The Varsitarian

AMID COMPLAINTS from parents and negative comments in social networking sites, the UST administration has withdrawn a ban on promissory notes, allowing some students to enroll for the second semester despite unpaid accounts.

The announcement was made by the Central Student Council (CSC), following a meeting with the Rector last Nov. 22.

The University accepted late enrollees but only for a span of four days, and also accepted students bearing promissory notes with prior approval of the Office of the Secretary General under a “case-to-case basis.”

Students with promissory notes were required to state the reason for non-payment and what they could promise to or bargain with the University to assure that the accounts would be settled. read more »

THOMASIAN saints and blessed again have a place of honor on campus with the dedication of UST’s own “Carillon” last Nov. 22.

The structure at the new Martyr’s Monument Park is considered a “modern monument” because there are no statues or images of the Thomasians who became martyrs, said Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., Rector of UST.

“The bells are an appropriate symbol for martyrs because [they] always ring to send a message [and] to witness to something. It does not point to itself but to something else,” De la Rosa said.

The free-standing bell tower—built in honor of Thomasians martyred in Japan, Vietnam, and Spain—tune every hour, and rings a particular melody during noon and 6 p.m. to start the praying of the Angelus. read more »

CEBU CITY —Proposed amendments to the Reproductive Health (RH) bill are unacceptable as the measure —which seeks billions of pesos in taxpayer money for a nationwide contraception program -- must be rejected in its entirety, a “pro-life” congressman said.

“Regardless of what House bill number, name, or title you call it (RH bill), once this bill is passed, it will be implemented in accordance with the intent of people who stood behind it and pushed it all these years,” Davao Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said at the Philippines for Life 2011 Congress organized by Human Life International (HLI)-Pilipinas.

“That is why we must reject the RH bill in its entirety, regardless of content and form,” he said. read more »

THE UNIVERSITY kept its place as the top-performing school in the September 2011 licensure examination for teachers (LET), and at the same time improved in the recent chemical engineer board exams.

UST, however, failed to become a top-performing school in the November 2011 exams for civil engineers.

UST recorded a 97.59-percent passing rate in the LET-elementary level with 81 passers out of 83 examinees, higher than last year’s 89.23 percent or 58 passers out of 65 examinees.

Placing behind UST were Western Visayas State University-La Paz (89.95 percent), Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (87.27 percent), Philippine Normal University-Manila (84.51 percent), and Saint Louis University (83.33 percent). read more »

POPE Benedict XVI has appointed a Thomasian cleric as the new papal nuncio to Tanzania.

Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla, a native of Cebu, will take charge of the diplomatic affairs between the Vatican and east African nation, and will also screen the bishops to be appointed by the Pope. Tanzania is home to 10.4 million Catholics.

Padilla finished his bachelor and licentiate degrees in Sacred Theology from the UST Central Seminary.

After graduating from the University in 1985, Padilla continued his theological formation and earned his doctorate in Sacred Theology and licentiate in Canon Law from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where he graduated summa cum laude. read more »

FOLLOWING its exit in the ranking of the world’s top universities, UST hosted this year’s edition of a conference organized by the London consultancy behind the widely followed survey, in a bid to get recognized by peers overseas.

The Rector admitted that UST, despite its reputation as Asia’s oldest university, was practically unheard of abroad.

In an apparent change in the University’s attitude toward such surveys, Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. said UST hosted the conference not to get higher in the rankings of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), but to establish networking with premiere universities abroad. read more »

THE LABOR union of University support staff wants to increase monthly dues by 50% to improve its services, an official said.

Under the proposal presented last Oct. 14 during the union’s general assembly at the Medicine Auditorium, the salary deduction for non-academic employees will be raised to P150 from P100.

UST Samahan ng Manggagawa Secretary Michael Dalimot said the increase will improve the union’s services to its members, including health benefits and projects such as sports competitions and raffle draws.

“The increase will help improve the services we provide our members. We can serve them better if we have enough funds,” Dalimot said. read more »

FOR his advocacy on mitigating climate change, a Thomasian architect and urban planner is one of the “laureates” of this year’s Gusi Peace Prize.

The award for “architecture with global excellence and urban planning” was given to Felino Palafox Jr., founder of Palafox Associates, in ceremonies at the Philippine International Convention Center last Nov. 25.

“We should be more proactive in peacemaking, in mapping, and [in] fabricating a culture of integrity; addressing corruption towards good governance, criminality towards peace and order, and addressing climate change and global warming to enhance and protect the environment,” Palafox said in his speech titled “Peace is cheaper than war.” read more »

UST ALUMNI in Maryland will begin issuing commemorative vehicle plates next month to celebrate their alma mater’s Quadricentennial year, but a University official said these items have yet to be recognized as official merchandise.

Office for Alumni Relations Director Michael Angelo Malicsi said the initiative is welcome, but the UST Alumni Association in Maryland should “communicate with and seek permission” from the University to make the plates “official.”

“It (commemorative plate) speaks of the fact that the alumni, no matter how far they are, still pick up the momentum of the Quadricentennial,” he said. read more »

MORE THAN 600 people were given free ear-care services through the “400 Years…400 Ears” project of the UST Health Service from Nov.14 to 18.

Services like screening and testing, ear examination, and flu vaccination were offered by the Health Service for the first time.

“It is a great opportunity to help the hearing-impaired [people] through Simbahayan 400. We will do the same for other conditions if given the same opportunity,” said Health Service Director Ma. Salve Olalia.

The Health Service and the Department of Audiology of the Faculty of Medicine and served as venues for the project, while screenings were held in local government offices and public schools. Bernadette D. Nicolas