News

THE PHILIPPINE Army has commissioned the UST Center for Research and Movement Science (CRMS) to establish a fitness standard and design a physical fitness test exclusive for its soldiers through a nationwide study.

According to College of Rehabilitation Sciences Prof. Cheryl Peralta, the Army wants to standardize its physical fitness exams and replace foreign fitness tests with a test that really suits Filipino soldiers.

DESPITE the increase in student population, College of Nursing Dean Glenda Vargas assured that there will be no decline in the quality of UST Nursing students as the College has new facilities to accommodate them.

Vargas said the college has built a new skills laboratory composed of two new amphitheaters and nine new simulated clinical areas.

“There is no overcrowding in the college,” Vargas told the Varsitarian. “The College can adapt to the increasing demand for nurses.”

THE FACULTY of Pharmacy has adopted a more patient-centered curriculum following a directive from the Philippine Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (PACOP).

“UST needs to be at par with the other colleges in Asia,” Acting Dean Ma. Elena Manansala told the Varsitarian, “And the focus nowadays of health-care is on patient counseling and welfare.”

Last October, PACOP ordered Pharmacy schools to have curricula that are patient-centered.

A BOOK on understanding Philippine-Portuguese relations in the 16th century through the first Portuguese maps that included the country was launched recently at the UST Central Library.

The book, Discussing the First Portuguese Maps with the Philippines 1512-1571, is the first of a series that will contain other archival documents of early Philippine-Portuguese relations.

According to co-author Prof. Ivo Carneiro de Sousa, a Portuguese historian, the maps are key to understanding the “rational and Asiatic importance” of the Philippines.

TO CHECK its “stagnation” in recent years, the Student Organizations Coordinating Council (SOCC) plans to reinvent itself to make its presence more felt.

“Even though it is logical to think the SOCC coordinates the organizations in the University, this has been unknown to the students,” SOCC president Michael Vincent Uy said during the 30th SOCC-Leadership Training Seminar (SOCC-LTS) workshop.

TILA kasamang naglaho ang mithiin ng Tomasinong si Teodoro Benigno Jr. para sa Pilipinas sa kanyang pagpanaw noong Hunyo 3 sa edad na 81 dahil sa kumplikasyon sa kanyang atay.

Sinabi ni Mila Alora, isang manunulat at dating ka-trabaho ni Benigno sa Office of the Press Secretary sa administrasyon ni Pangulo Corazon Aquino, na pinangarap ng yumaong kolumnista na makitang sumabay ang Pilipinas sa pag-unlad ng ibang bansa sa Asya.

NON-ACADEMIC employees will now receive more benefits and higher pay after the administration approved their salary reconstruction.

“We will increase the basic salary by P175 per month,” Internal Auditor Shirley Ireneo said. “Plus, a signing bonus worth P15,000 will be distributed to each regular non-academic employee.”

In addition to the wage increase, the benefits will also be tax-exempt.

TWO FACULTY of Civil Law juniors and a Faculty of Arts and Letters senior lead the Varsitarian staff for the school year 2005-06.

Civil Law’s Eldric Paul Peredo and Teodoro Lorenzo Fernandez were retained as

editor in chief and managing editor, while Reagan Tan, a former News and Science and Technology writer, was appointed associate editor.

A FACULTY of Engineering student committed suicide last May 29 allegedly because of debarment.

The Crime Investigation Division of the Central Police District reported that Adrian Robles was found dead and hanging by a curtain cord looped around his neck from a spiral staircase at the second floor of his house.

Upon untying her son’s lifeless body, Josephine, Robles’ mother, informed the police.

A Patient of the UST Clinical division (USTCD) leaped from the hospital window to his death last June 6, according to the Western Police District (WPD).

WPD investigator PO2 Jerico Jimenez identified the victim as Ronaldo Santos, 19, of Tondo, Manila.

In an interview with Abante-Tonite, Elvira Santos, his aunt, said her nephew went to the comfort room to relieve himself.