The Varsitarian

THERE’S no stopping UST from imposing a hefty P1,000 fine for late enrollees, an amount a Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) official described as “too high.”

CHEd executive director Julito Vitriolo admitted that the commission could not keep universities such as UST from imposing such a penalty, in the absence of a formal memorandum regulating the collection of additional fees.

“We advise them (schools) to waive the penalty in meritorious cases because it adds to the burden of the students,” Vitriolo told the Varsitarian.

Told that UST charges P1,000 for late enrollment, he said in Filipino: “It seems too high. P500 would probably be enough.” read more »

MANILA Mayor Alfredo Lim received the second Quadricentennial Service Award during the opening of the new academic year at the Santisimo Rosario Parish last June 6.

Fr. Rolando de la Rosa O.P., Rector of the University, said the award was given to Lim because he exemplified “the meaning of self-giving,” had become a “model of a truly conscientious public servant,” and had transformed the city of Manila “from a ‘sin city’ to an evolving cultural landmark.”

De la Rosa cited Lim for providing ample lighting among main roads “disciplining” sidewalk vendors around the campus, improving police visibility, and closing beerhouses within the perimeters of UST. read more »

THE COUNTRY’S next Ombudsman may be from UST.

After the Philippines’ first female Ombudsman, Merceditas Gutierrez, resigned last May 6, two Faculty of Civil Law professors were nominated to take over the position.

Along with 25 other nominees, Judge Philip Aguinaldo and lawyer Marlon Manuel are set for a public interview before the Judicial and Bar Council.

“I would say [my nomination is] more of a recognition of a job that is considered ‘passable’ to the standards of Judicial and Bar Council,” Aguinaldo told the Varsitarian. read more »

By MARIA ELOISA PARCO-DE CASTRO* 

A HUNDRED and fifty years after Dr. Jose Rizal’s birth, the nation celebrates the occasion with conferences, lectures, art exhibits, a heritage trail, book launches, documentaries, short TV features and myriad other ways. This birthday wish list is a simple contribution to celebrate the same occasion, but with the added hope that any of these wishes would bring us closer to the nation that the First Filipino had imagined and helped to forge with his martyrdom.

1. That Filipinos, particularly students, would read Rizal’s novels ( the Noli and the Fili) in justifiably beautiful translations that would enable them to laugh, rant and rave exactly at the parts that he intended them to, thus being able to relish every bit of both novels. read more »

YOUR insights on the reproductive health (RH) bill will now have a permanent site in cyberspace.

Dubbed “CBCP for Life,” this online portal was launched last May 25 to provide a “blow-by-blow” coverage of the RH bill’s proceedings in Congress, along with regular “legislative updates” through the social networking site Twitter.

Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines media office director,said position papers promoting family and life, written by various institutions and individuals, even outside of the Catholic faith, would also be posted in the online portal (www.cbcponline.net). read more »

THOMASIANS should work together for the development of the University, UST officials said during the opening mass at the Santisimo Rosario Parsih last June 6.

Aside from the mass celebrated by Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, O.P., prior provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, University archivist Regalado Trota-Jose retold UST’s history during the 145-year-old tradition “Discurso de Apertura” (opening lecture).

Pedregosa lauded in his homily the University’s “diverse academic officials” and reminded them to use their gifts and yield to the workings of the Holy Spirit.

After the Mass, Trota-Jose discussed major events in UST’s history as gleaned from the local archives. read more »

THE RIZAL Conference Hall, the auditorium at the Faculty of Arts and Letters, has been converted into four classrooms to “accommodate more students,” much to the dismay of the faculty’s theater guild.

“The auditorium was not maximized because it was used only for small academic talks and theater productions,” Dean Michael Anthony Vasco said.

The renovation, which started last month, maximized space by putting up dividers separating the conference hall into smaller rooms.

“If we have small lecture hearings, you simply close the divisions and you already have four lecture rooms, and if after that session you will have a plenary, then you will have again a big lecture hall,” Vasco said. read more »

FOR THE second time, Russian Federation Supreme Court Chief Justice visited the Asia’s oldest university last June 15.

Chief Justice Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Lebedev, together with Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Nikolay Rishatovich Kudashev, had his exchange of pleasantries with Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., Rector of the University, along with other UST officials in the Rector’s Board Hall at the Main Building.

De la Rosa toured Lebedev at the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences, Quadricentennial Square, and Miguel de Benavides Library. read more »

WHEN YOU finish nearly at the bottom in a UAAP basketball season, there’s nowhere to go but up.

Such is the situation now confronting the Tigers, whose 4-10 win-loss record bested only a winless University of the Philippines squad.

But UST coach Pido Jarencio promised that the story would be different in the coming season 74, especially with an inspired team on UST’s 400th founding anniversary.

“The team is more intact this year than last year,” he said.

Despite their untimely exit in the Filoil-Flying V Preseason Premiere Cup, the Tigers found a measure of confidence after after outclassing NCAA runner-up San Sebastian College and UAAP powerhouse De La Salle University Green Archers in the tournament.  read more »

THE TIGER-powered Max! Bond Super Glue Sumos bowed down to the NLEX Road Warriors, 59-74, in their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Developmental League Foundation Cup semifinals encounter at the Ynares Sports Arena last June 9.

The loss knocked the Sumos out of title contention but finished in third place in the scores quotient category.

Sumos head coach Pido Jarencio attributed their loss to the team’s “laziness” and slow defensive rotations on court.

“We have a very low energy back there. We could not rotate immediately in the defensive end and we can’t execute plays as fast as we would like,” he said. read more »