Tag: March 7, 2015

THE SUPREME Court has denied the UST Faculty Union's (USTFU) motion to reconsider a ruling junking a claim for P26 million in hospitalization and medical benefits, terminating the case against the University.

In a decision dated Oct. 22, the court denied the motion "with finality," saying there was no “substantial argument” presented to merit a reconsideration.

“The Court resolves to deny the motion with finality, the basic issues raised therein having been duly considered and passed upon by the Court in the aforesaid decision and no substantial argument having been adduced to warrant the reconsideration sought,” the decision read.

WHILE the University has yet to adopt its own Students’ Code, lawmakers in the national government are working to pass a bill that will serve as the Magna Carta of Students.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a proponent of the students’ rights bill, said “intense lobbying” of schools hindered its passage for almost 15 years in Congress.

“Hopefully, within the next two to three weeks, magkakaroon na po ng technical group meeting [para] mapag-uusapan po in detail ang bawat provision,” Ridon said in an interview.

THE UST Central Commission on Elections (Comelec) sustained its decision to deny Lakas Tomasino Coalition (LTC) accreditation as a University-wide political party for failing to meet requirements.

In a resolution released Jan. 26, Comelec denied LTC’s motion for reconsideration, saying it failed to provide an updated list of members despite several deadline extensions.

Comelec Legal Head James Ballecer said there would be no more extensions.

“We have given [the political parties] enough time to comply. We’ve actually extended [the deadline] twice. We also need to consider other matters and that includes the welfare of the other political parties,” he said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

THE PRESIDENT of the Arts and Letters Student Council (ABSC) said the council was doing everything to regain the trust of the students after the loss of P50,000 in funds last October.

“Gagawin namin ang lahat ng aming makakaya para maibalik ang tiwala ninyo, pero kung hindi ninyo po susubukan na magtiwala ulit, walang kuwenta ‘yung pagsubok namin na ibalik ulit ‘yung tiwala,” ABSC President Marie Jann Lazo said in a dialogue titled “Speak Up: Face-to-Face with the Student Council and the Administration” held last Feb. 10.

Lazo added that the officers were willing to shell out money to replace the missing funds.

ABSC Vice President for Internal Affairs Jan Dominic Castro said the council would also accept any disciplinary action.

ANOTHER Thomasian industrial engineer has made it to the roster of engineers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Carlos Ignacio Lugay, a professor from the Faculty of Engineering, received the title of ASEAN engineer during the 32nd Conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations in Myanmar last Nov. 10 to 13, 2014.

Five Thomasian industrial engineers had been given the title ASEAN engineers, namely, Quality Management Office Director Nestor Ong in 2012, and Juanito Chan, Nancy Eleria, Marilyn Mabini, and Joehanna Ngo in 2013.

UST IS dressing down for the dry season.

With classes extending to the hot months of March to May due to changes in the academic calendar, the University has allowed the use of “Type B” uniforms last Feb. 19.

“Following the resolution made by the Council of Regents in June 2014, the Type B or Summer Uniform will be officially used as an everyday school wear from Thursday after Ash Wednesday until the end of the summer period,” read the memorandum signed by Secretary General Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P. last Feb. 3.

The Type B uniform will serve as a complementary school uniform consisting of a t-shirt or a light-material top and pants or walking shorts that should meet UST’s standards on good grooming.

SEVENTY years ago during World War II, UST was freed from the clutches of the Japanese after serving as an internment camp for some 4,000 foreign civilians

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Santo Tomas Internment Camp (STIC), the UST Museum launched an exhibit last Feb. 2, featuring several memorabilia of the camp and its internees that were considered by Japan as enemy civilians.

Maita Oebanda, collection management and documentation assistant at the UST Museum, said the University served as a “safe haven” during the World War II.

“[UST is] one of the most important locations as regards the Battle of Manila. UST was a safe haven for thousands of civilians for three years,” she said.

THE CONSERVATORY of Music Student Council (CMSC) has begun the process of amending its constitution amid budget cuts that had forced the college to reduce departments to seven from 14 this academic year.

The council will gather its officers and student senate composed of all department officers and class presidents every Tuesday from Jan. 20 to April 14 for a constitutional convention, according to a memorandum by Music Dean Raul Sunico.

CMSC Vice President Czen Reganit said the new constitution would accommodate the newly implemented seven-department scheme.

THE UST Graduate School will offer a masters’ degree (MA) in Journalism next academic year as part of efforts to improve the practice of journalism in the country.

“The University will be able to keep its reputation in the field [by] putting together a program that leads to a master’s degree in Journalism,” Dean Marilou Madrunio said in an e-mail.

Madrunio said the University had proven itself in offering a quality undergraduate degree program in Journalism, producing some of the Philippines’s top journalists.

THE PHILIPPINE visit of Pope Francis may be a boon to Catholics and a bane to non-Catholic Christian groups who are otherwise critical of and even hostile to the papacy. So it was quite a pleasant surprise for Catholics to hear Eddie Villanueva, leader of the Jesus is Lord Movement, the evangelical church, telling the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Born Again Christians were not prohibited to join the papal events.

“Aside from the Catholic Church, others who value genuine world peace, freedom of worship and interfaith dialogue should also welcome this historic event,” said Villanueva.

This statement drew flak from non-Catholic Christian leaders who accused Villanueva of leading Christians astray.