Fr. de la Rosa’s long-standing column, Through Untrue, which appears every Sunday in the Manila Bulletin was the winning entry for this year’s CMMA. The column, which began in 1990, was part of five entries. Several of his writings have been compiled in two books, namely, “We Become What We Love” (published by the UST Publishing House) and “Sole to Soul: A Journey to Joy and Happiness” (published by St. Pauls).

A prolific writer, fr. de la Rosa has written over two hundred columns, on top of the award-winning publication “History of the Filipinization of the Religious Orders in the Philippines: Beginnings of the Filipino Dominicans,” which won the National Book Award in History in 1991. He likewise received the Catholic Authors Award in 1996 from the Asian Catholic Publishers and the Archdiocese of Manila.

The post Fr. de la Rosa wins 2022 Catholic Mass Media Award for Best Opinion Column appeared first on University of Santo Tomas.

Care, service, humility
In his homily, fr. Cadoré, himself a medical doctor prior to becoming a priest, reminded the medical staff and the Thomasian community about the theology of care in the hospital setting, particularly that which is found within a Catholic university. Reflecting on the Gospel of the Paralytic, the Master emphasized that “[the hospital] community…takes care of sick people, and in a certain way, the University hospital is entrusted by humanity to take care, in the name of humanity, of each sick person coming here.”

Recognizing medicine as the melting pot of brains and talents, fr. Cadoré highlighted the need for technical competence and skills, but also stressed that this must be coupled with humility. “At one point, we all have to give all our knowledge, our energy, to take care [of the patient] and then, take a step back and let Him cure those [whom] He entrusted to us. This patient is not just your patient…and the profession of care requires this humility, to let the One who cares most, restore the patient.”

The Master likewise reminded the medical staff that more than just curing maladies, physicians and allied health professionals do something else for patients: “The care is always aimed at restoring the patient’s ability to carry out his or her health with confidence and support of all. We are here to take care, to cure sometimes, but more than all, to give once again confidence to each patient in his own life, his or her own capacity, ability to live among the human community.”

The dream and the patience
In his message, former Hospital Chief Executive Officer and incumbent University Rector said that the project was inspired “by a truly noble aim. It is the genuine dream in everyone’s heart to be of service to the Filipino people that kept this project going and in particular, to address the academic needs of the community of the University.”

Fr. Dagohoy thanked the Hospital administration for seeing the project through, and added that this new building “adds a new dimension to the Hospital as it continues to trailblaze in the areas of healthcare and service with the most highly trained medical specialists, with good hospital facilities and equipment, and competent and pleasant staff, which make patient experience more akin to getting well than feeling ill.” In a special way, the Rector thanked all those who worked for the building’s completion, such as the architects from the firm of former Architecture Dean John Joseph T. Fernandez, the engineers, the maintenance personnel, and security, all of whom “worked tirelessly to make this building presentable for us today.”

On its own two feet, standing proudly, in the service of humanity
UST Hospital Chief Executive Officer Fr. Manuel F. Roux, O.P., MHA noted that because the old edifice was meant to be a school building, it was not necessarily a perfect fit for a hospital setting. Thus, the dream was conceived to build one to house state-of-the-art facilities that will best satisfy the requirements set by regulatory and accrediting bodies.

Fr. Roux provided the audience with a glimpse of the history of the edifice and how the story was a journey of overcoming obstacles along the way: “The path to the dream was not easy.” Fr. Roux acknowledged that the edifice as it was inaugurated had several versions prior to its completion. “Today, the University of Santo Tomas Hospital continues to stand on its two feet, with no syndicated loan from any bank whatsoever, and continuously progresses,” claimed Fr. Roux. “This is largely thanks to our finance wizard,” pertaining to UST Hospital’s Director for Finance and Administration Assoc. Prof. Isidora A. Lee.

Fr. Roux highlighted that the reforms that began during the incumbency of former Rector fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P., who was also the Hospital COO at the time of his leadership, have been carried on up to the present, in the form of the OpCom or the Operations Committee.

Fr. Roux likewise noted that it was during the Rectorship of fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P., who also was instrumental in the Hospital’s financial recovery prior to his election as University Rector, that the plans for a new Hospital building were commissioned to former Architecture Dean John Joseph T. Fernandez. It was Fernandez’s firm that designed the present structure, with the construction contract awarded to Hilmarc’s Corporation.

All throughout the construction of the building, Fr. Roux highlighted that the cooperation of everyone ensured the unhampered operations of the Hospital and the continued formation of students from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, “within the framework of Catholic education in the Dominican tradition.” Added to these educational efforts is the 2017 launch of the biannual, open-access Journal of Medicine – University of Santo Tomas (JMUST), “where the researches of our doctors can be published,” Fr. Roux said.

Finally, Fr. Roux highlighted that true to its mission, the UST Hospital intensified its outreach and indigency program. “Today, more than 1,800 patients benefitted from various programs that were given for free, such as child and adult wellness programs, hernia repair, breast cancer surgeries, thyroid surgeries, heart mission, and many more.” This initiative was recognized recently by HealthCare Asia Magazine, which awarded the UST Hospital the Corporate Social Responsibility of the Year 2019. Fr. Roux shared that “through this award, we were able to share our model to the Asia-Pacific community to inspire them to do the same so that together we can change the world of more of our less fortunate brothers and sisters.”

“The St. John Paul II Building is a testimony to the commitment of the UST Hospital to uphold and promote its tradition of compassionate healing and caring,” reiterated Fr. Roux.

Saints of healing
The new edifice bears the name of St. John Paul II, who visited the University in 1981 and 1995. Attributed to the beloved Polish Pope, who died in 2005, are two miracles of healing that led to his beatification and canonization, the miraculous healing of a nun and a woman, both of whom were terminally ill and were deemed beyond healing through medical means.

The old edifice, which began as the building of the College of Education, currently houses the Private Division. This edifice will remain to be part of the UST Hospital and will be named the St. Vincent Ferrer building. St. Vincent Ferrer is the 15th-century Dominican friar to whom hundreds of miracles of healing are attributed. In an article by Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P. in Aleteia, noted that in St. Vincent Ferrer’s lifetime alone, 873 miracles were already recorded, as well as at least 70 exorcisms, and 28 cases of raising people from the dead, as witnessed by Dominican Saint Antoninus of Florence.

The post UST Hospital inaugurates eleven-story St. John Paul II building appeared first on University of Santo Tomas.

On Living Life with Magnitude
In his homily during the solemnity mass, former Rector Rev. Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P. differentiated the saint from celebrities, “The saint does not recede into the past. He remains a person of the present. Saint is not just remembered, he is addressed.”

“We bring him [the saint] our deepest pain, our requests for healing, and our praises to God,” he said.

Moreover, according to de la Rosa, St. Pope John Paul II taught us how to die. “If you want to die a happy death, if we want to be assured of remembrance even if we are no longer here, love. Show the unconditional love of God, and feel how much God loves you.”

The Wounded Healer

Santisimo Rosario Parish Parochial Administrator and Regent Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P. said in the concluding mass that St. Pope John Paul’s “woundedness” led him to his devotion to the Church.

“He saw poverty in Tondo and the refugees to Bataan. For him, that is woundedness in the Church,” Coronel said.

In 1981, St. Pope John Paul II survived the assassination attempt by Ali Agca at the St. Peter’s Square. After recovering from the incident, St. Pope John Paul II visited Agca behind the bars to forgive him.

The two kept in touch until the Pope’s death.

“It was his woundedness that healed Ali Agca, which transformed his heart,” Coronel said.

Moreover, St. Pope John Paul II asked for forgiveness for millenia’s worth of the Church’s wrongdoings, including the excommunication of Galileo, and the persecution of Jews. “He himself is wounded but with that kind of gesture, he is healing.”

“He travelled to the continents of the world to tell the world of His love,” Coronel said.

Born Karol Josef Wojtyla, St. Pope John Paul II passed away on April 2, 2005. He visited the University in 1981 to beatify St. Lorenzo Ruiz, and in 1995 to celebrate the closing mass of the World Youth Day Tour.

The devotees venerated the blood relic after the mass to see it one last time in the UST grounds, until it was returned to the Archdiocese of Manila.

#PopeJohnPaulII
#CatholicChurch

The post UST venerates blood relic of Saint Pope John Paul II appeared first on University of Santo Tomas.

Now in its 20th year, the theme for the celebration was, “Dalawang Dekadang Pagpapala, Pasasalamat, at Pagdiririwang sa Tagumpay ng Gurong Tomasino.” (Two Decades of Blessing, Gratitude, and Celebration of the Success of Thomasian Teachers)

In his message, UST Rector , commended the appropriateness of the theme, “…sapagkat sa nakaraang dalawang dekada ay maraming Tomasinong guro ang naglaan ng oras at panahon sa pagtuturo ng mahusay, sa patuloy na pagsasaliksik at paglikha, sa pagtulong sa pamayanan at paglilingkod nang tapat sa Unibersidad.” (…because in the last 20 years, many Thomasian mentors have dedicated their time to excellent teaching, continued research and innovation, and being active in the community and loyal service to the University.)

However, the Father Rector also emphasized that the true success of teachers lie not in the number of years of service, and cannot be measured by the number of awards received or research works produced.

“Kung susuriing mabuti, malaking bahagi ng kanyang tagumpay ay mamamalas sa kinalalagyan, o kalidad at antas ng pamumuhay ng mga magaaral na dumaan sa kanyang masusing pagtitistis at pagtatasa, at matiyagang paghuhubog sa kanilang mga kamalayan, upang maayos na matimbang ang katuwiran laban sa kamalian, matutuhan ang tamang paraan kung paano umiwas sa mga panlilinlang, at magkaroon ng lakas ng loob na manindigan sa katotohanan,” Fr. Dagohoy explained. (If we would contemplate it, a large part of [a teacher’s] success is manifested in the status or quality and level of living of students passing through their thorough scrutiny and assessment, and patiently molding their consciousness, in order to properly weigh out righteousness against error, to learn the right way to avoid deceptions, and to have the courage to stand up for the truth.)

Quoting the philosopher George Steiner, the Father Rector reminded the faculty of their mission, “To awaken in another human being powers, dreams beyond one’s own; to induce in others a love for that which one loves; to make of one’s inward present their future; that is a threefold adventure like no other.”

Former University Rector and former Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education Rev. Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P., was the guest speaker. In his address, he challenged faculty members to remember that teaching is not merely a profession, but also a profound vocation.  He discussed, “[As God’s call,] a vocation is a fundamental decision in life, defines the person’s presence in the world, expresses one’s deepest identity, and orients one’s actions towards destiny.”

Following the address was the awarding of the Gawad Benavides or the service awards for milestone years. Thirty-seven faculty members received the Gawad Benavides for 20 years, while 38 mentors were awarded for 25 years of service. Twenty received the award for 30 years of service, and 23 were lauded for 35 years of service.

For 40 years of service in the University, eight were recognized, namely: ., from the ; Asst. Prof. Carmelita Cardona and Assoc. Prof. Rodolfo Rabor from the ; Prof. Ma. Corazon Zaida Gamilla, M.D., Prof. Josephine Lumitao, M.D., and Assoc. Prof. Edgardo Orlina, M.D., from the ; Assoc. Prof. Ma. Rebecca Penafiel from the ; and Assoc. Prof. Evangeline Timbang from the . Dr. Gamilla gave the response on behalf of all awardees.  

The Gawad San Alberto Magno, a special award for outstanding published research, was given to , of the Faculty of Pharmacy under the Health Sciences category (Immunology of a Fap2 peptide mimotope of Fusobacterium nucleatum and its potential use in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer); Asst. Prof. Andrea G. Vargas, Ph.D., of the Faculty of Pharmacy under the Science and Technology category (Cloning molecular analysis, and developmental expression of 3 oleosin cDNA isoforms in coconut [Cocos nucifera L.]); and Assoc. Prof. Moises Norman Z. Garcia, Ph.D., and Assoc. Prof. Maria Rosario Virginia C. Garcia, Ph.D., of the under the Social Sciences and Education category (The Environmental Literacy of Elementary School Teachers based in the City of Manila and Nueva Ecija Province). , of the under the Humanities and Cultural Studies category and for outstanding publication, namely, for his research work “Ang Tagalabas sa Panitikan” while his book “Ang Nawawala” earned him the Outstanding Book award under the Humanities and Cultural Studies category.    

The Gawad San Lorenzo Ruiz is given to those with outstanding achievements or are recognized in the national or international scene. The awardees were: College of Science mentors , who received the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award and ., who was named  2018 Outstanding Young Scientist in Pharmaceutical Sciences by the National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines, and Novartis Next Generation Scientist by the Novartis Pharma Switzerland; Faculty of Arts and Letters mentor Mr. Paul A. Castillo who won the third place in the Talaang Ginto Makata ng Taon 2018 given by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino; faculty member and Director who was named Greatest Individual for Education Inclusion in the 2017 Edu Tech Asia Awards by the EduTech Asia / Terrapin; Faculty of Pharmacy Dean , who was named ‘Outstanding Pharmacist’ in the 2018 Outstanding Professional of the Year Award by the Professional Regulation Commission; and Dean Prof. Patricia M. Empleo, Ph.D.,  who was named to the Global Accounting ‘Hall of Fame’ by the Institute of Certified Management Accountant.

The board of judges was composed of academics in the various disciplines, and literary writers:  Arnold V. Hallare, Dr. rer nat., Hope Sabanpan-Yu, Amaryllis T. Torres, Alfred A. Yuson, Galileo S. Zafra, Ph.D., Maricar W. Ching, Ph.D., Evelyn A. Songco, Ph.D., Edilberto P. Manahan, Ph.D., Junie B. Billones, Ph.D., Mark Anthony D. Abenir, DSD, and Esperanza C. Cabrera, Ph.D.

The post 138 faculty members receive distinction at 20th Dangal ng UST Awards appeared first on University of Santo Tomas.