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SPIKES OF BEING ROOKIES PAGE 1 1 meet the Usa volleyball team’s newest secret weapons who will be charging in the coming games.
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The Official Student Newspaper of the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City, Philippines
VOLuMe LXII • NuMBeR 4 • OCtOBeR 31, 2016
rEgAININg ‘AutoNomous’ USA nears autonomy with ISO 9001:2008 certificate by w i lk i e n s o n c . m u r o
the university of san agustin, through its official social media accounts, announced late afternoon of October 12, that it is already an IsO-certified institution after it passed the evaluation conducted by the anglo-Japanese-american (aJa) Registrars, Inc. last april 4-5 and september 8-9.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF SAN AGUSTIN. Aside from improving the frontline services of the University, the administration of Rev. Fr. Frederick Comendador, OSA also leaves a legacy of developments in terms of improvement of the campus’ physical appearance and its facilities. USA PUB PHOTO • CLYDE ALLEN E. SOLLESTA
news • PAGE 2
editorial • PAG E 4
sports • PAG E 12
commandant favors mandatory ROTc
Of ‘Tards’ and ‘Turds’
BED takes home Overall Title
with President duterte calling for the strengthening of the rotC program, will it soon become mandatory?
a society that turns deaf and blind to its faults will never grow. fanaticism will not do all of us any good.
from being underdogs in the past Intramural Games, Bed has overthrown Cot from its grandslam bid.
with the said International organization for standardization (Iso) certification on Quality management system (9001: 2008), the University will take inches closer to reclaiming its autonomous status. dr. regina aileen may vergara, director of the strategy and Quality management office (sQmo) noted that the Iso certification, being one of the core processes to achieve a culture of excellence in the University’s strategic Plan, is a demonstration of organizational sustainability. “this establishes a factor to regain the autonomous status,” she emphasized. according to the 2013 manual of regulations for Private Higher education Institutions
of the Commission on Higher education (CHed), there are three general criteria for an institution to be granted such status – long tradition of integrity and untarnished reputation, commitment to excellence, and sustainability and viability of operations. In regaining the status, the University should at least earn 80 points – 56 of which is by getting accredited and being declared Centers for development and excellence in its degree programs; and 24 of which is by having sustainable operations. this march 2017 on the other hand, the University will be visited by representatives of the Philippine accrediting ISO 9001:2008
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special report
KON ANG UMANG MAGKAMANG
PAGE 8
Isa ka pag-usisa sang sistema sang Oplan Double Barrel, sa pagkilala sang mga posible nga mga drug personalities.
K-12 triggers Performing chusuey Int’l center to open next year Arts Scholars budget cut by a t h e n a g abr i e lla e . ju labar
tHe fIve-storey University of san agustin (Usa) dr. Henry d. Chusuey International Center, regarded to cater world-class culinary and touristic proficiencies, is 80 percent complete and is expected to be operational by april 2017. former vice President for academic affairs, rev. fr. rommel Par, osa formed a committee who will oversee the ongoing construction: rev. fr. arnel dizon, vice president for administration and finance, as the project manager; rev. fr. Ian ragodon, director of the General services office, as the project inspector; and engr. rizalde monserate as the engineering supervisor. monserate explained the current status of the center, “the construction was swift, 80 percent done, and it was ahead of the original schedule owing to the upgraded construction materials.
b y d ar yl s . s e l e r io PerformInG arts GroUPs would have to share the decreased budget for their scholarships this year as an effect of the K-12 implementation. ela Cristina lopez, director of the Business and finance office, shared that a total of 116 scholars from the various groups now share a maximum budget of ₱ 1.7 Million against an estimated ₱ 2.8 Million allocated during the First Semester last year. the 1,243 decrease of student population led to the decline of the budget allocated for the performing arts scholars of the University, namely, Kawilihan-Usa, Usa Choir and troubadours, and Usa little theater . according to rev. fr. williener Jack luna, director for Philanthropic, external, and alumni relations (Pear), the drought for new enrollees due to K-12 had greatly affected the University financially; one of the effects is the decrease of budget, allocated for the performing arts groups. “our response to [the decrease] is either [to] cut the number of scholars or [to] share the allocated budget among the groups. we chose the latter,” he added. In order to sustain the operations of the various performing arts groups as well as to secure their scholarship privileges, the Pear office have already identified alternative sources of funds. “we have lined up fund raising activities like dinner-fora-Cause this october and Concert-for-a-Cause on november and december,” luna elaborated. alongside the budget allocation, the Pear office released a new scheme for evaluation of performing arts scholars which will take effect this second semester.
TALLEST. The Dr. henry D. Chusuey international Center will become the tallest building in campus on its topping off ceremony to be held on November 11. USA PUB PHOTO • ALLAiNE rOSE m. EmNACEN
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Passing rate heaved for academic success by Frenni e m . tababa as a resPonse to the desire of the University’s Board of trustees (Bot) to raise the level of academic achievement of the students in the college level, the administration has implemented the change in the passing rate in each course from 50 to 60 percent. this generally means that for a student taking a 100-item quiz, he or she must at get a score of 60 to get a passing grade of 75. the change was in turn expected to consequently
“A PROgRAm likEwiSE FOR REmEDiATiON will AlSO BE UNDERTAkEN SiNCE lOw AChiEVERS wOUlD CONTiNUAllY BE AFFECTED.” — VERgARA improve the University’s institutional performance in board examinations and eventual regaining of its lost autonomous status since 2009. “actually, this is an overdue response of the top management
we’re online! Visit our website, w w w. usapub. net. USA PUB iLLUSTrATiON • DArYL S. SELEriO
INT’L cENTER
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to the concern of the Bot to raise the academic standard and the passing percentage rate for board exams. this concern was brought up since last year during the march 14, 2015 Bot meeting. furthermore, a data-based study
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was conducted to determine the repercussion of this move,” rev. fr. manuel vergara, osa, vice president for academic affairs, told The Augustinian. However, the change of passing rate has gathered complaints and disagreements from the student body since they will be the ones who will suffer in the process. “I beg to disagree with the 60 percent grading system since it doesn’t measure how competitive the students will be
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