2 U.P. Newsletter
SEPTEMBER 2011
UP admin honors Oblation Scholars Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo Photo by El Bacani
“Make a conscious effort to learn to serve the people.” This was UP President Alfredo Pascual’s message to the 2011 Oblation Scholars, as read by VicePresident for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion during a reception in their honor at the Bahay ng Alumni last July 25. Pascual also advised the incoming freshmen to “fill each day with humility and [to] be mindful of [their] responsibilities” as Oblation Scholars. Office of Admissions Director Gerard Pio Franco said that out of the 65,185 applicants who took the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT), only 12,894 qualified for admission. The top 50 UPCAT qualifiers are awarded the Oblation This year’s batch of Oblation scholars gather for a group picture after their reception. Scholarship. This means that the scholars only constitute 0.39 percent of the UPCAT qualifiers and 0.077 percent (STFAP). Oblation Scholars to “make the most out of of the total number of applicants. The Oblation Scholarship covers the [their lives] in UP.” Concepcion encouraged Forty-two of the 50 Oblation Scholars prescribed length of time it takes to finish them to be inspired by the life and works of decided to enroll in UP, with 26 of them the chosen degree program. In the case of the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal. in Diliman and 16 in Manila. This figure the seven-year Integrated Liberal Arts and Rosario G. Manasan who spoke on is higher than last year’s when only 37 Medicine (INTARMED) program of UP behalf of the parents reminded them that pushed through with their enrollment in Manila, the scholarship covers the first four while “congratulations are well-deserved,” the university. years. Enrollment during summer is covered they must never forget that “to whom much Franco said that Oblation Scholars are only when it is required by the chosen degree is given, much is expected.” allowed to enroll in any undergraduate program. In a response delivered on behalf of this degree program, in any college within the UP To continue enjoying these privileges, year’s Oblation Scholars, Ma. Sergia Fatima System as long as they meet other entrance Franco said that Oblation Scholars should Sucaldito—the youngest in the batch—said requirements of their chosen programs. carry the normal load prescribed by their that unlike other universities, only UP offers Aside from free tuition, miscellaneous respective degree programs; pass all their freedom of thought, even encouraging and laboratory fees, the scholars also enjoy academic subjects without a grade of “5,” and embracing ideas and opinions that run a semestral book allowance, transportation “4,” “Dropped,” or “Incomplete;” and contrary to the popular or what is perceived allowance and a special incentive allowance maintain a weighted average of at least as the norm. She said that the inclination to aside from the monthly living and lodging “2.0.” serve the people is also effectively awakened allowance provided by the Socialized For his part, Vice-President for and nurtured in the university. She said that Tuition and Financial Assistance Program Administration Maragtas Amante told the they are ready for life in UP.
Archaeology students find `bahay na bato’ in Batangas A team of the UP Archaeological Studies Prog ram (ASP) Batch 2010-2011 found the foundations of a Spanish-era stone house in Pinagbayanan, San Juan, Batangas during the program’s annual field school. Supervised by Dr. Grace BarrettoTesoro, the team excavated the foundations of the stone house and found ceramic sherds, metal fragments and glass shards, among others, which the team collected and accessioned. The 2010 field season continued the excavation conducted by the UP ASP from April to May 2009. The excavation is part of a continuing project in San Juan, Batangas. Its objective is to understand and Southwest top view of the site at Barangay Pinagbayanan, San Juan,Batangas contribute to the town’s history. The structure was the first bahay na bato plaza complex. This means that the previous focusing on construction technology, to be excavated in the Philippines. Most occupants of the house were principales or vessels of settlers and organic artifacts. archaeological investigations of Spanish members of the Spanish elite since the During the 2009 excavation, four structures have focused on churches and location of a house in the plaza complex, trenches were opened in the southern fortresses. The site was given the code particularly its distance from the church, part of Structure A, in the lot owned IV-2009-F by the National Museum. The indicated the wealth, influence and power by Edgardo De Villa Salud. The general structure (Structure A) used to be a stone of the people who lived in the house. architecture of Structure A was determined house or bahay na bato. What remains are To share with the UP community the from these trenches. Excavation in Trench 1 portions of walls, pillars, pillar bases and results of the excavation, the UP ASP Field revealed a room with large windows facing pilasters. School team hosted a week-long exhibit on the street, as well as a doorway leading to Because of its proximity to the old the first floor of the Palma Hall Lobby, UP the room. Based on the artifacts found, the church and the remains of what is proposed Diliman. A series of informal talks were doorway was proposed to be a zaguan, or as the old municipal hall, Structure A is delivered at ASP lecture room, Palma Hall the area where coaches were parked. Trench hypothesized to be part of the Spanish basement in connection with the exhibit, 2 revealed a koloong or water well and
Photo by Coli Cardeño
Harpy Valerio
UPLB students denounce `abolition’ of varsity teams Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc
Rallying behind the campus varsity teams, some student groups protested moves by the UP Los Baños (UPLB) administration to implement a new sports program which they said will effectively abolish its current varsity teams. The student groups also denounced alleged administration propaganda against the varsity teams. Opposition to the program prompted UPLB Chancellor Luis Rey Velasco to release an official statement regarding the new scheme and to call on the different College Student Councils and more student organizations to relay to him their positions on it. Under the new scheme, the arts and culture program for students shall be adapted for sports. There will be a committee to evaluate proposals from different groups for funding and for representing UPLB in sports tournaments. Financial assistance, similar to the P10million annual fund that the UP President approved for several performing arts group and other student groups, can be allocated to support the sports groups. “Therefore, the existing sports varsity teams may wish to organize themselves into sports club and obtain approval from the committee to represent UPLB and for funding support. It follows then that it is possible for the University to support more than one sports club to represent UPLB for a sports event if their competency is at competitive level,” Velasco said in a statement. Through this scheme, UPLB does not have to use more than 50 percent of athletic fees collected from students to support varsity teams (in terms of uniforms, tournament fee, travel, and coach honoraria) which is the current practice. The rest of the students can thus fully benefit from the athletic fees collected from them, which the Department of Human Kinetics has to share with the varsity teams for its academic activities. The athletic fee can be used to support the organization of sports clubs following certain guidelines to be developed, Velasco said. A statement prepared by the group Samahan ng mga Kabataan Para sa Bayan (Sakbayan)-UPLB, signed by various sectors of UPLB, and handed over to Velasco during a picket-dialogue last August 12, argued that “to develop our sports varsity teams together with encouraging the participation of more students through university-wide sports tournaments can be fulfilled without undermining one of these…We believe that more creative (Continued on page 5)
adobe stone pillars were found in Trench 3. Trench 4 was proposed as the kamalig or the storage area because of the raised stone flooring and its higher elevation. The excavation also provided information on the abandonment and subsequent destruction of the structure. Another structure called Structure B and characterized by remains of stone pillars and bases of stone walls was found south of Structure A. UP ASP plans to excavate Structure B in the 2011 field season. ASP hopes to use the information collected to compare San Juan to other Spanish towns, since San Juan was established much later in 1881 compared to other towns.