College of Architecture faculty member Ar. Caryn Virginia Paredes-Santillan, Ph.D., Faculty of Arts and Letters mentor Prof. Augusto V. de Viana, Ph.D., and former Chair of the UST Department of History, and Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics Director Prof. Eric B. Zerrudo, Ph.D., participated in the roundtable discussion held recently to discuss the shared history and cultural heritage of Japan and the Philippines. The conference covered topics on anthropology, architecture, arts and culture, heritage conservation, and others.

Santillan talked about “Japanese Influences in Philippine Architecture Before World War II,” while de Viana discussed “Shigeru Nakashima and the Nakashima Shoten: The Story of a Very Popular Pharmacy in Manila Before World War II.” For his part, Zerrudo, participated in the roundtable discussions by addressing the challenges to the cultural sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event’s theme was “Bunka isan no kōsaten: Nihon to Firipin” or “Cultural Heritage Intersection: Japan and the Philippines.” The event highlighted the shared history and cultural heritage of Japan and the Philippines. The conference covered topics on anthropology, architecture, arts and culture, heritage conservation, and others.

Organized in partnership with the Japan Foundation Manila and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the forum was held by Groupo Kalinangan Inc. (GKI). It was the first International Conference on Shared Histories and Cultural Heritage of Japan and the Philippines held by GKI. 

The two-day online conference was attended by local and foreign heritage and cultural experts, historians, architects, and the like.

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Aiming to address Metro Manila’s transportation crisis amid the pandemic, team leader Timothy James Arambulo, and teammates Thomas Benjamin Intal, and Michelle Anne Tanieca proposed their project, “Bayanihan: The Filipino Spirit of Unity Working Together to Achieve a Common Noble Purpose.” In addition to reviving the Pasig River as a transportation hub and installing a hyperloop infrastructure conducive to biking, there are disinfection zones and non-contact ticketing systems that can reduce the risk of disease transmission while re-connecting the cities in Metro Manila. Biking bridges atop the Pasig River made of polyethylene plastic pontoons are also featured

The team was under the supervision of UST Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics research associate Ar. Caryn Paredes-Santillan, Ph.D., and environmental planner Ar. Ruth Marie I. Equipaje, both faculty members of the College of Architecture.

Bangladesh and Indonesia tied with Philippines for bronze, while a team from Vietnam won silver, and the team from Indonesia won gold. Led by ARCASIA Committee on Architectural Education Chairman Ar. Gyanendra Singh Shekhawat, the Panel of Jurors included Ar. Nela De Zoysa, Prof. Pechladdha Pechpakdee, Ar. So Ching, Ar. Adrianta Aziz, and Ts. Idris Taib.

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Ar. Susan G. Petilla and Ar. Armando Eugene III C. de Guzman, both faculty members from the College of Architecture presented papers at the 29th Annual Manila Studies Conference (Webinar Series-Part 2) held on December 18 and 19, 2020 via Zoom. The same conference was also streamed live on the organization’s Facebook page. The two papers collectively had the theme “Manila’s History and Culture.”

During the two-day event, the two faculty members of UST College of Architecture shared their expertise on Manila’s rich heritage. Petilla delivered her paper titled “Strengthening the Architectural Legacy: The Case of Heritage Management in UST and FEU,” where she highlighted the need for heritage conservation plans and heritage awareness to maintain and preserve the two universities’ historical identity.

                In  the same conference, de Guzman presented “Musika at Pelikula nina Constancio at Susana” that focused on the Filipino film industry’s celebrated personalities from the 1940s to the 1960s. The presentation highlighted the achievements and contributions of renowned screenwriter and director Susana de Guzman and distinguished composer Constancio de Guzman.

The papers presented during the conference will be published in “Manila,” the official publication of the Manila Studies Association (MSA). Editors of this annual journal include Ar. Lorelei D.C. de Viana Ph.D., a faculty member of UST College of Architecture, and Dr. Marya Svetlana T. Camacho, Ph.D.

More details about these and the other presentations could be found on the Facebook page of Manila Studies Association.

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The students and professors under the Masters of the Arts in Library and Information Science (MALIS) Program of the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School organized a webinar titled “The Challenging Future of the Library Technical Services in the New Normal.” It was held on December 5, 2020 using the Zoom platform.

Although the webinar was for free, the 130 participants were encouraged to voluntarily donate to #BangonCagayan Donation Drive for those devastated by Typhoon Ulysses in Cagayan Valley. Seeing the catastrophe that has befallen the province, the webinar organizers decided to help with a donation drive by inviting the webinar participants to share. Donations were channeled through GCash and BPI Bank deposit, and the collected donation with complete documentation was forwarded to the Cagayan and Kalinga Apayao (CaAKAp) Librarians Association Inc. through Mr. Michael Pinto, Head Librarian of Provincial Library and Research Center.

The webinar speakers were two experts in the field of librarianship, namely, De La Salle University Librarian Ms. Ana Maria B. Fresnido, who talked about “How Philippine Libraries Adapt and Implement RDA,” and Ateneo de Manila University Rizal Library Head Librarian Ms. Bernadette Mariano Garilao, who discussed “Indexing Filipiniana Materials and Indexing Software: Trends and Challenges.”

Fresnido discussed Resource Description Access (RDA). RDA signifies the radical and global shift in cataloging rules. Designed for the digital world, the coverage of the cataloging rules include: instructions will be a Web tool; instructions cover description of digital resources and resulting records to be used in web environment. According to Fresnido, in academic year 2012-2013, a meeting on the topic “What now for RDA in the Philippines,” was held, facilitated by the National Library of the Philippines.  She likewise explained the best practices for RDA in MARC 21 and mentioned that “KOHA”, an open-source software that librarians can adapt in their respective workplace, is RDA-ready.

Meanwhile, Garilao discussed “Indexing Filipiniana Materials and Indexing Software: Trends and Challenges.” Her lecture consisted of two parts: 1) Indexes and Indexing: An Overview; 2) Indexing at the Rizal Library. She explained that indexes give added value to a document because it helps researchers find materials, which ensures increased collection usage.

As an indexer, Garilao elaborated on the Computerized Index to Philippine Periodical Articles (CIPPA) software used by the Rizal Library of Ateneo; Index to Philippine Newspapers (IPN); Index to Philippine Periodical Articles (IPPA) used by UP Diliman; Health Education Research Information Network (HERDIN), MAHLAP.

Garilao said that “The tools for computer-aided indexing manipulate index entries by alphabetizing and merging the entries and by formatting the entries into a structured index.”

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On December 10, 2020, the Yugto Creations: CIW Livelihood Products online shop was formally launched at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.

Yugto Creations is a special project birthed out of the partnerships of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Graduate School, CIW, and People’s Television Network Inc. (PTV). The shop features products handcrafted by the Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) of CIW. Guided by UST Graduate School Professor Dr. Jenny Ortuoste, the project was conceptualized by her students, namely, Joan Isabel Dela Cruz and Vea Jane Estrada, as part of a marketing plan to promote the CIW industrial shop’s brand presence and increase their sales through digital and non-digital initiatives.

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This was pointed out by Dr. Tatiana Tkacukova, a Senior Lecturer in English Language at Birmingham City University, in the United Kingdom, during the webinar on forensic linguistics held on December 10, 2020 via Zoom. The speaker is a Senior Lecturer in English Language at Birmingham City University, in the United Kingdom.

 Tkacukova, who discussed ‘The Journey into CivilFamily and Family Courts: Access to Justice and Forensic Linguistics,’ provided an overview of the research gaps in language and law, civil and family court procedures, and the role of forensic linguists in accessing legal information and justice.  Furthermore, she shared that forensic linguists serve an essential role in accessing legal information for the law is constructed and interpreted through language. The webinar, which was the fifth that the UST Department of English held on forensic linguistics for the current academic year, was moderated by Department of English Chair Dr. Rachelle B. Lintao.

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Dr. Mark Wenyi Lai referred to political theorists like Kant, Bentham, and Rousseau. He highlighted that striking a balance between state power and individual liberty has always been difficult. However, the collectivism in this context and as seen in China, Taiwan, and their immediate neighbors (Sinosphere) may come in the form of Confucian obedience; likewise, the effective application of technology offers important lessons in this era.  Political collectivism is viewed as collaboration between the government and its citizens utilizing the balance of control and autonomy, a concept posited by Robert Dahl, to maximize the benefits for the people.

Lai underscored the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global economic issues.

Global cooperation is essential to prevent a crisis similar to the pandemic coupled with a host of other disasters. He prodded the political scientists, public administrators, health providers, and scholars to think ahead and contribute to possible solutions before another contagion strikes.

Following the lecture, a panel of experts shared their observations from the perspectives in Public Administration, Political Science, and Public Health: Edwin S. Martin, Ph.D. (Lead Discussant), Noel Lansang, Ph.D., Dennis C. Coronacion, Ph.D., and Marilyn D. Yap, Ph.D. 

Dr. Gina Lontoc, USTGS Coordinator for International Relations, was the Moderator for Panel discussion and open forum; Dr. Elizabeth Arenas, USTGS Faculty Secretary, hosted the Conference program.

Cultural patterns feature in the diverse approaches of countries in their responses to COVID-19. Political theorists may provide lights and shadows, but coronavirus penetrates seamlessly. These were commonly shared in the thread of remarks from the welcome message of the USTGS Regent and Dean of the Faculty of Sacred Theology Rev. Fr. Rodel E. Aligan, OP, S.Th.D., the opening remarks of USTGS Assistant Dean Prof.  Camilla Vizconde, Ph.D,, and the introductory remarks of Professor Belen L. Tangco, O.P., Ph.D., Program Lead of Political Science and Public Administration Cluster.

In his Closing Remarks, USTGS Dean Prof. Michael Anthony C. Vasco, Ph.D., reaffirmed the difficulty in finding a balance between authority and safeguarding the freedom of citizens. He thanked the organizers of the event and everyone for participating in the excellent opportunity of having the academic exercise amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The webinar was attended by 197 participants that included renowned professors, experts and practitioners in the health sciences and social sciences, graduate and undergraduate students, scholars, and researchers of the University, and international students from Taiwan, other Asian countries, and other world’s regions.

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Under this circumstance, two innovative faculty members from the UST Department of Political Science of the Faculty of Arts and Letters were able to take on the challenges of teaching and learning in the so-called ‘New Normal’ as opportunities, and joined their classes for an international lecture with experts from abroad. 

Asst. Prof. Ronald Castillo teaches Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics, while Asst. Prof. Ma. Zenia Rodriguez teaches Gender Studies. Both courses are offered to the current batch of junior political science students at the Faculty of Arts and Letters.  Together, the two faculty members bridged education technology, internationalization, and alumni relations towards a better normal pedagogy by holding an International Professional Lecture in Political Science on December 5, 2020. 

With the hope that this activity becomes a first in a series, the endeavor was an in-class activity for both their courses who got together using a UST-Zoom classroom using the faculty account of one of the professors.  With the help of AB Political Science alumnus, Angelo Brian Castro M.Sc, they invited two researchers from the National Chengchi University, Taiwan, to share practical, research-based insights on International relations and gender studies. 

The first speaker was Mr. Antonio Bolaños Casanova, Jr., MSSC, of the International Doctoral Program on Asia Pacific Studies, who gave a talk on Cross-Straitization of Higher Education: A Harbinger of Cross-Straight Peace.     

 The second speaker, Prof. Chuing Prudence Chou, Ph.D., of the Department of Education, National Chengchi University, spoke on Institutionalized Gender Bias and the Impacts of SSCI and SCI Indexes on Women.

The activity was stimulated by the trainings from UST EdTech and UST CITED for the development of new normal pedagogy and was incorporated into the course plans prepared before the start of the academic year beset by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

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Held on December 11 and 12, 2020 through Zoom, the training, made possible through partnership with the Thomasian Mental Health Responders, aimed to build on the competence of architecture educators to address modernizing technology’s challenges and the issues and challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its four modules complemented with two talks each, the college moved toward its goal of enhancing its architecture education and pedagogy.

The first day of the training focused on building better online educators to address the “New Normal.” The first module, titled “Facing the ‘New Normal’: Paradigm Shift in Distance Learning in Architecture,” was moderated by Ar. Asst. Prof. Jonathan V. Manalad, Ph.D. It included talks by the college Pedagogical Lead Ar. Caryn P. Santillan, Ph.D. and Ar. Ryan Newman, the Director of Design of Aidea Inc. and an Adjunct Professor of the University of Cincinnati. The module opened the growth opportunities in architectural education by understanding how other foreign institutions developed their program.

The second module, titled “Revisit our Professional Responsibilities as Online Educators,” was moderated by  Ar. Santillan. The module included presentations by Asst. Director for Online Mr. Philippe Jose S. Hernandez of the UST Communications Bureau and Actor and Designer Mr. John Moran of Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). The module emphasized the necessity to condition oneself and prepare the environment and the program in doing online teaching—very much like a show or other performances.

The second day focused on the two key actors in education—the learner and the educator. The third module, titled “Future-proofing our Teaching Pedagogy: Preparing the Gen Z Architects” was moderated by Ar. Asst. Prof. Manuel Maximo L. Noche. It included the sharing of Ms. Maria Dascha Uy, Alumnus and Former USTCA Student Council President, and Dr. Lawrence Madriaga, Campus Director, Philippine Science High School-Main Campus. It provided a deeper understanding of the students and how to enable them to perform well in school.

The fourth module, titled “Enabling Architect Educators for the Industry 4.0: Architecture Education + Technology,” was moderated by Ar. Noel C. Cruz who is also the college e-Learning Specialist.

The last module included the shared talks from the Parish Priest of Santisimo Rosario Parish Rev. Fr. Paul Reagan Talavera, O.P. and the Chief Executive Officer of the UST Hospital Rev. Fr. Julius Paul C. Factora, O.P. as well as from Psychologist Aime T. Guarino, Ph.D., of the De La Salle University, Counseling and Educational Psychology Department. The module highlighted the significance of spiritual nourishment and work-life balance in sustaining a healthy online teaching responsibility. Technological advancement and the COVID-19 pandemic brought challenges in architecture education. However, these became opportunities for growth for the institution and its members to thrust itself further forward. With programs like these, the College of Architecture could continue providing quality education and producing talented and skillful future architects. At the same time, the college intends to continue its advancement and recalibration culture to achieve its goal – a quality institution for architecture education here and abroad.

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The Catholic Church in the Philippines looks forward to 2021 because it marks the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines.  Various activities such as conferences are being held by different sectors and organizations as part of the pre-quincentennial celebrations.  

The UST College of Architecture (USTCA) and the UST College of Architecture Alumni Association (USTCAAA), organized the 2nd Liturgical Architecture Conference in line with the celebration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. It was attended by architects, engineers, liturgical designers, students, priests, seminarians, and entrepreneurs.

The online conference served as a venue for exchanging professional practice, concepts, and suggestions about the planning principles on designing Sacred Spaces, the Guild of Liturgical Designers (GOLD) and United Architects of the Philippines-Committee on Liturgical Architecture and Sacred Spaces (UAP-CLASS).

The speakers consisted of Filipino and international experts on Liturgical Architecture, and Sacred Space Design. On the first day,  His Excellency Most. Rev. Victor B. Bendico, DD, Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP),  shared in his keynote speech titled ‘Adaptations in Liturgical Celebrations in View of Safety,’ the impact and changes brought about by the pandemic on administering sacraments and on designing sacred spaces.

 The other speakers were: Engr. Robert Cruz who shared “Principles and Best Practices in Sacred Space Design: The Experience of Vitre Artus”; Ar. Belén Vegas Jáudenes who elaborated on the “Transcendence and Significance of Liturgical Design: The Genesis of Talleres de Arte Granda and the Spirituality of its Founder”; and Dr. Tricia Mein Bruce who talked about “Outside of ’Church’: Transitions in U.S. Houses of Worship Amid Social Change.”

The second day was allotted for five presentations. Ar. Roy De Guzman covered the “Historical Evolution of the Philippine Liturgical Architecture and how are the Churches designed in the Philippines?” while Ar. Jae S. Narciso and Ar. Cielo C. Perez discussed “The New Normal of Sacred Space Design (in view of safety in the time of pandemics and ways forward).” Rev. Fr. Arnel F. Recinto and Mr. Fernando Sajona elaborated on “The Role of the Parish Pastoral Councils in Initiating and Sustaining Initiatives in relation to building Churches”; Ar. Gervasio ‘Joey’ Y. Amistoso spoke about the “Dynamics of Church Design and Building process: The Role of the Liturgical Designers and Community Participation”;  and Ar. EnP. Pedro ‘Sonny’ P. Rodriguez discussed “CSR on Sacred Space Projects: Couples for Christ Global “Build my Church” Program.” The conference, a successful partnership between the academe and the professionals, aimed to enlighten and educate its participants about the basic principles and guidelines of Liturgical Architecture and Sacred Space Design, and ultimately,  to help elevate the level of appreciation of these spaces for their dignity and solemnity

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