Tag: May 20, 2008

“We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency—a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here. But there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst—though not all—of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively, and quickly.” – Al Gore, during his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech

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THANKS to documentaries like Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Leonardo DiCaprio’s The 11th Hour, more and more people are becoming aware of the fact that something has to be done about the way we treat our planet.

FR. ROLANDO V. de la Rosa, O.P. will officially become the Quadricentennial Rector of UST after the Vatican formally confirmed his election as rector of UST for an unprecedented third term. Previously he was rector for two consecutive terms, 1991-1994 and 1995-1998.

Half a year after being elected by fellow Dominicans and UST deans, De la Rosa finally got the blessing from Rome to serve for at least four more years as rector.

In a May 8 circular, UST Secretary General Fr. Isidro Abaño, O.P. formally informed University officials that the Vatican has accepted De la Rosa’s appointment.

“The Congregation for the Catholic Education has confirmed the appointment of Rev. Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P., as the 95th Rector of the University of Santo Tomas,” the circular stated.

Dela Rosa’s installation will immediately follow the opening Mass for academic year 2008-2009 on June 10.

THE DOMINICAN Order, after plunging into a bitter dispute over how to redevelop the University hospital, is now seeking “closure” to the controversy that led to a leadership shakeup in both UST and the Philippine Dominican Province last year.

In an indication of an emerging consensus on how to proceed with the UST Hospital expansion plan, which was halted last year to make way for a thorough review, Filipino Dominicans elected Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, O.P. as prior provincial in their quadrennial provincial chapter in Bicol last month.

Pedregosa had been prior provincial before moving up to the Dominican Curia in Rome as the master general’s assistant for the Asia-Pacific.

THE FACULTY of Civil Law produced 98 new lawyers this year, giving the University a remarkable 66-percent passing rate that is way better than the 22.9-percent national passing rate in the 2007 Bar examinations.

Although no Thomasian entered the top 10 this year, acting Dean Roberto Abad expressed satisfaction with the result, saying that UST has consistently performed well in the Bar exams for the past ten years.

“Our examinees have been showing excellent results every year and it is no longer a surprise to us,” Abad told the Varsitarian.

Abad added that this year’s results even exceeded the Faculty’s expectation.

Out of 119 Thomasian examinees, 98 passed, with 79 first-time takers. A total of 1,289 Bar passers attended the oath-taking ceremony for new lawyers last April 29 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

TWO THOMASIAN archbishops have been appointed by the Pope as his envoys to Haiti and South Korea.

Archbishop-elect Bernardito Auza, a counsellor of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, was named Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti last May 8, the same day he was elevated to archbishop.

Earlier, Pope Benedict XVI named 65-year-old Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla as the fourth Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea last April 26.

Both Auza and Padilla completed their theological studies in the UST Central Seminary and were ordained priests in 1985 and 1966, respectively. Auza, who hails from Bohol, entered the Vatican Diplomatic Service a year after his ordination.

Padilla, who hails from Cebu, was ordained bishop in January 1991 shortly after he was named Apostolic Nuncio to Panama in December 1990. Later he was named Nuncio to Sri Lanka (1994), Nigeria (1998), and Costa Rica (2003).

THE PHILIPPINE government pays at least P2 million every year for “toxic debt,” with Filipinos bearing the burden through taxes.

In a forum attended by some members and alumni of the Earth-UST environmental group last April 8 at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City, civil society groups particularly discussed the case of the Austrian Medical Waste Project for which the country pays P2 million every year for a total of P503 million in 14 years for the purchase of “harmful and useless” incinerators.

Kristopher Peralta, executive vice president of Earth-UST, said the forum was an eye-opener on how much money the government is spending yearly in paying debts, which instead of benefiting citizens, are detrimental not only to the pockets but also to the health of Filipinos.

IT MIGHT take a long while before Civil Law Dean Alfredo Benipayo return to UST despite reports that he is now on the way to recovery, acting Dean Roberto Abad said.

“We cannot say when and if he could still resume office,” Abad told the Varsitarian.

Last February 22, Benipayo collapsed while giving a lecture before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Iloilo Chapter and was immediately rushed to St. Paul’s Hospital.

Benipayo was airlifted from Iloilo to Manila last month. He was admitted to St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City and was eventually brought home to undergo therapy.

While stressing the need for Benipayo to take a “long-time rest,” Abad however pointed out that the former solicitor-general is not leaving his post as Civil Law Dean.

THE CONTENT has no problem but the delivery needs improvement.

This is what College of Science Dean Fortunato Sevilla III stressed concerning the content of the chemistry curriculum in the country and teaching methods during the Conference on Improving Chemical Education organized by the Commission on Higher Education and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) last April 17 and 18 at the Thomas Aquinas Reseach Complex.

“Like the rest of the country, there is no problem with the chemistry education in the University which follows the commission standards benchmarked from programs abroad. However, unlike the University, which is attuned to developments in chemical education, not everyone in the country is following the proper techniques and the latest trends in teaching chemistry,” Sevilla said.

BEING an academic institution with a strict “no-smoking” policy within the campus, UST has partnered with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in formally launching, “QuitsS: Quit Smoking Support Program.”

QuitsS, a three-year program of the PBSP, aims to “capacitate private firms in protecting employees from health, socio-economic and environmental consequences of tobacco use and exposure.”

Among supporters of the campaign, UST “represented the academe sector of society,” Reno Nalda, program officer of PBSP, told the Varsitarian.

The others are companies like Philippine Batteries Inc., AMKOR Technologies, and Hayakawa Electronics, among others.

“In collaboration with its partners, QuitsS shall focus on promoting a sustainable workplace by urging employees to quit smoking as this is detrimental not only to one’s health but also to overall productivity,” Nalda said.

FOUR years after the enactment of the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004, the University still has only two registered guidance counselors out of the 154 licensed practitioners all over the country.

Unless majority of UST’s guidance counselors take a licensure examination as provided for by the law before being allowed to practice, the University’s guidance and counseling program risks a natural death.

Office of Admissions head Lucila Bance, one of the registered guidance counselors in the University, admitted that the implementation of the law has been dragged by poor information dissemination.