Tag: No. 11

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.

TAKING the cue from the Department of Health’s (DOH) anti-dengue campaign, the UST Health Service has launched its own drive against disease-carrying mosquitoes with an efficient University-wide fogging operation.

The latest DOH bulletin listed Manila as having the highest number of registered dengue diagnoses in the National Capital Region (NCR), pushing the health department to initiate the “4-S Against Dengue” program.

In a letter sent to the Varsitarian, Dr. Ma. Salve Olalia, Health Service director, said the 185-percent increase in the number of dengue cases in NCR has prompted the University to “safeguard the health of the Thomasian community.”

“Our University is within the triangle of the dengue hot spots (in NCR) and with the (incoming) La Niña season, proactive measures have to be taken to secure UST from the disease,” Olalia said.

FOR KYOUNG-Min Park, a Korean student in the University, his “Konglish” needed serious polishing.

A sophomore Architecture student, Park decided to study in UST because of his desire to sharpen his English-speaking skill.

“In Korea, they do not teach English well. So I just came here for English classes,” Park said.

Park, who entered the University in 2006, was one of the 130 Korean students enrolled in the University last school year.