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VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010

Vergara isNew VPLS

Vergara: Strengths in systems, strategy, problem solving

Dr. John Paul C. Vergara is the new Vice President for the Loyola Schools. Vergara’s initial term began April 1 this year, and runs through March 2013.

No stranger to administrative positions, he has been department chair of the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science of the Loyola Schools, and chair of the it Faculty Cluster of the Graduate School of Business. He was appointed vpls during his term as Vice President for Administration and Planning, a position he held from early 2009 to the end of sy 2009-2010.

He graduated BS Mathematics/Computer Science from admu in 1986, and did his doctoral studies at Virginia Tech, finishing with a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Applications in

1997. Virginia Tech also recognized him for Scholarly Performance in Graduate Study, also in 1997. He has been a faculty member of the Ateneo since 1986.

He was an Outstanding Young Scientist awardee of the National Academy of Science and Technology in 2001, and was given the DuPont Miracles of Science Award by DuPont Far East, Inc. that same year.

Loyola Schools challenges

In making its recommendations, the Search Committee, composed of chair Dr. Emma E. Porio, Mr. Rodolfo P. Ang, Dr. Remmon E. Barbaza, Mr. Eduardo Jose E. Calasanz, Dr. Ma. Louise Antonette N. de las Peñas, Dr. Emilyn Q. Espiritu, Dr. Edna P. Franco, and Dr. Josefina D. Hofileña, identified four major challenges facing the Loyola Schools in the next few years.These are:

1. Globalization and University Competitiveness: To continuously improve our standing in the academic community, and to keep moving up in the national and international rankings.

2. Research and Publicaion3. Resource Management4. Devolution, in particular, to

continue implementing the restructuring of the Loyola Schools, especially the fine-tuning of devolution of functions, responsibilities, and accountabilities to the four Schools. As interdisciplinarity is a recognized strength of the admu, the vpls must push for the development of interdisciplinary programs and processes.

Strengths

University President Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j., in his memo announcing Vergara’s appointment, identified Vergara’s strengths as that of being “a systems person, a strategist, and a problem solver with a vision for devolution and interdisciplinarity.” Nebres further cited Vergara’s extensive experience in working with the University and the Loyola Schools budget systems as well as with academic research and mentoring, which would enable him to address the challenges enumerated by the Search Committee.

Cuyegkeng’s contributions

Nebres thanked immediate past vpls Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng for her leadership from SY 2006-2007 through sy 2009-2010. During the four years of her term, said Nebres, “the Loyola Schools moved to new levels of excellence and contributions to nation building as well as in the deepening of student formation and spirituality, and growth in community spirit.”

Photo by Joanna Ruiz

Cuyegkeng: Contributions in nation building and student formation.

Photo by Rani Jalandoni

Jose Ma. Joaquin M. Buñag: BS Psychology, magna cum laude, class valedictorian. Better yet, Kim: sector-based cluster head, aspiring Jesuit, sometime theater denizen, musician, persevering student, typical Atenean.

Asked to describe himself, Kim Buñag mentions first of all his involvement with the Council of Activities (coa) Sector-Based Cluster and the seven organizations that make up the cluster. His love for social development, which took hold of him in high school, is apparent in the way he remarks on how each of the organizations he has joined throughout college (Ateneo Debate Society, Kythe, Ateneo Student Catholic Action) and his involvement in his coa cluster has shaped his commitment to social justice and the direction he would like his life to take.

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Rooted, BaLaNced,thaNkfuLJose Ma. Joaquin B. BuñagValedictorian, Class of 2010

As the Ateneo bids goodbye to its outgoing Chairman of the Board, Mr. Manuel V. Pangilinan, let us look back at the role he has played in guiding the University through a period of rapid growth and diversification—in infrastructure, programs, and nation building—in nearly two decades of formal service to the University.

Pangilinan, a 1968 AB Economics graduate of the Ateneo and at present the chairman of the board of Philippine

Mr. PangilinanThank you,

Long Distance and Telephone Company and smart, among others, became a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ateneo in 1990. He succeeded Octavio V. Espiritu as Chair in 2003.

His recognition of excellence in

others led him to support groups such as the Ateneo Blue Eagles, the Ateneo Debate Society, and the Ateneo College Glee Club. Through his generosity, these groups have been able to shine brightly

in their fields. The Blue Eagles, thanks in part to Pangilinan’s constant support and friendship, are gunning for a three-peat in the coming season of the uaap men’s basketball tournament. The Glee Club and Debate Society have made the school proud many times, performing excellently in local and international competitions and building a solid reputation in the fields of student debate and choral music. In 2006, the Glee Club embarked on a European tour and garnered top prizes in esteemed competitions in Miltenberg, Germany and Arezzo, Italy.

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Mr. Manuel V. Pangilinan has resigned from the Ateneo de Manila University’s Board of Trustees (bot), of which he was the Chair. Pangilinan’s decision to leave the bot was precipitated by an issue involving the inclusion of plagiarized sections in the commencement addresses that he delivered during the Loyola Schools’ commencement rites on March 26 & 27, 2010. Full responsibility

Although Pangilinan had the help of speechwriters in the preparation of the speeches, he took full responsibility for the slip-up, and apologized to the graduating class of 2010 and the entire University. In an e-mail to University president Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j, Pangilinan expressed his desire to “retire” from his official duties at the Ateneo. During a special meeting of the bot on April 11, 2010, the board unanimously voted against accepting his resignation, and expressed its full confidence in his leadership. In making their decision on the issue of the plagiarism committed, the members of the bot were guided by Catholic moral tradition, “which for culpability considers not just the seriousness of the matter but also whether there is full awareness and consent.”

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PaNgiLiNaNresigns fromBoard of Trustees

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NotableAchievements

The Ateneo community came together to pay tribute to three professors from Loyola Schools whose consistent exemplary service and distinguished academic records continue in their retirement years. The title of Professor Emeritus was conferred upon Dr. Jose A. Marasigan (Mathematics), Dr. Soledad S. Reyes (Interdisciplinary Studies), and Dr. Mari-Jo P. Ruiz (Mathematics, qmit) in rites held at Escaler Hall on November 20, 2009.

Distinguished roster of professors emeritus

This brings to eleven the number of emeritus professors in the University. Starting with the first conferment in 1997, this roster of emeritus professors includes Dr. Aida C. Caluag (Education), Dr. Modesto T. Chua (Chemistry), Fr.

Marasigan, Reyes, Ruiz namedProfessors Emeritus

Teachers, partners, and culture bearers of the highest rankby Erlinda Eileen G. Lolarga

From top to bottom: Professors Emeritus Marasigan, Reyes and Ruiz

Professors Emeritus with the President and LS administrators

Roque J. Ferriols, s.j. (Philosophy), Fr. Joseph A. Galdon, s.j. (English), Fr. Francis E. Reilly, s.j. (Philosophy), Dr. Ramon C. Reyes (Philosophy), Fr. Joseph L. Roche, s.j. (Theology), and Fr. William J. Schmitt, s.j. (Chemistry).

The selection of emeritus professors is based on their distinguished academic record and university service. After due consideration and process, this title may be conferred upon professors who have reached the formal retirement age. The Committee on Faculty Rank and Permanent Appointment is the body which recommends the conferment of the rank with the approval of the University’s Board of Trustees.

Nebres, Cuyegkeng express appreciation

Feeling the festive air and warmth of the occasion, vpls Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng thanked Marasigan for his example of humility; Reyes for her example of scholarship and commitment and her gentleness at the core of being one tough woman; Ruiz for her friendship that she continues to cherish as she worked with her closely in many administrative and academic endeavors of the University for many years. She said that as part of their distinction, the professors granted the title are encouraged to continue to render active service in the University in different capacities. Likewise, they are entrusted to help pass on the school’s culture to the next generations of faculty and students. She hoped the present crop of emeritus professors will continue to share their wisdom, generosity and mentoring for many years to come. University President Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j. expressed his heartfelt thanks for all that the three professors have been and all that they have done. He said that as the Ateneo celebrates its 150 years, they are also all very much a part of the journey we have traveled.

Dr. Jose A. Marasigan

Dr. Jose A. Marasigan, who hails from San Pablo, Laguna, was an Ateneo college scholar who graduated cum laude with a BS Mathematics Honors degree in 1962 and immediately after started teaching at the Ateneo Grade School. His graduate studies were done in Germany at the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (daad) at the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt. He completed his Doctorate in Natural Sciences (Mathematics) in 1971 and his daad Postdoctoral Fellowship in 1979. He returned to teach at the Ateneo, this time at the university level, and is considered one of the major figures in

the UP-Ateneo-De La Salle Consortium which was pivotal in expanding the scope and excellent quality of training in Mathematics education in the country. Deeply involved in Math education both locally and internationally, Marasigan has assisted the government in educations programs, conducted seminars for teachers, edited textbook series for elementary, high school and college, and served as exchange scientist or visiting professor in countries such as Japan, Australia, France, the us, and Cambodia. Among his local and international awards are the Outstanding Young Scientist Award in Mathematics from the National Academy of Science and Technology (nast) in 1982, and the Young Mathematician Grant of the International Mathematical Union (imu) to the International Congress of Mathematicians held in Finland in 1978. His teaching career at the Ateneo has seen him teach Math at all levels. He was instrumental in establishing key programs such the Program of Excellence in Mathematics (pem) for mathematically gifted high school students and the five-year BS-MS in Applied Mathematics major in Mathematical Finance at the Loyola Schools. Active as well in the Mathematical Society of the Philippines, he served as president of the association for two terms (1983-1989). Among other things, he has also served as a long-time coach and leader of International Math Olympiad team.

In his response during the conferment rites, Marasigan expressed his deep gratitude for the kindness and encouragement given to him by his Jesuit mentors and credited Fr. Nebres who challenged him to stay on at the Ateneo to help develop Math education in the country. For him, teaching Math is not only an occupation but a vocation—a source of joy and fulfillment which no amount of wealth can equal. Thanking God for his blessings in teaching and his colleagues at his home department,

he pledged to do his best to come up to their expectations. In parting, shared a favorite English prayer which aptly captured his simple lifestyle and humble nature: (an excerpt) “Save us Lord, a bit of sun, a bit of work and a bit of fun…our goodly best for ourselves and others, until all men learn to live as brothers.”

Dr. Mari-Jo P. Ruiz

Dr. Mari-Jo P. Ruiz joined the Ateneo de Manila as a faculty member in 1965 after completing a BA in Mathematics from Marymount Manhattan College in 1963 and an MS in Mathematics at the Courant Institute of the Mathematical Sciences of New York University. She completed her doctorate in Mathematics in 1981 at the Ateneo. Her fields of specialization are graph theory and operations research, and she has taught these courses in an excellent and engaging style as attested by countless generations of students she had mentored in the span of her 44 years of service in the University. Mari-Jo, as friends and colleagues call her, has been a constant and caring presence, a “motherly” figure not just at the Mathematics Department, but also in other parts of the Ateneo de Manila as well. She has served the Ateneo in various capacities: Mathematics professor, researcher and scholar, member of the Board of Trustees (since 2005), dean of the School of Arts & Sciences from 1994-2000 (before it transitioned into the Loyola Schools), chair of the Mathematics Department (1992-1994) and chair of the Management Engineering Department (between the years of 1981–1990, and serving as acting chair from 1975-1976). Her research expertise as a consultant has been sought by both government and private companies outside the University such as the Department of Health, The Mind Museum, Software Ventures International Corporation, Colgate-Palmolive Philippines,

Photo by Philip Sison

Photo by Philip Sison

Photo by Philip Sison

Photo by Rani Jalandoni

3VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010

Rooted, BaLaNced thaNkfuLJose Ma. Joaquin B. Buñag: Valedictorian, Class of 2010

Computer Information Systems, Inc. and Philippine Airlines. She has also served on the editorial boards of several local and international journals, and has published papers and textbooks. Recently, she co-authored a mathematics book for children (in 2008) together with Professor Jin Akiyama of Tokai University entitled “A Day’s Adventure in Math Wonderland.”

Ruiz’s excellence in the many things she does in the University, her quiet brand of leadership and her dedication to academic pursuits have left an indelible mark in the life of the University. Multiple awards she has received through the years for her service and achievement attest to the high regard and respect not only of her peers in the University but also of the larger academic community: aspac’s Most Outstanding Senior Lay Teacher Award (1991), Metrobank’s Most Outstanding Teacher Award (1992) and Award for Continuing Excellence (2004), and the National Research Council of the Philippines’ Achievement Award in Mathematical Sciences (1998).

In his citation, Dean Rodolfo Ang of the John Gokongwei School of Management, talks about Ruiz’s many sides. Not only is she a teacher considered “hot” as she drove around campus in an olive green Mustang in her early years at the Ateneo; she is also a “strong mother who single-handedly raised her three kids” in the midst of pursuing her own passion and commitment to her discipline; “a caring friend who

writes thoughtful notes to go with her carefully chosen and personalized gifts… a shopaholic… an enthusiastic traveler who revels in exploring new cultures.” Indeed, “the consummate educator who has taught her many generations of students what is truly valuable in life.” In response, Dr. Mari-Jo Ruiz gave thanks to all for “joining us in the celebration of our lives in the Ateneo.” With certainty, she said that “success or failure arises not from great skills but from fortuitous circumstances…” and proceeded to narrate the series of events that led her to the Ateneo and the things that happened along the way that helped her grow in many ways. Taking pride in her students, she said: “If I was an artist, my body of work would be my students.” With candor and lightheartedness, she recalled how she came to accept the offer to teach in the Ateneo because the school offered a salary Php50 more than the highest offer of a computer company that she considered working for at the time. She had no regrets getting to teach the toughest program in the University and was grateful to colleagues, friends, and her children who provided her with work-life balance. She asserted that “I belong to a special community…everyone is multi-talented, caring, and doing the best they can do.” With a mirthful glint in her eyes, she quoted the Virginia Slims cigarettes tagline to cap her reflections of long life and service in the Ateneo: “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

Dr. Soledad S. Reyes

Dr. Soledad S. Reyes, or “Sol” to her many friends and colleagues, came to the Ateneo in 1968 as a student of English Literature. She graduated with an AB English Literature degree from Maryknoll College (now Miriam College) in 1966 and prior to coming to the Ateneo, she spent two years at La Salette College in Santiago, Isabela as a neophyte teacher. Her career in the Ateneo started as an Instructor of the English Department in 1971 when she was hired right after she completed her MA in Literature from the University. She completed her PhD in Philippines Studies at the University of the Philippines in 1979 and went on to get a second masteral degree in Sociology of Literature at Essex University in England in 1981. Aside from teaching, Dr. Reyes has held many academic posts: Chair of the Filipino Department, Chair of the Interdisciplinary Studies Department, Chair of the Academic Standards Committee, Chair of the University Press Board, and Editor of the Humanities volume of the Loyola Schools Review, along with many other Committees of the Loyola Schools, of the Board of Trustees, including the University Research Council and the Convocations and Awards Committee. She has also shared her expertise in Philippine culture and literature to students abroad as an exchange/ visiting professor to Xiamen University and Peking University and had designed Philippine immersion

programs and prepared lectures for visiting international students of University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of San Francisco, among others.

A feminist of the constructive kind, she is also cited for one of her lasting legacies to the Ateneo de Manila University which is the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings (aliww), a unique one of a kind archival institution in Asia dedicated to the retrieval, collection, conservation, and study of Filipino women writers and artists, which she co-founded with Dr. Edna Z. Manlapaz with the encouragement and support of then Academic Vice President, Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan. In her more than 40 years of dedicated and committed service to the Ateneo de Manila as model teacher, fiery administrator and outstanding scholar, Dr. Reyes continues to prepare new articles and new books, poring over new writings that could open new venues for teaching and research. Dr. Reyes gained recognition and is best known for her valuable and pioneering studies in the field of literature, literary criticism, and popular culture. Her academic pursuits as a graduate student “scrounging around the National Library” uncovered a not too well-known but excellent fictionist, Macario Pineda, whose work was buried in the yellowing pages of Filipino magazines of Daigdig, Malaya, and Liwayway.

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Deeply rooted in the Ateneo

Buñag has deep roots in the Ateneo. Having spent his grade school, high school, and college years here, he says he cannot imagine how his life would have been without the Ateneo. Among the greatest gifts Ateneo has given him, he says, are its particular brand of Jesuit spirituality, cooperative learning, and call to excellence. Because of these, he says, Ateneans always stand out, whether they intend to or not.

He counts Jesuits such as Fr. Catalino Arevalo, s.j., and faculty members such as Onofre Pagsanghan, Roberto Guevara, and Eduardo Calasanz as mentors, saying that they have not only taught him by teaching him, but they have taught him by how they live their lives. Another living example he cites is his father, Mon Buñag of the Residence Halls, whom he says has always been supportive of his activities, even if it meant waiting until late at night so that they could go home together. He admires his father’s “quiet, simple dedication,” his philosophy of just “doing the work” without counting the cost.

A time of discernment

The question about his plans somewhat stops Kim in his tracks. At presstime, he is a Jesuit pre-novice and is

waiting for word on his future with the Society of Jesus which will come near the end of March (Editor’s note: Kim learned of his acceptance into the SJ Novitiate before he graduated.). He says the call to be a priest has been with him for a long time, but has been somewhat repressed because it is not always the easiest thing to verbalize or explain. Finding that he also wanted to become a doctor, he says, was in a way a welcome relief, as it was something he could share more readily with his friends.

A recent vocation retreat, he says, opened his life to the calling he has heard ever since he was a young boy. Right now, he has managed to balance the structured life at the pre-novitiate with his studies and extracurricular activities. Whatever the decision will be at the end of March, he says that the next ten years after college will be ones of discernment. The best scenario for him, he says, would allow him to bring together his interests and passions—the missionary life, social development, medicine—into a comprehensive whole, a life of service.

Moments, from mundane to life-changing

In a life spent at the Ateneo, there are moments that Kim says will stand out more clearly than the rest—immersion experiences, discovering girls after

spending grade school and high school with boys, lining up for uaap tickets, working with Task Force Ondoy and being sent out to different areas, being in solidarity with the Sumilao farmers, 12:00 noon mass everyday. From mundane to life-changing, these moments are part of what have made college the “happiest” time in his life. “I am thankful to the Ateneo for what it is and what it can be.”

Parting words

As he leaves behind his coa cluster, Kim shares some thoughts on how the interests of the residents in the areas visited by Ateneo students can be better looked after. He advocates the use of systematic tools to “better structure how we give out service.” He also remarks on the need for more political involvement among the students, pointing out that political participation is “another part of being Christian.” He exhorts the underclassmen to follow their passions and strive for a rooted, balanced spirituality.

To his batchmates, he says “I long to see you, marry, you and baptize your kids.” He is positive that they will meet again in the course of doing worthy work in their different fields. “I don’t fear na wala tayong magagawa.”

As a sort of pabaon, he shares a

favorite quote from Micah. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Congratulations, Kim and the rest of batch 2010!

continued from page 1

To his batchmates, he says “I long to see you, marry, you and baptize your kids.” He is positive that they will meet again in the course of doing worthy work in their different fields. “I don’t fear na wala tayong magagawa.”

Photo c/o COA

4 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin

Sesquicentennial Events

The University’s continued commitment to nation building took another collective step along the road of hope on January 22, 2010 with the Agenda for Hope conference. Carrying on from the launch of the Agenda for Hope books on December 9, 2009, the conference brought many of the writers of the books together once more, this time to discuss the ideas and findings they presented in the books.

Themes of the Agenda for Hope

In the plenary session held in the morning, representatives from each of the Agenda for Hope volumes took turns in giving the attendees a brief overview of their respective volumes. The books, which contain articles written by Ateneo community members, sought out areas where there was actual positive progress being made in a wide range of fields.

The Agenda highlights five main themes: Sharing Prosperity, Democratizing Governance, Preserving and Transforming Philippine Identity and Culture, Promoting Sustainable Development, and Inspiring the Youth. The books which were produced covered these areas and highlighted points where progress is being made as well as points where there can still be room for participation. The conference continues where these books began by allowing participants to interact with the writers directly.

Introduction and context

Vice President for the Loyola Schools Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng began the conference by discussing the origins of Agenda for Hope which began with former vpls Dr. Anna Miren Gonzales-Intal, who, along with the deans of the different Loyola Schools, wanted to create a way by which scholarly work could contribute to nation building. It was their initial effort that gave birth to the Agenda for Hope books.

University President Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j., then discussed the issue of the poverty of capability. He remarked that while most view poverty as one of a lack of resources, the more telling poverty is one of a lack of capability, most often seen in the lack of access to proper education and public health facilities.

He discussed how some programs in Quezon City, like the ones participated in by Ateneo Center for Educational Development (aced), integrate health and education programs. The feeding,

medicine, and education programs helped raise test scores in the schools who participated in the aced program; concrete proof of how dealing with poverty of capability can yield excellent results.

Sharing prosperity: a growing concern for people over profit

Fr. Nebres was followed by Dr. Mary Racelis of the Institute of Philippine Culture, who spoke about ideas from their book “Sharing Prosperity.” She emphasized the importance of the very idea of hope and optimism in the face of a growing sense of national malaise and pessimism. Faced with worldwide questioning of the market system, the articles in their book discussed how the very ideas which help form the market system have been re-examined. The book looks at the changing norms seen happening in many communities around the nation, fostering a growing interest and concern for people rather than profit.

Democratizing governance: changing definitions

Dr. Cristina Montiel presented for the group which prepared the book “Democratizing Governance.” She discussed the process they undertook while preparing the book, which began with a re-examination of the very definition of “democratizing.” What they realized as they went through the process was that democratizing, as a term, had changed over the years, meaning very different things at different points in the country’s history. From overthrowing a dictator through to occupying the state to what has been agreed upon as its current definition, that of building a state, this was where the group started in preparing their essays, pointing out where there have been advancements in state building, often found in the local levels of government.

Preserving and transforming Philippine identity and culture: finding meaning through culture

Dr. Fernando Zialcita spoke on behalf of the team who wrote “Preserving and Transforming Philippine Identity and Culture.” Faced with the question on whether culture still matters in a rapidly globalizing world, he answered this with an emphatic yes, that it is through culture that people find meaning in their lives. He cited the outpouring of

support that occurred for the Aquino family after the death of Philippine icon Cory Aquino as a manifestation of how culture is tapped by people in their ordinary lives. He also cited the achievements of designers such as Kevin Cobonpue in creating designs that are popular around the world but still tap into Philippine traditions. He also went on to discuss how the contributions of the other authors in the book range from reforms being undertaken in journalism to avoid unintentional profiling of Muslims in their reporting, to studying Filipino linguistic structures to find underlying philosophies in the use of certain terms in the language. In all, Dr. Zialcita noted a renewed interest in Philippine culture, and an awareness of how a better knowledge of this culture can help improve the lives of Filipinos.

Promoting sustainable development: managing water resources

Lastly, Dr. Fabian Dayrit presented the book of his team which dealt with sustainable development, with a particular focus on the management of water resources. He traced the development of civilizations and their link to water as a key resource. This was done in light of the recent events which have occurred in the country and in light of the growing awareness of the importance of water management in achieving sustainable development. Aside from discussions on how to manage water, the idea of sustainable development was discussed in the book, leading to possible areas where the country can achieve success.

This is just the beginning

The afternoon sessions were concurrent symposia led by some of the authors of each book. The conference and the books are initial steps in seeing hope in our lives. It is the dream of the organizers that the Agenda will continue to become something that proceeds even after the run of the books, and in the process, creates the road that it has already begun walking on.

Walking the road ofHope:The Loyola Schools’

Agenda for Hope ConferenceHope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence. – Lin Yutang

Research fornation

What kind of scholarly work would help move the country forward and give our people hope?

With this question in mind, more than forty faculty members of the Loyola Schools, representing various disciplines, brought their research and expertise to bear in addressing the five key areas of engagement where the Ateneo, as an academic institution, can help bring about positive change: sharing prosperity, democratizing governance, promoting sustainable development, preserving and transforming Philippine identity and culture, and inspiring our youth.

Providing a diverse range of perspectives, the authors offer ideas that are realistic, feasible, propose new directions for the future, motivate the audience into engagement and action, and reflect the Ateneo thinking and way of doing things.

Sharing ProsperityEdited by Reuel R. Hermoso, Fernando T. Aldaba, and Mary Racelis

F i l i p i n o s regularly lament the sorry state of their nation, and the 17 authors in this book are no exception. Yet, as their individual reflections take shape, a growing

sense of anticipation envelops the reader in light of their optimistic tone and creative accounts. Representing a wide range of disciplines, the authors are nonetheless single-minded in their passion for a social transformation that produces a caring, equitable, and productive society with the human person located squarely in the middle. Through their teaching, research, and community outreach, the contributors take pride in sharing the Ateneo’s commitment to academic excellence inextricably linked to social justice. —From the Introduction by Mary Racelis

building

Speakers Dr. Fernando Zialcita, Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit, Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, Dr. Mary Racelis, and Dr. Cristina Montiel ponder the question of building up a nation’s reserves of hope

Photo by Rani Jalandoni

by Roy Tristan Agustin

5VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010

school teachers of English face. One can only marvel at their heroism and regard these teachers in admiration and awe. —From the Introduction by Isabel Pefianco Martin

In Their Own Voice: The Art of Being and BecomingEdited by Ma. Emma Concepcion D. Liwag and Rofel G. Brion

In trying to understand our students’ lives, we thought it was important to let their stories be told, to let their voices be heard, to let them speak out

for and about themselves. To know the unique experiences and perspectives of young people -- the complexity, richness, and sometimes, the sheer ordinariness of their experiences -- there could be no better source of information than what they themselves say about their thoughts and feelings, in narratives told in the teller’s own words. These then, are the voices of our young people -- honest and raw; often rather tentative; at times quite sure. They offer us a glimpse of who and how they are, and allow us to discover how they view their lives. Their narratives, too, may suggest what they

Research for

Democratizing GovernanceEdited by Agustin Martin G. Rodriguez and Teresita Asuncion M. Lacandula-Rodriguez

The volume Democratizing G o v e r n a n c e presents an agenda of hope for good governance in our country. The essays in this volume cohere

along one claim--our political hope lies in building a viable state that can govern us well and justly. This means that we should focus on rebuilding our governance systems so that they allow government to be responsive to the demands of the people and allow citizens to fruitfully engage government in the shared task of state and nation building. —From the Introduction by Cristina Montiel and Agustin Martin Rodriguez

Promoting Sustainable Development: Managing Water for aSustainable FutureEdited by Fabian M. Dayrit

Is there hope that human society will be able protect its valuable water resources? In order to answer this question, it is important to identify the needs

of society for water, and how different sectors can contribute to its protection. Water is part of our God-given natural environment that we all need; all people have an unwritten right to water, as well as an unwritten responsibility to protect it. An understanding of this relationship is important to the sustainability of this important resource. While there are alternative energies and alternative foods that we can consider, there are no alternatives to water. Just as water is a central resource, water is also a central challenge. In a very real sense, therefore, our agenda for water is also our Agenda for Hope. —From the Introduction by Fabian M. Dayrit

Preserving and Transforming Philippine Identity and CultureEdited by Paulynn Paredes Sicam and Remmon E. Barbaza

Philosophers tell us that all human beings seek to make sense of their lives and their circumstances. The particular culture we are in offers us a

menu of options with which to make sense of the various and disparate events in our lives. Culture therefore cannot be ignored for being “unimportant,” for, through it, the lives that we lead acquire a shape that gladdens us.

In the heightened competition that characterizes globalization, knowing one’s culture and keeping in touch with its most intimate values and aspirations can give the individual plenty of needed comfort. Without a sense of inner security that our culture, values and aspirations provides, it is easy to succumb in the heat of battle. —From the Introduction by Fernando N. Zialcita

How, How the Carabao: Tales of Teaching English in the PhilippinesEdited by Isabel Pefianco Martin

After teaching English for many years—in my case, for twenty long years—one is tempted to believe that one has seen it all. Not true! These twelve tales of

teaching English in the public schools offer rich experiences and fresh insights that are not apparent to those of us who thrive in the comforts of the private sector. From Laoag City up north, to the Compostela Valley down south, from the nearby mountains of Antipolo City, to the far-flung island province of Marinduque, each tale of teaching is a testament to the daily struggles public

could eventually be, and how their hopes and aspirations would, in time, become real. —From the Introduction by Ma. Emma Concepcion D. Liwag and Rofel G. Brion

Connecting With Today’s Teens: A Parent’s Guide for Motivating, Supporting, and Communicating With ThemBy Karina Galang Fernandez

Adolescents today live in a fast-paced, quickly changing, mind-spinning world. At the core of this new world is complexity, and with it come

confusion and vulnerability. Adolescents then need much hope. Hope is not just about wishing for things; it includes knowing the world where they wish is a safe place. Parents want to help their children navigate through it all. But more than a sense of safety and security, parents want their children to be self-aware, self-assured, and self-propelling. Parents feel a need to support their children in a way that they might survive as well as soar. Parents best help their children by giving them hope. —From the Introduction by Karina Galang Fernandez

I Am Because We Are: Reflections on Love, Relationships, and LifeBy Michael Demetrius H. Asis

This book by Mike Asis on Love, Re la t ionships , and Life is very timely and urgently needed today. The heartless techno-culture all

around us is aggressively de-humanizing our interpersonal relationships and our total dependence on the one and only God of all creation. The ego is being pushed as the god of the self. Mike’s book is a wake-up call indeed. —From the Foreword by Fr. Ruben M. Tanseco, SJ, Center for Family Ministries

This Way. The Ateneo Way.

This isn’t a definitive history of the Ateneo. Not by a long shot.

This is the story of generations. Of men and women for others. This is a story of great men. Of artisans. Captains of the industry. Of molders of men and women. Of nation builders.

All doing it the Ateneo Way.This is a story of the rise and fall and

eventual resurrection of a great school and how disaster and war failed to douse the fires of learning and achievement. This is a story of a great order—God’s soldiers—and their adventures once they crossed oceans and went down from the Hill.

This is a story of building a nation.Of a vastly different time under two

powers. Of blood shed in the cause of liberty and of noble aspirations. Of milestones and landmarks. Of growing up. Of the intricacies of math and science. Of lessons in the classroom and the plays of the Bard that are both timeless and limitless.

This is why when you walk the tree-lined roads in the late afternoons you think of Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” and you’re glad that you took the road to Padre Faura that eventually led to Loyola Heights.

by Rick Olivares

This is a book that should be read with the whole family. With father and son and daughter. Even grandchildren. This is why you feel proud to literally walk in your father’s footsteps through those hallowed corridors.

This is a book where every picture—old but lovingly and patiently restored—could be one of you or me. Where every written word offers golden nuggets of our story, his story, and your story.

This isn’t a definitive history of the Ateneo. Not by a long shot.

This is a book of why you went to the Ateneo. And why your children will too.

150 The Ateneo Way by Fr. Jose S. Arcilla, s.j., co-published by the Ateneo and Mediawise Communications Inc., is a division 2, category 20 winner of the Philippine Quill Awards 2009. The book is available at Fully Booked and other specialty bookstores as well as oudar in Alingal Hall and the Loyola Bookstore in admu.

150 The Ateneo Way

by Fr. Jose S. Arcilla, s.j., co-published

by the Ateneo and Mediawise

Communications Inc., is a division 2, category 20 winner

of the Philippine Quill Awards 2009.

6 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin

February 20, 2010 was a magical night for those who were fortunate enough to attend the gala presentation of Ateneo de Manila’s first grand sarsuwela production. Walang Sugat, a sarsuwela created by the father of the sarsuwela, Severino Reyes, and renowned composer Fulgencio Tolentino was to be a culminating event, capping the three-year celebration of the university’s sesquicentennial celebrations. The production was a work of love from everyone involved and highlights Ateneo’s dedication to theater as part of education. It was a beginning of a run that would finish on February 28, 2010.

Setting the scene

The gala night began with cocktails set in the driveway of the theater. The Henry Lee Irwin theater’s driveway was transformed into a street from the time of the sarsuwela, with classic street lamps and luminarias, little lamps made from paper placed on the ground with a candle placed within it, placed all around. Latin guitar music played in the center of the area, courtesy of a live guitarist. Attendees of the gala night arrived in their best Filipiniana, the men in their barong tagalog, the women in ternos and baro at saya. The food was likewise in tune with the sarsuwela; all the dishes were inspired by either Filipino or Spanish cuisine.

A moving appeal to generosity

The gala performance started promptly at eight o clock, when guests were shown an audio-visual presentation on Ateneo’s current drive to bring more scholars into the university. The videos

were moving testaments not only of the dedication of the school to making their brand of education possible to everyone, but of the marked difference this education can make in people’s lives. Fr. Ben Nebres, s.j., gave opening remarks, highlighting the goal of the gala and the production, which was to raise funds for the university’s 500 @ 150 campaign, a campaign to bring the number of scholars the school currently supports to 500 students, or 20% of the population. He thanked everyone, from the sponsors through to the various artists and teachers who came together to stage this landmark production. In the end, he called this staging of the sarsuwela an act of remembering, where we could see “how much we’ve changed, and how much we’ve stayed the same.”

A community project

The production was a collaborative work, involving the entire performing arts block of the Loyola Schools, calling together the resources not only of Tanghalang Ateneo, but also of the other performing groups such as Entablado and the Blue Repertory. Teachers such as award-winning playwright Glen Mas, as well as Mike Coroza took time out to participate as actors in the play, showcasing their comic timing. National Artist and faculty member Salvador Bernal designed the intricate and whimsical sets, cleverly housing the orchestra while providing a backdrop for the scenes in the play. The sets, based on children’s drawings, provided an additional atmosphere of levity, setting the tone for the play. Ms. Sonia Roco, an accomplished performer herself, was also in the cast, playing the important

role of Aling Juana, Julia’s mother. Dr. Ricky Abad, accomplished director of many Ateneo productions, in many ways not only directed the sarsuwela, but also advocated it, pushing for it to be the production to be staged from the very beginning. The play was ably carried by the young actors portraying the two lead characters in the story, with Julia, the headstrong but obedient young girl played by Laura Cabochan (iv bfa Theater Arts) and Antonio Rey Manuel Ferrer of up, who played Tenyong, her passionate love interest in the story.

Spirited performances

Once the music began under the direction of musical director Chino Toledo, the play itself moved apace, captivating everyone with the power of the language and the songs. The story, one of a love story between Tenyong, who must struggle against the disapproval of Aling Juana, and Julia, is juxtaposed in light of the Philippine revolt against Spanish rule, and becomes an allegory for the love of a citizen for his country. The performances sparkled with energy and enthusiasm and made the three-hour production seem much shorter. The dances, choreographed by Dexter Santos, and songs were passionately performed, the energy crackled even during intermissions, as the strains of the performers practicing their songs would occasionally filter through the closed curtain stage. The song “Bayan Ko” originated from this sarsuwela, and the audience became emotional as the song finally was sung, in rousing chorus, by the performers. Severino Reyes’ patriotic theme rang true once more as the audience, over 100 years later, listened

Sesquicentennial Events

Finishing with a flourishWalang Sugat Gala Night:

to questions and needs still being asked today.

By the end of the play, with its twists and turns finally resolved, the esteemed audience of corporate and political leaders rose, in unison, to give the performers a standing ovation. The work and effort made by everyone had paid off. The play was a definite success.

Showcasing an Ateneantradition of theater

While Walang Sugat was indeed a first for the Ateneo, it was also a showcase of its tradition of theater. Since its inception, Ateneo de Manila had been producing plays and had been using theater as a way of education, of teaching the values that the school advocates. Walang Sugat is also a culmination; theater in Ateneo has grown, able to mount grand productions. It also points to the changes that have happened throughout its 150 year history. The school is now deeply involved with programs aimed at helping build a better nation and its decision to show this deeply patriotic production shows that. The labors of love that Ateneo has embarked on have grown from simply teaching its students, to helping a nation find itself. Ateneo has changed, but its commitment to excellence and community has remained the same.

The sarsuwela was co-presented by Smart Infinity, with sponsors abs-cbn, Businessworld, Eastwood LeGrand, retailer hbc, Jollibee, and Samsung Electronics. The Gala night was sponsored by Blue Runner Creatives, Josiah’s Catering, 4th Wall Production Design Station, Mon Vitan Ilaw at Tunog, Inc., Coca Cola, Figaro Coffee Company, and Freixenet.

by Roy Tristan Agustin

While Walang Sugat was indeed a first for the Ateneo, it was also a showcase of its tradition of theater. Since its inception, Ateneo de Manila had been producing plays and had been using theater as a way of education, of teaching the values that the school advocates.

Photos by Philip Sison

7VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010

Finishing with a flourish

NotableAchievementsASPAC honors Outstanding Teachers

Vistro-Yu, Respeto, and Server are SY 2009-2010 awardees

Each year, three Loyola Schools faculty members are honored by the Ateneo Schools Parents Council (aspac) as the group’s Outstanding Teachers. For schoolyear 2009-2010, the awardees are Catherine P. Vistro-Yu (Mathematics Department, Outstanding Senior Teacher), Jerry C. Respeto (Kagawaran ng Filipino, Outstanding Junior Teacher), and Joseph B. Server, Jr. (Leadership and Strategy Department, Outstanding Part-time Teacher). They were recognized at the aspac’s 19th Gabi ng Parangal at Pasasalamat held on February 19, 2010, at the pldt-ctc Room 201.

In her opening remarks, Vice President for the Loyola Schools Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng characterized the Outstanding Teacher awards as a reflection of parents’ commitment to giving their children the best education. She remarked on how meaningful the awards are to the faculty members who receive them, since it is a so-called stamp of approval from the parents themselves.

Immediate past president Mrs. Marieta Zee Se Ki was recognized for her contributions to the ASPAC. 2009-2010 President Mrs. Daisy E. Mendoza paid tribute to Zee’s “gentle leadership” and cited her tireless efforts towards raising funds for the group’s beneficiaries, which include the Ateneo’s 500@150 sesquicentennial scholarship drive and the Magis presentation of the School of Humanities. Outgoing vpls Cuyegkeng was given a tribute as well, and received the group’s thanks for being a champion in promoting aspac’s mission and being the group’s link to school concerns.

Joseph B. Server, Jr.:Outstanding Part-time Teacher

First to be recognized was Outstanding Part-time Teacher Joseph B. Server, Jr. of the Leadership and Strategy Department of the John Gokongwei School of Management. Server, known to his colleagues as “Shorty,” has taught at the Ateneo for 29 years, starting in the

early 1970’s, with stints at the Graduate School of Business and the Management Department as well.

In his response, which Server peppered with his trademark deadpan remarks, he shared that he was touched at hearing that his 70 years described as a life of service and leadership. He gave thanks to his parents and teachers (among them Fr. Rudy Fernandez, s.j., who was present during the ceremony), often by way of witty anecdotes. His greatest thanks went to his students, whom he said “make life exciting because of what I learn from them.”

Jerry C. Respeto:Outstanding Junior Teacher

Dr. Jerry C. Respeto of the Kagawaran ng Filipino of the School of Humanities, was next to receive his recognition as Outstanding Junior Teacher. Respeto gave an insightful response in Filipino, thanking mentors and colleagues and reflecting on the different qualities of effective teaching, or mabisang pagtuturo, learned from each of them.

Effective teaching, according to Respeto, has as its objective the sharing of knowledge which is gained from one’s own efforts and research, and which is within the context of the wider world.

It comes from a definite orientation which is manifested in the practice of teaching. It challenges students to pay attention to basic principles because these are what compel them to think and ask questions. It is rich in examples that are close to students’ experience and give clarity to the meaning of the topic at hand. It is an open exchange of ideas and the correction of erroneous ideas and flawed thinking. It is learning from each other and taking part in the growth of knowledge.

Respeto claimed his award in behalf of the entire Kagawaran ng Filipino—“sa ating lahat ang Orlinang ito.” (The Outstanding Teacher Awards are specially crafted by renowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina.)

Catherine P. Vistro-Yu:Outstanding Senior Teacher

Outstanding Senior Teacher Dr. Catherine P. Vistro-Yu of the Mathematics Department of the School of Science and Engineering was introduced by Mathematics Department Chair Dr. Evangeline Bautista with a department-crafted presentation entitled “A Tribute to an Inspiration” with messages from her colleagues and family.

In her response, Vistro-Yu reflected

by Joanna RuizPhotos by Kevin C. Tatco

on what teaching is about. To her, “It is largely about being present to your students in their journey through college.” And it is a presence that is not just psychological or emotional in nature, but physical as well. To Vistro-Yu, a teacher’s availability to his or her students not only during classes but outside of them too, be it for extra sessions or for heart-to-heart talks, is paramount.

The newly awarded Outstanding Teachers then proceeded to attach their photos to the aspac Tree of Excellence, which Respeto had earlier referred to in his response. “Malalagay kaya ang picture ko sa punong iyon? Parang ang hirap yata mapabilang sa mga naroroon.”

University President Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres delivered a message on nurturing a tradition of good teaching in the Ateneo. He reflected on good teaching as a craft that is passed from one teacher to another, from one generation of teachers to the next. He thanked the aspac for helping highlight and nurture this tradition in the University.

Jerry Respeto hanging his picture on the Tree of Excellence: Respeto gets a long-held wish

From top to bottom:Server, Respeto, Vistro-Yu

Group picture: ASPAC Academics Committee Chair Ma. Christina B. Caoile; ASPAC Board Secretary Gina Gil; Ateneo President Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ; Outstanding Teachers Jerry C. Respeto, Catherine P. Vistro-Yu, Joseph B. Server, Jr.; VPLS Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng; ASPAC President Daisy E. Mendoza; ASPAC immediate past president Maiette Zee Se Ki

Photos by Kevin C. Tatco

8 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin8 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin8

NotableAchievements

From her own narrative, Dr. Reyes shared that she did research on various aspects of Philippine literature and popular literature asserting that: ”then and now (it is) a much neglected area of studies.” Other things she pursued were to publish books and articles, edited collections, and initiated conferences on Jose Rizal, popular culture and women writers. Having a sense of the interconnectedness of things, Dr. Reyes in her response recounted the influences inside the Ateneo in the late 1960s which shaped her life as a young graduate student and a budding faculty member of the school. She recalled that in the late 1960s, the Ateneo was having its own cultural renaissance and mentioned the theatrical productions of Rolando Tinio, the directing of the plays of Ionesco and Becket by Bienvenido Lumbera, and the showings of French new wave and Japanese films, among other things. The Filipinization movement, the declaration Martial Law in 1972 and the political turbulence of the times, she said contributed to the choices she made on topics for her thesis and research work. In those times in the 1970s and 1980s of “artificial calm”….(where) one could not criticize the existing order but one could immerse oneself in the past and precisely salvage what could be salvaged from the retrievable past,” she noted that young scholars and aspiring critics such as herself focused their attention on vernacular literature. She saw the Ateneo in those times, both faculty students, “marching in the streets, joining the rallies that culminated in the explosion of yellow and the victory of Cory Aquino….the University has become a witness , and on occasion, actually participated in social movements from the 1990s until the present.” She opines, however, that “the fervor of the [days of disquiet and the nights of rage], quoting activist Pete Lacaba, is no longer there”.

In her response, Dr. Reyes expressed her gratitude for the opportunity that the Ateneo had given her to insert herself into its systems as a graduate student and young faculty, and then allowed her the needed space to grow and develop as a teacher and scholar. She acknowledged that what she achieved had been shaped greatly by what she learned from her mentors with the support of the University administrators. She thanked her colleagues and said: “ I find myself truly blessed that I have been part of a living tradition of this great university as it sought to flesh out its vision to make its students truly aware of what it means to be men and women for others, and to realize, to use a slightly dated term, that kapwa ko, mahal ko.”

continued from page 3

Marasigan, Reyes, Ruiz named

Professors Emeritus

The results of the 2009 the-qs World University Rankings (www.topuniversities.com) show Ateneo de Manila University with Rank 234, up 20 notches from last year, and sharing the rank with Brandeis University (usa) and School of Oriental and African Studies (uk). up with Rank 262 is up 14 notches, sharing the rank with George Washington University (usa). dlsu is in the 401-500 group and ust in the 500+ group.

Both admu and up showed good performance in Subject Rankings, landing in the top 100 for Arts and Humanities, in the top 200 for Life and Biomedical Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences, and in the top 300 for Engineering and Technology.

World subject rankings of Philippine universities, 2009

Arts & Hum Life Sci Nat Sci Soc Sci Tech

admu 88, down from 79 186, up from >300 114, up from 121 138, up from 163 243, up from >300

uP 93, down from 82 171, up from 266 176, down from 153

123, up from 143 281, up from >300

uSt >300, down from 188

>300 >300 292, up from >300 >300

dLSu >300, down from 260

>300 >300 >300 >300

The quality of the rankings depends on the soundness of the methodology, data acquisition process, and survey instrument. The qs methodology has often been criticized because of the volatile nature of rankings below the top 100-200. This is, perhaps, quite normal when ranking more than 600 universities worldwide.

There are five indicators with different weights: Peer Review (40%), Citations per Faculty (20%), Faculty-Student Ratio (20%), Employer Review (10%), and International Faculty (5%), and International Students (5%).

Asian University RankingsHaving said these for the World

University Rankings, one has to note that the Asian University Rankings, undertaken by the same research group, yields a different ranking for Philippine universities. In this ranking system introduced only this year, up is the top Philippine university with rank 63 in Asia, followed by dlsu with rank 76, admu with rank 84, and ust with rank 144.

In the subject rankings, admu and up were consistently the top two universities in the Asian rankings. Once again, admu topped the internationalization criteria (10%) and had very close scores with dlsu for Papers per Faculty and International Students; and up for Employer Review. However, admu did not do as well for Citations per Paper and Student to Faculty Ratio.

The Asian University Rankings have modified indicators and weights: Peer Review (30%), Papers per Faculty (15%), Citations per Faculty (15%), Faculty-Student Ratio (20%), Employer Review (10%), and International Faculty

(2.5%), International Students (2.5%), Inbound Exchange Students (2.5%), and Outbound Exchange Students (2.5%).

Viewing the Rankings

Rankings are designed to have a special purpose or market. As Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j., commented in a discussion, rankings like this address the need of certain higher education institutions to get their share of international students (both for reputation and funding) as well as the need of families to find a suitable school international standing, e.g., for families who can afford to send their children abroad.

The criteria, thus, include Internationalization efforts, which get 10% in both World and Asian rankings. There is also emphasis on the Employer Survey, which constitutes 10% of the criteria. However, Teaching Quality, which should be a major concern, is measured only through Faculty-Student Ratio (20%), but it is clear that this is a poor measure of teaching quality.

While we have often reiterated any form of ranking will not give a complete picture of how good a university is, we also know that these rankings give us an idea of how we are perceived by others. Thus, whatever our standing is, it is the breakdown of scores that we want to understand, because it is more instructive and gives better insight into the particular strengths and weaknesses of the institution.

We also recognize that rankings are temporary and are more subject to fluctuations as they move away from the top range because of the error range and deviations, as well as the addition of more

universities from more countries. Thus, these rankings should be prudently used.

International rankings vis-à-vis the University’s mission and vision

Finally, as we keep reiterating in our yearly analysis, we maintain that rankings like these don’t reflect our vision/mission. We will not allow these to distract us from pursuing our goals. We will continue to work harder at being better known in the region to highlight the leadership and excellence of our faculty and students, and the institution’s contribution to national development. We will continue to do what Ateneo does best: the total formation of students and the preparation of students for leadership. This formation for leadership is what makes Ateneo the highly regarded university that it has been for almost 150 years.

As Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j. pointed out in 2006: “Rankings in the Times survey are important because they measure how the world perceives us. But just as a person has to take what people think of them in the context of their own values and priorities, we, too, have to reflect on these perceptions and measures within our own view of our vision and mission… We need to do this in a way that does not move us away from our vision/mission and our traditional strengths: leadership formation and contribution to national development. These have to continue to be our priorities as a Jesuit university committed to the service of faith and the promotion of justice and as a university in a Philippines, whose greatest challenge is overcoming poverty and national development.

2009 THE-QSThe performance of Philippine universities

World University Rankings:by Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng

updateThe Ateneo de Manila University is among four Philippine universities included in the

Top 200 Asian universities list of consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. (qs) for 2010. The Ateneo placed 58th, tying with National Central University (Taiwan) and improving on its 84th place placing in 2009. The other Philippine universities are the University of the Philippines, the University of Sto. Tomas, and De La Salle University. The top ten slots were taken by universities in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.

9VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010 9

Ateneo de Manila University formally inaugured its new library on December 8, 2009, in rites led by University President Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j. The date was noteworthy for several reasons: firstly, it was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a feast dear to the University, which is devoted to the Virgin Mary. Secondly, the opening occurred within the celebration of the University’s sesquicentennial, an event that happens, as Nebres so neatly put it, “Not just once in a lifetime, but (the sesquicentennial happens) once in many lifetimes.”

The crowd that gathered at the new lobby of the building was composed mostly of alumni, many of whom had contributed to the construction of the five floor facility. Among those present included Ateneo Board of Trustees Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan and Benny Santoso of the Salim group, both of whom were instrumental in bringing the building to life. Other personalities in the crowd included Fr. Robert Suchan, s.j., the first director and chief librarian

of the Rizal Library, and Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga.

The library’s rites began with a welcome from Vice President for the Loyola Schools Dr. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng, who was the first among many speakers to praise the library and emphasize the importance of libraries in general as well as thank everyone involved in completing the project. The blessing followed, done by the Jesuits of Ateneo de Manila, who fanned out to the various sections of the new building, sprinkling each area with holy water. The blessing rite was concluded in the open-air fifth floor by Nebres, who also expressed his thanks to everyone who contributed to the project, and expressed his joy at actually seeing the library opened time for the sesquicentennial. He talked about the decision making process for the construction of the facility, citing that, among the many possible configurations, the school finally decided to create a structure that would serve as a facility not only for the present, but also for the future.

Rizal Library Director Lourdes David spoke about the development of the library, from its beginning to her own stories about how it had kept up with rapidly changing times. The rapid growth in influence of the Internet, as well as the increase in the Ateneo’s student population made it clear that

a new building was necessary for the university to be able to provide the research and learning facilities required by students and faculty members. From hastily strung wires across the original Rizal Library’s walls to a “smart” building, designed to meet the needs of the community for “at least another 50 years,” according to David, the new building is more than ready to serve the University for generations to come.

The Blue Symphony, an orchestra composed entirely of students, served as a brief intermission to the program, serenading the attendees with Christmas songs, which complemented the steadily cooling air in the makeshift auditorium.

Nebres, along with Cuyegkeng and David then awarded tokens of appreciation to Pangilinan and Santoso, who were both cited for their contributions to the construction of the new library. Santoso gave brief, but

direct remarks about the wonders of the library and the school. Pangilinan capped the evening with stories about his formative years in the Ateneo. He talked about how, in his time, the library was still in the second floor of Xavier Hall, and how various teachers helped shape him into the person that he is today. He also extolled the virtues of a library, that even in a time when the Internet and computers have become so indispensable, a library offers more than just books and information; it offers a place for interaction and discussion, something which the new library was precisely designed for.

The program finished with the sun completely set, and with cocktails served to the attendees. The new Rizal Library is now officially part of the Loyola Schools campus. The timing could not have been better.

Fr. Nebres, Mr. Pangilinan, Mr. Santoso, Dr. Cuyegkeng during the ribbon cutting ceremony

The Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Management and Computer Science of the Ateneo de Manila University were granted re-accreditation by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (paascu) for a period of five to seven years, valid until December 2016. Meanwhile, paascu gave the Graduate Program in Arts and Sciences initial accreditation for a period of three years, valid until December 2012.

The decision was conveyed by the paascu Board of Directors to university President Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j., in a letter dated December 4, 2009, according to a memorandum to the community from Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng, Vice President for the Loyola Schools.

Autonomous status

Meanwhile, in a ceremony with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in

LoyoLa SchooLS programs obtain PaaScu accreditation; Ateneo conferred autonomous status anew www.ateneo.edu

Malacañang on December 10, 2009, the Commission on Higher Education (ched) conferred “Autonomous Status” to the Ateneo de Manila University, effective November 15, 2007 to November 14, 2012. Ateneo was also granted autonomous status in the previous period, 2001-2006.

The award of distinction was given to the university for “continuing exemplary performance in the trilogy of functions of a higher education institution namely: instruction, research and public service, and in recognition of the outstanding performance of its graduates, which manifest its genuine commitment to quality, excellence and global competitiveness.” Ateneo is one of 44 higher education institutions (heis) that has been awarded autonomous status by ched.

In a newspaper report, ched chair Dr. Emmanuel Angeles was quoted as saying that institutions awarded with an

autonomous status will enjoy benefits such as exemption from issuance of Special Order (s.o.), priority in the granting of subsidies and other financial incentives/assistance from the ched whenever funds are available. They will also be free from regular monitoring and evaluation by ched except where there are complaints filed and there are reported violations of existing laws, rules and regulations and there are controversial issues/problems raised about the operation.

Sesquicentennial blessingsIn her memo, Cuyegkeng thanked

“all who, in one way or another, contributed to these achievements” and “additional blessings for [the university’s] sesquicentennial.” Also gratefully acknowledged were the administrative offices of the Loyola Schools, especially the Offices of the Deans, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, the Associate Dean for Research and Creative Work, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Registrar, Management Information Systems, Administrative Services, Admission and Aid, and the vp for the Loyola Schools; the Rizal Library and ls Bookstore; the Central Administration Offices, especially their respective Heads; Maintenance personnel, technical staff, and ushers from the non-teaching staff.

Finally, the vpls thanked Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j., “for his leadership and support; and the community for making the Loyola Schools a true center of excellence of higher learning and for endeavoring to transform society through its various activities.”

The Timing’s the Thing

ateNeo welcomes the new

Rizal Libraryby Roy Tristan Agustin

The bot, however, did acknowledge plagiarism to be a “very serious matter,” especially for an academic institution such as the Ateneo. Response from the community

Statements from different groups

followed the announcement of the bot decision. The statement by Batch 2010, to whom Pangilinan had delivered the speeches in question, supported the bot ’s decision. However, a group of more than 90 faculty, administrators, professionals and staff from the Loyola

Schools and the School of Medicine and Public Health posted a statement which “strongly” disagreed with the bot ’s decision not to accept Pangilinan’s resignation. Likewise, the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng mga Paaralang Loyola posted a statement which encouraged Pangilinan to “continue his retirement” from the bot. The Ateneo Alumni Association also issued a “statement of support” that called on the community to “discern with quiet introspection” and act “as true followers of Christ.”

For the groups which dissented with the bot decision, the values at stake were intellectual integrity and accountability. Common to all statements, however, was an admiration for Pangilinan’s decision

to take command responsibility for the commencement addresses. The ls-asmph group called it “an honorable act.”

Irrevocable resignation

On April 16, in a letter addressed to

Nebres, Pangilinan made his resignation, or “retirement” as he termed it, from the bot irrevocable. He thanked Nebres and the bot for “the kind words of support.” “Circumstances have continued to the point where [this issue] is creating division within the university. I have no desire to see this happen, or be an accessory to it. In that light and all things considered, it is best that I stand firm in my decision to retire…Please take this

letter as confirmation of my resignation from the Board of Trustees of Ateneo with immediate effect. Further, for the sake of completeness and of good order, I am relinquishing the honorary degree which the University has bestowed on me last 26th March,” he continued.

Pangilinan ended his letter with the hope that “the subject controversy develops closure soon.”

In a statement following Pangilinan’s resignation, Nebres reiterated the wish that all members of the community “dialogue and work together in a spirit of openness to bring about closure, healing and greater caring so we can continue to effectively carry on our mission for the Ateneo and for our country.”

Pangilinan Resignscontinued from page 1

10 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin10 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin10

September 26, 2009 began with pouring rain, as was normal for the typhoon season. It was the usual Saturday on campus, with classes being held, offices open, and various events taking place, including the Grade School fair. By mid-day, however, it became obvious that the rains had brought with them much more than the usual inconveniences. With the rain falling nonstop and floodwaters rising in many places in Metro Manila (and within the campus as well), many students, faculty, and staff members were left stranded on campus.

Office for Social Concern and Involvement (osci) director An Manapat recalls how she was at home that day, receiving calls from osci professionals, student leaders, and other Ateneo officials on the situation in the campus and its immediate vicinity. Contacts from partner communities were also in touch with updates on the damage to their areas and calls for assistance. Information was quick to spread via mobile phone and social networking sites. By the latter part of the day, many parts of the Ateneo had become impromptu evacuation centers for students, faculty, staff members, as well as outsiders who had been brought to safety from the flooded Katipunan Avenue area.

Relief operations

Makeshift relief operations began the following morning, with the first student volunteers distributing lugaw and champorado to evacuees at nearby Our Lady of Pentecost parish. The Barangka area in Marikina was next to

be visited. A group led by University President Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j. also visited Ateneoville in Nangka, San Mateo, a housing area for Ateneo staff and faculty. Meanwhile, donations had begun pouring in, with the Colayco Pavilion as the initial drop off point for cash pledges, groceries, and cooked food.

The College Covered Courts later became the venue for the collection, packing, and deployment of relief goods and clean-up volunteers. By this time, Task Force Ondoy had also become more organized, with operations handled by osci, the Office of Student Activities, and Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan; volunteer sign-up and deployment handled by the students led by the Sanggunian; finance handled by Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan; and communication handled by the School of Government.

Relief goods

A total of 195,000 bags of relief goods were packed and distributed by the task force’s volunteers, who came from all sectors of the Ateneo and its extended community—students, faculty and staff members, parents, alumni, residents of nearby Loyola Heights, and students of nearby schools.

Throughout the relief operations stage, donations steadily poured in, aided by real time updates broadcast via social networking sites and sms. Volunteers also helped by offering their vehicles, from family vans to delivery trucks, for the deployment of goods and volunteers to the different beneficiary areas of Barangka, Nangka, Provident Village, Plaridel in Bulacan, and other

After the DelugeThe worst of floods brings out the best in the Atenean

Photo by Cricket Soong

Photo by Erick Lirios

Photo c/o COA

11VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010 11

Ateneo partner areas. Areas in which Ateneo personnel lived were given top priority, followed by Ateneo partner communities.

Rehabilitation activities

Rehabilitation efforts followed the relief operations stage of Task Force Ondoy. These efforts were focused more on helping Ateneo employees deal with the devastation, whether physical or psychological, brought by the floods.

Clean-up crews were deployed, with over 500 student and employee volunteers joining in. Areas serviced were Ateneoville, Provident Village and gk Camacho in Marikina, Bagong Silangan in Quezon City, Brookside in Cainta, and Dela Costa 5 in Montalban (another area where many Ateneo employees make their homes). The Psychology Department offered to provide debriefing and counseling services for affected members of the Ateneo community. An internal service assistance program was also put in place, offering food provision, temporary lodging, laundry, day care, and plumbing, carpentry, and electrical services. The students’ Blue Bayanihan project raised more than P100,000 which was earmarked for scholars affected by Ondoy.

The Ateneo way While the relief and rehabilitation

efforts certainly made an impact on their beneficiaries and left its mark on the volunteers, what was most impressive was the Ateneo community’s drive to offer their assistance when and where it was needed.

As Manapat surmises, the desire to help has always been present. “People are just looking for a tipping point.” And what a tipping point it was. Typhoon Ondoy and its aftermath galvanized the Ateneo community into a well-oiled community-for-others as whole families appeared at the Covered Courts, eager to assist in packing and distributing goods, and participate in clean-ups. Students whose classes had been disrupted filled the area and often had to be reminded to take a rest or have a snack. Alumni took leaves from their offices to help out. Faculty and office staff pitched in as well. Worth noting was the fact that many volunteers were themselves victims of the floods.

On the base of a basketball goal post in the Covered Courts was scrawled this message: “Ondoy was here. And so were hundreds of people who unselfishly gave their time and effort helping the thousands misplaced. Our nation is

doing fine.” And so is the Ateneo. Typhoon Ondoy happened during the school’s 150th anniversary year, and though it was completely unexpected and unplanned for, never were the sesquicentennial values of celebrating excellence, deepening spirituality, and building the nation more evident than during the weeks that Task Force Ondoy was in operation.

For the Atenean, the Ateneo way is not a path to follow, nor a mantra to repeat—it is an internal compass that points us toward the good of others and the best in ourselves.

New Books

continued from page 17

Looking Out for HeroesBy Glenda Oris, with illustrations by Andrea Pua

Looking Out for Heroes is part of a series of children’s books that feature children’s encounters with Philippine works of art. This particular book is about a little boy’s adventure that involves Jose Mendoza’s bronze hero monuments in Makati—Gen. Pio del Pilar, Sultan Kudarat, and Gabriela Silang. The two other books are “Tito Arturo Makes Robot Monsters” written and illustrated by Yasmin Ortiga (on Arturo Luz’s sculptures) and “Laughter on the Wall” written by Germaine Yia and illustrated by Katerina Angara (on Anita Magsaysay-Ho’s paintings). The authors are members of Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting (Kuting), the Philippines’

premier organization of Filipino professional writers for children.

Kuting president Oris says, “The stories in this series try to capture children’s encounters with works of art: the wonder of seeing something odd yet beautiful, the comfort of knowing something different yet familiar, and the excitement brought about by figures that are both inviting and mysterious. Philippine art that is alive and vibrant pulsates in words and images in the pages of these books made especially for children.”

Transnationalizing Culture of Japan in Asia: Dramas, Musics, Arts and AgenciesEdited by Tito Genova Valiente and Hiroko Nagai

Globalization may have been the pervasive element in the order of world things but with it comes this phenomenon called the “deterritorialization of culture,” or, in some writings, the “transnationalization of culture.” Under globalization, this phenomenom is seen as picking up strength, and in its wake and wave, aspects of Japanese popular culture—comics, popular music and horror films composing just a short list—have been emerging in other Asian countries. These forms have had significant impact on youth culture of the region. Deterritorialized and transnationalized, elements of cultures regain boundaries and markers and lose them as easily. In the “lostness,” tv drama series and music from Taiwan,

Hong Kong and South Korea, on top of those from Japan, assume celebrity and popularity. In the academe, the process of the transnational seduces the gaze and attention of researchers. Cultures are not only pluralized but also popularized to form a new field in the Asian studies, new ways of looking, valuing, and measuring heritages and identities. This volume is an attempt to tackle the topic of transnationalization of culture of Japan in Asia in the domain of drama, music, and arts. Along the way, the contributors generate questions as they develop the themes of the hybrid and the reactionary, the localizing and accommodating in the films and arts, even a nostalgia for a place that imagined by strangers and outsiders, becomes a l a n d s c a p e and at once a p e r f o r m a n c e stage.

Photo by Cricket Soong

Photo by Erick Lirios

Photo by Erick Lirios

Photo by Erick Lirios

12 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin

The Ateneo de Manila University has always promoted a culture of excellence. Its drive to have its students be the best that they can be has always been one of the paramount values of the University. The Loyola Schools Awards for Leadership and Service, held on March 8, 2010, once again showcased this value and linked it with a more contemporary concern of the University, that of contributing to the task of nation building. The awards evening proved to be a series of inspiring moments, punctuated by the keynote speech delivered by cnn Hero of 2009 Efren Peñaflorida.

The awards were held on the roofdeck of Leong Hall, where the setting sun provided a dramatic backdrop to the ceremonies. Then vpls Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng welcomed everyone and remarked that, while Ateneo is committed to the task of producing leaders, it is also very aware of the dangers of misinterpreting the meaning of leadership. Leadership is not power, she said, but service. The awards handed out that evening were all in recognition of leadership in service of a community, something that Ateneo has been very conscious about in its programs.

The Loyola Schools Awards for Leadership and Service recognizes groups and individuals who embody the ideals of service to the community and excellence in their own fields. Also

The LS Awards for Leadership & ServiceExcellence for others:

by Roy Tristan Agustin

conferred that evening were the Ateneo Socio-Civic Engagement for National Development (ascend) awards, the Council of Organizations in Ateneo (coa) awards, the Guidon-Moro Lorenzo Sport Awards, and the Ambrosio Padilla Awards for sportsmen.

The ascend awards are given to outstanding papers and projects that significantly merge the need for excellence with personal competencies and skills committed to the service of the larger communities. The coa awards recognize projects, executive boards, and individuals that embody the Ignatian ideals of excellence, service, and collaboration with other organizations. The Guidon-Moro Lorenzo Awards for Sports recognizes Atenean men and women who have shown passion, dedication, and excellence in their sport. The Ambrosio Padilla Award for sportsmen recognizes Ateneans who exemplify the ideal of mens sana in corpora sano—a sound mind in a sound body.

Aside from the awards, the evening also featured violin virtuoso and music instructor Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, who performed a rendition of “Sana Wala Nang Wakas.”

The highlight of the evening, however, was Peñaflorida’s keynote speech. In his typical soft spoken manner, the cnn Hero shared with everyone the journey

he and his organization, Dynamic Teen Company, took—from being ridiculed by the very people he was trying to help to being recognized globally for their efforts. The achievements of the young Atenean awardees dovetailed nicely with his message that “anyone can help,” concerns of gender, finances, and capability aside.

The evening finished with the Blue Babble Battalion leading everyone in a rendition of the alma mater song. The messages, music, and the exuberance of the awardees proved to be inspirational to everyone fortunate enough to be part of it.

The nominees and winners for each category:

ASCEND Awards ASCEND AWARD for SOSE Physico-Chemical and Microbiological Study of Virgin Coconut Oil Ian Ken D. Dimzon (MS CH), Jaclyn Elizabeth R. Santos (MS CH) ASCEND AWARD for SOSS Pag-Abyad sa Altaran: Maintaining the Rice Terraces in Tayabas, Quezon Province,Southern Tagalog Region, PhilippinesKathleen Felise Constance D. Tantuico (4 AB SOS) Special Citation for the School of Science & Engineering (SOSE) Smart Solar Power Systems for Off-Grid CommunitiesFrancis Gerald D. Bautista (5 BS COE), Helen Dominic L. Cabrera (5 BS COE), Claire Kathleen K. Yu (5 BS COE), Salvador P. Granda, Jr. (MS ECE) Special Citation for the School of Social Sciences (SOSS) A Discursive Analysis of Land Conflicts Between Muslims and Christian Settlers in Central MindanaoBrenda S. Batistiana (PHD PSY-SOP)

Sa Isip, sa Puso at the Gawa: The Impact of the Biak-na-Bato National Park Conservation project on the Environmental Attitudes as Perceived by the Local HostsJohn Jerome O. Cortez (4 BS Psy), Desiree May L. Llanos Dee (4 BS Psy),Maria Francesca V. Torrente (4 BS Psy)

NotableAchievements

Keynote speaker CNN Hero of 2009 Efren Peñaflorida.Inset from top to bottom: Most Outstanding Individual - Gregorio Ramon A. Tingson; COA Leader of the Year - Michelle Aquino Roque (AtSCA President);Guidon-Moro Lorenzo Sportsman of the Year Award - Severino A. Baclao, Jr. (Men’s Basketball) & Salvador S. Reyes, Jr. (Judo)

13VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010

COA Awards COA Project of the Year: Ban Aerial Spraying Campaign (AtSCA) Finalists: No Speed Limit (SPEED), OPLAN Malanday (Youth For Christ),Ban Aerial Spraying Campaign Project (AtSCA), Under the Stars (Loyola Film Circle), I Am Hope Campaign (KYTHE) COA Executive board of the Year: ENTABLADOFinalists: Ateneo Youth for Christ, ENTABLADO, Computer Society of the Ateneo, Ateneo Kythe, Ateneo Student Catholic Action

COA Leader of the Year: Michelle Aquino Roque (AtSCA President)Finalists: Michelle A. Roque (AtSCA), Melody Kay O. Carolino (CompSAt), Marco Alfonso C. Ordonez (Youth for Christ), Kris Gem Danica P. Pasia (Entablado) COA Organization of the Year: ENTABLADOFinalists: Ateneo Debate Society, Ateneo Special Education Society (SPEED),Enterteynment Para sa Tao, Bayan, Lansangan at Diyos (ENTABLADO), Ateneo Student Catholic Action (AtSCA), Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADS) SPORTS Awards

Ambrosio Padilla Athletic Award: Itunu Olusegun Kuku(Men’s Track and Field Team)Finalists: Kaye Locaylocay (Ateneo Rifle and Pistol Shooting Team), Itunu Olusegun Kuku (Men’s Track and Field Team), Antonio Salud (Men’s Rowing Team)

Guidon-Moro Lorenzo Sportsman of the Year Award: Severino A. Baclao, Jr. (Men’s Basketball) & Salvador S. Reyes, Jr. (Judo)Finalists: Ayon Stephen C. Sanchez (Golf ), Salvador S. Reyes, Jr. (Judo), Michael Vaughn F. Mendoza (Track & Field), Siverino A. Baclao Jr. (Men’s Basketball) Guidon-Moro Lorenzo Sports Woman of the Year: Myra Margarita N. Mendoza (Track & Field)Finalists: Myra Margarita N. Mendoza (Track & Field), Louise D. Sarmiento (Swimming) Loyola Schools Awards for Leadership and Service Most Outstanding Project Award: I Am Hope Campaign / KYTHE AteneoSpecial Citation: Ateneo Task Force OndoyFinalists: National Center for Mental Health Visits (Ateneo PSYCHE), Apostolate Area (MUSMOS), I Am Hope Campaign (KHYTHE Ateneo), Ateneo Task Force Ondoy Most Outstanding Group Award: Ateneo Task Force 2010Special Citation: Ateneo Corps of Cadet Officers, Ateneo Management Economics OrganizationFinalists: Ateneo Management Economics Organization, Ateneo Task Force 2010, Ateneo Corps of Cadet Officers Most Outstanding Individual: Gregorio Ramon A. TingsonFinalists: Anton Lorenzo V. Avanceña, Greogorio Ramon Tingson

Chemistry students reaped most of the top awards at the School of Social Science and Engineering Awards for Outstanding Student Research held on March 5, 2010 at Escaler Hall.

For the undergraduate level, Keith Michael A. Villanueva and Leo Albert G. Sala (both BS Chemistry) won the research award for the basic science and mathematics category with their work entitled “Fabrication of Amphiphilic Glycerol-Crosslinked Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Microparticles: Vehicles for Controlled Drug Delivery.” Patricia Teresa F. Agbayani (BS Chemistry) won for the applied science and technology category with her work “Novel Chitosan Subparticles for the Sequestration of Propafenone.” Dr. Soma Chakraborty was the adviser for both winner papers.

For the graduate level, Michael Joseph N. Tan (MS DISCS) received the award for best research in the basic science and mathematics category with his work “Polynomial Solutions to One-Poset Cover,” while Eric C. Abenojar (BS Chemistry) won in the applied science and technology category with “Surface Energy of Thin Film Magnetic Recording Heads (slider) during Fixed-Abrasive Lapping.” Tan was advised by Dr. Proceso L. Fernandez, Jr., and Abenojar was mentored by Dr. Erwin P. Enriquez.

Awards were also given to the runner-up in each of the four categories—Hermund M. Rosales (BS Chemistry), Thea Alikpala and Riza Milante (both BS Biology), Eden Delight B. Provido (BS Mathematics) and Glenn S. Banaguas (BS Environmental Science). Emerson G. Escolar (BS/M Applied Math, major in Mathematical Finance)

and Mabeth M. Anoñuevo (BS MIS) also received the Security Bank Excellence Awards, presented by Melissa R. Aquino of Security Bank Corporation.

The winners presented their research findings during the awarding ceremony which was attended by sose faculty, administrators, students, and guests from various industries.

Selection process

The Awards for Outstanding Student Research seeks to recognize the research work of science and engineering

SOSE awards majors for outstanding science research

Text and photos by Karen Liao

Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit, Eric C. Abenojar and Dr. Erwin P. Enriquez

students, either in an undergraduate or graduate thesis or a research project. A board of judges, which includes a representative from each department under sose, selects four semi-finalists for each of the four categories: basic science and mathematics (undergraduate and graduate level) and applied science and technology (undergraduate and graduate level). The judges evaluate the research projects and theses based on the quality of the written work, the poster presentations, and oral presentations. From each category, judges name a winner and a runner-up.

Celebrating student research

“Today, we celebrate the research our students have done…For me, having seen the posters and presentations, they’ve done very good and excellent work,” said sose Dean Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit in his welcome remarks. He added that the students who did not make it to the semi-finals or did not win awards should not be disappointed because they have done well in their projects and theses.

Dayrit also said these projects, as well as the student poster presentations at the Interlinks 6.0 exhibit show the range of the work of sose. At Interlinks 6.0, which was held on the same day, students displayed their research work through posters and discussed their work with visitors, which included faculty members, students and guests from different industries.

“This addresses the multifunctionality that the university has become. We’re working in basic research to advance knowledge, but also to generate research which is of use to the industry, and to the public, all the way down to the [less

Michael Joseph N. Tan and Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit

fortunate] sectors of society,” he said.University President Fr. Bienvenido

F. Nebres, s.j congratulated the students and thanked the sose departments for encouraging and pushing for student research. “Over these ten years, we have generally seen the quality go up…we have seen much better papers, much better research. It’s not actually that our research is better now, but you work in an environment that has developed over the years. You’re standing on the shoulders of those who have gone ahead of you and

therefore, you can go so much further, and you can achieve so much more,” he said to the students.

Nebres also recognized the work of the sose faculty members, who guide and train the students in their research work. “What we want to honor is the fact that your teachers, those who have gone ahead of you, have done this work. It is precisely pushing and continuing this work that we build something better and stronger for the future.”

Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit, Keith Michael A. Villanueva , Leo Albert G. Sala and Dr. Soma Chakraborty

Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit , Patricia Teresa F. Agbayani and Dr. Soma Chakraborty

loyolaschoolsbulettin

Volume VI, Number 1May 2010

EDITORJoanna Ruiz

ART AND LAYOUTIvan Jacob A. Pesigan

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSRoy Tristan Agustin, Jayce Franco Chua, Jonathan O. Chua, Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng, Karen Liao, Erlinda Eileen G. Lolarga, Rick Olivares, Joanna Ruiz

PHOTOGRAPHSNono Felipe, Rani Jalandoni, Karen Liao, Erick Lirios, Buddy Manaois, Jolly Morata, Joanna Ruiz, Philip Sison, Kevin C. Tatco, The Agency, Cricket Soong, University Archives, Alyson Yap

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OFThe VPLS and Deans, Ateneo Sports Shooters (www.fabilioh.com), Jon Aguilar, Sonia Araneta, Jonathan Blaza, Kim Buñag, Marivi Cabason, Jeremy Dalisay, Tonette Delica, Gia Dumo, Tinay Garcia, Rose Gatchalian, Erwin P. Enriquez, Cholo Mallillin, Melissa Macapagal, Eppie Maglacas, An Manapat, Lot Medina, Jolly Morata, Bong Oris, Anellin Perez, Anne Roca, Joy Salita, Anne San Agustin, Tim Sto. Tomas, Carla Siojo, Milet Tendero, Rona Valenzuela, www.ateneo.edu, www.goateneo.com

Loyola Schools Bulletin © 2010 is published by the Office of the Vice President for the Loyola Schools, Room 105, Xavier Hall, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City

we build community we nurture hope

14 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin

NotableAchievements

It was definitely an awards night. One could not mistake it for anything else. Awardees, presenters, and guests were dressed in their best formal Filipino attire. Escaler Hall was dramatically lit and the stage designed with performances in mind. Pianos, drums, and various instruments were prepared, and guests all waited for the Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts. What would turn out would be beyond what anyone, including the organizers, would have expected.

The awards night, called Dalisayan, was a glamorous event, filled with music and enthusiasm. The initial performance by musical awardees Klieg Lights, made up of Mark Alcantara, Arlene Calvo, and Mikko Quizon, and Marvin Sayson on an elevated stage was haunting and filled with energy, which set the stage for the performances of the other awardees later in the evening. School of Humanities Dean Dr. Maria Luz C. Vilches welcomed everyone to the event, citing the awards for its 17 years of existence and recognizing that pain was part of growth, and saying that the awards recognized the pain and effort that these artists had gone through. Theater awardees Marc Peter M. Baluyan, Laura Corazon A. Cabochan, Jay M. Crisostomo, Ma. Regina C. De Vera, Marian Ernestine P. Dimacali, Exzell Angelo T. Macomb, And Lancie Mitzi A. Ong presented a short montage of theater scenes all touching on the theme of love, showcasing their acting and singing prowess.

University President Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j., spoke about how the Ateneo had become more and more conscious of beauty and art over the years, a change which he attributed to the achievements of students and faculty members alike. He also commended the artists for sharing their talents and their art with the community. He honored the awardees, saying that their achievements remind us “how noble and beautiful we can be via the arts.”

Fr. Nebres’ talk was followed by a short but stirring audio-visual presentation honoring Atenean artist-heroes, going all the way back to National Hero Jose Rizal. Audio-visual presentations

likewise showcased the works of Patricia Gosingtian for photography and Eusebio Ehron Kylo Y. Chua for sculpture. Awardees for visual arts Genevieve

Deniece D. Go, Alyza May T. Taguilaso, Frances Krista M. Alvarez, Cisco Javier D.R. Ignacio, Joi Marie Angelica M. Indias, Danika Rio T. Navarro, and Carina Samantha R. Santos were honored shortly before awardees for dance Kesse Gilliam G. Castillo, Phillip Robert Raphael R. Pamintuan, and Ma. Daniella Renee C. Publico came onstage to perform a thrilling number showcasing the diversity of dance, from ballroom to hiphop, which suited their very different styles.

The program moved on seamlessly, accompanied by the expert piano work of both musical coordinator D.M. Reyes and faculty member Nikko Vitug, both of the English Department. Awardees

for creative writing Hermund Rosales, Zoe Anne M. Dulay, Lourdes Marie S. La Viña, Gian Paolo Simeon T. Lao, Patricia Angela F. Magno, Wyatt Caraway Curie L. Ong, and Jay M. Crisostomo accepted their awards with characteristic enthusiasm.

Perhaps, however, the highlight of the evening was the awarding of the Outstanding Achievement in the Humanities to Dr. Benilda S. Santos, current director of the Fine Arts Program. She was, of course, honored by the school but, perhaps more importantly, she was also honored by her peers, writers who themselves are icons in

Philippine writing. Her speech, by turns touching and hilarious, drew tremendous applause and adulation from the crowd who knew her best as Ma’am

Beni. Her speech was candid, eloquent, and moving, particularly when she finally stopped reading from it and improvised, moving from her own history to finally ending with a piece from her own poetry. She was given a standing ovation.

The evening was brought to a close by outgoing vpls Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng, who exclaimed “What a harvest!” The evening was capped by dinner at the pldt-Center for Convergent Technologies, where the awardees, still brimming with enthusiasm after the hours-long ceremony, regaled the diners further with jokes, songs, and poems. The awards night had finished, but the evening had just begun.

Dalisayan 2010:The LS Awards for the Arts

In 2008, consistent national debate champion, the Ateneo Debate Society, brought the prestigious Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships (Australs), with hundreds of participants from Asia and Australia, to the halls of Ateneo de Manila University.

Much-needed infrastructure has also been put in place, thanks to Pangilinan’s assistance and recognition of the role played by academic and extracurricular life in preparing the young to contribute to society. The Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership (mvpcsl) is now a modern, comfortable home for the college’s student organizations and formation offices. The pldt-Convergent Technologies Center provides venues for classes and ict programs. The New Rizal Library, inaugurated in December 2009, is a state-of-the-art structure which now houses the library’s vast collection of books and provides intellectual space for the college’s dedicated scholars. Pangilinan, together with other equally generous benefactors, was also instrumental in the completion of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, the first institution in the country that offers a dual program for Doctor of Medicine and Master of Management.

Not content with merely providing infrastructure and supporting certain student groups, Pangilinan conceptualized and funded the Ateneo

mvp Leadership Forum. Since 2006, the forum has brought Ateneo student leaders face to face with international business and political leaders such as Chartsiri Sophonpanich, president of Bangkok Bank (Thailand), Ronnie Chan, chairman of Hang Lung Properties Limited (Hong Kong), Aleksander Kwasniewski, former president of Poland, and Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom. The forum has given the students and other members of the Ateneo community rare opportunities to hear first hand accounts of how it is to be a leader of a corporation or a nation.

As a leader himself, Pangilinan showed his personal values at close range with students. At a small gathering at the ls Bookstore in 2009, Pangilinan candidly shared his thoughts about his favorite books and answered students’ questions on the role of reading in their lives. He gave everyone a rare glimpse into his unguarded thoughts as he talked about a topic he loved. This man who has led corporations (and at least one university) to the heights of success showed everyone that the basis for success is simply a questioning mind—one that loves learning, that is voracious for knowledge, and that is always ready to share knowledge for the good of all.

For all that you have shared with the Ateneo, Mr. Pangilinan, thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pangilinancontinued from page 1

For all that you have shared with the Ateneo,Mr. Pangilinan, thank you.

Photos by Buddy Manaois

15VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010

The LS Awards for the Arts The Loyola Schools paid tribute to retiring community members at a luncheon on March 23, 2010. As always, the event was suffused with the warmth of remembrances and appreciation for the seven retirees of schoolyear 2009-2010.

Reaching the retirement age of 60 were Germelino “Boying” M. Bautista (Economics Department), Margarita “Margot” R. Orendain (English Department), Tomas “Tom” G. Rosario, Jr. (Philosophy Department), Teresita “Tessie” C. Alcantara (Biology Department), Milagros “Mila” Q. Andaya (Chemistry Department), Francis “Frank” D. Puzon (Rizal Library), and Evelyn “EQ” A. Quidlat (Office of the Vice President).

Both University President Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j. and then-vpls Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng expressed their thanks for the retirees’ years of service to the Ateneo, and for their personal connections with each one of them. In his remarks, Nebres pointed out that “ang Ateneo ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo.” He invoked the value of community and interrelationship, telling the retirees that “Ateneo has grown because you have grown. You have been part of the growth of Ateneo. You have shaped Ateneo.”

LS honors SY 2009-2010 retirees

Germelino “Boying” M. Bautista (Economics Department): Retirement for him will be “a time for solidarity with other Jesuit campuses to promote justice, equity, environmental protection; a time to know and love our God.”

Margarita “Margot” R. Orendain (English Department): For this person who, as SOH Dean Dr. Marlu Vilches put it, “has an inner strength, an inner self that is unfazed,” coming to the Ateneo was a decision (“the best”) that brought her spiritual growth, academic challenges, warm friendships, and colleagues that she admires.

Teresita “Tessie” C. Alcantara (Biology Department): “Kasama akong umunlad ng Ateneo—spiritually, psychologically, physically, and mentally.”

Francis “Frank” D. Puzon (Rizal Library): The 29-year Rizal Library veteran gave special thanks to former RL director Fr. Robert Suchan, SJ, who believed in him when he was still Suchan’s student and was the reason for his decision to work at the RL.

Tomas “Tom” G. Rosario, Jr. (Philosophy Department): “Hindi ka maaaring magturo sa Ateneo nang hindi ka nagpapakahusay, nagpapakagaling.”

Milagros “Mila” Q. Andaya (Chemistry Department): Her 33 years in the Ateneo were a “rewarding experience,” and she gave special thanks to Fr. William Schmitt, SJ—“a very grand person,” her friend, chief, and boss—who gave her many chances to love her work.

Evelyn “EQ” A. Quidlat (Office of the Vice President): She is “truly blessed and grateful” for all her experiences at the Ateneo, “particularly the lesson of being a person for others.”

From May 28 to 30, 2010, The Nippon Foundation Fellowships for Asian Public Intellectuals (api Fellowships Program) commemorates its 10th Anniversary Regional Celebration in Manila, Philippines, to be hosted by the Ateneo de Manila University. The celebration will consist of three main events: the symposium “Asia: Identity, Vision and Position” on the 28th; the conference “Asian Conditions, Communities and Directions on the 29th; and the exhibitions and performances “Creative Index: Ten Creative Years by the api Fellows” on the 30th.

Launched in July 2000, the program was designed to nurture and create a network of public intellectuals in the region. It operates through a partnership established between The Nippon Foundation and five partner

institutions: the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies of Kyoto University, the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the Institute of Asian Studies of Chulalongkorn University and the School of Social Sciences of Ateneo de Manila University. Over 250 individuals have been recipients of the api Fellowships.

The celebration is meant to acknowledge the dedicated efforts of the api Fellowships Program’s founders, fellows, partner institutions, and other community members. It is also an opportunity to discuss the current state of Asia and the role that the fellows might play in responding to the needs of the region within a rapidly globalizing world.

The API Fellowships Program celebrates a decade of regional cooperation

An anniversary program with noted photojournalist and social activist Dr. Shahidul Alam as speaker opens acfj’s celebration of its tenth year on June 7 to 9, 2010. Dr. Stefan Friedrich, head of the Asia Department of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, and Ateneo president Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, s.j., will also speak during the morning celebration.

The Fifth Annual Forum of Emerging Leaders in Asian Journalism follows the anniversary program. About a hundred journalists and scholars from at least 14 countries in Asia are expected to gather in this annual conference, with more

ACFJ gears up to mark 10 yearsparticipants expected. Keynote speeches will be delivered by Philip Bowring, columnist of the International Herald Tribune, and Pana Janviroj, executive director of the Asia News Network.

An exhibit of the best works of the center’s photojournalism program graduates will also be inaugurated on the same day. Among the photographers featured are award-winning and seasoned photojournalists Luis Liwanag, Rony Zakaria, Lyn Rillon, VJ Villafranca, Rem Zamora, Christina Sevilla, Raffy Lerma, and Estan Cabigas.

agNeS coLette coNdoN, retired associate professor at the Interdisciplinary Studies Department, died last on November 16, 2009 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. She was 84.

Ms. Condon was born in Rhode Island on 16 August 1925. She finished a master’s in Hospital Administration at the St. Louis University in Missouri (1958) and obtained an M. A. Literature at the University of Rhode Island (1966), writing a thesis on Albert Camus. Before coming to the Philippines, she had worked as an assistant administrator at the Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts and as director of publications of the Mission Press of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Rhode Island.

We Remember She arrived in the Philippines in 1967 to teach Literature and Religion at Stella Maris (1967-69) and at Maryknoll (now Miriam) College (1969-78), where she also became the head of its Literature Department.

In the summer of 1975, she taught part-time with the English Department, then chaired by Fr. Joseph Galdon, of the Ateneo de Manila. She was being hired, at P15/hour, to step in for faculty members who had either gone on leave or moved to other departments. Wrote Galdon, “English gains experience at cheaper salary. Everyone is happy!” She became a fulltime faculty member in 1978, teaching the introductory courses in composition, rhetoric, fiction, poetry, the essay, and the drama, as well as involving herself in textbook development.

But Ms. Condon apparently was as much needed in administration as she was in teaching. She was appointed, at various times, Assistant Dean for the Graduate School (1978-1981, Officer-in-Charge 1993), Summer Program Director (1978-79), Program Coordinator of the Hospital Administration Program (1981), and Director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program (1988-91). Throughout most of her stay at the Ateneo, she was also the Coordinator for Faculty Development (initially, Assistant to the Dean for Faculty Matters). Jonathan O. Chua

Photos by Rani Jalandoni

16 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin

Research Notes

Ateneo de Manila University currently has two academic journals which are internationally indexed. One can look at them as two siblings, coming from a common parentage and upbringing. But, like most siblings, the two are very different in personality and attitude. The Philippine Studies journal, currently headed by Dr. Filomeno “Jun” Aguilar of the History Department, is the elder of the two, and, as the elder, carries with it the pride and distinction of being not only the first academic journal of the Ateneo, but of the nation as well.

History

The journal was established in September of 1950. It was originally, as Aguilar puts it, “A Jesuit magazine, with learned content, interested in manner, and with a general scope.” The magazine was named the Philippine Studies Journal in 1952 and the first issue came out in 1953. It was not yet a strictly academic journal but was already steeped in the Jesuit scholastic tradition, since the first contributors to the journal were Jesuits themselves. It was under the care of Fr. Miguel Bernad, s.j., that the journal became what it is today. Since then, it has stayed the course, offering insights into different aspects of the Philippine experience.

Global audience with ScoPuS indexing

2009 marked an achievement for the journal with its inclusion in the scopus index, opening it to a global audience. Aguilar explains that the inclusion of the journal in scopus will help in the current drive of the University to assert its presence in an international setting. It wasn’t an easy task, he continues, saying that the stringent requirements of knowledge compendiums like scopus on timeliness and consistency of publication make for a challenge to the journal. Aguilar puts the challenge this way, “If you declare that the journal will come out by a certain date, you must come

The University currently has two scholarly journals that are internationally indexed. The elder of the two is the Philippine Studies journal, a publication which has a distinguished history hailing back to 1952. One can imagine it to be the gray-haired gentleman of the two, spic and span, with nary a hair out of place.

The younger sibling would be Kritika Kultura, just seven years old, possessed of a more vibrant and dynamic personality. This one would be the one clad in jeans and a t-shirt, laptop in hand, earphones firmly set. Kritika Kultura comes from very different origins and carries with it a different spirit. However, like its elder sibling, it has become a hallmark for Ateneo in a very similar fashion to the Philippine Studies journal.

First online journal in RP

Kritika Kultura can lay claim to being the first online, open access journal to be indexed internationally in the country, a feat that becomes even more noteworthy given its intriguing origins. Dr. Lulu Reyes of the English Department, founder and editor-in-chief of Kritika Kultura discusses the origins of the journal as well as her views on how to foster scholarly research in the University.

The roots of Kritika Kultura, or kk, as it is commonly called, can be traced back to the turn of the millennium, with Reyes exploring the rapidly growing availability of research materials available on the Internet. She saw the potential and, as she says, “I saw something happening (on the Internet) and I thought that it would be the perfect time to participate.” She approached then English Department chair Dr. Isabel Martin with what was then an unheard of idea: an online journal “of some sort.” However, there was no real precedent for this, nor was there anyone really who knew what directions to take nor where to get support for such a project. The University had just opened up some financial support for Internet-based projects, which Reyes applied for, but she was not able to get approval for kk, and the English Department was not ready to provide the needed funding.

The project, however continued to move, mainly through Reyes’ efforts. “It became an itch, something that I really had to do.” So, with the approval of the English Department, Reyes used the papers from the recently concluded conference Localities and Nationhood and proceeded to work on creating the

A tale ofPhilippine Studies:The elder brother

Two Siblingsout on that date, which puts much more pressure on the resources. Fortunately, we are supported by the University.”

Blind refereeing process

Another challenge to the journal is the constant need for more manuscripts that pass the blind refereeing process adopted in 2003. The process, which farms out submissions to “referee,” who then read and comment on the manuscripts submitted, is a way of ensuring that the articles to be published are up to international standards of scholarly writing. The board of referees of the journal feature readers from various countries, all of whom are experts in their respective fields. The refereeing system has raised the standards of the journal to such a degree that, since instituting the system, the rejection rate of the journal has gone up to 50%, which has added to the pressure of coming up with adequate issues on time.

Aguilar explains that the journal actually wants to encourage and nurture writers but, “unfortunately, Filipino scholars and writers are still adjusting to the refereeing system, and they sometimes feel hurt by the comments their manuscripts receive.” Happily, even with the high rejection rate, the journal has been able to compile enough material for several issues.

Interestingly, most of these contributions have come from overseas, either from Filipino writers based abroad, or from foreign scholars specializing in the Philippines. These contributions from overseas account for nearly two thirds of the manuscripts received. Aguilar remarks, “There is plenty of interest in the country; it’s just not coming from here (in the Philippines). There is a need to develop a culture of research and writing here which can lead to the production of knowledge.”

Call for Filipino contributors

The journal is currently taking efforts to encourage more contributions from Filipino writers. It works with other departments in the University to host conferences which, it is hoped, will spur writers to submit their work to the journal. Aguilar finishes by giving his own reflection on publication and research in the country: “It seems like the Filipino culture is not a reading culture, at least for most people. For those who do read, they seem content to just read, rather than contribute to the discourse. There is a need to develop the discipline of thinking, arguing, and writing in a certain way in order to create works that can withstand scrutiny. If we are to push our country’s ideas forward, we have to take the initiative and effort of publishing and writing.”

by Roy Tristan AgustinKritika Kultura: The young overachiever

journal. “With no budget, we had to rely on friendships, elbow grease, and merienda,” laughs Reyes, “at this point, I was just seeing just how far it could go.” The first issue launched not only the first online journal of the University, but also of the nation, overtaking efforts by other universities. “All on basically nothing to run it!” exclaims Reyes.

From rag-tag experiment to crowning achievement

It went further than anyone hoped, as the first issue continued to a second, then a third. Eventually, kk gained a reputation outside the University, enjoying praises from schools such as up, LaSalle, and ust. It was internationally refereed by the third issue, and was indexed with the Modern Languages Association by 2007, just five years after it’s the publication of its first issue. By this time, it was already well known, gaining not only readers but contributors from around the world.

With the encouragement of the University, kk entered the scopus index just last year, alongside its older sibling Philippine Studies. It is now in the process of applying for isi indexing, which it hopes to finish this year.

In its seven years of existence, the journal had gone from a rag-tag experiment to becoming a crowning achievement which the University justly places pride in.

The passion to keep going

When asked on where she sees the journal going in the coming years, Reyes has this to say: “Well, the journal’s achievements are very unique, especially considering just how weird the circumstances of its birth were. The difficult part wasn’t really the starting of it, it’s the sustaining. And with our goal of publishing the best in their fields and with the journal now representing the University, the pressure’s definitely gone up. Hopefully we can keep attracting people with edgy and new thinking, and it is good that the University seems to be interested in the same thing. But, at the end of it all, I think it will be people with passion that are important, for the journal and for the University. It will be passion that will keep things going.”

Visit Kritika Kultura at150.ateneo.edu/kritikakultura.

17VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010For the People, With the People:Developing Social Enterprises in the PhilippinesEdited by Ma. Regina M. Hechanova-Alampay

This book is about hope—something we need in a developing country like the Philippines. The stories (here) are about empowering urban women, providing families a home, turning garbage into gold, improving employees’ quality of life, or building capabilities of people and organizations. They are stories of struggle, of commitment, of joy, of pain, and even luck. Yet, they all began with ordinary people dreaming and believing that change could happen, and committing themselves to that change.

More than this, these stories show the power of a collective. How bringing together business people, development workers, and community leaders can create much more impact than simply doling out money. We learn how radical solutions may actually work. The stories highlight how the best ideas don’t necessarily come from the most educated or powerful. One only needs to listen and keep an open mind. After all, that is the heart of a social enterprise—an organization for and with the people.

The Highest Hiding PlaceBy Lawrence Lacambra Ypil

In The Highest Hiding Place, Ypil takes us to places in the self where words do not exist, where thoughts glimmer and perish before they could threaten one with their fangs and claws, where only things without names thrive in their tenuous luminosity, shades, auras, feelings, moods. Yet doubt not the reality of these secret places, they are an infinite dimension of the world we experience daily, sunlight in the garden, a family picnic, old photographs, the common

places we take for granted that yields the poet’s poetic world. These hiding places thrive in the spaces between words of a conversation between mother and son, between men and their lovers, between generations, as between son and father, children contemplating their “mother-as-child only as tall as lola’s hips. / Her hair tied to strings. Her breasts flat / milkless yet. Her womb/ full to its rim with possibility.” Ypil’s poetry invents a language that makes this secret world palpable and alive somehow without disturbing the ineffable quality of these experiences. Reading Ypil is meeting oneself in memory, that of the poet’s and one’s own, and in that encounter, affirm everything that one had gone through—pain, fear, lust, love, the interminable secrets that are always converging and fading, and converging in every moment of one’s ordinary day, and even in one’s dreams. And we find our own hiding place. —Merlie Alunan

Mga Hinirang:The Women Awardees of the Ateneo de ManilaAteneo Library of Women’s Writings

Mga Hinirang is an album of portraits of remarkable Filipino women. Their contributions to Philippine social, political, religious, and cultural life are recalled in citations read before them at the annual academic convocations of the Ateneo de Manila. On its 150th year, the Ateneo, through the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings (aliww), remembers the 53 women whom it has awarded by gathering together those citations in this book.

Maalwang Buhay: Family, Overseas Migration,and Cultures of Relatedness in Barangay Paraisoby Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr. with John Estanley Z. Peñalosa, Tania Belen T. Liwanag, Resto S. Cruz I, and Jimmy M. Melendrez

The greatest single strength of this work can be termed its anthropological foundations. Many studies of overseas migration fail to dwell upon the underlying structural context that helps us understand the cause, nature and consequence of this phenomenon. After all the separation of children from their parents is a matter of kinship, and to understand it we need to see

it first and foremost in the light of Philippine kinship. What this book shows is how such an anthropological focus upon kinship can become integrated with a development perspective providing a far more satisfactory and scholarly understanding of these events. This approach should make this book a standard work for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of an example of parent-child separation that now has worldwide attention. —Daniel Miller, Professor of Anthropology, University College London

17New Books

New titles from the Institute of Philippine Culture (ipc)

Capability Building for Urban Slum Upgrading: Views from Five Communities in Quezon CityBy Cynthia C. Veneracion

The book is an output of a three-city research project covering Bandung in Indonesia, Hanoi in Vietnam, and Quezon City in the Philippines. The ipc study investigates the slum upgrading and related development interventions that have taken place in five urban poor communities. In examining the external linkages forged by the communities studied, it presents a closer look at the reach of programs and projects of the Quezon City government, national agencies, civil society groups, and other urban development stakeholders.

The Myth of Recovery: The Asian Crisis More Than a Decade LaterBy Edsel L. Beja Jr.

Three issues have been underplayed in the retrospective analyses of the 1997 Asian Crisis. First, economic performance of the crisis-affected

economies in the post-crisis period has been inferior relative to their pre-crisis period performance. Second, the crisis-affected economies have yet to recoup the losses incurred during the Asian Crisis. Lastly, unless policies move in a positive direction, recovery would be limited and punctuated by crises. In view of the Global Crisis, it was deemed necessary to pull out the policy guidelines outlined in the book and apply them to the present crisis.

Overseas Filipino Workers Turned Entrepreneurs: Breaking Stereotypes, Redefining Paradigms By Joseph Sedfrey S. Santiago, Manuel Ricardo L.O. Sacramento, and Jose Atanacio L. Estuar

Twenty-six overseas Filipino workers and four ofw family members share their entrepreneurial journeys in this book. They tell us when they decided to try their hand at business and the reasons for choosing the business, where they sourced their funds, and who they tapped for acquiring technical skills in running their venture. Some have succeeded, while others are still trying to make a go of their business. But they all provide invaluable lessons that could benefit other ofws who plan to take the same route.

Southeast Asia Today: Development Paradigms, Reflexive EngagementEdited by Angela Desiree M. Aguirre, Emanuel C. de Guzman, and Jon Michael R. Villaseñor

Classified under five thematic areas that reflect major preoccupations in people-centered development—household and community asset building, social capital formation, state-civil society dynamics, local and regional networking, and social change and sustainable development—the papers in this volume champion the participatory paradigm by bringing to the

fore the issues of gender and development, problematizing the structures of power of centralized governance while exposing its elitist logic, highlighting the important role of civil society in development and democratization, and espousing the role of the local people in development.

All ipc titles are available at the Institute of Philippine Culture (2/F Frank Lynch Hall) and the Loyola Schools Bookstore, and distributed by Ateneo de Manila University Press. Website: http://www.ipc-ateneo.org

New BooksLooking Out for Heroes and Transnationalizing Culture of Japan in Asia: Dramas, Musics, Arts and AgenciesSee page 11 for details.

fR. JoSePh a. gaLdoN died on March 15, 2010 at 5:30 A.M. in the Jesuit Residence Infirmary. In the last several years before his death, he was suffering from Alzheimer’s. He was eighty-two.

But his former students and colleagues at the Loyola Schools fondly remember him as an energetic and engaging teacher of literature and composition, a champion of English language teaching, the founder of Prayer Days for Coeds, and the writer of an inspirational column called “The Mustard Seed.”

Fr. Galdon joined the Ateneo de Manila faculty in 1953, teaching English, Religion, and Latin at the High School. In 1956, after completing an M.A. in English at the Ateneo, with a thesis on the “Definition and Function of the Imagination in the Critical Theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Dryden,” he went to the United States to finish his religious studies. He was ordained priest in 1959.

He returned to the Philippines after finishing a doctorate in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, to hold various positions in the Ateneo and beyond. He was Dean of Studies at Berchman’s College in Novaliches (1965-66), Dean of Studies at the Loyola House of Studies (1966-68), and Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences of the Ateneo (1968-70). Until 1998, he taught with the Department of English and the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies (then the Interdisciplinary Studies Program), serving as the Chair or Program Director at various times. He was also Director of the Office Admissions and Aid and editor-in-chief of the journal Philippine Studies.

Outside the Ateneo, he is perhaps best known for teacher training. He founded the Ateneo Center for English Language Teaching (ACELT), which continues to conduct seminars and workshops all over the Philippines, and edited A Reader for Teachers of Literature and Language (1973). Generations of students were taught literature through his textbook, co-authored with Fr. Joseph V. Landy and Nenita Escasa, Insight: A Study of the Short Story (1972). Jonathan O. Chua

We Remember

18 we build community we nurture hopeloyolaschoolsbulletin

NotableAchievements

The achievements of Loyola Schools faculty members in the field of research and creative work were given due recognition during the annual Faculty Scholarly Work Awards held on March 11, 2010 at Room 201 of the pldt-ctc Building. The event was hosted by Dr. Isabel Pefianco Martin of the English Department.

Loyola Schools Review Volume Viii

Then Vice President for the Loyola

Schools Dr. Ma. Assunta C. Cuyegkeng acknowledged the work of all the editors and contributing authors of the Loyola Schools Review Volume viii (2009): Dr. Jovino G. Miroy (Humanities), Arturo A. Valencia (Management), Dr. Jumela F. Sarmiento with assistant editor Dr. Raphael Guerrero (Science and Engineering) and Dr. Joseph Anthony Y. Lim (Social Sciences).

Research grants and publications awards

Recipients of the ls Scholarly Work Faculty Grants, the ls Instructional Materials Development Grant and the University Research Council Grant were announced along with the Publications Awards given to faculty members with works published during the relevant period. The University Research Council, in particular, allotted funds for research projects under the themes of disaster mitigation and public health for sy 2010-2011. The School of Science and Engineering took the lead in number of faculty members given awards and having published works (56), followed by the School of Humanities (30), School of Social Sciences (24), and the John Gokongwei School of Management (4).

Special Citation

Lawrence Ypil of the English Department was acknowledged with a special citation for the book The Highest Hiding Place and published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press in 2009.

Outstanding Scholarly Work Awards

The ls Outstanding Scholarly Work Award is described a “special recognition to work that contributes significantly to its appropriate disciple, that is novel or innovative, and that meets the high standards of excellence in its domain.” Recipients of this award each receive

a plaque and a cash award (which is prorated among the authors). A special committee constituted by the dean of each school is tasked with selecting the outstanding work from the pool of submitted and nominated publications.

The Outstanding Scholarly Work Award in the Social Sciences for this year went to Dr. Joseph Anthony Y. Lim of the Economics Department for his paper entitled “Central Banking in the Philippines: From Inflation Targeting to Financing Development” published in 2008 in International Review of Applied Economics, volume 22. The work, according to Lim, although dated and needing more work, addressed at that time an important monitoring policy of the Philippines and presented a provocative macroeconomic alternative framework that deserved government recognition in the area of price controls and price stabilization.

The Outstanding Scholarly Work Award in the Humanities was given to Edgar C. Samar of the Filipino Department for his novel entitled Walong Diwata ng Pagkahulog published in 2008 by Anvil Publishing. The work is a “well-crafted piece of postmodern literature” which was translated into English by Michael Co, giving it international recognition. It is now on its second edition by Anvil Publishing—a good indication of its popularity. He said that you are lucky to get a second printing in less than ten years in the Philippines. Apparently, he remarked, younger readers have found it appealing. The book touches on issues such as “sex, kabaliwan at katalinuhan, pagpaslang at pagtitiwakal.” Samar thanked all those who helped him with the publication and said he will use the cash award to come up with another piece of work in progress.

The Outstanding Scholarly Work Award in Science and Engineering was awarded to Dr. Ma. Louise Antonette N. delas Peñas and Enrico Paolo C. Bugarin of the Mathematics Department, for their paper entitled “On Color Groups og Bravais Coloring of Planar Modules with Quasicrystallographic Symmetries,” published in 2008 in the Zeitschrift fur Krystallographie, volume 223. According to Delas Peñas, mathematical crystallography is a study of crystals being researched on by an elite circle of mathematicians. Her passion and enthusiasm for this new area of study, she said, was sparked during her sabbatical leave and fired on with

the help of Bugarin, a younger colleague who shares her enthusiasm for studying crystals. She gave this caveat to her fellow faculty members as she reflected on her energies at work as a mathematician: “Nothing is impossible when one works hard to achieve them.”

Scholarly Work with Most Social Impact

Lastly, Loyola Schools recognized Dr. Queena N. Lee-Chua of the Mathematics Department for her book entitled Magaling ang Pinoy! How and Why Filipino Public School Students Achieve published in 2007 by the Office of Research and Publications, Ateneo de Manila University. The Scholarly Work Award with the Most Social Impact awarded to Lee-Chua this year recognizes sound scholarly work by fulltime faculty that makes a distinct difference in addressing socio-civic and national development concerns. The work was nominated by Solvie Nubla-Lee of Pathways for Higher Education, a University unit which greatly benefited from her scholarly work with the group. Lee-Chua thanked all of the parents and volunteers who helped her conduct the research work on 3,000 families with children in public schools. Guided by the adages “education begins at home” and “education is the key to a brighter future,” her research explored factors contributing to children’s performance in school. The research showed that effective parenting does help raise children’s potential.

Special tribute

A special tribute was also given to Cuyegkeng, as outgoing Vice President for Loyola Schools for her own exemplary level of scholarship in her own field. She was recognized and given appreciation for nurturing research and creative work in the Loyola Schools during her four-year term.

A celebration of faculty research scholarship excellence LS Scholarly Works Awards 2010:

Outstanding Scholarly Work awardee for SOSS Dr. Joseph Lim with Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, Dr. Assunta Cuyegkeng, and Dr. Celeste Gonzalez

Outstanding Scholarly Work awardee for SOH Edgar Samar with Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, Dr. Assunta Cuyegkeng, and Fr. Adolfo Dacanay, SJ

Outstanding Scholarly Work awardee for SOSE Dr. Ninette de las Peñas and Enrico Paolo Bugarin with Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ, Dr. Fabian Dayrit, and Dr. Assunta Cuyegkeng

Scholarly Work with Most Social Impact awardee Dr. Queena Lee-Chua with Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ, co-authors Nerisa Fernandez and Maribel Dionisio, and Dr. Assunta Cuyegkeng

by Erlinda Eileen G. LolargaPhotos by Rani Jalandoni

New RL multimedia rooms namedin honor of donors

Three groups have made generous donations to the new Rizal Library, and three multimedia rooms in the library’s Multimedia Resource Center have been named in their honor.

Ateneo de Manila College Class ‘83

On December 5, 2009, the Ateneo de Manila College Class ’83, represented by core group members Rodolfo P. Ang (AB Com) and Rhoderick M. Casis (BS Bio), signed a memorandum of agreement with the Ateneo and witnessed the turnover of the Ateneo de Manila University College Class ’83 Multimedia Room. Raising funds for the new Rizal Library was a project of batch ’83 in celebration of their silver anniversary.

Ambrosio B. Padilla Foundation

As December 7, 2009 marked the 99th birth anniversary of the late Senator Ambrosio Bibby Padilla, it was fitting that the turnover of the Ambrosio B. Padilla Room at the new Rizal Library should take place on this day. The room was named in honor of Padilla as a way of thanking the Ambrosio B. Padilla Foundation for its donation to the library. Signing the memorandum of agreement in behalf of the foundation was Padilla’s daughter Mrs. Josie Padilla-Rufino. Also present were were other Padilla siblings and their spouses, along with some of their children.

National Bookstore, Inc.

Another donation to the new library was National Bookstore, Inc., represented by Alfredo C. Ramos. In honor of their donation, a multimedia room has been named the National Bookstore-Socorro Ramos Room.

Number of scholarly work awards and grants given in sy 2009-2010

Scholarly Work Faculty Grants: 29

Instructional Materials Development Grants: 5

University Research Council Grants: 8

Publications Awards: 72 Special Citation: 1 Outstanding Scholarly Work

Awards: 3

Scholarly Work with Most Social Impact: 1

19VOLUME VI | NO. 1 | MAY 2010

A celebration of faculty research scholarship excellence by Erlinda Eileen G. LolargaPhotos by Rani Jalandoni

The Ateneo de Manila University men’s judo team showed tremendous skill on the floor as they blew away the competition in this season’s uaap competition held on October 4, 2009 at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Seniors Judo team entered the event as defending champions gunning for a two-peat. Beating all opposing teams from University of Sto. Tomas, University of the Philippines, University of the East, Adamson, and La Salle, Ateneo successfully defended their championship and made uaap history.

The Judokas from Katipunan trained hard to make sure they’d have another shot at the gold. The team displayed key grapples, hard-impact take downs, painful submissions, and tough battles throughout the competition. The Judokas in their blue gis emerged on top winning two gold medals, one silver, and five bronze.

Team captain Jhonel Faelnar (iii bs me) and Salvador Reyes Jr. (ms cs) won gold medals in the -60kg and +100kg weight divisions, respectively. Faelnar and Reyes won on their matches via an Ippon Throw.

Paulo Luz (iv bs hs) racked up points to finish second place in the -66kg event.

Gian Dee (iv bs mgt) won bronze in the -60kg division via a Pin, while Miguel

Blue Judokas bag

by Jayce Franco Chua, goateneo.com

two-peat

The Crown Defendedcontinued from page 20

In 2008, during Season 71, they lost to feu by 6 in the sixth game of the season. Ateneo closed out that first round with a 7-point win over ust. Following the l to up in the fourth game of Season 72, Ateneo topped Adamson by 10.

The team likes to look for motivation wherever and whenever they can get it. They circled the date with the return bout with up and once game day arrived, they attacked the Maroons from the opening tip and the resulting 18 point winning margin left all without a doubt who was king when they had their game faces on.

When ue took Game 2 of the 2009 Finals, there was an element of danger, maybe even drama. The ghosts of the 2006 meltdown to ust were resurrected. In the space of one game, the Ateneo Blue Eagles went from having one of the greatest runs of any college team in history to possibly one of the biggest flops

of all. That’s of course no disrespect to the University of the East Red Warriors who have also been one of the top teams in recent memory albeit without a uaap title to show for it. Different quarters openly asked who was the real “team of destiny.”

But when the lights came on for Game 3, Ateneo reaffirmed its mastery over its Recto-based foe with a 13-point margin of victory to wrap up the school’s fifth uaap Men’s Basketball Crown.

They had shown remarkable resiliency and character in the two-year title run where a record of 32-3 was compiled. The journey that had begun in 2005 when Norman Black, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, and Jai Reyes first came in had now gone full circle. And the mission, a fitting birthday gift for Ateneo on its 150th anniversary, had been completed.

Eight months from now, they’ll be aiming for history.

Abaca (iii bs ch-acs) also nabbed the bronze in -73kg by winning his match with an impressive Ippon Throw.

Both Josh Miciano (ii ab psy) and Joseph Wong (iv ab mec) won bronze medals in the -90kg division by points. Andro Umali (iii bs bio) completed the winning team with his bronze in the -100kg division with enough points to put him in the top three.

Photo by Nono Felipewww.fabilioh.com

Sports

uaap Season 72 Podium Finishes

Champion Men’s basketball team Men’s judo team First runner-up Blue Babble Battalion (cheerdancing) Women’s fencing team Men’s swimming team Women’s swimming team Second runner-up Men’s taekwondo team Women’s tennis team Men’s track and field team Men’s volleyball team Women’s volleyball team

Photo by Aly Yapwww.fabilioh.com

Photo by Aly Yapwww.fabilioh.com

Photo by Aly Yapwww.fabilioh.com

Photo by Aly Yapwww.fabilioh.com

Photo by Aly Yapwww.fabilioh.com

Photo by Aly Yapwww.fabilioh.com

Photo by Aly Yapwww.fabilioh.com

Photo by Aly Yapwww.fabilioh.com

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“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, and a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, and they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

- Muhammad Ali

If the pursuit of a championship is a journey one team undertakes then defending a crown is a mission.

In the history of Ateneo basketball, despite the 19 titles the school has amassed since its halcyon ncaa days, it teams aren’t built to win a championship year after year. Previously, the blue and whites achieved the back-to-back feat fives time and one of them was for a three-peat back when the world was a vastly different place.

But as the Ateneo Blue Eagles entered Season 72 of the uaap, despite having won its fourth league title in the previous year, most quarters merely pegged them as a contender for the most coveted basketball championship in the Philippines.

Far Eastern University (feu) was a runaway favorite to unseat the champs largely because of its national players and its new recruits who were touted to make an immediate impact.

Even if the team wasn’t an outright favorite to win the championship, there was no way the Blue Eagles were going to slip under the radar. Not when the team had the reigning Most Valuable Player in Rabeh Al-Hussaini, the Defensive Player of the Year Nonoy Baclao, the Rookie of the Year in Ryan Buenafe, and other blue chip players. Since the basketball program was implemented a decade ago, the team has consistently made the Final Four and made the championship round five times. Every team got up to play the Blue Eagles.

Yet if people expected them to win in Season 72, almost no one imagined that they could have at one point duplicated the previous year’s effort when they went 16-1.

But as the champs won their 14th straight match (dating from the previous season), it seemed an unlikely story as Ateneo was winning even without putting up spectacular numbers or whopping individual statistics. They were winning ugly even as their individual stars were struggling at one point or another. That left opponents with a chilling thought—what more when they get their act together?

As the team with a diesel engine went through a hell of an opening week where they faced the feu Tamaraws, the University of the East Red Warriors,

and the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers—all of them legitimate contenders and eventual Final Four survivors—and dispatched them in varying fashion, the team felt cocky. As polite as they were about their chances, they privately felt that some games were won even without setting foot on the court. It was a disturbing sign and one that would come back to haunt them as the tournament progressed.

In the team’s fourth assignment, they were pitted against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. Had the Maroons had Fil-Am Mike Silungan in uniform they would be considered a contender since they have a veteran line up of good players complimented by promising rookies. But Silungan was disallowed to suit up just before the season began and up was downgraded to a “dark horse contender.” With up 0-3, Ateneo paid dearly for taking the Maroons lightly. The Diliman team played inspired ball as they stripped their Katipunan neighbors of their blanket of invincibility for the Blue Eagles’ first loss.

In a league like the uaap where the basketball season could be as short as 14 games or as long as 19 games, every win counts. The league can be a little more predictable as the perennial powerhouses—Ateneo, La Salle, ue, and

The CrowndefeNded

If the first title was a journey, the second consecutive crown was a mission.

by Rick Olivares

feu—promise to be in the championship picture year in and out. But every win counts even for the four traditional powers who jockey for the top two seeds’ crucial twice to beat advantage.

The loss to up put Ateneo on level with feu while ust and ue remained within striking distance. Archrival La Salle, on the other hand, was surprisingly somewhere in the bottom half of the standings.

In the three years the Blue Eagles made the Finals under head coach Norman Black, they only lost back-to-back games once and that was to ust in the 2006 finals. In those title run years, the team showed an amazing resiliency in bouncing back. During the 2006 eliminations, they lost to ust in the second round of Season 69 by 8 points but the team got back on track with a 27-point demolition of nu.

continued on page 19

Photo by Nono Felipewww.fabilioh.com

Photo by Nono Felipewww.fabilioh.com