Guests were in for a musical treat as they were welcomed by an ensemble of traditional ethnic instruments from QCPADFI playing as they entered the UST Museum. Renditions of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) Christmas songs and Christmas classics were performed in the museum during the two-day concert.

In addition to the musical performances, students from the College of Fine Arts and Design, under the programs Interior Design and Industrial Design, came up with installations for the yuletide season that transformed the museum gallery into a mystical-themed forest garden filled with varying paper lanterns that lead to the nativity scene depicting the glory of Christ and the joy of creation – this years exhibition theme.

Since 1998, the UST Museum has been hosting Christmas Collaborations with the College of Fine Arts and Design and this year marked the return of Christmas installations in the museum.

The installations, now transferred at the UST Faculty of Civil Law Lobby, can be viewed until January 10, 2023.

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Aga competed in the Wedding Cake Display Category. She was coached by Mr. Reinald A. Andaya and Mr. Kristian Kristoffer A. Roque and assisted by Mikee Dimaano, Rod Villamarin, Patricia Penoliar, and Chandelle Silvestre. They presented a Kapampangan-inspired cake titled Kaku ka, keka ku, which is translated as I am Yours, You are Mine.

Dalipe and Zapata competed in the Young Chefs Category. They were coached by Mr. Elijah J. Coronado. Their two dishes, (1) Steamed Mussels in White Wine with Cilantro Butter, Apple and Onion Salad with Lemon-White Wine Vinaigrette and (2) Chestnut and Mushroom Chicken Roulade, Supreme Sauce, Squash and Carrot Mash with Sauteed Asparagus and Pickled Granny Smith Apples, won them a place at the podium.

There were also other students and academic staff who competed in other categories. Ms. Franchezka De Roxas competed in the French Touch Pastry Category, assisted by Danica Lara and Sofia Paja and coached by Mr. Reinald A. Andaya. Mr. Angelo Gabrielle Lati joined the Bread Showpiece Category, assisted by Sophia Hernandez and Dre Aganinta and coached by Mr. Kristian Kristoffer A. Roque and Ms. Kathlyn Tisha G. Ortaliz.

Mr. Kristian Kristoffer A. Roque, an academic staff of the College, competed in the Global Chef Challenge – Pastry Category.

The UST CTHM delegation was supervised by Ms. Ramona Olga D. Ko, academic staff from the CTHM Department of Hospitality Management.

The Philippine Culinary Cup (PCC) has become the most prestigious culinary competition in the Philippines. PCC takes on an even bigger role in providing the Filipino chefs an internationally-recognized platform to hone their skills and showcase their talents in the culinary field.

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The award is presented annually, since 1979, to selected Southeast Asian writers, generally for lifetime achievement, but sometimes also for a specific work. The awards ceremony is always held in Bangkok, with a member of the Thai Royal Family presiding. Awardees receive a S.E.A. Write Recognition Plaque and a S.E.A.Write Honorarium.

This year, the award presentation ceremony and gala dinner was held in Bangkok’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel. To be honored are awardees for 2019, 2020 and 2021. There were no award ceremonies during those years, due to the pandemic.

Hidalgo is one of the country’s most distinguished writers. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction, a critic and a literary scholar, having published more than 40 books, including 3 novels, 5 short story collections, 4 books of literary criticism, and numerous nonfiction collections. She has received the Carlos Palanca Grand Prize for the Novel, and several National Book Awards (given by the Manila Critics Circle and the National Book Development Board). She has also received lifetime achievement awards, like the Dangal ng Lahi Award from the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards, and the Gawad Balagtas from Unyong ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL). Her latest books are What I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up: Early Apprenticeship of a Writer (UP Press, 2021) and Collected Stories and Tales (USTPH, 2019). Another volume of memoirs is forthcoming.

Aside from heading the UST CCWLS, Hidalgo is Graduate Lecturer IV at the UST Graduate School, teaching Creative Writing and Literature courses. She is also Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines Diliman, where she also teaches graduate courses.

In her extraordinary career, which spans decades, Hidalgo has served as Director of the UST Publishing House, Director of the UP Press, Director of the UP Institute of Creative Writing, and UP Vice President for Public Affairs. She has lived and worked as a writer, editor and teacher in Bangkok, Beirut, Seoul, Yangon (formerly Rangoon), New York City, and, Manila.

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The Bishop, in his homily, shared his reflections on the Holy Spirit and the nature of truth, as held at the core of the University’s motto, “Veritas in Caritate” or truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

“In your [University] motto, truth/veritas is not simply abstract academic truth. Truth and charity, truth and God’s love are one and the same. Truth is not truth if we have not found the love of God revealed in Christ,” said Bishop Casicas, who added that “Everything is there in Christ, but we cannot see it unless a spotlight is shown on it and we are given an eye and heart to see it, that is the Spirit. The greatest gift of the Spirit is to lead us to that truth.”

Bishop Casicas likened life without seeing the truth through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to only seeing facades instead of the entirety of a structure: “It’s like going into this beautiful campus of yours, looking at an old building, and seeing just windows and maybe moss on the walls, but if you studied architecture, then these are not simply windows and columns. They unfold before you the beauty of the building, the beauty that draws you in, that gets your attention.”

“I hope, in your stay here in UST, that truth and charity are one because the Spirit leads you to it, that you do not just see columns or windows, but you see the heart of our faith in Christ and the light of the Spirit. The Spirit is not just a light that shines outside, but one that also shines within,” shared Bishop Casicas.

The Bishop further encouraged Thomasians to “Find that light and spark within you. It leads you to Christ, not just through his sayings or through his works, but you see that everything leads to the Father, to whom he comes from and returns to in love, and the love between them is no other than the Spirit. That’s why the Spirit alone can lead us to the truth that is love and the love that is truth.”

The prelate also noted that having a Mass of the Holy Spirit is a highly regarded tradition for many Catholic schools to begin a new academic year properly. “[When] the Spirit is at work within us, it draws us, and conforms us to the love of God, not romantic, but the crucified, christened love of Christ–That’s the love that we know as Christians.”

“How do we know that we have assumed and played the role of Christ by listening to the Spirit?” asked Bishop Casicas. “If we live a life of self-emptying or being centered on others, being humble and self-sacrificing,” he answered, calling the process the ‘unselfing’.

Unselfing, as defined by the Bishop, is when the self is negated because it finds something or someone greater than itself. This mindset can lead to living out Veritas in Caritate, since much like how the Hebrew word for ‘spirit’ can also mean ‘breath’, one must eventually exhale or share the self outward, rather than keeping or holding it indefinitely, said Bishop Casicas.

He further explained the concept with an example for the community: “How do we know that the Spirit is really at work in UST? When UST is open and makes sacrifices not for what is within. When it becomes more sensitive, serving, humble, sacrificing, not only for what is within its community and the University, but even outside, those in the periphery.”

The Bishop also urged the community to truly live Christ’s core values, cautioning against empty gestures. “We have our traditional pious signs of our Catholic faith. We continue [doing] the sign of the cross, the rosary, Mass, many others, but all of these are empty without ‘unselfing’. Without unselfing, we might be called Catholic, but the Spirit is not in us. Without unselfing, we may be called a Catholic institution, but we will have driven away the Spirit,” Bishop Casicas emphasized.

After Bishop Casicas officially opened the Academic Year 2023-2024 at the end of the Mass of the Holy Spirit or Misa de Apertura, it was immediately followed by the Discurso de Apertura (Inaugural Lecture), which was delivered by Academician Prof. Maribel G. Nonato, Ph.D., the Assistant to the Rector for UST General Santos. She discussed “C.A.R.E. in the 21st Century Academic Institution”.

Regular classes commenced on August 9, 2023, with most classes proceeding via hybrid arrangements through the Enriched Virtual Mode (EVM) of education. ������Ƶ’s health policies, such as masking in crowded areas and indoors, frequent hand sanitization, and thermal screening, among others, remain highly encouraged.

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For this edition, three advanced courses were offered to those who already have a solid background in  forensic linguistics. These were: (1) Authorship Analysis taught by Prof. Tim Grant, the Director of the  Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics (AIFL) at Aston University, Birmingham, UK, (2) Interpreted Interviewing taught by Prof. Georgina Heydon of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University in Melbourne, Australia and (3) Identifying Deceptive Texts taught by Dr. Isabel Picornell of QED Limited, UK. All three are past presidents of the International Association for Forensic and Legal Linguistics (IAFLL).

            As distinguished forensic linguists, Grant, Heydon, and Picornell have served numerous times as expert  witnesses in court cases in the UK and Australia and have helped solve criminal cases by providing evidence in court through detailed linguistic description and methodological rigor on how suspects, witnesses, and victims use language.

Since the goal of forensic linguistics is to avoid the miscarriage of justice and to help improve its delivery in any legal setting, Grant, Heydon, and Picornell trained participants to: analyze the features of texts, letters, email messages; identify features of fraudulent emails and police transcripts that highlight deception; profile the author of such texts; and conduct investigative interviews that adhere to the PEACE (Preparation and Planning, Engage and Explain, Account, Closure, and Evaluate) model used by the police in interviewing suspects and witnesses.

This is the second time that UST has hosted the summer school. The first one was held in 2016 at the UST Graduate School, during its 12th edition. The International Summer School in Forensic Linguistic Analysis  (ISSFLA) is managed by Prof. Malcolm Coulthard and the training sessions are usually held in Europe.

ISSFLA 17 was made possible through the efforts of Dr. Marilu Rañosa-Madrunio, the course  coordinator, and Dr. Isabel Picornell, the course director. The goal of the ISSFLA training is to advance the field of FL in the country with the participants conducting FL research in their own respective regions.

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The Math majors were led by Dr. Grace Thanatporn, Head of VRU Mathematics Department, and Dr. Kamonwat Phuwichit, Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University.

After their courtesy visit to the Office of International Relations and Programs (OIRP), the participants toured areas of the UST Junior High School and Senior High School Programs. Co-teaching was also done at the Education High School together with 4th year BSE Math Pre-Service Teachers.

They also attended lectures on innovative teaching of Mathematical concepts with UST Education students, as well as on Filipino culture and heritage.

Through the ACE program’s discipline-specific training sessions and culturally immersive activities, foreign students do not only develop leadership skills and critical thinking, but also gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures, traditions, and customs.

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This year, new Thomasians were introduced to UST’s context and culture through a series of talk shows that focused on the themes of Tradition, Inspiration, Guarantee, Resource, and Engagement.

The Virtual ROARientation on August 2, which was live-streamed via the official UST Facebook account (@UST1611official) and the UST Tiger TV account (@USTigerTV), presented the University’s policies and services to the students and parents. The discussions also focused on the academic, research, and spiritual life in UST, health and wellness, student safety and comfort, University communication, and student engagements.

The in-person ROARientation on August 5, with a culture-based orientation, engaged the students in interactive games and various activities. New Thomasians can earn prizes, learn the sports cheers for school spirit, and immerse themselves into the dynamic culture of the Thomasian community.
UST Rector Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., and Vice Rector Rev. Fr. Isaias D. Tiongco, O.P., led the Eucharistic celebrations for the morning and afternoon sessions, respectively, and concelebrated the Masses with the Dominican Fathers.

Immediately after the ROARientation, freshmen joined the annual tradition of the Thomasian Welcome Walk, where students enter the historic Arch of the Centuries to symbolize the beginning of their Thomasian life. Led by the UST Secretary-General Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., EHL, and the administrators of each academic unit, the students were met with cheers and drum beats upon entry through the Arch.

Since 2002, hundreds of thousands of Thomasian freshmen have walked through the Arch at the start of each academic year. For the freshmen of 2023, their entry on August 5 began the cycle that will end in a few years at their Baccalaureate Mass, when they will exit through the Arch. UST holds its traditions involving the Arch of the Centuries in high regard because the Arch was the original gateway of the University back in its Intramuros campus. It was reassembled piece by piece in the Sampaloc campus after World War II and serves as a reminder of the University’s rich history.
After entering the Arch, the new Thomasians joined the Thomasian Welcome Party, which featured P-Pop sensations BINI and BGYO, and Thomasian talents Anton Stefano and JC Herrero. While the freshmen watched live at 7:00 PM at the Quadricentennial Pavilion, other students and fans outside the Thomasian community can revisit the livestream, which is still available on the UST Tiger TV (@USTigerTV) Facebook page.

On August 4, the University of Santo Tomas officially opened the Academic Year 2023-2024 with the Misa de Apertura (Mass of the Holy Spirit), presided over by the Bishop of Marbel, South Cotabato, His Excellency Most Rev. Cerilo Alan U. Casicas, D.D., and the Discurso de Apertura (Inaugural Lecture), which was delivered by Academician Prof. Maribel G. Nonato, Ph.D., the Assistant to the Rector for UST General Santos. She discussed “C.A.R.E. in the 21st Century Academic Institution”.

Regular classes commenced on August 9, 2023, with most classes proceeding via hy-flex arrangements through the Enriched Virtual Mode (EVM) of education. ������Ƶ’s health policies, such as masking in crowded areas and indoors, frequent hand sanitization, and thermal screening, among others, remain highly encouraged.

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Representing the APIYN in the G7 Hiroshima Summit Prayer and Symposium, Medina and Argao led the participants in prayer with Argao using the local dialect of Kapampangan in his prayer. Argao also served as a speaker during the symposium, focusing on the importance of disarmament and the role of youth in peacebuilding.

In the APIYN Executive Committee Retreat Meeting, discussions on the future projects and programs of the organization were planned under the leadership of Argao. The plans included in the APIYN 2026 Agenda focus on disarmament, youth peace and security, and sustainable development goals, which were all presented to Dr. Yoshinori Shinohara, Secretary General of the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace.

APIYN released its statement on the G7 Summit titled “Peace through Peaceful Means: A Call to G7 Hiroshima Summit Leaders to Abolish Nuclear Weapons”. Medina and Argao capped their Japan trip by participating in the 50^th anniversary of the WCRP Japan Youth Committee.

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The Father Rector thanked the business tycoon for SMC’s support to the University. In July, Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of SMC, formally expressed its support for the UST Growling Tigers.

Likewise, the Father Rector congratulated the architects Siao and Ana Ling for their continuous success in their field. JSLA Architects has been one of the leading architectural firms in the country, known for the designs of the Mall of Asia Arena, the SMX Convention Center, and the development planning of the Regina RICA in Tanay, Rizal.

Also present in the event were administrators of the University and officers of the UST Research and Endowment Foundation, Inc. Among them were Prof. Maribel Nonato, Ph.D., Engr. Siegfried Prado, Mr. Levine Lao, Mr. Cristian Naval, and Mr. Lewelen Arcaya.

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Pursuant to the Legal Education Board (LEB) Memorandum Order No. 19, Series of 2018, the LEB Chairperson Atty. Anna Marie Melanie Trinidad confirmed the authority of UST to migrate the Bachelor of Laws (Ll.B.) to the degree of Juris Doctor (J.D.) and reissue diplomas to the graduates fitting the criteria of having passed the bar examinations, obtained their license to practice law, and previously obtained the Bachelor of Laws degree.

UST Faculty of Civil Law Dean Atty. Nilo T. Divina acknowledged the graduates’ hard work, saying, “When you started your studies here in UST, each of you had your reasons for becoming a lawyer… It took a lot of tenacity, sacrifice, and grit to cross the finish line and reach where you are today.”

“When you have graduated from the University, you may have realized it was not an endpoint, but a point of departure. Similarly, the conferment today is another flight of yours to soar higher and pursue other dreams and aspirations,” said Dean Divina, who noted that this day was historic, for it marked the first Juris Doctor conferment ceremony of the Faculty of Civil Law and also served as the biggest assembly of Thomasian lawyers so far.

Dean Divina also relayed to the graduates a message from Supreme Court Chief Justice Hon. Alexander Gesmundo, who wrote “Kindly extend my regards to the Thomasian lawyers and exhort them to remain devoted to the pursuit of truth and promotion of justice under a regime of liberty and democracy.”
UST Faculty of Civil Law Regent Rev. Fr. Isidro Abaño, O.P., said “We hope that, as UST was once your home during your formative years, it remains gratefully etched in your heart that UST will always be your home where you are always welcome with such esteem.”

In the Message of Accession, UST Secretary-General Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., EHL, urged the graduates to recall the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas to illuminate, rather than merely shine, saying, “Let us embrace this journey with a profound sense of purpose, for we have been called to become advocates for justice, champions of the downtrodden, and protectors of the dignity inherent in every human person. Your actions, no matter how small they may seem, can send ripples of transformation throughout the Church, the nation, and the global community. “

Dean Divina and Fr. Coronel led the candidates for the Juris Doctor degree in the ceremonial wearing of the JD sash.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Hon. Amy Lazaro-Javier, an alumna of the Faculty of Civil Law Class of 1982, delivered the inspirational message. Noting the UST Faculty of Civil Law’s over 400 years of history as the oldest school of law in the nation, Javier said “Every time there were major changes and upheavals in Philippine governance, in Philippine society, in the Philippine legal environment, our alma mater has always been there and continues to endure. Truly, we come from a tradition of surviving challenges and finding opportunities to flourish.”

Associate Justice Javier also explained the rationale for the name change, saying “The Juris Doctor is considered as a professional doctoral degree in jurisdictions where the basic law degree is a graduate level degree. On the other hand, the Bachelor of Laws is commonly used when the entry requirement in basic law courts is a senior high school diploma. The use of ‘Bachelor of Laws’ also creates an erroneous perception that the basic law degree is equivalent to other bachelor’s level degrees. It goes without saying that there was nothing ordinary in the way we earned our Bachelor of Laws; we just need to rebrand to retain our relevance during these times of change and changing perceptions about the legal profession.”

UST Law Alumni Association President and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Hon. Ronald Moreno, an alumnus from the Class of 1995, led the recitation of the Thomasian Pledge, before Dean Divina concluded the conferment ceremonies with his words of thanks.

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