Feb. 25, 2015, 6:20 p.m. – FORMER UST Rector Fr. Rolando
de la Rosa, O.P. has been appointed dean of the Faculty of Sacred Theology.
De la Rosa, who is set to hold office for a term of three
years, replaced Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P., whose term ended early this year.
According to Article 7 of the General Statutes of the
Ecclesiastical Faculties, deans of the three faculties–Sacred Theology, Canon
Law, and Philosophy–shall be elected through a secret ballot by the teaching
personnel of each faculty. A faculty member must at least be an assistant
professor to be able to qualify for the position.
Bro. Christian Dale Dakila, president of the UST Theological
Society, said having De la Rosa as dean could lead to some changes in the
curriculum.
“We know we are in good hands. He will really put effort to
improve our curriculum for us to become better students of theology. His
experience as an administrator and as a teacher will help a lot in improving
what has already been started,” Dakila said.
De la Rosa, a former Varsitarian Witness (religion section)
editor, was rector of the University from 1990 to 1998 and 2008 to 2012.
While serving as rector in 1990, De la Rosa was president of
the Association of Catholic Universities of the Philippines.
He also served as head of the Commission on Higher Education
from 2004 to 2007.
The newly appointed dean obtained his bachelor’s (1980) and
licentiate degrees (1984) in Sacred Theology and Master of Arts in Higher
Religious Studies (1984) in UST.
In 1988, De la Rosa finished his Doctorate in Higher
Religious Studies and Sacred Theology at the Catholic University of Leuven in
Belgium.
De la Rosa teaches Church History at the Ecclesiastical
Faculties. Danielle Ann F. Gabriel
