Tag: March 13, 2012

THE FACULTY of Engineering successfully defended its title via a come-from-behind victory in the 35th edition of the Pautakan inter-collegiate quiz competition last Feb. 27, while the Faculty of Arts and Letters ruled the tournament's individual category.

Engineering scored 185 points, dominating the final round of the group competition and breezing past runners-up College of Science (180 points) and UST-Alfredo M.Velayo College of Accountancy (165 points).

"[The victory was] unexpected because it was totally a come-from-behind. We thought that all hope was lost, but then we got all the right answers from out of the blue. We were immediately uplifted,” said Engineering team captain Francisco Montalvo III.

MORE time to learn? Or more money to burn?

The Department of Education (DepEd) is ramming President Aquino’s flagship educational program, the K + 12, down the throats of parents, students, and taxpayers without public consultation and without any regard for the gargantuan costs of the program. Most importantly, the program benefits the DepEd, the public school system, and the education establishment, which have in fact been responsible for the disaster that is the basic education system.

BOTOmasino, the Varsitarian's special coverage on the Central Student Council (CSC) elections, afforded student electorate a chance to size up the candidates to the CSC for student governance next school-year. It also afforded everyone the chance to check the quality of student leaders and chart the future of the country since it’s a given that many of the student politicians would assume leadership positions – sectoral, local, national, and even international—in the future.

THE SOLUTION to hunger cannot be found in a book.

I say this, for the times I turn into a “starving writer” (starving because I might have skipped one of my meals and am having trouble getting in touch with my Literary Muse). More seriously now, I say this in behalf of the less fortunate who may want to read books, but would of course prefer to feed their hungry stomachs over their minds.

For few of the quasi-hungry people such as myself who still consider themselves “literate” in one way or another, they would say that they read books to escape reality the way others choose to listen to the radio, watch TV, or engage in vices because they think it would be the cheaper alternatives.

The reluctance was very evident among my classmates when representatives from the UST Comelec interrupted our class in order to invite us to vote. To make sure that we would go to the polling precinct, they took our ID cards as collaterals. The insurance was tantamount to coercion. But it seems it was the only way to fire up the enthusiasm of students during campus elections and make them vote.

Voter apathy is not new to UST. In 1996, the Central Student Council election was declared a failure for failing to meet the minimum number of votes; as a result special elections had to be held.

FOR FOUR years in college, I braved and passed through the streets of Metro Manila. Not that I have the gravest commuting route, but taking two jeepneys and two train lines each day, I get a decent view and feel of the poor conditions of public transportation.

Metro Manila has a population of 11.6 million, 74 percent of them commuting. This means 5.7 million Filipinos are out on the road every day, and half a million could be on the same train as you.

IS THE youth of today becoming shallow?

Sadly, yes.

What has caused this shallowness, then?

Perhaps, because the media have become shallow or because the youth have misused them so as to foster an environment of shallowness.

Facebook is a tool that facilitates beyond geographical boundaries. However, it has turned out to be an instrument of stringing out meaningless thoughts and activities to the millions of its users.

I must admit, Facebook has become a part of my daily routine. Everyday, I check my account to check for important announcements, but most of the time I would view status updates and posts that are horribly nonsensical and at the same time, irritating.

CONSIDERING the moribund state of Philippine basic education, is the addition of two more years the panacea that will make Filipino students more competitive?

The Department of Education (DepEd) began the implementation of the “K+12” education plan in the current school year with aims of uplifting the quality of basic education in the country.

Under K+12, the secondary level will be divided into two: Four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school.

Next academic year, incoming grade one and first year high school students will be enrolling to the new curriculum prescribed by DepEd. Philippine schools will have their first batch of senior high school graduates by 2018.

IN JUNE last year, the Department of Education launched the so-called “K+12” program, which aims to improve the quality of basic education in the Philippines.

Whether or not K+12 will fix the country’s problems in education and employment remains to be seen, even until after the first batch of students under K+12 graduates in 2018.

The Varsitarian asked some Thomasian teachers for their take on the matter.

Will K+12 improve the Philippine educational system?

“Of course it will be effective. Functionality-wise, the students will be more equipped and will be better armed to face the reality of college.”
- Danny Balanca, UST High School language teacher

More than a promise between two people, marriage is a covenant made in the presence of God, a showcase of their love for one another. It is a proof of their readiness to aid each other whatever trials life might bring them.

Some people like Fr. Ruben Tanseco, S.J. are called to single-blessedness while guiding couples toward the fullness of marital life. Through his counseling programs, Tanseco helps keep God at the center of the marital vow.

Called to priesthood

Priesthood was not really Tanseco’s plan as he initially intended to venture into the academe.