The Varsitarian

THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) will help beef up the security force for the Paskuhan, with this year’s crowd estimated to double to 150,000.

Because the University’s security force won’t be enough to handle the huge crowd, it has decided to seek help from nearby University Belt Area (UBA) police station and Precinct 4 in Balic-Balic.

Security office chief Joseph Badinas said it won’t be the first such arrangement for the annual University-wide Christmas party on Dec. 16, but the number of policemen would double last year’s 50.

The security office will deploy around 150 uniformed guards and 20 “civilian” guards around the campus on the day of the festivity, he said. read more »

THOMASIANS now have their very own “praying area,” with the blessing of the new rosary garden last Dec. 7 which coincided with the visit of the centuries-old image of Our Lady of the Rosary of “La Naval.”

“Noon kasi, dito, parang park lang. Students do what they like, parang naging lovers’ lane. Ngayon, when they come here, they’ll be inclined to pray,” said Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., Rector of UST, in an interview.

The newly built structure on the former Tinoko Park at the right side of the Main Building is now open to the Thomasian community.  read more »

THOMASIANS, most of all, need to be mindful of their own heritage and history.

In a conference ahead of the closing ceremonies of the Quadricentennial celebration in 2012, history professors told Thomasians to be conscious of the heritage and history of the University to become more knowledgeable not only of their Thomasian identity but their Filipino identity as well.

"National identity [and] consciousness of heritage and history are connected directly to the development of the nation," said the conference convenor, Prof. Maria Eloisa de Castro of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, during the International Conference on the Heritage and History of the University of Santo Tomas last Dec. 3. read more »

EMPLOYEES of the University can now pay hospital bills, even those of their family members, by salary deduction.

The Office of the Vice Rector for Finance released a memorandum last Nov. 4 allowing University employees to pay bills at the UST Hospital through their salaries as long as they meet the conditions set.

Employees must have “take-home pay of at least 50 percent of their basic monthly at compensation” and have rendered at least one year of service to the University.

Support staff and faculty members can charge a maximum of P50,000 in hospitalization costs to their salaries, payable in one year. Salary deductions, however, are subject to the approval of the Office of Vice Rector for Finance. read more »

THE GOVERNMENT has released nearly a billion pesos this year to hire more nurses and midwives as well as upgrade the country’s health facilities, President Benigno Aquino III said in a speech at the University last Nov. 29.

“To address the dismal state of some of our country’s health facilities … P742 million has recently been released to improve the infrastructure, procure new equipment, and support the research and treatment programs of three of our government specialty hospitals,” Aquino said during the opening dinner of the 10th Congress of the International Society of Dacryology and Dry Eye (ISD & DE) at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The government also released P294 million to hire an additional 11,500 nurses and 1,000 midwives. read more »

A SIGNIFICANT number of carriers of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus /Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-Aids) in the country are young people—including those in the university belt area.

Of the total 7,884 HIV-Aids cases in the country, the youth accounted for 22 percent, said Dr. Enrique Tayag, director of the National Epidemiology Center of the Department of Health, in a seminar during World Aids Day last Dec. 1 at the Medicine Auditorium.

The number of people with Aids in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region 4-A increased to 66 percent of the total from 62 percent last year. Metro Manila’s share increased to 54 percent from 52 percent. read more »

UST had a lackluster performance in the recent licensure examination for librarians, recording the lowest passing rate since 2008.

This year’s passing rate was only 38.78 percent, lower than last year’s 53.85 percent, 2009’s 61 percent, and 2008’s 54 percent.

Only 19 out of 49 examinees passed, 18 of them first-timers. Only one out of eight repeaters passed.

The national passing rate went up slightly to 27.62 percent from last year’s 27.32 percent as 211 out of 764 examinees passed.

The Varsitarian sought College of Education Dean Clotilde Arcangel for comment but she has yet to respond.

For the first time in four years, no Thomasian entered the top 10. read more »

FROM a second runner-up finish last season, the UST Male Fencers emerged as this year’s champions while their female counterparts dropped to fifth place following separate duels at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium last Dec. 5.

The Male Fencers' 3-0-2 gold-silver-bronze medal tally overwhelmed Far Eastern University's collection of two gold medals, a silver, and four bronze medals.

“Lahat ng laban ngayon pantay-pantay, at sabi ko sa kanila (male fencers) lakasan lang loob nila,” men’s team coach Emerson Segui said. “Fortunately, nag-jive lahat.” read more »

After opening the season with two consecutive losses, the Lady Spikers nailed their second straight victory at the expense of cellar-dwellers University of the Philippines (UP), 22-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-18, at the Arena in San Juan last Dec. 11.

The UST Tiger Spikers clobbered the Ateneo de Manila University, 25-14, 25-20, 25-18, the day before to score their third straight win.

Maika Ortiz led the Lady Spikers’ fiery offense in the last set to tie the count at 16-apiece. Carmela Tunay joined the frenzy and ignited a 6-0 blitz to jack up the lead, 23-17. read more »

DEFENDING champion Faculty of Engineering and the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM) arranged a finals duel after thrashing their respective opponents in the semi-final round of this year’s Thomasian Goodwill basketball games.

Engineering easily defeated archrival College of Education in lopsided fashion, 113-70, while CTHM stunned an erstwhile undefeated Faculty of Arts and Letters, 73-69, at the P. Noval basketball court last Dec. 10.

“Actually, blessing in disguise yung pagkatalo namin sa kanila (Artlets)nung eliminations,” CTHM head coach Jeric Martinez said. “Nawala yung egonamin at yabang, at naging chance namin yun (the loss)para mag-ayos.” read more »