The Varsitarian P.Y. 2014-2015 Issue 01

Volume Volume LXXXVI, LXXXVI, No. No. 11 •• July July 18, 18, 2014 2014 THE THE OFFICIAL OFFICIAL STUDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION PUBLICATION OF OF THE THE UNIVERSIT UNIVERSITYY OF OF SANTO SANTO TOMAS TOMAS Manila, Manila, Philippines Philippines

AFTERMATH. Uprooted trees are scattered in the Plaza Mayor after Typhoon "Glenda" hit several parts of the country including the University.

ALVIN JOSEPH KASIBAN

CSC sets deadline for Students’ Code Thomasians not involved in Benilde hazing rites NO THOMASIANS were involved in the recent hazing incident that claimed the life of a sophomore taking up hotel and restaurant management at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde last June 28.

On June 30, UST released a statement on its Facebook page disproving the claims of three fraternity neophytes who said UST students led the initiation that killed Guillo Cesar Servando.

“A quick but thorough verification of UST’s automated records revealed that Mr. Trex Garcia and Mr. Hans Tamaring are not UST students,” UST said in reaction to a newspaper report identifying the two as UST students.

The University expressed grief over the incident and offered prayers for the family and friends of Servando.

“We shall monitor the progress of the police investigation and shall extend full cooperation with the proper authorities with the end in view of identifying and punishing the persons guilty of this reprehensible crime,” the statement added.

On July 1, authorities discovered that the fraternity involved in the initiation was Tau Gamma Phi and not Alpha Kappa Rho (Akhro), as identified by the three neophytes who survived the hazing.

Manila Police District (MPD) Chief Supt. Rolando Asuncion said in an interview on DZMM, the neophytes might have misled the police with wrong information for fear of the consequences they faced in their college. Fraternities are not banned in St. Benilde.

In a statement last July 1, Tau Gamma Phi said “[We are] deeply troubled by news reports that some of [our] members have

Thomasians ace Nursing, Pharma boards UST dominated the recent licensure examinations for Nursing, Pharmacy and Architecture, with several Thomasians landing in the top 10.

UST was named second top-performing school in the May Nursing board exams after posting a 99.55 percent passing rate, results from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) showed. A total of 446 Thomasians passed out of 448 examinees, higher than last year's 99.04 percent or 411 passers out of 415 examinees.

Topnotcher Ma. Margaret Sanchez bested 11,225 newly registered nurses with a score of 86 percent.

Twenty-two other Thomasians made it to the top 10, including Ariel Bitong Jr. (85.4 percent) at second place and Dominique Rosali Cesa (85.2) at third place.

Nursing Dean Susan Maravilla attributed the University’s performance in the licensure exam to the strict admission and retention policies of the college.

“It all starts with the quality of students that we have. We are very strict with the admission, selection and retention criteria.

Hazing PAGE 10 For breaking news and real-time updates visit: www.varsitarian.net

Second is the dedication and commitment [of the] faculty to provide quality education and to encourage the students to excel and do their best,” Maravilla told the Varsitarian.

West Visayas State University–La Paz, Cebu Normal University and Siliman University were named topperforming schools, after posting 100-percent passing rates.

The national passing rate went down to 38.46 percent— with only 11,225 passers out of 29,188 examinees—from last year’s 42.81 percent.

The University remained the third top-performing school in the June Pharmacy Licensure Examination, with four Thomasians landing in the Top 10, including first place.

UST got a passing rate of 81.71 percent, wherein 268 examinees passed out of 328.

This was higher than last year’s 80.2 percent, wherein 293 passed out of the 365 examinees.

Leading the new batch of Thomasian pharmacists is topnotcher Hannah Cathlyne Co with a score of 90.47 percent.

Thomasian Elmer Tagra II tied for second place with Mark Kua of University of the Philippines-Manila, with

identical scores of 90.38 percent.

Rovileen Barroquiña placed fourth with a score of 90.30 percent, while Kristine Lei Rivera tied with Kristine Anne Ponce of Our Lady of Fatima UniversityValenzuela at 10th place with identical scores of 89.67 percent.

Last year, six Thomasians landed in the top 10.

Former Varsitarian sports editor Alexis U. Cerado was among those who passed the exam.

Saint Louis University of Baguio was again the topperforming school, after recording a 95.67-percent passing rate or 158 passers out of 165 examinees. University of San Carlos was the second top-

performing school, with a passing rate of 8 5 . 7 1 percent or 60 passers out of 70 examinees.

T h e national

THE STUDENTS’ Code is on its way to enactment, with only minor revisions left after a 10-year delay, and could land on the Rector’s desk as early as August this academic year.

Central Student Council (CSC) President Ina Vergara said the Office for Student Affairs (OSA) has approved the charter. The charter is ready for submission to the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs (OVRAA) and UST Faculty Union (USTFU) following several meetings with OSA, which yielded only slight changes in the code’s terminologies.

“Actually, medyo kinakabahan kami pero sa bilis, the way OSA handles it, okay na [ito] this year. From the past years, ‘dun maraming problems. Ngayon, rewording na lang,” Vergara said in an interview.

OVRAA and USTFU will align the Students’ Code with the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Upon their approval, the draft will be forwarded to Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P., which Vergara expects to happen in August. The Rector will then endorse it to the Council of Regents and the Academic Senate.

Vergara said there were no inconsistencies between the CBA and the Students’ Code aside from some nuances in the definition of “faculty” in the two documents.

The latest version of the Students’ Code, a copy of which was obtained by the Code PAGE 5

Alumni Building to house classrooms THE UNIVERSITY increased its freshmen admission this year despite overcrowding in several colleges, but is already making adjustments to accommodate the Thomasian population by utilizing new classrooms and fixing class schedules.

As a solution to overcrowding, the new Thomasian Alumni Center will be opened by the first week of regular classes for several colleges.

UST Rector Rev. Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. said 43 new classrooms at the Alumni Center that are expected to be used by Overcrowding PAGE

Boards PAGE 10

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2 News

The Varsitarian JULY 18, 2014

Editor: Gena Myrtle P. Terre

P29 billion proposed for faculty displaced by K to 12 TEACHING and nonteaching employees of higher education institutions (HEIs) who will lose their jobs during the K to 12 transition period in 2016 will be compensated through a proposed P29-billion stabilization fund, government officials said.

In a meeting with the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education (CHTE) last June 24, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), along with the Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the compensation would be distributed during a two-year period.

Under the proposal, P10 billion will be allotted for the operation of HEIs; P17 billion or P30,000 per month for teachers; and P2 billion or P15,000 per month for support staff.

According to DOLE Undersecretary Rebecca Chato, the stabilization fund seeks to help affected employees during the transition period, apart from the benefits they will receive from their respective HEIs after being dismissed.

“It’s a proposal to help the faculty and the nonteaching personnel transition within a period of two years to another [job],” Chato said in the hearing at the House of Representatives. “The concept of the P30,000 is a compensation on top of what should be given by the school to the displaced faculty or nonteaching personnel.”

She added that the stabilization fund would only be given to displaced employees due to the K to 12 transition and not to those who would be terminated due to other reasons.

The fund will come from DOLE and CHEd. However, CHEd Commissioner Cynthia Rose DOLE Undersecretary Rebecca Chato discusses the P29-billion proposal.

Fund PAGE 5 NAZZI M. CASTRO

Exit polls show slight satisfaction in school facilities THOMASIANS were moderately satisfied with the University’s academic services, according to the results of the annual Student Satisfaction Survey for academic year 2013-2014.

Architecture got a score of 3.06 in last year’s exit survey, followed by the Conservatory of Music with a score of 3.09. This was only slightly higher from their average satisfactory rate of 3.07 since 2012, as cited from a previous report of the Varsitarian.

Joining the two colleges in the bottom five are the Faculty of Arts and Letters (3.10), the College of Commerce (3.14), and the College of Science (3.16).

The Graduate School got the highest importance and satisfactory rate after recording scores of 3.77 and 3.50, respectively.

Diana de la Victoria, president of the Architecture Student Council, said the students’ dissatisfaction could have been caused by the subpar quality of facilities and the lack of a clear grading system in their college.

“Beato [Angelico Building] is composed of artists and designers and yet we are surrounded by old and damaged tables, collapsing chairs, elevators that don’t have buttons, broken toilets and sinks,” De la Victoria said. “And there is no specific right and wrong in Architecture because we are talking about designs.”

Polls PAGE 11

UST to tighten campus security A STRICTER and more consistent implementation of the “no ID, no entry” policy will start this academic year.

Security Chief Joseph Badinas vowed to resolve “inconsistency issues” on campus security raised by Thomasians, admitting that there were few lapses last academ ic year.

Badinas said outsiders without official business would not be allowed inside the campus. He admitted it was a hard task monitoring people in public buildings like the UST Hospital, Santisimo Rosario chapel, and the UST carpark.

Joselito Pelagio, University head guard, said that if “inconsistency” of implementation by security officers would be proven, there would be corresponding disciplinary action.

Last year, the University administration and institutions around the campus formed the Sampaloc-UST Neighborhood Watch, a citizens’ watchdog group to monitor the security situation in the Sampaloc area. It is headed by review center owner Carl Balita and Fr. Roberto Pinto, the director of the Facilities Management Office.

Badinas said, the crime rate was usually at its peak during the start of classes with criminals taking advantage of the large number of students.

Thirty-six guards are deployed during the threeshifting period everyday.

Security PAGE 10

IT, Computer Science set to separate from Engineering COMPUTER courses in the Faculty of Engineering are finally under a separate institute, a year after college administrators lobbied for the spin off.

The Institute of Information and Computer Studies (ICS) is still led by Engineering Dean Philippina Marcelo, but officials have been named to new administrative positions, namely: Alex Santos, former assistant dean-in charge, as director; Rev. Fr. Hermel Pama, O.P., regent; and Jerralyn Padua faculty secretary.

The new institute will house three programs, namely: Information Technology, Information Systems, and Computer Science.

Each department will have its own chair, namely: Perla Cosme for Computer Science, Mia Eleazar for Information Technology, and Mylene Domingo for Information Systems.

The increasing demand for Information Technology (IT) practitioners in the industry and the growing population of freshmen prompted the spinoff.

As a department, ICS was

put under the College of Science in 1999 and was transferred to Engineering in 2004.

“This school year, the structural organization is part and parcel of the long term [plan] to eventually become a college.

But for this school year we’ll be spinning off as an institute,” Santos told the Varsitarian in an interview.

“Spinning off into a college is not an easy task. We have to consider the feasibility of the program in a long-term basis, the readiness of the people behind the unit and the demand for IT practitioners in the market,” Santos said.

However, there are still no plans to move ICS to another building despite an increase in the number of freshmen.

“We increased our freshmen from 15 sections last year to 20 sections [this year],” Santos said.

Courses in Game Development and Digital Animation, which will be under the helm of an Entertainment Eng'g PAGE 5

Artlets students lead the Varsitarian FOURTH-year students from the Faculty of Arts and Letters dominate the Varsitarian’s roster of editors in its 86th year.

The editorial board is composed of Communication Arts senior Sarah Mae Jenna Ramos, and Journalism seniors Gracelyn Simon and Ralph Joshua Hernandez.

Gena Myrtle Terre, also a Communication Arts senior, and Journalism senior Lord Bien Lelay were appointed news editor and assistant news editor, respectively.

Other section editors taking up Journalism are Paul Kennedy Lintag (Sports), Andre Arnold Santiago (Special Reports), April Joy Dy (Witness), Kristelle-Ann Batchelor (Circle), and Michael Carlo Rodolfo (Online). Asian Studies senior Jonelle Marcos is the new Filipino editor.

Meanwhile, Microbiology senior Juan Carlos Moreno was appointed Features editor. Pharmacy senior Hedrix Ar-ar Caballe is the Science and Technology editor.

Advertising Arts seniors

Keno Carlo Enriquez and John Paul Autor were appointed art director and photography editor, respectively.

The News section is composed of Journalism students, namely: Dayanara Cudal, Arianne Merez, Bianca Kristin Taray, Roberto Vergara, Jr., and Jerome Villanueva.

This year’s Sports writers are Angelica Abello, Karl Cedrick Basco, Delfin Ray Dioquino, and Josiah Darren Saynes.

Mary Grace Esmaya, a Secondary Education major, and Mary Gillan Frances Ropero, a Journalism student, are Special Reports writers while Marketing Management senior Jelina Anne Bunagan and Secondary Education senior Mone Virma Ginry Gumapac were named Features writers.

Journalism majors Erika Mariz Cunanan and Kimberly Joy Naparan, and Accountancy student Maria Koreena Eslava are this year’s Filipino writers. Pharmacy junior Marie Danielle Macalino

and Journalism students Angeli Mae Cantillana and Danielle Ann Gabriel comprise the Witness section.

Josef Brian Ramil and Alpine Christopher Moldez, Medical Technology and Communication Arts students, respectively, were named Literary writers. Medical Technology and Journalism students Maritz Lubo and Rhenn Anthony Taguiam were assigned to the Science and Technology section.

This year’s Circle writers are Journalism senior Elyssa Christine Lopez, Physical Therapy junior Aliliana Margarette Uyao, and Communication Arts sophomore Ethan James Siat.

The Art section is composed of Advertising Arts majors Joel Francis Balquin, Jean Helene Estella, Maria Aurora Gonzales, Ava Mariangela Victoria, and Journalism sophomore Kirsten Jamilla.

Meanwhile, Communication Arts senior Nazzi Castro joins

Usapang Uste Polo y servicios ng mga Tomasino LAYUNIN ng Unibersidad na pangalagaan ang kapakanan ng bawat Tomasino upang siguruhin ang lubos na kalinangan ng kanilang isipan at kakayahan.

Gayunpaman, hindi naging madali para sa Unibersidad at mga mag-aaral ang pagtupad sa layuning ito sa pagaanunsiyo ng polo y servicios sa bansa noong panahon ng pananakop ng Espanya.

Ayon sa batas ng polo y servicios, sapilitang mabibilang sa mga manggagawa ng mga kalsada, tulay, pagtatayo ng mga estruktura tulad ng simbahan, paaralan at gusaling pampamahalaan ang mga kalalakihang

Pilipino at Tsino na nasa edad 16 hanggang 40 taong gulang bilang paghahandog sa hari ng Espanya at Simbahang Katoliko.

Nagdulot ito ng suliranin sa mga mag-aaral na pagsabayin ang bigat ng gawain at responsibilidad sa pag-aaral kaya naman nagbigay ng eksensiyon ang pamahalaan sa mga mag-aaral upang hindi maging sagabal sa kanilang pagaaral ang sapilitang paggawa.

Subalit noong 1730, binawi ng pamahalaan ang iginawad na eksensiyon para sa mga mag-aaral na naging sanhi ng pagdedesisyon ng Unibersidad na gumawa ng mga hakbangin upang tutulan ang panibagong kautusan.

Taong 1739, nang magpalabas ng panibagong anunsiyo ang pamahalaan na tanging mga mag-aaral lamang at yaong mga nakapagtapos sa Unibersidad ang hindi kasama sa tributo.

Sa kasamaang palad, muling umusbong ang suliranin noong 1778 nang nagpumilit ang

mga cabeza de barangay ng mga pueblo ng Tondo at Tambobon na sapilitang pagawain ang mga mag-aaral dahil kabilang ang mga pangalan nila sa listahan ng mga magbabayad ng buwis.

Higit na naging masalimuot ang pagpapatupad ng polo y servicios kaya naman maraming Tomasino ang umayaw rito kabilang na si Obispo Domingo Collantes, O. P. na nakipag-usap sa mga Agustino na huwag isama ang mga Tomasino sa paggawa.

Hindi pumanig ang mga Agustino kay Collantes kaya nagpadala siya ng sulat noong 1780 sa Gobernado-Heneral at iginiit niya na ang mga mahistrado ng Tondo, alkade ng mga bayan ng lalawigan ng Pampanga at Bulacan at pati na ang punong mahistrado ng Cavite ay dapat sumunod sa eksensiyon ng mga mag-aaral sa sapilitang pagtatrabaho.

Dahil sa patuloy na paglaki ng suliranin sa polo y servicios, naisipan ni Rektor Diego Saenz na sumangguni sa Piskal Heneral Usapang Uste PAHINA 8

Advertising Arts sophomores Alvin Joseph Kasiban and Basilio Sepe in the Photography section.

Joselito Zulueta, Philippine Daily Inquirer Arts and Books editor, and Journalism lecturer Felipe Salvosa II remain the V’s publications adviser and assistant publications adviser, respectively.

To qualify for the Varsitarian, the staff underwent a three-level selection process consisting of a series of examinations, a panel interview, and other activities.

Philippine Daily Inquirer Senior Reporter Christian Esguerra, a two-time Varsitarian editor in chief, led this year’s selection committee. Members included Palanca awardee Carlomar Arcangel Daoana, former Varsitarian associate editor; lawyer Eldric Paul Peredo, former Varsitarian editor in chief; Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies Director Cristina PantojaHidalgo, former Varsitarian editor in chief; and UST Graduate School Dean Marilu Madrunio.

Espanya nagpadala ng propesor sa UST

KASABAY ng pagsunod ng Unibersidad sa globalisasyon, isang propesor mula sa bansang Espanya ang ipinadala sa UST noong ikapito ng Hulyo upang ipalaganap ang kultura’t wikang Espanyol sa mga Tomasino.

Ayon kay Cornelio Bascara, tagapangulo ng Department of Foreign Languages, ang pagbisita ng mga banyagang propesor gaya ni Jose Miguel Carnicero ay magbibigay sa Unibersidad ng magandang reputasyon at imahe.

“Maganda ‘yung merong visiting professor ang isang Unibersidad dahil pupunuan niya ang isang departamento. Lalong mapapalakas ang pagkakaibigan, relasyong akademiko, at relasyong kultural,” ani Bascara.

Si Carnicero ay ipinadala sa Unibersidad ng Agencia Espanya PAGE 3

Assistant Editor: Lord Bien G. Lelay

JULY 18, 2014

Education Comelec wants special elections THE COMMISSION on Elections of the College of Education will conduct a second round of special polls to install a local student council president, a post still vacant since the February 2014 elections, and a new external vice president.

“We will be having special elections for [the] presidency [with the] same process as the first special elections, but now, we’ve prepared getting-to-know and team building activities, so that the class presidents would know each other and be able to choose wisely,” Johanna Camille Liwanagan, Education Comelec chairperson, told the Varsitarian in an email.

The special poll will take place on July 28. The 240 class presidents in the college will choose from among themselves who will take the position.

Liwanagan said they would also elect a new external vice president after the resignation of Pauline Perez, who obtained a scholarship offer from the University of the Philippines.

Isaac Puyod, internal vice president and officer in charge of the Education Student Council, cannot assume the presidency because no president was elected in their local polls.

Comelec PAGE 5

Archi dean represents RP in Asian confab ARCHITECTURE Dean John Joseph Fernandez represented the Philippines in the recent Architects Regional Council of Asia—Committee of Architecture Education (ACAE) meeting last June 24 in Malaysia, which discussed the architecture education and issues on licensing, cross-border studies and design competitions.

In an interview with the Varsitarian, Fernandez said Philippine architectural education was shifting from traditional teachercentered teaching to outcome-based education, citing an upcoming 2015 Commission on Higher Education memorandum which Fernandez helped draft as a member of the drafting committee.

The Philippines would eventually be able to compete in the global architectural academe, he said, noting that the University was applying for two international accrediting bodies, namely American-based National Architectural Accrediting Board and Paris-based Union internationale des Architectes.

However, Fernandez cited problems in Asian architecture education such as the nonstandardized years of education in India and Japan, wherein some schools have a four-year program and some have five.

Some Asian countries do not have a licensure examination, which could pose difficulty for 2015 ASEAN integration, he added.

Fernandez noted that unlike in the Philippines where a staterun institution facilitates the board exams, other Asian countries tap their respective national architectural organization as the licensure exam facilitator.

The ASEAN Qualification Framework gives bearing to the degree rather than a license, Fernandez said.

ACAE is proposing crossborder study for architecture students, he added.

Some of the member-countries of the organization are China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,Vietnam and Singapore.

JEROME P. VILLANUEVA

The Varsitarian News

3

Thomasians urged to live a prayerful life

Bishop Francisco De Leon arrives at the Santisimo Rosario Parish for the Misa de Apertura.

BASILIO H. SEPE

Artlets eye accreditation, boosts faculty profile THE FACULTY of Arts and Letters (Artlets) is boosting its faculty profile in a bid to meet standards set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and accreditation bodies.

Artlets Dean Michael Anthony Vasco said the faculty hired 26 new instructors to comply with the CHEd ruling of a master’s degree as the minimum qualification for faculty members.

The improvement of the faculty profile also has an impact on UST’s ranking in the yearly survey by the British consultancy Quacquerelli Symonds, and the faculty’s application for the Level IV status, the highest level of accreditation granted by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA).

The Bachelor of Arts programs seeking Level IV accreditation are Economics, Literature, Legal Management and Philosophy.

Artlets is expected to be visited by PACUCOA assessors in August.

“Boosting the faculty profile means that highly qualified teaching staff deliver or teach higher education subjects. We meet the

minimum requirement [set] by the government through the CHEd and more than that we are able recruit experts in various fields,” Vasco said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Vasco added that the increase in faculty members would allow the strict implementation of the 24-unit teaching load, as mandated by the newly-signed Collective Bargaining Agreement 2011–2016 and avoid overloading.

Artlets has 141 members in its teaching staff, 39 of which are doctors of philosophy and 101 are master’s degree holders.

Vasco said part-time lecturers would be recruited occasionally, citing CHEd Memorandum Order 14 that states a Journalism instructor must possess “demonstrably distinguished practice: minimum 5 years of active practice, must have outstanding track record with awards and must have held senior positions,” if he or she does not possess a graduate degree.

Seventy-six faculty members are non-tenured while 65 are tenured. Last year, Artlets had only 123 faculty members, Vasco said.

He pointed out that

international academic setting, only doctorate degree (Ph.D.) holders teach at the university level.

“In foreign universities, even in the ASEAN region, the entry level of a higher education faculty is a Ph.D.,” he said.

Vasco said the target would have to be at least 50 percent of the teaching staff with doctorate degrees.

He noted that on his second term as dean, he was able to maintain the doctorate faculty profile despite the retirement of several faculty members.

“We are able to arrest the possible decrease of the profile as regards the Ph.D. holders because of our massive recruitment of Ph.D. holders. We have to be very assertive in recruiting good faculty members,” he said.

Vasco also said the faculty should be aware of the possibility that the Philippines might soon require an all-doctorate-degree faculty, as the country embraces globalization.

“If the Philippines would want to compete with the internationally recognized or globally recognized institutions of higher learning, we have to move towards that direction,” he said. JEROME P. VILLANUEVA

HEED the “whispers of the Holy Spirit.”

In his homily during the annual Misa de Apertura, which officially opens the new academic year, Antipolo Auxiliary Bishop Francisco de Leon advised Thomasians to read the Bible every day and have a deep prayer life to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s calls and to resist the evils of the world.

"If it (prayer) becomes your habit, you (will) become more sensitive to the whispers of the Holy Spirit, making it easier to avoid temptations from the devil," De Leon, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education, said last July 7.

He added that the Holy Spirit, aside from its other roles, should be treated as a “coach” in life in order to be successful.

“The Holy Spirit is there to guide us [to] the teachings of the Lord. We need the Holy Spirit in our journey whether as a student or a teacher,” he said.

After the Opening Mass at Santisimo Rosario Parish Church, the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Health Care (ECHC) gave a plaque of recognition to the University for providing exemplary healthcare, not only to Thomasians but also to those in need, and imparting healthcare in education.

“UST has made a great impact in the life of the Catholic Church in the Philippines through its reforms in universal health coverage, service delivery, public policy, and leadership,” CBCPECHC Executive Secretary Fr. Rodolfo Vicente Cancino said. “In the curriculum of UST, you have mainstreamed healthcare as an important part of education not only among medical courses but also in other courses, ranging from physical health, to mental health, and spiritual health.”

Fr. Rector Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. said the recognition is proof of Thomasians practicing their values.

“We are honored because [this] is a confirmation of our values as Thomasians,” Dagohoy said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Meanwhile, Faculty of Engineering Dean Philippina Marcelo emphasized the significance of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) in improving educational standards in the Discurso de Apertura.

“OBE is a system designed to globalize education. Educators in many countries agree that OBE is the most effective system to achieve Thomasians PAGE 9

SOCC appoints five new vice presidents

Sr. Regina Kuizon [right] affirms her duties as the provincial superior of the Religious of the Good Shepherd.

CBCP President Socrates Villegas [left] watches over the signing.

Kuizon finished AB Journalism in UST in 1983 and served as the Varsitarian’s Special Reports editor from 1982 to 1983 and assistant publications adviser from 1985 to 1990. ALVIN JOSEPH KASIBAN Read more at: varsitarian.net/witness/20140714/varsitarian_alumna_installed_as_provincial_leader

Espanya FROM PAGE 2

Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), isang ahensya ng gobyernong Espanya na naglalayong ipalaganap ang ugnayang pangkultural ng Espanya at Pilipinas.

Siya ay pinili ng Department of Foreign Languages mula sa anim na kandidatong iminungkahi ng AECID sa UST. Sa Memorandum of

Understanding ng Unibersidad at AECID na nilagdaan noong Peb. 12, 2014, nakasaad na layunin nitong pag-ibayuhin ang ugnayan ng dalawang bansa sa pamamagitan ng pagpapalakas sa larangan ng international studies.

Si Carnicero ay magtuturo ng tatlong yunits ng literatura sa Graduate School at siyam na yunits ng humanities sa Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets).

Dagdag ni Bascara, si Carnicero ay nakatakdang magbigay ng mga lecture, forum at symposium, at magsumite

ng publishable articles sa mga publikasyon ng Unibersidad.

Mananatili siya sa UST hanggang 2015.

Ayon kay Artlets Dean Michael Anthony Vasco, ang isang visiting professor ay magkatutulong sa Unibersidad sa paghahanay ng QuacquarelliSymonds (QS) World at Asian rankings at mga akreditasyon sa bansa.

Si Carnicero ay nagtamo ng doktorado ng Pilolohiya (summa cum laude) para sa pagEspanya PAGE 11

THE STUDENT Organizations Coordinating Council (SOCC) has selected five Thomasians to serve as vice presidents (VP) this academic year.

Fourth year Accountancy student Justin Arrojado was appointed VP for audit and logistics. Jao Dela Fuente, a second-year student from the College of Business Administration is VP for marketing, while Third-year College of Fine Arts and Design student, Carl Castro is the VP for corporate communications, fifth-year Engineering student Rona Ortega is the VP for service assurance, while Jonathan Rosales, a fourth- year Medical Technology student, is the VP for organizational affairs.

SOCC scouted for officers from the different faculties and colleges through an online campaign that started last June 12.

Nearly 50 applicants went through a threelevel screening process.

SOCC president Danisse Odina said VPs were needed to distribute equally and accordingly.

Other SOCC officers are JR Delos Santos of UNESCO, executive president; Jean Galvez of Becarios de Santo Tomas, corporate secretary; and JP Gozun Treasurer, of the UST Junior Marketing Association, treasurer. The SOCC also elected a new board of directors comprised of elected representatives from faculties and colleges.

However, the new VPs are still unofficial without the approval of the Office for Student Affairs (OSA). The SOCC submitted its final list of appointed officers to OSA last June 27 SOCC is the governing body that supervises all activities,” Odiña said. DAYANARA T. CUDAL

4 Opinion The

Varsitarian JULY 18, 2014

JULY 18, 2014

Rookies

Editorial

My brother, my executioner FRATERNITIES or some form of associations for so-called male bonding have been a mainstay in the making of this nation, be it Rizal’s La Liga Filipina, or Bonifacio’s Katipunan, or as in recent cases, in ts unmaking: such as the college fraternities of the despised dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Zamboanga siege butcher Nur Misuari, and other criminals and corruptionists of our sordid history.

It is sad though that recently, fraternity hazing has ended yet another young life.

Counting that and the several unresolved cases that still haven’t found the light of a solid court decision, we seem to have constituted a nation of barbarians masquerading as brothers.

Just last year, the Thomasian community was mourning the loss of UST Legal Management alumnus, Marc Andre Marcos, who had moved to San Beda College for his law studies, but whose studies—and life— were cut short when he died from wounds inflicted by fraternity hazing.

His death, like those before him, was a tragedy and yet here we are again, shocked at another fatal fraternity hazing, this time at the College of St. Benilde.

Supposedly, there is a law against hazing, but it seems the law is more honored in the breach than in its compliance.

There are countless columns and editorials that have pleaded for a stronger anti-hazing law, but in the light of recent events, it seems that what is needed is not a tougher law, but firmer implementation of an already existing law.

Perhaps, there will also be no more need of a tougher law if the fraternities let go of their tradition of hurting new blood before welcoming them into the “family.” There is much to be questioned about this quaint family "tradition" since loyalty cannot be measured by subjecting neophytes to violence and bloodshed.

Violence should never make one believe that he is loved and supported; tough love is no love at all, and those who believe this have been fooling themselves and others.

But why the persistence of hazing and other forms of fraternity violence? The answer may lie in the persistence of tribalism and the primitive wars of old.

The answer lies also perhaps in totem violence engendered from one generation to the next, like the Attic tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, as many of these Greek-letter fraternities have alumni from previous generations who encourage their Editorial PAGE 9

The Varsitarian FOUNDED JAN. 16, 1928

SARAH MAE JENNA A. RAMOS GRACELYN A. SIMON RALPH JOSHUA D.R. HERNANDEZ Editorial Board GENA MYRTLE P. TERRE News Editor LORD BIEN G. LELAY Assistant News Editor PAUL KENNEDY A. LINTAG Sports Editor ANDRE ARNOLD T. SANTIAGO Special Reports Editor JUAN CARLOS D. MORENO Features Editor JONELLE V. MARCOS Patnugot ng Filipino APRIL JOY E. DY Witness Editor HEDRIX AR-AR C. CABALLE Sci-Tech Editor KRISTELLE-ANN A. BATCHELOR Circle Editor MICHAEL CARLO C RODOLFO Online Editor KENO CARLO C. ENRIQUEZ Acting Art Director JOHN PAUL R. AUTOR Photography Editor News Dayanara T. Cudal, Arriane F. Merez, Bianca Kristin A. Taray, Jerome P. Villanueva, Roberto A. Vergara, Jr. Sports Angelica P. Abello, Karl Cedrick G. Basco, Delfin Ray M. Dioquino, Josiah Darren G. Saynes Special Reports Mary Grace C. Esmaya, Mary Gillan Frances G. Ropero FeaturesJelina Anne S. Bunagan Literary Josef Brian M. Ramil, Alpine Christopher P. Moldez Filipino Erika Mariz S. Cunanan, Maria Koreena M. Eslava, Kimberly Joy V. Naparan Witness Angeli Mae S. Cantillana, Danielle Ann F. Gabriel Science and Technology Rhenn Anthony S. Taguiam Circle Ethan James M. Siat Art Jean Helene C. Estella, Kirsten M. Jamilla, Ava Mariangela C. Victoria Photography Nazzi M. Castro, Alvin Joseph Kasiban, Basilio H. Sepe Editorial Assistant Julius Roman M. Tolop

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.

FROM PAGE 12 Height: 5’7” High School: National University Basketball Icon: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers An underrated point guard, this former NU Bullpup is definitely someone to look out for.

His quick decision-making complements his speed, making him a threat if he sees action on the court.

“I can see the coordination in all my teammates. If God permits, I hope for an injury-free season for the Tigers,” he said.

Code FROM PAGE 1

Deus ex machina THE HINDU greeting, “Namaste” honors the divinity that dwells inside every man—the God within the person, the place where the universe resides.

Even the Greek philosopher Plato championed the idea of a separate world of Forms from our physical world—the world of Forms being the place where the perfection of all physical things come from.

To him, it was this divinity that our souls aimed to find and eventually to return to, for a perfect immortal soul only belonged in the perfect and immortal world it hailed from—and perfection has always been the struggle man has always troubled himself with, the search for it being the ultimate end to their means.

The constant flux in fashion and the interpretation of beauty, strength, and meaning is evidence of this.

Curiously, with all the movies and shows that display superheroes or search for the next “idol” this generation

It is only when we acknowledge that we carry something greater than ourselves do we see how the search for perfection easily ends inside of us.

should revere, it would seem as if man is still in search of the divine but mistakenly searches for it in the physical world or within the physical limitations of the body.

Perhaps the search for the divine and perfect is a search for a god?

Some men find their gods in the machines they make, some in money, some in the identity of other men.

But the funny thing is, once man invests his belief unto another man, his reverence fleets almost as immediately as he has placed it.

His miss universe ages,

and another one replaces her in a year.

The bones of his champion weaken and he honors a new one once his body quits.

Even his beloved leaders betray his trust for money and the false promises of temporary power.

Meanwhile, many men do not seek the divine at all and instead believe in their egos and make gods among themselves.

These are the men that cancel the idea of the divine dwelling within them while trampling on their brethren; they limit life within the

physical capacity of their body and carry upon themselves the desire of being great.

So where does one find god in the cities of neon and concrete plagued with revision and reinvention? If we suppose Plato to be right, then does that mean our search only ends when we reach the other realm?

Why not take a hint from Namaste and look within?

It is only when we acknowledge that we carry something greater than ourselves do we see how the search for perfection easily ends inside of us.

It would be difficult desecrating our sanctity knowing how we are not useless hunks of meat, but ethereal vessels that carry the purposes and perfection of this world.

In us, we find the god we seek, not the e go, not the self, but the divine that leads us to the heavenly realms only our souls know of while understanding that man is not the limit of this life, but the bearer of it.

Will Students’ Code be passed this year?

THE FACT that the Central Student Council (CSC) has conducted several meetings with the Office for Student Affairs to revise the Students' Code, which President Ina Vergara expects to be ratified in August, means the charter is on top of the student government's priorities.

Considering the tedious process of reviewing and revising, sudden changes in administration (the code sat through three rectors), and at times, tasks that need immediate attention, like the Quadricentennial celebration in 2011, it is not surprising that passing the charter would take time.

Protecting and promoting the rights of the 45,000-strong UST student body is not an easy task, else it would not have taken 10 years for the code to be ratified.

It remains unfinished to this day.

Only a few of us know that a code which will guarantee and legally protect all our rights as students—including freedom of expression, right to information, and right to due process, among others—is in progress.

Former CSC vicepresident Raymond Angelo Gonzales previously even blamed student apathy for the

Most, if not all, students enter and graduate from UST without looking for a missing piece that is supposedly the Students' Code. postponement of this code time and again.

This indifference could result in two things, in case it continues: First, when local student councils call for a college-wide consultation for the Students’ Code (since the CSC decided not to hold a plebiscite), majority of students might not attend, dismissing it as boring.

Worse, student apathy might result in a failure of election so that the code might not be ratified at all.

Thus, it is a good thing that the CSC is eager on bringing the charter closer to passage, so that we students, apathetic and concerned alike, could finally benefit from the Students’ Code.

However, would there be apathy in the first place if Thomasians feel a pressing need for a charter?

Most, if not all, students enter and graduate from UST without looking for a missing piece that is supposedly the Students' Code.

On the bright side, that would mean students do not feel oppressed or deprived of the inalienable rights due them in any way during their stay in the University, despite not having a magna carta—but that would also mean lack of a safety net should the need arise in the future.

Or is there a lack of awareness due to the absence of a more efficient method of information dissemination about the Students' Code?

If that were the case, then perhaps it is up to the CSC to show the necessity of the Students' Code through better means of educating the Thomasian community, especially by citing instances

of some sort of oppression that would make the Students' Code paramount. An example that would raise such awareness would be the Students' Rights Awareness Week, which the CSC plans to conduct in October.

If every student is at least knowledgeable of the pending charter, then it would be easier to cut off the shelf life of the Students' Code into 10 years maximum.

Besides, the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila, and De La Salle University all have their own magna carta of the rights of students. It is about time UST has its own.

CSC first drafted the Students' Code in 2004, when it was initially named the Magna Carta of Students' Rights. It was almost signed in 2006 by then Rector Fr. Ernesto Arceo, O.P., but was put on hold following his resignation due to a dispute on the P3-billion UST Hospital expansion.

CSC officers went back to "zero" when Fr. Rolando De la Rosa, O.P. assumed office. But when De la Rosa resigned in 2011, he opted his successor to take on responsibility.

The latest draft of the Students' Code has yet to reach Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P.

Varsitarian, defines “faculty” as teaching and nonteaching employees, both tenured and nontenured, that are involved with academic services.

Meanwhile, the 20112016 USTFU CBA subdivides its definition of “faculty member” into regular and nonregular, academic teaching and academic nonteaching personnel. “[S]o far, wala na kaming [nakikitang provisions na] baka magka-conflict [with the CBA]. Depende siguro how the Academic Affairs will perceive it,” she said, noting that no students’ rights will be compromised in coinciding

Fund FROM PAGE 2 Bautista explained that the P29-billion budget was not yet final and may change as discussions continue.

In an interview with the Varsitarian, Rep. Antonio Tinio of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers backed the proposed stabilization fund.

“There should be support for faculty and employees in terms of salaries and benefits, respect for tenure, respect for unions, [and] right to selforganization. In the two-year period, they shouldn’t lose their jobs or suffer from salary reduction, and that established unions will not be abolished,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, CHTE chairman, called on government agencies to quickly come up with a formal

Eng’g FROM PAGE 2 and Multimedia Computing department, have been proposed.

“These (Game Development and Digital Animation) are our proposed

Senate FROM PAGE 12 into consideration the many possibilities concerning this issue,” he said.

“I don’t think this bill will solve the problem because any school or university can deny the fact that they are giving excess incentives to their athletes.”

The Cayetano bill was approved on third and final reason last June 2. A

Name: Alfren Gayosa Age: 19​ Height: 6'2” High School: San Sebastian College Basketball Icon: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Sablan Age: 17 Height: 6’4” High School: University of the Philippines Integrated School Basketball Icon: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City This former San Sebastián Thunder standout is a good all-around pick for UST. Originally a point The 6’4’’ cager out of guard when he started playing UPIS will look to bolster for the Staglets in the NCAA, the Tigers’ rebounding and Gayosa has transitioned to defense this season. the small forward spot before After grabbing 20 settling as a shooting guard. rebounds in a game against Gayosa’s versatility is a Ateneo in 2012, Sablan welcome addition to the Tigers established himself as an overall game on both ends. inside force in the junior “Even though I am a ranks. He said that his rookie, I know that I could hustle play will be his main help my team in a lot of ways,” contribution to a loaded Gayosa said.

Tigers squad.

“Those [hustle plays] are Name: Raymart Angelo extra opportunities for the

team and I’ll make the best out of them,” he said.

Name: Regie Boy Basibas Age: 20 Height: 6’2” High School: Bal-ason National High School Basketball Icon: Paul George, Indiana Pacers The Tigers are looking at a promising prospect at the power forward spot with Regie Basibas.

Coach Dela Cruz sees a lot of potential in the Tacloban native and said that he may even be a key big man in the long run.

“He just needs to boost his strength and stamina but he could already help the team in rebounds as well as in shooting,” Dela Cruz said.

Moreover, she said the CSC prioritizes passing the Students’ Code first before making drastic amendments.

“Basta ang aim namin is not to fully amend the code, but to establish it first kasi ‘yung amendments mas madali, pwede naman namin i-edit sa provision ngayon sa Central Board. ‘Di na dadaan sa plebiscite unlike CSC constitution na kailangan mo pang pagisipan nang intense kasi papaboto ulit kapag may revision every year,” Vergara said.

She added that the members No plebiscite There will be no of Central Board, which consists plebiscite before the Students’ of student council presidents in Code is ratified, but local the University, represent their student council presidents will respective colleges; therefore hold consultations from the it is acceptable to have them students in their respective sign the charter. ROBERTO A. colleges this academic year.

VERGARA JR.

The Varsitarian Opinion

5

Electric car: Not exactly earth-friendly DURING President Barack Obama’s brief visit to the country last April, he attended the Global Electric Transportation’s (GET) launch of the Pangea City Optimized Managed Electric Transport (Comet), which aims to lessen the country’s 90 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions as of last year.

The Comet, which use US-based Pangea Motors and LLC technology, is designed especially for Manila’s busy streets and can run for 100 km in a single full charge with electricity. The first 30 Comet vehicles were deployed last month and by the end of 2016, the government aims to replace 30,000 dieselfuelled jeepneys roaming in the Metro with 15,000 of these Comet units.

Yes, they can be the Philippines’ one way of lessening air pollution because of their “zero-smoke emission” feature, but there’s only one problem – our not so “green” power generation sources.

A 2012 report of the Department of Energy states that our country generates power both from renewable (hydropower and geothermal) and non-renewable (natural gas, coal, diesel, etc.) sources.

But what most of us do not know is that 73.1 percent

the Students’ Code provisions with that of the CBA. “We (students) are the major stake holders dito sa UST, pero of course, we need to respect din that the faculty also has rights, so in order to have equal rights, dapat we respect each other’s freedom [and] constitutional rights kaya dapat i-align in a way na maga-agree both sides,” Vergara said.

The Students’ Code, formerly the Magna Carta of Students’ Rights when it was first drafted in 2004, consists of the Thomasians’ responsibilities and prerogatives in academics, freedom of expression, information, participation in policy-making, organization, and due process, among others.

It went through three different rectors namely: Fr. Ernesto Arceo, O.P., Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., and Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. The passage of the Students’ Code has been postponed several times due to changes in University administration and UST’s Quadricentennial celebration in 2011, while De la Rosa let his successor, Dagohoy, to handle the Students’ Code in 2012 after resigning before the end of his term.

proposal for the stabilization fund.

“They (CHEd, DOLE, DepEd, and TESDA) should take note of all the comments made, because there is still no final draft. They’re still studying all the options possible… there should be a sense of urgency since the implementation of K to 12 is already near,” he said during the meeting.

The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, or the K to 12 program which was signed by President Benigno Aquino III on May 15, 2013, requires two additional years of secondary education starting 2016. High school students will have to enroll in Grade 11 instead of graduating to first year college.

The extended years in high school prompted CHEd to reduce the general education curriculum in college from a maximum of 63 units to 36 units, moving subjects such as Basic Economics, General Psychology, and Filipino to

senior high school. As a result, college teachers would be displaced because of reduced teaching loads.

A study conducted by CHEd and DOLE showed that a total of 86,001 teachers were at risk of displacement upon the full implementation of the K to 12 program.

According to Joseph Noel Estrada, legal counsel of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), schools have no other option but to retrench some of their faculty because of the expected decrease in the number of enrollees in 2016.

“Even without K to 12, the reasons for displacement are the competency of teachers and probationary status,” he said. “[But] the main reason is enrollment because even if the teachers are good but there are few students, there is nothing that these schools can do.”

A study conducted by COCOPEA showed that HEIs would be at risk of

MEREZ

courses, but it doesn’t only involve ICS because we have to consider the artistic factors. We are trying to collaborate with our colleagues in the University and we need to study all factors,” he said.

A request to change the name of the Institute to the “Institute of Information and Computing Sciences” has

been forwarded to Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Clarita Carillo and Secretary General Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P. “The request is still pending but it already passed the Council of Regents. They approved [it] but I think we have to wait for the official confirmation from the Secretary General that it’s the new official name,” he said.

The Institute will have its own student council next academic year.

“We have students who also represent or occupy some key positions in the present Engineering student council.

Our plan for this year is to organize and build a team of students that will represent the ICS student council intended for

next school year,” Santos added.

Five ICS students occupy positions in the Engineering Student council, namely: External Vice President Kimberly Anne Leabres (Computer Science), Internal Vice President Patricia Dominguez (Information Technology), Assistant Secretary Jethro Mascareñas

(Information Technology), and Publicity Team Heads Adrian Bravo (Information Technology) and Chiara Sagun (Computer Science).

A new logo will also be patched on the uniforms to distinguish ICS students from Engineering students.

ARIANNE F. MEREZ

counterpart bill at the House of Representatives is pending before the Committee on Youth and Sports Development.

Rena Ma. Villa, UAAP legal counsel, said the board could review the residency rule in the future.

“Prospectively, the board is moving towards some revisions [in the residency rule] in the future, but as for the opening for this season of UAAP 77 is concerned, there are not much changes. The board retained most of the rules, particularly on the residency,” Villa said.

Overcrowding

and Universities, more than 85,000 HEI faculty and non-teaching staff would be affected by the implementation of K to 12 in 2016.

Villegas added that Catholic colleges should open their own senior high school programs, noting that this should not be problematic because most of colleges already offer secondary education.

Designed to help the students develop skills that are fit for tertiary education,

the K to 12 program was signed into law by President Aquino last May 15, 2013.

K to 12 “covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education to provide sufficient time for mastery of concept and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middlelevel skills development, employment and entrepreneurship,” according to the Official Gazette. M.

Comelec

FROM PAGE 9 school corporations and school officials to be creative, to provide opportunities for the retooling and re-training of our instructors and professors in tertiary education to be able to handle subjects in senior high school,” Villegas said.

Based on the estimation by the Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges

losing at least P150 billion worth of revenue due to the enrollment drop during the full implementation of the K to 12 program.

Not enough Academic and nonacademic unions are still seeking representation in talks regarding the labor implications of K to 12.

Rene Tadle, internal vice president of the UST Faculty Union, said only college and university administrators were approached in the discussions on the K to 12 implementation.

“We are not against K to 12. Our problem here is the way K to 12 is being implemented.

What we are simply asking from this discussion is to not only invite owners of schools, but make sure to invite the faculty unions because that is a different sector. We belong to the same institution but it is possible that we have different interests,” Tadle said during ARIANNE F. the hearing.

No matter how many changes we apply, they will only be put to waste every time the foundation they are built upon is wobbly and ill-conceived. of these sources are from the non-renewable fossil fuels that emit harmful carbon dioxide emissions that sum up to the country’s never ending battle against air pollution.

Fossil fuels used by the Philippines come from coal (36.62 percent), natural gas (25.45 percent), oil-based (5.51 percent), diesel (4.32 percent), oil-thermal (0.90 percent), and combined cycle gas turbine (0.29 percent).

Most of them release more carbon dioxide emissions compared to the gasoline belched by cars in the country.

Could we consider these E-vehicles to be our salvation from the pollution of our air if their emissions are just transferred to the areas where these generators are rooted?

No. Maybe this is just the government’s way to mask the real issue of not having enough clean, renewable power sources that might be the real key on decreasing the Philippines’ carbon dioxide print by introducing these vehicles in our streets.

Power crisis Believe it or not, we have 58 operational power plants scattered all throughout the country but until now, areas especially in the Visayas and Mindanao regions still experience rotating brownouts.

I hail from Kalibo, the 45.75 square kilometer capital of the province of Aklan in Western Visayas. There, we experience more or less eight rotating brownouts each month. Our lives became more miserable in 2006 when our province suffered from the wrath of typhoon “Frank”; it took about one month or so to re-establish a temporary power supply for the major municipalities in the province.

There is just pure darkness at night, so we had nothing to do but just sleep it off and wait for the daylight to come.

In 2012, the World Fact Book by the Central Intelligence Agency of America stated that the Philippines Harbinger PAGE 8

G. C. ESMAYA AND M. G. S. ROPERO

FROM PAGE 3 Lone presidential candidate Juan Carlo de la Paz of AklasSakto party with 528 votes lost to an overwhelming 727 abstentions during the college-wide elections earlier this year. The local Comelec then conducted a special poll last March 8 among 25 class presidents, 16 of whom abstained from voting for unopposed candidate Krishma Kishore, Food Technology junior. ROBERTO A.

VERGARA JR.

6 Features

The Varsitarian JULY 18, 2014

Editor: Juan Carlos D. Moreno

Daniel Lichauco

Thomasian architect designs HIV/AIDS testing center WORK for a cause, not for applause.

This was the principle that architect Daniel Lichauco followed when he designed a project for LoveYourself Anglo Community Center, an HIV/AIDS testing center that opened last June 22 in Shaw Boulevard.

Together with his associates in the Archion Architects firm, Lichauco sought to create a comfort zone for HIV/AIDS patients where they can share each other’s thoughts and experience.

“The design of the place is to provide them a place where they can be tested and talk to somebody,” he said.

The clinic has both public and private space where processes of the HIV screening can be done. Six counseling rooms and a doctor’s exam room are also open in the center.

Lichauco acknowledged the patients' need for counseling considering the stigma they had to contend with.

“What you have to understand is that it is no longer a death sentence to be HIV positive. However, some people are still ashamed of it that is why we are trying to move ahead one of our advocacies, which is HIV and AIDS prevention,” Lichauco said.

UST as foundation Lichauco earned his bachelor’s degree in architecture at UST in 1986. He said the practical lessons that UST taught him developed him to be an architect and educator.

“Carrying the name of Santo Tomas in the workforce will open a lot of doors for you especially when you are going against other schools because they say ‘UST graduates are good’,” he said.

“We may not be from UP, where students are good researchers, thinkers and designers, but I really think UST has an edge in design because it trains the students

David Lichauco shows his blueprints of the project. BASILIO H. SEPE

Editor: Kristelle-Ann A. Batchelor

JULY 18, 2014

The Varsitarian Circle

Coro Tomasino sings for 'Yolanda' victims CORO TOMASINO, and various local choirs and singers, sang for a cause in “Rise!

Rebuilding from the Ruins” at the Manila Cathedral-Basilica last June 11.

The concert was staged for the benefit of Caritas Manila’s Damayan sa Haiyan rehabilitation program for the Yolanda-stricken areas in the Visayas region.

Under the musical direction of renowned composer Ryan Cayabyab, who wrote the hit OPM songs “Limang Dipang Tao” and “Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika,” Rise! aimed to raise at least 20 million pesos for the reconstruction of 20 churches and chapels across Samar and Leyte including the 400-year-old Palo Metropolitan Church.

Cayabyab said music is a powerful tool towards reformation.

“Music rebuilds confidence, as well as our places of worship destroyed by nature’s wrath,” Cayabyab said during the press conference. “We enjoin fellow

to become more real, which is a counter point to other schools where they are more theoretical.”

After graduation, he took an apprenticeship at Leandro V. Locsin and Associates, one of the country’s highly respected architectural firms.

In 1991, he earned his master’s degree in Architectural Design and Theory and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. He later took a master’s degree in Classical Architecture and Urban design at the University of Notre Dame.

He then came back to the country and worked with Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa, designer of the Coconut Palace.

Lichauco was behind several notable projects such as the Ateneo Professional Schools at the Rockwell Center, Ospital ng Makati, Aquino Center at Luisita Tarlac, Asian Hospital and Medical Center and various branches of the Medical City Hospital.

Founding firm In March 2000, Lichauco teamed up with Peter Ong to put up Archion Architects , whose mantra was “Your time is your own.”

“We remind our people to become professional with their work. That’s why we work in a timely manner because we understand that even creative people need a break once in a while,” he said.

One of the values that Lichauco got from the University is honesty which he applies in his firm.

“There are a lot of designers who get commission from their suppliers or contractors, but we want to be honest with our clients by recommending a product that we think is good not because we will be getting a really nice give from the supplier,” Lichauco said. JELINA ANNE S.

Filipinos to sing as one as we see our churches in [the] Visayas rise again in glory.”

The Philharmonic Orchestra provided the symphony to the 13-song set while six other university choirs, including the University of the Philippines’s Dawani Women’s Choir and the Mass Appeal Choir, and local singers graced the cause.

Opening the concert was the monastic chant “Te Deum,” with its monophonic symphony, followed by the lively rendition of “Gloria” sang by tenor Ervin Lumauag.

Delivering the soulful “Anima Christi” was the lone international choir at the concert, University of Hawaii’s Voices of Aloha, under the baton of Miguel Felipe.

Silencing the audience with her angelic voice was mezzo soprano Clarissa Ocampo who sang “Ave Maria.”

Meanwhile, Dada Dp Supnet provided the vocals for “Prayer for Generosity,” followed by

'What you have to understand is that it is no longer a death sentence to be HIV positive'

By M. V. G. P. GUMAPAC

Now on its 10th year, Virgin Labfest continues to stage untried, untested plays with varying themes. ALVIN JOSEPH KASIBAN

Drama fest stages play by Artlets alumna

By THE CIRCLE TEAM

A DESIGN for a storm-proof house has won for a Thomasian architecture graduate the top prize in a competition organized in response to the devastating effects of climate change.

Lara Therese Cruz bagged the award, which came with a P150,000 cash prize, during the Build Forward architectural design competition last May 28. Her entry was a design for a climate-adaptive house.

The recent typhoon Yolanda that clobbered the Philippines left parts of the Visayas region in ruins and called the attention of many organizations to lend a hand.

Many charitable institutions emerged but the Department of Science and Technology, together with the Ortigas & Company and Habitat for Humanity, found another way of helping to the Yolanda victims.

Spearheaded by these huge organizations, Build Forward opened its doors to architecture students and welcomed their cutting-edge ideas.

“My thesis is also about a climate-adaptive and disaster-resilient house, similar to my Build Forward entry. I was browsing online and that is when I saw their website and I immediately registered to be a participant,” said Cruz.

The inspiration for her winning entry is her thesis called LEAPHaus: Low-Energy, Adaptable and Passive House. Her study focused on sustainable site planning and new urbanism equipped with homes that could float even during extreme flooding.

“I proved that disaster-resilient design is essential in order to battle climate change. Only mine adapts well with flooding,” she said.

“I would say that this design is definitely suitable for the Philippine setting and it’s a combination of structural steel and indigenous materials. It has both strength and sustainability."

A FACULTY of Arts and Letters alumna’s tender drama that was a barely disguised tribute to her deceased grandmother became one of the “untried, untested, and unpublished” one-act plays that were mounted during the 10th Virgin Labfest (VLF) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, June 25 to July 6.

Joanna Katanyag, a Journalism graduate and former artistic director of Artistang Artlets, said her play, Betang, was based on her own grandmother’s experiences. The title character is named in fact after her grandma.

The story revolves around an old woman gracefully waiting for her death in a garage during the ungodly hours of the morning.

“I tried writing about it before but it never came about. When Betang died last February, I wanted to preserve her memory so I thought of continuing the script,” Katanyag said.

From 167 entries sent this year, 12 plays

The climate-adaptive design of Lara Therese Cruz bags the top prize in an architecture competition.

Moving forward Cruz was inspired early to take up architecture because of her uncle and godfather, who were both architects.

“I would watch him do his plates and I would get my notebook, pencils and crayons and join him while he is working,” she recalled.

Now that she's living the dream, Cruz has learned some

valuable lessons along the way.

“Architecture is not always about aesthetics. It is more on how your design relates to the people,” she said. “It is also how your design is able to change the way people act and how they live. It’s our job to design forward, that is, to create and innovate.”

“Miserando Atque Eligendo” which was written by Dagupan Archbishop and Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines President Socrates Villegas.

One of the most-awaited performances was His eminence, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle’s special number of the powerful “Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.”

Celebrated mass songs were also given its due with the duet of Nathanael Arnel de Pano and Cherry Caballero.

No Ryan Cayabyab concert would be complete without a performance by his singers as they sang excerpts from “Lorenzo,” the composer’s third religious-themed musical.

Selected OPM singers also shared their talents for free.

Filipino balladeer Basil Valdez sang "Maria,” Jed Madela performed the melodic “Munting Sanggol” while ending the solo Coro PAGE 9

Cardinal Tagle serenades the audience. NAZZI M. CASTRO

BUNAGAN

S tor m-proo f design tops archi tect ure compe t i t ion

7

made the final cut, said festival director Tuxqs Rutaquio.

Sa Pagitan ng Dalawang Kahong Liham, written

by Layeta Bucoy, tells the story of two gay lovers on the brink of a break-up.

Raymund Reyes’s Ang Naghihingalo is about Indoy, an ice cream vendor who needs money for his surgery after a ruptured aneurysm. His children are forced to reunite but in the process, old grudges and resentments are resurrected.

Kevin Tabora’s Mapagbirong Haplos is about the bitter relationship between a woman and her ex-convict father.

Meanwhile, Ang Goldfish ni Prof. Dimaandal by Eljay Deldoc is a comedy about the “murder “of a goldfish pet owned by cranky science teacher who's about to retire.

VLF’s Revisited program once again remounted a number of plays from the previous years.

Liza Magtoto’s Isang Daan explores the conflict between two balikbayan Filipinos fighting together to save a street named after their descendant, a Katipunan revolutionary, from being turned into a highway by government.

8 Filipino

The Varsitarian IKA-18 NG HULYO 2014

Patnugot: Jonelle V. Marcos

Mga guro tumutol sa pagtanggal ng CHEd ng mga araling Filipino Ni ERIKA MARIZ S. CUNANAN PINANGUNAHAN ng Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas (DFPP) ang pagdaos ng “Bantay Wikang Filipino: Ang Pagtuturo ng Filipino sa Kolehiyo” noong ika23 ng Hunyo sa Bulwagang Rizal ng Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura, University of the PhilippinesDiliman bilang pagtutol sa Memorandum Order No. 20 Series of 2013 ng Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

Ayon sa memorandum na ipinalabas ng CHEd, tatanggalin ang siyam na yunit ng Filipino sa General Education Curriculum (GEC) at sa halip ay pahihintulutan ang pagtuturo ng mga aralin sa Ingles o

Filipino depende sa kagustuhan ng paaralan.

Alinsunod ang kautusang ito sa layunin ng CHEd na umayon sa goals ng United Nation’s Millennium Summit na magkaroon ng reporma sa edukasyon upang masulusyunan ang kawing-kawing na problema sa kahirapan, kababaihan, kalusugan at kapaligiran sa pamamagitan ng paghahanda sa mga mag-aaral ng high school sa mga pagbabagong idinulot ng globalisasyon sa kasalukuyan.

Dahil rito, tinutulan ng DFPP ang memorandum sapagkat isa ito diumano’y lumalapastangan sa .pagpapahalaga sa kasaysayan, karunugan at diwa ng mga Filipino sa kabila ng sinasabing layunin n g

Bienvenido Lumbera, a National Artist in Literature. ALVIN JOSEPH KASIBAN

Usapang Uste MULA PAHINA 2 at sa Abogado Heneral kung dapat bang sundin ang mungkahi ni Collantes na eksensiyon para sa mga mag-aaral na Tomasino.

Hindi nagtagal,umabot ang suliranin kay Gobernador-Heneral Basco na pumayag sa kahilingan ng Rektor na iparating ang suliranin sa hari ng Espanya.

Sa kabutihang palad, nagbunga ng maganda ang paghihirap ni Obispo Collantes sa pagsulong ng eksensiyon ng mga mag-aaral.

Noong 1785, nagpadala si haring Charles III ng sedula kay Gobernador-Heneral Basco ng Pilipinas na nag-uutos na ang bawat mag-aaral na Tomasino ay hindi saklaw sa polo y servicios upang hindi mahinto o maabala ang kanilang pag-aaral.

Tomasino Siya Alam niyo ba na isang Tomasino ang kilala sa pagaanalisa ng mga mahahalagang datos mula sa mga misyong pangkalawakan?

Si Benjamin Saldua, nagtapos ng kursong BS Civil/Structural Engineering noong 1969 sa Unibersidad, ay isa sa mga pinaka-iginagalang at hinahangaan sa napiling larangan hindi lamang sa bansa kung hindi pati na rin sa buong mundo.

Sa angking husay, agad na napabilang si Saldua sa Erectors Company na nagbigay daan upang makasama siya sa malaking proyekto na pagpapatayo ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex.

Matapos ang proyekto, lumipad patungong Estados Unidos si Saldua upang ipagpatuloy ang kaniyang pag-aaral sa California State Polytechnic University-Pomona kung saan siya nagtapos ng Master of Engineering in Structural Engineering.

Taong 1981 ng palarin si Saldua na mapabilang sa National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) upang patuloy na magbahagi ng kaniyang kaalaman.

Sa kaniyang tagumpay, ginawaran si Saldua ng

Harbinger FROM PAGE 5 ranked 43rd in the world for power production with 59.19 billion kilowatt-hour (kWh), 44th for power consumption with 54.40 billion kWh, and 150th for power consumption per capita (electric consumption per person) with 524.21 kWh. With these numbers, we could easily see that our country’s electricity production exceeds the Filipinos’ consumption by almost five billion kWh, but still it’s not

pagpapatupad nito.

Ayon kay Rosario TorresYu, direktor ng Sentro ng Wikang Filipino, bukod sa pagtangkilik sa wika, nakaligtaan din ng CHEd na isaalang-alang ang kapakanan ng mga guro ng Filipino na tiyak mawawalan ng trabaho sa sandaling tanggalin ang Filipino sa kolehiyo.

“Hindi rin sila [mga guro] makakapagturo sa high school kasi kailangan ng licensure o nakakuha ng board exam para magturo.

At kung General Education Curriculum naman sa tertiary ang kanilang ituturo, kinakailangan na inter-disciplinary o madami ang asignaturang nalalaman at gagamitin lamang nila ang Filipino upang maituro ito,” aniya.

Dagdag pa ng DFPP, papatayin pa lalo ng bagong sistemang kanilang ipatutupad ang pagpapahalaga sa ating wika dahil makukulong ang tao sa ideyang dahil sa globalisasyon, mas karapat-dapat gamitin ang salitang Ingles Ayon naman kay Bienvenido Lumbera, Pambansang Alagad ng Sining sa Panitikan, nakukulong ang mga Filipino sa paniniwalang ang pag-aaral ng wikang banyaga at pagdaragdag ng dalawang taon

bilang pakikitulad sa sistema ng edukasyon sa mga mayayamang bansa ang solusyon sa mga problemang nasyonal, kaya naman nawawala ang pagpapahalaga sa sariling wika.

“Nakikita natin ang mga Pilipinong lumilipat ng bayan para makapaghanap buhay sa labas ng bansa at naglilingkod sa mga multinational na kumpanya,” aniya.

Sa kabilang banda, bagaman hindi tahasang maglalaho ang Filipino sa kolehiyo, iginiit ni Dr. Glecy Atienza, propesor sa DFPP, na hindi ito sapat upang masiguro na mapapanatiling buhay ang pagtangkilik sa wika.

“Ang pag-aaral ng wikang Filipino ay hindi dapat maging choice, dapat itong maging paninindigan,” ani Atienza.

Bukod pa rito, naniniwala si Atienza na higit na maiintindihan at mapahahalagahan ng mga magaaral ang pagtuturo ng Filipino sa kolehiyo kaysa sa elementarya at high school.

“Napakahalagang linangin ito (Filipino) sa antas o edad na mas mayroon tayong pagkahinog o maturity dahil sa kapag nasa kolehiyo ka na, nagsisimula ka na

Nakikita natin ang mga Pilipinong lumilipat ng bayan para makapaghanap buhay sa labas ng bansa at naglilingkod sa mga multinational na kumpanya.

pinakamataas na pagkilala para sa mga natatanging alumni ng Unibersidad tulad ng Centennial Award for Engineering Research ng Faculty of Engineering noong 2007 at Totus Tuus Award for Engineering Practice ng Education High School noong 2009.

Sa kasalukuyan, si Saldua ang Prinicipal Antenna Structural Engineer sa Jet Propulsion Laboratory ng NASA kung saan niya binuo ang sariling kinlanlan sa pamamagitan ng paggawa ng Single point of contact o ang paraan sa pagpapanatili ng maayos na pagpapadala ng mga datos sa misyong pangkalawakan pabalik sa mga istasyon ng NASA para sa lahat ng geotechnical at structural engineering issues na nasa mga parabolic dish antennas na matatagpuan sa Deep Space Network sa mga bansang Estados Unidos, Espanya at Australia.

Sa kabila ng mga karangalan, hindi nakakalimot si Saldua sa kaniyang pinanggalingan sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang pagiging dedikado at aktibong miyembro ng mga Thomasian alumni association sa Amerika skung saan siya patuloy na nagbibigay ng tulong sa mga grupong nagtataguyod ng mga scholarship at endowment funds para sa mga mag-aaral na kapos palad.

Tomasalitaan Tikatik (PNR)— ulan na mahina ngunit tuluytuloy Hal.: Umaasa si Chloe na mag-aanunsiyo ng walang pasok dahil sa tikatik na ulan.

Mga Sanggunian: Villarroel, Fidel (2012). A History of the University of Santo Tomas: Four Centuries Of Higher Education In The Philippines, 1611-2011 (Vol. I) Manila: UST Publishing House.

Agoncillo, Teodoro (1990). A History of the Filipino People, Quezon City: GAROTECH Publishing.

2014. TOTAL Awards 2014 Souvenir Program.

Benjamin P. Saldua. Nakuha mula sa http:// www.linkedin.com/pub/benjamin-p-salduap-e/52/734/324 enough!

If in the previous years when E-vehicles were not yet born and power production in the country was not enough for the whole nation, how much more when these electricity-fuelled wheels increase in numbers? Of course it will result in greater power demand, more importation of fossil fuels, more greenhouse gases, more pollution.

Price check For an E-Jeep that could carry 20 or more passengers for 80 to 100 kilometers in one six to eight-hour full charge, is the price of

sa pagtahak ng larangan o disiplina na gusto mo talagang gawin,” aniya.

Pagka-Filipino ng wikang Filipino Sa pahayag naman ni Luna Sicat-Cleto ng DFPP, hindi lamang isang pagtataksil sa sariling lahi kung hindi isang pagpapatunay sa kamangmangan at hindi pag-iisip ng mga Filipino ang ipinalabas na memorandum ng CHEd. “Para mong ipinagkanulo na ang sarili mong wika, ang sarili mong sandata upang maging malaya, matalino at paraan upang may maabot ka sa buhay, hindi lang para sa sarili mo kung hindi pati na rin sa mga may kaugnayan sa iyo,” ani Cleto.

Dagdag pa rito, tahasang binabalewala ng bagong memorandum ang kasaysayan ng wikang pambansa at ang mahalagang papel ng wika sa pagpapaunlad ng isang bayan.

Bilang pagsang-ayon kay Cleto, idinagdag ni Atienza na bukod sa pagiging susi ng pagunlad, higit na mahalaga na isaisip at isapuso na ang wikang Filipino ang nagsisilbing tatak ng pagiging Filipino sapagkat ito ang humubog at patuloy na humuhubog sa bayan.

“Kung hindi sariling wika ang gagamitin natin, manananakawan tayo ng pagkakataon na tuklasin yung kaalaman na nakabaon sa ating wika at kasaysayan na tayo lamang ang maaaring makakalag at makatuklas,” aniya.

Sa huli, naniniwala si Atienza na isang magulo at mahabang diskusyon pa ang kakailanganin upang lubos na maunawaan ang kahalagahan ng wika at mahimok ang karamihan na tutulan ang memorandum sa ipinalabas ng CHEd. “Hindi natatapos ang wika sa usaping wika, usapin ito ng paninindigan at kabuhayan na siyang lumikha sa kung ano tayo ngayon,” aniya.

Larawan Minsan kang dadakipin mula sa mundo ng isang ilaw at pagkatapos ay dahan-dahan kang lulunurin, bibitayin at papapayatin bago kita ililibing sa mga nagdidilaw na pahina ng isang lumang album.

Maaari na sa aking pagmumuni-muni’y malimutan kong minsan kitang ninakawan ng ngiti mula sa iyong kabataan, o ‘di kaya’y matabunan kita ng marami pang ngiting ninakaw ko sa iba.

Ngunit kahit ilang beses man kitang malimot at maihimbing sa aking isipan mananatili kang gising sa isang lumang larawan.

FROM PAGE 1 the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets).

Office for Admissions Director Marie Vargas said proper management of the use of facilities and time were needed to prevent overcrowding in some colleges.

“A room that is vacant for a certain schedule is already a waste of money because that could have been used by another section in another program,” she said.

The number of freshmen e n r o l l e e s t h i s a c a d e m i c year increased by 7.8 percent or 946 Thomasians c o m p a r e d with last year, however, the total student population decreased by 5 percent or 2,167 students.

This academic year, the top three colleges with the highest number of freshmen students are the Faculty of Engineering with 2,190, which increased by 41 percent from last year’s 1,549; the Artlets with 1,371, which went up by 22 percent from last year’s 1,120; and the Graduate School with 1,257, which decreased by 36.5 percent from last year’s 1,978.

Meanwhile, the Faculty of Engineering remains the most

Thomasians

populated college in the University with 6,672 students, followed by the Artlets with 4,204 students, and the AMV-College of Accountancy with 3,869 students, data from the University registrar showed.

Vargas assured that the University could accommodate a big number of applicants without sacrificing quality education.

“It is a matter of managing the use of the different classrooms in different buildings,” said Vargas.

St. Raymund de Peñafort is the most crowded building in the University, housing two of the largest student populations—those of Artlets and the College of Commerce and Business Administration.

To minimize the impact of the increase in freshmen, Artlets Dean Michael Anthony Vasco said they will have to maximize the use of their classrooms by having more class shifts to accommodate all students.

“Before, 75 percent of our class sections already had three shifts, which are four hours each. This academic year, all of the class sections will have three shifts in their schedules,” Vasco said.

L a s t year, Artlets held some of

a match between education and practice,” she said, noting that field practitioners should be the one to mentor students.

“Mentors guide students, allowing them ‘regulated freedom’– in exploring their strengths and capabilities for learning, in connecting the dots to arrive at

the answer on their own, in using research and technology resources effectively to facilitate learning, and in collaborating with their peers to challenge the soundness of their ideas,” she said. Moreover, Marcelo said OBE helps in faculty development, research, admissions, professional credentials of support staff, and other exploratory ventures.

Engineering adopted the OBE format in their curriculum last year. DAYANARA T. CUDAL and BIANCA KRISTIN A. TARAY

Security

Coro

FROM PAGE 2

FROM PAGE 7

Badinas said that during important University events, such as bar examinations and Paskuhan, the Security Office would be in close coordination with the Philippine National Police.

Since his appointment in 2009, he was able to make several adjustments to respond to crisis and emergency situations like fire, earthquake, and flood.

The security chief urged students to report crimes to his office even if these happened outside the campus.

performances was Dulce, who sang “Luha sa Kinalimutang Lupa” from the local theatre production “Katy.”

“We must remain in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are slowly recovering from the blows of Yolanda,” Caritas Manila Executive Director Fr. Anton Pascual said. “The chapel has been a place of refuge for the survivors, symbolizing hope and giving them the reassurance that God is with us.”

Other producers of Rise! include the Cultural Center of the Philippines, PLDTSmart Foundation and One Meralco Foundation. E. C. A. LOPEZ

Editorial

further exclusivism, higher forms of elitism, imposing further on society the violence that comes from class war and class struggle.

How can fraternity violence be stopped when our courts and law enforcement system come from the same old boys club engendered by a classconscious and rapacious socioeconomic system?

Because of the persistence of hazing, fraternity violence has become part of the persistent culture of impunity of the Philippines.

None has really been brought to justice for hazing since our justice system comes from the same old boys' network fostered by fraternity exclusivism.

No less than the nation is hostage to the greed and violence of Greek-letter fraternities whose only connection with the glory that was Greece is its slave system, its inegalitarianism, and its lust for blood.

FROM PAGE 3

FROM PAGE 4

advocate cleaner and healthier cities—just like in the provinces where you don’t need to worry about covering your nose from smoke, smog, and other harmful particulates released by gasoline-chugging cars.

There’s nothing wrong with helping a nation become the start of a brighter future, but we should always bear in mind that the roots of these advocacies we fight for, while having pure and honest intentions. Because no matter how many changes we apply, they will only be put to waste every time the foundation they are built upon is wobbly and ill-conceived.

JULY 18, 2014

The Varsitarian Special

Reports 9

Alumni Building to house additional classrooms

JEROME P. VILLANUEVA

MARIA KOREENA M. ESLAVA

P680,000 reasonable? Or an E-Tricycle that costs 200,000 pesos, more than twice the cost of regular tricycles?

According to the statement of GET country manager Anthony Dy in the April 29 article of GMA’s Kim Luces, “The cost of electricity that one Comet would consume per day is estimated to be at P500. This is cheaper compared to the P1,000 to P1, 200 spent by regular jeepney drivers on diesel,” almost 50 percent of the operator’s money are saved daily to gas up.

I have nothing against these innovative E-vehicles. Like their proponents, I too

Editor: Andre Arnold T. Santiago

children to go through the humiliation and violence of fraternity initiation.

These same children will become fullfledged frat men and pass on the gore and bloodshed to the next generation.

The answer may also lie in contemporary violence, how we have been sensitized to violence and its images so much so that nothing shocks us anymore, not hazing, not the gruesome deaths due to hazing.

The answer may lie in the exclusivism and elitism of our higher education system as many of the victims come from schools of the rich, the elite, and the oligarchy.

Not content that they have been constituted into an elite class by the invisible but powerful materialism of the school system, fraternities seek

its classes in the College of Commerce and the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex because of lack of classrooms.

There is enough to be able to meet the Artlets’ needs despite the increase of freshmen, Vasco said and Artlets has even started the installation of LED television units to replace LCD projectors in several classrooms.

From last year’s 23 sections, the number of sections increased to 32 which Vasco attributed to the distribution of 45 students per section.

Meanwhile, the UST Main Building is considered the third most populated building in the University, housing the Faculty of Pharmacy, the College of Science, and the Graduate School.

Science Dean John Ramos said they had enough facilities and rooms to accommodate the sixth largest student population in the University, occupying 32 classrooms and 14 laboratories.

The highest class size belongs to the freshmen, with 45 to 47 students per class, while the lowest class size belongs to the seniors with around 38 students per class.

“While it is true that we increased our freshmen sections by four, there’s no need for us to have Saturday classes,” Ramos said. “Although, we might extend our classes up to 8 p.m. for the higher years [for this] academic year, it will still be limited to Mondays to Fridays. And we only have two shifts—morning and afternoon.”

K to 12 pushes freshmen increase Vargas said the University increased its freshmen admission for this academic year to prepare for the upcoming adjustment period of the K to 12 program in 2016.

Instead of proceeding to higher education institutions (HEIs), fourth year or Grade 10 students will enter Grades 11 and 12 in Senior High School as required by the K to 12. During this period, UST and many other HEIs will suffer from a significant decrease in freshmen enrollees.

However, Dagohoy denied that the sudden increase of freshmen was a part of the University’s plan to prepare for the transition period.

“I think some colleges have seriously expanded the program because of so many applicants.” Dagohoy said.

He said there were no estimates yet regarding the number of students entering the University in 2016.

“We will know the actual scenario when we have the entrance examinations in 2016,” Dagohoy said.

However, Dagohoy assured that the University would be setting up its own senior high school program for the K to 12 program.

Marishirl Tropicales, UST High School principal, said its faculty members would not be affected in terms of teaching load but just adjustments were being made in the curriculum and in terms of assessment.

Faculty won’t be put at stake Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, also the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president, said in a statement that having no freshmen attending in the first year of the implementation of K to 12 is the most pressing problem for Catholic HEIs. “We urge the trustees of our Catholic Overcrowding PAGE 5

UST braces for worse floods NOW THAT the University has moved its academic calendar closer to the height of the monsoon season, will it be able to endure the inevitable rain and flooding inside the campus?

Flooding during the rainy season is a usual event for Thomasians, which is why UST has fortified its plans for crisis management this coming school year.

Lawrence Pangan, Facilities Management Office (FMO) in-house engineer, said flooding inside the University depended on how well the drainage system would work outside the campus.

“People should also think about that when there is flooding outside, which could possibly flow back inside the campus because many low areas surround the University. So, if there’s no other way the floodwater can go, it will overflow into the campus,” he said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Pangan added that the University had tried to control flooding inside the campus by raising concrete pavements and improving the sewage system.

“We are declogging drainages.

If you will notice, flood within the campus subsides first before [it does] outside the campus. It shows that our drainage system is working well,” he said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has projects around UST to decrease flooding, he said.

“One of these is the Blumentritt floodwater interceptor which aims to trap floodwater coming from Quezon City— the main source of flooding in Sampaloc

according to DPWH studies—and transfer it directly to Manila Bay without traversing España,” he said.

However, Architecture Dean John Fernandez said the University should not be “too optimistic” this year as regards flooding inside the campus.

“Expect what we usually experience when there is strong rainfall. Regarding [flood] reduction, I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel until the floodwater interceptor is finished, which will probably be in another two years. Although, DPWH is currently doing a flood control project along Morayta that aims to clear floodwater faster,” he added.

DPWH and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) are improving drainage systems in Manila to minimize the chances of flooding.

Meanwhile, plans of turning the UST Grandstand into a catch basin for floodwater were dismissed because the Grandstand is considered as a national cultural treasure by the National Museum, Fernandez said.

Ina Vergara, Central Student Council (CSC) president, said that this academic year, all announcements regarding class suspensions and

University-wide concerns would come from the CSC Public Relations Officer Jacob See and would be relayed to both the class presidents and class PROs to ensure a wider information dissemination.

According to the Crisis Management Manual, the University’s Rescue Team, composed of floor captains (faculty members), marshals (students and teachers), searchers (students), first aid team (Red Cross), and traffic control team (students and security guards), will direct the movement of stranded students to evacuation sites, which are the Tan Yan Kee Building and the Quadricentennial Pavillion Building.

In these evacuation sites, the UST administration, along with the CSC, SOCC, and other volunteers, will provide food and water to the students.

Supplies will also be sent to other buildings through FMO trucks. MARY GILLAN S. ROPERO

10 Limelight

The Varsitarian

JULY 18, 2014

Acting Art Director: K. C. C. Enriquez

JULY 18, 2014

Editor: Paul Kennedy A. Lintag

The Varsitarian Sports

11

Vigil out to prove himself after return to lineup

JEAN HELENE C. ESTELLA M. A. A. GONZALES KIRSTEN M. JAMILLA AVA MARIANGELA C. VICTORIA

By KARL CEDRICK G. BASCO TURNING a setback into a comeback.

Louie Vigil, the former National Collegiate Athletics Association Juniors Most Valuable Player, is set to make a comeback to the Growling Tigers lineup with a vengeance after missing last season due to academic deficiencies.

The Cainta-native admitted that it was excruciating watching the injury-stricken team struggle to make it to the finals last season before losing to the De La Salle Green Archers in three games.

“It was painful. I wanted to help the team especially when they were suffering in the first round,” the former Jose Rizal Light Bomber said. “I was very frustrated because during the time they needed me, I was not there.”

In a bid to come back strong and ready for Season 77, the 6’3” small forward played in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup last year to gain experience and maturity against tougher competition.

“I played for Blackwater [Sports]. I learned a lot in the D-League because most of the players there can be already considered as veterans. My stint helped me grow as a player and eventually I was rewarded with a championship,” said Vigil. “After that, I knew, I was ready to go back and help the team.”

Raring to bounce back, Vigil shared that he is avoiding distractions that might affect his focus in training, such as going out late and drinking.

He also observes a healthier diet and makes it a point to have enough rest as their training intensifies with the UAAP season fast

approaching.

Considered as one of the players that will fill the scoring position vacated by Jeric Teng, Vigil said that he does not feel any pressure, adding that the current team is different from the previous years.

“This team needs total team effort. Everyone must contribute and we are ready to play without Jeric,” he said.

After missing out last year, Vigil is making sure the team can count on him on both sides of the court every game this time.

Considering himself as a veteran, the Asian Studies major is ready to embrace the role as one of the leaders of the España-based cagers.

“I am a quiet person outside the court but during games I’m intense. I am very vocal in the court,” told Vigil. “I want my teammates to feel my presence especially If I did good in a possession.”

Interestingly, Vigil first became a Green Archer before finally donning the black and gold.

He was already playing for De La Salle University in the 2011 FilOil Pre-Season Cup when he decided to transfer to UST. “I had a problem with the coaches [of DLSU] and I had a minor injury. When coach Pido learned that I am also interested to play for him, he asked me to train for UST,” he said.

Although the Taft-based school was his first option, he considered UST’s quality education for his transfer and a place where he can continue his basketball career.

“Even though money is not that involved here and the offer is not that big, I really wanted to play in UST,” said Vigil.

Louie Vigil looks to bring impact to the Tigers this season. BASILIO H. SEPE

Palarong Pambansa standouts from Cebu suit up for UST Spikers

By ANGELICA P. ABELLO

Dynasty FROM PAGE 12 Female Shuttlers Last Year: Fifth Place Prediction: Fifth Place Even an intact lineup this season, the Female Shuttlers will have a hard time entering the Final Four as other teams also improved their rosters by acquiring top caliber rookies.

“We still have a lot to work on in training but we will try to make it to the Final Four. Other schools beefed up ther lineup and we’re finding that difficult to stay at-par with,” Cajefe said.

The team will be led veteran Anna Patricia Barredo while rookie Iris Macalino looks ready for the collegiate tourney, ranking second in the team’s roster.

Despite the tough competition, Cajefe reminded his players to keep a strong fighting spirit.

“I always tell them to keep their fighting spirit high. Even when they [other teams] have national team players, there are still ways to win,” he said.

Defending champion Ateneo de Manila University remains the team to beat along with De La Salle University and Far Eastern University.

BASKETBALL

Hazing FROM PAGE 1 been involved in the fatal hazing of Servando.”

According to the MPD, one suspect has surrendered to the police while 15 others are still at large. The initiation rites happened in a boarding house in Makati, as confirmed by caretaker Jomar Pajarito.

Recognition of fraternities Lawyer Antonio Chua, director of the Student Welfare and Development Board, said that in UST, fraternities and sororities should comply with the student handbook and should meet the requirements before being

The Tigresses will rely on fiesty forward Lore Rivera, center Maica Cortez, sweet shooting Kristine Siapoc, Kim Reyes and rookies Tin Capilit and Misaela Larosa to power their run-and-gun style of play.

Coach Chris Cantonjos is putting emphasis on defense this season.

“I’m not just saying this, it is already proven that if we play defense well, we are going to win the championship easily,” he said.

The former UAAP MVP-turned coach also said that his wards are on a mission to win their first title since 2006.

But the NU Lady Bulldogs remains a threat for UST’s championship hopes as they trounced the Tigresses in the Filoil Flying V championship.

“We are hungry. We are the team who is very hungry to win the championship,” Cantonjos added.

redeem the crown despite the everpresent Green Archer threat and added that losing will not be an option.

“Winning is the reason why we compete each and every season in all divisions,” Simpao said.

Tigresses Last Year: Third Place Prediction: Champion With a Fr. Martin Cup championship and a FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup runner-up finish under their belt during the offseason, the Tigresses hope to claim the UAAP title next with a battle-tested and defensive-minded lineup.

TAEKWONDO Tiger Jins Last year: Second place Prediction: Champion Aiming to recover from their slip last season when they finished second, the Tiger Jins are seeking for redemption this year.

Despite losing UAAP Season 75 Athlete of the Year Christian Al Dela Cruz, the squad remains one of the toughest contenders for the UAAP title for Season 77.

Coach Dindo Simpao is eager to

Poomsae Last year: Champion Prediction: Champion With an intact lineup, the UST Poomsae team are poised for back-toback sweeps this year.

Armed with a firm fighting spirit, Shannen Sia, Marvin Gabriel, Rodolfo Reyes Jr., and Ronnel Avenido will strive to continue their reign as UAAP poomsae royalty.

recognized by the University.

“As a requirement, we [oblige] them to submit all the names and contact numbers of the members of the fraternities,” Chua said.

The Office for Student Affairs also requires fraternity and sorority officers and members to attend an annual anti-hazing seminar. “[There is] only one university-wide fraternity and that is APO. All the others (fraternities and sororities) are college-based like in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and College of Civil Law,” he said.

Hazing has been banned in the country for two decades now in accordance with Republic Act No. 8049, popularly known as the Anti-Hazing Law.

According to the law, if an aspiring member suffered from physical injuries or dies during an initiation, participating officers and members of the fraternity will be held responsible. “The person or persons who participated in the hazing shall suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua if death, rape, sodomy or mutilation results there from,” the law stated.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) said in a statement last July 2 that it was a serious responsibility for higher education institutions (HEIs) to comply with the Anti-Hazing Law. “CHEd reminds all private and public HEIs to be vigilant and institute measures to regulate recruitment and initiation activities,” the statement said.

DAYANARA T. CUDAL

Boards

Growling Tigers Last year: Second place Prediction: Final four Falling short of the championship for two consecutive years, the Growling Tigers are “hungrier now more than ever.”

The Tigers are looking forward to another crack at the crown with their new and reinforced lineup, including a new coach, one returning player and five rookies.

New Tigers head coach Bong Dela Cruz said his players needed more time to develop their chemisty.

Dela Cruz also expects better performances from veterans Karim Abdul and Aljon Mariano, who are taking the team captain duties for the Growling Tigers.

With the return of Louie Vigil and the help of a deeper bench, the Tigers are aiming to be more versatile and durable during the games this year.

“Basta every day kailangan naming mag-improve individually and also as a team,” he said.

Lady Jins Last year: Champion Prediction: Champion A powerhouse squad in the UAAP, the UST Lady Jins are looking to dominate once again this season.

Banking on reigning MVP Abby Cham and veterans Jane Narra and Bianca Go, the Lady Jins are bound for another strong stint this year.

Coach Dindo Simpao shared that they are determined to extend their reign in the taekwondo scene, adding that he is hoping to sweep all four titles.

“Our desire is to win everything every year,” Simpao said.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Junior Tigresses

FROM PAGE 1 passing rate went down to 54.88 percent, wherein 1,525 out of 2,779 examinees made the cut, compared with last year’s 58.96 percent.

The College of Architecture produced the highest number of newly licensed architects with 199 passers out of 243 examinees, and was named second top-performing school.

UST posted an 81.89-percent passing rate wherein 152 passed out of 206 examinees. This was higher than last year’s 73.79 percent.

Seventh placer Kenneth Guarino led the new batch of Thomasian architects with a score of 84.60 percent. He shared the spot with

Last year: Champion Prediction: Finals DEFENDING the title will be a big challenge for the Junior Tigresses this season following the graduation of their core group, led by Most Valuable Player Ennajie Laure.

Still, UST will be the team to beat this year as coach Emilio Reyes Jr. will look to lean on team captain and last year’s best blocker Pauline Gaston as well as reigning best setter Eya Laure.

“We are 70 percent ready to defend the crown and we will still work on the remaining 30 percent before the UAAP starts. There are still a lot of adjustments to be made because some of the players lack exposure,” told Reyes.

Despite their lack of exposure, Reyes is confident that rookies Maria Regina Mangulabnan, Mary Rose Jauculan and Audrey Bolintiam can fill vacant positions in the team.

“There will be a big adjustment, though they are already familiarized with the other drills. My focus now is their communication inside the court. The team is still competitive,” he added.

Last season, the UST girls’ volleyball team ended their threeyear title drought after reigning over National University, making UST the second most winningest team in the juniors’ division with six championships behind De La SalleZobel.

Karla May Gallardo of Saint Louis University. Another Thomasian Marie Ashley Mendoza placed eighth with a score of 84.40 percent.

The University of San Carlos was declared the top-performing school, with 45 passers out of 50 examinees.

In an interview with the Varsitarian, Architecture Dean John Joseph Fernandez attributed the exam performance to the programs implemented by the college, like the rigid retention policy, outcome-based curriculum, mandatory summer classes and assessment exams.

The national passing rate went up to 61.01 percent, with 1,100 successful examinees out of 1,803.

This was higher than last year’s 50.99 percent, wherein only 901 passed out of 1,767 examinees. A. F. MEREZ, B. K. A. TARAY and J. P. VILLANUEVA

Volleybelles Rivera and Rondina

Polls FROM PAGE 2 UST’s Architecture school, along with the College of Architecture of the University of the Philippines, was declared Center of Excellence by the Commission on Higher Education in 2000. It is also the biggest Architecture school in terms of population in the country with 2,158 students, but De la Victoria does not see Architecture’s huge population as a problem despite sharing a building with the College of Fine Arts and Design.

“We are good in terms of quantity. It is the quality that we lack,” she said.

However, Architecture Dean John Joseph Fernandez attributed the students’ dissatisfaction to the difficulty of the course, noting that Architecture is one of the most difficult programs in the University.

“I really don’t think the survey speaks the sentiments.

How do you know that what you’ve learned here was not good when you have not even applied it in the real world?” Fernandez said, adding that the survey should be given to students who are about to take or have passed

TWO VOLLEYBELLES from the Queen City of the South are raring to dazzle the UAAP sand courts.

Rica Jane Rivera and Cherry Ann Rondina, both standouts from the 2014 Palarong Pambansa in Laguna, will suit up for UST, replacing Pam Lastimosa and Maru Banaticla.

Though both rookies, Rivera and Rondina already have the confidence of veterans as they enter the collegiate beach volleyball scene.

“What we will make them [opponents] feel during the game is that they are playing against veterans,” the 16-year-old Rivera said.

The newest duo for the Golden Tigresses are banking on their experience in the Philippine National Games (PNG) where they earned a silver medal last May 24.

The PNG stint played a major role in boosting their morale, Rivera said, as they overcame a short four-day preparation and opening jitters to finish at second

the Architecture board exams.

Fernandez also said the building’s facilities are of low quality because students have become complacent when it comes to taking care of the University’s properties.

Meanwhile, Science Student Council President Dennis Lagman said expensive laboratory fees and equipment caused dissatisfaction among their students.

“In our college, we have lecture and laboratory subjects.

Students receive and pay. Most of us find laboratory equipment expensive and shocking at times,” Lagman said.

The satisfaction survey, conducted by the Quality Management Office (formerly Office for Planning and Quality Management), identifies areas for improvement and measures the degree of importance and satisfaction given by the student body to different services in the University.

Before second semester ends, students are asked to rate University services in terms of importance and satisfaction as follows: 4 meaning “very satisfied”; 3, “moderately satisfied”; 2, “somewhat satisfied”; 1 “not satisfied”; and 0, “not observable or not applicable.” R.A. VERGARA JR.

Espanya FROM PAGE 3 aaral ng wika partikular sa literatura at lingwistiko sa Universidad de CastillaLa Mancha. Siya ay may master’s degree sa pagtuturo ng wikang Espanyol mula sa Universidad de Alcala, at may Master of Advanced Studies at Master of Arts in English Philology sa Universidad de Extremadura.

Matatandaang bumisita sa UST si Queen Sofia ng Espanya noong 2012, kung saan isa sa mga pakay niya ay personal na inspeksyunin ang mga programang ipinapatupad ng AECID hindi lamang sa edukasyon kundi maging sa proyektong may kinalaman sa kalikasan, demokratikong pamamahala, pagkamit ng kapayapaan, at pagpapalakas ng ugnayang Pilipinas at Espanya.

Nagsimula ang pagpapadala ng visiting professor sa Unibersidad noong 1999, sa panahon ng dating rektor na si P. Tamerlane Lana, O.P. Limang na ang naging visiting professor sa Unibersidad.

JEROME P. VILLANUEVA

place behind the Southwestern University Lady Cobras.

“During PNG, we were sent to the court right away. We didn’t have much preparation.

We had no idea how our play would go and how to play against the veterans,” said Rivera, who graduated from the University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu.

Despite their early struggles, Rivera said their passion for the sport prevailed over what seemed to be a clueless moment and converted their distress to an opportunity to prepare for the real deal.

“It [PNG] was our preparation for UAAP. When we played [in PNG] and made it in to the championship, it helped a lot in boosting our confidence” Rivera said.

These new court stunners are aware that the UAAP is a completely different playing field and admitted that they are still a work in progress.

“We are really preparing for UAAP,” said Rondina, who played for Compostela National High School in Cebu and was named Best Attacker in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa.

Rivera said the tandem was on a mission to improve on UST’s performance last season.

Last year, the duo of Banaticla and Lastimosa failed to defend the crown after getting swept by Adamson’s Shiela Pineda and Amanda Villanueva in the finals.

And for season 77, UST is looking at De La Salle University as the new roadblock on its way to reclaiming the crown after the Lady Falcons lost Pineda to graduation.

“Pineda is no longer with Adamson, only Amanda [Villanueva] stays with the team. I think La Salle will be our toughest contender this season,” Rondina said.

Even returning beach volleyball head coach Emil Lontoc is confident for the two Cebu-natives, commending their potential that can carry them to the top.

“They have a stronger defense which was what we lacked last season,” Lontoc said.

With the recent issues surrounding UST’s failure to recruit top rookies, the arrival of Rivera and Rondina proved that the school is still a top destination for high school standouts.

For both of them, entering UST was a decision based on what the school can offer in terms of academic excellence and not just a ticket to UAAP stardom.

“For me, the school already has its standards and it’s a factor when you look for a job in the future,” said Rivera, a Marketing management freshman.

“I already feel the Thomasian spirit. I feel that I’m already part of the Thomasian community when I entered the school. I’m really excited for UAAP,” Rondina said.

Athletes promise a better season UAAP 77 officially kicked off last July 12, featuring an astronomy-inspired opening ceremony led by University of the East (UE), this season’s host at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

With the theme “Unity in Excellence,” eight planet-like spheres were shown hanging above the rafters representing each member university as one united universe.

In her opening speech, UE President Esther Albano Garcia encouraged participating schools to remain united despite the high level of competition. She said victory was best celebrated together.

Fr. Ermito De Sagon, O.P., director of the UST Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, agreed saying unity did not necessarily mean that the quality of games should diminish.

De Sagon was confident that UST would have a strong lineup across all sporting events as it attempts to regain the UAAP general championship, which was won by De La Salle University last year.

He added that fielding the best players was also the school’s way of living by the UAAP’s theme.

“We always try to field our best players Aljon Mariano leads the pool of UST athletes. but unfortunately it is not as easy with other JOHN PAUL R. AUTOR schools also having their own programs,” he told the Varsitarian. “We will just do our best.”

De Sagon added that as long as Thomasian "You win some games and you lose athletes continue to give their best in their some," he said. "We will win graciously and respective events, there is nothing to be we will lose with humility." KARL CEDRICK G. BASCO ashamed of.

Sports

Tigresses open campaign with a loss against La Salle

THE UST Tigresses missed crucial free throws down the stretch and bowed to the defending champion De La Salle University, 50-56, in their first game in the UAAP women’s basketball tournament last July 13.

UST’s Grace Brillantes missed four straight freethrows late in the fourth quarter with her squad trailing by 11 point.

“We still had our opening jitters. We had flaws on both ends but the bottom line is, our free throws cost us the game, especially the free throws in the last minute,” Tigresses head coach Chris Cantonjos said in Filipino.

The Lady Archers erected an 11-point lead in the fourth frame, 52-41, after Trisha Piatos erupted for eight straight points, including two three-pointers.

UST’s trio of Lore Rivera, Kim Reyes and Maica Cortes sparked a 9-2 run that trimmed the margin to four, 50-54.

Earlier in the third quarter, La Salle started taking control of the game after limiting UST to just four field goals. Piatos then exploded for 10 points in the period to post the Lady Archers’ first double-digit lead, 39-29.

Reyes led the Tigresses with 14 points while Rivera chipped in with 11 markers.

Piatos paced La Salle with a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds.

“We will focus first on our free throws and some adjustments. We did not achieve the things that we wanted to execute so we will work on it as well,” Cantonjos said.

DELFIN RAY M. DIOQUINO

JULY 18, 2014

The Varsitarian

UST Tigers look to revive UAAP dynasty

By The SPORTS TEAM UST IS in unfamiliar territory after losing the general championship anew to the De La Salle University last year.

Can the Growling Tigers revive their historic dynasty and secure their 40th UAAP overall title or will the Green Archers make it three in a row and start their own?

Here is the Varsitarian’s fearless forecast on UST’s quest for redemption in UAAP Season 77.

BADMINTON Male Shuttlers Last Year: Third Place Prediction: Fourth Place With the departure of key players Kit Benjude Cajefe and RJ Ormilla, the Male Shuttlers could miss the Final Four this season.

Head coach Noli Cajefe admitted that this year’s roster would not be as competitive as the one last season.

The rookies, although showing promising potential, were yet to cope with the intensity of the collegiate game, he said.

“The graduation of our No. 1 singles and doubles made our team weaker compared to the other schools. That’s why making to the Final Four is very elusive, as of now,” he said.

However, Cajefe is not closing his door to a possible Final Four appearance as the team will lean on national team mainstay Paul John Pantig, who finished with a silver medal in the 2014 Philippine National Games last May. The Shuttlers are also hoping for a steady performance from third year-players Alcaed Sabanal and Jesschard Piol, who also gained experience in the PNG.

BOX SCORES: UST 50 – Reyes 14, Rivera 11, Felisarte 10, Cortes 8, Magdaluyo 4, Penaflor 0, Angeles 0, Mandilag 0, Isanan 0, Brillantes 0 La Salle 56 – Piatos 23, Garcia 9, Vrgara 8, Claro 6, Mellendres 4, Ong 2, Roxas 2, Concuera 2, Castillo 0 Quarter Scores: 12-14, 24-23, 33-41, 50-56

Dynasty PAGE 10

Five rookies boost Season 77 campaign Growling Tigers falter

HUNGRY. Teams will have to step up their game to regain the general championship. FILE PHOTOS

By ANGELICA P. ABELLO The Growling Tigers are fielding a batch of exciting rookies in their bid to finally capture the UAAP basketball title after two straight runner-up finishes. Here's a look at how could contribute under the system of new coach Bong dela Cruz.

Name: Henri Lorenzo Subido Age: 18 Height: 5’9” High School: De La Salle-Zobel Basketball Icon: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors One of the highly-touted players in the UAAP Juniors’ basketball, Subido will play an integral role as UST’s point guard starting this season.

The two-time UAAP Junior’s scoring leader will rely on his experience, including a stint with the RP Youth team, to prove his worth in the collegiate ranks. Acknowledging that there are proven veterans in the team, Subido said he would focus on being one of the top-ranked point guards this season.

“I’ll focus more on my role as a point guard but I will definitely not detach from being a scorer as well,” he said.

N a m e : Levi Dela Cruz Age: 18

Rookies PAGE 5

Subido

in season opener

NEW COACH Bong Dela Cruz had a tough UAAP debut as his Growling Tigers were crushed by the National University Bulldogs, 40-59, in their season opener at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum last July 13.

A championship-caliber team heading into Season 77, the Tigers committed a total of 26 turnovers, 17 of them during a disastrous second half where NU pulled away for good.

The Bulldogs turned a 16-point lead after three quarters into a 21-point margin with less than a minute left in the game. They capitalized on UST’s poor field goal shooting, a mere 24 percent compared to NU’s 42

percent.

“Our team has many scorers, but [they] failed to deliver during the game,” Dela Cruz said.

The rookie coach expressed his disappointment over the Tigers’ poor performance, saying they lacked team effort as shown by their three assists throughout the game.

“The team was too relaxed and had bad executions during the second half. Those expected to deliver in the game were missing,” he said.

Trailing 9-18 in the middle of the second quarter, the Tigers unleashed a 12-3 run to tie the game at 21 before settling for a 21-25 deficit at the half.

Ed Daquioag uses the screen to dribble past the NU defender. BASILIO H. SEPE

Despite outrebounding NU, UST had trouble converting easy baskets resulting in many fastbreak opportunities for the Bulldogs.

Karim Abdul paced the Tigers

with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds while Aljon Mariano added 10 markers. Gelo Alolino led the Bulldogs with 13 markers.

JOSIAH DARREN G. SAYNES

SpecialReport

Senate Bill 2226 not enough to curb athlete piracy

By JOSIAH DARREN G. SAYNES UST’s top sports official has expressed reservations over a Senate bill seeking to abolish the UAAP’s two-year residency rule to supposedly “protect and promote the rights” of student athletes.

Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P., director of the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, was doubtful that the proposed Student-Athletes Protection Act could really keep schools from providing unwarranted benefits to lure players.

“I don’t think this bill will solve the problem because any school or university can deny the fact that they are giving excess incentives to their athletes,” he told the Varsitarian.

Sen. Pia Cayetano’s Senate Bill No. 2226 limits incentives to “tuition, board and lodging, uniform and equipment, reasonable living

allowance” and similar benefits. The goal is to preserve the amateur nature of collegiate sports.

If passed into law, the measure would outlaw the UAAP’s residency rule, which requires a recruit from another member school to sit out for two seasons unless he gets a clearance from his old school.

“The student-athlete shall be free from any act of restriction or punishment by the old and/ or the new school due to his transfer from the former to the latter,” according to SB 2226.

“No residency requirement shall be imposed on a high-school student-athlete transferring to another school or to a college or university.”

De Sagon acknowledged that a two-year residency “might be too long,” saying it already represents “half of [a] student’s college life.”

But he noted that the residency rule would not be charged against a student’s playing years. A student athlete is allowed to suit up for five years.

De Sagon said the bill should consider the many reasons athletes move from one school to another.

“Different athletes have different concerns. Sometimes it has something to do with the athlete, or at times it has something to do with the parents.

Therefore, we must t a k e

Senate PAGE 5