Tag: July 16, 2004

THE MANILA Film Festival has again gathered filmmakers and artists in a celebration of Philippine Cinema. The six films this year are: Sabel (Regal Films), Kulimlim (Viva Films), Naglalayag (Angora Films), Volta (Star Cinema Productions), Mano Mano 3: Arnis…The Lost Art (Rocketts Productions), and Anak Ka ng Tatay Mo (Magsaysay Films).

Diversity ruled the filmfest this year, but it was not enough to salvage filmdom from bad acting, substandard productions, and annoying clichés.

Sabel: Juday as a grown actress

ASIA’S oldest university has made the bold shift to electronic management as the Santo Tomas E-Service Providers (Steps), the former UST Computer Center, launched several projects to improve administrative processes and student services through electronic communications.

THE UNITED Nations General Assembly voted unanimously to affirm and even expand the Vatican’s role at the United Nations last July 1 at its headquarters in New York. Resolution Agenda no. 59, titled “Strengthening of the United Nations System,” finally resolved the battle between the Vatican and pro-abortion groups seeking its ouster from the UN as a non-member “permanent observer” State.

SHE’S not your ordinary state ambassador.

UST alumna Leonida Laki-Vera, who received her Accountancy degree from the University in 1956, was appointed as the new Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican City. During her oath taking, she vowed to work hard for the welfare of Filipino migrants in Rome, while still working for various religious and civic causes.

A recipient of the prestigious “Dame” of the Pontifical Order of St. Sylvester and St. Gregory, Vera replaced Ambassador Francisco Alba, who retired last November.

MAGKAIBANG larangan ang medisina at sining, pero nagawa ng Tomasinong si Dr. Antonino Raymundo na pag-ugnayin ang mga ito.

Mula pagkabata, nagpamalas siya ng angking galing sa sining. Subalit hindi nagtagal ang kanyang pagiging visual artist sapagkat kinailangan niyang kumuha ng kursong medisina.

THE UNIVERSITY may have found the missing link to its scientific research thrust through international research institutes with which it has built formal links.

With the rise of its many research centers, a strong indication of a growing awareness and interest of the Thomasian community in the sciences, UST widened its scientific research partnership with international and local universities.

Coffee lovers will soon enjoy an all-natural decaffeinated brew, the science journal Nature says.

Researchers from the Institute of Biology of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas in Brazil discovered a rare Ethiopian variety of Coffea arabica that could produce a natural decaffeinated coffee. The plant Coffea arabica accounts for 70 per cent of the world’s coffee market.

STEP aside, HIV. There’s a new virus on the block set to take over being the number one sexually transmitted disease.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the fastest spreading sexually transmitted disease (STD) today, its threat to many sexually active youths made graver by the fact that it also causes cervical cancer.

According to Lifesitenews, some types of HPV are responsible for 12,000 cases of cervical cancer and 4,000 deaths in America annually. About 20 million Americans have HPV and an estimated 5.5 million get infected yearly.

HERE’S a new type of condom-caused frenzy. And it should cause a different kind of excitement—the negative kind.

A German study recently discovered the thin sheet of rubber that supposedly protects people from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) causes cancer.

According to the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Institute in Stuttgart, Germany, traces of N-nitrosamine, a highly carcinogenic substance used in making condoms, were found in 29 of 32 condom types tested.

THE THOMASIAN Debaters Council (TDC) placed eighth out of 104 teams in the 11th All-Asians Inter-varsity debate tournament last May at the Assumption University in Bangkok, Thailand.

In the individual category, Faculty of Civil Law freshman John Reily Baluyot and Philosophy sophomore Tracy Ann Llanera, who were individually recognized as the Tournament’s best speakers, placed 12th and 14th.

TDC adviser Law professor Arlene Maneja said she is optimistic about the Council’s performance in competitions.