Serving as co-managing editor is Ms. Catherine Joy Escuadra while Prof. Valentin Dones, III, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Donald S. Lipardo, Ph.D., and Asst. Prof. Donald G. Manlapaz, Ph.D., are members-at-large of the editorial board.

Also members-at-large are CRS alumni Jeanette Lee, Ph.D. (San Francisco State University and University of California – San Francisco), Lucylynn Lizarondo, Ph.D. (University of Adelaide), and Jeric Uy, Ph.D. (University of South Australia). Mark Apostol (New York City, New York, USA) and Johann Justiniano dela Paz (Atascadero, California, USA) serve as senior manuscript reviewers.

The Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy (PhJPT), published by the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Library in Florida, USA, is an open-access, double-blind peer-reviewed journal managed by the Philippine Physical Therapy Association (PPTA). It provides a dedicated venue for physical therapists and students in physical therapy and related fields in the Philippines and other countries to participate in the production, evaluation, and publication of high-quality research to be delivered to the widest possible audience.

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Department of Biological Sciences Chair Dr. Richard B. Pavia, Jr., emphasized in his opening remarks that one of the most noticeable phenomena after the Enhanced Community Quarantine was declared was the normally ubiquitous ‘urban haze‘ from vehicle emissions that gave way to clearer skylines.

“People started realizing that we do have a large effect, mostly negative, on the environment, but we realized that just by staying home, by not using cars, [the environmental situation wasn’t] as hopeless as they seemed. Since it led to such a remarkable improvement in our immediate surroundings, it gives us hope that if we do more, we really can push environmental recovery,” said Pavia.

However, Pavia warned, with this development came a worrying compromise — a “delivery culture” that increased the use of plastic disposable utensils and packaging materials that are building up in addition to reports that used Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), one-time use only by necessity, are being found washed up on shores and clogging up waterways.

Air quality improvement in time of quarantine

Having begun on the topic of the anthrosphere and the interaction of humans with nature, Cayetano’s lecture focused on why urban environments need particular attention and the impact of air pollution.

Presenting data from the Land Transportation Office showing that the registered motor vehicles in the Philippines have exceeded the 12 million mark as of 2018, Cayetano cautioned that motor vehicle emissions, in comparison to other sources of pollution, produce airborne particulate matter which produces the haze shrouding cities.

This is potentially dangerous because “when we inhale [in polluted surroundings], we take in particles in the atmosphere, and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) may linger in the gas exchange regions of the lungs, which may cause diseases,” shared Cayetano.

The lecture also highlighted the sharp decrease in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) averages from comparing the levels from two weeks prior to ECQ (March 2 to 8) to the sixth week of ECQ (April 20 to 26), as mapped by her colleague Engr. Roseanne Ramos from the University of the Philippines. NO2 is a pollutant that ‘primarily gets in the air from the burning of fuel, i.e., emissions from cars, trucks and buses, power plants, and off-road equipment.’

One of the questions she let the audience contemplate at this point was “Does the population really need to be in quarantine just to attain this air quality improvement?”

Since the quarantine is a temporary solution to a different problem, more efforts need to be undertaken in order to scale back air pollution and improve air quality, especially in urban spaces. Cayetano shared that, in the short term and personal level, the community can avoid unnecessary idling of cars, burning waste in open spaces and smoking in public places. For long-term solutions at the national and local government level, Cayetano echoes the calls of fellow experts to avoid urban sprawl by following proper urban planning, having a sustainable and reliable mass transport system, ceding road space to non-motorized transport systems like bicycles, and switching to clean energy that can power more green cities, among others.

“Human-induced issues and challenges can be solved by human-driven solutions. We must continue measuring the impact of human activities [on the environment] because we can only manage what we know,” she shared with the listeners, adding that if maintaining good air quality is the goal in the ‘new normal’, conscious and responsible choices have to be made in usual human activities.

Currently an Adjunct Research Professor of the International Environmental Research Institute at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, Dr. Cayetano also teaches at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology at the University of the Philippines – Diliman, where she is the Founding Head of the Environmental Pollution Studies Laboratory.

The webinar was held as part of the Modified Enhanced Online Week of Science (MEOWS), which the UST College of Science celebrated remotely in the third academic term.

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The Teacher Education Council (TEC) of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the University of Santo Tomas, Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (RCSSED) will collaborate to bring the “TECOVID-19 Colloquy Series: Understanding Teacher Education Noticing Behavior During COVID-19 Pandemic- Mindfulness, Decision-Making, and Adaptation” on August 29, September 5 and 19, and October 3 and 17, 2020 via the UST Cloud Campus.

The series will provide understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic is shaping and reshaping the ontological, epistemological and axiological directions and attributes of today’s higher education delivery in most parts of the globe. It will describe the contexts and dynamics of teacher education institutions’ internal and external environments that are critical in their overall operations during the pandemic; explicate how challenges, imperatives and implications are calibrated, understood and interpreted by teacher education institutions; and elucidate key strategic responses, policies and guidelines enacted by teacher education institutions at the institutional, program and individual levels.

Additionally, the series will help leaders and program implementers of teacher education Institutions in institution-wide level initiative such as policy design, and support to organization and internal quality assurance systems; in program level which comprises actions to measure and enhance the design, content and delivery of the program within a department or a school; and in individual level which includes initiatives that help teachers achieve their mission, encouraging them to innovate and to support improvements to student learning and adopt a learner-oriented focus.

Speakers are Assoc. Prof. Robert Kleinasser, Ph.D., of the MLFTC-Division of Educational Leadership and Innovation, Arizona State University, USA; Assoc. Prof. Leslie Dietiker, Ph.D., Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Boston University, USA; Shaun Nykvist, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, School of Teacher Education and Leadership, Queensland University of Technology, Australia; and Ee Ling Low, Ph.D., Dean of Teacher Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
The issues to be discussed include: Closing the Digital Divide and Strengthening Distance Learning, Promoting Authentic Learning and Assessment, Developing Student Agency and Metacognitive Skills, Ensuring Support for Students’ Social and Emotional Learning, Redesigning Schools for Stronger Relationships, Expanding Learning Time, Using Formative Assessments that Support Growth, and Sustaining Early Childhood Education Programs.

Expected participants are deans of teacher education institutions, teacher educators, in-service teachers, principals and supervisors.

Webinar Series on ‘Understanding 21st Century Democracy: A Call for Teacher Agency’

������Ƶ of Santo Tomas and Fondazionne Gravissimum Educationis in cooperation with the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) and the Teacher Education Council (TEC) of the Department of Education will conduct the “TECOVID-19 Colloquy Series on Understanding 21st Century Democracy: A Call for Teacher Agency” on August 15/22, September 12, October 10/24, November 14, 2020 and January 9/23, 2021 via the UST Cloud Campus.

The series is divided into three strands, namely: Strand 1: Understanding Democracy as a Human Enterprise, Strand 2: Embracing Democracy as Educational Commitment, and Strand 3: Doing Service Learning as a way to democratize Philippine Society.

It will describe the nature, role, and processes of democracy that shape human affairs; discuss how education serves as a vehicle in advancing democracy and its underlying processes; and apply principles of service learning as education’s proactive contribution to strengthen democracy. The audience for the series are Master Teachers in Social Studies, Regional Supervisors, and Democracy Local Antenna Units in 13 Countries.

The speakers for the August 15 colloquium were Prof. Tina Nabatchi, Ph.D., Director of the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, USA; and Assoc. Prof. Edson C. Tandoc, Ph.D., Director, WKWSCI PhD and Master’s by Research Programs, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Part of the organizers is the Teacher Education Council to which Prof. Allan B. de Guzman, Ph.D., belongs as the Representative for Luzon. He teaches at the UST College of Education and the Graduate School. He is also the coordinator of the Philippine Local Antenna with Prof. Belinda V. de Castro, Ph.D., and Assoc. Prof. Joel L. Adamos, Ed.D., as members.

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Obiena, currently Asia’s top-ranked pole vaulter and World’s #16 according to World Athletics’ list, won the “Finest Pole Vaulter in the World” silver medal on August 17, 2020 by clearing the height of 5.60 meters. “Who’s the Finest Pole Vaulter” was a virtual competition that streamed live the leaps of top pole vaulting athletes directly from their training locations.

The 24-year-old Obiena also won a bronze medal and achieved a 5.70-meter jump at the Diamond League Athletics Meeting held in Monaco on August 15, 2020. Only days before that, he bagged a silver medal at the 13th Triveneto International Meeting in Trieste, Italy, held on August 1, 2020, with a jump of 5.45 meters.

A student of the Faculty of Engineering, Obiena, the first Filipino athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, is currently officially on leave of absence to be able to train abroad. He qualified for the much-awaited Tokyo Olympics with a jump of 5.81 meters that took place in Italy in 2019.

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Aramis Corullo, Paula Casia, Gellaine Burgos, Althea Poblete, and Angelo Landicho submitted their entry titled “WALL-E Transforming Waste into a Floating City to Restore the Sunken Kingdom of Binuangan.” Their project, which competed against over 190 entries from 80 different countries, reimagines ‘future human habitats’ and presents a concept of how to prevent communities from being washed away by creating livable structures from discarded plastic.

The team described their entry as: “WALL-E presents the opportunity to transform the mistakes of the past to build an ideal future.” With the main idea of finding life in the middle of a wasteland, the project is named after a series of old sunken walls that provide foundation for new settlements above the water.

Through utilizing amphibious pods made from recycled plastic waste, the entry attempts to solve problems within the village’s fishing community, namely, the slow sinking of land into the ocean, the lack of proper water treatment and lack of solid waste management.

According to IAAC’s website, upon receiving the proposals on July 15, 2020, the organization made an initial selection of 133 projects that will appear in a special publication made by Actar Publishers and a second selection with 36 projects that qualified as finalists. The jurors were composed of 33 reputable architects and designers.

Having won third place, each team member will receive a scholarship for a Master’s degree at the IAAC as well as a cash prize. According to IAAC’s website, “Given the current global circumstances, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) will study how to support the winners, especially the finalists, interested in continuing to research their proposals in the academic environment of the IAAC.”

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The research is one of the few published studies that have identified inhibitors against nsp15 – a non-structural protein essential to the virus’ evasion of host immunity.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear that inhibiting viral evasion of the host innate immune response perhaps holds the key to tackling COVID-19,” emphasized Macabeo, adding that “Accumulating clinical observations now support that it’s not the effect of the virus per se, but rather the delayed, exuberant inflammatory response, a “cytokine storm”, which is largely responsible for morbidity/mortality from SARS-CoV2. The ability of SARS-CoV2 to evade early immune recognition is mediated by its production of the non-structural protein 15 (nsp15). By inhibiting nsp15, then it would be easier for the immune system to recognize and eliminate the virus.”

The UST team, composed of Mark Andrew O. Mendoza, Justin Allen K. Lim, Jehiel Karsten H. Ong, and Luis Agustin E. Pilapil (Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences); Kin Israel R. Notarte, Adriel M. Pastrana, and Rey Arturo Fernandez (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery); Mark Tristan J. Quimque and Rhenz Alfred D. Liman (Graduate School), and the SJTU researchers Abbas Khan and Dong-Qing Wei found five compounds with promising anti-COVID properties in silico.

Out of 97 metabolites in the study that were aimed to target five SARS-COV2 proteins through two docking protocols, of note was quinadoline B, a fungal-derived natural product. It was found to be multi-targeting and can inhibit multiple enzymes within SARS-CoV2. As Macabeo — a prolific researcher of both natural products and synthetic chemistry — pointed out, quinadoline B was also predicted to have favorable pharmacokinetic properties, which means it has strong potential for an anti-COVID-19 drug.

“The bioavailability and potency of the drug are directly associated with its pharmacokinetics, and in our study, quinadoline B was predicted to be easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract making it a good candidate for oral formulations. In addition to that, the compound was also predicted to have poor blood-brain barrier crossing capacities indicating that as a candidate drug lead, this compound may not be able to cause harm to the nervous system,” Macabeo explained in an online interview.

Having paved a path to develop novel compounds against the COVID-19 disease, Macabeo and his team remain enthusiastic in building upon their results through a follow-up paper. He shared that “We plan to further work on quinadoline B through structural modification to enhance its activity against SARS-CoV2 target proteins. We are in collaboration with a team from Italy where we use artificial intelligence to generate synthetically viable structures. With this work, we hope to discover more potent and selective inhibitors against SARS-CoV2 target proteins.”

An award-winning Thomasian researcher, Dr. Macabeo has been recognized for his outstanding achievements in chemical research including the 2015 Outstanding Young Scientist award in Organic Chemistry, the 2015 The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) award in Organic Chemistry, and the 2013 Merck Young Scientist award. He obtained both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Chemistry degrees from the University of Santo Tomas, and his Doctor of Natural Sciences degree from the Universität of Regensburg – Germany.

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Dominus Est, an online evangelization ministry launched by His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle when he was still the Archbishop of Manila, is headed by its Founding Director Fr. Jason H. Laguerta, who served as reactor for this particular episode. Dominus Est Editor-in-Chief Ms. Margaux Salcedo was the moderator.
Within the 90-minute session, Fr. Timoner spoke on the life of St. Dominic, the mission of the Order of Preachers, and the arrival of the Dominicans in the Philippines. He mentioned that the first community of the Dominican faithful arrived on July 22, 1587, coinciding with the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene, one of the matrons of the Dominican Order.

“It’s very interesting that the historian who chronicled this wrote that ‘this is the arrival of the first barkada’, because the missionaries were on a barka (boat). That word, barkada, came to our language to mean ‘a group of close friends.’ That’s very interesting to me because it tells us something: that these brothers who came were really friends, and people associated that word [referring to a group of missionaries who came by barka] with a group of friends because the community is an evangelizer. So it is not just one person who evangelizes, but rather it is the community, and the credibility of that community will determine the effectiveness of preaching the Gospel.”
Such an arrival was in line with “what St. Dominic asked the first brothers to do, which is to study, to preach, and to build community.”

Salcedo noted during the interaction the Dominicans’ impact on education in the Philippines, pointing out that the Order is known for being educators and establishing schools, such as the University of Santo Tomas, known as the oldest university in Asia, and the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, known as the oldest high school for boys in the country.

Fr. Laguerta also commented that “The Dominicans have contributed to the growth of the faith and the Church in our country, and we can only be grateful for them, including the universities, the beautiful churches, the Doctrina, and of course the Dominicans who continue to preach the Word.”

Touching on the topic of the future of the Church after the celebration of the 500th year since the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021, “I may not know what the Church would look like 50 years from now, but this I know: The future Archbishop of Manila, the future priests of the Philippine Church, are already learning their Catechism now. The future lay leaders of the Philippine Church are already attending Mass in our parishes. The way people are brought up in the faith is important now, because the way they know, live, and assimilate that faith in their life will determine the kind of Church, the kind of nation, we will have 20 or 50 years from now.”
In his closing message, the Very Rev. Fr. Timoner encouraged the Dominican Family to read his Letter to the Order on the occasion of St. Dominic’s Feast Day, which tackles the responsory hymn “O Spem Miram” (O Wonderful Hope).

“It may be paradoxical that we sing this song of hope as we commemorate the departure of Dominic from this life. But it is ‘wonderful’ because Dominic promised that he would be more useful to us when he is already with the Father in heaven. Dominic passed from this life surrounded by his brothers, and that is what hope is: Walang iwanan (No one is left behind), because God abides in the joyful even sorrowful, and glorious mysteries of our lives. God remains with us as our hope: O Spem Miram,” shared the Master of the Order.

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This took the place of the traditional Thomasian Welcome Walk, where — since 2002 — thousands of freshmen symbolically enter the University through the historic Arch of the Centuries at the beginning of each academic year to signify the beginning of their Thomasian life.

The freshmen explored the 21.5-hectare UST-Manila campus and saw its iconic structures, which were re-constructed in detail through Minecraft by around 80 UST students.
The two-hour virtual campus tour located in the UST Minecraft server was held on August 29, August 30, September 5, and September 6, with each academic unit having its own schedule.

ROARientation

With its ROARientation program now solely online, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) continued to bridge the distance among its freshmen at home and invited them to connect with the greater Thomasian community. The week-long online program live streamed through the UST Cloud Campus was held from August 24 to August 28, 2020 .The 97th Rector of UST Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., Ph.D., started the program with an online Welcome Mass and Welcome Rites.

“To the freshmen, the new members of the Thomasian family and community, the road ahead may be a bit rough, and the current situation might take some time getting used to, but it also presents numerous opportunities to discover and successfully navigate new and exciting learning experiences,” said Very Rev. Fr. Ang. The Mass was immediately followed by a Welcome Address from the UST Secretary-General Rev. Fr. Jesús M. Miranda, Jr., O.P., Ph.D.

The “Life at UST” series by Tiger TV became available for asynchronous stream on August 24. Thomasians are known as “Tigers”, and fittingly, “Life at UST” has for its daily themes the acronym “T.I.G.R.E.”: Traditions, Inspiration, Guarantee, Resiliency, and Engagement. Each day of the orientation corresponds to one themed episode.

The first episode features “Tradition” and tackled the history and culture of UST, the Thomasian Identity, school spirit, campus life, and the Thomasian cheers for UAAP games. Among the speakers for this day is UAAP Season 81 and 82 courtside reporter Makayla Chavez. For August 25, the theme of “Inspiration” highlighted Thomasian role models, namely, St. Thomas, St. Dominic, the Thomasian Saints and Martyrs, and its notable alumni that include the National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. UST Vice Rector for Religious Affairs Rev. Fr. Pablo T. Tiong, O.P., and Atty. Mae Diane Azores, the 2019 Bar Examinations Topnotcher for the UST-Legazpi College of Law, were speakers.

“Guarantee” was released on August 26 and introduced new Thomasians to the UST Brand of Education, the Enhanced Virtual Mode, Thomasian perks and advantages, and student services. TV host and UST alumna Winnie Cordero and UST Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Cheryl R. Peralta, Ph.D., led the discussion.

Resiliency” was the topic on August 27, and tackled mental health, the new normal, and Diskarteng Tomasino, with Thomasian scholars and athletes taking part in the conversation. For the final day of the program, “Life at UST” put the spotlight on “Engagements”, namely, the Central Student Council, the Student Organization Coordinating Council, and other student organizations, student affairs, and the Thomasian Code of Honor.

Through the adaptation of community traditions to a web-based medium, Thomasians continue to roar as one.

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Through a video message posted on the official Facebook page of the University, UST Rector Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., Ph.D., extended his gratitude to the seasoned mentors and lauded their academic efforts.

“Our Thomasian teachers, you have truly made a mark in your students’ lives. Retiring is not about leaving; it is about the lasting legacy that you will leave behind as your students face the world armed with the knowledge and values you have taught and inculcated in them. You will always be an inspiration and a beacon of hope to the lives of everyone you have deeply touched. This is the precious gift that the teacher receives — the gift of gratitude, both from your students who look up to you and whom you have inspired to be better versions of themselves, and the University that acknowledges that a higher-learning institution is as good as its teaching force, and the University of Santo Tomas is known to be one of the best universities in the Philippines, largely due to the tremendous role played by its faculty,” said Father Ang.

Acknowledging that this is the first time that the annual tribute is held online, UST’s 97th Rector said that “Today’s event may be a new experience for us all since this is usually held in the University, but it doesn’t mean that [this year’s testimonial for retirees] is less solemn and meaningful.” He added that since the spirit of the occasion is genuinely present, it can be approximated in a virtual environment.

Out of the 37 retirees, Prof. Evelyn R. Laurito, Ph.D., former Chemical Engineering Department chair from the Faculty of Engineering served the longest, having taught for 44 years.

Also in the same group were Office of Faculty Evaluation and Development Director Prof. Editha Fernandez, Ph.D., from the College of Education, and Assoc. Prof. Angelina Silverio from the College of Science, who both served for 43 years. Here is the complete list of retirees for Academic Year 2019-2020:

College of Accountancy

Atty. Jose L. Ngo, Jr. (24 years)

College of Architecture

Asst. Prof. Demeterio D. Alcaraz Jr. (13 years)

Asst. Prof. Armando L. Miranda (23.5 years)

Faculty of Arts and Letters

Asst. Prof. Carmelita V. Cabrera (40 years)

Assoc. Prof. Anita P. Garcia (40.5 years)

Dr. Arlo Luis R. Salvador II (25.5 years)

College of Commerce and Business Administration

Asst. Prof. Carmen E. Mazo (38 years)

College of Education

Assoc. Prof. Aurora L. Domingo (40 years)

Prof. Editha A. Fernandez (43 years)

Asst. Prof. Gliceria May O. Lagniton (30 years)

Assoc. Prof. Zenaida F. Velasco (31 years)

Faculty of Engineering

Prof. Evelyn R. Laurito (44 years)

Junior High School

Ms. Aileen Catherine B. Hernandez (36 years)

Faculty of Civil Law

Atty. Rene B. Gorospe (40 years)

Faculty of Medicine and Surgery

Dr. Eduardo Vicente S. Caguiao (27 years)

Dr. Prof. Ruben D. Cardenas (29 years)

Dr. Stephanie Marie B. Javier (30 years)

Dr. Mary Jocelyn Y. Laygo (36 years)

Dr. Redario C. Laygo (29 years)

Dr. Rolando A. Lopez (36 years)

Dr. Ray B. Malilay (31 years)

Dr. Sandra Teresa V. Navarra (38 years)

Dr. Leoncia N. Olonan (37 years)

Dr. Mary Agnes S. Regal (34 years)

Dr. Prof. Mercy G. Santi (28 years)

Dr. Manuel B. Zacarias (29 years)

College of Nursing

Asst. Prof. Elizabeth D. Cortez (38 years)

Assoc. Prof. Ma. Socorro S. Guan Hing (32 years)

Assoc. Prof. Maria Corazon S. Olayres (34 years)

Faculty of Pharmacy

Asst. Prof. Carmelita C. Cardona (42 years)

College of Science

Assoc. Prof. Mary C. Martin (35 years)

Assoc. Prof. Angelina A. Silverio (43 years)

College of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Asst. Prof. Remedios P. Abuton (30 years)

Assoc. Prof. Evangeline E. Timbang (42.5 years)

The tribute video may be watched through this link: 

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Calumpang and Fr. Agad were recognized for “Love for the Poor,” an outreach program they spearheaded which provides catechism, aid, and sacraments to its recipient community. According to the contestants’ overview message, it has been ongoing for the last five years at a parochial level and they have reached out to about 1,500 families in the Diocese of Dipolog in Mindanao. Because of its success, they are looking into expanding their operations, to support 24,000 recipients from around 4,000 families.

According to its website, the PCM is a “course of formation for priests, lay persons, and members of religious orders who work for the Church in economic and administrative capacities, where students learn a wide range of management skills that prepare them for using the resources of the Church in accordance with Catholic Social Teachings.” The prize for first place is 1000 Euros to help fund the project.

In a video message, Fr. Agad and Calumpang said, “Our hearts are full with joy and gratitude. Thank you for choosing our capstone project. You inspired us to continue our mission works, to reach out to more people, and to evangelize and transform lives.”

The Capstone Projects were evaluated by a panel of judges that included PCM organizers and teachers, Catholic entrepreneurs, managers, investors, and members of the International Business Leaders Advisory Council (IBLAC).

Calumpang, a lay missionary who is pursuing a Licentiate in Canon Law at the University, currently teaches at the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

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