THE UST Alumni Association Inc. on Saturday feted 69 UST graduates during the 9th Distinguished Thomasian Alumni Awards Night at the Dr. Robert Sy Grand Ballroom of the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building.
This year’s awardees included Graduate School of Law Dean Jacqueline Kaw, Conservatory of Music Dean Antonio Africa, and College of Rehabilitation Sciences Dean Anne Aseron.
Seasoned journalists Asst. Prof. Lito Zulueta, a longtime adviser of the Varsitarian, and Nestor Cuartero, a former Varsitarian managing editor, also received the award.
Ma. Lourdes Garganera, chair of the 2024 selection committee, said this year’s honorees embodied the “Thomasian spirit” and their alma mater’s core values of competence, commitment, and compassion.
“May the Distinguished Thomasian Alumni Awards continue to serve as a beacon of inspiration, reinforcing our collective commitment to each other and the legacy we carry with us,” Garganera said in her address.
In his response on behalf of the 69 awardees, Zulueta paid tribute to UST’s holistic education, describing it as a “sanctuary of wisdom, a haven for faith, and a crucible of character.”
“UST is unique among universities because it nurtures not only the intellect but also the soul. It teaches us that learning is not an end in itself, but a means to serve others and to glorify God,” he said.
“Let us support its programs and initiatives, not only as a way of giving back but also as a way of ensuring that future generations of Thomasians will have the same opportunities as we have had,” he added.
Other UST faculty members honored were Prof. John Jack Wigley of the Faculty of Arts and Letters and Prof. Ma. Alexandra Chua and Assoc. Prof. Najib Ismail of the Conservatory of Music.
Bishop Jose Rojas, a former faculty member of Canon Law, also received the award.
Outside the academe, the association recognized biology alumnus and Philippine Army Chief Surgeon Santiago Rodriguez Jr., junior high school alumnus and Philippine Coast Guard Director for International Affairs Jose de la Peña, and Graduate School of Law alumnus and trade undersecretary Allan Gepty.
Distinguished UST graduates in public service included former Bacolor, Pampanga mayor Ananias Canlas Jr., Bacolod City Rep. Anthony Golez Jr., and Pilar, Sorsogon Mayor Carolyn Sy-Reyes.
Special Awards for Young Thomasian Achievers were given to fine arts graduate Janos Delacruz, psychometrician Romulo Kintanar, and legal management alumnus Alphonse Estacio.
Established in 2011 to mark the UST’s quadricentennial anniversary, the Distinguished Thomasian Alumni Awards celebrate exemplary graduates with miniatures of the Arch of the Centuries.
It is different from The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni Award, which is given by the University upon the Rector’s confirmation.
