jonas Eleazar
B. Trinidad
Dietitian Nicole Afuang said
the food pyramid is a good basis for
a good diet, although a diet depends
on a person’s specific needs.
The website of the Food
and Nutrition Research InstituteDep a r t m e n t o f S c i e n c e a n d
Technology (FNRI-DOST) suggests
that an average Filipino teen should
take six to eight glasses of water
everyday; six to eight servings of
corn, root crops, rice and wheat
products; three servings each of fruits
and vegetables; a glass of milk, an
egg, and two-and-a-half servings
of meat products and legumes; five
to six tablespoons of sugars and
sweets, and six to eight servings of
fats and oils.
Afuang said a balanced diet is
still needed for a healthy life.
“Alkaline foods are healthy, but
if you want to be healthy, maintain a
balanced diet by observing proper
servings of food,” she said.
Midnight
From page 1
The prohibition against
“midnight appointments” started
last March 10 and will last until June
30, when the next president takes
over. Under the law, the president
has 45 days to fill any vacancy in
the Supreme Court. Since Puno will
retire on May 17, the president has
until July 1 to name his replacement.
Clet said using the elections
as an excuse to appoint the next
chief justice is invalid since “in
substantive issues, the chief justice
has only one vote out of fifteen.”
A number of associate justices
had served as acting chief justices.
They were Victoriño Mapa, Querube
Makalintal, Fred Ruiz Castro,
Enrique Fernando, Ricardo Paras,
Cesar Bengzon, Claudio Teehankee,
Andres Narvasa, and Leonardo
Quisumbing.
Clet said this showed that the
Supreme Court can function even
with only an acting chief justice.
“We respect the decision of
the Supreme Court, but it should
be beyond suspicion,” he added.
Kalaine Nikka C. Grafil with
reports from Prinz P. Magtulis
for graduating students, March
22 to 23 for the National Service
Training Program for sophomores,
and March 24 to 31 for the grades of
undergraduate students.
“This [schedule] was not followed
faithfully as grades were only encoded
completely by the second week of
April,” Blanco said.
But Clavio said his office did not
commit to a March 31 deadline.
Blanco admitted STePs had
assumed that grades could be released
by April 1, adding that STePs had a
test-run of the site last March 31.
“This explains why some students
saw their grades in the morning of
March 31,” he said.
Clavio said online viewing
of grades took time because the
registrar’s office did not want to
upload “partial” grades.
The registrar said colleges were
reminded to meet the deadline for
the encoding of grades, but still three
to four colleges did not beat it. He
declined to name these colleges.
“When the deadline draws near,
we contact the concerned colleges
to relay the deficiencies, if there are
any,” he said.
Grades were finally shown on the
portal last April 6, almost a week after
the original schedule of April 1.
Problems with the student portal
and late uploading of grades prompted
complaints from Thomasians on the
social networking site Facebook.
Victor Ejanda, food technology
sophomore and creator of My USTe
Student Portal Fail Facebook fan
page, said the page was a reaction to
the snafu. “We demand easier access
to the website and that STePs improve
this since it is only once in a semester
that we [use it],” Ejanda said.
Rachelle Bernardo, political
science freshman, shared the same
sentiment. Her fan page, MyUSTe
ilabas niyo na grades namin, currently
has more than 2,700 fans.
Blanco clarified that difficulty in
accessing the student portal was not
caused by bandwidth problems or the
speed of the University system.
“There are definitely no issues in
the website’s speed. The problem is
that we failed to anticipate the large
number of users who may access the
website on the same time,” he said.
Kalaine Nikka C. Grafil and Alexis
Ailex C. Villamor, Jr.
The
Varsitarian
SCI-TECH
MAY 13, 2010 9
Alena Pias P. Bantolo, Editor
2010 Best Scientific Theses
From ideas to innovations
THOMASIANS continued
to turn ideas into innovations
in this year’s best scientific
theses which presented new
discoveries in both technology
and health sciences.
Here are some of the few
studies recognized inside and
outside the University.
Faculty of Engineering: The
robot game system
Electronic engineering
students Patrick Jonathan
Cadeliña, Joseph Vincent
Cano, Phoenix John Casanova,
Ralph Justine de los Angeles
and George Oliver Lopega
developed a gaming system
similar to the Micro Robot
World Soccer Tournament, a
soccer game played by robots
created by Jong-Hwan Kim of
South Korea.
The group’s thesis titled
“System design of a machinevision-aided autonomous
tail tagging robot driven
using fuzzy logic control”
was meant for students to
appreciate robotics.
“ We w o u l d l i k e
to promote robotics by
encapsulating science behind
a game so even non-technical
people can appreciate
i t . H o p e f u l l y,
through this
game, they would
become interested
i n t e c h n o l o g y, ”
Cadeliña said.
The game runs
with two mobile
robots playing tag.
They use webcams to
see their opponents. A
“Bluetooth” connection,
a short-range digital
transmission technology,
connects the host
computer and the robot to
direct speed.
The study was declared
the Most Outstanding
Scientific Research in the
3rd Annual Research Awards
last March 5 at Polytechnic
University of the Philippines,
besting 200 other entries.
College of Nursing: Studying
conception and care after
birth
The College of Nursing
declared two best theses this
year, both focused on the life of
a mother and her child.
Interaction between firsttime mothers and their babies
was the focus of the study titled
“Appreciation of baby language
and its effect on maternal stress
and mood state among firsttime Filipino mothers,” which
was named best thesis for
quantitative research.
Nursing seniors Jaqueline
Didier Loto, Joyce Anne Marie
Lopez, Conrado Lotho III,
Marie Stephanie Lozada, Fiona
Amara Lua, and Nina Fritz
Lumampao believed that babies
use a universal language to
tell their caregiver what they
need, and understanding this
language could affect the level
of maternal stress and mood of
first-time Filipino mothers.
The study was based on
the Dunstan baby language
system of interpreting the
cries of babies 0-3 months.
Since, the system
was applied only to
Western countries,
UST Nursing students decided
to test it in the country.
Loto said that by
understanding baby cries,
parents will be able to address
their child’s needs correctly,
and prevent distress on both the
baby and caregiver.
The best qualitative
research was from the group of
Quinia Jenica Ranjo, Witness
editor of the Varsitarian.
Ranjo and her group mates
John Jeremiah Rapacon,
Nicole Gwynne Rapista,
Angelo Miguel Realina, Grace
Anne Rebebes, and Ruby Ann
Rebibis did the study titled
“Decision making process of
mothers with hemophilia A
regarding future conception”
to determine the basic social
processes of mothers who
serve as genetic carriers of
hemophilia A, a blood disorder
that causes bleeding episodes
in boys.
“Our group wanted to
know the decision-making
process of mothers with
hemophilia A children regarding
future conception, knowing
that being carriers
of the disease,
The robot that the ECE students patterned after South Korea’s robotic
gaming system.
Photo courtesy of Patrick jonathan cadeliña
there is a great possibility that
their next child will also have
it,” Ranjo said.
Faculty of Pharmacy: A close
look on the tunkin plant
Dominicans had made use
of the Ipomeoa muricata (Linn.)
Jacq., also known as Lavender
Moonvine or tunkin, for
medicinal purposes. Chemical,
pharmaceutical, and botanical
studies have been conducted
in the University for other
uses. However, a molecularbased study of this Philippine
tunkin species has not yet been
established.
Because of this,
biochemistry students Delbert
Almerick Boncan, April
Apolinario, Basil Justin Bote,
and Jamie Corpuz thought
of investigating the species
through their thesis titled
“DNA-based authentication of
Ipomoea muricata (Linn.) Jacq.
seed using Internal Transcribed
Spacer (ITS) marker.”
The group decided to do
a preliminary investigation on
Ipomoea muricata, a rare plant
with unusual aerial rootlets
using the ITS marker, a nonfunctional RNA placed between
structural ribosomal RNAs
(component of ribosomes). This
involved isolation, purification,
amplification and sequencing of
its region.
“Being the first molecularbased study on local tunkin,
the ITS nucleotide sequence
may serve as a measurement
of identifying local tunkin
demarcated on the basis of
their species and geographical
origin, and it may also serve as
reference for future studies,”
Boncan said. The plants used in
the study came from the Ilocos
region where they are locally
grown.
It was observed that
environmental factors such as
soil, climate, and adaptability
affect the amount of secondary
metabolites, chemicals produced
by plants that are disabled with
primary functions such as
growth and reproduction, which
would vary in each plant.
The DNA sequence that
determines the exact sequence of
UST Medicine pain center
recognized internationally
T H E FA C U LT Y o f M e d i c i n e
and Surgery will be receiving
recognition from an international
pain research and development
organization for its contributions
to the field and for being the first
institution in Southeast Asia to offer
a pain medicine course.
M e d i c i n e ’s p o s t g r a d u a t e
course in pain medicine will be
given an award in excellence in
pain research and management by
the International Association for the
Study of Pain (IASP), the world’s
l a rg e s t o rg a n i z a t i o n f o c u s e d
specifically on pain research and
management.
This will only be the third time
IASP will be giving the award,
which recognizes institutions and
persons who have made exceptional
contributions to pain research
and development, since the
organization’s inception in 2005.
Medicine, in collaboration
with the University of Sydney,
founded the post graduate course in
pain medicine in November 2008.
The two-year post-graduate course
is the first of its kind in Asia, and
is open to all physicians interested
in taking it.
The course was founded by
Dr. Jocelyn Que, now director
of Center for Pain Management
under the faculty, and her medical
team on November 3, 2008. A
distance education program, pain
management course holds classes
and other activities online through
the facilitation of a team of local and
international faculty of experienced
academic clinicians. The program
adheres to IASP standards.
The curriculum of the
University of Sydney was used as
a basis for the post graduate course
in UST.
“The distance education course
we offer is very convenient because
students can do class work and even
chat and conduct group sessions
with the faculty and other enrollees
online,” Que said.
But what Que considered as an
achievement of the program was
its effort to make pain management
available not only to Filipinos, but
to the rest of Southeast Asia.
“Since it is a distance education
course, anyone in Southeast Asia
can avail himself of it at a lesser cost
than having to go to the University
of Sydney,” she said. “It encourages
students to take up the course
because of its easier accessibility
and lower cost.”
Que said understanding pain
management can save lives of the
many.
“[Pain management] will
improve doctors’ understanding
of the causes and management of
pain for better healthcare delivery,
especially for the chronically ill like
cancer patients,” she explained.
At present, the program has 17
enrollees.
Medicine will be formally
awarded by the IASP during its
13th IASP World Congress on Pain
in Quebec, Canada from August 29
to September 2. Julienne Krizia V.
Roman
Biochemistry students subject tunkin to electrophoresis (top), a separation
technique using electric field applied to a gel matrix, and DNA amplification
(bottom).
Photo courtesy of DELBERT ALMERICK BONCAN
nucleotides, meanwhile, resisted
these factors and even slight
nucleotide base differences
could be seen in two similar
plants of different regions.
“We were faced by limited
information and references on
CBA
From page 1
This was an increase from
maximum of P49,254 for assistant
professor 3 and P71,476.67 for
associate professor 3.
Meanwhile, a full professor 3 will
get P101,852, up from the original
P97,419.
On top of these, Gamilla said
faculty members would receive a lump
sum adjustment since the increase
was effective for the academic year
2009-2010.
“So, the salary increase [which
were not given in] those months shall
be given in lump sum.”
Library
From page 11
and Apolinario Mabini.
“It (exhibit) makes a claim that
(UST) was an active participant in the
creation of the thing we now know as
the Philippines,” Pastor-Roces said.
Lumina Pandit means “spread
the light.” “The University spreads
the light of knowledge and wisdom,”
Father Aparicio explained.
UST students can visit the exhibit
for free while outsiders will pay P25
each for a group of 10 persons.
Moreover, 95 percent of the
how to go about the experiment,”
Boncan said. But despite this,
the study was declared the best
thesis out of 10 participants from
the department of biochemistry
under the Faculty of Pharmacy.
Camille Anne M. Arcilla
Under the CBA terms, economic
provisions should be re-negotiated
“not later than three years of its
implementation.”
Under the law, 70 percent of the
tuition increase must go to faculty and
school employees’ salaries, 20 percent
is for the school’s operating expenses,
while the remaining 10 percent will
serve as return on investment.
In school year 2008-2009, the
faculty got a P42.28 across-the-board
unit increase per month to P1,032.27
a month for professors teaching a 24unit load. Mentors were also given
meal allowance, asm well as rice and
clothing benefits, among others. Cliff
Harvey C. Venzon
artifacts will be genuine articles
themselves, the rest are replicas,
reconstructions and artists’
representations.
The Library is named after Miguel
de Benavidez, the third Archbishop
of Manila and the founder of the
University of Santo Tomas. He donated
his private collections of books for a
future college of priesthood which
became UST, making the library
older than the University itself. Ana
May R. Dela Cruz with reports from
Charmaine M. Parado and Alyosha
J. Robillos
The
CIRCLE
10 MAY 13, 2010
Lydia Velasco, Jerry Morada, Juanito Torres, and Buen Abrigo
Humanity in varied perspectives
By John Ernest F. Jose
FOUR different styles in
Galerie Joaquin Group’s
simultaneous art exhibits,
“Four Shows: A Narrative of
Humanity,” last April 14-20
at the SM Art Center in SM
Megamall, featuring Lydia
Velasco’s “Paradiso,” Jerry
Morada’s “Kinang,” Juanito
Torres “Allegory,” and Buen
Abrigo’s “Indeterminacy”.
“Everyone indulges in
his own preferred style, but all
the artists are bound together
by a single concept. These
works are their individual
interpretation on social issues
here in the Philippines,” said
Ruben Cañete, the curator
and a UST alumnus.
T h o m a s i a n Ly d i a
Velasco’s “Paradiso” showed
women as independent and
strong, doing their mundane
chores with passion. Her
expressionist approach
depicts the female form with
exaggerated facial features,
masculine musculature and
green and red complexions.
“I admire women not
because I am one, but because
of what I see in them—like
my mother and my children.”
Velasco told the Varsitarian.
“ T h e y a r e a b l e t o bear
the pain of childbirth and
menstruation, and the stigma
of being the ‘lesser’ gender
in the society.” Velasco
graduated with a degree of
Fine Arts in Advertising. She
is a member of the Malang’s
Saturday Group of Artists and
the chair of Kulay Marikina,
Va
a local artists’ group.
In “Kinang”,
Morada employs his
surrealism to depict
nude women and
children donning
flamboyant clothes
with glittering
fabrics, a commentary
on materialism.
“While other
people interpret it in
a way that the clothes
are the treasure, in
reality it is the one
wearing it who is
more important,”
Morada said. A
painting, “Silver
Blanket,” depicts a
solemn nude woman
covered only with
a glittering blanket
in an olive green
background.
A b r i g o ’s
“Indeterminacy” is
a juxtaposition of
grotesque characters
against a modernist
architectural
background. “The
characters in the
painting represent
the effect of massconsumerism,
globalization,
pornography and a
commerce-centric
s o c i e t y, ” A b r i g o Empowering women through art! Thomasian painter Lydia Velasco shares
her high esteem for women through her oil paintings. From point X to Y: “Paradiso,”
said.
I n “ O u t e r “Bulungan,” “Lady with Parasol I” and “Lady with Parasol II”
Josa Camille A. Bassig
I n t e r c o u r s e I V, ”
Mickey Mouse,
colonial revolutions to their the subjects in the paintings
Hello Kitty and a
woman with a disfigured face fight against the Marcos’ are apparent, and the largerare integrated. “My style dictatorship. “When I Grow than-life paintings will make
seeks to break away from Up” is a lampoon of the viewers feel as if they are part
conventional forms of art,” educational system in the of the canvas.
As the four artists provide
Abrigo said, explaining his Philippines—it presents a
integration of graffiti and poorly maintained classroom their distinct interpretations
where students are dressed of the ever fascinating subject
street art in his paintings.
To r r e s ’ “ A l l e g o r y ” up in their dream professions. of humanity, their differing
relives the political struggles The lavish use of imagery styles only go to show how
of Filipinos, from their anti- and detailed expressions of multi-faceted life is.
‘I admire women not because I am one, but because
of what I have seen in them--they are able
to bear the pain of childbirth and menstruation,
and the stigma of being the lesser gender
in society’ - Lydia Velasco
UST Library to exhibit
‘historical treasures’
AN INTERNATIONAL exhibit will trace the 400-year history
of the University through rare books and memorabilia that form
the priceless treasures of UST.
Lumina Pandit: An Exhibition of Historical Treasures will
be open to Thomasians and the public at large from June 17 to
January 2011 at the Miguel de Benavidez Library ground floor.
Fr. Angel Aparicio, O.P., prefect of the libraries, said the
exhibit is a “journey to look backward,” a way of telling UST’s
history through books.
“A sense of history is vital to the nation, and books are the
primary medium for a credible past,” he explained.
The international exhibit worth more than P10 million will
be presented in three different languages — Filipino, English
and Spanish. Some sections will be also translated in Ilocano,
Waray, Kapampangan and Bicolano. It will employ new media
technology for an interactive feel.
The exhibit, curated by Marian Pastor-Roces, consists of
six sections — “Threshold 400,” “Realm of Print,” “Spheres
of Change,” “Routes of Globalization,” “Nascent Nation,” and
“Curve of Nationalism.”
“Threshold 400” will
feature the Doctrina Christiana
and the Shih-Lu, the Catechism
in Chinese, which are the first
books printed in the Philippines
by the Dominicans in 1593,
copies of the Act of Foundation
of the University, the royal
decree given to UST, and the
papal bulls declaring UST a
university.
As nationalism is induced
by print media, “Realm of Print“
focuses on key moments in
Philippine typographic history.
It will feature a replica of the
first movable block printing
press invented by Dominican
Fr. Francisco Blancas de San
Jose and the Chinese convert
Juan de Vera, together with
rarities such as Librong Pagaaralan nang Manga Tagalog
nang Uicang Castila, the first
printed book written in Tagalog Flora de Filipinas and Biblia
and printed by a Filipino, Tomas Sacra are among the historical
Pinpin, the “Prince of Tagalog books that will be featured in
Printers” and the first Filipino the exhibit this June 17.
author.
Jilson Seckler C. Tiu
“Spheres of Change”
depicts the intellectual
development of Filipinos as
evinced by the existence of the works of Aristotle, Strabon,
Galileo, Thomas Aquinas and Cardinal Ceferino Gonzalez in
the UST Library. The legendary book of Copernicus on the
heliocentric theory will be also shown.
On the other hand, “Routes of Globalization,” featuring such
rare books as De Molucis Insulis, Relazione del Primo Viaggio,
Ataque de Limahon and Historia Mundi, will focus on the early
Filipinos and the initial contacts with the world at large resulting
in Proto-globalization.
Similarly, “Nascent Nation” will show how printing gave
rise to the idea of the nation.
“Curve of Nationalism” will tackle how the Philippines
and UST have grown side by side in the past 400 years. It will
also give to the public a once-in-a-life time opportunity to view
the academic grades of the national heroes and founders of the
Philippine nation, most of them Thomasians, such as Jose Rizal
Library, Page 9
Julio Jose Austria’s Bigger Perspective on Life
By ANA MAY R. DELA CRUZ
TAKING a glance seems exhausting when
you have seen more than enough, but Julio
Jose Austria’s paintings suggest that one can
never be weary with looking at life.
His exhibit, Viewing the World, which
runs till April 8 - 22 at the Art Verite’
Gallery in Serendra, Bonifacio Global City,
consists of oil-paintings on canvas depicting
experiences and observations of the United
States and Europe. Theme is about the
objective viewing of the world, avoiding
subjectivity.
Had took up Painting from College of
Architecture and Fine Arts batch 2000, Julio
Jose Austria got a grant from the Vermont
Studio Center, U.S.A., which enabled him
to travel in places there. He has also held
shows in Germany, Austria and Thailand.
Unquestionably, his passion for art is
unwavering, having spent the past 10 years
of his life solely on painting. “That is why
I’m still single at the age of 31,” Austria
said. “It is like I have entered the seminary.”
Asked about his inspiration, he replied,
“You don’t need someone or something to
be inspired, if you are passionate with your despite the pessimistic atmosphere brought by paint without any strong notes, signifying a
the recession. Orange shades make the work placid appearance on its surface.
vocation everything goes continuously.”
Austria’s works are landscapes in the intimate and evokes courage.
Vi e w i n g t h e Wo r l d h i n t s a t t h e
On the other hand, “Never Obsolete” interrelation between all social beings amid
geographical and personal levels. His style is an
amalgam of representation and nonfiguration. depicts a man with his bicycle in Amsterdam. surface differences and artificial borders.
They are characterized by free-flowing colors Through it, Austria encourages the use of
“Sometimes, what looks good for one is
nature-friendly modes of transportation and not enough for the others, (but) it is through
and textural brushstrokes.
Among works in the exhibit, “National comments on the environmental deterioration this that we get to know what true beauty
Treasure” is the artist’s favorite. It portrays of his own country. The work shows gentle is,” he said.
a group of young students
observing paintings
sincerely in a museum,
which shows how they value
art even in their juvenile
stage. “National Treasure”
combines light greys and
medium browns; conspiring
color of appealing freshness.
Austria explained that
the painting shows his
amazement at how European
countries instill artistic
discipline into their children
at a very young age.
“Surviving Recession”
is an emblematic picture of From left: “National Treasure,” “Never Obsolete” and “Finding Liberty” justifies that Austria has seen more of life.
a woman who exudes hope
Josa Camille A. Bassig
arsitarian
CIRCLE
MAY 13, 2010 11
Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones and Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island
Novels into film: A director’s test of faith
ADAPTING novels to the big screen has
been a common practice for filmmakers and
screenwriters, dating as far back as the early
1900s where timeless classics such as Harriet
Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Charles
Dickens’ Oliver Twist already had their film
counterparts.
But in time, these page-to-reel transitions
have become a dime-a-dozen, with some
filmmakers chopping off even the most necessary
parts in the novel just to make a fitting adaptation.
This summer, works of authors Alice Sebold
and Dennis Lehane are granted the big screen
glory, but do their respective films deliver?
The Lovely Bones: style over substance
Acclaimed filmmaker Peter Jackson takes
Sebold’s 2002 novel The Lovely Bones to the big
screen, only to leave out the novel’s substance
in exchange for computer-generated imagery
reminiscent of his previous visual gems, like The
Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong.
The film follows the ordeal of the Salmon
family after the tragic death of their youngest
member, Susie (Saoirse Ronan), who was
murdered on her way back home from school.
Thirsting for justice, Susie refuses to
let go of her life entirely and lingers in the
“in-between,” a stage in the afterlife where
her entrance to heaven is pending. There, she
watches her family come to terms with her death
and watch how the investigation of her murder
unfolds.
Jackson’s use of CGI may be topnotch,
but this takes away much of the novel’s most
treasured feature—the essence of the characters.
Much of the film’s two-hour runtime was devoted
in Jackson concretizing his idea of the afterlife,
characterized by beauty unknown to the physical
world.
The book, however, devoted its pages
to maintaining the strong bond between the
characters, as they attempt to heal themselves
and unmask the identity of the murderer.
Unfortunately, Jackson’s excessive use of CGI
cut it short for the film to establish this important
bond between the characters, limiting them into
two-dimensional figures.
There are also blaring book-to-film
inaccuracies that were committed, such as
the depiction of the actual murder. Sebold
had described the murder of Susie grisly
enough—she was killed, brutally raped and
dismembered—for the reader to acknowledge
the story’s defining moment, whereas Jackson
summarized the whole macabre into a fade-toblack transition drowned by a long scream. The
murderer’s identity is also revealed first thing
in the film; a revelation that has been set aside
in the book until the middle of the narrative.
In spite of the film’s shortcomings, a saving
grace can be found in the performances of the
actors, namely lead actress Saoirse Ronan
and the main antagonist, played by Stanley
Tucci. Ronan glides across the screen with a
charisma unmatched by any of her co-stars,
mixed with childish innocence that makes her
effective for the lead role. Meanwhile,
Tucci made notable vocal and
physical alterations to
create a perfect
psychotic
figure in
playing
G e o r g e
Harvey, a risk
he took which
eventually paid
off, bagging him
his first Oscar
Voter’s Education Programs
Entertainment or information?
By Alyosha J. Robillos
A good news and public affairs program creatively engages the audience through
effective coverage of currents and issues and vigilant practice of the tenets of classic
journalism—accuracy, objectivity and fairness. A news and public affairs program is an
information program, and any compromise with the nature and function of information,
such as the introduction of entertainers or certain “dimensions” of entertainment into
the news or public affairs broadcast, should be rejected.
Voters’education programs
on TV such as Harapan and
Kandidato have added to the
hype of this year’s electoral
process, urging voters to take
a closer look at candidates
and make the right choice.
But do these programs really
inform the viewers about
the candidate’s platforms,
or are they just tawdry
shows looking to boost the
networks’ ratings?
Last December 2,
ABS-CBN News Channel
(ANC) pitted presidential
candidates against each other
in Harapan: The Presidential
Forum at UST. It was the first
of the Harapan series hosted by
broadcast veteran Ted Failon.
It was succeeded by Harapan:
The Vice-Presidential Debate
held at La Consolacion
College last March 21.
When viewers displayed
both positive responses and
violent reactions online, a
third Harapan was slated later
that month. Unfortunately, the
series’ third installment was
cancelled on the same day
it was supposed to air due
to the no-show of a number
of candidates who cited
conflicting schedules.
In the cancelled show,
the contenders would have
faced each other in pairs,
what ANC commentators
referred to as a “tag-team”
set-up: presidents alongside
their vice-presidents up on the
podium. This would have shown
the candidates in a different light,
since the previous debates and
forums featured only contenders
of the same position.
Meanwhile, Kandidato,
GMA’s presidential profile series,
has been running since March
3. Mimicking a job interview,
the show focuses on putting
one candidate in the hot seat
per episode. What is marketed
as “television’s toughest job
interview” has three veteran
journalists on its selection panel:
GMANews.TV editor in chief
Howie Severino, Philippine
Center for Investigative
Journalism (PCIJ) executive
director Malou Mangahas and
news anchor and Kandidato host
Arnold Clavio, who dish out the
hard questions that would surely
make any candidate sweat.
ABS-CBN’s
Harapan has been
appreciated by the audience
because it allows voters to
compare and contrast each
political candidate on the
spot. It also gives them the
opportunity to interact with
the candidates through an
open forum.
The changing format
of the debate segments also
offer variety compared to
regular university debates,
pushing the candidates
to think on their feet and
display grace under pressure.
The show also features
“Pulso ng Bayan,” which
enables people from farflung areas to participate in
the discussion via satellite
while also taking part in the
Voters, page 7
nomination.
Shutter Island: a perplexing mystery
Master filmmaker Martin Scorsese reunites
with actor Leonardo DiCaprio in his adaptation
of the Dennis Lehane psycho-thriller, Shutter
Island, set in a remote island prison reserved for
the world’s most dangerous mental criminals.
After the escape of one of its female
detainees, U.S. Marshal Edward “Teddy”
Daniels (DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck Aule
(Mark Ruffalo) are summoned to the island to
conduct an investigation.
But upon observing the odd behavior
of the asylum personnel and detainees, the
investigators were led to believe that something
else is going on in the island, hidden particularly
in its remote lighthouse.
Lehane’s novel offers a handful
of suspense, which Scorsese
does justice to by
running
with
the
biopic A Beautiful Mind. This makes it far more
challenging for the viewer to predict what will
happen next in the film.
Shutter Island further established itself
as a difficult puzzle to solve with Scorsese
blurring the viewer’s focus by showing a series
of flashbacks, which momentarily sidetracks the
flow of the narrative. This certain trick made
the story confusing, but with the unwavering
performances of DiCaprio and Ben Kingsley
(who played the asylum director Dr. Cawley),
it is hard to look away. Scorsese also presented
the scenes in a way that the level of suspense
gradually rises, resulting in a conclusion that is
worth reflecting upon afterwards.
In the end, Shutter Island stood out as a
film which compels the
viewer to run in circles,
in search for the answer
to the mystery, one
which will dauntingly
haunt the viewers
psyche.
story’s flow,
even recreating the
air of mystery
onscreen.
I
n
the novel,
Lehane creates
bewilderment
among his readers
by continuously
revealing plot twists
on every page. The
film, on the other hand,
mimics this excitement
by confusing the viewers as to
what is real and what is make-believe, a style
similar to Ron Howard’s 2001 Oscar-winning
Illustration by Karla Midas C. Toledo
By James C. Talon
Not another fairytale
By Maria Joanna Angela D. Cruz
A good dramatic show 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.
STORYTELLING has gone
a long way, from simply
telling stories by mouth
to writing them in books,
people have even developed
a way to tell stories through
the screen. The television
networks have merged the
classic fairytale and the
soap opera, resulting in
the fantaserye, an often
engrossing dramatic series
which shows the fantastic in
the human and the fantastic
into human.
Agua Bendita: a case of
sibling rivalry
Agua Bendita was
originally a komiks novel
in the 80’s by Rod Santiago
and was adapted for
television for the second
time by ABS-CBN. The
story tells of twin sisters,
Bendita who is normal and
Agua, whose body has the
appearance of water. Due
to her abnormal appearance,
Agua is thought to be a
monster by the villagers,
not knowing that she
actually
has the
ability to
heal. Villagers hunt her down,
forcing her family to hide
her. Bendita, on the other
hand, grows up under normal
conditions. Though she is
better off than Agua, Bendita
feels jealous of the attention
her parents lavish on her sister.
This creates resentment within
Bendita against her “freak”
sister. Both characters of Agua
and Bendita are played by Andi
Eigenmann.
Unlike most soaps
which focus solely on love,
Agua Bendita tackles various
issues — from parenting to
religion. An example of the
former is in the contrasting
ways the twins are raised —
Bendita, is spoiled by her rich
grandmother. She grows up to
become a spoiled brat. Agua,
on the other hand, is raised
solely by her physician-father.
Because of her condition, she
grows up humble, content and
thankful for the little things
given her. Catholicism is
also tackled, although a tad
fantastically. The twin’s parents
are very religious and the
grandmother
donates large sums of money
to the Church. In fact, it was
through religious means that
Agua comes to appear like
water — her mother, faced
with a miscarriage, drank a
bottle of stolen holy water.
She survives but gives birth
to Agua who looks aquatic.
Despite the fact that
the first adaptation of Agua
Bendita was in ABS-CBN’s
show “Komiks”, what turns
off viewers is that Agua’s
approach hews close Katorse,
the previous soap opera of
ABS-CBN about a teenage
parent. The portrayal of the
innocent and naïve character
of Agua is comparable to that
of the 14-year-old Nene from
Katorse. Both characters,
instead of being innocent,
appeared simple minded
and dim witted. In addition,
both characters wear skimpy
clothing basically unmasks
the intention of television.
The Last Prince: remixing
classic fairytales
The story of The Last
Prince revolves around
Fairytale, page 7
The
12 MAY 13, 2010
Varsitarian
features
Sarah Jane P. Pauyo, Editor
Illustrations by Jasmine C. Santos
Political ads for Thomasians
Compiled by RONALYN M. UMALI
JUDGMENT day for candidates in the May 10 national elections is fast
approaching, and politicians are banking more on their campaigns with
catchy jingles and celebrity endorsers. But what clicks and what doesn’t
for Thomasians? Here are some of the answers.
Among all the candidates’ commercials,
which one is your favorite?
I like Manny Villar’s commercial jingle, nakaka-LSS (last
song syndrome) kasi eh [I like Manny Villar’s commercial jingle
because it sticks into my head].
Sarah Gaba, second-year, Nursing
I like Gilbert Teodoro’s. His commercial is different from
the others’, and it has a unique theme. He looks very capable
and intelligent.
Caryl Vegamora, first-year, Commerce
My favorite is Jejomar Binay’s commercial because he was able to
do a lot for Makati and he has proved a lot to the people.
Alyana Rances, fourth-year legal management
The commercial of women senators under the Nacionalista Party is
my favorite because it’s very persuasive, and many women can relate to
them.
Carmela Gamboa, third-year psychology
Juan Ponce Enrile’s commercial is my favorite one. The presentation
is good, and his tagline “Gusto ko, happy ka” [I want you to be happy]
is effective. Plus, the song is very catchy.
Tom Wilfred Ogena, first-year Nursing
What makes a political advertisement effective?
For me, it is effective if I can see the candidate’s goals and platforms
in the commercial, his achievements as well as his background.
Vanico Fajardo, fourth-year Accountancy
I just want a simple yet informative commercial about the candidate.
I don’t like it when it’s too flamboyant, especially when they praise the
politician so much.
Madelyn Ebro, third-year communication arts
The clarity and straight-forwardness of what the candidate is saying
is very important. His tone and manner of speaking says so much about
the politician, and it shows his confidence and sincerity. It can help voters
identify whether he’s serious or just making make-believe promises.
Jairon Jurilla, third-year Pharmacy
What makes
a political campaign
work?
Illustration by Jasmine C. Santos
A MAELSTROM of campaign
advertisements for that precious
vote.
Long before the campaign
period officially kicked off last
February 9, candidates had already
been bombarding Filipino voters
with just about every campaign
material you could think of: TV and
print ads, jingles, baller IDs, shirts,
stickers.
How these ads will actually
work for specific candidates will
have to wait till May 10.
Christie Que, head of the
school’s advertising arts department,
says public relations (PR) and
advertising go hand-in-hand on
matters like political campaigns with
one goal in mind—to familiarize the
public with a certain candidate.
“The PR is the strategist while
the advertiser is in charge of the
printed or visual output,” she says,
meaning the PR person basically
“dresses up” the image of politicians
by using marketing plans and briefs,
while the advertiser recommends the
appropriate medium.
Jose Arsenio Salandanan, chair
of the media studies department,
argues that if advertisements can
sell a product, they
can sell politicians, too. As
dictated by
the basics of
advertising,
the positioning and
credibility
I want a simple yet straight-to-the-point commercial. Usually in
political advertising, if a candidate wants to win votes, he usually shows
something grand. I don’t like that.
- Julia Payumo, first-year advertising
Christie Que
of the candidate is also important
in ensuring maximum effectiveness.
“You have to position yourself
as a candidate so that you can be differentiated from your opponent,” he
explains.
“What is your proposition? And
next, how do you make that proposition credible? Just like when we
advertise a product, there ought to be
benefits. We buy a product based on
its promises. This also holds true for
politicians.”
TV still best
Despite the expanded platform
made available by the so-called
new media, television remains the
favorite choice for those running for
public office. Given that TV remains
a fixture in every Filipino household,
the audio and visual register of
the commercial jingles, celebrity
endorsers, “identity” colors and even
ballot numbers are vital in ensuring
that political ads stick to viewers.
Republic Act No. 9006 or the
Fair Elections Act limits TV ads to
120 minutes and radio ads to 180
minutes. Because of this, Que says
timing is important.
“One presidential candidate
made himself known to the public
even before the campaigning period
has officially started,” she notes.
“This made campaigning easier
for him when he revealed
his intentions of running for
national office.”
JILSON SECKLER C. TIU
New media
Effective advertising
also involves knowing how to
adapt to changes in technology. Not
surprisingly, political ads have been
flooding the Internet.
“New media (Internet) is a lot
cheaper and faster,” says Que. “The
market will be the younger generation
since this is the type of media that
they’re using.”
Apart from the official websites,
candidates also utilize social
networking sites such as Facebook,
with official and unofficial accounts
and fan pages supporting their cause.
“I think it’s a nice tactic to let
people know the different individuals
who will engage in the tiring effort
to win the polls in the coming
elections,” says Adrian Belmonte,
a Rehabilitation Sciences student.
“The use of social networking sites
in making themselves known is more
effective than radio or television.”
But for some, political
advertisements in the Internet are
an overkill.
“We’ve seen enough of them on
posters, TV, etc. And now politicians
won’t even spare Facebook?” says
Gem Leonard Boy, a Fine Arts
student.
He says that with the politicians’
assiduous appearance, they tend to
give the feeling of brainwashing
rather than campaigning.
Cyberspace has changed the
way political campaigns are run.
But in the end, a wise voter will
not be distracted and will choose
a candidate based on meritocracy.
Marnee A. Gamboa and Alma Maria
L. Sarmiento
‘Cool’ alternative sports this summer
THIS summer, beat the heat in a different way. Try these
“cool” alternative sports which will surely take your mind
off the unbearable weather. Tired of the usual sports?
Ultimate Frisbee, Dragon boat racing or mountaineering is
probably for you.
Beyond the heights
If you are more of the outdoorsy type, why not
reach greater heights with mountaineering, the sport of
hiking, backpacking and climbing mountains? Pe Borja,
advertising student and member of the UST mountaineering
JOSA CAMILLE A. BASSIG
A growing trend
Ultimate frisbee is usually played in an open field
where players catch and pass a plastic disc called Frisbee.
The game is composed of 14 players split into two teams
whose aim is to send the disc to the goal and earn points.
However, players must keep the disc from falling to the
ground while passing it around and stay in their position
within 10 seconds.
A team wins after reaching 15 points, or at least the
highest score after the 80-minute game.
“It is a fun sport that most of my friends play in our
‘bonding time,’” says John Benedict Mendoza, who has
been playing the sport since last year. The Rehabilitations
Science student says the game also has health benefits.
“It is a good cardio exercise since it involves a lot of
running and jumping. It can also remove stress,” Mendoza
says. This sport is relatively cheap, as it only needs a disc
which costs around P500 to P600.
team, says that starters need to go through training
before setting foot on the mountain. Physical
training consists of a pack run while
mental training or running is done on
campus for four rounds. They have the
basic mountaineering course, advance
courses and first aid.
“Once you’ve completed the training given by the club,
you can climb mountains, starting from low level or easy
routes (minor climbs) to a more a difficult terrain (major
climb),” says Borja.
To fully enjoy the beauty of the mountains, one has to
be in the proper shape mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Aside from this, one must also be ready to dish out a lot
of cash as mountaineering could be a bit expensive since
equipment and safety gears cost between P20,000 and
P100,000, depending on the brand of choice.
“Mountaineering is a unique sport,” says Borja who
has been into mountaineering for 14 years. “Once you’ve
experienced it, you’ll keep on coming back.”
Dragon racing is another alternative sport which will
push your stamina and strength to the limit.
A team of 20 rowers, a drummer and a steersman
must navigate their boat and beat the opponents through
synchronized and strategic rowing in their long boats until
they reach the finish line. The sport is usually played in
Manila Bay.
“Dragon boat racing is a very extreme and tiring sport,”
says Rafael Bawagan, fourth year Engineering student and
former vice captain of the then UST Dragon Boat racing team.
“The adrenaline rush that we get when we are racing and the
drums beating is very thrilling.”
Being in this sport could also be costly since oars and
paddles are made of special materials. Oars made of carbon
fiber cost around P10,000, while maple costs around P3,000.
The cheaper ones cost about P600.
“It is not a very famous sport like the ones you watch on
television,” he says. “But Dragon boat racing is the best and
only sport which I’ve tried and I have no regrets.” Justinne
Chynna V. Garcia and Margaret Rose B. Maranan
The
Varsitarian
WITNESS
MAY 13, 2010 13
Quinia Jenica E. Ranjo, Editor
Theology Week tackles
priesthood over the years
ISSUES of moral deterioration, rapid
globalization, and materialism have
tested the spirituality of the Catholic
laity over the years. Now, adding to the
list are the unresolved controversies
in the priesthood, which could topple
their waning faith.
This year ’s UST Theology
Week with the theme “The Catholic
Priesthood: Then and Now,” primarily
focused on the loss of the priesthood’s
“natural esteem” and “ecclesial
conscience” brought about by the
different controversies that haunt
it, as well as the great influence of
contemporary philosophies of new age
religion. The week-long celebration
ran from April 12 to 16 at the UST
Martyr’s Hall.
“Two different conceptions of the
priesthood are frequently compared
and at times set against each other, in
theological milieu as well as in actual
pastoral practice and the formation
of the clergy,” said Fr. Rodel Aligan,
O.P., dean of the Faculty of Sacred
Theology.
“There is, on one hand, a social
and functional concept that defines
the essence of priesthood with the
concept of ‘service’— service to the
community in the fulfillment of a
function,” he said.
“On the other hand, there is the
sacramental-ontological concept,
which of course does not deny the
priesthood’s character of service,
but sees it anchored to the minister’s
existence and claims that this existence
is determined by sacraments.”
Sponsored by the Faculty of Sacred
Theology in cooperation with the
Institute of Religion, the event served
as the University’s contribution to the
celebration of the Year of the Priests
proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI.
Priesthood then and now
The Old Testament presents
priests as the mediator of the covenant
between God and man. In the book
of Hebrews, Christ is presented as
the eternal high priest —the one who
overpowered temptation and offered
his own body for the salvation of
mankind.
“They (priests) celebrate the
sacrament and represent Christ by
being true to their identity,“ Aligan
said. “When you are true to your
Photos by Jilson Seckler C.Tiu
By jennifer m. orillaza
Jose Palma
Elvira Go
identity, you can act as you are.”
Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P., said
that during the time of the church
fathers, society had an idealist
perspective toward priesthood. He
mentioned that from a persecuted
religion during the reign of Nero,
Christianity made its way to be
recognized as an imperial church years
after under Theodosius I.
According to St. Gregory of
Nazianzen, priesthood is considered
as an art. “It provides the soul with
wings. It rescues it from the world and
gives it to God, and watches over it
which is in His image,” he said.
Cabading also enumerated virtues
of worth and unworthy ministers,
citing that those who are quarrelsome,
cluttered by power, lived sumptuous,
ambiguous with their faith, and want
to make their neighbor evil like
themselves are poor defenders of faith.
“To undertake the training of
others before being sufficiently
trained, is to [play] with religion at
the expense of the other soul,” he
said, reiterating the perspective of
St. Gregory. “A good priest can work
miracles; a bad priest can wreak
havoc.”
Contrary to these, Cabading said
that those who are temperate, soberminded, and blameless in all things are
fit for priestly ministry.
Moving on to the 20th century
perception toward Catholic priesthood,
Fr. Jose Antonio Aureada, O.P., noted
that while the number of Catholic
priests were on a steady decline, the
Catholic population all over the world
was constantly increasing.
Data from the Center for Applied
Research in the Apostolate showed
that the total number of Catholic
priests all over the world has declined
from 419,728 in 1970, to 408,024 in
2007.
“It is an accepted fact that there is
a priestly identity crisis,” Aureda said.
Aureada mentioned that a synod
of bishops in 1971 considered the
defection from priesthood (both in
secular and religious terms) and the
serious decline in vocation contributed
to a ‘special’ crisis arising primarily
from a theological understanding of
the very essence of priesthood. The
protestant revolt, secularization of
the world, and the clericalization of
the laity were also some of the other
factors for the crisis.
Priests are seen as representative
of the church rather than as the
representative of Christ, he
said. The consequence was the
tendency to ground the identity
of the priests ecclesiologically
rather than christologically, with
an emphasis on functionalism.”
Priestly controversies
The Theology Week also tackled
the real meaning of Catholic priesthood
amid issues on the non-ordination of
women as well as celibacy.
Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner, III,
O.P., rector of the Central Seminary,
said that the theological reasons
concerning the non-ordination of
women were “not merely an ecclesial
practice, but (were) divinely willed.”
“According to the apostolic letter
of Pope John Paul II’s Ordinatio
“What seems to us as bitter trials are often
blessings in disguise.” — Oscar Wilde
Tough but gentle
By Florench May C. Corpuz
YEARS AGO, I bumped into a familiar face while I was walking on
campus with a friend. I never bothered to smile, nor did I do anything
to call his attention. After he walked past us, I told my friend that he
was my brother. With doubt and confusion, she asked, “Kuya mo siya?
Ba’t hindi kayo nag-usap?”
This was always the question people asked me about my overlooked
encounters with my brother. And I always answered that we were not
close.
It has always been that way since we were kids. We simply would
fight over trivial things like toys, teasing, and how I meddled with
his stuff. At times, the exasperated look on his face would make me
feel hesitant in asking him for a favor. Because of his temper and his
preference and attachment with his friends than with his own siblings,
my elder brother, younger sister and I formed an “alliance” against
him. His aloofness made me feel distant and even scared of him, even
as we grew older. At home, we would often complain about his endless
rants, impatience and inconsiderate idleness while we all did our share
in the household chores.
Back when we were in high school, he would sit in front of the
television busy with his Playstation, or watch basketball games while
we toiled in cleaning the house.
It was only last year that I really felt how much of a brother he was
to me, apart from the concern he showed when he I was still not home
late at night. The feeling came to me one day when he took comfort in
a small couch and looked after me—beside my hospital bed.
I was confined for dengue fever last December. It was he who
monitored my fluid intake and output as needed, and accompanied me
patiently to the bathroom.
Even before I was confined, he had been left alone to look after
me. Despite his usual impatience and irritation with traffic and
irresponsible drivers, he drove me to the hospital for a checkup, where we
waited for hours. Days after, when I had to be confined, he even rushed
home from an appointment just to drive me back to the same hospital.
The weeklong pain that went with my sickness was worth bearing, for
it was in this moment that I felt my brother’s affection for me, something
that I rarely felt in ordinary situations.
My family and friends all showed their concern and love during
this painful time, but it was my brother’s love, which moved me most.
Though it feels like hell at times having to hear all his outbursts and
endure his indifference, his soft spot has brought a little piece of heaven
at home. Indeed, it is in tight situations that we realize who genuinely
loves us.
Despite
missing so much
school work and
the physical pain
I endured through
the ordeal, I held on
to the realization
that it made me
learn more about
my brother—and
appreciate him
more.
Now, I find
comfort and
confidence that
Heaven, Page 14
Theology, Page 19
Illustration by Fritzie Marie C. Amar
Visita Iglesia, just a click away
By Brylle B. Tabora
I N M AT T E R S o f f a i t h ,
technology can go hand-in-hand
with tradition.
The Catholic faithful have
recently put technology to good
use and provided an avenue
for evangelization with the
increasing number of religious
online services that aim to
deepen the faith. This recent
Holy Week, Filipino Catholics
saw the advent of a new
technological transformation—
the birth of an online Visita
Iglesia.
Launched last March
29 by the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) in their official website
www.cbcponline.net Visita
Iglesia Online gives the visitor
a virtual tour of some of the
seven famous churches in Metro
Manila, enabling them to carry
out the age-old tradition of
visiting the fourteen Stations
of the Cross with the click of
a button.
A brainchild of Msgr.
Pedro Quitorio III, CBCP
Media Office director, Visita
Iglesia Online aims to extend
the Filipino tradition across the
world, especially to Filipinos
living in non-Catholic countries
since they may not be able to
visit the churches during the
Lenten season.
“For the sake of our
brothers and sisters who are
out of the country, the OFWs
and the others, or those who
are sick and homebound, we
are offering this online Visita
Iglesia,” Quitorio said in an
interview with CBCP News.
Visita Iglesia Online offers
users a view of the featured
church’s façade and the interior
to provide a more realistic
feeling. Clicking on a link will
instantly take the user to the
next church. The portal is also
equipped with both the texts and
the audio recordings of solemn
prayers to guide the visitors
during the online Visita Iglesia
experience.
The churches include
the Manila Cathedral Basilica
and San Agustin Church in
Intramuros, Minor Basilica
of the Black Nazarene in
Quiapo, San Lorenzo Ruiz
Church and Santo Niño de
Tondo Parish in Tondo, Nuestra
Seora de Remedios in Malate,
and Our Lady of Perpetual
faithful. The portal has reached
a record of more than 40,000
hits by the end of the Holy
Week.
“The Visita Iglesia is
something positive. It is for
Online portal. With just a click on the mouse, internet users may now
have a digital Visita Iglesia experience.
Help Shrine in Paranaque.
Something ‘positive’
With more than 20,000
visitors on its first day, Visita
Iglesia Online is slowly gaining
popularity among the Catholic
devotional purposes so whether
there are graces to be attained
by it, we leave it to the grace
of God,” said Rev. Fr. Rodel
Aligan, O.P., dean of the Faculty
of Sacred Theology. Aligan
believes that this online version
of Visita Iglesia could “open
doors” for one’s practice of
spirituality.
Echoing Aligan, Rev.
Fr. Filemon I. Dela Cruz, Jr.,
O.P., Vice Rector for Religious
Affairs, said that the online Visita
Iglesia was a good alternative
for Filipino Catholics who had
different pastoral needs.
“It’s a good alternative in
sustaining and nourishing the
faith of Catholics even if they’re
far away,” De la Cruz stressed.
“But there’s no substitute for the
real Visita Iglesia.”
Marjorie Castillo, a student
from the Faculty of Civil Law,
is a devout observer of Visita
Iglesia. She believes that the
online version of this tradition
would benefit Filipino Catholics
living in far away countries.
“This may motivate
Catholics who’ve never
performed Visita Iglesia now
that it’s available online, but
doing it the traditional way is
more meaningful and spiritual,”
Castillo said.
According to her, one of the
negative effects of online Visita
Iglesia is that it may discourage
Filipino Catholics from doing
the traditional way of visiting
churches since one can now
do so online. Couch potatoes,
for example, can stay at home
for the Holy Week and do the
Visita Iglesia online, as this is
a more convenient alternative.
Traditional over digital
With more and more digital
services on the rise, such as St.
Peter’s Online Funeral and the
Sunday TV masses, many are
tempted to do their religious
responsibilities through the
power of technology. However,
technology has not yet replaced
traditional Catholic practices.
De la Cruz stands firm
in his belief that he could not
see any danger of the online
Visita Iglesia in outdoing the
traditional practice of visiting
churches.
“There are always values
you get from tradition that you
can’t get from technology. You
can’t replace all responsibilities
and all the [Catholic] values
with technology,” Aligan said.
The
LIterary
14 MAY 13, 2010
W
HILE scrubbing away
dirt stubbornly etched on
my ankle, shouts were heard
reverberating across the hallowed
walls of the bathroom. I stopped
midway from scrubbing and
turned the faucet off.
“Damn it! I allowed her to
stay and I’m still the one who
doesn’t understand?”
“I just wanted you to talk to
her, to make her feel at home. She
is still my daughter.”
I can hear the sharp scrape
of a chair against the wooden
floor as I sense my dad stopping
her from doing any more damage
to the house.
“I’m leaving!”
A small suitcase was left
opened on the bed. Hoarding a
good number of clothes enough
for three days away from home,
she stuffed them all inside, zipped
it, all the while occasionally
glaring at her husband.
As soon as I got out of the
bathroom, she was making her
way to the door. Dad sat on the
edge of the bed with his head
bowed.
“Therese, let’s go!”
With my three-year old halfsister lumbering in her wake, she
slammed the door behind her and
I just stood there, aghast, then it
hit me.
It came so naturally—pure,
unconceivable fury shackling
every bone of my body—so great
that tears which would naturally
flow at this point froze like dew
on a humid morning.
My other siblings were still
playing with the computer, still
unaware of the chaos, unaware
of my helplessness. Knowing
what to do next, I hurriedly went
inside the room and packed my
bags. My half-brother finally
woke up from his DoTA-induced
stupor to ask.
“Where did Mama go? Why
are you packing your bags?”
“I’m going back to Tita,
that’s where I live anyway.”
Varsitarian
“But you’ve only stayed
here for two days! When are you
coming back?”
I wanted to mumble “never”,
but silence had the better answer.
Lugging my bag to the
living room, I saw my dad sitting
by the corner, clearly in deep
thought. My presence seemed to
snap him back to his senses.
“I’ll bring you back home
to your Tita, now. Please don’t
mention any of these to her,” he
pleaded, guilt written all over
his eyes.
checked my watch and saw that
it was one in the morning. With
my bag in tow, I pushed the
button of the fancy condominium
elevator, silently cursing the
prissy, commercialized building
filled with its equally prissy
residents.
No wonder she wanted to
stay here.
Our eyes met the second
the elevator door opened, the
mirrors behind her reflecting
my awkward stance. Therese
looked up, clapped her hands at
a smell I came to abhor since the
day she hid all the toiletries in
the bathroom every time I visited
their home with my traveling bag.
The passengers were just
what I pictured them to be—
haughty, their noses up in the
air. They had bags with huge
designer monograms printed on
them, as well as pets that looked
like mutated rodents. I wanted to
throw up.
***
The atmosphere teemed
with further unease as the last
Runaway
The insensitivity of his
words gripped me, igniting
further the throbbing fury in my
veins. Before I could lash out
to him, I just whipped my bag
from the floor and made my way
outside, leaving his wreck of a
home that I was never welcome
to.
“No, thank you. I’ll go home
by myself,” I said.
“Ella, please.”
***
The night was cold, with
the scent of rain hanging in the
air, calming my mind enough
to think of what to do next. I
my presence, thinking Ate was
coming along with her.
My fists clenched at the
thought. I tore my gaze away
from her as she quietly stepped
aside to give space. It seemed
dubious, annoying even, but I
took her act as something that
resembled kindness if ever she
had the heart to show it.
8… 7…. 6… the building
seemed to go on forever. For
every pause to accommodate
more passengers, the space grew
tighter, inching me a little closer
to her. She smelled of artificial
raspberries, her signature scent,
Heaven
From page 13
despite our initial distance, a bridge
has already been formed during the
time when I needed him most.
“Acceptance of what we
cannot control is a step towards
inner peace, you know,” I
mumbled. It was the first time
I ever talked back to her, a
refreshing change from all the
forced small talk for the last
twelve years.
She stared daggers at me. I
was expecting a crisp slap on my
cheek, but none came.
“This wouldn’t have
happened if you…” her voice
dwindling, cheeks reddening
in fury.
“This wouldn’t have
happened If I wasn’t my father’s
daughter?” I smirked.
“Yes.”
I really did not expect that.
***
“Is it my fault that I came
first in my father’s life before
you? Did I ask for this? Do you
think you just could shove me
back to my mother’s womb?”
“If I could, I would.”
Seething, I closed my eyes
in prayer, asking God for restraint
from hitting this despicable
woman.
“He loved your mother too
much,” she said.
“Is that a sin now?”
“He loved her too much,
even after everything she’s
done to him. Still, I remain
second-best. Now you get all
the sympathy, while I get all the
spite.”
“Are you seriously jealous
of my consolation prize after
being abandoned by my own
parents?”
“Your father loves you.”
“He loves you more.”
“He doesn’t.”
I sighed. The elevator gave
a faint shake and woke up from
its slumber. Therese gripped her
mother’s hand tightly, finally
relieved from the darkness.
“I live with an aunt who
shoulders all my expenses.
She provides me with shelter,
education and food, along with
other things that I never even
asked for. Ironically, my parents
are not dead and they know I
exist,” I said.
Fresh air flooded the stuffy
elevator quickly as the door
swung open, revealing a plush
lobby. The moon casted an eerie
glow on the swimming pool
from afar.
I threw a quick glance at the
mother and child, still standing
inside the confined space. The
button for the twelfth floor was
glowing as the elevator door
finally came to a close. Mika
Rafaela A. Barrios
Illustration by Carla T Gamalinda
The middle-aged techie
THERE was a time when “middleaged techie” was an oxymoron.
Three-time Don Carlos Palanca
award winner Jessica Zafra shows the
readers the face of the comfortable
future in the latest installment of
her Twisted series, Twisted 8 ½
(Anvil Publishing Inc., 2009). With
twenty-seven essays that describe how
technology has shaped the mindset of
today’s society, Twisted 8 ½ uses the
experiences of the author to show how
“Generation X” has been so different
from the generation of her teens and
twenties.
In “Life before Google,” Zafra
compares the feeling of writing a
thesis using old typewriters during
their time with today’s computers,
which delete mistakes just by hitting
the “backspace” key. She describes the
computer keyboard as something that
“did not require you to pound on key.”
But according to her, it’s not just
the device that makes it convenient
for the present generation to do their
work. Zafra described her experience
of acquiring data as “consulting a
dusty cabinet of drawers, containing
yellowing index cards,” a far cry from
data that youth today obtain with just
a “mouse click.”
If not for the essay’s indifferent
tone used in explaining the beginning
of computers, it would have given a
clear picture of the gap between the
author’s technological culture, and the
Illustration by Lorena Mondragon
passenger left for the fifth floor.
Growing restless, I
absentmindedly stomped my
foot in annoyance just when the
elevator came to a halt and the
light suddenly flickered and died.
As an alarm went off, Therese
began to cry in fear, deliberately
ignoring her mother’s hushing.
My heart was painfully beating
in my chest, expecting the worst,
imagining us hurtling to the
bottom floor and eventually
crushing into smithereens.
Realizing the stupidity of
watching my own death in my
head, I pushed the emergency
Jessica Zafra’s Twisted 8 ½
button, to which a voice
emitted from the speaker above
instructing us to keep calm and
wait for the electricity to return.
“What the hell? What if it
takes hours for the electricity
to go back?” she exclaimed in
disdain.
Restraining from rolling
my eyes, I sat on the corner and
watched Therese thrashing about
and crying, asking for her sister,
some food, some sleep. Maybe if
she was a little mature, her child
would not be suffering this much.
advancements enjoyed by the present
society.
“Romance vs.Democracy” is all
about the camera and the subtext of
each of its different kinds and usage.
The essay contains a lot of
digression, but also delves into details
about manual and digital cameras, and
how they give a picture of a twisted
progression of technology when it
comes to a materialistic mindset—
from an instrument of self-expression
to just a “point and shoot” gadget.
Worse case is when technology
is seen as an
instrument of
immorality
in “How not
to be in a sex
scandal,” which
highlights
the dangers
of being
knowledgeable
of data storage
and deletion.
Despite
the ease on
disseminating information through
the Internet and network file sharing,
Zafra sets a limit in using technology
by emphasizing quality and efficient
use of gadgets to help compliment
people’s work.
In “How not to be in a sex scandal,”
she illustrates how technology become
human beings who are innately
relational that everything they see
they must show to his fellow “human
being” who are infallible witnesses.
The author’s pieces of advice in
the essay can be easily understood.
One gets the impression that the
writer is only talking to people who are
naturally incompetent with computers.
This is to be expected, since Zafra is a
writer who employs humor.
Data storage is highlighted more in
“Memory is Cheap,” where the author
talks of the speed of advancement in
storage, and how backups are easily
created between 14-megabyte diskettes
and one-terabyte hard drives.
The author’s awe on the emergence
of large and more advanced storage
systems is shown by how she describes
hard drives, and her fascination by
naming hers “Rham”—a symbol of
how technology is slowly becoming
human beings.
Twisted 8 ½ is a compilation of
opinions of a woman who, on the
surface, lets her cynicism dominate
her impression of technology. But as
a person who relies on technology to
ease her literate life, one can expect
unbiased descriptions of modernity
from zafra.
Twisted 8 ½ is proof of how
technology can either be your friend
or enemy. But in order to befriend the
world of advanced technology, in the
words of Zafra, “it is a good time in
history to be geek.”Robin G. Padilla
My aunt would often recall that
my brother once packed all my clothes
and took me to our cousin’s house,
wanting to exchange me with her son
who was around my age. But today,
this story simply remains as a funny
account of his naivety as a child
because now he has certainly made
me feel not only welcomed, but loved.
He may not have a brother he
could play basketball with, but I think
having a sister who thinks it’s cool to
have a “tough-but-gentle” brother will
be a good substitute.
View point
MUSIC blasts from a second-hand stereo,
but you offer secrets in a whisper.
Our elbows touch under low lights.
The smoke from my cigarette forms a halo
over your head, but your words
tumble out fast. It’s un-angelic. The air
thickens as you speak of the long-legged
girl who calls you friend. You place a bottle
in front of me. I make a face. Bitterness
hits my tongue the moment you
call her names, recall her mistakes.
You laugh with glassy eyes and stare
at the bottles you’ve emptied. I realize
you are no different from her—
your hair escaping a dismantled ponytail.
The cigarette smoke stings my eyes.
I’m supposed to be walking away,
but I’m enjoying this.
Rose-An Jessica M. Dioquino
The
Varsitarian
LITERARY
MAY 13, 2010 15
Marian Leanna T. Dela Cruz, Editor
D
OZENS of FXs have passed
you by. You’ve been waiting
by a lamp post along Roxas
Boulevard for half an hour. The sun
has set and the multi-colored lights
are on. People are walking to and fro
staring at your Hawaiian polo-shirt
as they pass A bronze-skinned boy
with a gap between his front teeth
snickered and gave you the loser sign.
You sighed and checked your watch.
It’s 6:45p.m. Your cousin’s recital is
about to start. You are so stubborn. You
shouldn’t have gone to Siargao. The tear-drop shaped island of
Siargao was an ideal vacation spot.
Fishing, jet-skiing and of course,
babe-hunting was on you and your
friends’ to-do-lists. Against the sunkissed waves and the endless stream of
beach music, it all seemed
perfect. But you had to
come up with a “surfing”
idea that wasn’t part of the
plan. It was bad enough
that none of your friends
know how to surf in the
first place but Winna unexpectedly
dared you to teach your best bud
Floyd how to surf. It was your fault for
agreeing to a bet with her when the rest
of your friends, including you, knew
very well that her name suggested
victory.
You struggled to teach Floyd how
to surf, shouting at him for plunging
into saltwater an umpteenth time. Your
throat was sore and maybe your voice
was not audible enough from where
you stood. Or maybe Floyd just didn’t
get it. He didn’t know the slightest
thing about surfing.
The trick was to wait for that
perfect moment when the wave
starts to raise him and his board.
Also, you taught him that paddling
consecutively—not simultaneously―
with his hands would be the right way
to gain speed. You trained him to stand
on the board by first assuming the
position of a sumo wrestler and while
maintaining his balance, you reminded
him that he must never, never look
down. You knew more about surfing
than anything else. Surfing was your
life. But you had a life other than that. Floyd finally maneuvered,
speeded up and caught the wave;
during this moment you watched a
little boy who was crying. His older
brother was scaring him by saying that
the syokoy will eat him alive, and you
remember the first time you went to
that resort for a family reunion.
Your mom’s sister, Tita Mayi, was
digging through her bag, complaining
about the heat when she screamed,
“Jude! Stay out of the sun or you’ll get
sunburned again!” It was odd, because
you were too busy eating your second
serving of barbeque inside the beach
hut. You looked her direction, but her
eyes were fixed to someone else—
your cousin. She was approaching
him, not you. Little Jude bore the same
name as you and had similar likes and
dislikes. Except for one. While you
loved the sea, he was afraid of the sea.
It was partially your fault. If you hadn’t
pushed him there while the current
was high, he would probably still be
enjoying trips to the beach like normal
kids. No, it was your fault, completely.
He didn’t know this. You never told
him. He was too young to understand.
You didn’t see how Floyd crashed
to the shore. It all happened too fast.
Luckily, he didn’t drown to death. He
told you the last thing he remembered,
that he was still wildly flapping his
arms until he realized he was coughing
up sand instead of water. Unlucky
for you your little vacation was cut
short the instant Winna panicked and
called Floyd’s mom on her cell phone.
She called a medic next. She was so
worried she had forgotten she was a
was not a quick one, and you cursed
the mayor for banning provincial buses
from entering the city. It was easier
when the buses were all stationed in
Lawton area. This new route only
prolonged your journey. It also had
to make you spend for more rides. A
young pedicab driver told you to catch
an FX in Roxas Boulevard as you bore
that bewildered expression on your
face. You looked so oblivious.
You thanked him, wondered if it
would be possible to take a pedicab
home to Cavite, but realized the
driver would be dead by the time
you reach Bacoor. Roxas Boulevard
was wide, busy with cars shooting
like arrows from different directions.
Lucky enough, there was a group of
gangsters who were also about to cross
force this time. It is only then you
realized you should have had agreed to
the first taxi driver’s cost. You laughed,
remembering an episode in Spongebob
when the buses to Bikini Bottom never
seemed to stop in his favor. You only
watch the show because it was your
cousin’s favorite. You’re still waiting.
Someone tapped you on the
shoulder and you were startled, but not
scared. That someone coughed, then
spat on the floor. You took it as a sign
that it was safe to turn around. The man
was wearing a once white polo. He
was hefty, his wide limbs grimy, and
his hair unkempt. He also reeked of
something you’d rather not think about.
Despite this, he didn’t look menacing,
and you realize that he was a beggar.
You reached your pocket for spare
the street. You trailed behind them,
walking briskly to the other side of the
road. You stood by a lamp post, and
waited for an FX, silently praying that
one would stop in front of you soon,
and that the other people lined up,
waiting would let you have the ride.
But minutes passed by and so do FXs.
Most of them were full to begin with,
while some stop only to be filled by the
people lined up beside you. Your watch
says 7:30. You sighed and decided to
take a taxi.
One stopped in front of you just
as the stoplight turned orange. Nobody
seemed interested in taking it, so you
opened the door.
“How much to SM Bacoor?”
“Tri-handred” He said.
Reaching in your pocket and
fishing out three 50-peso bills, you
asked, “Baclaran?”
“Pip-ti.”
Being kuripot as you were, you
refused, thanked him and closed the
door just in time for the taxi to drive
away. The light turned green. Minutes
later, another taxi pulled over.
“Baclaran, boss?” You asked.
“Seventy-five.”
You slammed the door, with more
change and he stopped you.
“I don’t need your cash,” he got
hold of cigarette. “Got a lighter?”
“I don’t smoke,” you reply
indifferently. You continued watching
the vehicles race and signal for a taxi.
The old man clucks his tongue.
“I thought all teenagers have
vices. Let’s see, you drink, huh?”
“No,”
“Any parent would dream of
having a son like you.”
“Yeah, right.” you said, more to
yourself than to him. You suddenly
found yourself blaming your dad for
not enrolling you to driving school.
You wouldn’t be standing there looking
like an idiot if you owned a car.
“Heading off to Cavite?”
You gave him an uncomfortable
smile. Yes.
“I’m off to Naic. You?”
“Bacoor,” you replied with a sigh.
You had already guessed that
it was going to be a long night. The
middle-aged man who introduced
himself as Romeo went on a rampant
story-telling session about well, you
didn’t really get the gist of it. But even
if it was total nonsense that came out
from his mouth, he was there to keep
you company for the time being. He
went on talking like that for a good
twenty minutes and you signaled for
another taxi but are frustrated to see
that the plate number contained greencolored characters on a white
background.
***
It was 8.30p.m. You groaned. The
recital is already starting. Romeo told
you he has to go home because his son
would be looking for him. You say
goodbye and watch him walk to taxi.
A taxi!
“You own a taxi and you didn’t
tell me?” you said, exasperated.
“Haven’t you seen me trying to get a
ride?”
“You turned down every taxi ride
you could catch. How should I know
you wanted to take
one now?”
Romeo’s taxi
reeks of tuyo. That
was the reason why
he did not want any
passengers. Despite
the traffic, he drove you to Baclaran in
fifteen minutes. You paid him P100.
You think he deserved it and you only
needed P25 pesos to make it to SM
Bacoor anyway. But he pushed the
money back to your hand.
“It’s on me.” he said, smiling.
You smiled back and hurriedly get out
of the taxi, leaving the money on the
floor.
You got a bus not minding that
you have to stand and be crushed
between two men who smell of sweat.
The ride seemed to be moving so
slow, though your frequent glances at
your watch tell you otherwise. You’re
worried about the minutes you’re
wasting until you finally reached your
destination. Five minutes to nine and
the participants have already been
awarded and people were leaving. You
saw little Jude struggling to take off
his necktie and refusing the help Lola
was trying to offer. You call his name
and he pulls a face.
“Hey Jude,” You say, lifting your
hand to a high-five as you approach
him. He ignores it. “Don’t make me
have to sing to you.”
“You said you’d come,” he said,
not looking.
“I’m here now.”
“You missed my performance.”
“I know. Sorry.” you said,
hanging your head.
“You owe me big time, Kuya
Jude.” He said, clearly upset.
“How ‘bout I give you surfing
lessons? Free of charge.”
“I don’t know,” He hesitates.
There was a hint of fear in his eyes.
“Kuya Jude is going to assure
you that it’s going to be fine.” You say,
giving him a hug.
“Okay,” He smiles. “But tell me
first why you were late?”
Now it was your turn to grin.
“Let’s just say catching a wave
can sometimes be easier than catching
a bus.” Azer N. Parrocha
W
ITH social issues constantly
pressing in on people, it is
expected, even natural, to escape.
Writer Carljoe Javier justifies
the need to get away from the busy
world in his work And The Geek
Shall Inherit The Earth (Milflores
Publishing Inc., 2009).
A dozen essays for a dozen
reasons to be good looking and
famous, And The Geek Shall Inherit
The Earth describes the current
condition of a luxurious culture
through the author’s experiences.
In “Life of the Party,” Javier
introduces himself to his readers as
a person who still experiences the
problem of prepubescent boys when
it comes to socializing, especially
with girls. He says he fears people
would think he is boring the moment
he opens his mouth to talk.
But liquor becomes a solution
when he said: “I finally got my beer.
And then another. I felt my tongue
slacken. I was ready for some
entertaining talk.”
For the author, looks aren’t
anything, but there are moments
when people feel conscious of their
image like in “My Secret Vanity.”
Illustration by Carla T Gamalinda
Catching Waves and Buses
nurse.
Everyone was ordered by Floyd’s
mom to get packing, and take the next
plane trip home. It was Wednesday
noon. You got to the island Wednesday
morning. His mom was the ultimate
“killjoy” but she was also principal
sponsor. Someone turned the radio on
and a frenzied voice cackles—ha ha ha
ha ha wipeout!
***
The airport was jam-packed. You
promised to send Floyd back to his
house, not just because he was your
best bud, but also because he swore not
to tell his mom that you were the one
who made her son perform a trick that
takes years to learn.
Since his leg was in a cast you
had to take a taxi while the rest of your
friends went for cheaper transportation.
You were saving up money to buy little
Jude a congratulatory present for his
piano recital, but this is a more pressing
concern. Reaching Quezon City, Floyd
hosted a pool party at their house to
make up for the previous one. The
same people attend, including you, but
you decided to leave early since you
had to catch your cousin’s solo at 8.
The jeep ride to Quirino Avenue
Carljoe Javier’s And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth
Escaping the busy world
The essay exposes the tendency
of the youth to be vain, presenting
themselves even in social networking
sites. Javier describes this vanity
as something “so proliferative that
vain photography may become a
classification title” but nonchalantly
says that “a lot of us do it.”
I r o n i c a l l y, w h i l e J a v i e r
contradicts the standard of looks in
society, he somewhat admitted being
a victim of such standard, wanting to
look like Harrison Ford and googling
his name in the Internet, convincing
its readers that everyone, even he, is
a victim of such standard.
Serving as a prelude to the
previous essay, “Girls, Girls, Girls”
talks about the complex nature of
girls and why boys find it hard to
impress them. Sharing an experience
in teaching at an all-girls school, Javier
discovers that “girl world” is not
what boys think, saying boy readers
should not find it so different from
their world.
The first scene when two girls
kissed right in front of Javier gave
a titillating glimpse of some girls’
tendencies but the details that followed
like a certain farting incident instantly
balanced the author’s judgment that
girls do something normal for any
student, whether boy or girl.
“The Sum of My Fears”
enumerates the fear of people and
how they manifest in real life. Javier
admits that wanting to be a horror story
writer is a cover for his real fears like
public speaking and looking weird.
The essay serves as a good mirror
for people like Javier who feels that
there is more to fear than the dark or
monsters under the bed. The author
effectively manifests the youth’s fears
by stepping into their shoes.
Hard music is not much of an
attention-getter in “My Rock and Roll
Lifestyle,” where Javier convinces the
rocker “wannabes” that rock and roll
will not add much to their charisma.
Unless wanting to chase a wild calling
into the world of music, Javier tells of
an inevitable truth of wanting to attract
girls and record producers through
rock and roll music.
Reality is much more apparent
in “More Real than Real: One Day
As A Reality TV Contestant.” Like
contestants of Pinoy Big Brother and
Amazing Race, Javier toyed with
the idea of subjecting himself to
humiliation in order to earn money. But
he realizes that everything disappears
when he is challenged by a mall race.
Also, he emphasizes that “the
competition bred in high-stakes shows
like these.”
Javier was able to use the
experience well to not only express
the intense psyche of reality shows
through the eyes of an audience but
also as a person who is tortured by
cameras and the thought og losing in
front of millions of people.
And The Geek Shall Inherit The
Earth presents a number of realities
that a lot of people want to escape for
them to be contented with their own
little lives. Javier speaks for them all
when he said that: “we are all stars of
our own little movies and TV shows
in our heads. Sometimes we wish we
could yell cut, or do an edit. Or retake
a scene.” For him, it would depend
on what kind of show we want our
lives to be. Robin G. Padilla
The
16 IKA-13 NG MAYO, 2010
Varsitarian
filipino
Ni JULIE ANN DOMINIQUE P. DE LEON
“CLASSMATES, makinig kayo! May
sasabihin ako tungkol sa darating na
foundation day natin.” Nasa harap na
ko’t lahat, pero wala pa ring umiintindi
sa akin. Abala kasi sila sa pangongopya
ng assignment.
“Makinig naman kayo! Kasi
ganito iyon, sa parada raw, may temang
Around the World. Ano’ng gusto
n’yong bansa na ikakatawan ng klase
natin? Sa kabilang pangkat kasi, Egypt
na sa kanila, tapos iyong sa first section,
Philippines naman.”
“Puwede bang mamaya na iyan?
Kailangan na kasi iyong desisyon
natin. Para mapa-reserba na natin
ang bansang mapipili natin. Pakiusap
naman makinig kayo!”
“Nics, walang nakikinig sa iyo,”
sabi ng isang boses. Napaupo na
lang ako sa dulo ng platform dahil
may nakapansin na walang saysay
ang ginagawa ko. Sa mga ganitong
pagkakataon, nais ko na lang na
may humalili sa akin. Buti na lang at
nandiyan ang matalik kong kaibigan
na si Laurence.
“Hoy! Ano ba?” Napatigil ang
lahat sa ginagawa nila. “Hindi n’yo ba
napansin na kanina pa may nagsasalita
dito sa harapan? Bingi ba kayo o
nagbibingi-bingihan lang?”
“E ano ba ‘yon? Kita mo nang
gumagawa kami ng assignment e,”
anas ni Annabelle, ang kamag-aral
naming mapapel.
“Hirap kasi sa iyo kung anuano ginagawa mo pag-uwi kaya
nangongopya ka ng assignment dito!
Bahay ba ‘to? Tapos magtatanong
ka riyan, halatang hindi ka nga
nakikinig!” Inirapan lang siya ni
Annabelle. Napansin ko, nagngisian
ang mga kaklase ko dahil napahiya si
“mapapel.”
Nang matapos na ang asaran,
itinuloy na ni Laurence ang anunsiyo.
“Kasasabi lang kanina, may tema ang
parada para sa foundation day. Wala
pa tayo, e kailangan nang ipasa ang
mapipili natin mamayang tanghali.
Tapos ayaw n’yo pang makinig diyan.”
“Pasensiya na, heto na nga po,
nakikinig na kami,” sabi ng isa naming
kaklase na nakikinig pero abala pa rin
sa pangongopya.
“May nakapili na sa Egypt at
Philippines. Marami pa naman tayong
pagpipilian, ano’ng gusto ninyo?”
“Korea!” Sigaw ng isa. “Sikat
kasi ang Super Junior at Boys Over
Flowers.”
“Korea raw.” Isinulat ni Laurence
sa pisara ang nabanggit. Hinayaan ko
na lang siyang mamuno. Mas nakikinig
naman sila sa kaniya.
“Iraq o kaya Afganistan,” sigaw
ng mga lalaki. “Para hindi na mahirap
sa costume, gamitin na lang natin
iyong uso na Sahal, tapos sa mga babae
magtatalukbong lang ng mukha.”
“Puwede bang Japan? Kasi kung
tutuusin kumot lang kailangan para sa
costume. Magtatali lang tayo ng isa
pang tela sa tiyan para maging kimono
na iyong itsura,” mungkahi ni Jen.
Ta h i m i k l a n g a k o h a b a n g
ginagawa ang botohan. Natutuwa kasi
ako na maayos ang nangyayari dahil
sa pamamahala ni Laurence. Buti na
lang lagi siyang nariyan. Malapit nang
mag-bell pero tuloy pa rin sa diskusyon
ang klase. ‘Di bale, palagi namang late
si Ma’am Pandi.
“Japan na ang napagkasunduan
ha? Sa halip na bumili pa, gamitin na
lang natin iyong kaniya-kaniya nating
kumot sa bahay. Siguro naman lahat
tayo may kumot ‘no?”
“Si Jansie wala. Comforter daw
iyong sa kanya,” asar ng mga lalaki.
“Kumot pa rin iyon. E kung
kaya niya ba magparada nang may
nakataling comforter sa kaniya, e
‘di sige lang,” nakangiting sabi ni
Laurence.
“May naglalakad na kama tayo!”
Asar ulit ng mga lalaki. Nagtawanan
na naman ang buong klase. ‘Saktong
dumating si Ma’am Pandi. “Bakit
nagtatawanan kayo? Ano’ng
nakakatawa?”
Dali-dali kaming bumalik sa
kaniya-kaniyang puwesto at nag-ayos
ng mga gamit. Takot ang buong klase
namin kay Ma’am Pandi. Ang iba sa
amin, gaya namin ni Laurence, ayaw
sa kaniya. Math kasi ang tinuturo niya.
Dibuho ni Carla T. Gamalinda
Mahirap
na nga,
dinadagdagan pa
niya ng kasungitan, lalo tuloy
humihirap.
Nagsimula nang magklase si
Ma’am at simula na rin ang daydreaming ko. Inuulit niya lang naman
kasi kung ano iyong nasa libro namin.
“Lau, salamat nga pala ha,”
bulong ko, ngunit wala siyang sagot
sa pasasalamat ko.
Sanay na ako. Palagi naman
kaming ganito ni Laurence. ‘Pag
maingay ako, tahimik siya. Kapag
ako ang nagsasalita, tahimik at kung
minsa’y nakikinig lang siya.
Si Laurence ang tangi kong
matalik na kaibigan mula pa noong
nasa ikaanim na baitang kami.
Naturingang babae pero panlalaki ang
pangalan niya. Nakilala ko siya noong
awayin ako ng buong klase namin
dahil hindi ko sinasadyang mawala
iyong susi ng supply cabinet namin.
Tandang-tanda ko pa, tumayo rin siya
sa harapan ng mga kaklase namin para
ipagtanggol ako. Mula noon, siya na
ang superhero ko!
Kaiba sa mga magkaibigan,
kabaligtaran namin ni Laurence ang
isa’t-isa. Napakabrusko at agresibo
na tao ni Lau; habang ako, kahit
pa palaging pangulo ng klase ay
mahinahon at minsa’y mahiyain. May
sapat na tapang si Lau para makipagaway na kadalasa’y dahil sa akin.
“Miss Peralta, the Cartesian
plane has how many coordinates?”
Tinapik akong bigla ni Ma’am Pandi
sa balikat. Nahalata niya yatang hindi
ako nakikinig.
“A, Ma’am, it has two
coordinates,” sagot ko.
“Yes, it has two coordinates. The
x and the y. Now, how do they differ?”
“Ma’am, I think the x coordinate
lies vertically on the plane, while the
one lies horizontically.”
“Are you sure?” Sambit ni Ma’am
kasabay ng pagtaas ng kanyang kilay.
Iling lang ang isinagot ko sa kaniya.
“See? You’re not listening! Class
president ka pa man din. Sit down!”
“Kung anu-ano kasi iniisip mo
e,” bulong ni Laurence pagka-upo ko.
Kung may pagkakapareho kami
ni Lau, iyon ay iyong gusto niya ang
gusto ko at ayaw niya ang ayaw ko rin.
Unang-una sa listahan namin si Ms.
Pandi “Coco.” Asar na asar kami ni
Lau sa kaniya! Napaka-unprofessional
niya kasi pagdating sa pagiging
guro. Hindi rin namin maintindihan
kung bakit kailangan niya palaging
magtaray at mamahiya sa tuwing
nagkakamali kami sa board work niya.
Nakakainis talaga!
“For your homework, do exercise
a to c of page 189 to 190. Bye.”
Hindi man lang niya kami hinintay
magpaalam sa kaniya at nagwalk-out
siya agad. Okay lang, at least tapos na
ang oras namin sa kaniya.
Kinabukasan, nagkaroon kami ng
overtime sa P.E. kaya nawalan kami
ng recess time. Heto ang klase namin
ngayon: kumpul-kumpol ang mga
upuan, ang iba sa ami’y kumakain,
ang iba nama’y nagkokopyahan. Ang
mga lalaki naman tila hindi pa rin
makalimutan ang dodge ball game
kanina at nasa likod at nagbabatuhan
ng bolang yari sa medyas. Kami ni
Lau, tahimik sa aming upuan habang
kumakain at nagbabasa ng notes para
sa susunod na asignatura.
Hindi namin namalayan ang
oras. Labinlimang minuto na pala
ang nakalipas mula nang tumunog
ang bell. Nadatnan kami ni Ma’am
Pandi na magulo at huli sa aktong
nagkokopyahan.
“Anong oras kayo na-dismiss
kanina?” Tonong parang abogado ang
tanong niya.
“9:30 na po.” Magalang na sagot
ko.
“At bakit? ‘Di ba hangang nine
lang ang P.E. n’yo? Bakit huli na kayo
na-dismiss?”
Ang mga lalaki na ‘di
makaramdam na galit na si Ma’am ang
sumagot. “Kasi Ma’am, masaya iyong
P.E. namin kanina. Naglaro po kami ng
dodge ball. Tapos natalo po namin ang
mga babae gamit po ito,” sabay labas
ng bola na gawa sa medyas.
“Akin na nga ‘yan,” kinuha ni
Ma’am ang bola.
“Sa uulitin, bago kayo mag-over
time sa klase ninyo, magpaalam muna
kayo ha. Tignan n’yo tuloy! Naubos
na ang oras natin! Sa tingin n’yo may
magagawa pa tayo niyan ha?”
“Ma’am pasensiya na po,” sabi
ko para matahimik na siya. “Sorry po,
hindi na po mauulit.”
“Huwag kang manghingi ng
pasensiya kasi iresponsable ka! Dapat
ikaw nagsasabi sa ‘kin na hihiramin
ninyo iyong oras ko para magsikain at
magkopyahan! E ano ginawa mo ha?
Nakipagkopyahan ka lang din sa mga
kaklase mo! Ano’ng klase ka?”
Nagulat ako sa mga sinabi niya.
Maging si Laurence nagulat din. Gusto
sana niyang magsalita pero pinigilan ko
siya.
“Next
time class,
kung pipili kayo ng
presidente, huwag iyong
kasing iresponsable nitong
presidente n’yo ha?” Sabi niya, habang
dinuduro-duro niya ako sa puwesto ko.
“Sige, bilang parusa sa pagiging
iresponsable niyo, get one-fourth sheet
of paper!”
Pinipilit kong ‘wag tumulo ang
luha sa papel ko pero mahirap. Hindi
ko mapigilang umiyak dahil sa mga
mali-mali kong sagot. Pero higit sa
lahat, hindi ko kayang pigilin ang luha
ko dahil sa kahihiyang inabot ko na
kung tutuusi’y hindi ko naman dapat
natamasa.
“Hindi ka dapat humingi ng
pasensiya. Wala ka namang kasalanan
e,” mahinang wika ng isang boses.
“Lau, kung ‘di ko ginawa iyon,
lalo lang siya magagalit.”
“Ang tanga mo talaga Niks,” anas
ni Laurence.
“Sige pass your papers! Tignan
lang natin kung may nakapasa sa
inyo! Sa susunod magkopyahan ulit
kayo ha! At ikaw,” sabay duro sa akin,
“huwag mong kakalimutan iyong
sinabi ko!”
Pagkatanggap niya ng mga
malilinis naming papel, ginawa na
naman niya ang paborito niyang
ginagawa, ang magwalk-out.
Pagkalabas niya, isa-isang
nagsilapitan ang mga kaklase ko.
“Anica, huwag ka nang umiyak.
Hayaan mo na lang si Ma’am.”
Lahat sila, awang-awa sa akin. Lahat,
maliban kay Laurence, na sa kabila ng
pagtangis ko ay tahimik lang.
May sumenyas na parating na
raw iyong susunod na guro namin
kaya nag-ayos na ang lahat. Tahimik
at waring malungkot ang buong klase
dahil sa nangyari.
Bumulong naman sa akin si Lau,
“‘Di bale, may araw din si Coco.
Tumahan ka na kahit ang tanga-tanga
mo.”
Kinabukasan, hindi ko na
kinailangan pang pagsabihan ang mga
kaklase ko para ayusin ang mga upuan.
Wala na ring nahuli mula sa kantina.
Lahat nasa ayos na sampung minuto
bago dumating si Ma’am Pandi. Gaya
ng dati, huli pa rin siya kaya nag-C.R.
muna kami ni Lau.
Pagbalik namin, nakaupo na pala
si Ma’am sa harap. Tahimik na lang
akong pumasok at naupo. Napansin
ko, mainit ang ulo niya. Siguro dahil
hindi siya ang napiling pumalit sa
nagretirong coordinator namin.
“Sige, heto’t tignan natin ang
mga papel ninyo.” Hindi na kami
kinakabahan dahil alam na naming
lahat na bagsak kami sa quiz na ‘yon.
“Five lang iyong pinakamataas sa
inyo! Bakit? Kasi hindi n’yo nagawang
magkopyahan!” Tahimik lang kami,
ang ila’y nakayuko sa kanilang upuan.
“Miss Peralta,” nanlamig lalo
ang kamay ko nang tawagin niya ‘ko,
“Alam mo ba kung ano’ng nakuha mo
sa quiz ha?” Umiling ako.
“Hindi mo alam? E wala ka naman
talagang alam e!”
“Ma’am?” Sa pagkakataong iyon,
napatayo ako’t tumitig nang mata sa
mata sa kanya.
“Wala ka talagang alam! Kita
mo, kundi dahil sa kapabayaan mo
kahapon, ‘di sana magsisibagsak ang
mga kaklase mo! At ang kapal pa ng
mukha mong dumating sa klase ko
nang late! Mag-resign ka na nga sa
puwesto mo! Hindi ka-“
“Tumigil ka na!” Natigil si Ma’am
nang sumigaw si Laurence
“Wala kang karapatang patigilin
ako! Estudyante ka lang, guro mo ‘ko!”
“O ngayon? Kahit guro kita,
wala kang karapatang magsalita nang
ganyan!” Gusto ko mang awatin
si Lau, ramdam kong hindi na siya
makapagtimpi.
“Sumasagot ka pa ha? Bastos
kang bata ka!”
“Kung may bastos dito, ikaw
‘yon! Wala kang karapatang tratuhin
kami ng ganito!” Nataranta na ang
buong klase nang lumapit si Ma’am
kay Laurence.
Nagpumiglas si Laurence sa
kamay ni Ma’am. “Masama ka! Ikaw
ang pinakamasamang guro sa lahat!
Ang galing mong mag-akusa pero ikaw
naman ang mali! Maninisi ka pa e ikaw
naman ang laging late!”
“A, talaga ha?” Hinatak ni Ma’am
si Laurence at pinatayo sa likod ng
room habang nag-iiyakan na ang iba sa
amin at nagmamakaawa dahil sa takot.
Napuno na si Lau dahil sa inis
niya kay Ma’am mula pa kahapon.
Bumalik si Ma’am Pandi sa mesa niya,
kumuha ng referral slip na hudyat na
magpapatawag siya ng magulang. Sa
likod, nakatitig nang masama si Lau
kay Ma’am. Nanlilisik ang mga mata
niya na animo’y papatay.
“Ano’ng buong pangalan mo?”
Nabaling si Ma’am kay Lau. Nakita
niya ang masamang titig nito sa kanya.
“Aba! Sinusubukan mo talaga
‘kong bata ka ha!” Sinugod ulit ni
Ma’am si Lau at hinatak sa braso.
Lalong natakot ang buong klase.
“Naghahanap ka ng katapat mo
ha bastos na bata? Sige halika sa
principal’s office,” sigaw ni Ma’am
kay Laurence.
“Bitawan mo ko!” Pumiglas si
Laurence sa pagkakahawak ni Ma’am
pero hindi bumitaw si Ma’am. Kinagat
ni Lau ang kamay ni Ma’am kaya agad
naman siyang bumitaw kay Laurence.
“Hindi mo ba alam na bawal
saktan ang mga estudyante? Child
violence ‘yon! Course ‘yon ng mama
ko sa graduate school nung nage-M.A.
pa siya!”
“Wala akong pakialam! Bastos
kang bata kaya dapat kang turuan ng
leksyon!” Piningot ni Ma’am si Lau at
hinila palapit sa pinto.
“Bitawan mo ‘ko! Palibhasa
wala kang M.A. kaya hindi ka naging
coordinator! Masama kasi ugali mo!”
Sigaw ni Lau habang nakahawak sa
tainga niyang dumudugo na.
Naghahatakan si Ma’am at si
Laurence. Nang binitawan ni Ma’am
ang tainga ni Lau, agad-agad niya
siyang sinampal sa kanang pisngi. At
‘di inaasahan ng klase, bilang ganti,
itinulak ni Laurence si Ma’am. Natisod
si Ma’am sa platform at tumama ang
ulo sa chalk ledge. Matapos noon,
nawalan na siya ng malay.
Nagkagulo na nang tuluyan
ang buong klase. May nag-iiyakan,
nagsisigawan, at ang iba’y natutuwa
sa nangyayari. Si Lau, nanginginig pa
rin sa galit habang nakatitig sa walang
malay naming guro.
Ngayon, tatlong araw na ang
nakalilipas mula nang mangyari ang
insidente. Hindi na pumapasok si
Ma’am Pandi. Wala kaming narinig
na kahit ano mula sa mga guro namin.
Wala ring pagtawag mula sa
Id, pahina 17
The
Varsitarian
filipino
Mark Andrew S. Francisco, Patnugot
Tamang pagkanta
ng Pambansang Awit
Dibuho ni Jasmine C. Santos
Kuha ni KARLA MIDES C. TOLEDO
pambansang awit at masyadong
bumagal. Pinuna rin ng NHI
ang hindi pagsusuot ni Pineda
ng Barong Tagalog sa laban
habang kinakanta ang Lupang
Hinirang.
Nagpahayag naman si
Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. ng
Cavite noong nakaraang taon
na maghahain siya ng “test
case” laban kay Nievera na
umawit sa laban ni Pacquiao
kay Ricky Hatton dahil sa ‘di
umano taliwas na pag-awit nito
ng pambansang awit. Bukod
dito, ninais din ni Barzaga na
matukoy ang “jurisprudence
whether or not the law would
be applicable if the violation
was committed outside the
Philippines.”
Sa kabila kasi ng reklamo
ng NHI ukol sa paglabag sa
Republic Act 8491, hindi
masampahan ng kaukulang
kaso ang mga mang-aawit
sapagkat ang umano’y
“krimen” ay naganap sa ibang
bansa kung saan walang bisa
ang naturang batas.
Ang
sinumang
mapapatunayang lumabag sa
Usapang Uste
Mula sa pahina 2
ikaapat na Tomasinong pangalawang
pangulo ng bansa.
Tubong Misamis Oriental, nagaral si Pelaez sa Faculty of Civil Law
at naging dating katulong na patnugot
ng seksyong Alumni ng Varsitarian.
Ngunit nagtapos siya ng abogasya sa
Unibersidad ng Maynila noong 1938
at sa taon ding iyon pinangunahan ang
bar exams.
Naging kongresista si Pelaez ng
Misamis Oriental mula 1949 hanggang
1953 at senador mula 1953 hanggang
1960 bago nanalo bilang pangalawang
pangulo sa ilalim ng administrasyon
ni Diosdado Macapagal na isa ring
Tomasino. Naging kalihim din si
Pelaez ng Kagawaran ng Ugnayang
Panlabas (Department of Foreign
Affairs) kasabay ng kanyang pagiging
mga probisyon ng Republic
Act 8491 ay pagmumultahin
ng mula P5,000 hanggang
P20,000 o makukulong nang
hindi hihigit sa isang taon.
“Sinasabi nila, sa
ibang bansa ginawa iyong
pagkakamali. Pero malaki ang
epekto nito sa lahat ng mga
Pilipino. Hindi lang iyong mga
nasa ibang bansa, pati iyong
mga nandito sa bansa,” ani
Atienza.
Ay o n n a m a n k a y
Eleazardo Kasilag, pangulo ng
Federation of Associations of
Private Schools Administrators,
panahon na para tumanggap
ang publiko ng ibang paraan ng
pag-awit ng Lupang Hinirang.
“Originally, it was a
march, yes, because of the
war, but in the 20th century,
I found that passable. After
all, even the Filipino flag is no
longer the original one. The
word Pilipino is now Filipino.
The singer stuck to the lyrics
anyway. So many cultural
traits have lost their germane
applications which should have
been guarded and we do not
complain about them,” dagdag
pa niya.
Para naman kay Atienza,
dapat galangin ang pambansang
awit at panatilihin sa orihinal
na bersiyon nito sapagkat ito
ay inaprubahan ng ating mga
bayani, at ang “mga kumakanta
ng mali ay walang galang sa
ating mga bayani.”
Sinang-ayunan ito ni
Sunico na nagsabing hindi
puwedeng gawing rason ang
pagkamalikhain ng mang-aawit
para baguhin ang interpretasyon
ng pambansang awit.
“The National Anthem is,
by itself, a sacred thing that we
cannot tamper with,” aniya.
“If they want to be creative
or they want to show-off their
high voice, [or] they want to
show that they can sing with
a lot of impressive technique,
then they [should] do it for
other pieces. But as far as the
National Anthem is concerned,
there is a straightforward way
of rendering it.” Danalyn T.
Lubang at may ulat mula kina
J.A.D.P. De Leon at P.I.B.
Evangelista
‘The National Anthem, is by itself,
a sacred thing that we cannot tamper with.
As far as it is concerned, there is a
straightforward way of rendering it’
- Raul Sunico, dekano ng Music
pangalawang pangulo ngunit nagbitiw
siya rito noong 1963.
Matapos ang kaniyang termino
bilang pangalawang pangulo,
nanilbihan siyang muli bilang
kongresista at senador. Siya rin ay
naging miyembro ng Philippine
Panel, na nakipagnegosasyon sa
Amerika kaugnay sa mga base militar
ng Pilipinas. Ito ang ikalawang beses
niyang manilbihan sa panel, matapos
maging tagapagsalita nito noong
1956. Noong 1978, siya ay naging
kongresista ng interim Batasang
Pambansa. Pinangunahan ni
Pelaez ang Cadang-Cadang Research
Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.,
ang kauna-unahang Filipino scientific
research foundation na pinondohan
ng gobyerno at ng pribadong sektor
upang mapangalagaan ang industriya
ng niyog mula sa cadang-cadang, isang
sakit ng punong niyog. Tinawag siyang
Mga aral sa labas
ng silid-aralan
Ni KACELYN FAYE L. PAJE
“WHAT is the greatest lesson you’ve learned in college?”
Napaisip ako nang itanong ito ng guidance counselor ng
aming kolehiyo sa aking exit interview. Sa loob kasi ng apat
na taon ko sa UST, ang pinakamahalagang
aral na natutunan ko ay hindi ko napulot
sa loob ng silid-aralan, kung hindi sa isang
masakit na karanasan na habangbuhay
nang nakatanim sa aking isipan.
Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng
karamihan na mahirap ang kursong
accountancy. Kung noon, madali lamang
para sa akin ang makakuha ng gradong
90 sa calculus kahit na natutulog ako sa klase, ngayon, kahit
na magsunog pa ako ng kilay para mag-aral ng Advance
Accounting 1 (AdvAc 1), bumagsak pa rin ako rito noong
unang semestre ng ika-apat na taon ko sa kolehiyo.
Alam kong wala naman akong ibang dapat sisihin kundi
ang sarili ko. Hindi ko pinagbutihan noong preliminary
period at mas inuuna ko ang pagliliwaliw kasama ang aking
mga kaibigan. Samantalang noong finals naman, nagkasabaysabay ang cycle at extra-editorial activities namin sa
Varsitarian kaya hindi ako nakapag-aral ng maayos para sa
exams. Dahil sa pagod, kahit pa umaga na ako natutulog para
mag-aral, walang pumapasok sa isip ko. Umasa na lamang
ako sa transmutation at pagdarasal sa Simbahan ng Nazareno
sa Quiapo.
Ayokong ipakita sa iba na nasaktan ako sa nangyari
dahil alam ko naman na kasalanan ko iyon. Gusto kong
ipakita sa kanila na malakas pa rin ako kahit na sa loob ko ay
nanghihina na ako. Idinadaan ko na lang sa biro ang nangyari:
“At least, naranasan ko
ang makakuha ng lahat
ng grades. Mula uno
hanggang singko.”
Kasabay
ng
pagbagsak ko ang
pagguho ng aking
tiwala sa sarili at
ang pamumuo ng
takot sa hinaharap.
Sa kabila ng
pagkakataon
na
ibinigay sa amin na
kunin ng magkasabay
ang AdvAc 1 at AdvAc
2 para makapagtapos pa
rin kami ngayong Hunyo,
hindi ko masabi ng may buong
paninindigan sa aking sarili na kaya ko. Sa tuwing inaasar ako
ng aking mga katrabaho sa Varsitarian tungkol sa pagtatapos,
hindi ko maiwasang mapikon dahil sa takot na nararamdaman
ko. Paano nga kaya kung hindi ko kayanin?
Sa kabila ng takot at panghihina ng loob, hindi pa rin
naman nawawala ang pag-asang malalagpasan ko ang lahat
ng ito. Nagbago ako, mas nag-aral ako ng mabuti, mas inuna
ko ang pag-aaral kaysa sa trabaho at paglabas kasama ang
mga kaibigan ko at nagtulungan kami ng mga kaklase kong
kapares bumagsak para lang makabawi noong nakaraang
semestre. Naging malaking tulong ang mga kaibigan kong
walang sawang nagpapaalala sa akin na umuwi palagi ng
maaga at huwag nang tumambay pa sa opisina kung walang
importanteng gagawin. Sa kabutihang palad, nagawa naming
maipasa ang lahat ng aming asignatura ngayong ikalawang
semestre.
Akala ko noon, katapusan na ng lahat kapag bumagsak
ka. Akala ko hindi ko kakayanin ang sakit na mararamdaman
ko. Hindi pala. Natutunan kong tulungan ang aking sarili
na bumangon at magpatuloy sa buhay. Natutunan kong
magsakripisyo ng mga bagay na gusto ko tulad ng pagliwaliw
kasama ang mga kaibigan para sa pag-aaral. Higit sa lahat,
natutunan kong huwag magpatalo sa takot.
Hindi man lubusang nawawala ang takot ko sa maaaring
mangyari ngayong summer class namin, tulad nga ng sabi ng
isa sa aming mga guro, “Ang tunay na katapangan ay ‘yung
pagharap mo sa isang sitwasyon na kinakatakutan mo.”
“Father of Rural Electrification”
dahil siya ang umupong puno ng Rural
Electrification Commission at naging
ambassador ng Pilipinas sa Estados
Unidos noong panahon ng dating
pangulong Corazon Aquino.
Pumanaw si Pelaez noong Hulyo
27, 2003 dahil sa cardiac arrest sa edad
na 87. Patricia Isabela B. Evangelista
Tomasalitaan:
Tsa-wos (png)- pagsasaya
Halimbawa: Isang tsawos ang
gaganapin sa liwasan matapos manalo
ang koponan ng barangay sa liga ng
basketbol.
Dibuho ni Patrick C. de los Reyes
Mga Sanggunian:
The Varsitarian: Tomo XII, Blg.
12, Enero 16, 1939
De Ramos, N. V. I Walked
With Twelve UST Rectors. Central
Professional Books, Inc, 2000
Dibuho ni Fritzie Marie C. Amar
PAANO nga ba ang wastong
pag-awit ng Lupang Hinirang?
Naging mainit ang
pagpuna ng National Historical
Institute (NHI) sa pagkanta
ng pambansang awit sa mga
laban ni Manny Pacquiao
matapos itong “ibirit” ng mga
mang-aawit tulad nina Sarah
Geronimo, Jennifer Bautista
at Martin Nievera, isang bagay
na sinasabi ng mga kompositor
na estilo ng mga mang-aawit.
Ngunit ayon kay Raul Sunico,
dekano ng Conservatory of
Music, naiiba ang pambansang
awit sa karaniwang kanta dahil
ang ayos at tono nito ay nasa
batas.
Nakasaad kasi sa Seksiyon
37 ng Republic Act No. 8491
o 1998 Flag and Heraldic
Code of the Philippines na:
“Rendition of the National
Anthem, whether played or
sung, shall be in accordance
with the musical arrangement
and composition of Julian
Felipe.” Ang liriko ng kanta
ay halaw sa tulang Filipinas ni
Jose Palma.
Sa pamamagitan ng batas
na ito, naibalik ang Lupang
Hinirang sa orihinal na
tempong two-fourths na nasa
key na G, matapos itong palitan
at gawing four-fourth sa key
na F noong 1956, ayon kay
Sunico.
Ani Teodoro Atienza,
pinuno ng heraldry section ng
NHI, ang pag-awit ng Lupang
Hinirang ay dapat tumagal
lamang ng 53 segundo, isang
bagay na ayon sa kanya, ay
hindi nagawa ng mga umawit
sa laban ni Pacquiao.
Sa huling laban ni Pacquiao
kay Joshua Clottey noong
Marso 13, muling tumaas ang
kilay ng NHI sa bersiyon ni
Arnel Pineda, ang Filipinong
bokalista ng Amerikanong
bandang Journey, kung saan
nagmistulang “pop song” ang
IKA-13 NG MAYO, 2010 17
Id
Mula pahina 16
principal’s office. Parang walang
nangyari. Galit ang buong klase namin
kay Lau dahil sa nangyari. Naniwala
kasi sila sa sabi-sabi na comatose raw
si Ma’am dahil sa pagkakabagok.
Ako naman, bilang pinakamatalik na
kaibigan ni Lau, ang bukod tanging
kakampi niya.
Sa mga oras na ‘to, kahit paano
bumalik na ang saya ng klase. Ako
na lang sa amin ang nag-iisang
balisa. Naging palaisipan sa akin ang
nangyaring incidente.
Ganoon pa man, kahit walang
kasagutan ang lahat, isa lang ang alam
kong tiyak: hindi ko pinagsisisihan ang
aking nagawa.
“Good afternoon Ms. Aran, sorry
to interrupt your class, but may I please
excuse Ms. Laurence Anica Peralta?
The principal wants to see her.”
The
Varsitarian
LIMELIGHT
18 MAY 13, 2010
Tomas U. Santos
By Rey Ian M. Cruz
BITS of USTe
By Fritzie Marie C. Amar
Araw-araw sa Uste
By Lorena D. Mondragon
Towazinos
By Jasmine C. Santos
By Patrick C. de los Reyes
Editorial
From page 4
At any rate, then
Archbishop Ratzinger’s vicar
was the one who made the
decision to transfer the priest
in question. And anyone who
is familiar with how the church
works knows the diocesan
vicar handles the day-to-day
chores.
Not content with that,
the Western press dug up the
old story of a Milwaukee priest
abusing 200 deaf children in the
1960s, a horror story indeed.
The New York Times and others
accused Benedict, this time
as cardinal and head of the
Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, of intervening to
stop the church trial against Fr.
Lawrence Murphy, and failing
to defrock him.
Fortunately, the Times
posted its documentary
evidence online, exposing
its errors. The paper trail
shows that no one stopped
the canonical trial; in fact
Benedict’s deputy encouraged
it even when the statute of
limitations – beyond which
trials could no longer be held
under church law – had expired.
The Vatican indeed asked that
the trial be discontinued later
on, but only because the priest
was already old and dying; it
in fact ordered the Archdiocese
of Milwaukee to speed up Fr.
Murphy’s removal.
Anyone with a cursory
knowledge of ecclesiology
would realize that Fr. Murphy
was directly responsible to the
Archbishop of Milwaukee.
But the ordinary at the time,
Rembert Weakland, did not
notify the Vatican until 1996,
or 20 years after the abuses
occurred. Even the Milwaukee
police did not pursue the case.
Why was Weak l a n d
given a pass? Because the
New York Times quoted him
as a source. In fact he is a
polluted source – the disgraced
Weakland had been found to
have used Church money to
hush a male lover. Last year,
the Times wrote a kind review
of Weakland’s autobiography.
Weakland, in fact, is often used
by the liberal Western press to
speak against the Vatican.
It did not interview the
trial judge, and when the now
Alaska-based priest protested
of being quoted out of context,
the Times ran a “correction,”
this time buried in the inside
pages.
The picture being
painted of Benedict is flat-out
wrong. In 2001, as head of
the doctrinal dicastery, he was
exposed for the first time to the
graphic details of abuse cases
all over the world, when it was
decided that the serious ones
be handled by his office. Since
then, Benedict has taken a
hardline stance against priestly
abusers, calling them the “filth”
of the Church.
He has met with abuse
victims in the United States,
Australia, and more recently,
Malta, an unprecedented
d i s p l a y o f t h e C h u r c h ’s
sympathy for its wounded
flock.
A s t h e Va t i c a n ’ s
spokesman had noted: “It’s
rather clear that in the last
days, there have been those
who have tried, with a certain
aggressive persistence ... to
look for elements to personally
involve the Holy Father in the
matter of abuses.”
“For any objective
observer, it’s clear that these
efforts have failed.”
The
Varsitarian
SPORTS
MAY 13, 2010 19
Jeremy S. Perey, Editor
Fated to be a champion
Text and Photos by LESTER G. BABIERA
WHO WOULD have thought that
sibling rivalry would lead to the
discovery of one of the best UAAP
talents in Season 72?
Taekwondo Jin Marlon Avenido,
the league’s reigning Athlete of the
Year, could have been a hard court
hero like his brother. But wanting to
step out of his brother’s shadow, he
opted to push his luck in a different
field.
“I thought that if I could not beat
him (in basketball), I’ll just try other
sports,” he said.
With just two years of experience
as part of the UST squad, this
Behavioral Science major was already
hailed as the Most Valuable Player
in UAAP after dominating the midheavyweight division.
As a rookie, he was also a vital
cog in the 2008 line-up that won the
championship, after being denied for
a possible “six-peat” by Far Eastern
University the previous year.
At the tender age of 11, he was
urged by his childhood friends to
join a taekwondo summer clinic in
Lamitan, Basilan. What followed was
a new chapter in Avenido’s sporting
career, one that he couldn’t have
predicted.
From then on, he learned to love
the sport, a passion evident in the
gold medal he received in the 2001
National Batang Pinoy tilt and the
silver medal he gained in the 2005
Palarong Pambansa.
He also bagged several awards in
international competitions, like a gold
medal in Southeast Asian Taekwondo
Championships in Laos, and the two
silver medals he received in the Asian
Martial Arts Games in Thailand.
Avenido dreams of following
the footsteps of his idols Tshomlee
Go and Donald Geisler, who
eventually went on representing
the country in the Olympics.
One for UST!
UAAP Athlete of
the Year Marlon
Avenido braces
for a kick as
he trains for
the Asian
Ta e k w o n d o
Championships
to be held in
Kazakhstan
this May.
A DOUBLE conquest deserves a
victory toast.
Acknowledging the
victorious feats of the UST
Spikers in both the UAAP and
off-season games, the UST
Tiger Pack hosted its third Tiger
Pack Asalto last March 27 at
the WokWith Me restaurant on
Dapitan Street.
“It’s an appreciation for a
job well done this year and we’re
planning to do this every year,”
said Dr. Francis Gloria, Tiger
Pack organizer. “It’s our simple
and humble way of giving back
something to the school and to
our players who devoted their
time to play for the Thomasian
community.”
Tiger Pack, a Thomasian
alumni support group, paid tribute
to the elite cast of individual
awardees in both volleyball
and beach volleyball wars.
The awardees include Maruja
Banaticla (Shakey’s V- League
Most Valuable Player and Season
72 beach volleyball Rookie of
the Year), Rhea Dimaculangan
(Season 72 Best Server and
Finals MVP, volleyball and
Shakey’s V-League Season 6
First Conference Finals MVP),
Aiza Maizo (Shakey’s V-League
Season 6 First Conference Best
Blocker; Shakey’s V- League
Second Conference MVP and
Finals MVP), Jayson Ramos
(Season 72 beach volleyball
MVP), Henry Pecaña (Season
72 Finals MVP) and Karl
Dimaculangan (Season 72 Best
Server).
The affair began with a
surprise post-birthday treat for
Season 72 Best Server and Finals
MVP Rhea Dimaculangan who
celebrated her birthday last March
21. The same goes for Tiger
Spikers assistant coaches Odjie
Mamon and Yani Fernandez
who both celebrated theirs last
March 28.
Winning coach Emil Lontoc
and assistant coaches Benjamin
Mape, Odjie Mamon and Yani
Fernandez of the men’s volleyball
team attended the victory dinner.
Lady Spikers’ head coach
Shaq delos Santos also graced
the event, together with assistant
coach Vilet Ponce de Leon,
members of the Tiger Pack and
Dynasty
From page 20
UST Judoka Adrian Monera (in white judogi) takes down the opponent in hopes of a win in the -73 kg
mat but failed to deliver at the last minute.
ISABELA A. MARTINEZ
Theology
From page 13
Sacerdotalis, ‘the Church has
no authority whatsoever to
confer priestly ordination on
women and that this judgment
is to be definitively held by all
the Church s faithful’,” he said.
Timoner said that the
primary reason for this practice
is the Church’s judgment
that it has no authority to
ordain women. There is also
the factor of Christ choosing
only men, the sacramental
principle of signification, and
the theological importance of
the maleness of Christ.
“We cannot really simply
dissociate the historical fact
that Jesus is a man from the
entire sacramental economy,”
he said. “His role must be
taken by a man, but this does
not [come] from any personal
inferiority of the woman in the
order of values but only from
the difference of fact on the
level of function and service.”
According to Timoner,
the exclusion of women
from the priesthood followed
the principle of natural
resemblance. He said that it
was not an issue of gender
equality or oppression, but was
sacramental.
Apart from the nonordination of women, another
controversy hounding the
is time for training. There is time
for academics and there is time for
friends,” he said.
As of press time, he is
training with the national
team for the Asian
Taekwondo Championship
competition that will be
held in Kazakhstan next
month. The young jin will
represent the Philippines
in the welterweight
division.
Thomasian way
Avenido was a sophomore
at the Western Mindanao State
University when he took the next
big step to fulfilling his dreams—
playing for UST in the UAAP.
He said he chose UST
because of its outstanding
record in the league.
Since 1999, the Tiger
Jins have bagged eight
championship titles, the
most number of gold in
the past 11 years.
“UST was the strongest school
in taekwondo,” he said. “When I
was asked what school to enter,
I never thought of going to other
universities.”
During his first months in
Manila, Avenido struggled to adapt
to his new environment because of
the shift from province life to city
Tiger Pack pays tibute to Spikers
By ANNE MARIE CARMELA L.
DAYAUON
life. Eventually, his newfound friends
helped him adjust to the atmosphere.
Avenido still has three years
to compete in the UAAP and he
hopes continue contributing
medals for the team in
upcoming competitions.
Besides the competition,
he said being part of the
team also taught him the
invaluable lesson of time
management.
“You train when it
priesthood is
the issue of celibacy. Palo
Archbishop Jose Palma sees it
as a gift from the divine and an
ability to accept God’s love.
He said that for a priest
to be true to his vocation
and totally be available for
his mission, he must follow
and imitate Christ by being
celibate.
“Paul VI explains that in
the community of the people,
the priest is Christ present.
Therefore, it must be fitting
that the priest must reproduce
with absolute fidelity the
image of Christ and battle all
those personal and apostolate
rights to the last detail,” he
said.
SWU to crawl inch by inch but
the nearest they could get was
four points away before an
attack error officially handed
the victory to UST, 25-20.
Maizo led the scoring
department with 18 points
for UST while Tabaquero and
Santiago combined for 25
points. Piyatida chipped in 12
points for SWU.
An imposing triumph
In their previous game,
the Lady Spikers crushed the
Debate
From page 2
government and opposition sides
on a certain issue. A panel of
adjudicators assesses the parties
by three criteria: the substance
of the debate (matter), delivery
skill (manner), and response to
the dynamics of debate (method).
Unannounced topics in
the tournament included looters
in Chile, banning of dual
citizenship, arming of local
Burmese militia groups by
Western powers and Israel’s
declaration of national heritage
some students of the University.
Graduating players Angeli
Tabaquero, Michelle del
Rosario, Karl Dimaculangan,
and Mark Dalit received special
recognition, wrapped up by a
message from their mentors De
Los Santos and Lontoc.
Formed in 2006, Tiger
Pack provides support for the
UST teams and student athletes.
The group also helps boost
the morale of the Thomasian
crowd during games by
providing paraphernalia such
as yellow hotdog balloons and
banners.
“I remain hopeful that more
Thomasian alumni will help
our student-athletes especially
now that we’re celebrating our
Quadricentennial.” said Gloria.
Far Eastern University (FEU)
Lady Tamaraws, 25-9, 2513, 25-13, to jumpstart their
V-League campaign on a high
note last April 11.
De los Santos fielded
his usual UAAP starters and
utilized guest player and UST
alumna Mary Jean Balse only
in the latter part of the second
set, easily trouncing FEU
despite the Tamaraws having
two guest players on the floor.
UST opened the game
with a 16-0 run in the first set
courtesy of Maizo’s attacks on
FEU’s poor defense. Maizo
topscored for UST with 17
points while Monique Tiangco
led FEU with six markers.
sites within Palestine.
The team from International
Islamic University Malaysia
bagged the championship after
defeating Dengkil Institute of
the Terminally Insane.
The two-year-old
tournament was held at the
Melaka campus of Multimedia
University, and was organized by
Voices Melaka Debating Society.
The last participation
of UST in the international
debating scene was in the New
World Debate Championship
in 2008, where UST finished
42nd out of 436 participating
universities. J. E. B. Trinidad
Tuition
From page 1
are rich so they could not
afford the increase,” said Susan
Uang, mother of an incoming
journalism senior.
Castillo defended the
increase.
“The families will be
affected by the tuition increase,
but as guaranteed by our
administration, the effects of
the increase will be felt through
better services and facilities, thus,
better education,” she explained.
UST Faculty Union
president Gil Gamilla agreed.
“[The four percent tuition
hike] is humane,” Gamilla said.
“[It is based from] whatever
the student leaders and the
administration have agreed
upon.”
The administration
conducts a tuition consultation
with parents, students, and other
stakeholders every February to
discuss concerns with regard
to the tuition increase for the
following school year.
Yadao said UST only
ranked fifth among other major
colleges and universities in terms
of rate per unit.
Last school year, Ateneo
de Manila University charged
P2,592 per unit; De La Salle
University-Manila, P1,942 per
unit; Miriam College, P 1,575
per unit; and Mapua Institute
of Technology, P1,411 per unit.
Yadao said Ateneo will
increase its rate by four percent
this school year, La Salle, five
percent; and Mapua; six percent.
The “Committee on Tuition
Fees,” which facilitated the tuition
consultation, was composed of
Yadao; Gonzales; Fr. Manuel
F. Roux, O.P., vice rector for
finance; Clarita Carillo, assistant
to the rector for academic affairs
and research; Pilar Romero,
assistant to the Rector for
administration; Rodolfo Clavio,
registrar; Fr. Herminio Dagohoy,
O.P., auditor; assistant treasurers
Fr. Jose Ma. Tinoko, O.P. and Fr.
Isaias Tiongco, O.P.; and lawyer
Leonardo Syjuco. Jilly Anne A.
Bulauan
UST on target to fortify dynasty
Vengeance
for Tigers
in MBL elims
By MARY ATHENA D. DE PAZ
THE NEW-LOOK TigersDickies survived a pesky
Lyceum of the PhilippinesShowa-Ocean Fresh squad
with a thrilling 88-85 win at
the Lyceum Gym last April 17.
The Tigers anything but
missed the services of Season
72 MVP Dylan Ababou and
mainstays Khasim Mirza and
Allein Maliksi, banking on the
furious offense of Jeric Teng
and Jeric Fortuna, who each
scored 20 points.
Clark Bautista and
Carmelo Afuang added 19
and 13 markers, respectively,
as the Tigers exacted revenge
on Lyceum, which crushed
them in last year’s Millennium
Basketball League finals.
“They have become
mature players,” said assistant
coach Cenen Dueñas, who
temporarily called the shot for
Pido Jarencio.
With victory hanging
by a thread, Lyceum’s Eder
Saldua nailed a crucial free
throw in the dying seconds of
the fourth canto to close the
gap to two points, 87-85. But
Fortuna’s gift shot saved the
day for UST with four seconds
left in the game. Lyceum’s
steady three-pointer Victor
Medina fired a buzzer-beater
triple but to no avail.
The Tigers took an early
lead courtesy of Fortuna, who
poured in 10 points including
two fast breaks, 5:02 minutes
left in the first quarter, 25-13.
UST big man Chris
Camus went down with a
sprained foot just five minutes
into the game. Afuang took
over in the second period,
keeping the opponents at bay
with a 6-0 run that pushed
UST’s lead, 42-27.
Former Adamson cager
Patrick Cabahug answered
Afuang’s scoring streak with
a three-pointer to close the
period, 42-30, still in favor
of UST.
Te n g , l a s t s e a s o n ’s
Rookie of the Year, proved
himself worthy of the title,
when he took over the third
quarter with steady shooting
from beyond the arc. He also
converted a last-second shot
with a bonus and-one to cap
the third quarter, 73-55.
Lyceum threatened a
comeback in the final quarter
courtesy of Medina, who
ended up with 21 points. He
nailed a confidence-boosting
trey in the last two minutes
of the game to trim UST’s
lead down to one, 83-82. UST
rookie Vincent Tinte saved
the day by banking a hook
shot to push the lead back to
three, 85-82.
“We had a hard time in
the fourth quarter because
some players are injured while
the big men were fouled out,”
Dueñas said. “We had a hard
time, but at least we fought
so in the end, the outcome
was good.”
The Tigers suffered an
83-80 defeat from Foscon
Ship Management in their
game opener last April 13.
ISABELA A. MARTINEZ
By CHARIZZE L. ABULENCIA
The Lady Spikers solidified their bid to keep their
Shakey’s V-League title
by trouncing the Southwestern University (SWU)
Lady Cobras, 25-12, 25-18,
25-20, during their match
at The Arena in San Juan
last April 15.
The victory tied UST with
the San Sebastian CollegeRecoletos Lady Stags with
identical 2-0 win-loss cards
at the top of the tournament’s
Bracket A.
“Their performance was
okay although not as good as
I expected, but I was satisfied.
It just so happened that some
players got off their rhythm,”
coach Cesael de los Santos
said.
Not even SWU guest
player Lasungnern Piyatida,
a Thai national team
heavyweight, could find a
remedy for the Lady Cobras’
porous defense, underscored by
reception errors and free balls.
In the opening set, the
España-based squad capitalized
on the attacking errors of the
Lady Cobras to spark an early
6-0 run for an 8-2 score.
SWU retaliated with
sporadic attacks but another
6-0 blast courtesy of Aiza
Maizo’s blocking prowess gave
UST the set, 25-12.
In the succeeding plays,
Angeli Tabaquero led the
offense with her off-the-block
hits for a 4-0 streak, 12-9, in the
early minutes of the second set.
A couple of mini-runs
allowed UST to pull away
before another service ace from
Santiago, backed by Maizo’s
off-the-block, left the Lady
Cobras dwindling, 25-18.
A slow start for US in
the third frame gave SWU a
fighting chance with downthe-line hits of guest player
Erika Verano, amplified by the
Lady Spikers’ miscues on the
attacking end.
Unforced errors in the
latter part of the match allowed
Dynasty, Page 19
SP
The Varsitarian
Founded 1928
RTS
Vol. LXXXI, No. 13
www.varsitarian.net
May 13, 2010
Out of no where, Dindin Santiago rises in midair to block the spike of Lady Cobra Aguilar. UST prevailed in a
straight set fashion, 25-12, 25-18, 25-20.
Lester G. Babiera
Male and Lady Judokas harvest medals in nationals
Season 72 Rookie of the Year Jeric Teng is back with vengeance as he
drives past a Lyceum defender. UST escapes an 88-85 thriller against
the team that defeated it in MBL Finals last year.
Rebuilding Cubs
succumb to Junior Warriors
By ANGELO NONATO P. CABRERA
and JC Duncil scored a threepointer with 42 seconds left
in the game to seal the deal
for UE.
Corre topscored for UST
with 28 points while Duncil
was one of four UE players to
score 11 points apiece.
Former Tiger center
Chris Cantonjos, now the
Cubs’ assistant coach, blamed
the loss on the players’ lack
of cohesion and familiarity
with the system. He noted
that the team lost 10 players,
including Kyle Neypes, a
member of the UAAP
Mythical Five last season.
“They just got out of
vacation and are in the
process of going back into
their game,” Cantonjos said.
Pinning
down
Zamboanga representative
Ainee Potenciano, Lady
Judoka Jewel de Castro scored
an ippon (whole point) barely
28 seconds into the match to
ace the -63 kg division.
De Castro duplicated the
win in the juniors’ class to cop
another gold. She also placed
second to fellow Thomasian
Ando in the open weight
division.
Lady Judoka and RP team
member Shallane Bello’s
slam down of Zamboanga
representative Joana Destora
was worthy of an ippon,
which won her a gold medal
in the 1:43 mark of the -45 kg
category.
Seventeen-year-old
Jon Rodriguez clinched the
bullion in the -66 kg mat
after two take downs of
Ferdinand Corcino to score
two waza-ari’s (half point
each) in the final round.
In the -73 kg bout, Nash Tagle
took out Rodimple Rodriguez
with 4:34 seconds to spare.
Romeo Arellano ruled the
-81 kg contest after scoring a
yuko (one-fourth point) in the
Golden Score Rule (sudden
death match) against Tracy
Agramon of Zamboanga.
Annie Ramirez won
silver after failing to score
immediately against Jenilou
Mosqueda of NCR in the
sudden death of -57 kg match
finals.
Not as fortunate, UAAP
Season 72 Rookie of the
Year Alexis Albor lost via
unanimous decision to Blue
Eagle Anjo Gumila in the -90
kg contest.
Benjamin Tan’s lone
yuko in the 1:48 mark
accounted for a bronze in the
-90 kg match.
Harvy Navarro, also a
new member of the UST
Judoka, won the second
bronze for the team in the
-90 division of the white
belts. Frauleine Michelle S.
Villanueva
Free aerobics for health buffs in UST
JOGGERS, retirees and health
enthusiasts got into the groove
as the UST Joggers and Wellness
Association Incorporated conducted
the second “USTep to Wellness”
program last April 10 and 17 at the
UST Plaza Mayor grounds.
Participants, some of which were
senior citizens, shuffled between
aerobics and “aero-dance” moves
led by their fitness instructor Josie
Domosmog.
“The aerobics that I taught to the
members aims to condition the mind
and body,” Domosmog said. The instructor also incorporated
some ballroom dance into the routine
like the cha-cha on the first day
of the program and the ‘LA
Walk’ on the second day.
Tai-chi exercises were
also given in the session
last April 10.
This event sponsored
by the Department of
Tourism was for free and open
to the public. Angelo Nonato P.
Cabrera
Illustration by Jasmine C. Santos
THE TIGER Cubs bowed
to the University of the East
Junior Warriors (UE), 77-81,
during the 4th FilOil-Flying
V Pre-Season Invitational
Cup at the Arena in San Juan
last April 14.
The Cubs kept the
game close until losing their
composure in the final two
minutes of the fourth quarter
in the face of a furious UE run
anchored on its skipper Chris
Canicula’s steady offense.
UST did not taste the
lead until the fourth canto
when point guard EJ Corre
drove to the basket, allowing
his team to overtake the
Junior Warriors, 68-67. But
Canicula answered with a
jumper and a charity shot
TOP UST Judokas paraded
their skills and dominated
the 2010 National Judo
Individual Championships
last April 17-19 at the De La
Salle University Enrique M.
Razon Sports Complex.
Representing various
r e g i o n s o f t h e c o u n t r y,
the España-based judokas
amassed a 9-3-2 gold-silverbronze medal tally.
U S T ’s n e w r e c r u i t
Setsuko Ando reaped three
gold medals—two in the
-70 kg class (white belt and
juniors) and one in the open
weight division, defeating
all regional champions from
different divisions.