Tag: No. 4

“Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” - Gene Fowler

THERE must have been a time in every writer’s life when he gets stricken by that malady called the writer’s block. But though many claim to have experienced its lingering symptoms, its existence is still debatable, for most of the time it is confused with another writing illness, which, if left untreated, may lead to dehydration and the drying up of creative juices. I would like to call it the slacker’s block.

WHY IS it that despite great developments in the field of science and technology (S&T), the majority of people still live in poverty?

The question was one of many posed by the research paper Prometheus Bound: the State of Science and Technology in the Philippines. The paper, which was also made into a short film produced jointly by the Advocates of Science and Technology for the People and the Science and Society Program of the College of Science in UP Diliman, aims to identify the reasons behind the stunted growth of S&T in the country, and gain knowledge on how we can develop S&T in our country in a way that will benefit the majority.

The paper also discusses the inaccessibility of S&T in the Philippines and how, despite immense progress in the field of S&T, its advances have failed to reach underdeveloped countries like ours.

MY THEORY when it comes to traveling has always been like this: the lesser the gears, the lesser the wheels, the safer the ride. No wonder, bus rides during my summer excursions in the ‘90s kept me squeamish and nauseated while treading the uncanny roads to and from Manila.

This is practically the same reason why I have been consistently nagging my mom to get me a motorcycle ever since I was a kid. In my mind, bikers have always been cool, and just thinking about how soothing the wind will feel once I zoom in with my Japanese ride irks me as I can’t get one for myself.

But then again, there’s always the downside. The growing number of motorcycle accidents may have discarded my theory.

IF THERE is one thing worth emulating about the hounds of God, as the Dominican preachers are called for their loud proclamation God’s word in and out of season over the vast ends of the earth, it is their unwavering commitment to their religious vow of obedience to the Master of the Order and to the Supreme Pontiff.

This example has been further illustrated with the resignation of the three top officials of UST--Rector Fr. Ernesto Arceo, O.P., Vice-Rector Fr. Juan Ponce, O.P., and Fr. Edmund Nantes, O.P., prior of the Philippine Dominican province. Their resignations were accepted by the Master of the Order of Friars Preachers, Fr. Carlos Azpiroz Costa, O.P. The three resigned when Father Azpiroz signalled his desire for a “new leadership team” that would “create the consensus necessary for future developments at the University and Hospital” in time for its 400th year anniversary, according to a circular from the UST Secretary General.

“ARE YOU happy?”

This may very well have been the first question posed by Fr. Carlos Alfonso Azpiroz Costa, O.P., master of the 800-yearold Order of Preachers, to his fellow Dominican brothers during his almost two-week stay in the University which ended last Sept. 13.

It was no ordinary visit— but a canonical visitation—and the Dominican pope’s stay in UST was only a leg of a national tour to examine the state of the entire Philippine Dominican Province (as well as the Holy Rosary Province of the Spanish Dominicans) as part of his duties.

Under the Book of Constitutions and Ordinations of the Order of Preachers, Father Azpiroz is required to visitate the whole Order, “either by himself, by his assistants or by others,” at least twice.

BRAND new Acer Aspire laptops were distributed by the Educational Technology Center (EdTech) to fourteen faculty members under its Faculty Laptop Acquisition and Rewards Empowerment (FLARE) program last Sept. 5 at the Tan Yan Kee auditorium.

The recipients of new laptops are the following: (Faculty of Engineering) Alex Santos and Lani Pestaño; (Faculty of Arts and Letters) Consuelo M. Gotauco and Analiza Yanga; (Faculty of Pharmacy) Imelda Marollano and Xandro Alexi Nieto; (College of Rehabilitation Sciences) Rachel Ann Lagman and Anne Marie Aseron; (Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy) Arnold Petalver; (Institute of Religion) Aguedo Jalin and Henelida Onal; (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery) George Lim and Nilo Delos Santos; (Faculty of Pharmacy) Aleth Therese Dacanay and Carol Geraldine Pablo.

Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Clarita Carillo said that the recipients should prove that FLARE really works for the improvement of class instruction.

UNLIKE UST’s remarkable results in the Medical Technology and Master Plumber exams, the University posted only a 76 percent passing rate in the Chemistry licensure exam with no Thomasians landing on the top ten.

Out of 45 UST examinees, 11 failed, 10 of them first-timers.

David Peralta of Ateneo de Manila University topped the exam, garnering 90.25 percent.

The University of the Philippines-Diliman, Ateneo de Manila University, and the University of the Philippines–Los Baños were the top three performing schools.

UST dominated the med-tech board exam with six Thomasians landing on the top ten.

Leading the 699 passers with a score of 87.30 percent was Thomasian Mary Lou Anne Cabacang; followed by Oliver Lubiano, 87 percent; Jacqueline Mupas, 86.60 percent; and Mary Rose Lacanin, 86.40 percent. Two alumni ranked ninth and tenth: namely Engelbert Perillo and Jean Tee.

NATIONAL media outfits bungled their coverage of the resignations of top UST officials, publishing articles riddled with innuendoes, anonymous sources, and even historical inaccuracy.

Poorly written stories appeared in the Manila Standard Today last Sept. 15 and on the Sun-Star Manila website the day earlier, claiming that “mismanagement and irregularities” were the reasons behind the resignations of the prior provincial of the Philippine Dominican Province, Fr. Edmund Nantes, O.P., Rector Fr. Ernesto Arceo, O.P., and Vice Rector Fr. Juan Ponce, O.P.

But they did not have proof except the say-so of a “source.”

They even cited a supposed failure by the University to “secure the global certification recognizing its compliance with the high standards of education,” but again did not check whether there indeed was such a certification.

UNITED States-based medical alumni are worried over the sudden exit of three top University officials over the controversial plan to commercialize and expand the UST Hospital, but have appealed for calm amid difficult times for the University.

The UST Medical Alumni Association in America, one of the biggest donors to the hospital and the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery through a $3 million endowment fund, has pledged to continue support for indigent patients and “toward making our Alma Mater a school noted for academic excellence.”

In a message to members of the alumni association, Dr. Stella Evangelista, the group’s executive director, said the association was “unaffected directly by the leadership changes,” but added, “we are troubled by any problems encountered by the University.”

HIGHLIGHTING the 100th anniversary of the canonical coronation of La Naval de Manila, the Dominican Province of the Philippines will reenact the Marian image’s solemn canonical coronation on Oct. 4 at the Sto. Domingo Parish in Quezon City, the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The reenactment will be made during a High Mass to be celebrated by Msgr. Wojciech Zaluski, charge de affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature (the new Nuncio, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, has yet to assume his post and present his diplomatic papers to Malacanang and the Philippine bishops), and 15 bishops coming from all over the country.

President Macapagal-Arroyo will lead civil officials in the reenactment.

According to Rev. Jeff Aytona, O.P., head of the technical committee for the reenactment, this year’s celebration of La Naval is very special.