The Varsitarian P.Y. 2018-2019 Issue 11

Volume XCI, No. 11 • June 30, 2019 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF SANTO TOMAS Manila, Philippines

‘SUCCESSOR OF DOMINIC’ Timoner is new Master of the Order of Preachers FORMER University vice chancellor Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P. will lead the worldwide Dominican Order for the next nine years, becoming the first Filipino and Asian to head a religious mendicant order.

Timoner, a member of the

AT THE HELM. Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P. reads the Nicene Creed during his installation as the 88th head of the Dominican Order. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS)

WHAT'S INSIDE UNIVERSITY

A UST alumnus has been named commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education, taking over the post vacated by the chairman, Prospero de Vera III.

PAGE 2

EDITORIAL

The recent maritime incident in the West Philippine Sea brings into clear relief what has been very evident all along: lapdog Duterte in his natural habitat, following his master Xi Jinping’s lead on how to cover up China’s imperialist and totalitarian–and very violent–tendencies.

PAGE 4

Fratman in Atio hazing slay convicted THE PARENTS of hazing death victim Horacio “Atio” Castillo III said the conviction of John Paul Solano for obstruction of justice on June 17 would pave the way for a “perfect conviction” for other accused members of Aegis Juris fraternity.

The Manila Metropolitan

SECOND TERM

A cost-effective and timesaving method of identifying cancerous from noncancerous tissues has been developed by Thomasian researchers.

PAGE 9

International Theological Commission that advises Pope Francis and a former head of the Filipino Dominican province, was elected Master of the Order during the Dominicans’ General Chapter in Bien Hoa, Vietnam.

The 88th Master of the Order succeeded Fr. Bruno Cadoré, O.P. who had led the Dominican Order since 2010. Timoner will serve as the worldwide head of the Order of Preachers until 2028.

In his first address as the Master of the Order, Timoner reminded his fellow Dominicans of their identity as preachers of the Gospel.

“Mission is not what we do.

Mission is who we are. And if that is very clear, then everything will just follow,” he said. “Action follows being. [W]e are invited to really look not at ourselves but at the Church that we are supposed to serve and to build.”

He added: “We are preachers even if we are doing serious research alone in our rooms. We are preachers even when we are helping the less privileged. That is our identity.”

Timoner served as prior provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines from 2012 to 2016.

In 2017, he was named by Cadoré as socius or his assistant for the AsiaPacific.

Timoner was appointed by Pope

John Paul Solano (FILE PHOTO)

Trial Court Branch 14 found Solano “guilty beyond reasonable doubt” of providing false and misleading information to law enforcement and investigating agencies.

However, the court acquitted Solano on charges of perjury.

“Talagang napapatunayan

na they have the intention to obstruct, pagtakpan at i-conceal, so we are very happy with the conviction with the obstruction, ito ang first step to a perfect conviction,” Carmina Castilo, mother of Atio, told reporters on Monday.

Solano faces two to four years imprisonment.

He was initially named a witness in the case after he claimed that he found Atio’s body on a sidewalk in Tondo and brought it to Chinese General Hospital on Sept. 17, 2017.

He later on admitted that he went to the fraternity library on Laon Laan Street and performed CPR on Atio, after he was told in a Fratman PAGE 10

Francis as a member of the International Theological Commission in 2014, the fourth Filipino named to the body.

Born in Daet, Camarines Norte on Jan. 26, 1968, he joined the Dominican Order as an aspirant in 1985. He professed in 1989 and was ordained priest in 1995.

He obtained his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Philippine Dominican Center of International Studies in 1991 and his bachelor’s degree in theology from UST in 1994.

He obtained his licentiate in sacred theology and master’s in intercultural theology from the Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen in the Netherlands in 2004.

Timoner served as the 11th rector of the UST Central Seminary, from 2007 to 2012.

He was also UST vice rector for religious affairs and regent of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

Dominican spirituality is founded on its four pillars, prayer, common life, study and preaching. EUGENE DOMINIC V. ABOY, O.P.

Vatican advances sainthood of 2 Dominican nuns THE HOLY SEE has elevated the status of two Dominican nuns from “Servant of God” to “Venerable,” advancing their causes for sainthood.

Mother Maria Beatriz del Rosario Arroyo, O.P. and Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo, O.P. are now two steps closer to sainthood following the promulgation of the decrees by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on June 12 and July 5.

Sr. Ma. Arlene Nacionales, O.P., secretary general of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines, said Mother Rosario lived out the heroic virtues of simplicity, charity and a life of prayer when she donated her wealth to establish their congregation in Iloilo.

“She gave up [her] wealth, even donated to the congregation, and she lived in a very simple life so that even her habit, she mended her personal own habit,” Nacionales told the Varsitarian in an interview.

Mother Rosario was born on Feb. 17, 1884, in Molo, Iloilo City.

O n Jan. 3, 1914, she became a member of the Siena sisters founded by Mother Francisca in 1686.

Vatican PAGE 3

2 News

Editor: Kevin A. Alabaso

JUNE 30, 2019

P900-M hospital extension to open in 2020

THE NEWLY inaugurated, P900-million extension of UST Hospital will operate in 2020, Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. has said.

Construction of the building, named after St. John Paul II who visited the University in 1981 and in 1995, broke ground in October 2013.

“We still have to complete some of the facilities and it will take two to three months of testing and commissioning [before we open it to the public],” Dagohoy told the Varsitarian in a chance interview.

A clinical pathology unit, morgue and dietary section will occupy the ground floor of the extension, while the business units and laboratories will be on the second floor. The third floor will house offices and a mezzanine.

An ancillary department with laboratories, radiology units and pharmacy will be on the fourth floor, while operating rooms will be housed on the fifth floor.

Rooms for patients will be on the sixth to ninth floors.

A medical director has yet to be appointed, the Rector said.

Fr. Bruno Cadoré, O.P., outgoing head of the Dominican Order, led the Mass and blessing of the building on July 4, reminding hospital staff that caring for the sick should be the “heart” of the newly built hospital extension. “[K]nowledge, research and study are important for [everyone]. Compassion will be the fount of knowledge, research and care for the sick,” said Cadoré, himself is a physician.

The French Dominican acknowledged the University for its commitment and determination in building the extension of the UST Hospital.

A testimonial dinner was held at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building in honor of Cadoré, where he emphasized the lesson of brotherhood. “[T]he first and most important message of our University is that to become good, we need to [first recognize each other] as brothers and sisters,” Cadoré said in his speech.

Fitting closure The inauguration rites put closure to the 2007 controversy over the scuttled construction of a 19-story hospital tower that would have required the University’s medical institution to go into more profitable businesses and take a P3-billion bank loan.

Cadoré’s predecessor, Fr. Carlos Azpiroz Acosta, O.P., ordered a leadership shakeup and sought the resignations of the prior provincial of the Filipino Dominicans, Fr. Edmund Nantes, O.P., rector Fr. Ernesto Arceo, O.P. and vice rector Juan Ponce, O.P. Dr. Cenon Alfonso, former hospital president and chief executive officer, also resigned following the dispute.

Cadoré also convoked the Provincial Chapter of Filipino Dominicans.

He later headed to Bien Hoa in Vietnam for the General Chapter of the Order of Preachers from July 7 to Aug. 4 at the St. Joseph Seminary in Xuan Loc. Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P., former UST vice chancellor and Philippine prior provincial, was elected as Cadoré’s successor, the first Filipino and Asian head of the Dominican Order.

The General Chapter is the highest decision-making body of Dominicans, attended by provincials and other representatives of Dominican convents and ministries around the world.

Hospital, union dispute ‘still under DOLE’ In February, the UST Hospital Employees’ Association filed a notice of strike before the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) after negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement reached a deadlock.

The Labor department has been mediating the dispute between administrators and union leaders since February, the Rector said.

A total of 399 union members had voted “yes” to a strike, while only seven voted against it.

Hospital employees, who asked not to be identified, claimed they were grappling with unfair work conditions.

Acting medical director Marcellus Ramirez denied the allegations in an official statement in March.

“There is no instance where the nurse who rendered an overtime work was not paid as long as the proper forms were complied with,” the statement read.

New UST Legazpi Hospital building UST Legazpi administrators blessed the newly constructed Santo Rosario Building, or UST Legazpi Hospital, on June 22.

UST Legazpi Rector and President Fr. Ernesto Arceo, O.P., said more than P100 million was spent on the construction of the hospital.

“We hope that this new [building] will further improve the holistic services Hospital PAGE 5

UST aces interior design, architecture board exams

(From left to right) Newly appointed deans Prof. Marilu Madrunio (Arts and Letters), Prof. Michael Anthony Vasco (Graduate School) and Prof. Rowena Escolar-Chua (Nursing). Their term begins on Aug. 1.

New deans named for next academic year UST RECTOR Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. has appointed new deans for the Faculty of Arts and Letters, the Graduate School and the College of Nursing.

Graduate School Dean Marilu Madrunio will take the helm at the Faculty of Arts and Letters, the country’s oldest liberal arts college, while Vasco will become dean of the Graduate School, effective Aug. 1, the Varsitarian has learned.

Prof. Rowena Escolar-Chua is the next dean of the College of Nursing, outgoing dean Susan Maravilla announced in a Facebook post on June 28. Under Maravila, since 2015, the college has recorded perfect passing rates in nursing licensure examinations.

The Graduate School opened new master’s and doctorate programs under Madrunio’s stint,

such as electronics engineering, occupational therapy and journalism.

Doctorate programs in music and health research are set to be offered next academic year.

A total of 26 programs were given Level 4 accreditation by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities’ Commission on Accreditation (Pacucoa).

Madrunio was president of the Philippine Association of Language Teaching from 2016 to 2017 and was a member of the technical committee for the English language of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

Prior to her deanship, she was chairwoman of UST’s English department for six years. The next Artlets dean holds a doctorate in linguistics from De La Salle University.

Vasco back to Grad School Outgoing Artlets dean Michael Anthony Vasco is among the youngest UST administrators. Before being appointed Artlets dean at the age of 37 in 2010, he was faculty secretary of the College of Nursing and the Graduate School.

Under his stint, the Artlets offered three new programs, namely: English language studies and history in Academic Year 2011 to 2012, and creative writing in the last academic year.

The philosophy program was named a center of excellence by CHEd and its communication arts, journalism and literature programs were named centers of development.

Arts and Letters currently has four programs with Level 4 Pacucoa Deans PAGE 5

Med tech alumnus appointed CHEd commissioner A UST alumnus has been appointed to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), taking over the place of now Chairman Prospero de Vera III. Aldrin Darilag, a medical technology alumnus, will serve as commissioner until July 2020.

“I would like to believe that I have a special mission to fulfill

[in] the higher education system in which the Thomasian virtues could be [used] to transform our nation through excellent education,” he said in an interview.

The former Varsitarian Filipino writer believes that being an academician for 21 years and his experience as an certified human

UST medical technology alumnus Aldrin Darilag will serve as CHEd commissioner until July 2020.

CAMILLE ABIEL H. TORRES

resources director of De La Salle Philippines equipped him with the necessary expertise in curriculum development, strategic planning and knowledge in governance and education, which he thinks are vital for the post.

Academic excellence, innovation, and integrity, he said, should all be integrated in the Philippine higher education development plan.

“I suppose that I could synergize my experience as a long-time educational leader for the task-based development and my human resource skills for people-based formation,” he said. “A good mixture between being task-oriented and peopleoriented.

The 48-year-old commissioner plans to venture on extensive programs and improvement in the local research and knowledge management.

He also intends to focus on aligning the implemented standards by local accrediting agencies to Alumnus PAGE 5

Usapang Uste Akademikong kalayaan, pangunahing karapatan ng mga propesor DAHIL sa mapagmatyag na alituntunin sa UST, binigyang-diin sa editoryal ng Varsitarian noong Agosto 1946 ang kahalagahan ng akademikong kalayaan o ang awtonomiyang pagpapasiya ng bawat propesor sa

pamamalakad at pagtuturo sa silidaralan.

Nakatuon ang kalayaan na ito sa pagbabahagi ng kaalaman at pagkakaroon ng malayong diskurso sa klase nang hindi naapektuhan ng polisiya ng Unibersidad, ayon sa pangulong tudling ng pahayagan.

Iba’t iba man ang estratehiya ng mga propesor, hindi dapat nailalagay sa panganib na matanggal sila sa pagtuturo dahil lamang sa paggamit ng kanilang karapatan.

G a y u n p a m a n , iminungkahi ng pangulong tudling na magkaiba ang kalayaan sa pananalita sa akademikong kalayaan dahil ang nauna ay sumasaklaw lamang walang restriktong pagsasalita.

“The professor whose values are the same as businessman’s or the politician’s has missed his true calling, and cheats himself and

his students,” ulat ng editoryal.

Dagdag pa nito, malaya dapat ang mga propesor gumawa ng sarili nilang panuntunan, kurikulum at kondisyon sa pagtuturo.

Ipinaalala ng Varsitarian na isa sa mga susi ng pag-unlad ng kalidad ng edukasyon ang akademikong kalayaan.

Tomasino Siya Sa pamumuno ng Tomasinong siyetipiko na si Carmen Kanapi, napaigting ang kredibilidad at husay sa pananaliksik ng Kolehiyo ng Agham at Graduate School ng Unibersidad.

Si Kanapi ang kauna-unahang babaeng hentista sa bansa na nagtapos ng doktorado sa zoology major in genetics sa University of Texas and Austin sa Estados Unidos at pre-doctoral studies in human genetics sa John Hopkins University sa Baltimore, Maryland.

Nakapaglathala siya ng mga Usapang Uste PAGE 5

A THOMASIAN emerged as the topnotcher in the June 2019 interior designer licensure exam, while three others landed in the top 8.

Ana Bernardine Carillo led the country’s newest batch of interior designers with a score of 86.15 percent.

Roxanne Salvador placed fifth with an 81.55-percent score while Mutya Angela Bautista grabbed the sixth spot with an 80.75-percent score.

Micah Joy Guevarra clinched the eighth spot after scoring 80 percent.

The University’s passing rate rose to 78.48 percent, with 62 out of 79 examinees making the cut. This was higher than last year’s 66.67 percent, or 82 out of 123 examinees.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila was this year’s top performing school, with a 91.67-percent passing rate, or 22 out of 24 examinees making the cut.

The national passing rate rose to 65.94 percent, or 211 out of 320 takers, from last year’s 55.53 percent, or 251 out of 452 examinees.

Architecture board exams UST was the top-performing school for third straight year in the June 2019 licensure examinations for architects, with four Thomasians landing in the top 10.

UST’s passing rate rose to 92.86 percent or 195 out of 210 examinees, from last year’s 84.19 percent or 197 out of 234 test-takers.

Jillian Espinosa and Marc Exams PAGE 5

EdTech, STePs under new ICT office THE UNIVERSITY has opened a new information and communications technology unit under the supervision of the Office of the Rector, and reshuffled three other offices, the Office of the Secretary General announced last June 24.

The new Office of Information and Communications Technology is headed by Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P. Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. said the new office was formed to “harmonize” the Educational Technology (EdTech) Center and Santo Tomas e-Service Providers (STePs) under one office. “[W]e would like to use the EdTech an–d the STePs [to] come up with a more functional office that could address the technological requirements of the University,” Dagohoy told the Varsitarian.

The Office of Planning and Quality Management (OPQM) and Office of QS/THE Rankings, formerly under the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, were transferred to the Office of the Rector.

Prof. Clarita Carillo will still lead the OPQM with the rank of assistant to the Rector, while Nestor Ong will still be the deputy director for the QS/THE Rankings.

The Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS) was moved to the Office of the Vice Rector. It was formerly under the Office of the Rector.

Prof.

Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo and Assoc. Prof. Ralph Galan remain the director and assistant director of CCWLS, respectively. AHMED KHAN CAYONGCAT and RYANNE C. MAGPALI

CHARM

JUNE 30, 2019

Witness 3

Vatican declares 2 Dominican nuns ‘venerable’

FROM PAGE 1

She established the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines in Iloilo City 1925.

Also known as “Madre Sayong,” Mother Rosario died of heart failure on June 14, 1957.

Former Jaro archbishop Angel Lagdameo opened the diocesan process for the cause of her canonization in 2009.

Challenge to follow heroic virtues Sr. Cecilia Varon, O.P., superior of the Holy Rosary School of Pardo in Cebu, said Fr. Juan de Santo Domingo’s writings on the foundation of the congregation and the life of its foundress were instrumental in Mother Francisca’s cause for sainthood.

Varon added that the progress on Mother Francisca’s cause is a challenge for Siena sisters to boost the promotion of devotion to her by living out her examples.

“The first thing would be the living witnesses of the sisters. Now that she is raised to being venerable, then it’s a greater challenge for the sisters to really live her virtues,” she said.

Mother Francisca was born in Manila around 1647.

Widowed and childless, she joined the Dominican Order as a tertiary in 1682.

On July 26, 1686, she founded the Beaterio de Sta. Catalina de Sena de las Hermanas de Penitencia de la Tercera Orden and became its first prioress.

The congregation, now known as the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, was approved in 1688 by former Master of the Order Antonio Cloche.

Mother Francisca died on Aug. 24, 1711. The process for her cause for sainthood began in 2002, on the initiative of the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin. Candidates for sainthood require two miracles attributed to their intercession. On the approval of the

for simplicity, generosity, legacy in education Despite being raised in an affluent family, Arroyo or Madre Sayong to her fellow religious, devoted her life and wealth to building a Dominican congregation for women and schools in Iloilo.

Sr. Ma. Arlene Nacionales, O.P., secretary general of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines, said Mother Rosario lived out the heroic virtues of simplicity, charity and a life of prayer when she donated her wealth to establish their congregation in Iloilo.

“She gave up [her] wealth, even donated to the congregation, and she lived in a very simple life so that even her habit, she mended her habit,” Nacionales told the Varsitarian in an interview.

On June 12, the Vatican’s Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognized Arroyo’s “heroic virtues,” which elevated her status from “Servant of God” to “Venerable.”

She was born on Feb. 17, 1884, in Molo, Iloilo City. She entered religious life at the old Beaterio de Santa Catalina in Manila, now known as Santa Catalina College.

As part of her formation, she took up music and taught Christian Living to children. On Jan. 3, 1914, she became a professed Dominican sister.

Madre Sayong, together with her sisters, was also sent by the bishop of Jaro to teach in the parishes to stem the spread of Protestantism.

She, along with her parents and former Jaro Bishop James Paul McCloskey, had long planned to build a religious congregation in Iloilo.

Once the permit was secured from the Vatican in 1925, Arroyo asked her superiors for help in building the religious congregation with Bishop McCloskey.

Her request was granted and she

authenticity of the first miracle, he or she is beatified or named “Blessed.”

Canonization requires a second miracle.

There are currently two Filipino saints — Pedro Calungsod, canonized in 2013, and Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, a Dominican layman, canonized in 1987 Madre Sayong remembered

came back to Iloilo, accompanied

by Mother Mercedes del Santisimo Rosario O.P. and Mother Ana de Jesus O.P. They established the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines in Iloilo City in 1925, with a charism and apostolate in education.

The congregation now has 264

The official portrait of Venerable Rosario Arroyo hangs at the convent of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary, the congregation which she established in Molo, Iloilo City.

GENIELYN ROSARIO M. SORIANO

professed members.

Nacionales said the Molo Sisters in Iloilo continue Mother Rosario’s legacy by expanding their network of schools in Western and Eastern Visayas, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Hawaii and California.

It has ties to UST Legazpi and Elizabeth Seton School in Las Piñas and offers pastoral services in Italy.

‘No one empty-handed after an encounter with Madre Sayong’ Madre Sayong died on June 14, 1957, because of heart failure.

Several years after her death, her remains were exhumed from the Molo Catholic Cemetery and transferred to a chapel inside the Dominican Sisters Motherhouse in Molo, Iloilo City.

Her possessions were displayed in the Mother Rosario Museum inside the Motherhouse

Newly declared Venerable Madre Sayong died in 1957. Decades later, the Pope recognized her “heroic virtues,” making it possible for her to become the first Filipina saint..

GENIELYN ROSARIO M. SORIANO

in 2008.

Mother Visitacion Alecto, head of the Mother Rosario Arroyo Commission, recalled Madre Sayong’s generosity. “[N]obody gets inside the Mother’s house and went out [e] mpty [and] hungered,” she told the Varsitarian.

Her simple life was manifested through her possessions displayed in the museum.

Portraits of her family showed that Madre Sayong came from a family of five.

Her parents were Doña Maria Pidal and Don Ignacio Arroyo, who was a graduate of San Juan de Letran.

She had two siblings who finished their bachelor’s degree in UST. Mariano Arroyo was a physician while Jose Arroyo became a lawyer and senator.

One of their family traditions was almsgiving. In her parents’ early married life, they wanted to donate part of their wealth in support of religious foundations.

Their donation to the congregation helped build free schools for the less fortunate, such as the Sacred Heart Academy, Mary Immaculate Academy, Rosary Academy and St. Martin Academy in Iloilo.

Growing up, Madre Sayong often visited the Blessed Sacrament in their family chapel and was a devotee of the Blessed Mother. In her will, she stated that every feast of the Blessed Mother should be celebrated with a High Mass.

Madre Sayong only had two pairs of habits in observance of austerity and simplicity. The two were kept in the museum together with the habit for her burial.

“Simplicity transpired as the soul of the gallery as she only had few pairs of sandals because she only wanted to have what she needed,” Alecto said.

Venerable Madre Sayong was also described as detached from material things because “she wanted to follow the Lord, sharing with His sufferings.”

“Chastity and obedience is a part of poverty [and Mother Rosario lived up to that],” said

Sr. Maria Eleanor Garlitoin, O.P., who manages the museum.

Road to sainthood The cause for her canonization was opened by Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo in 2009.

The Mother Rosario Commission then met with a postulator priest of the Augustinian Recollect Order in Rome to help them in the canonization process.

A total of 37 witnesses were interviewed to testify to Mother Rosario’s heroic virtues.

“Mother Rosario was a very charitable person. In fact, during her time, they said that nobody went out without being satisfied meeting [her] because she always gave what they need,” said Alecto.

Heroic virtues are based on the cardinal virtues, faith, hope and charity as well as the theological virtues, justice, fortitude, temperance, and prudence.

Alecto described their foundress as a prayerful woman who offered even her resting time to prayer.

“She prayed unceasingly because she prayed for everyone, not only for herself, [and] that’s heroic, that’s something,” Alecto added.

To be finally declared a saint, the Vatican must be able to validate at least two miracles attributed to the candidate — one each for beatification and canonization.

The healing miracle must be instantaneous, permanent and cannot be explained by science.

The verification of a miracle for Mother Rosario’s cause for beatification is underway.

Alecto added: “We are all called to be saints. That is our objective in living, the purpose of God in creating us. Many saints in heaven are not proclaimed, that is, not canonized, but once they are in heaven, they are saints.” M. L. SERQUINA and M. U. COTONGAN with reports from THERESE MARIE UNGSON AND MA. ALENA CASTILLO

4 Opinion

JUNE 30, 2019

Editorial

Treason, betrayal on Independence Day IT IS IRONICAL that the Department of National Defense announced the sinking of a Filipino fishing boat by an aggressive Chinese vessel on Recto Bank on Independence Day. The incident reinforced the fact that Filipinos aren’t free and sovereign right in their own territory, or in this case, right in their own exclusive economic zone.

In denial of Chinese aggression and trampling of Philippine sovereign rights is China’s Philippine satrap Rodrigo Duterte. who has never upheld much less implemented the 2016 International Court of Law ruling against Beijing’s historic rights on the entire South China sea.

Meanwhile totalitarian Communist Beijing has downplayed the matter as an “ordinary” maritime incident even if the Chinese vessel violated international law when it left the hapless Philippine fishermen adrift on sea. (They were later rescued by the Vietnamese.)

The incident brings into clear relief what has been very evident all along: lapdog Duterte in his natural habitat, following his master Xi Jinping’s lead on how to cover up China’s imperialist and totalitarian–and very violent–tendencies.

The President has denied even Philippines’ international law-mandated sovereign rights over the exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. He is backed up by actor and plagiarist Senator Tito Sotto who publicly expressed his approval of China fishing in our own seas, even when no one was asking for his crummy opinion.

Either the highest government officials in our land are clueless or ignorant (or both) of our Constitution, the international law or even the 2016 victory of Manila against Beijing’s sweeping and inaccurate 9-dash line claim over the West Philippine Sea. As these laws overtly shout the exclusivity of Philippine waters, nothing has been exclusive to the Philippines since Duterte cuddled up with China, sealing a deal in 2016, that he proudly admitted was done behind the Congress’s back, with a fishing agreement which allowed them to fish in our own waters.

But why should we expect Duterte to protect our territorial waters when he could not even protect the lives of Filipinos, when the only lives he cares to protect are those of his allies, donor businessmen and his friend, China?

China was never the Philippines’ friend. It is surely the friend of corrupt government officials past and present. It surely is the friend of drug traffickers in the country since billions worth of drugs seized in the Manaila ports have come from China. Duterte has ordered killed just about every petty drug dealer and poor drug user, except for those who tried to smuggle in billions of drugs through Philippine ports, To be sure, none of his Customs and other officials who saw the drugs smuggled under their very noses has been indicted The vicious cycle of broken promises, lies and Editorial PAGE 5

FOUNDED JANUARY 16, 1928 CHRISTIAN DE LANO M. DEIPARINE Editor in Chief KLIMIER NICOLE B. ADRIANO Managing Editor LEXANNE O. GARCIA Associate Editor JULIA CLAIRE L. MEDINA Online Editor KEVIN A. ALABASO News Editor MA. ANGELICA D. GARCIA Sports Editor ARIANNE AINE D. SUAREZ Special Reports LOUISE CLAIRE H. CRUZ Features Editor ELMER B. COLDORA Literary Editor LYON RICARDO III M. LOPEZ Circle Editor JOSELLE CZARINA S. DE LA CRUZ Patnugot ng Filipino DEEJAE S. DUMLAO Chief Photographer NATHANAEL JONAS S.J. RODRIGO Art Director News Raimee Rose Arugay, Ahmed Khan H. Cayongcat, Charm Ryanne C. Magpali, Angelika V. Ortega Sports John Ezekiel J. Hirro, Rommel Bong R. Fuertes Jr., Faith Yuen N. Ragasa, Ivan Ruiz L. Suing, Theresa Clare K. Tañas, Justin Robert Valencia Special Reports Lady Cherbette N. Agot, Job Anthony R. Manahan, Klyra V. Orbien, Francis David T. Perez Features Ma. Jasmine Trisha L. Nepomuceno, Jade Veronique V. Yap, Neil Joshua N. Servallos Literary Karl Ben L. Arlegui, Jessica Joy C. Buenafe, Leigh Anne E. Dispo, Matthew Dominic D. Dimapawi, Hailord N. Lavarias Circle Jiselle Anne C. Casucian, Nolene Beatrice H. Cruicillo, Katrina Isabel C. Gonzales, Neil Paolo S. Gonzales Filipino Vivienne Audrey P. Angeles, Francis Agapitus E. Braganza Witness Eugene Dominic V. Aboy, O.P., Ma. Alena O. Castillo, Malic U. Cotongan Mariel Celine L. Serquiña Science and Technology Miguel Alejandro IV A. Herrera, Beatriz Avegayle S. Timbang and Therese Marie F. Ungson Art Mariane Jane A. Cadiz, Alisa Joy T. del Mundo, Mari Kloie D. Ledesma, Gwyneth Fiona N. Luga, Jury P. Salaya, Rica Mae V. Soriente, Catherine Paulene A. Umali, Edward Jefferson Uy Photography Nadine Anne M. Deang, Jean Gilbert T. Go, Renzelle Shayne V. Picar, Hazel Grace S. Posadas, Bianca Jolene S. Redondo, Enrico Miguel S. Silverio, Jose Miguel J. Sunglao, Mark Darius M. Sulit, Mary Jazmin D. Tabuena, Camille Abiel H. Torres, Marvin John F. Uy, Arianne Maye D.G. Viri Editorial Assistant Jose Miguel S. del Rosario FELIPE F. SALVOSA II Assistant Publications Adviser JOSELITO B. ZULUETA Publications Adviser Letters/comments/suggestions are welcome in the Varsitarian. Only letters with signatures and corresponding contact details 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 the writer may be withheld upon request. The editors will not be responsible for the loss of materials. Contributions must be sent to THE VARSITARIAN, Rm. 105, Tan Yan Kee Student Center, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila.

Protest beyond screens THE SUCCESS of protesters in Hong Kong in forcing their leadership to stop passing a controversial extradition bill that could be used by Communist Beijing against its dissenters and critics in the special administrative region should instruct Filipinos that they—we—are not at all powerless against China.

Simultaneous with its attempt to clamp down on dissent and democracy in the Hong Kong administrative system, China is trampling on Philippine sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, even if the international tribunal has already ruled in favor of the Philippines.

China continues to disregard international law, acting irresponsibly and aggressively on its vastly smaller neighbors.

Other than territorial bullying, China has also penetrated Philippine infrastructure and information and communication technologies, largely through the special treatment provided Beijing and its Communist bosses by its satrap in Manila— President Duterte.

Now, Duterte has said he has allowed China to fish at Recto reef, in effect justifying China’s intrusions there and the sinking of a Philippine fishing

These experiences taught me the gravity of the responsibility of journalists — that what we write become people’s basis for their views, beliefs, actions or even the truth. vessel by the Chinese.

What agreements have Duterte entered into with totalitarian China?

Hong Kong has vigorously demonstrated dissent over one suspicious extradition bill.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, several suspicious agreements have been undertaken with China and yet, not one united protest has happened.

Although Hong Kong has more bandwidth, they do not protest via social media. They do not resort to slacktivism but bravely and convincingly flood the streets. On the other hand, it is unimaginable to see Filipinos flooding the streets to protest against China’s encroachment in our seas.

Whether this shows if we are apathetic, satisfied with the status quo or clueless of

what is happening, China is penetrating Philippine territory and we only have used social media to rant about it while electing public officials to further these anti-Philippines and anti-democratic endeavors. *** Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Manny Mogato once said that “Journalism is at its purest in the campuses.”

Perhaps this is because most aspiring journalists have entered UST with well-driven and untainted passion for writing and truth. However, such passion is not enough to live out the essence of journalism on campus. These passions must be molded by a publication well-governed by the discipline and ethics of

journalism.

As one of those aspiring campus journalists, the Varsitarian, the 91-year-old official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas, has fit the perfect combination of translating my passion for writing through the discipline of journalism.

Entering the ‘V’ has exposed me to rigorous training—from contacting credible resource persons, to finding the right angle, organizing coherent paragraphs, leg working to different parts of the country.

My articles have been sent back and forth by my editors who carefully pointed out my mistakes. All these have taught me the importance of careful information gathering, factchecking and synthesizing to produce a well-balanced article.

These experiences taught me the gravity of the responsibility of a journalist, especially in a social-media-savvy country – that what we write become people’s basis for their views, beliefs, , actions or even the truth – so we better be careful.

My seniors have constantly reminded me that “the Varsitarian will not be the Varsitarian without the Witness (Religion) section.”

They have stressed that it is the only campus paper with a religion section in it. I have absorbed the Gird your loins PAGE 10

To seeing the bigger picture of things HAVING been part of the Sports section of UST’s official student publication and eventually becoming its editor have made me realize to give always importance to the bigger picture.

In Season 81 of the UAAP, the Golden Tigresses might have fallen short of the coveted women’s volleyball crown, but what they did was to revive the spirit of the Thomasian crowd in every game.

Despite the Tigresses’ silver-finish, the University still proved that it is a force to reckon with after notching its 43rd UAAP general championship this year, thanks to other UST teams who donned the black, gold and white loud and proud as well.

The Lady and Tiger Spikers, Lady and Tiger Paddlers, Lady and Male Judokas and the Female Tracksters, teams that had little or no fanfare at all were responsible for UST’s seven gold medals in the first semester, while the taekwondo and poomsae teams bagged silver medals.

Sisi Rondina became a superstar after her legendary beach volleyball career, copping four titles, including four Most Valuable Player plums.

But her win in the tournament is worth 15 points,

The lack of support for these sports is unacceptable because to be honest, these athletes have a bigger shot of winning in international leagues. just like the other UST gold medalists.

As a former athlete, I know how much these Thomasian players sacrificed just to represent the University and reach their goals. It is disheartening that the efforts of these unnoticed athletes have been neglected because like most Filipinos, people tend to only care about basketball and volleyball.

The lack of support for these sports is unacceptable because to be honest, these athletes have a bigger shot of winning a medal in the international leagues, rather than basketball or volleyball.

Do not get me wrong, I love basketball and volleyball, but since joining the Olympics in 1924, the Philippines have only won 10 medals and none of them came from the two

sports, which have gotten the lion’s share of support, public and private.

This should be a wakeup call for the government to step up and invest in sports Filipinos are actually good at if they want to earn a new feat in the international level. *** It was a hard decision to leave my volleyball career behind, but farewells carry both fulfillment and heartbreak. As what Alexander Graham Bell said “When one door closes, another opens.”

My failure as an athlete brought me to the Varsitarian, which eventually became my new playing field and home.

I have always wanted to don the black, gold and white jersey, but as I entered

college, I realized that I was not fit for the team and that I would be better off on the sidelines, writing UST sports as history in the making.

When I entered the publication, I was initially shocked with the amount of time and effort journalism required, including a strong heart. Sports has always been my comfort zone where I feel safe despite all the obstacles, failures and denials, the reason why I applied as a sports writer in the ‘V.’ It is in watching, playing and writing about sports that I learned lessons that are not taught behind the four walls of a classroom. Most people would not understand and regard sports strictly as a physical activity, but behind the thrilling games are unexpected learning experiences.

Although I am not the one playing on the court and hitting the ball, I still feel the same excitement even if I was just sitting on the sidelines, taking notes of the highlights of the game.

The ‘V’ has taught me to stop stressing over things I cannot change and just focus on what is already there. I have also learned that great things are achieved through determination and hardwork just like how athletes spend hours in training Down the Line PAGE 5

JUNE 30, 2019

UST, Panitikan at ‘V’ LUBOS na nakadidismaya ang naging pinal na desisyon ng Korte Suprema hinggil sa pagaalis ng Filipino at Panitikan (Philippine Literature) sa mga core subjects sa kolehiyo.

Kinatigan nito ang naunang desisyon na nagbasura sa apela ng grupong Tanggol Wika kontra sa Memorandum Order 20 ng Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

Isinasaad sa nasabing utos na hindi na requirement sa kolehiyo ang pagkuha sa mga asignaturang Filipino at Panitikan.

Bagamat mariin ding ipinaliwanag ng CHEd na inilipat lamang nito sa kurikulum ng Senior High School ang Filipino at Panitikan, bigong maisaalangalang ng ahensya ang katuturan ng pagtuturo ng mga asignaturang ito maging sa kolehiyo.

Bukod sa libo-libong guro ang mawawalan ng trabaho sa Filipino at Panitikan, pagkasira—o ang pinakamasama, pagkalimot— sa pagkakakilanlan bilang Filipino ang kahihinatnan ng pagiging optional ng mga nasabing asignatura sa kolehiyo. Hindi kasiguraduhan na sapat na ang pag-aaral ng mga ito sa elementarya at sekundarya.

Sa pag-ulat tungkol sa mga lunsad-aklat at diskusyon ng mga akda, nakita ko kung paano masasabing nakakabit sa Panitikan ang mga mahalagang usapan sa lipunan.

Sa inihaing protest letter ng Tanggol Wika kaugnay sa naging desisyon ng Korte Suprema, inilatag nito ang komprehensibong presentasyon ng malaking kaibahan ng pagtuturo ng Filipino at Panitikan sa kolehiyo mula sa elementarya at high school.

Sa naunang panayam ng Varsitarian kay Joselito de los Reyes, tagapangulo ng Departamento ng Literatura sa UST, iginiit niya na hindi lamang sinusuri ng kursong Panitikan ang mga dakilang akda. “[T]inutugis din nito ang dahilan ng kadakilaang iyon,” wika niya.

Sa pag-aaral ng Panitikan sa unang taon ko sa Unibersidad, maliwanag sa

akin ang malaking pagkakaiba ng natutunan ko noong high school at ngayong kolehiyo.

Aminado ako na pumasok ako ng Unibersidad na limitado ang kaalaman tungkol sa panitikan ng Pilipinas. Hilig ko noon ang magbasa ng mga young adult literature ng mga paborito kong dayuhang awtor.

Mabibilang lang sa daliri ng kamay ang mga alam kong akdang pampanitikan mula sa Pilipinas.

Bagamat may mga akda na parehang natalakay noong high school at ngayong kolehiyo, masasabi kong malaki ang pinagkaiba ng naging paraan ng pagtuturo ng mga ito.

Nariyan halimbawa ang pagsuri sa nobelang Dekada

‘70 ni Lualhati Bautista na patuloy na nagpapaalala sa karahasan at madilim na kasaysayan ng bansa sa ilalim ng Martial Law. Sa aking pagkakaalala, natuon lamang sa banghay ng nobela ang talakayan namin noong high school. Bukod sa tuwirang pagtukoy sa mga tauhan at tagpuan, naroon din ang pagsulat ng buod ng nobela.

Sa pagsusuri namin ng Dekada ‘70 sa kolehiyo, malalim na tinalakay ang konteksto ng nobela, partikular na ang mga kaganapan sa ilalim ng rehimeng Marcos. Hindi lamang limitado sa elemento ng akda ang pagtalakay namin sa akda ni Bautista. Sa pag-uugnay ng kasaysayan at politikal na usapin ng Pilipinas, naunawaan ko ang pagkadakila ng nobela at kung bakit mahalagang tinatalakay ito.

Isa lamang ang Dekada ‘70 sa mga patunay ng mahalagang gampanin ng Panitikan sa paghubog ng makabayang tunguhin.

Nakatutulong ang Panitikan sa pagkakaroon ng kritikal na pag-iisip—katangiang lubos na kapaki-pakinabang sa pagsusuri ng mga isyung Uphill Battle PAGE 10

Editorial: Treason, betrayal on Independence Day Hospital FROM PAGE 2

FROM PAGE 4 betrayal is in front of us yet our government officials choose to look past it and side with China.

The one-sided relationship of China exploiting the Philippines, its strategic location, natural gas, economy, and territory, for its megalomaniac Belt and Road Initiative and soon, world domination, is enabled and supported by Duterte who thinks that this is “how things go.”

New deans FROM PAGE 2

accreditation and six programs with Level 3 accreditation.

Vasco holds master’s and doctorate degrees in philosophy, from UST. Madrunio and Vasco, both full professors, received the Gawad Benavides Award in the 20th Dangal ng UST Awards for 25 and 30 years of service, respectively.

From the ranks Incoming nursing dean Escolar-Chua served as assistant dean and faculty secretary of the college prior to her appointment.

She holds a doctorate in development studies and a master’s in nursing from the UST Graduate School.

In her Facebook post,

Usapang Uste FROM PAGE 2

lokal at internasyonal na artikulo, gaya ng “An Analysis Of Polymorphisms Among Isozyme Loci In Dark And Light Drosophila Ananassae Strains From American And Western Samoa” noong 1966.

Mula sa kaniyang mga kontribusyon, idineklara siyang dekana ng Graduate School noong 1976 hanngang 1982. Itinatag niya ang Office for Graduate Research, bagong mga masterado sa Business Administration at Human Resource Management at pinangunahan ang pagsasaayos ng Linguistic program ng Graduate School.

Dahil sa kaniyang mahusay na pamumuno sa College of Science, idineklara siya bilang Dean Emeritus nang siya ay magretiro noong 2009.

Naging tagapagtatag rin si Kanapi ng Biology Teachers Association of the Philippine,

But, no, Rodrigo, that is not how things should go. The Philippines, which you claim to protect, deserves more than your defeatist remarks and outright sellout and treason.

The President has sworn to protect the country’s sovereign territory. We have the Constitution to help you enforce that but you choose to use it to wipe your butt. If anyone is thoughtless, it is our very own Duterte. If anything outgoing dean Maravilla said she was confident that she would be turning the college over in good hands “for besides being competent, she (EscolarChua) is loyal and passionate in her love for the college.”

Deans are selected through the recommendation of the Rector in consultation with the search committee to the Academic Senate, according to UST’s General Statutes.

The Academic Senate is composed of the vice chancellor, Rector, vice rector, the vice rectors for religious affairs, academic affairs, research and innovation, and all deans of faculties, colleges, institutes, and schools.

When approved, he or she would serve as dean for three academic years.

RAIMEE ROSE L. ARUGAY and CHARM RYANNE C. MAGPALI na pinamunuan niya noong 1971 hanggang 1974.

Ginawaran siya ng The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni Award noong 1997 sa kategorya ng Edukasyon, AT Medal of Honor for Peace and Welfare through Education NG Kyung Hee University sa South Korea. FRANCIS AGAPITUS BRAGANZA Tomasalitaan katamanan (png) - lubos na pagbibigay ng atensiyon at konsentrasyon Hal.: Sa katamanan ng lider sa isang maliit na problema, nakaligtaan niyang bigyang-pansin ang isyu sa teritoryo ng bansa.

Sanggunian: The Varsitarian, Tomo LIX, Blg. 1, July 1987, 19881994, p. 3 The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni Awards 1997 UP Diksiyonaryong Filipino

is senseless, it is the killing of Filipinos, the sellout of their right to livelihood, and the surrender of Philippine territory to the Communist bastards in Beijing.

If anything, the Filipino people should realize that there is no one but us who can save ourselves from malevolent predators such as China and its Manila lapdog Duterte in this dog-eat-dog world.

Alumnus FROM PAGE 2

the international standards to improve the country’s standard of education.

Darilag, who is currently a resident faculty member of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Philippine Cultural Education Program, aims to lobby a culture-based education.

In collaboration with NCCA, he said the commission is constantly encouraging educators to practice culturebased teaching and learning which includes not just incorporating Baybayin in the curriculum but also addressing the issues on the mother tonguebased multilingual education.

“I’m constantly in collaboration with the director of the Philippine Cultural Education Program. We are doing something to make our faculty members culturebased,” he said.

On the removal of Filipino and Panitikan subjects in college, the UST graduate affirmed that while he respects the technical panel’s decision on this provision, the implications need to be further discussed as the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino lobbies for further action.

“This Filipino course needs to be revisited and there are many suggestions to review these policies and guidelines,” he said.

Darilag was a former associate professor at De La Salle University - Manila. He also served as the vice president for academic services at St. Paul University Surigao and the vice president for research, planning and extension services at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina. MA. JASMINE TRISHA L. NEPOMUCENO and JADE VERONIQUE V. YAP

that we are giving to our patients—the healing of both the body and soul,” Arceo told the Varsitarian in an online interview.

He said the hospital would start admitting patients once an occupancy permit from the local government is issued.

Edberto General, an alumnus of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, was appointed medical director.

The hospital’s emergency room has its own operating room and isolation room. A pharmacy and some clinics for medical consultants are also available in some floors.

Three operating theaters, a nursery intensive care unit, 14-seater dialysis center, a chemotherapy center and a blood transfusion unit are located at the second floor of the hospital.

The third floor of the building houses a heart station, the endoscopy unit and a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag.

The fourth floor of the building has a function hall with a view of Mayon Volcano.

UST Legazpi pastoral director Fr. Gallardo Bombase, O.P., Vice Rector for Administration and Finance Fr. Edwin Lao, O.P. and Hospital Administrator Walter Randolph Jalgalado attended the inaugural rites. RAIMEE ROSE L. ARUGAY, AHMED KHAN H. CAYONGCAT, CHARM RYANNE C. MAGPALI and ANGELIKA V. ORTEGA, with reports from EUGENE DOMINIC V. ABOY, O.P.

Down the Line FROM PAGE 4

to get their bodies in tiptop shape to reach their goal.

Although winning is not everything, it is learning from mistakes and lapses that makes an athlete a true champion.

As this publication year comes to an end, I would like to thank the people who supported and have been with me throughout my two-year stay in the ‘V.’ To our mentors, sirs Lito, Ipe and Ian, I would have not gained these insights if not for you. Thank you for for challenging me and for steering me to the right path.

You all helped me grow as a writer and as a person.

To my friends in the ‘V,’ thank you for keeping

Opinion 5

The art of seeing again WHEN IS an art work finished?

Back when we were beginning, it was easy to consider our works as done even when they could still be made better.

We spent little to no time examining whether or not each stroke or element was placed at its best.

We became so lost in the process of creativity that we just continued without stopping to evaluate our work, often arriving at an ending that fell short of the work’s full potential.

Coming from the Faculty of Engineering, where there’s only the remotest connection to art, I used to have an arbitrary idea about when a work was

Similar to life, it is important in art to start with a vision, to have a clear understanding of why one does the things one does. finished. But becoming an artist of the Varsitarian made me realize that things need not be arbitrary or even whimsical in art.

Artists in the “V” are supposed to help readers understand the stories through artworks or infographics interpreting the story.

Being a neophyte in the art staff, what I once considered a safe practice in making a work seemed to fail me since a lot of the works I submitted were returned for heavy revisions.

All artists know the frustration that comes with doing several revisions.

At times, they seem to feel they’re entitled to the privilege of not being questioned about their work.

They assume the stubborn take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

Artists, or those who pretend they’re artists, consider their works untouchable. They exercise a form of dictatorship that ironically enough they derive from their idea of freedom of expression.

But in the “V” I have learned that to revise your work is not to strip your work of your interpretation, but to reinforce it and make it clearer. In the same way that works of writers are returned to them after heavy copyreading by editors, so they could revise them and make their meaning clearer for the reader.

In the same vein, the art staff must revise their works so that their messages become more lucid.

Revision in its literal sense means “seeing again.” The word is a reminder that writers and artists must not lose sight of their original goal in writing or artmaking, which is to concretize or make more felt, more lucid, the message.

Revisions simply indicate words and images should be aligned with vision.

Revisions offer a way to analyze the purpose of our work, re-examine the thought we want to evoke, and to be open to the need for constant “seeing again.”

Similar to life, it is important in art to start with a vision, to have a clear understanding of why one does the things one does. So that in the end, one will know when and how exactly to finish. So that one has to keep on striving until one has reached the goal.

My stint as the Varsitarian art director has taught me a lot, especially of the need for revision, rethinking, and reflecting. Revision taught me the value of accepting criticisms. It has taught me to be humble and accept my shortcomings.

Eigengrau PAGE 7

me sane. I would have not reached this far if it was not for your continuous support.

See you all on the field.

To the top section, the Sports team of the’V,’ it has been my pleasure working with you. Thank you for keeping up with me. I hope I did not disappoint you.

To the athlete I was, thank you for the tireless efforts, for being resilient during trainings and for just never giving up regardless of the flaws and lapses in your game.

Thank you for striving to get better each day because you had a dream of making it to the bigger league, the UAAP – but it remained a dream.

To my first love, volleyball, I will continue loving you from the sidelines.

To our athletes, thanks for fighting the good fight and for being an inspiration to the UST community. We are all proud of you.

Exams FROM PAGE 2

Chialor Orgado shared the third spot in the top 10 with a score of 84.30 percent, leading the newest batch of Thomasian architects.

Paulo David placed seventh with an 83-percent score, sharing the spot with Jennica Curato of the University of San Carlos.

Criselle Chua clinched the eighth spot with a score of 82 percent.

John Vincent Lopez of Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science & Technology topped this year’s licensure exam for architects with a score of 84.90 percent.

Former Varsitarian artist Seldon May Tagao also passed the exam.

This year’s national passing rate rose to 66.33 percent or 2,104 out of 3,172 examinees, from last year’s 55.96 percent or 1,778 out of 3,177 examinees.

AHMED KHAN CAYONGCAT and CHARM RYANNE C. MAGPALI

6

Editor: Louise Claire H. Cruz

FEATU

Faiths thrive in Catholic UST

By KATRINA ISABEL C. GONZALES and JOB ANTHONY R. MANAHAN TWO GRADUATES prove having a diverse background is an asset in dealing with stereotypes and challenging cultural and religious barriers in the University.

In a viral Facebook post of his graduation photo where he is dressed in a traditional barong and a photoshopped Nehru jacket from India, Vashwin Amarnani said his diverse upbringing allowed him to respect and understand the perspective of others.

Indian by blood and Filipino by citizenship, Amarnani said his background allowed people to be more open to him in terms of discussing sensitive issues such as religion and race, among others.

“I have learned the importance of respect: respect of all cultures, of all religions, of all people, of yourself. Even if most of the time jokes or questions sound sarcastic (and slightly racist), I have come to admire people who have a genuine interest and respect for the beliefs of others,” the post read.

The 21-year-old psychology graduate who practices Hinduism said he “never felt discriminated” because of his religion in his stay in UST – the oldest Catholic university in Asia.

“I actually genuinely enjoy when people are willing to talk about other faiths with me. I think that having open and respectful communication about sensitive topics is important in today’s society,” he told the Varsitarian.

“I [believe] that there is no harm in reading the Bible or the Qur’an. The way

I see it, there is wisdom in every religion and none of them will teach you anything wrong,” he added.

Amid her religious background, Muslim accountancy graduate Jomana Lomangco also affirmed that she never felt discriminated nor stereotyped inside the four walls of the University.

In her Facebook post, Jomana Lomangco said she was warned beforehand that her decision to study in a Catholic institution might alter her faith, but insisted that UST instead taught her of the importance of looking at similarities rather than differences in achieving mutual respect.

“We should learn to see our similarities rather than differences because through that we can appreciate each other’s existence and live in a world where respect is equally given,” she said.

The 21-year-old Lomangco said the University was very accommodating and the people did not treat her differently.

She added that her five-year stay in UST also taught her of the appreciation of one’s existence and acceptance of diverse beliefs.

“Never have I felt discriminated in the four walls of the university. Never have I felt less just because I’m a Muslim. Never did they leave me out just because of my faith,” the post read. “To be of a certain faith, may it be Christianity or Islam, is to be human.

And to be human is to respect and accept each other in spite of the differences in our beliefs.”

Amarnani, meanwhile, said the

Lomangco

International Students Association (ISA), the university’s sociocultural organization that promotes amity among and unity of diverse cultures on campus, has been helpful to international students like him as it offers activities that help students to further understand Philippine culture.

“I believe that the University is relatively inclusive to all people. I once attended an event held by the ISA and [Office for Student Affairs] where they discussed the possibility of a cultural sensitivity training for [UST professors]. I think that would be a great step in the right direction,” he said.

As president of the College of Science Student Council and deputy speaker of the Central Board for Academic Year 20182019, Amarnani said he had suggested to UST Rector Herminio Dagohoy, O.P and to some student leaders that some theology courses be oriented toward understanding other religions.

Dagohoy, he said, responded that inclusivity in terms of religion was something that needed to be worked on, especially in the future UST satellite campus in General Santos City in Mindanao that “will almost surely have a more diverse population in terms of religion.”

For Lomangco, UST is an institution that promotes acceptance amidst diversity.

“UST is a place where people can freely exercise their faith and be respected for it. It’s where I met my friends with different beliefs who also learned about mine,” she said.

Amarnani

Music major ends eight-year stint in Pautakan DESPITE failing to secure a podium finish in this year’s Pautakan, a voice major alumnus concluded his eight-year stint in the longestrunning intercollegiate competition where he has competed since 2012.

Team captain Jose Javato, 24, said his drive to break the stereotype that students from the Conservatory of Music were only capable of composing tunes motivated him to join every time. “[Pautakan is] an avenue to prove that music students can do more than what many people think,” he told the Varsitarian. “Making a name in Pautakan is a lesser priority, but being known as someone who worked hard and raise the bar is still something to be happy about.”

Though he didn’t take home a Pautakan crown, Javato said securing a spot in the top five advancing in the final round of the competition was already an achievement in itself but he remained hopeful that their “podium finish will come eventually.”

“We haven’t taken home the crown yet since the Conservatory started participating in Pautakan [but] we believe that it’s not yet the time and it’s alright. The goal now is to maintain the standing and strive to be better each year,” he said.

Javato said he was first tapped to join the team when he was in first year, replacing a recruit who backed out from the competition.

He admitted that he felt overwhelmed at first

because he did not expect the wide array of questions asked in the competition from different categories namely UST History, History, General Information and Current Events, Humanities, Science and Technology and Mathematics.

Along with the review sessions for Pautakan, he also had to manage his time to attend to his academics, music rehearsals and performances inside and outside UST. Aside from Pautakan, his team also had participated in TeOMASINO, UST Institute of Religion’s Theology quiz bee.

He said he usually does self-studying to prepare for quiz contests. His team usually hold meetings weeks before Pautakan to review.

“Considering the scope of the questions, you don’t know where to start looking for topics and facts to study [but these] competitions push you outside the box, they challenge you to think fast and make the right choices under pressure,” he said.

Even if the second runner-up finish in the individual category in 2014 was the closest he got to the top spot, Javato said the success of his Pautakan journey was a collaborative effort he shared with his teammates.

“I can say that my Pautakan journey is fulfilling.

The battle is hard to face when done alone so [my teammates’] help and company throughout my stay is of great help [in] reaching what we achieved so far,” he said. NOLENE BEATRICE H. CRUICILLO

Music major Jose Javato raises his answer during the 42nd Pautakan, his last time to compete after eight years.

URES

7

JUNE 30, 2019

Lacuna to focus on healthcare as Manila vice mayor RE-ELECTED Manila Vice Mayor Maria Shielah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan believes being a physician and a woman helped when she first served in the post in 2016.

Frustration from unimplemented projects due to conflicts in her previous term prompted her to run again for office, with healthcare and medical-related projects for the people of Manila as her priority.

The 54-year-old Lacuna said that occupying the second highest seat in the country’s capital, she was not able to implement her projects and could not secure funds from the city government because of differences with former president and outgoing mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada.

This influenced her to run again, this time with Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso for mayor. With a new administration ahead of her, she said she would be able do her job properly as the right hand of the mayor in governing the city of Manila.

“We presented our platforms really well.

Why would we promise heaven and earth, hindi naman nila kailangan ‘yon, simple lang like food on their table and tumaas ang sweldo,” she told the Varsitarian.

The UST biology alumna said the shift from medical to political life was an easy transition for her since her father, Danilo “Danny” Lacuna, was vice mayor of Manila from 1988 to 1992 and 1998 to 2004.

Before she entered politics, she worked as a physician in the city health office and handled her father’s medical missions.

Her interest in gunning for a seat in the city council came after she took up her residency training, but her father discouraged her from doing so. “[Politics] is not our bread and butter, that any time we can leave and practice our profession, [he said] parang sasayangin daw [namin ‘yong aming professions], but I guess nagkamali [siya] doon,” she said.

Before running for vice mayor in 2016, she served as a city councilor for nine years. She was then appointed head of the social welfare department of Manila and served for three years.

Despite conflicts and funding issues, Lacuna was still able to win more hearts over as her 268,969 votes in the 2016 vice mayoral elections significantly increased to 394,766 votes in this year’s mid-term elections.

“When Mayor Estrada took over, sobrang tumaas ‘yong taxes sa Manila so maraming hindi

nakakapagbayad [kaya] ngayon magkakaroon ng amnesty tapos bababaan namin ‘yong taxes,” she said. “Everything that I do basically goes back to the duties and responsibilities of the vice mayor which is to make laws.”

She said she and Moreno have lined up short-term social services programs and longterm ones, or those that involve infrastructure.

“We need to have a budget before August so that [we have] enough [to] provide [the funding needed by] these ordinances or laws that we want to [implement] in 2020,” she said.

During her first term as vice mayor, Lacuna proposed an ordinance that would give free maintenance medicines especially to the elderly, but it was not implemented due to lack of support and funding.

As she assumes her post anew, she intends to push through with the proposal and provide medical services such as chemotherapy and dialysis.

“Being a door-to-door doctor sort of became my battle cry. [There are] people [who] would write to me [but] instead of giving them financial assistance, I would ride a motorcycle, I would go to their houses myself and provide free medical checkups,” she said.

As regards the mass distrust on vaccines caused by the Dengvaxia anti-dengue vaccine scare, resulting in a significant decrease of all the vaccinations throughout the city, Lacuna plans to continue her door-to-door health services to regain the people’s trust in vaccinations.

Lacuna said the war on drugs was a very difficult situation to handle in Manila, claiming that there was a cycle to the war on drugs and that children from poor families became collateral damage.

She argued that this was because of the flaws and loopholes of the Juvenile Welfare Law, which states that children below 18 years old cannot be sentenced to jail for a crime.

On the fall of political dynasties this election, Lacuna said “the people have spoken.”

“It’s about time. Nakikita na rin ng tao [and] they have had enough of these dynasties [at] siguro mas gusto talaga ngayon ang young blood.

I have nothing against families running one after the other kung walang ginagawang [masama],” she said.

Lacuna also said she, together with Moreno, would prioritize the improvement of local government services.

Healthcare PAGE 10

Biology alumna Maria Shielah “Honey” Lacuña was re-elected as Manila vice mayor in the recent 2019 elections. MARK DARIUS M. SULIT

Despite poverty, parents’ deaths, working scholar finishes college FAITH and friendship allowed a San Lorenzo Ruiz scholar to endure college and the demands of an independent life after he lost of both his parents at a young age.

The 22-year-old John Peter Asiño said he could not believe he accomplished such a milestone despite his struggles, especially after the passing of his mother in 2007 due to gallbladder cancer. “[P]arang doon nag-start ‘yong pagiging independent ko, nine years old pa lang I [needed] to do this for myself,” he told the Varsitarian. “Ito [na] ‘yong bagong buhay na kailangan kong yakapin.”

Due to his mother’s untimely demise, Asiño dedicated most of his time serving at his parish in Biñan where he developed an interest in priesthood.

After graduating from high school, he entered the seminary in 2013.

After three years in the seminary in San Pablo, Laguna, he went

out and studied philosophy in UST. Asiño was granted a working scholarship in 2017, assigned 20 hours a week at the Office of Public Affairs.

The day after he got his scholarship, he learned his father passed away due to lung cancer.

Being the youngest, he was left under the care of his seven siblings.

“Pagdating ko wala na si tatay tapos ang tahimik na sa bahay. This is another adjustment [at] parang hinintay lang ni tatay na ma-stable ako sa UST, makuha ko ‘yong scholarship,” he said.

Since he did not want to become a burden to his siblings who already had their own families, he strived to maintain his scholarship and used his work allowance to finance his daily expenses.

“Dahil ayoko talaga maging burden sa bahay, sinikapan ko talaga ‘yong scholarship para makuha ko [ito] all throughout hanggang makatapos ako,” he said. “Ayoko na maghingi, ayoko na maging burden sa kanila.”

Asiño admitted he felt like there was something lacking as he grew up without his parents but affirmed that his faith in God, service in the Church and the support from his academic parents, Asst.

Prof. Jeric Albela and Assoc. Prof

Asino

Fleurdeliz Albela and the good relationships he had helped him in overcoming such loss.

“Isang malaking kakulangan sa akin ‘yon na mawalan ng magulang. Wala akong naging takbuhan, wala akong naging sandalan, walang unang dapat makikinig sa mga pinagdaraanan ko sa buhay,” he said.

Asiño juggled all his responsibilities as a working scholar while fulfilling his duties as a member of Becarios de Santo Tomas, Marian Evangelization Community, Chorus of Arts and Letters and as president of the Faculty of Arts and Letters’ Pax Romana.

He remains open to priesthood.

“Hindi ko siya tinatanggal sa options ko kasi nung lumabas ako, kahit ang daming nangyari, hindi ko pa rin siya tinatanggal sa mga plano ko sa buhay ko [so] kapag naramdaman kong ito talaga o meron pa rin vocation––nararamdaman ‘yon–– anytime puwede akong bumalik,” he said.

MATTHEW DOMINIC D. DIMAPAWI

Eigengrau

FROM PAGE 5

Most importantly, it has taught me to pursue my goals, be it in improving my craft or improving my life in general.

The Varsitarian has opened my eyes to a lot of things. It has shown me my weaknesses and helped me deal with them.

The two years I have spent with the ‘V’ provided me with some of the most unforgettable lessons I’ve had in college.

To be part of the “V” is such a great honor, to work alongside some of the most brilliant and dedicated persons I know. The lessons I have learned and the connections I made throughout my stay are indeed priceless.

To the Art section of publication years 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019, thank you for the warm company. I will forever treasure the bond between us. You are all special and talented individuals.

To my parents, thank you for the love and unending support. You are the reason why I do what I do and why I strive to be better.

Gird your loins FROM PAGE 4

wisdom of these statements while transcribing countless church homilies or pronouncements by the church hierarchy and writing articles about the Church and the issues facing her.

Being a Witness writer taught me of the importance of what we write about and that the doctrines of our faith are timeless especially in current Philippines social milieu.

In a country where extrajudicial killings have become the norm, Catholic journalism is relevant than ever to bring back the morals and values of the dignity of everyone’s life.

But my experience and training as a Witness writer have made me realize that Catholicism and journalism may have credibility issues, but history testifies that these two have remained steadfast in exposing what is true about society and the world.

On my second publication year, the struggle for fighting for the truth, bringing back morals and raising the discourse through campus journalism became more difficult. This was side by side with becoming an associate editor. Given a certain degree of responsibility and power, I learned that I must be more than willing to rise to the challenge.

As St. Thomas Aquinas has said, “It is better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.” As for me, I have always sought to share and apply what I learned through writing, more specifically, through campus journalism.

Being a political science student in the Varsitarian has felt like I was taking a doubledegree. But I would not have it any other way.

However, I couldn’t have learned and applied the tenets of journalism if it were not for the Varsitarian’s publication advisers Joselito Zulueta and Felipe Salvosa II, who have meticulously guided us from writing to leading the publication.

I couldn’t have survived my editorship if weren’t for my fellow Editorial Board members, Deips and Klimier, who have treated me with patience, compassion, and professionalism.

I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Xiely, Jewel, Gelo, Harvey, Espy, Camille and Celine for helping me balance everything with social life, and for pushing me especially when I felt like giving up.

Thank you to my parents who have patiently supported me in my decision to joining the Varsitarian and for giving me everything I need in order to grow and mature.

I am eternally grateful to God giving me the chance to pursue and promote Veritas in Caritate via campus journalism, via the Varsitarian.

8 Filipino

JUNE 30, 2019

Patnugot: Joselle Czarina S. de la Cruz

Asignaturang Filipino, Panitikan, tuloy sa UST ngayong taon

Naghain ng liham-protesta ang grupong Tanggol Wika sa Korte Suprema kontra sa Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order 20 noong ika-10 ng Hunyo. MARK DARIUS M. SULIT

NAKASALALAY SA Academic Senate ng Unibersidad ang permanenteng pananatili ng Filipino at Panitikan bilang bahagi ng kurikulum sa kolehiyo.

Mananatili ang mga asignaturang ito sa taong akademiko 2019-2020 dahil nasa status quo ang kurikulum dito ngunit wala pang kasiguraduhan ang pananatili nito sa susunod na mga taon.

Malaki ang papel ng magiging desisyon ng Academic Senate kung sakaling ibasura ng Korte Suprema ang inihaing liham-protesta ng grupong Tanggol Wika laban sa Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Memorandum Order 20.

Naghain ng liham-protesta ang grupo noong ika-10 ng Hunyo, dahil sa umano’y “hindi patas” na pagbasura ng Korte Suprema sa kanilang motion for reconsideration sa pagtanggal ng Filipino at Panitikan sa kolehiyo.

Noong ika-9 ng Nobyembre 2018, tinanggal ng Korte Suprema ang temporary restraining order sa CHEd Memorandum Order (CMO) 20 Series of 2013 na nag-aalis ng 15 yunit ng kursong Filipino at Panitikan sa core subjects sa kolehiyo.

Ayon kay Alvin Reyes, tagapangulo ng Departamento ng Filipino, maaaring mapatagal ang pananatili ng mga asignaturang ito depende sa gagawing aksiyon ng Unibersidad.

“Mapananatili ang Filipino at Panitikan sa kurikulum kung gagamitin ng unibersidad ang pagiging autonomous nito sa pagtatakda ng sariling kurikulum lampas sa minimum na kahingian ng [Commision on Higher

Education],” wika ni Reyes sa isang panayam ng Varsitarian.

Dagdag pa niya, hindi lang dapat gawing core general education (GE) ang mga ito, kung hindi gawin din itong elektib.

Ayon naman kay Joselito de los Reyes, tagapangulo ng Departamento ng Literatura, kailangang mapagtibay sa institusyon ng Unibersidad ang mga asignaturang ito upang malayo sa panganib ang pananatili nito. “ ‘ Y o n g institutionalization na binabanggit ay dapat may sinasabi na ito ay bahagi na ng GE o ito ay elective. [M]atagal na proseso ‘yan at inihaharap sa maraming lupon. [‘Y]ong kalagayan ng Filipino at saka ng Literature, parang pareho.

Kailangang ma- Joselito de institutionalize,” sabi niya.

Positibo ang pananaw ni de los Reyes sa magiging estado ng Filipino at Panitikan sa darating na mga taon dahil naniniwala siyang hindi babalewalain ng UST ang ilang dekadang pagtataguyod nito sa Filipino at Panitikan.

Para naman kay Chuckberry Pascual, coordinator ng programang Creative Writing

sa Fakultad ng Sining at Panitik, walang dapat ipangamba tungkol sa kalagayan ng Panitikan sa Unibersidad dahil sa kasaysayan ng pamantasan sa larangan ng pagtataguyod at pagpapayabong dito.

“Kinikilala ng Unibersidad ang naging papel nito sa pagkahubog ng tradisyong pampanitikan, dahil nagtapos sa atin sina Bienvenido Lumbera, Rolando Tinio, at iba pa,” wika niya.

Ayon naman kay Wennie Fajilan, direktor ng Sentro sa Salin at Araling Salin sa Unibersidad, nararapat na lalong paigtingin ng Unibersidad ang Filipino at patuloy itong linangin para sa pundasyon ng estudyante sa larangan ng wika at kultura. “[I]sulong ang pagpapalalakas pa ng posisyon ng UST bilang tagapanguna sa paglinang at los Reyes pagtataguyod ng wikang pambansa, integral dito ang mga hakbang sa pagpapanatili ng mga kurso sa Filipino at Panitikan sa kolehiyo,” sabi niya.

Dagdag pa niya, isinusulong din nila ang paggamit ng Filipino sa pagtuturo ng GE alinsunod sa panukala ng CHEd. Ayon kay Prop. Cheryl Peralta, vice

“Ang pinakamabisang barometro ng isang lipunan ay ‘yong kung anong akda o panitikan ang binunsod nito.”

rector for academic affairs, nasa proseso pa ng paggawa ng institutional policy ang Unibersidad para sa magiging kurikulum sa Taong Akademiko 2020-2021 at sa susunod pang mga taon.

Holistikong edukasyon Iginiit ni de los Reyes ang matagal nang pagtataguyod ng Filipino at Panitikan sa Unibersidad.

“Napakalalim ng tradisyon natin e, ‘yong ating birthright, ang dami nating na-produce na magagaling na alagad ng sining, sa Filipino gano’n din. [B]ahagi ‘yon ng ating holistikong approach sa bawat mag-aaral na... dapat alam niya kung anong mundo mayroon ang UST na kayang ibigay sa kaniya at bahagi roon ang Panitikan at Sining,” giit ni de los Reyes.

Pinangunahan ng mga Dominikong misyonaryo ang pagtuturo ng katekismo sa Filipino noong 1587.

Itinatag ng UST ang Departamento ng Filipino noong 1937 kung saan ang Ama ng Varsitarian na si Jose Villa Panganiban ang unang tagapangulo.

Taong 1941 nang magkaroon ng Department of National Language at kursong Bachelor of Literature in National Languages.

Maging ang Sentro ng Salin, sa tulong ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, ay inilunsad sa UST noong 2018.

Wika naman ni Pascual, saan mang larang ng pag-aaral, mahalaga ang pagkakaroon ng matatag na pundasyon sa humanidades.

Filipino PAGE 10

‘Quezon’s Game’: Makabuluhang paglingon sa kasaysayan ISANG madilim na bahagi ng kasaysayan ang binigyang-liwanag ng pelikulang Quezon’s Game sa pamamagitan ng pagsasalaysay ng pagtulong ng mga Filipino sa mga Hudyo sa paglikas mula sa iba’t ibang bansa sa Europa na sinakop ng Nazi Germany.

Matapos ang ilang dekada, ang pagtulong na ito ang nagpatibay sa pagkakaibigan ng Filipinas at Israel.

Nagsimula ang pelikula, na mula sa direksiyon ni Matthew Rosen, SA taong 1938 nang nakatanggap si Alex Frieder (Billy Ray Gallion) ng telegrama na nagbalita na sasakupin ni Adolf Hitler ang Austria at Germany.

Agad na humingi ng tulong si Frieder kay Pangulong Manuel Quezon (Raymond Bagatsing) upang maipadala sa Filipinas ang 10,000 na nanganganib na mga Hudyo.

Sa una’y hindi sumang-ayon si Quezon ngunit pumayag din siya dahil sa pangugumbinsi ng kaniyang asawa na si Aurora Quezon (Rachel Alejandro).

Ani Aurora, hindi man sila makatatanggap ng karangalan sa pagtanggap sa mga Hudyo ngunit iyon ang nararapat gawin.

Makikitang ito ang naging hudyat upang mahabag si Quezon kaya naman pansamantalang niyang isinantabi ang pangunahing plano sa pagkamit ng kalayaan ng Filipinas.

Suntok man sa buwan ang plano nilang

dalhin sa Filipinas ang mga tatakas na Hudyo, pinilit kumbinsihin ni Quezon ang embahada ng Germany ngunit hindi siya nagtagumpay.

Kaya naman nagsagawa siya ng pampublikong anunsiyo ukol sa kaniyang plano at di naglaon ay pinayagan ang pagpapatuloy ng 1,200 na Hudyo sa bansa.

Bagaman kalaban na niya ang tuberkulosis, pinatunayan ni Quezon na mahalagang unahin pa rin ang malasakit sa kapuwa at pagsisilbi sa bayan.

“May ginawa ka sa panahong ang lahat ay nagsawalang bahala. Hindi ‘yon malilimutan ng bawat Filipino,” sabi ni Aurora na kumurot sa puso ng mga manonood.

Namatay si Quezon dahil sa sakit na tuberkulosis dalawang taon bago makamit ng Filipinas ang kalayaan sa taong 1946.

Higit sa politika at buhay ni Quezon, sinalamin ng pelikula ang kultura ng mga Filipino at tatak Tomasino na pagkakaroon ng malasakit.

Kumuha ng abogasiya si Quezon sa UST noong huling bahagi ng 1890s ngunit pansamantala siyang tumigil noong 1899 upang makibahagi sa pag-aaklas ni dating pangulong Emilio Aguinaldo laban sa mga Amerikano.

Matapos ang digmaan, bumalik siya sa pag-aaral at nakamit niya ang ika-apat na puwesto sa bar exams noong 1903.

Kilala si Quezon bilang Ama ng Wikang Pambansa at pangulo ng Philippine

Commonwealth.

Sa kabila ng pulitika sa Filipinas na puno ng mga taong pansariling kapakanan lamang ang iniisip, ipinaaalala ng Quezon’s Game ang kahalagahan ng pagkakaroon ng mga lider sa lipunan na pinahahalagahan ang buhay ng tao, Filipino man o hindi.

Itinayo ang monumento na “Open Doors” sa Israel bilang pag-alaala at pasasalamat sa kabutihan ni Quezon noong 2009.

Bukod dito, malayang nakapupunta

ang mga Filipino sa Israel nang hindi kinakailangan ng visa, bilang pasasalamat sa tulong ng Filipinas noong ikalawang digmaang pandaigdig.

Sa mga historical fiction na pelikula tulad ng Quezon’s Game, pinatutunayan lamang ng relasyong Filipinas at Israel ang pagkakaroon ng prinsipyong pangkapayapaan, mabuting ugnayan at ideolohiyang malasakit sa kapuwa tao.

MALIC U. COTONGAN

JUNE 30, 2019

Thomasian scientist hailed among Asia’s best A UST PROFESSOR’s research making medical devices more affordable and accessible has earned him a spot among Asia’s best.

Assoc. Prof. Ricardo Balog, along with eight other Filipinos, was named in the “Asian Scientist 100: 2019 Edition” of Asian Scientist Magazine last May 5.

Last year, he also received the Mario Cruel Award for Advanced Engineering Technology Application for numerous innovations.

These include a self-retaining retractor surgical instrument used by surgeons on the patient’s throat, a multi-purpose and selfretaining surgical retractor used to hold incisions during abdominal surgery, an orthopedic device used to correct dislocated bones, a practical heat block apparatus used in a technique for detecting pathogens and a balut vending machine.

ASM, an international science and

Assoc. Prof. Ricardo Balog, an engineering alumnus, is named as one of the 2019 The Asia Scientist 100.

HAZEL GRACE S. POSADAS

technology magazine, acknowledges people who have received a national or international award in the previous year for their research.

Balog, a former assistant dean of the UST Faculty of Engineering, said he dedicates his research for his “love of service to humanity.”

“Walang monetary considerations ‘yon, hindi ko nga inisip na eventually I will be cited as such,” Balog told the Varsitarian.

“Being a practitioner in this field, if I can extend my help through those services I render to them, then I will.”

In 1992, he was appointed director of the now defunct Institute of Technological Course in the University. Balog obtained his mechanical engineering degree from the UST in 1980 and later on his master’s degree in the same program at the Graduate School.

Balog also extended his expertise to UST’s community extension services. He was part of the construction project of Onters for the Aeta communities in Sitios Malasa, Mabilog, San Martin and Santa Rosa in Bamban, Tarlac.

He helped design and install a pump and piping system for the water supply systems of Sitio Buoc in Bamban, Tarlac.

Even with these achievements, Balog said he chooses to remain true to his work, urging Thomasians to always put service and humanity over any financial gain.

“Put less importance to monetary value and more on the positive contribution for the betterment of the society,” he said. AHMED KHAN H. CAYONGCAT

Cheaper, faster cancer diagnosis developed by UST professor, students A COST-EFFECTIVE and time-saving method of identifying cancerous from non-cancerous tissues has been developed by Thomasian researchers.

Assoc. Prof. Pia Marie Albano and her thesis students at the College of Science and the Graduate School have created an infrared (IR) library using Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) machine.

ATR-FTIR is a commercially available machine that can directly detect biochemical changes in the body during the start of cancer formation.

Albano said the IR library could “objectively discriminate” cancerous from non-cancerous lung, thyroid, breast and colorectal tissues based on the vibrational signatures of their components such as DNA, RNA, proteins and carbohydrates.

Her team’s research project “FTIR as a potential tool in the diagnosis of cancer” began in January of this year. But its development spanned two years since 2016, with funding from the UST Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences.

Today, she said the project is funded through the Commission on Higher Education’s Grants-inAid Program.

“It was through this grant that we were able to acquire the ATR-FTIR machine and support the theses of biology and medical technology students of the UST Graduate School,” she told the Varsitarian.

She noted that most Filipinos could not afford series of diagnostic tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound and CT scan to name a few.

Aside from being expensive, some tests for cancer would also “lack sensitivity and specificity,” she said. For instance, a CT scan would be “prone to false positive diagnosis and exposes healthy individuals to radiation,” while an MRI is noninvasive but would be “more susceptible to cardiac and respiratory motion artifacts.”

“Histopathologic examination is currently the gold standard in diagnosing cancer. However, the sample preparation and procedure are timeconsuming that it would take at least a week before results are released,” she said.

She added that slides of Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining in histopathology can only be interpreted by a pathologist, but the number of pathologists in the country are limited. Such method would also be prone to “inter- and intraobserver bias,” she said.

In histopathologic diagnosis, a tissue would be processed, sliced, placed onto glass slides and examined under a microscope.

In some cases, histopathologic diagnosis is also “not conclusive,” prompting pathologists to suggest additional tests like the immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of formalinfixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue. Such test

Assoc. Prof. Pia Albano presents her research in the Department of Science and Technology’s 4th National Research and Development Conference.

would use antibodies with fluorescent labels to further visualize proteins in tissue sections.

FTIR analysis, on the other hand, would be done using thinly sliced FFPE tissues mounted on a glass slide and placed on the ATR-FTIR instrument for reading that might be done in two minutes.

She said FTIR analysis would be “definitely cheaper” especially when the technology would be applied on fresh tissues directly placed on the FTIR machine for reading.

“Just imagine the time and money saved if the specimen does not have to undergo tissue processing and H&E staining (one of the principal stains that differentiates components of a tissue),” she said.

She explained that the FTIR works when the IR beam (a light having longer wavelength compared to visible light) hits a sample and a specific functional group or a group of a particular compound absorbs the IR radiation and reacts through vibration, that would be identified by the ATR-FTIR machine.

Since every disease including cancer would “produce biomolecules with unique vibrational patterns,” her team could identify malignant tissues based on the read IR wavenumbers. The wavelength of IR radiation that is absorbed describes the biochemical fingerprint, which is the characteristic of the biochemical substance of that

sample.

She hopes to get additional grants to “include all tumor sites using not only FFPE but also fresh biopsy samples.”

“Analysis of plasma and serum are also in the pipeline since traces of biomolecules present in cancer cells are circulating in the blood, hence can be detected by FTIR spectroscopy,” she said.

She said her team hopes to invite more biologists, biochemists, medical laboratory scientists and medical doctors to join them since there are still many aspects of their research that need to be addressed for the FTIR analysis to be applied in the clinical setting.

“It (FTIR analysis) is rapid, costeffective, objective and high-throughput method.

Once FTIR analysis of blood is established, it can be used in screening individuals for early detection of cancer,” she said.

BEATRIZ AVEGAYLE S. TIMBANG and MIGUEL ALEJANDRO IV A. HERRERA

Sci-Tech 9 24/7 mental health hotline launched THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) and the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) have established a 24/7 mental health hotline.

The hotline is part of the DOH Mental Health Program mandated by the Mental Health Law signed by President Duterte last year. It aims to render immediate intervention and counseling by phone.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the hotline aims to send a message to those who are experiencing mental health issues that “it’s okay not to be okay.”

“There is hope. Recovery is possible. There should be no shame in seeking help,” Duque said during the NCMH Crisis Hotline launching last May 2.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, mental illness is the third most common disability that Filipinos are experiencing. The country has the highest number of depressed people in Southeast Asia.

The hotline’s program director, Bernard Argamosa said the government was determined to deliver quality and holistic mental health services. “[The new hotline] will not just serve as a portal for referral of mental health concerns but will provide direct intervention by competent mental health professionals as the need arises,” Argamosa told the Varsitarian.

The hotline provides services related to psychiatric emergencies, suicidal thoughts, depression, grief and loss, relationship issues, sexual abuse, domestic violence, gender identity and sexual orientation issues, and school and career issues.

Argamosa said the new hotline would improve services after Hopeline, the old mental health hotline, drew flak for its limited reach.

“Our goal of scaling up our services will include direct and immediate intervention from our consultantpsychiatrists and in the future, be open to expanding our services to include tele-psychiatry to reach the farthest regions of the country, including our own overseas Filipinos,” Argamosa said.

Psychology professor Ediberto Gonzaga said the hotline would require more funding.

“They have yet to fully implement it, it’s like a mouth without teeth,” he said.

He also said the hotline’s availability could be an issue that would impede its implementation.

“Their objective is very noble to create a hotline for those people who need it,” he said.

Argamosa said his agency had coordinated with the National Telecommunications Commission for a toll-free four-digit number that can be used exclusively for the hotline.

The hotline can be reached through the following numbers: 0917-899-USAP (8727) 0917-989-8727. NEIL JOSHUA N. SERVALLOS

10 Limelight

Art Director: Nathanael Jonas S.J. Rodrigo

JUNE 30, 2019

TOMAS U. SANTOS BY MARIANE JAYNE A, CADIZ

BUHAY BILLY YATO BY MARI KLOIE D. LEDESMA

CACA BY JURY P. SALAYA

Uphill Battle

Filipino

panlipunan. Maging sa ibang mga bansa, nagsisilbing saksi at tagapamulat ng mga mamamayan ang sariling panitikan.

Sa halos tatlong taon kong pagiging bahagi ng Literary section ng Varsitarian, hindi ko na siguro mabibilang ang mga awtor na nagbigay-diin sa kung paano nagiging kasangkapan ang mga akda sa pagsusuri ng mga isyung panlipunan.

Hindi mawawala sa isang lunsad-aklat o diskusyon tungkol sa akda ang pagtalakay sa mga isyung panlipunan—lalo na sa mga isyung kinasasangkutan ng gobyerno.

Palaging bahagi ng pagtalakay ng isang akda ang mga naging inspirasyon at mga layunin ng mga awtor.

Sa pagdalo at pag-uulat tungkol sa mga lunsad-aklat at diskusyon ng mga akda, nakita ko kung paano masasabing nakakabit sa Panitikan ang mga mahahalagang usapin sa lipunan. Ayon nga sa pangungusap na madalas gamiting halimbawa para sa pagwawangis o metaphor, “Ang Panitikan ay salamin ng buhay.”

Maituturing kong malaking oportunidad ang mga karanasan ko sa Unibersidad at Varsitarian upang makita ang kahalagahan ng Panitikan—asignaturang malaking kawalan sa pagpapatibay ng ating pagkakakilanlan bilang mga Pilipino.

“Kung mawawala ang panitikan, mababawasan na rin ang paghubog sa estudyante na matutong makipagkapuwa [at] magpahalaga sa bayan. Malaki ang papel ng panitikan sa pagkabuo natin bilang bayan... at nakakalimutan yata ng Korte Suprema papel na ito ng Panitikan at bilang implikasyon, ng wika, sa ating bayan, sa ating pagka-Filipino,” sabi ni Pascual.

Binigyang-diin ni Reyes na mahalaga ang papel ng Filipino sa pagbuo ng identidad ng mga estudyante dahil naka-ugat dito ang kanilang pagkamakabayan. “[K]ung pananatilihin ang Filipino, pinatutunayan lamang nito ang malasakit nito sa uri ng mga estudyanteng ibubunga ng pamantasan. May hustong pagka-Filipino dahil matibay ang pagkakakilala sa identidad at buo ang kaakuhan. Handa at nakatalagang maglingkod sa bayan,” Winika naman ni Fajilan ang pagiging mabuting ehemplo ng Unibersidad sa pagpapanatili ng mga asignaturang ito na inalis na ng ibang mga unibersidad at kolehiyo. “[M]ay kasaysayan ang UST na kusang nagtataguyod ng pagsusulong ng pambansang wika bago pa man o sa kabila ng mga patakaran ng pamahalaan. [M] alaking advantage sa UST ang

pagtindig para sa Filipino... higit nilang mapapahalagahan ang edukasyong Tomasino, dahil ito rin ay isang edukasyong makaFilipino,” wika ni Fajilan.

Rookie-laden

UST’s golden rule

down the stretch,” the accountancy, business and management strand student said.

Aside from their team practices, Lina does extra training to perfect his moves in the paint, which he claims that is now paying off, as shown by his performance in Filoil Cup. In Season 81, Lina was named in the mythical team after tallying 12.28 points, 11.85 rebounds and 1.21 blocks in 14 games.

He is currently part of the Gilas Pilipinas youth 14-man pool for the 2019 FIBA Under 19 World Cup to be held in Greece on June 29 to July 7.

He is set to join forces with highly-touted big men AJ Edu, who plays for NCAA Division 1 school University of Toledo, and 7’2” behemoth Kai Sotto.

“Sobrang nakatataas ng kumpyansa, sobrang nakakamotivate ang mapabilang sa national team kasi nalaman kong may tiwala sa akin ang coaches,” the 18-year-old said.

lost to the Fighting Maroons twice, they would have been in the finals.

The Golden Sox will lose the services of Jamil Santiago, Ian Llave and Calbang after exhausting their playing years.

FROM PAGE 5

*** Sa pagtatapos ng publication year, nais kong pasalamatan ang mga naging bahagi ng aking paglago sa apat na taon. Maaaring hindi ako umabot sa pagtatapos sa kolehiyo kung wala ang tulong ng mga sumusunod.

Lubos ang pasasalamat ko sa Unibersidad sa pagtanggap nito sa akin para maisakatuparan ang ambisyong magkamit ng journalism degree. Hindi ko rin kalilimutang tanawin bilang malaking utang na loob ang pagkakaloob nito sa akin ng academic scholarship.

Bukod sa pagpapamulat sa akin ng kahalagahan ng Panitikan, hindi ko mabibilang ang naging ambag ng Varsitarian sa paghasa ng kakayahan ko hindi lamang sa pagsusulat, kung hindi pati na rin sa pakikipagkapwatao.

Sa pagiging bahagi ng opisyal na pang mag-aaral na pahayagan ng UST, marami akong natutunan mula sa mga taong bumubuo nito— publication advisers at kapwa staffers. Napagtanto ko na kakabit ng pribilehiyong mapabilang sa Varsitarian ang mga obligasyong kailangang pangatawanan at ang mga sakripisyo sa maraming bagay

Fratman

FROM PAGE 8

FROM PAGE 11

Tanggol Wika Hinimok ni Roberto Ampil, dating tagapangulo ng Departamento ng Filipino sa Unibersidad at miyembro ng Tanggol Wika, ang mga mambabatas na bigyang-pansin ang kasalukuyang isyu sa pagpapanatili ng Filipino at Panitikan sa kolehiyo.

“Ang laban na lang dito na maka-Filipino ay sa Kongreso, it’s about time na pakinggan tayo ng Kongreso, ng ating mga mambabatas ay gumawa ng batas na talagang sisiguro at titiyak doon sa posisyon, sa lagay ng Filipino kasi mahinang-mahina siya eh,” giit ni Ampil.

Wika naman ni Jonathan Geronimo, guro sa Filipino sa Unibersidad, hindi bababa sa 10,000 guro sa Filipino at Panitikan ang mawawalan ng trabaho dahil sa naging desisyon ng Korte Suprema.

May ilang mga unibersidad na tinanggal ang Filipino at Panitikan sa kolehiyo bago pa man ilabas ng Korte Suprema ang pinal na desisyon.

Kabilang dito ang Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Naga

FROM PAGE 12

Bright future Despite a disappointing finish this season, Santiago is confident of UST’s chances next year as eight Junior Golden Sox are expected to move up the seniors’ team including two-time UAAP juniors’ Best Pitcher Michael Cabang.

“Mataas ang expectation ko sa team next year kasi alam ko na ang mga galaw nila at kung saan sila palalakasin. Dati hindi ako nangako pero ngayon ipangangako ko na magfa-finals kami next season,” he said.

Aside from Cabang, Santiago said he will bank on Junior Golden Sox JM Barsales, Godie Apolinario, Mhigeil Cerda, Marvin Trillana, Christian Samson and Reden Tapia

University, Adamson University, Centro Escolar University-Manila, St. Louis University (Baguio), Tarlac State University, National Teacher’s College, University of Visayas-Cebu, University of the East-Manila and –Caloocan, Central Mindanao University (Bukidnon), St. Therese MTCColleges (Iloilo), Holy Name University-Tagbilaran, Davao del Norte State College at Caraga State University (Butuan City).

Iginiit ni David San Juan, convenor ng Tanggol Wika, na maraming mga argumento ang hindi binigyang-pansin ng Korte Suprema sa inihain nilang motion for reconsideration noong Nobyembre 2018.

Ayon sa kanilang lihamprotesta, inabuso ng (CHEd) ang kapangyarihan nito at hindi pinakinggan ang mga ahensiyang pangwika katulad ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino at Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining.

Ayon sa inilabas na resolusyon ng Korte Suprema noong ika-5 ng Mayo, nabigo ang Tanggol Wika sa pagbibigay ng “substantial argument” upang kontrahin ang CMO 20.

VIVIENNE AUDREY P. ANGELES at JOSELLE CZARINA S. DE LA CRUZ next season.

“Maganda talaga kapag galing sa high school ng UST ‘yong kinukuha kasi adjusted na sila sa plays namin. Makatutulong sa opensa namin at makakadagdag sa bullpen ‘yong mga bago,” the multititled coach said.

The Golden Sox will see action again in the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association League this April.

Tigresses FROM PAGE 11

league is a completely different playing field.

“Iba pa rin ang collegiate kasi siyempre nandoon halos lahat ng manonood pero as always, gagawin ko pa rin ang best ko at makikinig lang kina coach,” Hernandez said.

She was also selected in the Under-23 women’s national volleyball pool, which she said she will use a training field for preseason tournaments and the UAAP. IVAN RUIZ L. SUING and THERESA CLARE K. TAÑAS

FROM PAGE 1 phone call by a fraternity brother that a neophyte collapsed during the initiation rite.

Solano, a licensed medical technologist, earlier said that he did not take part in the hazing rites, claiming that his participation was to only provide medical assistance.

He was the first witness to surface, and tagged six other Aegis Juris members and associates involved in Atio’s death.

In March 2018, the Department of Justice charged Solano with obstruction of justice and perjury, while Aegis Juris fratmen Ralph Trangia, Oliver John Onofre, Mhin Wei Chan, Danielle Hans Rodrigo, Joshua Macabali, Axel Hipe, Marcelino Bagtang, Jose Miguel Salamat and Robin Ramos were charged with violation of the AntiHazing Law. A bail hearing against the other fratmen involved was set on Tuesday, June 17, at the Regional Trial Court Branch 20. ANGELIKA V. ORTEGA

Taekwondo FROM PAGE 12 inside the playing field and ang pagtaas ng skill level niya ay mga proof na ready na siya for the UAAP seniors,” he said.

Cantos also proved his skill does not only translate in the local and national tournaments, but also in the international setting as he took home a gold medal in the 14th ASEAN Taekwondo Championships last May. As the season approaches, Cantos wants nothing but redemption.

“Dapat hindi lang puro lakas.

Utak, talent at diskarte ang gagamitin talaga. May pressure pero gagawin ko ang best ko para mag-contribute sa team,” he said.

The Tiger Jins remain the winningest team in the UAAP with 14 championships. FAITH YUN WEI N. RAGASA AND THERESA CLARE K. TAÑAS

Healthcare FROM PAGE 7 “Hopefully, we could work hand-in-hand because we really have a lot of problems here in our city and we cannot do it alone,” Lacuna said.

“We need the cooperation of every Manileño here in the city of Manila.”

Lacuna, together with Moreno, took her oath on June 30 and will assume office on July 1. J.A.C. CASUCIAN and K.I.C. GONZALES

Editor: Ma. Angelica D. Garcia

Sports 11

JUNE 30, 2019

Growling Tigers falter in Filoil ender THE UST Growling Tigers fell short in the final minutes and wrapped up their Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup with a loss against the undefeated San Beda Red Lions, 73-75, at the Arena in San Juan last June 14.

A Soulemane Chabi-Yo floater reduced San Beda’s lead to two with 6.4 ticks left, but the Tigers were unable to force a turnover, letting the Lions run away with the win and complete their elimination round sweep.

“Nawalan ng composure ang players [sa second half] and may stretches na hindi maka-score ang players. Hindi rin na-execute nang maayos ang depensa,” Growling Tigers head coach Aldin Ayo told the Varsitarian.

The Red Lions erased UST’s lead with a 20-9 run capped by a Ralph Penuela threepointer to gain the lead, 50-49. However, UST scored the last five points of the third quarter to gain a 54-50 lead coming into the fourth.

A Brent Paraiso three at the halftime buzzer gave UST a 10-point lead by halftime, 40-30.

James Kwekutuye paced the Red Lions with 21 points with an efficient 6-of-8 three-point shooting. Donald Tankoua had a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Chabi-Yo scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed 12 boards for UST. Offensive rebounds didn’t translate to second chance points for UST, as 17 offensive boards only led to nine second chance points. San Beda’s eight offensive boards led to 11 points.

UST finished the tournament with a 2-5 win-loss card. San Beda will advance to the quarterfinals after ending the eliminations undefeated in seven games.

Ayo pointed UST’s youth and inexperience as catalysts for inconsistency.

“May lapses sa execution ng plays since maraming rookies and fresh recruits.

We really had to gain experience. Win or lose, experience talaga ang gusto naming makuha,” the head tactician said.

Rhenze Abando and Mahloney Tarranza, who are new recruits from Pangasinan and Davao, respectively, played notable minutes for the Tigers. They joined new Tiger additions Mark Nonoy, Chabi-Yo and Brent Paraiso in the youth-filled squad.

But despite the setbacks, Ayo sees a huge improvement on the Tigers’ chemistryboth on and off the court.

“We’re improving. Players are enjoying the company of their teammates and even their coaches. Even sa practice, kita talaga na they work together.” JOHN EZEKIEL J. HIRRO

The Tigers finished the tournament with a 2-5 win-loss card for sixth place last June 15.

By JUSTIN ROBERT VALENCIA

FROM PAGE 12

Exposure and adaptability The tactician said having preseason tournaments like PBL has given the Golden Sox the much-needed exposure and familiarization of the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

“Malaking exposure sa team ang PBL. Sa games kasi natututo ang mga bata sa situational plays at decision making saka adaptability na rin sa venue. Kailangan masanay ‘yong mga bata doon sa Rizal kasi ‘yong iba sa UST lang magaling eh,” Santiago said.

He added that preseason tournaments serve as time to evaluate the players’ skill set and work on their weaknesses. FAITH YUEN WEI N. RAGASA AND JUSTIN ROBERT VALENCIA

GENIELYN ROSARIO M. SORIANO

UST’s Lina leads rookie-laden Tiger Cubs

Golden Sox Santiago, a former pitcher himself, built a 10-man bullpen as the Golden Sox’s advantage against teams who only have a thin lineup of pitchers.

“Maganda ang performances ng pitchers ko, nagiging relaxed na sila sa mound, maganda na ang composure. That’s a big thing for pitchers to hold their opponents from scoring,” he said.

The UST bullpen tallied 5.4 strikeouts per game in the league.

The 57-year-old mentor also said the Golden Sox still need to improve batting, pitching, fielding, conditioning and their general skills to reach their peak to finally bag the coveted UAAP crown next season.

He added the team’s fielding also needs a lot of work as they averaged 3.6 errors, resulting in 3.8 unearned runs per outing.

“Kailangan madevelop talaga namin lahat ng skills at magagawa naming ‘yon through training at exposure. ‘Yon lang naman talaga ‘yong sekreto para lumakas ang team,” Santiago said.

Tiger Cub Bismarck Lina lays the ball up against an Adamson defender.

FILE PHOTO

COMING off a mythical team selection in the UAAP Season 81 juniors’ basketball, UST big man Bismarck Lina will take on the leadership role of the youthful Tiger Cubs, which will feature 10 rookies in the lineup next year.

Although Lina said his experience in the UAAP would make him a “good leader,” he acknowledged he would still need to be more vocal in training sessions and actual games.

“Dahil two years na ako sa UAAP, mas naging mature na ang laro ko, kaya ko na maging captain, kailangan ko lang mas maging vocal para ma-guide ko ang team, especially our rookies,” he told the Varsitarian.

In the recently concluded Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup, where the Tiger Cubs finished fourth in the Group B category with a 2-3 win-loss slate, the 6’5” center was a steady presence for the team in both ends of the court with averages of 19.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, all while playing a league-high 32.8 minutes per outing.

Lina said he might be undersized for a center, but he makes up for it with his hustle and timing.

“Kahit na mas maliit ako sa iba, ‘yong pagiging hustle player ko saka ‘yong willingness ko na makuha ‘yong bola ang factors kaya second ako sa rebounding sa Filoil,” he said.

Tiger Cubs head coach Bonnie Garcia also lauded the Makati native for his overall play and maturity. He said Lina has been an effective big man for the team due to his dominant presence in the paint.

“Sobrang importante ni Bismarck kasi siya ang mukha ng Tiger Cubs. He is a double-double machine sa games, all of a sudden nag-mature siya, ang bilis niya mag-improve,” Garcia said.

But despite the high praises, Lina said he still needed to work on his free throw shooting as he only shot 20-of-34 from the charity stripe, good for just 59 percent.

To become a championship contender next season, the incoming Grade 12 student said the Tiger Cubs need to develop their composure, especially with 10 rookies in the team.

“Kailangan namin ng exposure through preseason tournaments para pagdating ng UAAP, composed na kami lalo na Rookie-laden PAGE 10

Best Junior Middle Blocker joins Golden Tigresses UAAP SEASON 80 juniors’ Best Middle Blocker Imee Hernandez will bolster the UST Golden Tigresses next season, who own the second most number of league championships at 16.

The 18-year-old Hernandez will join forces with former teammates Eya Laure and Maji Mangulabnan in UST’s quest to recapture the title.

Despite an offer from the University of the Philippines, Hernandez opted to stay with UST due to her familiarity with the system.

“Unang-unang factor na kinonsider ko ay sila coach Kung Fu. Kumbaga ‘yong program nila ang tinitingnan ko kasi ayon ang nagdevelop sa akin kasi noong una wala talaga akong alam sa volleyball. Alam na nila kung saan pa dapat ako magfocus,” she told the Varsitarian.

Hernandez averaged 9.5 points in her final year with the Junior Golden Tigresses, who fell short against the eventual champion De La Salle-Zobel Junior Lady Spikers in last year’s semifinals.

Tigresses head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes Jr. said the incoming travel management freshman would be a good fit for his system.

“When she plays, rookie lang sa papel ‘yan pero beterano na rin ang laro. Makikita talaga ‘yong kung ano ang resulta noong pinaghirapan ng programa natin,” he said.

But with a bigger audience in the collegiate scene, Reyes said the 5’10” rookie needs to remain focused and learn how to adjust herself to the boisterous atmosphere.

Where it all began Coming from a family of athletes, Hernandez always seemed destined for sports.

Volleyball was not her first love, having played a variety of sports before discovering her current niche.

She started playing in seventh grade at St. Mary’s College in Baliuag, Bulacan and upon the advice of her former coach Francis Lauchang, Hernandez went to tryout for UST. She

was initially accepted in the Junior Tigresses’ Team B. She played as a middle blocker and an outside hitter in her final year with the Junior Tigresses last season, which became a learning curve for her.

“Hindi ko makakalimutan and last playing year ko kasi talagang nahirapan ako mag-adjust pero siyempre kinaya ko dahil sa coaches and teammates ko,” Hernandez said.

“Mahirap na adjustment pero kailangan, para sa team.”

Despite being an experienced athlete in the UAAP, she admitted that the collegiate Tigresses PAGE 10

Sports

JUNE 30, 2019

What makes UST’s golden rule DESPITE a rousing start that brought them atop the standings, the UST Golden Sox suffered a late meltdown and settled for fourth place anew in the UAAP Season 81 baseball tournament.

After winning three of their first four games, the Golden Sox dropped five of their last six matches to finish with a 4-6 win-loss slate.

UST head coach Jeffrey Santiago attributed the collapse to the team’s lack of mental toughness, especially with 11 of the 20-man roster being rookies.

“Nawala ‘yong killer instinct (ng mga players).

Nawala sa focus after our big 10-3 win over powerhouse La Salle sa first round, naging super relaxed ang mga bata,” the 56-year-old mentor told the Varsitarian.

In their last six matches, the Golden Sox registered just 7.83 hits per game and failed to capitalize on their base runners, leaving an average of 7.33 sluggers on base.

Santiago cited the lack of training d a y s due to

mangyari para ‘yong mga bata maging acquainted doon. Law of adaptability din kasi ang baseball. Kapag sa UST, magaling, kapag sa Rizal nawawala ang palo,” he said.

In the Golden Sox’s six losses, two of them came from the lowly University of the Philippines (UP), which loss all but two of its games.

Team captain Alwen

Calbang said the two defeats against UP caused their midseason meltdown.

“Doon kami sa dalawang talo sa UP nagmental breakdown. Lesson na lang ‘yon na i-aim na kahit anong team ang katapat, need talaga talunin para magtuluy-tuloy ang panalo hanggang sa finals,” the former best first baseman said.

Santiago added that if they had not lost to the Fighting Maroons twice, they would have been in the finals.

The Golden Sox will lose the services of Jamil Santiago, Ian Llave and Calbang after exhausting their playing years. el Cabang.

“Mataas ang expectation ko sa team next year kasi alam ko na ang mga galaw nila at kung saan sila palalakasin. Dati hindi ako nangako pero ngayon ipangangako ko na magfa-finals kami next season,” he said.

Aside from Cabang, Santiago said he will bank on Junior Golden Sox JM Barsales, Godie Apolinario, M h i g e i l Cerda, Marvin

Trillana, Christian Samson and Reden Tapia next season.

“Maganda talaga kapag galing sa high school ng UST ‘yong kinukuha kasi adjusted na sila sa plays namin. Makatutulong sa opensa namin at makakadagdag sa bullpen ‘yong mga bago,” the multi-titled coach said.

The Golden Sox will see action again in the

consecutive events at the UST field as a factor of their hitting deterioration.

To address the situation, Santiago said he will ask the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics office to allow them to practice at the Rizal Memorial Stadium once a week.

“Mag-re-request ako na ganoon nga ang

Philippine Amateur Baseball Association League this April.

DESPITE a rousing start that brought them atop the standings, the UST Golden Sox suffered a late meltdown and settled for fourth place anew in the UAAP Season 81 baseball tournament.

After winning three of their first four games, the Golden Sox dropped five of their last six matches to finish with a 4-6 win-loss slate.

UST head coach Jeffrey Santiago attributed the collapse to the team’s lack of mental toughness, especially with 11 of the 20-man roster being rookies.

“Nawala ‘yong killer instinct (ng mga players). Nawala sa focus after our big 10-3 win over powerhouse La Salle sa first round, naging super relaxed ang mga bata,” the 56-year-old mentor told the Varsitarian.

In their last six matches, the Golden Sox registered just 7.83 hits per game and failed to capitalize on their base runners, leaving an average of 7.33 sluggers on base.

Santiago cited the lack of training days due to consecutive events at the UST field as a factor of their hitting deterioration.

To address the situation, Santiago said he will ask the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics office to allow them to practice at the Rizal Memorial Stadium once a week. para ‘yong mga bata maging acquainted doon. Law of adaptability din kasi ang baseball. Kapag sa UST, magaling, kapag sa Rizal nawawala ang palo,” he said.

In the Golden Sox’s six losses, two of them came from the lowly University of the Philippines (UP), which loss all but two of its games.

Team captain Alwen Calbang said the two defeats against UP caused their midseason meltdown.

“Doon kami sa dalawang talo sa UP nag-mental breakdown. Lesson na lang ‘yon na i-aim na kahit anong team ang katapat, need talaga talunin para magtuluy-tuloy ang panalo hanggang sa finals,” the former best first baseman said.

Santiago added that if they had not UST’s golden rule PAGE 10

Taekwondo Junior MVP stays with UST

Golden Sox Arson Lipalam pitches the ball against a Green Batter.

DEEJAE S. DUMLAO

Golden Sox fail to gain semis DESPITE their hitting prowess, the UST Golden Sox failed to upset powerhouse teams to boot out of the Philippine Baseball League Open Conference (PBL).

The Golden Sox finished fourth place in Group B behind a 2-3 win-loss record, a slight improvement from their 1-4 card in the PBL inaugural season last January.

In their three losses against professional teams Philippine Air Force Lawin (3-8) and Thunderz All-Stars (6-7) and UAAP defending champion De La Salle University Green Batters (4-11), the Golden Sox managed to register more hits, 7-6, 7-5 and 10-7, respectively.

Head coach Jeffrey Santiago attributed the improved hitting rate to the incoming sophomores.

“Mas maganda ang performance ng mga

baguhan kaysa sa mga beterano,” he told the Varsitarian. “Disiplinado sila, mataas ang drive manalo, we just need to improve their dominant attitude on the field.”

With the sophomores and incoming freshmen batting for UST, the team tallied 9.2 hits per outing, an improvement from their 7.8 average in Season 81.

Santiago lauded Rookie of the Year Mark Beronilla, catcher Jayvee Selda, pitcher Arson Lipalam, first baseman Jan Santiago and outfielders Ivan Llave, Arnel Villariquez and Israel Antonio for stepping up their game and leading the team this conference.

But despite the improved hitting, the Golden Sox still failed to send those base runners home, resulting in 6.2 left-on-base average.

Golden Sox PAGE 11

UAAP Season 80 juniors’ taekwondo Most Valuable Player (MVP) Israel Cantos is set to bolster the UST Tiger Jins as they launch their title reclamation trek next season.

Before emerging as an MVP, Cantos almost threw away his dream of playing competitive taekwondo due to weight issues. But a new division rekindled his passion.

From being overweight, the 18-year-old Cantos is now one of the most-skilled heavyweights in UAAP ju n io r s’ taekwondo.

He led the Junior Tiger Jins to back-to-back championships in Seasons 80 and 81.

Listed as 6’0” and 86 kgs, Cantos won a gold medal in the heavyweight category and the MVP plum in the UAAP Season 80 juniors’ taekwondo tournament last Dec. 6.

During his high school freshman year at Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation in Quezon Province, Cantos was forced to quit taekwondo because he could not meet the weight requirement for the welterweight division at 63 kgs. There was no heavyweight division yet.

Cantos focused basketball and did not bother practicing taekwondo for a time.

The introduction of the heavyweight division in 2015 prompted Cantos to compete the Palarong Pambansa 2015 in Davao City.

“Bumalik ‘yong excitement ko sa training sa taekwondo, mas nagustuhan ko pa siya lalo,” he told the Varsitarian.

After Lady Jins head coach Jasmin Stratchan-Simpao scouted him, Cantos decided to commit to UST since some of his former teammates were already Thomasians.

Junior Tiger Jins assistant coach Gershon Bautista acknowledged Cantos’ effective use of height advantage over his competitors.

“Alam niyang gamitin ang height niya,

malaking bagay ‘yon for his category,” Bautista said.

But despite a decorated high school career, Cantos hopes to step up his game in the collegiate level.

“Goal ko na pagdating ng college ay maging champion pa rin para maging maganda pa rin ang record ng UST,” he said. “Kapag naglalaro ako, hindi ko goal ang individual awards, ‘yong championship talaga kasi ‘yon ‘yong malaking tulong para sa team.”

Last season, the Tiger Jins fell short in their four-peat bid after surrendering to the National University last

Nov. 6.

Cantos for the f ielded d e cid e r s i y a t h e

Bautista said will play a big role team as he will be as the fifth player for matches next season.

“Nakikita namin automatically in team play. From the performances the past seasons, maturity niya

Taekwondo PAGE 10