The Varsitarian

PARIS, France--A meeting of two historical and scholastic arsenals.

Invited by no less than the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco), UST showcased its priceless 400-year-long history in a special cultural exhibition at the Unesco headquarters in the French capital.

With the theme “University of Santo Tomas: Four Centuries of Promoting Understanding, Peace, and Culture,” the exhibition, one of the highlights of the University’s year-long Quadricentennial celebration, was mounted at the esteemed Salle de Pas Perdus in the Unesco Headquarters from September 21 to 23. read more »

THE PHILIPPINE Medical Association (PMA) has backed the pro-life position that life begins at fertilization, insisting that this scientific fact should be the basis of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

In a statement sent to the Senate, PMA also rejected the RH bill's penalty clause on doctors and argued that religious beliefs of patients should be respected.

The group of doctors demanded “utmost respect” for physicians’ rights, which are being threatened by the RH bill.

The bill will require doctors to provide RH services, and those who object on the grounds of conscience must refer the patient to another doctor or face penalties. read more »

THERE are only 15 Thomasian martyrs, no more, no less, the former University archivist has declared.

Contrary to the claim of two other Thomasians that there are 17 Thomasian martyrs, Fr. Fidel Villarroel, O.P., who served as archivist of the University for almost half a century, said that the UST martyrs consist of only 10 saints and five blessed.

Villarroel said there are three groups of UST martyrs: the martyrs of Japan, the martyrs of Vietnam, and the martyrs of Spain.

Among them are St. Antonio Gonzales, O.P., a martyr of Japan who became Rector of UST and Blessed Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P., a martyr of Spain who was a former master of the Order of Preachers. A street in UST is named after Paredes. read more »

SOME oral contraceptive pills are cancerous, according to a new study by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In a monograph released by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) this year, an overall evaluation of oral combined estrogen-progestogen pills showed that they could directly cause cancer.

Evaluated earlier in 1998 and 2005, the combined pills were classified anew as Group 1 carcinogens by the researchers under IARC. Group 1 agents have the highest level of evidence to conclude that they can cause cancer to humans.

Increasing risks

The study showed that there was sufficient evidence in humans pointing to the carcinogenity of oral combined estrogen-progestogen contraceptives. read more »

AN ITALIAN economist reminded Thomasians last Sept. 24 to value passion for life and work and ideas over money.

Speaking at the International Conference on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation at the Thomas Aquinas Research Center, Prof. Luigino Bruni of the University of Milan also said the problem of poverty won’t be solved by money alone.

“The media and the television always speak about making money. Don’t believe that. Money is always a shortcut. [Money-making] is not your task in society,” said Bruni, a member of the Focolare movement, on the second day of the two-day conference.  read more »

THE UNIVERSITY emerged as the only top-performing school in the recent Electrical Engineering licensure examination, but did not figure on the list of top schools in this year’s Chemistry boards.

UST obtained a 90-percent passing rate with 63 passers out of 70 examinees, higher than last year’s only 48.44 percent, when only 31 out of 64 Thomasians passed the exam.

Only UST met the Professional Regulation Commission’s (PRC) requirement of having an 80-percent passing rate and at least 50 examinees to be declared a top-performing school.

No Thomasian, however, made it to this year’s list of top 10 examinees. read more »

WILL THE Main Building last another century?

Portions of the Main Building, such as the clock and the tower, are undergoing repairs as part of efforts to preserve the iconic structure, which UST officials believe will last for another 100 years, or even more.

Sonny Cabie, general foreman of one of the restoration projects, said his group has repaired the housing of the clock by water-proofing, or the application of concrete epoxy after removing cracked concrete, followed by plastering.

The same process was used in the restoration of the building’s exterior, which had cracks. It was completed last May. read more »

DIFFERENT countries presented models of student cooperatives in a recently concluded two-day international conference on student cooperativism at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex.

Organized by the Philippine Student Services Cooperative and International Cooperative Alliance for Asia and the Pacific, eight countries presented the cooperatives in their countries’ universities to enhance students’ cooperation through responding to their needs by means of services.

Indonesian Ilham Nazzai said student cooperatives in his country had established stores, dormitories, and student service canteens in universities, particularly in Java.  read more »

SEVERAL pro-life and youth groups threw their support behind nine young congressmen who have expressed their opposition to the Reproductive Health (RH) bill last Sept. 28.

Lawmakers attended the forum “YUP to Education, Jobs and Health Care! Nope to RH Bill!” sponsored by Youth United for the Philippines (YUP), a coalition of youth groups that “advocates real long-term progress for the Philippines,” at the University of Asia and the Pacific in Pasig.  read more »

A FIFTH-YEAR elective course on how to handle industrial boilers will be offered to Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering majors beginning next academic year.

The elective course, which focuses on the reduction of hazardous gases emitted by boilers, is collaboration of the Faculty of Engineering and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’s Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), as well as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido).

Industrial boilers are large machines found in factories that emit pollutants.These machines are closed vessels which boil and mix chemicals. Boilers are also the source of many injuries, as well as the destruction of property due to poor engineering orientation and handling. read more »