Tag: Vol. LXXX

AN ESTIMATED P80,000 worth of cash, office equipment and personal belongings were stolen from the Pharmacy Dean’s office in the morning of May 13, leaving a number of workers under police investigation.

SPO4 Jessie Oliveros of Manila Police District Station 4 said the stolen items included one laptop, cash amounting to P6,700 and personal belongings of clerks such as two digital cameras, a gold bracelet reportedly worth P40,000, a ring, and a bracelet of “no significant value.”

Oliveros said a slightly opened window in the conference room inside the Dean’s office may have served as the thief’s entrance.

“The window cannot be shut properly apparently because of the rust formations and lack of metal lubrication, providing almost two inches of open space,” Oliveros told the Varsitarian.

The thief probably entered the office by passing through Room 222 of the UST Main Building, three rooms away from the Dean’s office.

TIDING off the relief of “extendee” professors from the teaching roster, the University’s Spanish program is once again “in shape” with newly hired “maestro” and “maestras,” the UST Department of Languages said.

Five “extendees” out of the six supposedly retired Spanish professors will be replaced by three younger professors this coming academic year.

The latest additions to the UST faculty include two professors from Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional and an Instituto Cervantes graduate.

Vanessa Afonso of Agencia Espanola and Spain-based Filipino scholar Christopher Rodriguez will replace visiting professor Fernando Ramos in the Faculty of Arts and Letters. Instituto Cervantes alumna Josephine Andal will be assigned to the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, while instructor Abigail Pagalilauan will continue her seven-year teaching stint at the College of Science.

FORMER ambassador to the Holy See and veteran journalist Oscar Villadolid died of heart attack last May 29 at the Makati Medical Center. He was 79.

He is survived by his wife, former New York Times correspondent and Varsitarian editor Alice Colet-Villadolid who currently teaches journalism at the Faculty of arts and Letters, and nine children.

Oscar was laid to rest last June 2 at the Loyola Memorial Park in Paranaque City.

“He was a very affectionate father, that’s why his death was bitterly received by our children. As a husband, he was considerate and very interesting,” Alice said of her husband.

Oscar was the editor in chief of the defunct Philippine Herald from 1971 to 1972 when it was shut down by the Marcos regime. He also became a reporter and columnist of the Manila Bulletin.

TO FIX the disorderly parking habits of bikers in the University, the Office of the Vice Rector for Finance has decided to provide parking slots for motorcycles and bikes inside the campus.

In a memorandum last April 29, Fr. Manuel Roux O.P., vice rector for finance, designated spaces in front of the St. Martin de Porres and St. Raymund de Peñafort buildings and the Botanical Garden as parking slots for “in-bound” bicycles and motorcycles.

The back of the Benavides Building and UST Grandstand, and two portions of the space beside Roque Ruaño Drive were also reserved for bicycles and motorcycles.

Parking spaces for bicycles are open to students, employees, and visitors but motorcycles need to secure a sticker from the Office of Student Affairs. This is the same sticker issued to car owners in the University.

ALAM MONG may atraksiyon na agad sa sandaling magtama ang mga mata ninyo.

Maingat kang naglalakad noon sa Quiapo nang makita mo siya sa gitna ng aligagang kalikasan ng lugar. Pauwi ka na noong mga panahong iyon kaya hindi ka na nagmamadali, kaya naman naisipan mong aliwin ang sarili mo sa pamamagitan ng pagmamatyag sa lahat ng taong nasa paligid.

Abalang-abala ka sa pagmamasid sa mga tao nang magkasalubong kayo at nahuli niya ang atensiyon mo. Tiningnan mo siya ulit, at ngayon ay nahuli na ninyo ang tingin ng isa’t isa. Bagama’t hindi na magkanda-ugaga ang madla sa pagmamadali nila, lumutang ang maaliwalas at maamo niyang mukha. 

Tinitigan mo nang mabuti ang pogi niyang mukha - ang kanyang malagong buhok, mga bilugan niyang mata, ang kanyang matangos na ilong at ang kanyang manipis na labi. Binigyan ka niya ng isang makahulugang ngiti, at lumutang ang kanyang mga dimples. At kinilig ka naman.

TANGHALING tapat. Mataimtim na nakatitig sa akin si Bo. Kahit na kasama pa niya ‘ko, hindi maipagkakailang nanginginig ang kanyang mga tuhod.

“Noni, hindi ko yata kaya. Hindi ko kaya.”

Sinuklian ko lamang siya ng isang malalim na buntong-hininga. Sunog na ang mga balat naming dati nang kulay Narra, ngunit nakapagtatakang wala pa ring bakas, ni anino, ng mga walang hiyang nagsipaghamon.

Para sa kanila, isa itong espesyal na seremonya. Walang nakatatakas dito, lalo na kung kabilang ka sa lupong itinuturing na mga manok na hindi marunong magsipagtilaok. Ito ang ritwal na hindi nais na maranasan ng mga batang tulad namin. Hangga’t hindi naalpasan ang hamong ito, wala kang karapatang maging haligi ng isang tahanan.

“Ang tagal naman yata nila,” usal ko kay Bo, na nagsimula nang maglakad pabalik-balik.

“Noni, kailangan ba talaga nating gawin ito?”

“Basta, kahit anong mangyari, ‘wag mong ipahahalatang natatakot ka,” bulong ko kay Bo.

Malaking bahagi ang gagampanan nating mga kabataan sa pagpili ng susunod na mamumuno sa bayan.

Sa datos ng Commission on Elections, mahigit-kumulang 11 milyong kabataan edad 18 hanggang 30 ang inaasahanng boboto sa halalang darating. Bukod pa rito ang inaasahang dalawa hanggang limang milyong magpaparehistrong botante para makaboto simula noong Enero hanggang sa ika-31 ng Oktubre.

Sa taya naman ng Kabataan Party-list, binubuo ng kabataan ang 40 porsiyento ng kabuuang bilang ng mga botante. Kasalungat ito sa nangyari noong 2004 kung saan 19 na porsiyento lamang ng humigit kumulang 24 milyong kabataan ang nagparehistro para bumoto.

Sinasalamin nito ang ginawang pag-aaral ng National Institute for Political Studies na nagpapakitang naging matamlay na ang pakikibahagi ng kabataan sa tuwing darating ang halalan.

BUKOD sa kauna-unahang cancer clinic sa buong Pilipinas, alam niyo bang matatagpuan din sa Unibersidad ang pinaka-unang hearing at speech center sa buong bansa?

Inilunsad noong taong 1978, naglalayon ang Hearing and Speech Center na gamutin ang mga pasyenteng may kapansanan sa pandinig at ang mga may-sakit na nahihirapang makapagsalita dahil sa pagkabingi. Naipatayo ang Hearing Center dahil sa pagpopondo ng UST Hospital (USTH). Ngunit bukod dito, malaki din ang naitulong ng isinagawang konsyertong pinamahalaan ni Dr. Eusebio Llamas, isang otologist o doktor na may espesyalidad sa pandinig, upang mapondohan ang pagpapatayo ng Center. Bilang pasasalamat sa mga nag-ambag para maitatag ang naturang Center, pinagpasyahan ng USTH na ialay ito para sa mga kapus-palad na pasyenteng may depekto sa pandinig.

THE FIRST thing I became aware of as soon as I woke up was the strange sensation of aching on my head. The next thing that I became aware of, which was after I opened my eyes and took a better look at my surroundings, was the awful gut feeling that I was going to be in trouble.

“Mr. Wiggles!” I cried out as soon as I saw my beloved teddy bear sitting next to my bed. I quickly pulled him to a tight hug. “Mr. Wiggles, I think we’re in big trouble now! What could we possibly be doing in auntie’s house? Oh dear, Mr. Wiggles, what should we do? Chances are that auntie would’ve called daddy already! And that would not only mean that I would be in for lots of scolding, but would also mean me getting sent home!”

But I can’t go back now! I still hadn’t found Dy! After I’ve gone so far, I can’t end my fairytale adventure with a happily ever after! I nudged my little companion again as I sat back on the bed and recalled what happened to me hours ago.

THE LATIN Mass has definitely resurrected in spite of having its medium “dead” after Pope Benedict XVI allowed the clergy to celebrate it.

As of today, the Society of St. Pius X celebrates Latin Mass twice everyday in Our Lady of Victories Parish Church in New Manila, Quezon City. They also hold Masses in 17 other locations inside the Philippines.

For several decades now, the Society of St. Pius X is separated from the Catholic Church due to past conflicts with the Vatican which included the celebration of the Latin Mass. Last Jan. 21, the Vatican released a decree remitting the excommunication of four French bishops of the said organization in response to a letter sent last Dec. 15 by one of them, Bishop Bernard Fellay. He wrote, “we continue firmly resolute in our desire to remain Catholics and to put all our strength at the service of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Roman Catholic Church.”