Tag: No. 7

THE CENTRAL Student Council (CSC) and the Central Board of students have rejected the administration’s proposed five- to eight-percent tuition increase during a consultation last Feb. 20.

Civil Law Student Council President and Central Board Speaker Victor Villanueva vowed to prevent the implementation of the proposed tuition increase, which he said was unjustifiable.

“Our objections will not end today. If the administration pushes through with the proposed increases, which we think are largely unjustified, we will continue to assert our objections,” he said.

THE UST Museum launched a month-long exhibit on Feb. 12 to commemorate Pope Francis’ visit to the University last Jan.18.

The exhibit, titled “@UST: Lolo Kiko Brings Christ to the Youth,” features memorabilia of the Pontiff’s visit to the only Pontifical university in Asia.

These include photographs, hand-written letters, newspaper clippings, various types of merchandise such as shirts and caps, and personal items used by the Pontiff himself.

THE UNIVERSITY again dominated recent licensure examinations for physicians, architects, physical and occupational therapists, and certification examinations for industrial engineers, with Thomasians landing the top 10 lists.

UST recorded a 95-percent passing rate in the February 2015 off-season physician licensure examinations, and saw two Thomasians entering the top 10.

Out of 20 examinees, 19 Thomasians passed. The passing rate was higher than last year’s 83.33-percent or 15 passers out of 18 examinees.

Alrick Anthony Gonzalez headed the new batch of Thomasian physicians after placing seventh with a score of 86 percent, while Angela Pauline Calimag-Loyola grabbed the eighth spot with a score of 85.75 percent.

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.