THE UNIVERSITY has named new chairpersons for the journalism, sociology, legal management, and Asian Studies departments in the Faculty of Arts and Letters, as the country’s oldest liberal arts college prepares for accreditation.
Artlets Dean Melanie Turingan announced the new appointments — all doctorate degree holders — in a faculty assembly on Thursday, Aug. 7.
Among the new academic officials is journalism department chair Prof. Jeremaiah Opiniano, the first full professor in Southeast Asia’s oldest journalism program.
Before becoming assistant director and director of the UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education, Opiniano served as program coordinator for AB Journalism from 2013 to 2017.
The former Varsitarian sports editor was also the program lead for Master of Arts in Journalism at the UST Graduate School (2015-2017 and 2021-2025).
He replaces Asst. Prof. Felipe Salvosa II, who became the first chair of journalism upon its elevation to department status in 2024. The Varsitarian assistant publications adviser took over the journalism coordinator role from Opiniano in 2017.
In Asian Studies, replacing Regina Pato-Agustin is Jonathan Eli Libut, who has served as a lecturer in the program since 2012.
An alumnus of the department who graduated in 2010, Libut is a former Varsitarian special reports editor. He completed his master’s degree at the University of Antwerp (2018) and his doctorate at the University of Louvain (2024).
The Department of Legal Management will now be headed by Asst. Prof. Edelberto Bunquin, replacing lawyer Teodoro Lorenzo Fernandez.
Bunquin is a former faculty member of the Department of History.
Instructor Jade Bretaña, who has been a core faculty member of the sociology department since 2023, takes over from Asst. Prof. Antonino Tobias.
Bretaña is set to earn his doctorate in sociology from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology. Micah G. Pascua
