THE VARSITARIAN P.Y. 2022-2023 ISSUE 06

‘V’ CELEBRATES 95 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

VARSITARIAN alumni in the arts, letters, media, politics, business, sciences, education, and other fields returned to the University on Jan. 14, 2023 to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas.

The grand alumni homecoming, held at the lobby of the Blessed Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building, began with a Mass presided over by former UST rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. and concelebrated by fellow alumni-priests, Fr. Isidro Marinay of the Archdiocese of Manila and Fr. Nicanor Lalog II of

the Diocese of Malolos.

In his homily, de la Rosa, a former Varsitarian Witness editor, said he hoped the “V” would continue to be an avenue where truth is explored through writers who have the passion and courage to help the country move forward.

“[W]e need writers whose love for writing matches their passionate commitment to improving our country that is suffering from many generations of nightmares and shattered dreams,” he said.

Varsitarian editor in chief John Ezekiel Hirro lauded alumni of the publication for building a culture of excellence that helped it survive wars, dic-

tatorships, storms, calamities, and most recently, a health crisis.

“Thanks to them, not only did we survive, we continued excelling,” he said. “The Varsitarian is blessed that through all these years, a family spirit has sustained the publication. The younger staffers have learned from the older ones through their stories of past victories and losses. Older and younger generations share a connection that has become more and more filial as the years go by.”

During the alumni homecoming, the publica-

A TOTAL of 43,000 applicants took the UST Entrance Test (USTET) for the admission of new students in Academic Year (AY) 2023-2024, the Office for Admissions (OFAD) said.

The number exceeded the 40,000 projected applicants this year as 21,000 applicants took the fourth and final USTET on Sunday, while 300 more are set to take the exam in international testing centers this month.

The first three batches of the USTET held at the Sampaloc campus had 21,700 examinees.

OFAD Director Assoc. Prof. Imelda

Dakis said major adjustments were made to resume the USTET after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“OFAD closely coordinated with the

Health Service and the Facilities Management Office to ensure that the on-campus USTET will be safe not only for the examinees but for UST personnel as well,” Dakis told the Varsitarian

Only 20 to 35 examinees were assigned per room to ensure that health protocols were observed. This is half the 40 to 45 examinees per room in the pre-pandemic USTET setup.

Health checks were conducted at the entrance of every testing building before examinees could go to their assigned rooms for the USTET.

Although vaccinated and unvaccinated applicants were allowed to take the exam, the University set a policy that suspected Covid-19 positive examinees and those exhibiting symptoms on their

exam date would be isolated and brought home.

Aside from the Manila campus, the University administered the USTET at 25 provincial testing centers in Luzon, five testing centers in the Visayas, and four testing centers in Mindanao. The OFAD also opened testing centers in Doha, Qatar, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Manama, Bahrain, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. USTET results will be released in the second quarter of 2023.

Assoc. Prof. Ryan Francis Cayubit, the OFAD assistant director, told the Varsitarian that USTET would be here to stay following the successful conduct of the examinations.

“We intend to hold it again next year,” he said.

NILLICENT B. BAUTISTA

UST alumna tops

By Joanne Christine P. Ramos

A THOMASIAN topped the January 2023 architecture licensure examinations, in which UST was the No. 2 top-performing school.

Thomasian Bhing-bhing Ko led the country’s newest batch of architects after scoring 84.50 percent.

Another Thomasian, Aliana Cadiang, ranked third with a score of 83.30 percent.

UST recorded an 81.38-percent passing rate or 118 out of 145 examinees, results released by the Professional Regulation Commission showed.

The passing rate dipped from 88.24 percent, or 255 out of 289, in

the June 2022 exams.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Sta. Mesa was named the top-performing school with a 91.80-percent passing rate or 56 out of 61 examinees.

The national passing rate for the January 2023 architecture exam declined to 57.01 percent (1,980 out of 3,473) from 63.72 percent in June 2022 (3,037 out of 4,766).

The exams were held on Jan. 25 and 27.

TO 100: Communications scholar Crispin Maslog (the first Filipino Ph.D. in communications), former CBCP Monitor editor in chief Jesselyn Garcia-de la Cruz, former assistant publications adviser Sister Regina Kuizon (now the provincial of the Religious of the Good Shepherd in the Philippines and Japan), and publications adviser Joselito Zulueta lead the cake-cutting ceremony for the 95th anniversary of The Varsitarian on

2023 at the Blessed Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building.

PHOTO BY JANA FRANCESCA D. YAO/ THE VARSITARIAN

Rector: ‘Varsitarian has brought pride, honor to UST’

UST RECTOR Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. lauded The Varsitarian for bringing “pride and honor” to the University as he greeted the publication on its 95th anniversary.

In a recorded message, Ang said the publication brought inspiration to the Thomasian community with the “love and service” it has rendered over the years.

“Ang tatak Varsi ay tatak ng tibay at husay na sumasalamin ng 95 taon ng makalidad na pamamahayag o campus journalism na naging lunduyan ng kasanayan at kahusayan para sa mag-aaral ng UST na minsa’y nangarap ding maging katulad ng mga batikang personalidad sa kasaysayan ng pamamahayag sa Pilipinas,” the Rector said.

“As sons and daughters of this four-centuries-old institution, you brought pride and honor to UST for what you have achieved. You inspire the Thomasian community with the love and service you have rendered to our country and your commitment to giving back to society,” he added.

In 1928, the Varsitarian was established by lexicographer-writer-teacher Jose Villa Panganiban, the first director of the National Language Institute (now the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino).

Initially set up so that students, according to the paper’s first edi-

torial on Jan. 16, 1928, could have

“something to write on,” the Varsitarian has become the oldest Catholic campus paper and the most influential student publication in the Philippines.

To celebrate its 95th anniversary, it held a grand alumni homecoming on Jan. 14, 2023, at the Blessed Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P.

UST Library reopens to walk-in students

THE UST Miguel de Benavides Library is reopening its doors to walkins for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic as more students are expected to be on campus for face-to-face classes in the second term of Academic Year (AY) 2022-2023, which opened on Jan. 16.

Library resources and services at the library were made available again to all enrolled Thomasians beginning Jan. 16 as it scrapped its “reserve-a-seat” system.

Thomasians were previously required to reserve a seat in their preferred library location (except high school libraries) through an online portal at least a day before their intended visit during the first term of AY 2022-2023. Only those with limited face-to-face classes were allowed to reserve seats.

Chief Librarian Maria Cecilia Lobo said the library decided to lift the reservation system due to numerous requests from students.

“Nung first term pa, we received numerous requests na maka-access sa library ‘yung ibang mga programs. Kaya lang, ang ina-allow lang that time, is yung mga programs na-approve lang ng Commission for Higher Education for limited face-to-face classes,” Lobo told the Varsitarian “Napag-usapan namin ng mga administrators at ibang mga librarians, especially the General Reference

and Information, dahil sila yung nakaharap doon sa mga students, na subukan muna na walang reservations,” she added.

With the policy change, students who intend to visit the library only need to be enrolled and have completed the health declaration form through the Thomasian Online Medical Support and Services (ThOMedSS) portal.

“We still have to strictly follow the health and safety protocols, like physical distancing and also the wearing of face masks,” said Lobo.

Thomasians may still avail themselves of the library’s online services, such as the Library Virtual Office, Circulation Services, Document Delivery, Online Library User-Education, Suggest a Purchase, and the Turnitin Service.

“Siguro, we just encourage the students to really use the library not only physically kasi we still have other online services. Yung online services namin, still in effect lahat,” Lobo said.

The library is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Outside researchers are allowed in the library if they secure permission from the prefect of libraries or the chief librarian.

Building (Thomasian Alumni Center), which was attended by some of the most prominent Varsitarian alumni, including former UST rector and Commission on Higher Education chair Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., communications scholar Crispin Maslog, former Sen. Francisco Tatad, award-winning fictionist-essayist Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, renowned

artist Remedios Boquiren, Manila Bulletin columnist Nestor Cuartero, Associated Press chief correspondent in Manila Jim Gomez, award-winning poet Vim Nadera, former presidential political adviser Ronald Llamas, BizNewsAsia President Tony Lopez, and musician and broadcast personality Lourd de Veyra

“We hope that this act of return-

ing home would also be an opportunity to renew, rekindle, and reinvigorate the hallmarks of your Catholic identity through which you are empowered to perform our prophetic obligation – to live in truth and to work for a just, peaceful, and harmonious society. Congratulations on

4 Music students win in NAMCYA 2022

FOUR UST Conservatory of Music students won awards in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) 2022 held from Nov. 15 to 20 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City.

Music junior Deiniel Sanchez and sophomore Renz Ciriaco won the first and third prizes, respectively, in the open brass category.

In the junior piano category, sophomore Yvonne Ang bagged the third prize, while freshman Juliana Silangcruz was given an honorable mention.

Participants were required to perform different pieces for the preliminary, semi-final, and final rounds.

Sanchez played Paul Dukas’ “Villanelle pour Cor et Piano” in the pre-

liminary round and the first movement in Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4 in Eb major, K. 495, for the semi-finals.

Sanchez said he chose to perform Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 1, Op. 11 in the final round because he has listened to Strauss since he started playing the horn.

“My understanding of this piece [has grown] with me ever since and continuously up to now. It was with great honor and joy to be able to perform and win with this piece,” Sanchez told the Varsitarian Ang, who performed Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major and Claude Debussy’s Etude No. 1, L.136-1. Pour les “cinq doigts” for the final round, said the melody of the pieces was simple and con-

cise, but was challenging to execute.

“It is such a beautiful piece, but I would say that the second movement would be a fan favorite… This was truly such a fun piece to play, and it reminded me much of my childhood,” Ang told the Varsitarian

Meanwhile, Silangcruz played Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, KV 453, and Claude Debussy’s Etude No. 11, “Pour les arpèges composés,” in the finals.

“It was fulfilling as I felt like months’ worth of my time, effort, and dedication has been rewarded,” Silangcruz told the Varsitarian Founded in 1973, NAMCYA is the country’s most prestigious competition for young musicians . NOLENE BEATRICE CRUCILLO

LAUD ‘V’

► Thomasians Deiniel Sanchez, Renz Ciriaco, Yvonne Ang and Juliana Silangcruz are winners in the

National

Music Competitions for Young Artists 2022.

As sons and daughters of this four-centuriesold institution, you brought pride and honor to UST for what you have achieved. You inspire the Thomasian community with the love and service you have rendered to our country and your commitment to giving back to society,

Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. UST RECTOR

► UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. delivers a recorded message for the 95th anniversary of The Varsitarian. The video was played during the ‘Valik-Varsi’ grand alumni homecoming on Jan. 14, 2023.

VARSITARIAN PAGE 5 ►

Students, educators, lawyers oppose return of mandatory ROTC

By Eduardo G. Fajermo Jr.

OPPOSITION is brewing among students, educators and lawyers on the proposed National Citizens’ Service Training (NCST) program, which recently passed the House, given the abuses of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) when it was still compulsory in college.

The bill establishing NCST, which breezed through the lower chamber with 276 yes votes after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. certified it as urgent, would mandate all students in undergraduate programs in higher educational institutions (HEIs) to take advanced military subjects and undergo field exercises for four semesters.

Marcos Jr. said in his first State of the Nation Address that the bill aims “to motivate, train, organize and mobilize the students for national defense preparedness, including disaster preparedness and capacity building for risk-related situations.”

But human rights lawyer and former senatorial candidate Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno is concerned about the ramifications of NCST to civil liberties.

“[M]arami akong concerns diyan dahil bilang human rights defender baka naman ang mangyari diyan ay lalo pang maliitin ang kahalagahan ng pangkarapatang pantao. Maaari siya maging weapon para maisulong ang mas militaristic type of society sa atin,” Diokno told the Varsitarian

According to the National Union

of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), at least 14 cases of hazing, sexual abuse, physical assault and murder have been recorded since 1995 under ROTC, despite its claim “to instill nationalism and patriotism.”

For the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), the country's largest network of private Catholic schools, justice must first be sought in these cases.

“These unsolved cases and allegations must first be addressed and resolved before thoughts of reinstating ROTC should be entertained,” it said in its position paper opposing NCST and 34 other related bills submitted to the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education.

“[U]sing the school and civilian spaces for military training is also against International Humanitarian Law and other treaties,” it added.

NCST critics have pointed to the case of Mark Welson Chua as an example of the horrors of ROTC.

Chua, an engineering sophomore and cadet officer, uncovered the corruption, bribery and extortion in the University’s ROTC program alongside Romulo Yumul. On March 15, 2001, he went missing, and three days later, his body was found floating in the Pasig River.

Nothing new Stakeholders lauded NCST’s objectives to train the Filipino youth in times of calamities and national emergencies, but they fear that its anti-student characteristics and militaristic culture will persist.

TOMSPEAK

Lawyer Kristine Carmina Manaog of Estrada & Aquino Law, who specializes in education law, believes there should be a “thorough discussion” with major stakeholders before mandating NCST.

“This is to ensure that past controversies of abuses and corruption are addressed, and safeguards and mechanisms for accountability at the school level are clear and in place,” she told the Varsitarian

The previous implementation of ROTC, she said, had “complete autonomy and separation,” lacking the necessary checks and balances that are vital in deterring abuses and corruption.

For Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, NCST is just the same as mandatory ROTC, even if the government claims it isn’t.

“Kung titingnan yung esensya ng NCST, ay wala siyang pinagkaiba doon sa mga gustong mangyari ng mandatory ROTC. For example, part ng curriculum ng NCST ay soldier training or military training, na ‘yun din naman yung required sa mandatory ROTC,” Manuel told the Varsitarian

Proponents attached an optional four-year ROTC program for students interested in joining the military. In any case, graduates will be automatically enlisted in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Force.

UST Central Student Council President Nathan Agustin said at a House hearing in December that the current implementation of the National Service Training Program (NSTP) already

Academic units lay out varying Term 2 setups

By Logan Kal-El M. Zapanta and Hannah Joyce V. Andaya

UST ACADEMIC units will have varying setups for onsite and online classes in Term 2 of Academic Year (AY) 2022-2023.

In December 2022, the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs (OVRAA) declared the second term as a “transitory period” to a full hybrid mode next academic year instead of immediately imposing the 50-50 hybrid learning required by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to higher education institutions (HEIs).

The OVRAA instructed academic heads to develop unit-level transition plans by Jan. 11, five days before the start of the new term.

The Faculty of Engineering, the faculty with the biggest student population of over 4,000 students, will implement an “odd-even weeks” system for their on-site classes this term.

Engineering dean Prof. Angelo de la Cruz told the Varsitarian that engineering students would attend classes online and on-campus activities on alternating weeks to prevent facility overcrowding. There will no longer be cohorts in the faculty.

The Faculty of Pharmacy, the University’s second-most populous academic unit, will adopt a “hybrid enriched virtual mode” setup with full face-to-face (F2F) classes as the primary mode of instruction, according to a memorandum released by the faculty.

The Faculty of Arts and Letters

(Artlets) will adopt either online or hybrid setups for professional and laboratory courses. Each program head will determine the combination of learning hours.

Pilot on-site classes will be held for general education subjects this term, but online will remain the primary mode of instruction.

The College of Accountancy will implement an alternating schedule for on-site classes, according to a memorandum released on Dec. 15, 2022.

First- and third-year accountancy students will attend in-person classes for professional courses every Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, while second- and fourth-year students will participate in on-site classes every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.

General education courses in the college may also opt to conduct on-site classes following the same schedule.

The College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS) will continue conducting online and F2F classes for their courses.

CRS Dean Assoc. Prof. Anne Marie Aseron said the college’s on-site schedule would depend on the number of laboratory courses per program.

“We abolish the cohort system. What we will implement is split the classes based on the capacity of the rooms,” Aseron told the Varsitarian

Meanwhile, the College of Commerce and Business Administration announced it would conduct on-site and online classes in cycles with twoweek intervals.

ardo Canoy said the five programs of the college were divided into two cohorts for on-site classes. A total of 11 sections per cohort group will attend classes onsite for two weeks and then participate in online classes for the next two weeks.

Should there be a Covid-19 case recorded in the college, Canoy said the confirmed case’s entire cohort would revert to an online setup.

50-50

The College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM), College of Education, and College of Science (COS) will adopt a 50-50 combination of onsite and online hours, their college deans said.

CTHM will impose an alternating schedule of on-site classes where first- and second-year students will go to campus on the days third-year and fourth-year students will attend online classes, and vice versa.

"The decision was made primarily because of the nature of the industry that our graduates will be joining. We [also] had consultations with the academic staff and our students," CTHM Dean Assoc. Prof. Gezzez Granado told the Varsitarian

The College of Education will impose a 50-50 combination of learning hours for professional courses, while general education subjects would remain to be delivered online with some pilot in-person classes.

Education Assistant Dean Louie

What are your thoughts on the University’s policies on limited face-to-face classes this second semester?

By Chalssea Kate C. Echegoyen

think it’s good that they are implementing a ‘hybrid’ setup. Design classes are done in person, while other lecture-based classes are done online. It saves money and time for us students.

Joanna Isabelle Ignacio, College of Architecture

Personally, I think that it is about time that we make efforts to transition to hybrid or onsite learning. Pandemic-induced restrictions in the country are continuously easing. I am grateful that the University has made the decision to use the current term as a “transitory period” (thanks to the push from the Commission on Higher Education’s memorandum), but I also think this move is long overdue.—Aubrey Shane Lim, Faculty of Arts and Letters

As a third-year Journalism student, it’s a really good thing that the University chose to expand the number of classes that will be held face-to-face. I have specific courses that I think are best taught in person, so this policy really maximizes my learning as a student. One of my concerns, however, is the scheduling. As a commuter, it will be difficult for me when face-to-face classes and virtual classes are scheduled on the same day with little time as an interval, so I have no other choice but to either stay behind after a face-to-face class or go to the campus really early and attend online classes in the library.—Paulina Crisanta Icban, Faculty of Arts and Letters am not satisfied with the face-to-face protocols implemented by UST this second term because it is very hassle most of the time since face-to-face classes will depend on the availability of professors. For the Faculty of Arts and Letters, the Dean’s Office released a memorandum mandating that all high-stakes assessments shall be conducted face-to-face. This is unfair for most of us because most of our classes are still conducted via online platforms. Consequently, another problem with UST’s face-toface guidelines is that there is no fixed schedule released by the Dean’s Office or the department. For example, morning classes are conducted online, while afternoon classes are taught face-to-face. Thus, I often hear my parents saying, “Sayang lang pamasahe mo. Sana kung face-to-face sa hapon, face-to-face na rin sana sa umaga para hindi ka magmadali na pumunta sa UST.”

John Lloyd D. Rolea, Faculty of Arts and Letters

Generally, I think that the policies on limited face-to-face classes being implemented are somewhat unconventional for most students. think it would be better if they gave ample time for students to make necessary adjustments in their setup. Although for us in Commerce, they gave us a heads-up early. But for other colleges, I think they haven’t decided on it not until weeks before the limited face-to-face classes started. Schedule is also a mess because they really took into consideration limiting the crowding of students, which is fine, but we think they could’ve made it less complicated. also don’t think ThOMedSS is a big help because one could easily cheat their temperature and, in our building, they don’t really check it so I don’t get the purpose of it. I’m still hoping that things will get easier as we go by because so far, it’s been exhausting to keep up with the setup.—Bea S.

Paguia, College

of Commerce and Business

Administration

As someone who is pursuing a career in education while also working full-time as a tutor, I believe that the policies on University’s limited face-to-face classes are somehow beneficial and exhausting. I emphasize the word “beneficial” because the profession I took needs first-hand learning experiences – it not just merely talks about the content of how we teach, but also we need to learn how to apply those fundamentals or principles in our field.[...] As someone who is pursuing a career in education while also working full-time as a tutor, I believe that the policies on University’s limited face-to-face classes are somehow beneficial and exhausting. I emphasize the word “beneficial” because the profession I took needs first-hand learning experiences – it not just merely talks about the content of how we teach, but also we need to learn how to apply those fundamentals or principles in our field.—Jhoezil Gonzales, College of Education

Still, playing safe pa rin. Behind na behind compared sa other universities na naunang mag-implement ng limited face-to-face. Very unsatisfying. ‘Di ko pa rin kasi na-fe-feel ‘yung parang university life and ‘yung UST experience mismo since ang bagal nila mag-implement.—Joaquin Miguel Valientes, Faculty of Engineering

Personally, I would say that the University’s policies on limited face-to-face classes this second semester are clearly timely. With the approval from CHED (Commission on Higher Education), delaying the students from any onsite experience would have been questionable and, honestly, unpreferable. The only concern have is that overall health and safety are not guaranteed as promulgated policies and their implementation is not exactly absolute.—Pauline Mira T. Ebarle, Faculty of Pharmacy

Limited face-to-face classes as a form of blended learning could be sustainable. By this time, naka-adjust na rin naman tayong mga students at pati mga professors sa digital learning. For me, may mga advantages din talaga ‘yung ganitong setup kagaya ng access sa mga recorded lectures, utilization of our Blackboard course site for the learning materials, etc.[...]Since blended learning nga, may chance pa rin ‘yung mga students sa self-paced learning, which is very beneficial din talaga for some students. Based kasi sa experience ko, mas efficient and mas effective sa akin ‘yung blended learning. May online subjects, pero dapat onsite na kapag laboratory courses since kailangan talagang ma-develop at ma-enhance ‘yung skills ng students.—Julienne Dela Cruz, Faculty of Pharmacy am happy that UST already has limited face-to-face classes since ito naman talaga gusto natin: to learn face-to-face and to experience campus life and to make our college life ‘the best,’ especially ako, a third-year student, malapit na rin grumaduate. So, ito na ‘yung chance to enjoy my college life. Still, meron pa rin sa part ko na mahirap since nasanay tayo online in the past years, but I know naman that every student has different coping abilities for these changes. Let's continue our responsibilities as college students and enjoy the rest of the year we have.—Khyle A. Villafuerte, College of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Let’s be honest, some students are struggling to cope with the current setup we’re facing. With all that has been going on – the economy, the struggle with our transportation system, and also, we’re still currently battling the pandemic – I think we can all agree that limited face-to-face classes could have been handled more efficiently. The real question in my mind is, “Why is UST still imposing limited face-to-face classes while the other universities are imposing full-blast face-to-face classes?”—Caryll Anne Y. Caleo, College of Tourism and Hospitality Management

ACTING EDITOR: CAMILLE M. MARCELO

Jones Campos, PR ace and former ‘V’ sports editor, writes 30

By Nillicent B. Bautista

PUBLIC relations expert and former Varsitarian sports editor

Jones Campos passed away on Jan. 29. He was 69.

Campos obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University in 1975.

He served as the Varsitarian sports editor from 1974 to 1975. He was also a features writer for The Flame, the official student publication of the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

In 1991, Campos earned his master’s degree in business administration from Ateneo De Manila University.

Campos started working in the PR and advertising industry a few years after graduation and became one of the most notable figures in the industry.

“He loved being involved in public relations, and he was able to develop a kind of influence in the industry. I loved that about him,” said son Jaime, a former Varsitarian lensman.

Campos served as assistant vice president for PR and marketing of Eastern Communications from 1979 to 1993. He then worked as Globe’s PR head officer from 1993 to 2009.

In 2006, he founded his consultancy firm JonesPR / JTCampos Corp.

Campos became the executive director of the Advertising Board of the Philippines in 2010 and president of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP).

He taught at De La Salle University from 2010 to 2015.

In a statement, the PRSP mourned the death of the PR ace.

“The Public Relations Society of

the Philippines (PRSP) mourns the passing of one of its pillars, former PRSP President Jones Campos, APR. His passing is a great loss, not just to PRSP but to the entire public relations and communications industry of the Philippines. We extend our sincerest sympathies to the Campos family,” it said.

In a Facebook post, Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Manuel Mogato remembered how Campos

UST educ high

helped him when he was a “newbie” in the industry.

“When I was a young journalist and writing telecom stories for a Singapore-based magazine, Jones helped me a lot, showing me how the industry works, what to watch as there was an explosion of mobile service operators when the Ramos administration broke PLDT’s monopoly,” Mogato said.

Campos attended the Varsitarian’s 95th anniversary grand alumni homecoming on Jan. 14.

Jaime said his father was happy during his last days.

“After the Valik-Varsi event, we spoke to each other and talked about how he enjoyed the company of his former ‘V’ staffers, but importantly, his friends. I will never forget that particular conversation because I knew deep down he was happy despite his health condition,” Jaime said.

“I promised him that we’ll go together for the 100th Valik-Varsi, but, unfortunately, that will never happen,” he added.

Memorial services will be held at St. Peter’s Chapel on Fruto Santos Avenue, Brgy. Zapote, Las Piñas on Feb. 2 and 4.

Campos’s remains will be cremated on Feb. 5.

Former Medicine dean Ramon Sin, brother of Cardinal Sin; 93

By Justin Benedict T. Lim

FORMER Faculty of Medicine and Surgery dean Dr. Ramon Lachica

Sin, younger brother of the late Cardinal Jaime Sin, passed away on Jan. 18 at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan. He was 93.

The younger Sin obtained his Doctor of Medicine from UST in 1955.

He served as Medicine dean from 1992 to 1996 and became UST Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P.’s assistant for external affairs.

Sin also became the first director of the Office for Grants, Endow-

ments, and Partnerships in Higher Education.

In a Facebook post, the University remembered the late dean for being “instrumental in forging partnerships between reputable benefactors and companies and UST” during his tenure.

Sin was among the UST alumni recognized during the 6th Distinguished Thomasian Alumni Awards in 2021.

A funeral Mass for Sin was led by Medicine Regent Fr. Angel Aparicio, O.P. on Jan. 21.

In his Manila Bulletin column, De la Rosa remembered Sin’s dedication to work.

“Dr. Sin was an excellent teacher, administrator, and physician. But he remained deeply human as manifested by his various eccentricities which all of us have learned to love,” he said.

“His vigorous affirmations regarding his celibate life would shame many of us priests who consider our being unmarried as a problem. Being celibate was a choice that he made,” de la Rosa said.

Sin’s remains were flown to his hometown of New Washington, Aklan following the UST Mass. WITH REPORTS FROM ALLYSSA MAE C. CRUZ AND AMMIEL B. MAESTRADO

provides a glimpse of the “potential horrors” of NCST.

Agustin claims that in one of the universities, “[a]n NSTP lecture was used by some unscrupulous officials to enforce red-tagging in the guise of citizenship training.”

On Nov. 7, 2022, retired military general Peale Bondoc, one of the speakers in an online NSTP lecture at the University of the Philippines Baguio, tagged progressive organizations Anakbayan, College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), League of Filipino Students (LFS), National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) and Student Christian Movement of

the Philippines (SCMP) as part of communist rebels.

Focusing on other things

Stakeholders believe nationalism is not just limited to militaristic ways and can be expressed through different means.

“[B]y instilling a sense of history, by exposing our students to realities of life and what we can do to make life better for the ordinary person, by making them understand na 'yung

mga ine-enjoy natin ngayon ng mga kalayaan at karapatan ay resulta 'yan at produkto 'yan ng mga sakripisyo ng mga nauna sa atin,” Diokno said.

Christian Paul Caro, a legal management freshman, commended the Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) program for raising national consciousness and training them on disaster and emergency response.

“Ang CWTS ay matagumpay na nagbigay ng kaalaman sa akin patungkol sa disaster preparedness dahil kami ay tinuruan at inatasan na mag-demonstrate ng iba’t-ibang first aid bandages at kung ano ba ang dapat gawin tuwing may sakuna,” he told the Varsitarian

Instead of legislating NCST with “more loopholes for state propaganda,” lawmakers are urged to address the

longstanding problems in the education sector.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), for instance, revealed in 2018 and 2019, respectively, that Filipino students have dismal performance in reading, mathematics and science.

In April, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) reported that three out of 20 schoolchildren couldn’t even read basic texts due to the closure of schools caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. “[D]apat tutukan ng ating pama-

alumnus

among 11 killed in Monterey Park shooting

By Logan Kal-El M. Zapanta

A UST Education High School (EHS) alumnus was among the 11 people killed on Saturday, Jan. 21, in a shooting incident at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California.

Valentino Alvero, 68, was one of the identified victims in the Monterey Park shooting, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles confirmed in an interview with DZBB on Jan. 24.

Alvero, a US citizen of Filipino descent, graduated from UST EHS in 1972.

In a statement, the Alvero family remembered Valentino as “a loving father, a dedicated son and brother, a grandfather who loved his three granddaughters fiercely, an uncle who loved his nieces and nephews like his own.”

“We became unwilling members of a community who has to mourn the loss of our loved ones due to gun violence,” the family said.

The family also asked for prayers for Valentino, a “faithful servant of God.”

The shooting, which ensued during the Lunar New Year celebration at the dance studio, left nine others injured.

Los Angeles police identified the suspect as Huu Can Tran, 72, a former patron at the dance studio.

Tran tried to attack another dance hall in Alhambra the same night but failed after a front-desk employee of the dance studio stopped him.

Tran was found dead the following day of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police said the motive behind the shooting remained unclear.

halaan to make sure that our students will be at par or even better than the students of other countries. Dati kasi nasa itaas tayo, eh ngayon nasa bandang huli na tayo,” Diokno said.

Manuel expressed his disappointment with the Marcos Jr. administration for prioritizing NCST amid the “education crisis” and high “learning poverty.”

“It shows na sobrang detached ng Marcos Jr. administration sa kalagayan ng ating mga paaralan at 'yung learning needs ng ating mga kabataan,” he said.

The proposed NCST is currently being debated in the Senate.

► Valentino Alvero

► Jones Campos

► Ramon Sin

Former AB dean reflects on pandemic-hit tenure

If there’s one thing encapsulating the three-year tenure of Prof. Marilu Madrunio as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB), it’s the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Aug. 1, 2019, she walked a few steps from the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex (Tarc), home to the UST Graduate School, where she was dean for six years, to the St. Raymund de Peñafort Building to lead the country’s oldest liberal arts college.

“Little did I know that the following years would be extra challenging not only to me but to all of us in the college,” Madrunio told the Varsitarian in an email interview.

Appointed by then-UST rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. at a time when online classes were still alien to students, Madrunio had to navigate AB in an era of transformation for the educational system.

“The pandemic did not stop us from innovating. Instead, we had to take advantage of what the pandemic allowed us to do,” she said.

Madrunio, 60, believes the Covid-19 pandemic was an opportunity to improve the three tri-focal functions of UST: teaching, research and service learning.

Under her watch, six AB programs were given Level 3 first reaccreditation by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) – Asian Studies, Behavioral Science, Communication, Journalism, Political Science and Sociology – and two Level 1 accreditation – English Language Studies and History, both founded in 2011.

“Despite the drastic change in the mode of visitation done by the accreditors, our academic officials in Arts and Letters were able to adjust,” Madrunio said.

However, due to the heavy administrative workload, the virtual setup had, somehow, taken a toll on the former dean.

“I experienced digital burnout during the first two years of the pandemic,” she said. “What really depleted my energy was the online meetings which came one after the other. Literally, I started my day at 9 or 10 a.m. and ended at 11 p.m.”

As Madrunio’s term neared its completion, she grappled with persistent

Behind the scenes of ‘Voltes V’ reboot with UST costume designer

calls to return to the classroom as Covid-19 cases nosedived.

In April 2022, society leaders called for the implementation of limited faceto-face classes, saying their disciplines

require in-person interaction and access to the library.

AB eventually secured in August 2022 the approval for nine of its 13 programs to hold limited face-to-face classes and held last December an in-person thesis colloquium for all AB seniors. Madrunio, recognized for pioneering forensic linguistics in the country, plans to establish a professional organization that will allow language specialists and legal professionals to work together now that her term has ended.

“This is the very essence of the job that we do as forensic linguistics researchers. I should have done this years ago, but as an administrator, I had to perform first my duties and responsibilities since I accepted the task,” Madrunio said.

She has already passed the baton of the AB deanship to lawyer Jacqueline Kaw.

JUDD ERICKA MARIE F. CRESCINI

By Karis M. Tsang

Nearly 50 years after it first aired in the Philippines – against the backdrop of Martial Law – the Japanese animation series “Voltes V,” which captured the hearts of Filipinos whether young or old, is now being reimagined into a live-action format with the help of an alumnus from the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD).

“Voltes V: Legacy,” the Filipino adaptation of the anime “Chodenji Machine Voltes V” by Toei Company, will be aired this year on GMA as part of its 2023 offerings.

Last December, the network unveiled a five-minute “mega” sneak peek during its New Year’s Eve countdown, with its lead characters – in their iconic red, blue and white robotic attires – joining forces to fight the humanoid aliens, Boazanians, planning to invade the Earth.

The costumes for the live-action adaptation were created by Noel Layon Flores, the lead visual designer for GMA’s science-fiction and fantasy soap operas.

A Commercial and Advertising Arts graduate in 1995, Flores told the Varsitarian that the costumes had to secure approval from Toei through the local copyright handler of “Voltes V,” Telesuccess Productions Inc., before they could be used.

“We cannot really gear away from the original design,” he said.

One of Flores’s major projects was designing the costumes for the reboot of the fantasy series “Encantadia” in 2016.

There were stark differences, he said. For one, “Encantadia” was an original concept of GMA in 2005,

while “Voltes V” was born in Japan.

“[W]ith ‘Encantadia’ and other teleseryes where I was the lead designer, almost all the designs would go through me kasi ako ‘yung world-builder. It was my task to interweave para talaga maging cohesive na world,” Flores said.

For “Voltes V: Legacy,” the CFAD alumnus had to find a way to make the costumes closer to their militaristic theme.

“Siguro ang pinaka-obvious na nakita ko with the ‘Voltes V’ pilots design would be how to make them look like they’re pilots or look like they’re trained military personnel,” he explained.

“To make sense of the five costumes, I had to start with the organization – the big picture […] I have to place or visually establish these colors in the big organization.”

As production for “Voltes V: Legacy” dragged on, Flores only felt the need to push for producing more original science-fiction shows.

“Andoon pa rin ako sa advocacy na we need to make more of our original works told […] We need to shine more as Filipinos. We should advocate for our own IPs (intellectual properties) and have it actualized for the new generations to see,” he said.

Flores, whose career now spans 28 years, also works as a comic book illustrator for Second Skin Comics, based in Los Angeles, California and Seattle, Washington, both in the United States. He is finishing Issue No. 3 of his comics titled “Dream Walker.”

Flores taught at the CFAD from 1999 to 2011 but stopped teaching to “expand” and “to look for what else that is new,” he said.

Term 2 setup

FROM PAGE 3 ►

your 95th anniversary and happy homecoming,” Ang said.

In his message, UST Vice Rector Isaias Tiongco, O.P. commended the publication for “its continuing commitment to the formation of the social, the intellectual, spiritual, and artistic consciousness of the Thomasian studentry and the community at large by providing free rein to creative expressions following journalistic and aesthetic tenets, and upholding universal human values.”

“It is my ardent hope the Varsitarian, led by its editors in chief and guided by its advisers and mentors, especially from among its alumni, may continue to be the seedbed and haven of future

generations of responsible Thomasian writers,” he said.

Vice Rector for Religious Affairs Fr. Pablo Tiong, O.P. urged Varsitarian staffers to embody the University motto Veritas in caritate (truth in charity) as competent, compassionate, and committed Thomasians.

“Let the ideals of truth, integrity, and justice that you once championed as campus journalists remain always with you as you engage in your professional fields,” he said.

Quoting eminent Thomasian historian Fr. Fidel Villarroel, O.P., UST Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel O.P. said the Varsitarian was among the three

publications of the University regarded as the “modern-day tria haec,” along with Unitas, the oldest extant university-based academic journal in the country, and Boletin Ecclesiastico de Filipinas, the official interdiocesan bulletin of the Philippines.

“The Varsitarian has been responding out of love for 95 years, such a milestone will lead us to a five-year preparation for its centennial. Continue spreading love through information… Congratulations, Varsitarian, happy 95th anniversary. Onwards, to the centennial. God bless you,” he said . LOGAN KALEL M. ZAPANTA WITH

Dasas said nutrition, food technology, and library and information science programs will attend onsite classes in alternating weeks.

For elementary and secondary education programs, the contact hours a week will be distributed to onsite and online instruction.

Dasas also said the College of Education was working on installing internet signal boosters in classrooms to help in students' online synchronous sessions.

Meanwhile, the COS will implement 50-50 "full-capacity hybrid

classes" for all technical and professional lectures and laboratory courses, according to a memorandum released by the college last November.

Other academic units that are already holding on-site classes are as follows:

• College of Architecture,

• College of Fine Arts and Design

• Faculty of Medicine and Surgery

• Conservatory of Music

• College of Nursing.

The second term began on Jan. 16.

COORDINATOR: FAITH NICOLE S. GELACIO

ART BY ALLAN CHRISTOPHER M. SAYAT

REPORTS FROM KARIS TSANG

► Madrunio

► Lawyer Jacqueline Kaw, the new dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, poses for a photo with outgoing dean Marilu Madrunio during the faculty’s deanship turnover ceremony on Dec. 13 at the St. Raymund de Peñafort Building.

Prominent alumni recall best years with Varsitarian

JOINING the Varsitarian without having to enter its rigorous multi-stage exams. Using the telephone without having to pay 75 cents. Lampooning a Pope that resulted in expulsion and vindication.

These are some of the memories recounted by some “V” alumni of their time as a staffer on Saturday night at “Valik-Varsi,” the Varsitarian Grand Alumni Homecoming staged in celebration of its 95th anniversary.

“My happiest years in UST were with the Varsitarian,” said Antonio “Tony” Lopez, whose three-year stay at the publication as senior reporter, news editor, and managing editor became the foundation of his five-decade journalism career.

Lopez, now the publisher of business magazine BizNews Asia, spearheaded the Varsitarian Weekly, released when President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was reelected for a second term, and communist rebels were starting to gain ground.

But he could not clinch the top job in the student organ because, as his economics professor believed, “UST is afraid of your views.”

Rosalinda de Leon, who would later be editor in chief of the magazine Woman Today, was chosen to lead the Varsitarian in 1970, only to squander it with the release of the Vuisitarian on Oct. 14, 1970, a lampoon issue created to mock the visit of Pope Paul VI on Nov. 27, 1970.

Though the issue was satirical, UST administrators at the time were angered by two things: first, a photo caption saying the Pope underwent a brain transplant in the country, and second, a collage of officials under the banner, “Wanted: Dead or Alive.”

As a result, 21 staffers were expelled. Part of that batch was a freshman from Batangas, Nestor Cuartero, whose roommate came up with the idea of making fun of the Pope.

Just three months after entering the “V” – accepted without the one-year residency requirement – Cuartero, now a veteran entertainment journalist for Manila Bulletin, and other staff members were instructed to find subjects to be satirized.

“Nakatira ako sa boarding house. Isip ako nang isip, ‘Ano bang magandang i-storya sa lampoon issue?’ Sabi ng boardmate ko, si Willie, ‘Darating ‘yung Pope, si Pope Paul VI. Why don’t you do a story on Pope Paul VI?” he said. “Eh noon, kaka-opera lang ni Christiaan Barnard ng heart transplant.”

The Vuisitarian was a harrowing experience for first-year Cuartero, but he was one of the six staffers who were allowed to return to UST after apologizing to the University administrators.

For all the troubles it brought, the Vuisitarian became a popular staple of the “V,” publishing crazy stories with crazy section names like idiotorials, su-ports, and walaisipans. An idiotorial in 1987 proudly described it as “a breeding ground of the wildest writers of the country.”

Cuartero’s return to the “V” put him in the editorship of Circle, the paper’s lifestyle section, opening the doors to the world of soft news.

Fr. Nicanor Lalog II of the Diocese of Malolos, a former GMA News reporter, credited the Varsitarian for rediscovering his calling to the priesthood.

“Dahil sa Varsitarian, nakilala ko ang kapwa-tao. Nakilala ko ang Diyos. Nakabalik akong seminaryo,” the former Sports writer said.

Lalog was part of the 80s batch that covered the first visit of Pope John Paul II, the cosmetic lifting of Martial Law, and the waning days of Marcos dictatorship, encapsulated by the 1986 rigged snap elections and the People Power Revolution.

The “V” had become an active voice in the country’s struggle to restore democracy, covering the wake of slain senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., becoming an election media monitor of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and joining the civil disobedience campaign that led to the four-day mass revolt.

Part of the first Marcos Sr. cabinet was Francisco “Kit” Tatad, chosen to be the minister of public information for his work as a newspaperman, replacing Joe Aspiras, a Thomasian who would run at the time for a congressional seat in La Union.

Tatad, who later on was elected for three terms in the Senate, did not undergo the qualifying exams to run the Varsitarian’s Literary section in 1960 because of a piece he wrote in the class of Dean Ophelia Alcantara-Dimalanta – the “Lady Polyester” known for her unparalleled work in poetry and a former Varsitarian Literary editor – that was published in the Hong Kong-based Asia Magazine.

Valik-Varsi

► Manila Bulletin columnist and former Varsitarian Circle editor Nestor Cuartero talks about his time with the publication.

dinner.

► Communications scholar Crispin Maslog, a former Varsitarian news editor, says in his testimony that giving leads to a happy life.

► Varsitarian editor in chief John Ezekiel Hirro delivers his opening remarks.

► Majestic UST Tower and Cross loom triumphantly anniversary grand alumni homecoming.

► Hosting the event are ABS-CBN Corporate Communications head Kane Choa, Eggshell Worldwide Communication, Inc. managing and PR director Ro-Charmaine Pidal-Pahate, and Varsitarian assistant publications adviser and political journalist Christian Esguerra.

► Musician and broadcast personality Lourd de Veyra, writer, recalls with his batchmates his experiences as

► Cutting the ribbon to open the Varsitarian history exhibit of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI); veteran artist and and former ‘V’ editor in chief Rina Jimenez-David; and Center.

► Varsitarian photographers are before, not behind, the cameras for a change.

UST Varsitarian staffers and alumni at the lobby

PHOTOS

► Award-winning writer Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, director of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies and a former Varsitarian editor in chief, attends the event.

► The UST Singers serenade the audience over

Valik-Varsi 2023

celebrate the publication’s 95th anniversary lobby of the

on Saturday, Jan. 14.

fireworks light up the skies as a five-minute pyromusical to the tune of Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ ends the Varsitarian’s 95th

PHOTOS

► The UST Symphony Orchestra regales Varsitarian alumni with timeless classics.

►

Still writing the ‘hurting word’

In his homily on Jan. 14 at the “Valik-Varsi: Grand Alumni Homecoming” in celebration of the Varsitarian’s 95th anniversary, former UST rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., himself a former editor of this paper, said society today needs what he called a “hurting word” to shatter falsities, complacencies and mediocrities: “During this period of political, economic and social turmoil in our country, the word that hurts is also the word that heals.”

For the past 95 years, the “V,” with accuracy and cogency in mind, has been writing the “hurting word” amid the possible repercussions that come with truth-telling.

In 1928, the “V,” founded by a hotcake cook named Jose Villa Panganiban, who would later become the first director of the National Language Institute, said in its first editorial that it would operate as an “independent organ of opinion of ‘students’ wherein they can express their ideas regarding vital questions in this University.”

Such expression of ideas would not be possible without the powerful ingredient of the truth, which has become the ultimate weapon of this publication against erring forces who want to diminish it for their own sake.

When Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. was assassinated in 1983 on the tarmac of THE Manila International Airport, the “V” took a much stronger stance against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., never mind the threat of persecution going against the government even if the Martial Law proclamation was lifted, albeit cosmetically. “We cut loose the chains of fear. It was the best time to be a writer, to be an activist,” Julius Dalupang, MD, editor in chief of the “V” from 1985 to 1986 during the dying days of the dictatorship, said in 2008.

The ”V” joined the civil disobedience campaign after the 1986 snap elections produced a rigged result in favor of Marcos Sr., resulting in the four-day People Power

Revolution that toppled the dictator from power after two decades. Amid the turbulence, the “V” became, as Dalupang described, “socially relevant, sensitive, and responsible without being labeled as a radical left-leaning school paper.”

In 1999, the “hurting word” first shed light on the ills permeating the University’s Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, with cases of bribery, extortion and abuse among cadets sending shockwaves. The scandal would later culminate with the exposés of engineering sophomores Mark Welson Chua and Romulo Yumul, whose complaint before the Department of National Defense (DND) became the basis of the 2001 report “Struggle against the system,” and the death of Chua in April that year. UST would later lead the University Belt consortium to call for the excision of cancer – the abolition of mandatory ROTC. A new law was signed in 2002, establishing the National Service Training Program (NSTP), making ROTC optional.

The ”hurting word” has stirred the national conversation to the cheers of some and the jeers of others. The “V” was ferocious in 2012 when it deemed proReproductive Health (RH) bill faculty members of Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University “intellectual pretenders and interlopers.” This, as the “V” and UST were fiercely opposed to the RH bill, which eventually passed on Dec. 18, 2012.

Much to their chagrin, the Guidon

Hindi ikinukulong ang nasyonalismo sa silid-aralan

and the LaSallian, Ateneo and La Salle’s respective student organs, issued separate editorials valiantly defending their own from what they saw as the employment of “a […] dismissive language that verges on the fanatical.”

“The Varsitarian may be the official student newspaper of a pontifical university, but it is still a student newspaper. The stands that it must make are not exempt from the basic expectations of respect, decency and logical sense – valid demands on any credible publication,” The Guidon’s editorial board said at the time.

In 2011, the “hurting word” got the former editor in chief Cliff Harvey Venzon and late associate editor Rommel Marvin Rio into trouble when Selegna Holdings Corp., which operated the UST Carpark at the time, slapped them with a libel case for a mere news report that the University sued the corporation, alongside more than 20 tenants, for violating the “buildoperate-transfer” contract for the building.

Defended by former Senate president Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., who was lead defense counsel assisted by two former editors of the Varsitarian, attorneys Edric Paul Peredo and Teodoro Lorenzo Fernandez (now faculty members of the College of Commerce and the Faculty of Arts and Letters, respectively), the two staffers were acquitted by Makati City’s prosecutor’s office, ruling that there was no malice on their part when they published the article. “[The resolution] means that people who are criticized by campus journalists shouldn’t be onion-skinned and should seek ways to address the grievances by exercising their right to reply,” the late senator said.

BILANG BAHAGI ng mungkahing pasiglain ang damdaming nasyonalismo, ipinanukala ni Sen. Jinggoy Estrada ang Senate Bill No. 1443 na maglalayon sa Kagawaran ng Edukasyon (DepEd) na bumuo ng Constitutional Education Course na ituturo sa hay-iskul. Bagamat makakatulong nga ang masiglang damdamin ng nasyonalismo sa patuloy na pag-unlad ng ating bayan, ang pagdagdag ba ng ganitong kurso sa hay-iskul ang tamang paraan upang makamit ito?

Mas malaki nga ba ang bentahe ng pagbibigay ng ganitong pansin sa isyu ng nasyonalismo sa mga paaralan kaysa sa ibang mga problema?

“A nationalist mindset must be instilled in Filipino learners who will contribute to a strong Philippine economy, grounded in their commitment to the nation,” wika ni Estrada ukol sa batas. Maganda man pakinggan ang layunin ng panukalang batas na ito, marami pang ibang paraan upang makamit ang inaasam na resulta. Totoo mang mahalagang matutunan ng mga mag-aaral ang kanilang mga karapatan at mapasigla ang kanilang paglahok sa mga isyung pambansa, hindi lang naman ito makakamit sa isang cursong KURSONG nakatuon sa ating konstitusyon.

Maaari namang gumawa na lamang ng mga pagsasaayos sa kasalukuyang kurikulum ng Araling Panlipunan o ng iba pang mga asignatura upang maipasok ang mga aral ukol sa nasyonalismo. Base sa kurikulum ng DepEd, ang pangunahing paksa ng Araling Panlipunan sa ika-10 baitang ang mga kontemporaryong isyu. Dito madaling maipapasok ang pag-aaral sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng konstitusyon na hindi kinakailangan ng hiwalay pang asignatura. Sa ganitong paraan madaling maisasama ang dagdag pokus sa nasyonalismo at pakikilahok sa mga isyung nasyonal.

Kahit pa mabigyan ng isang tiyak na asignatura ang pag aaral sa konstitusyon, wala rin namang katiyakan na magiging mabisa ito sa layuning nais makamit. Kung titingnan ang mga asignatura sa kasalukuyang kurikulum, madalas na pagsasaulo lamang ang ginagawa ng mga mag-aaral at hindi na lumalalim pa dito. Maituturing lamang ang Constitutional Education Course na ito na katulad ng ibang mga asignatura na puro pagkabisa na lamang. Hindi rin maisasakatuparan ang nais na mas malalim na pagmamahal sa bayan. Masasayang laman ang panahong inilaan sa pagbuo ng bagong asignatura para sa minimal na benepisyong makukuha dito.

Kung tutuusin din, may mas malaki pang mga problemang hinaharap ang sistema ng edukasyon sa ating bansa. Base sa Program for International Student Assessment noong 2018, niranggo ang Pilipinas sa ika-76 na puwesto sa 77 bansa base sa average na marka sa math, science, at pagbasa. Sa parehong pagtatasa, nirango rin ang Pilipinas bilang ang bansang mayroong pinaka mababang grado sa pag-unawa sa pagbasa. Tila sirang plaka na ang mga panawagang magkaroon ng konkretong

Yao

Editorial Assistant Alexander B. Cardenas

16, 1928 Joselito

Mata sa Mata MATTHEW G. GABRIEL

kuwento tulad ng “Know Thy God…!”

Binibili noon ng mga Tomasino ang Varsitarian sa halagang 10 sentimo, presyong hindi na madalas marinig sa panahon ngayon.

Nakalagak sa unang pahina ang pagbati ng noo’y rektor na si Fr. Serapio Tamayo, O.P. para sa Varsitarian, kung saan sa kabila ng ilan niyang aprehensyon, ang kapangyarihan ng pamamahayag at suporta ng komunidad ang nag-udyok sa kaniyang aprubahan ang pagkakatatag nito.

“For the success of the Varsitarian will be the success of the University, and their own success,” wika ni Tamayo sa kanyang mensahe.

Tomasino Siya

***

Celso Al Carunungan, nobelista, sumulat ng ‘Biyaya ng Lupa’

Bukod sa mga papuri’t parangal, tagumpay na maituturing ng isang manunulat kung nabuksan ang isip at nahaplos ang puso ng mga mambabasa nito gamit ang mga mapangahas na salita’t ideya.

Kaya naman tagumpay kung maituturing ang karera ni Celso Al. Carunungan na naging manunulat at tagapayo ng Varsitarian, dahil sa mga akda niyang sumalamin sa estado ng bansa noong panahon niya.

Bukang-Liwayway

Ni Joshua Russel S. Iringan*

Makailang beses ko na ring tinangkang Ibitin ang pagputok ng bukang liwayway Ngunit napakahirap niyang pigilin. Sinubukan ko siyang ikulong sa loob Ng aking mga palad subalit hindi sapat ang Lakas ng mga bisig—ang silakbo ng Nagngangalit na pagsilay, palaging Nananaig. Ganoon pala ang pananariwa Ng bukang-liwayway, lalo’t kapag Pinipigilan mong sumikat ang kanyang Liwanag at banaag ng tirik: nagpupuyos, Sumasabog, nagagalit. Pumapasok, Lumalabas, nanatili. Naghahalo ang bango At ang sangsang—malansa, namumuo, Lumalabsa, nalulusaw, tumutulo, lumalabnaw. Matinik, kumakapit. At pagsapit ng dapithapon at malalim na paghinga—sabay na magpapantay ang dalawang mga paa.

Bumubulag ang putok ng bukang-liwayway Na nagpapatirik sa mapungay na mga mata.

*Nagmula ang tulang ito ni Joshua Russel Iringan, isang magaaral ng Political Science, sa “Mula ng Tuwa Namin,” ang kaniyang kompilasyong nagwagi ng Unang Gantimpala sa Tula sa ika-34 Gawad Ustetika noong 2019.

Kabilang na dito ang pelikulang “Biyaya ng Lupa,” produksyon ng LVN Pictures noong 1959 na itinuturing na isa sa mga importanteng klasiko at simbolikong pelikula noong Golden Ages.

Sa direksiyon ni Manuel Silos, ang naisulat na kwentong ito ni Carunungan, tungkol sa mag-asawang nagtatanim ng lansones na nasira ang katahimikan dahil sa inggit at sakim ng kanilang kabaryo, at naitala sa senaryo ni Pablo Noval ay nagtamo ng mga parangal na Best Story at Best Picture mula sa Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS).

Isa pang naisa-pelikula na akda ni Carunungan ay ang “Iniibig Kita…Father Salvador,” ang kontrobersyal na kuwento ng isang madreng umibig sa isang pari na idinirehe ni Pablo Santiago, pinagbidahan nina Helen Gamboa at Vic Vargas, at ipinalabas noong 1976.

Lumikha rin si Carunungan ng mga nobela’t maiikling kuwento sa Ingles at Tagalog na umani ng respeto ng mundo ng literatura. Kabilang dito ang “Hide Out for a Hero” (1955); “Like a Big Brave Man” (1960) na inilimbag sa Amerika ng Farrar, Straus and Cudahy; “Satanas sa Lupa: Nobelang Pangkasalukuyan,” ang 1971 na nobelang pumuna sa administrasyon ni Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

na nagpabilang sa kaniya sa “Class 1081,” o ang grupong kinulong nang ideklara ang Martial Law noong 1972; at “To Die a Thousand Deaths: A Novel on the Life and Times of Lorenzo Ruiz,” ang 1980 na nobelang naging inspirasyon ng kantang “Lorenzo Ruiz, Martir” na isinulat niya at ni Fr. Manuel Maramba (1936-2020), dating miyembro ng pakultad sa Konserbatoryo ng Musika.

Hindi maitatangging nagsilbing dagdag-karunungan ang mga likha ng primyadong manunulat na ito na nagsimula sa opisyal na publikasyon ng UST hanggang sa umabot sa mga takilya at silid-aklatan. Tila binigyang hustisya niya ang kaniyang pangalang “Carunungan.” ***

Tomasalitaan

Dasig (png.) - Pagsulong o pag-urong nang bahagya upang dumiit sa iba at mabigyang lugar ang sinuman o anuman.

Hal.: Bagamat masikip sa loob ng LRT, kinailangan kong dumasig upang makalabas ang mga katabi ko. DIANA MAY B. CABALO AT MATTHEW G. GABRIEL

Mga Sanggunian: The Varsitarian, Tomo 1, Bilang 1, Enero 16, 1928, 1928-1933, p. 1 KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wíkang Filipíno

Another editor when the “V” was still a literary magazine was Crispin Maslog, who oversaw the News section alongside Tito Alquizola. Under the helm of Hermenegildo Azarcon, they would edit the monthly issue of the “V” in Tondo every morning because the offices in the University were still closed.

Maslog went on to become an esteemed communications scholar who was awarded the Outstanding Thomasian Alumni (Total) Award for Media and Entertainment this year.

Tatad and Maslog testified in Saturday’s “Valik-Varsi,” in front of more than 250 Varsitarian alumni since the 1950s, who have managed to forge

strong friendships amid the taxing responsibility of operating the student publication of the University.

“The Varsitarian po is family,” Jose Wendell Capili, assistant vice president for public affairs at the University of the Philippines, said.

Nowhere was that element more present than in the 90s batch, who worked at the cramped offices of the Varsitarian at the Main Building with only two computers – exclusively for the student clerk and editor in chief – and a telephone supervised by the clerk.

“Hindi na malalaman ng mga sumunod na henerasyon ang ibang level ng bonding [and] valuable lessons on camaraderie, teamwork, improvi-

sation and the wonderful evils of bullying,” musician and broadcast personality Lourd de Veyra, a former Literary staffer, said.

De Veyra was joined onstage by his fellow “batang 90s” (90s kids), including three-time Palanca winner Ramil Gulle (former associate editor), political journalist Christian Esguerra (former editor in chief), and UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education Director Asst. Prof. Jeremaiah Opiniano (former Sports editor).

Raising their hands in a V sign, they concluded their 18-minute talk with the paper’s alumni catchphrase: “Minsang V, Mananatiling V.” EDUELLE

MACABABBAD

tory Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) in 2001 together with the University Belt consortium, following the death of cadet officer Mark Welson Chua.

As the publication starts the countdown toward its centenary, de la Rosa hopes the “V” will continue to be an avenue where truth is explored through writers who have the passion and courage to help the country move forward.

“[W]e need writers whose love for writing matches their passionate commitment to improving our country that is suffering from many generations of nightmares and shattered dreams,” he said.

De la Rosa, who was at the helm of UST from 1990 to 1998 and 2007 to 2012, is one of two UST rectors honed by the

Varsitarian in the past 95 years, alongside Fr. Norberto Castillo, O.P., a former managing editor. Fr. Juan Labrador, O.P., who was one of the first two moderators of the paper, became rector in 1961.

“Valik-Varsi” 2023 took place at the Blessed Buenaventura G. Paredes, O.P. Building Lobby and Mezzanine, graced by prominent figures in journalism, arts, letters and politics such as communications scholar Crispin Maslog, former senator Francisco Tatad, award-winning fictionist-essayist Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, renowned artist Remedios Boquiren, Manila Bulletin columnist Nestor Cuartero, Associated Press chief correspondent Jim Gomez, award-winning poet Vim Nadera, and musician and broadcast personality Lourd de Veyra.

Valik Varsi FROM PAGE 6 ►

Usapang Uste MULA PAHINA 4 ►

TUMATAYONG PATNUGOT: MATTHEW G. GABRIEL

DIBUHO NI ATHEA MONIQUE Z. GALA

Just this 2021, the “V” greeted Senior High School (SHS) principal Erika Bolaños with a 1,200-word new year fulmination – a lengthy scolding for removing Datu Zaldy Ampatuan Jr. from the student council and refusing to release necessary documents for his college application because he’s a member of the left-leaning Anakbayan, which the administration contended to be an unrecognized student organization. “SHS is an embarrassment to UST,” the editorial’s title read.

In the past 95 years, the “V” has produced some of the nation’s fiercest writers whose gallant efforts to open the masses’ eyes to see the truth have helped mold the national conversation. National Artist for Literature F. Sionil José’s “The Rosales Saga” painted the never-ending class struggle in society through five novels. National Artist for Literature

Bienvenido Lumbera’s librettos, musical dramas, textbooks and poetries left imprints in the world of “Philippine Studies” and the study of the harrowing days of Martial Law, rooted in his days inside cold bars during that time.

Jose “Joe” Burgos’s press freedom advocacy pushed him to establish WE Forum and Malaya, giving birth to the “mosquito press” that stung the ailing Marcos Sr. and his government. And Jullie Yap-Daza’s keen observance of today’s world, with tinges of humor, has made her an essential voice in politics, lifestyle and relationships (check out her best-selling book, “Etiquette for Mistresses and Wives”).

The “V” has withstood, and will withstand, 95 years of turbulence and tectonic shifts because of its confidence and audacity to write the “hurting word” if it means for the betterment of the University, the country and the world we serve and live in.

Golden Trinity FROM PAGE 11 ►

95 years FROM PAGE 1 ► equal kami. I can say na mas buo kami, walang division.”

tion paid tribute to late National Artists for Literature F. Sionil Jose, Bienvenido Lumbera and Cirilo Bautista, and other Varsitarian alumni Bernardo Bernardo, Feliciano “Fel” Maragay, Ramon “Bong” Osorio, Gloria Garchitorena-Goloy, Carlos “Charlie” Agatep, and Rommel Marvin Rio, who passed away in the past five years.

The “V” also paid tribute to its alumni who served as medical frontliners amid the Covid-19 pandemic with a video presentation.

Hosted by Varsitarian assistant publications adviser and political journalist Christian Esguerra, ABS-CBN Corporate Communications head Kane Choa, and Eggshell Worldwide Communication, Inc. managing and PR director Ro-Charmaine Pidal-Pahate, the event was graced by prominent figures such as communications scholar Crispin Maslog, former senator Francisco Tatad, award-winning fictionist-essayist Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, renowned artist Remedios Boquiren, Manila Bulletin columnist Nestor Cuartero, Associated Press chief correspondent Jim Gomez, award-winning poet Vim Nadera, and musician and broadcast personality Lourd de Veyra.

The cake-cutting ceremony was led by Varsitarian publications adviser Joselito Zulueta, Maslog, former assistant publications adviser and journalism alumna Sister Regina Kuizon and former CBCP Monitor editor in chief Jesselyn Garcia-de la Cruz.

A four-minute pyromusical display to the sound of “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony closed the alumni homecoming and started the publication’s countdown to its 100th anniversary in 2028.

In 1928, the Varsitarian was established by lexicographer-writer-teacher Jose Villa Panganiban, the first director of the National Language Institute (now the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino).

Initially set up so that students, according to the paper’s first editorial on Jan. 16, 1928, could have “something to write on,” the Varsitarian has become the oldest Catholic campus paper and the most influential student publication in the Philippines.

The Varsitarian’s pages have been graced by prominent figures in Philippine journalism and arts and letters– press freedom icon Jose Burgos Jr., columnists Teodoro

Valencia, Joe Guevarra, and Neal Cruz, sports journalist Antonio Siddayao, fictionists Paz Latorena, Norma Miraflor, Rogelio Sikat, and Eric Gamalinda, National Artist for the Visual Arts J. Elizalde Navarro, and National Artists for Literature F. Sionil José, Bienvenido Lumbera, and Cirilo Bautista.

Varsitarian alumni have also distinguished themselves in public and ecclesiastical services–Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez, Manila Mayor Arsenio Lacson, Sorsogon Governor Juan G. Frivaldo, Philippine Medical Association president Dr. Vicente Rosales Sr., Makati Medical Center Director Saturnino Javier, Jaro Archbishop Artemio Casas, Sister Delia Coronel, ICM, Mindanao Scholar and the first nun to be kidnapped by the Muslim secessionists in the 1970’s, and Kuizon, Superior of the Religious of the Good Shepherd Province of the Philippines and Japan.

For having produced outstanding figures in literature, arts, and culture, the Varsitarian has an entry in the Cultural Center of the Philippines’s Encyclopedia for the Arts – the only student paper to be so cited.

JOHN EZEKIEL J. HIRRO

Laure said she was looking forward to playing alongside the new Tigresses in Season 85.

“Malaki talaga ang potential ng mga rookies ngayon, and hopefully ma-maximize sila pagdating ng UAAP,” she told the Varsitarian “Sana mabigay talaga ‘yung confidence, and of course magsusuportahan naman talaga kami. We got each other’s back. Syempre, bago sila sa UAAP stage, pero s’yempre, kaya naman nandito kaming mga seniors para i-guide din sila.”

And the “Golden Trinity” is

ready. “Kahit sinasabi na mas maganda ‘yung lineup ngayon, gumaling din naman ibang teams,” Jurado said. “Pero ang difference, ‘yung hardwork and tiyaga talaga namin.”

“Ang special sa team, hindi lang first six ‘yung maaasahan,” Gula said. “Pati ‘yung bench, aasahan na makakapuntos, makaka-contribute sa team.”

The Golden Tigresses will open their season against the DLSU Lady Archers on Feb. 26, 2 p.m., at the Mall of Asia Arena. JOHN EZEKIEL J. HIRRO

Mata sa Mata FROM PAGE 8 ►

aksyon sa isyung ito dahil kapansin pansin pa rin ito. Sa halip na maggugol ng oras sa pagbuo ng bagong asignatura, mas makabubuti pang ilaan na lamang ang pansin sa pagsasaayos ng kasalukuyang sistema. Hindi naman sa hahayaan nalang na hindi binibigyang pansin ang nasyonalismo, sadyang mas

maraming bentahe ang makukuha sa pagtugon sa mas malaking isyu sa sistema ng edukasyon. Hindi naman masama ang adhikaing mapalakas ang damdaming nasyonalismo. Sadyang may mga mas magandang paraan upang mapasigla ito na hindi kinakailangan ng isang bagong

asignatura. Sa kabilang banda, marami rin ang mga problemang kinakaharap ng ating sistema sa edukasyon na dapat bigyang pokus. Tama lang naman na pag-aaralan ang isa sa mga pinakamahalagang dokumento ng ating bansa, ngunit hindi lang dito aalab ang apoy ng pag-ibig sa ating bayan.

BACK 2 SCHOOL 2 HOME ZYMON M. GAILO

5 MINUTES ALIAS JIREH C. MONTENEGRO

DECLUTTER ALLAN CHRISTOPHER M. SAYAT

Returning Tigers coach Pido Jarencio seeks to reestablish ‘winning culture’

Returning Tigers head coach Pido Jarencio arrived at UST on Friday, Feb. 3, wearing a yellow shirt bearing his famous mantra, “Puso, Pride, Palaban.” After briefly meeting with the school’s athletic administrators to formalize his fresh three-year deal as UST coach, he pulled the remaining members of the Growling Tigers in a huddle for the first time and asked them to fully commit to the system he was set to establish.

“Marami tayong paguusapan,” the characteristically stern Jarencio said as his first words to the team. “Unang una, ayokong may sasabihin kayong masama tungkol sa mga nakaraang coaches. Past is past. Let’s give them respect. Kailangan, respetuhin natin sila. Kung ano ang nangyari the previous seasons, kalimutan na natin. Past is past.”

The 58-year-old Jarencio, who was UST coach for eight UAAP seasons until 2013, is tasked to resuscitate the school’s struggling men’s basketball team that only won four games out of 28 in the past two seasons. He replaced fellow UST legend Bal David, who resigned after the team’s 1-13 win-loss record in Season 85.

“Move forward tayo,” he told the players. “Gusto ko lang, full commitment, dedication, ‘yung puso niyo sa University and dito sa team natin.”

Recalling how he started his first stint as UST coach, Jarencio advised his players to humble themselves and be open to his brand of coaching.

“Noong sinalo ko ang UST noon, ang laki ng problema. Nayayabangan ‘yung mga tao sa basketball players. ‘Mayabang iyan, malaki ang ulo ni-

yan.’ Nabago lahat ‘yon. Lahat, kapag nakakakita ng pari, nagmamano. ‘Pag nakita ang media, kinakausap. Gusto ko ganoon din kayo,” he said.

“And last, discipline. Kung ano ang turo ng coaches, sunod tayong lahat. Marami tayong gagawin at aayusin…’Yung winning culture, ibalik natin sa UST. ‘Yung pride, ‘yung puso, ibalik natin. Maging maayos tayong mga tao.”

Can Pido revive the Tigers?

The Growling Tigers last won a UAAP championship in 2006, in Jarencio’s first year as UST coach.

In an interview with the Varsitarian, Jarencio said he was excited for his second hurrah as UST coach as he assured Thomasians that behind the Tigers is a stronger set of backers.

“Masaya at nagpapasalamat ako sa UST for the trust and confidence nila sa pagkuha nila sa akin. At the same time, ako naman, talagang I’ll do my best na mabalik ang glorya dito sa UST,” he said.

“Noong unang panahon, ‘di gano’n kasupportive e. Ngayon, sobra ang suporta. E that time na wala kaming suporta, nagkaroon ng magandang result. Lalo na siguro ngayon. Kaya I’m so happy na maganda ‘yung support.”

Sources told the Varsitarian that San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and its sports director Alfrancis Chua, a UST alumnus, are still being convinced to back UST. SMC is currently backing UST’s sister school Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which recently won its third-straight men’s basketball title in the NCAA, although sources said the SMC-Letran partnership is set to end in the middle of the year.

‘Golden Trinity’ ready to reinforce Tigresses in Season 85

Also new additions to the Tigers’ management are three key cogs to Letran’s NCAA three-peat: Letran managers Waiyip Chong and Eric Ang will manage the Tigers and Northport Batang Pier and Letran head coach Bonnie Tan will serve as UST team consultant.

“‘Yung positive approach, ipapasok namin dito, ‘yung kultura babaguhin namin. Magi-instill kami dito ng winning culture. Siyempre, na-down ang mga bata at ang Thomasian community, ‘yun ang babaguhin natin,” Jarencio said.

“We start with practice, then we fix their attitude, and then we get the commitment of the players to dedicate everything sa UST and sa team. Basta may ganyan, may magagandang resultang mangyayari.”

Ang said the new Tigers management was already in the process of recruiting players.

“We’ll try our best na kumuha ng magagaling sa high school na ready to play na, kasi kailangan natin lagyan ang team ng ready-to-play players. Tumitingin tayo sa UST high school, nanonood tayo ng games ng UAAP and NCAA juniors, plus nagre-recruit tayo abroad. Aggressive ang recruitment,” the new UST team manager told the Varsitarian

UST athletics director Fr. Rodel Cansancio, O.P. said he was confident that the new management and coaching staff would build together a championship team.

“Right now, we have seven to eight months na preparation before Season 86. May confidence tayo na makaka-build tayo ng competitive team, ng championship team,” he told the Varsitarian JOHN EZEKIEL J. HIRRO

► Returning UST head coach Pido Jarencio (right) meets with the Growling Tigers on Friday, Feb. 3, at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Growling Tigresses eye stronger grassroots program

UST IS looking to fortify its women’s basketball team by establishing a stronger grassroots program bridging its junior and senior teams, a coach said.

In an interview with the Varsitarian, Growling Tigresses assistant coach and Junior Growling Tigresses head coach Arsenio Dysangco said the team was aiming to identify young basketball talents and develop their skills.

“Every prospect na nakikita namin na kayang mag-thrive and survive sa program natin, we take them in. We really try to nurture them and try to build them into good

athletes, teach them young,” he told the Varsitarian

“We want to form that feeder program sa high school in order to feed our women’s basketball college with good talents. ‘Yun ‘yung end in mind namin,” he added.

Currently, there are eight open spots for UST’s girls’ team.

The Junior Growling Tigresses recently held open tryouts that attracted 36 high-school ballers to participate.

The UAAP did not hold a girls’ basketball tournament in Season 85 as only three schools were able to form their teams. UAAP events

require at least four participating schools.

The girls’ basketball tournament was introduced as a UAAP event in Season 82, the season cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Season 82, UST, Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila University, and De La Salle-Zobel were the only four schools that participated.

The UST Junior Growling Tigresses will hold a summer basketball camp in June and July.

The team is preparing to play in the Manila District Meet tentatively scheduled for Feb. 18 and 19.

LEADING the UST Golden Tigresses’ youth charge in UAAP Season 85 are three first-year players, collectively known as the “Golden Trinity,” who all left strong impressions with their performance during the preseason.

First-year player Pierre Abellana and rookies Regina Jurado and Xyza Gula are three of the seven newcomers added to the Golden Tigresses, which shaved off nine players after Season 84.

The trio earned the “Golden Trinity” moniker after making their impressive collegiate debuts during the Tigresses’ Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Conference campaign, in which UST paraded an all-young lineup and finished in fourth place.

UST head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes said inserting the trio and other rookies into the team was an easy decision, especially after rotation players Ysa Jimenez and Camille Victoria decided to turn pro.

“Ang maganda, meron tayo nitong ‘Golden Trinity’ natin and ‘yung ibang rookies natin as back up for the veterans,” he told the Varsitarian. “‘Pag medyo off ‘yung laro ng mga seniors, then andyan ‘yung mga rookies natin na papasok.”

How the trinity was formed Jurado, the Tigresses’ new starting opposite hitter, joined UST after she was invited to try out for the juniors team following a strong showing during the 2016 Palarong Pambansa in Albay.

“UST talaga ang pinili ko kasi maganda ang track record ng school sa academics…and naisip kong magandang mapunta ako sa prestigious na school na known ‘di lang sa sports but also in academics,” the chemistry freshman told the Varsitarian Like Jurado, Gula chose UST to fulfill her academic dreams.

“Pa-enroll na ako sa ibang school noon, nagchat si Coach Yani (Fernandez) tapos na-entice din ako dahil sa acads, since ‘yung family ko ayaw nila na sports lang ako,” she told the Varsitarian. “And knowing na dito rin yung kuya ko, naisip kong dito na lang din ako para may kasama rin ako.”

Abellana, now a third-year sports and wellness management student, made the team after showing out during the Tigresses’ Cebu tryouts in 2019.

“After ng tryouts, lumapit sa akin si Coach Kung Fu and sinabi na ‘to be honest, maliit ka for UAAP, pero nakakatalon ka,’” Abellana told the Varsitarian. “Pero nag-work lang din ako nang nag-work para mag-improve.”

Jurado said joining the Shakey’s cup was beneficial for the rookies as they were able to show off their skills on a bigger stage.

“‘Di rin namin inexpect na magbo-boom agad kaming rookies,” she said. “Nakikita kasi namin sa social media yung comments na, ‘Sino ba ‘tong mga to?’ So in a way, we wanted to show the people na ganto ‘yung laro namin.”

As the trio continued to impress

with their scoring prowess, the “Golden Trinity” moniker was birthed.

“Noong una, nahihiya ako kasi ‘di ko inexpect na magkakaroon ng gano’n,” Abellana said. “Pero ngayon, nakakatuwa, kasi ‘yung meaning no’n for me, pinagkakatiwalaan ako ng mga tao.”

Preparing for Season 85

Heading into Season 85, the girls said they were leaning on lessons they learned during the preseason and advice from team veterans.

“Medyo nakaka-pressure kasi sina ate Eya (Laure), ate Imee (Hernandez) na ang makakasama, pero mindset lang namin ‘yun, ‘di naman nila kami pine-pressure,” Jurado said. “Naga-guide nila kami nang maayos, at lagi nilang sinasabi, ‘Nobody’s perfect, lahat nagkakamali.’ If nagkamali kami, bawi lang agad. If ‘di kami makabawi, and’yan sila para bumawi para sa amin.”

The rookies were also told to stay off of social media.

“Sabi nga nila coach, nila ate, ‘wag masyadong maging close sa mga fans and wag mag-focus sa social media, kasi nakakaapekto talaga ‘yan sa mental health,” Jurado said. “Mas malaki rin kasi ang pressure kasi televised na ‘yung games, mas maraming nanonood, so dapat galingan namin kasi scary ‘yung social media—pag nakita mo lang na bina-bash ka, mararamdaman at mararamdam mo talaga.”

Gula said the coaching staff was also helping them adjust to the pressures of the big stage.

“Malaki talaga ang pressure ng UAAP, so sa training pa lang, pinaparamdam na nila samin ‘yon,” she said.

Gula, a natural open spiker, will be used mainly as a libero in Season 85 after a late roster shakeup, but she said she was up for the challenge.

“Iniisip ko ‘yung positive side, kung saan ba ako makakatulong sa team talaga,” she said. “Naisip ko rin na ako na lang ang magli-libero since may time pa naman ako, may playing years pa ako ahead, so naisip ko rin na ako na lang ang magpapaubaya.”

With UAAP experience as an injury reserve in Season 84, Abellana will be given a larger role as she is set to back up star open hitters Eya Laure and Milena Alessandrini in Season 85.

“Naintindihan ko naman noon na hindi ko pa time, kasi need ko pa talagang mag-adjust,” she said. “So yung ginawa ko, ang aim ko noon ay mag-observe lang nang mag-observe para kapag gagamitin na ako, ready na ako.”

During the pre-season, the Tigresses held a Philippine Military Academy camp in Baguio and overseas training in Japan in January, which helped the rookies develop stronger chemistry with their older teammates.

“Mas naging strong ‘yung bond namin ngayon kesa before, and nabuild ‘yung discipline and teamwork namin noong offseason,” Jurado said. “Naging mas special ‘yung team kasi

PHOTO BY JOSH NIKKOLAI S. BRAVO/ THE VARSITARIAN

ART BY CHRISTINE ANGELIE P. ORINES

► Xyza Gula, Pierre Abellana, and Regina Jurado

Valik-Varsi

EX-UST RECTOR TO ‘V’: USE POWER OF WORD FOR CHANGE

By Eduelle Jan T. Macababbad

FORMER UST rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. marked the Varsitarian’s 95th anniversary with a plea to continue cultivating writers who will use the power of the word for meaningful change.

In his homily during the Mass prior to the “Valik-Varsi: The Varsitarian Grand Alumni Homecoming” on Saturday, Jan. 14, de la Rosa, a former Varsitarian Witness editor, lamented that technology had caused “worsening deterioration of language and the gradual loss of people’s interest to read.”

“[F]alsehood can be manufactured, glamorized, advertised and perpetuated as the truth. Public discourse has been trivialized and cheapened, leading to the demise of the values of journalism like honesty, fairness, accuracy, and truthfulness,” he said during the Mass concelebrated by fellow alumni-priests, Fr. Isidro Marinay

of the Archdiocese of Manila and Fr. Nicanor Lalog II of the Diocese of Malolos.

These falsehoods, de la Rosa said, have compromised writers, who have become focused on themselves rather than what’s best for

the public.

“Technology, social networking and the mass media have greatly affected writers today, pushing them to concentrate on individuality at the expense of their concern for the collective good,” he said.

UsapangUste

We need writers whose love for writing matches their passionate commitment to improving our country that is suffering from many generations of nightmares and shattered dreams.

Daan, board exam, Diyos: Mga nilalaman ng unang isyu ng Varsitarian

SIYAMNAPU’T LIMANG taon nang saksi ang Varsitarian sa mga panahon ng tagumpay, pagkakaisa, kadiliman at poot na humubog sa kasaysayan ng bansa mula nang nailimbag ang una nitong isyu noong ika-16 ng Enero, 1928.

Itinatag ang Varsitarian ni Jose Villa Panganiban, isang tagaluto ng hotcake sa kantina na kalauna’y naging tanyag na leksikograpo, guro, at manunulat, na siya ring nagsilbing bilang unang katuwang na patnugot at business manager nito. Si Pablo Anido ang tumayong punong patnugot.

Layunin ng publikasyon na maging independiyenteng organo para makapagtalastasan ang mga magaaral sa mga diskursong may kinalaman sa Unibersidad.

“The Varsitarian, based upon

the most democratic spirit of controlled, managed, supported and run directly by the student body under the auspices of the U.S.T. Literary Club, we believe that it is an indication of a progressive spirit towards students’ academic freedom – the

exercise of self-government during college life which, incidentally, fortifies the student for more serious work that is in store for them,” saad ng unang editoryal na pinamagatang “Confession of Faith.”

Ngunit ano nga ba ang nilala-

man ng kauna-unahang edisyon ng pinakamatandang Katolikong pahayagang pang-mag-aaral ng bansa?

Kabilang sa mga unang ulat ng Varsitarian ang seminar para sa Engineering Students’ Association ni F.D. Van Horn, isang eksperto sa mga kalsada, ukol sa paggawa ng mga daan; pagganap ng board exam para sa parmasya; at linya ng auto-bus na dumadaan sa mga kalye ng España at Azcarraga.

Mahihinuha sa isyu ang pagkakaroon ng isang seksyon na nasa wikang Espanyol, ang Pagina Cervantina (na kalauna’y pinangalanang El Universitario), at ang kawalan ng seksyong nakasulat sa Pilipino.

Bukod rito, naglaan ang publikasyon ng mga seksyon para sa mga balitang alumni at maiikling

Writing the “cogent” and “painful” word is, therefore, necessary to rectify mistakes, he said.

De la Rosa, a former chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), cited a Varsitarian campaign in 1979 that called for the closure of establishments near UST selling liquor and luring students to vices.

He also pointed to an extensive investigative report on zoning violations in the University Belt published by the paper in 2001, based on a proposal that won the “Truth Award” given by the Institute on Church and Social Issues at the Ateneo de Manila University.

The Varsitarian has lent its voice to various movements in its 95-year existence, including the civil disobedience campaign after the rigged 1986 snap elections that led to the People Power Revolution, and the call for the abolition of manda-

► Unang Isyu ng Varsitarian

ng Varsitarian noong 1928

► Former UST rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa (center) leads the Eucharistic celebration for Valik-Varsi 2023. The Mass is concelebrated by Radyo Veritas anchor Fr. Nick Lalog (left) and Archdiocese of Manila chancellor Fr. Sid Marinay PHOTO BY JOSH NIKKOLAI S. BRAVO

Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. FORMER UST RECTOR

► Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., a former UST rector and Varsitarian Witness editor, delivers the homily during the Valik-Varsi Mass on Jan. 14, 2023 at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building. PHOTO BY MATTHEW VINCENT V. VITAL