Assistant Editor: Hannah Rhocellhynnia H. Cruz
News 3
MAY 4, 2018
Pabasa sa Semana Santa, pambungad ng 2018 Buwan ng Panitikang Filipino
MALOLOS, BULACAN– KAILANGANG payabungin ang tradisiyonal na uri ng panitikan upang makintal sa mga kabataan ang paggunita sa buhay ni Hesukristo tuwing Semana Santa, ayon sa Pambansang Alagad ng Sining na si Virgilio Almario, sa pabasang ginanap sa simbahan ng Barasoain, ika-28 ng Marso. Itinampok ang mga pabasa mula sa lalawigan ng Iloilo, Bicol, Marinduque, Pampanga at Bulacan bilang bahagi ng Buwan ng Panitikan sa simbahan ng Barasoain sa Malolos. “‘Yong pasiyon kasi ay bahagi ng ating tradisiyon na Kristiyano [at] napakahalaga [nito] sa buong buhay [natin] kaya gusto namin na sa pamamagitan ng pabasa [ay] maibalik ang paggunita, [lalong-lalo] na ng present generation, sa ganitong traditional form,” paliwanag ni Almario, tagapangulo ng Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining (NCCA), sa isang panayam sa Varsitarian. Sinang-ayunan ito ni Armando Sta. Ana, kinatawan ng Arts, Culture, Tourism and Sports Division ng Malolos, na nagsabing layunin ng pabasa sa Barasoain na muling buhayin at balikan ang sinaunang panitikang Filipino.
“Dito sa Bulacan, buhay na buhay ang pagalaala ng pasyon ni Hesukristo. Dito makikita ang mga kaugalian at tradisiyon [kagaya ng] pabasa [at] senakulo,” sabi ni Sta. Ana. Dala ng mga mananakop na Kastila noong ika-16 hanggang ika-17 siglo ang pabasa na isang awiting relihiyosong kadalasan sinasaliwan din ng gitara at naging tradisiyon na tuwing Semana Santa.
Mga pagbabago sa iba’t ibang lalawigan Ibinahagi naman ng mga kinatawan ng iba’t ibang lalawigan ang kanilang pamamaraan ng pabasa sa kanilang lugar at ang mga pagbabago sa mga ito. Kuwento ni Charito Remon, mambabasa ng pasyon mula sa Bicol, “Maraming tahanan sa amin noon na nagpapabasa mula Lunes Santo hanggang Biyernes Santo ngunit ngayon ay nagsisimula na lamang ng Miyerkules Santo, siguro nagtitipid sa budget.” Binigyang-diin din niya ang kawalangkaalaman ng mga kabataan tungkol sa pagbasa ng pasiyon lalo na ang tono nito na itinuturing na awtentiko. Sang-ayon dito si Pascuelita Midaig, Pabasa PAHINA 10
Pagbasa ng pasyon na ginanap sa Malolos, Bulacan.
MAREM A. DE JEMEL
Veteran Thomasian journalist Nestor Mata; 92 UST scores 100 percent in electronic technician, master electricians board exams By JULIA CLAIRE L. MEDINA
VETERAN newsman and columnist Nestor Mata died on April 12 at the Cardinal Santos Memorial Medical Center. He was 92 years old. Mata obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1958 at the University and later on his master’s degree in foreign affairs. He taught political science and journalism subjects in the University in late 1960s. He was the lone survivor of the plane crash that killed President Ramon Magsaysay and 26 others on March 17, 1957. He was covering the president as a reporter for the Philippines Herald. Mata wrote for the Philippines Daily Express until 1986, and became a columnist for the Manila Standard beginning in 1987. His columns began to appear in Malaya Business Insight in 1999. Jan Mata, Mata’s son and a UST political science alumnus, said his father did not simply teach and write but inspired Filipinos with his writings. “We are so proud of our father. His works and opinions were read and admired by many. He was not only a mentor, but an inspiration,” Jan told the Varsitarian in a phone interview. Former Faculty of Arts and Letters dean Belen Tangco said she remembered Mata as a very dedicated professor. “He was very faithful to his teaching career even if he was very busy as a journalist. In all the careers that he had, he was respected,” Tangco said.
Student affairs FROM PAGE 1 Student Affairs Director Ma. Soccorro Guan Hing, however, said the specific details on the suspension would soon be issued. OSA has also required organizations that were not accredited and were seeking recognition for Academic Year 2018 to 2019 to submit a letter explaining why they should be accredited. In October of last year, a month after Civil Law freshman Atio died, the OSA conducted a University-wide seminar for organization advisers and student leaders on the Antihazing Law. It recommended a comprehensive review of the Student Handbook and the accreditation process for organizations.
Nestor Mata PHOTO COURTESY OF MATA’S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
In a Facebook post, Nestor Cuartero, Manila Bulletin-Tempo editor, said Mata was a supportive mentor to young journalists. “The one great lesson Mr. Mata passed on to me is to be helpful to young journalists, artists, painters, musicians,” Cuartero said. Mata’s remains were interred on April 17 at Himlayang Pilipino in Quezon City.
Student Organizations Coordinating Council President Alrenee Rostata said the council aimed to provide an avenue for organizations to voice out their advocacies and their vision, however they will not file an appeal to OSA that would address the said suspension as the office was already accommodating their queries regarding the issue. “We are now strengthening the policies as well as improving the system for the recognition of organizations together with OSA. We are also in contact with them to settle the matter at hand,” Rostata told the Varsitarian in an online interview. Central Student Council (CSC) President-elect Francis Santos said the suspension of accreditation of new student organizations was in contrast with the students’ right to association or formation of organizations as provided by the CSC Constitution. “This decision of OSA all
the more demands that the Students’ Code be passed so that our rights as students – to assemble, association, and creation of organizations will be protected to the full extent of the law,” Santos said in an online interview. Article 3, Section 6 of the CSC Constitution mandates the right of students to legally organize for “physical, intellectual, moral, cultural, civic, spiritual and political interests” that would conform with the mission of the University and for purposes not contrary to law. According to the University Student Handbook, student organizations may be formed upon application for recognition with the OSA, which may be renewed every year upon compliance with renewal of requirements.
THE UNIVERSITY kept a 100-percent passing rate in the April 2018 electronics technician licensure examinations, with all four Thomasian examinees passing the test. Mark Jefferson Arellano of Cagayan State University – Tuguegarao topped this year’s electronic technician board exams after scoring 89 percent. Mapua Institute of TechnologyManila remained the top-performing school with all of its 69 examinees passing the test. The national passing rate declined to 76.93 percent, with 1,141 takers making the cut out of 1,483 examinees, from last year’s 80.13 percent or 1,020 out of 1,273 examinees. UST meanwhile posted a higher passing rate in the electronics engineering board exams. The passing rate improved to 66.67 percent, with 14 Thomasians passing the test out of 21 examinees, from last year’s 57.50 percent passing rate, or 23 out of 40 examinees. Mark Eullysis Alzaga of Far Eastern University – Institute of Technology led the country’s new batch of electronic engineers with a score of 93.30 percent. University of the Philippines-Diliman emerged as the top-performing school, scoring a 100-percent passing rate with all 27 examinees making the cut. The national passing rate improved to 45.36 percent, or 1,208 out of 2,663 examinees, from last year’s 41.27 percent or 1,033 out of 2,503 examinees.
Master electricians, electrical eng’g UST recorded a perfect score in the April 2018 master electrician licensure examinations, with all two Thomasian examinees passing the test. Jayson Bonajos of Bohol Island State University topped the board exams with a score of 93 percent. De La Salle University-Lipa was hailed as the year’s top-performing school in the master electrician board exams, posting a 98.55-percent passing rate, or 68 out of 69 examinees. The national passing rate fell to 50.08 percent, with 1,831 making the cut out of 3,656 examinees, from last year’s 58.05-percent, or 1,817 out of 3,130 examinees. UST meanwhile recorded an 80-percent passing rate in the electrical engineering board exams, with four out of five examinees making the cut. Last year, the University clinched a perfect passing rate with all of its seven examinees passing the test. Kevin Relleve of University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños led the country’s fresh batch of electrical engineers with a score of 92.75 percent. UP Los Baños was named this year’s top-performing school after registering a 100-percent passing rate, with all 53 examinees hurdling the test. The national passing rate rose to 52.12 percent, with 1,315 making the cut out of 2,523 examinees, from last year’s 44.92 percent, or 994 making the cut out of 2,213 examinees. KEVIN A. ALABASO
Bar exams
reviewing the coverage of the bar exam. [M]y prayers always include: ‘fill my inadequacies.’ In our language, ipinagpasaDiyos ko na,” Torralba said. Former Varsitarian associate editor Denise Pauline Purugganan also passed the exams. The national passing rate dropped to 25.55 percent or 1,724 successful examinees out of 6,750 exam takers. Last year’s passing rate was 59.06 percent or 3,747 out of 6,344 examinees. More than 7,200 examinees from all over the country flocked to the University as it hosted the Bar exams in November. Held on all four Sundays of November last year, the exams covered various areas including civil law, political law, labor law, taxation, criminal law, remedial law, legal and judicial ethics. According to Bar exam rules, an examinee is deemed to have passed if he or she obtained a general average of 75 percent. The chairman of this year’s Bar exams was Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin, former faculty member of Civil Law.
FROM PAGE 1 “I couldn’t believe it until I saw the official list... I think that every Bar reviewee probably dreams of topping the Bar. But once you actually take [it], you’ll lower your expectations and pray to God that you’ll pass. That’s what happened to me [because] I felt like I made too many careless errors during the [exams,]” Gayya told the Varsitarian in an online interview. Aguilar said she prepared early for the Bar exams, dedicating all her hardwork and success to her family. “I instilled in my mind that I am in law school not to waste money. I must be serious in it. I must dedicate my time and effort wholeheartedly in everything that I will do,” Aguilar said in an online interview. Torralba dedicated the results to the Lord and his family members. “I spent... months reviewing and as always, I overestimated my pace in studying. That said, I failed to finish