THE TOTAL “Filipinization” of UST will take place in 2013.
This was confirmed by former UST rector Fr. Tamerlane Lana, O.P. during a general assembly of schools under the Dominican Province of the Philippines (DPP), which tackled “uniformity of education.”
“UST will become part of the Dominican Province of the Philippines. In other words, UST will now have a very active role to help us up in our collaborative activities and programs,” Lana said during the meeting last Dec. 5.
Lana, who served as rector of UST from 1998 to 2006, is in his second term as rector of Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, Manila.
In 2013, UST will be turned over to the DPP from the jurisdiction of Dominican Master General to achieve “subsidiarity” in governance. The order’s General Chapter in Rome approved the turnover in 2010.
“We commission the Master of the Order to appoint a commission to formulate the concrete measures required for the transfer of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Manila, to the jurisdiction of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, as stipulated in n. 120 of the AGC (Acts of the General Chapter) 1995 Caleruega, Spain. The work of this commission is to be completed and submitted to the Master and his council for approval and implementation by 2013,” said the 2010 Acts of the General Chapter of Rome.
The Filipinization of UST began in 1971, when Fr. Leonardo Legazpi, O.P., was named the first Filipino UST rector. The incumbent rector, Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P., is the seventh Filipino rector of UST.
Dominican tradition, traits needed
In his lecture, Lana identified the four pillars of Dominican education: study (the pursuit of truth), prayer (life of faith), community life, and service (compassion for others).
“Tradition emanates from the teaching charism nourished by the four pillars, especially compassion for the poor. This is where the distinctive Dominican competencies begin,” he said.
Lana told the Varsitarian that standardizing academic programs among Dominican schools would allow students to transfer to other Dominican schools without difficulty.
He reiterated the need to improve research in UST, adding that the University still has to achieve its vision to become “world-class.”
“One of the criteria of good universities is that it is generating knowledge, not only imparting knowledge,” Lana said. “That’s a sign of a mature university.”
Dominican schools plan to support research capabilities of religion educators, including the publication of scholarly journals and common textbooks.
Aside from Letran-Manila, other Dominican schools that participated in the two-day event were the Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s Calamba and Bataan campuses, Angelicum College in Quezon City, and Aquinas University of Legazpi. Denise Pauline P. Purugganan and Cez Mariela Teresa G. Verzosa
