BOR selects new
chancellors for UPM, UPLB, and UPV
Rod P. Fajardo III
The
UP Board of Regents, at its 1200th meeting on September 22, appointed
Dr. Ramon Arcadio as chancellor of UP Manila (UPM), Dr. Luis Rey I.
Velasco as chancellor of UP Los Baños (UPLB), and Dr. Glenn D.
Aguilar as chancellor of UP Visayas (UPV).
All three new chancellors will serve
a three-year term from November 1, 2005 to October 31, 2008.
Arcadio: Bastion of truth
Arcadio envisions UPM to be “the center of academic excellence
for the fields of health, natural sciences, social sciences, and the
humanities” and an “undisputed center of leadership and
social commitment, an advocate of the interests of the marginalized
and the underserved, and a bastion of truth and integrity.”
Moreover, Arcadio aims to make UPM a
model for gender-responsive, appropriate education, and service in the
health sector. These components, he says, will be achieved by a balance
between science and technology and social science and the humanities,
between traditional and innovate curricula, between faculty-oriented
and student-oriented instructions, and between national interests and
global concerns. Of students, Arcadio says, “I envision UP students
who are the best in terms of mind, spirit, and character…committed
to psychosocial and technological needs of Filipino communities and
global societies.”
Velasco: From rural sciences
to social sciences
To keep UPLB relevant and responsive, Velasco believes that it should
be able to transform itself from being the country’s forerunner
in rural sciences to being a national center of excellence in the natural
and social sciences, engineering, agriculture, and the environment.
In this day and age of technological
breakthroughs and increasingly borderless communities, Velasco is aware
that his vision for UPLB requires “a new set of knowledge and
expertise characterized by a sound background in new interdisciplinary
sciences.” This means that, among other things, UPLB must focus
on distinctive excellence, relevance, and responsiveness in academic
programs.
As a research university, Velasco thinks
that UPLB should build its academic programs around niches that will
respond to and anticipate major national needs.
Velasco sees UPLB as a huge corporate
enterprise with many local and international institutions that contribute
to its attractiveness as an education institution. He says that these
relationships are complex and need to be managed and nurtured for the
faculty, students, and administrative staff.
Aguilar: Intellectual activism
For UPV, Aguilar wants to “ensure an atmosphere of intellectual
activism and enable the attainment of wisdom” by, among other
things, making full use of available technologies. “Information
technology is now a critical infrastructure and is indispensable in
the University where knowledge is the major commodity,” he explains.
In view of the exodus of UPV’s
faculty members who were pirated by private schools that offer a much
higher paycheck or lured by more lucrative prospects abroad, Aguilar
says that “there is an urgent need to provide faculty members
and staff with a reason to stay.” One way to do this, he points
out, “is by providing challenges that consume energies and engage
to the full extent their [faculty and staff] expertise and imagination.”
Aguilar also envisions a “research
culture where all faculty and REPS (research, extension, and professional
staff) conduct studies and publish with students who are developing
interest in research.”
Aguilar admits that he feels a certain sense of “trepidation and
awe at the prospect of leading [UPV]” but, at the same time, he
is aware that “I could not back down from the challenge.”
(With reporting by Lyncen M. Fernandez, UPV-IPO)
Cao at the helm of UPD
Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo
Love
for UP. This is Dr. Sergio S. Cao’s reason for taking on the challenging
task of heading UP Diliman (UPD) for three years. Cao, a long-time University
employee and now the 8th Diliman Chancellor, believes that the University
is an institution deserving of “the best years of our lives.”
During
his investiture on September 7, Cao enumerated the reasons he and numerous
faculty members opt to stay in UP despite meager wages: “Psychic
income” in lieu of the lack of financial rewards; intellectual
discourse; active pursuit of excellence through research; creativity;
critical and analytical thought—all of which thrive in the atmosphere
of academic freedom that the University is known for.
Cao defines a good university as having brilliant students, expert faculty,
and excellent academic programs, which, of course, are all in UP and
he vows to work hard to maintain this distinction.
To
begin, Cao believes a review of the admission system is in order, as
well as a re-evaluation and re-examination of all UPD’s academic
programs. To achieve this Cao vows to aid the faculty by providing incentives
to reward those who finish their doctorate degrees. Rewards will also
be given to those who publish research and creative works in reputable
and strictly refereed journals.
Dormitories
will be rehabilitated and housing projects for the faculty and staff
will be planned with PAG-IBIG. In addition, Cao says his administration
will find ways to help finance the education of the children of the
University’s personnel and institute a program to assist in the
retirement of its academic and non-academic employees. Another goal
is to assist students financially by increasing the number of scholarships
and expanding their provisions.
Because
of the implementation of austerity measures, UPD will cut down on its
expenditures by closely monitoring its financial status, conserving
electricity and other resources, fixing class schedules to avoid teaching
overload, among others. He added that the community must understand
that these steps will not only save money for UPD but will also contribute
to the funds needed for Research Dissemination Grants, Academic Program
Improvement, merit incentives, monetization of leave credits, promotion
budget, and rice subsidy. All these programs, Cao explained, are in
line with UP President Emerlinda R. Roman’s ten-point agenda for
the UP System in the next six years.
Cao
has been in office for six months and shared that he has already learned
so much—both as an administrator and as an individual. There are
always different perspectives in examining a problem, he says. He says
he values consultations and discussions.
He
only asks that the community help him and support the administration’s
programs for improving the University. With this plea, Cao promises
a leadership that is transparent and accountable in its academic performance
and financial management.
Upsilon Sigma Phi
signs MOA with Gawad Kalinga
Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo
A
Memorandum of Agreement between Upsilon Sigma Phi and Gawad Kalinga
(GK) was signed on August 23. GK is a non-stock, non-profit organization
that aims to uplift the quality of life of the Filipino by providing
shelter, health services, education, and livelihood programs to the
poor.
The Upsilon-GK partnership involves
the identification of possible sites for its housing projects, the selection
of beneficiaries, and resource generation schemes for the construction
of houses, funding for livelihood programs, and support for capacity
building.
The beneficiaries will be given the
opportunity to take responsibility for the community and its sustainability.
Local government units, civic organizations, religious groups, student
organizations, student councils, corporations, and individuals who share
the same goals as Upsilon-GK will actively participate in their various
undertakings.
Upsilon Alumni Association President
Danilo Gozo called this partnership “a shift of fraternity rituals”
from the physical violence of rumbles to the physical labor of building
communities. That day, in fact, the Upsilon golden jubilarians donated
P50,000 to a GK site in Laguna.
UP President Emerlinda R. Roman, who
witnessed the signing, proclaimed that the Upsilon’s initiative
is a heroic response to our country’s call for rehabilitation
and that the fraternity has “gone beyond UP and reached out to
help alleviate problems that plague most Filipinos.” She further
said that UP would help this endeavor by talking to UP alumni about
the Upsilon-GK projects. President Roman is hopeful that other organizations
will follow Upsilons’ lead in becoming better members of society.
New UP Officials
The
Board of Regents (BOR), at its 1199th meeting on August 26, 2005, approved
the appointment of the following officials:
UP
Mindanao
Prof. Antoinette B. Hernandez
Vice Chancellor for Administration
Effective August 15, 2005
To serve at the pleasure
of the Chancellor
UP
Diliman
Prof. Alfredo B. Juinio, Jr.
Officer in Charge, National Center
for Transportation Studies
Effective August 16, 2005
Until August 15, 2006
At its
1200th meeting on September 22, 2005, the BOR approved the appointment
of:
Prof. Salvador
T. Carlota
Dean, College of Law
UP Diliman
(term still being determined
by the BOR as of press time)
UP upholds tradition
of excellence
Rod P. Fajardo III
The
good news keeps coming. More UP faculty, students, and alumni have been
recognized for their accomplishments in their respective fields.
Leading the group is UP President Emerlinda
R. Roman who received the Gawad Dangal ng Lahi during the 55th Don Carlos
Palanca Memorial Awards on September 1. Roman was cited for excelling
in her field of expertise and becoming a role model for the Filipino
citizenry. Roman, moreover, was lauded for “sharing with writers
the common thread of manifesting belief in the capabilities of the Filipino
and expressing their pride in the heritage of the Philippines.”
UN General Assembly
Prof. Leonor M. Briones of UP’s National College of Public Administration
and Governance was chosen by the United Nations General Assembly to
represent civil society and speak at the 2005 Millennium Plus Five Summit
on September 14-16, 2005.
As co-convenor of Social Watch Philippines,
a network that monitors the implementation of government commitments
to social development, Briones has been actively involved in UN-sponsored
national, regional, and international discussions on the Millennium
Development Goals in the country.
New PCHRD-DOST chief
Dr. Jaime Carlos Montoya, a faculty member of UP College of Medicine,
has been named director of Philippine Council for Health Research and
Development (PCHRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Montoya is a practicing infectious diseases specialist in areas such
as malaria, typhoid fever, dengue, leptospirosis, community-acquired
and nosocomial pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, pulmonary and extra-pulmonary
tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
PCHRD, one of the five sectoral councils
under the DOST, is responsible for coordinating and monitoring research
activities in the country. Its primary mandate is health research and
development.
UP ‘alumna’ heads
Tokyo university
Dr. Setsuho Ikehata, the first Japanese academic to have been awarded
the doctorate degree honoris causa by UP, has been appointed president
of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS). She is the first woman
to hold the position in TUFS, the oldest institution in Japan devoted
to international studies.
Ikehata, Japan’s foremost specialist
in Philippine history, went to Manila in 1963 to do research in the
archives on Oroquieta Street in Quiapo. She was based in UP.
Metrobank Outstanding Teachers
Two faculty members of UP won the 2005 Metrobank Search for Outstanding
Teachers. Dr. Diana Aure of UP High School in Iloilo won in the secondary
level category and Dr. Rafael Bundoc of UP Manila in the higher education
category.
Aure and Bundoc each received a gold
medallion, trophy, and cash prize of P200,000.
Anvil & Gold Quill Award
UP National Institute of Physics Director Cesar Saloma was conferred
the Anvil & Gold Quill Award for his “exemplary work as an
educator” during the “A Tribute to Teachers” night
by the Bato Balani Foundation and Diwa Learning Systems.
Saloma was cited for “nurturing
budding scientists into pursuing a field of study that promises to unravel
the mysteries of the universe.”
Magsaysay Essay Writing tilt
UP Diliman journalism student Mary Bianca Consunji copped the grand
prize in the 4th Ramon Magsaysay Student Essay Competition. She received
P100,000 from the Ramon Magysaysay Award Foundation during the awarding
ceremonies on August 30.
In her winning piece, “Passing
on the Torch: Lessons on Respect and Good Writing from Nick Joaquin,”
Consunji shares “that news reporting wasn’t so bad once
I gave my subjects the respect they deserved.” This attitude,
she says, improved not only her news reporting but also her creative
writing.
55th Palanca Awards
UP literati copped the top prizes at the 55th Don Carlos Palanca Memorial
Awards.
The first prize winners are: Dean Francis
Alfar for “Salamanca” (novel); Alfonso I. Dacanay for “First
Snow of November” (one-act play); Reuel M. Aguila for “Baligho”
(dulang ganap ang haba); Alexis A.L. Abola for “The Shakespeare
Guy” (short story); Joel M. Toledo for “What Little I Know
of Luminosity” (poetry); Joseph Rosmon M. Tuazon for “Sa
Pagitan ng Emerhensya” (tula); Karen Manalastas for “Treasure
Islands” (futuristic fiction-English); Lakambini A. Sitoy for
“From the Outlands with Love” (essay) and second prize for
“Shut Up and Live” (short story); Eugene Y. Evasco for “Tag-araw
ng mga Ibong Hilaga” (maikling kwentong pambata) and third prize
for “Segunda Mano” (sanaysay); Agustin Pagusara, Jr. for
“Mga Landas ng Pangarap” (maikling kwento); and Genevieve
L. Asenjo for “Turagsoy” (Hiligaynon short story).
The second prize winners are: Ma. Clarissa
N. Estuar for “Jyan Ken Pon” (full-length play) and third
prize for “Bayad Utang” (dulang pantelebisyon); Domingo
G. Landicho for “Anay sa Dagat na Asul” (maikling kwento);
Raissa Claire U. Rivera for “The Dancers of Malumbay” (short
story for children); Edgardo B. Maranan for “Ang Batang Nanaginip
na Siya’y Nakakalipad” (maikling kwentong pambata); Aurelio
S. Agcaoili for “Metaphor Man and Migrant, I” (essay); and
Edward P. Perez Jr. for “Si Marya at si Kiling” (dulang
ganap ang haba).
The third prize winners are: Allan Lopez
for “Something Happened” (full-length play); Christopher
D. Martinez for “Welcome to Intelstar” (one-act play); Pearlsha
Abubakar for “Espiritu Santos” (futuristic fiction-English);
Maryanne Moll for “At Merienda” (short story); John Iremil
E. Teodoro for “Ang Santo Niño na Walang Ulo” (maikling
kwento); Nikki Alfar for “Menggay’s Magical Chicken”
(short story for children); and Mesandel Virtusio Arguelles for “Una
Prosa” (tula).
2005 National Book Awards
The UP Press scored big in the National Book Awards (NBA) on September
4 for Pidgin Levitations by UP Mindanao Chancellor Ricardo M. De Ungria
for Design; Between the Centuries by Sylvia L. Mayuga and Looking for
Jose Rizal in Madrid: Journeys, Latitudes, Perspectives, Destinations
by Gregorio C. Brillantes, Essay; In Ordinary Time: Poems, Parables,
Poetics 1973-2003 by University Professor Gemino H. Abad, Personal Anthology;
and On Cursed Ground and Other Stories by Vicente Garcia Groyon, Short
Fiction.
Other winners are Dr. Leoncio P. Deriada
of UP Visayas for People on Guerrero Street, Juan C. Laya Prize for
Best Novel in a Foreign Language; Dr. Neferti Xina Tadiar, formerly
with the UP Department of English and Comparative Literature (DECL),
for Fantasy-Production: Sexual Economies and Other Philippine Consequences
for the New World Order, Cultural Criticism Category; Dr. Caroline S.
Hau, formerly with DECL, for On the Subject of the Nation: Filipino
Writings from the Margins 1981 to 2004, Literary Criticism Category;
Paul Blanco Zafaralla (editor) for Rice in the Seven Arts, Art Studies
Category; and Christine S. Bellen, citation for special achievement
for her Lola Basyang series.
CANVAS Children’s Story-writing
contest
Victoria Estrella C. Bravo, graduate of UP Diliman College of Home Economics,
won the top prize in the 1st CANVAS Children’s Story-writing competition
for her story “The Rocking Horse.” Another UP Diliman alumna,
Raissa Claire U. Rivera of the College of Arts and Letters, garnered
an honorable mention for “Treasures I Have Known.”
CANVAS is a non-stock, non-profit organization
committed to promoting broader awareness and appreciation for Philippine
art, culture, and environment. It works with institutions and individual
artists, and writers and artisans in the development of creative entrepreneurial
ventures designed to open new markets and enhance economic opportunities.
Science Awards
UP researchers bagged science awards during the 2005 National Science
and Technology Week of the Department of Science and Technology.
Dr. Cynthia Hedreyda of UP National
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology received the Dr. Eusebio
Y. Garcia Award for Molecular Biology and Molecular Pathology. She was
cited for her “search for unique gene markers and development
of DNA-based protocols which are crucial in the identification, classification,
and detection of target genes in bacteria of genetically modified genes
from corn and soybean.”
Two groups from UP Manila tied for the
second prize (no one won the top prize) of the Gruppo Medica Award for
Outstanding Research in Herbal Medicine. Karla Banaria and Geshiela
Estrelon belong to the first group, and Sheena Aguilar, Precious Gomez,
and Jonalie Sison belong to the second group. Third Prize winners Chelo
Briones, Virgael Luzbeth Dimanlig, and Ella Ponan are also from UP Manila.
Outstanding Scientific Paper
Dr. Marian P. Roque of UP Diliman Department of Mathematics won the
2005 Outstanding Scientific Paper Award for “On the Essential
Spectrum of Differential Expressions with Logarithmically Decaying Coefficients
in Weighted Space.”
The award, which was conferred by the
National Academy of Scientific and Technology, is given annually for
scientific papers published in Philippine scientific or technical journals.
Papers are judged based on quality of content, contribution to science
and technology, clarity of presentation, and thoroughness of documentation.
UP
alumnus wins at int’l filmfest
Filmmaker
Aureaus Solito won the Golden Zenith for Best Fiction Feature Film at
the 2005 Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF) for his digital movie “Ang
Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” (“The Blossoming of Maximo
Oliveros”). The festival was held from August 26 to September
5, 2005 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Solito,
who studied drama at UP, bested 15 other filmmakers from all over the
world in the First Films World Competition section of the MWFF. He also
won the Jury Prize at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival in July
in Manila for the same film.
UPSA wins over Europe
The
UP Singing Ambassadors (UPSA) brought home awards from four prestigious
choral competitions in Europe. The UPSA placed fourth in the
Chamber Choir category at the 28th Prof. George Dimitrov International
May Choir Competition in Varna, Bulgaria on May 22. At the 3rd International
Choir Competition of Sacred Music, Prague, the Czech Republic on June
25, it bagged the grand prize (laureate of the festival) and the first
prize for the mixed choir and chamber choir categories.
At
the 44th C.A. Seghizzi International Choral Competition in Gorizia,
Italy on July 11, the UPSA clinched the first prize (folkloric category),
best interpretation of an obligatory piece, and prize of the public
(People’s Choice). Finally, at the 51st Certamen Internacional
de Habaneras y Polifonia in Torrevieja, Spain, it won first prize (polyphony
category), best interpretation of the Habanera, and Premio del Publico
(People’s Choice).
In honor of Haydee
B. Yorac
Mae Astrid Tobias
Perhaps
it was no coincidence that on September 21, 2005, the anniversary of
the declaration of Martial Law, the UP community gathered to honor one
of Marcos’s staunch adversaries, Professor Haydee B. Yorac.
Her friends, colleagues, and students
from the UP College of Law shared their own personal encounters with
the legendary lawyer.
Regent and retired Supreme Court Justice
Abraham F. Sarmiento, who hired Yorac as his technical assistant for
legal affairs in 1971, said “For one who had occupied so high
positions in government, there was not a whiff of scandal about her
...[c]auses were what engrossed her, and these causes always involved
‘the oppressed little people’.”
Her former classmate at the College
of Law, Justice Minita V. Chico-Nazario shared that Yorac was “among
the most intelligent people she ever knew.” She even recalled
how Yorac as a student was more interested in matters going on outside
the classroom than in their class discussions but still placed 8th in
the bar examinations.
Prof. Rodrigo Lope S. Quimbo was Yorac’s
former student and assistant at the Commission of Elections (Comelec)
for three years. He remembered several stories about Yorac, particularly
during her stint as Comelec commissioner. He highlighted the fact that
Yorac focused her attention on voter education and information. “Commissioner
Yorac’s contributions to the electoral process were the most significant,”
he said. He cited some of her achievements in the commission including
authoring the first absentee voting law that allowed military and government
personnel to vote outside their precincts, writing an instruction manual
that would guide board of canvassers all over the country with their
work, and overseeing the preparation of the commission’s first
ever finance manual that would govern qualifications of suppliers, bidding
and purchase of equipment, payment of funds, etc.”
Prof. Vyva Victoria M. Aguirre, one
of Yorac’s students at the College of Law who later became her
assistant at the Philippine Commission on Good Government, attested
that her students loved her despite her well-deserved reputation of
being a terror.
Prof. Solita C. Monsod challenged all
present during the necrological services held at the Balay Kalinaw to
honor Yorac not only with words, but with deeds. She suggested the establishment
of the Haydee Yorac Memorial Awards Fund to which she and her husband,
Christian, would be among the first contributors.
“Haydee represented a very wide
spectrum of clients in her career as a public and private lawyer—from
the head of the Alex Boncayao Brigade to the Filipino teachers of the
International School Manila, from the largest electric utility in the
country to the coconut farmers of the Philippines. If she consented
to represent them, her clients said they were totally confident of the
justness of their cause and of their eventual victory because they knew
she would fight tooth and nail for them,” she said. “It
was a privilege to have known Haydee Yorac. She walked in integrity.
A woman with indomitable spirit. A woman with a beautiful soul.”
Regent and UP Alumni Association President
Jaime S. de los Santos, who worked closely with Yorac as the head of
the AFP-PNP liaison to Comelec, recounted her feistiness, fearlessness,
and uncompromising leadership. “She firmly stood her ground against
powerful individuals who tried to use their influence in securing permits
without undergoing the standard procedures.”
For UP President Emerlinda R. Roman,
Yorac is a true hero of the Filipino people and deserves a place at
the Libingan ng mga Bayani for she willingly served without expecting
any rewards. Thus, President Roman took on Monsod’s challenge:
“We will move immediately to have the memorial fund established
in honor of our dear friend.”
Yorac was laid to rest on September
22, 2005 at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio.
Human
rights crusader non pareil
Haydee
B. Yorac, UPAA Most Outstanding Alumna in 2003, died of kidney failure
and other complications of ovarian cancer on Sept. 13 at St. Francis
Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. She was 64.
Yorac graduated from the UP College of Law on scholarship in 1962 and
placed eighth in the 1963 Bar Exam. She eventually joined the College
of Law faculty.
Known
for her principled leadership, Yorac headed several key government agencies
and went on to reap accolades for her work on peace and electoral reforms,
her fight against corruption, and her efforts to bring justice to the
marginalized and impoverished. She was named Filipino of the Year by
the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 1992. Last year, she won the Ramon
Magsaysay Award for Government Service for “building confidence
in government through service of exceptional integrity and rigor and
her unwavering pursuit of the rule of law in the Philippines.”
Yorac
joined the government bureaucracy during the Aquino Administration in
1986. She was appointed member of the Presidential Committee on Human
Rights and commissioner of the Commission on Elections.
Under
the Ramos Administration, Yorac headed the National Peace Commission
which laid the foundation for peace talks with communist rebels. In
2001, the Arroyo Administration appointed her as chief of the Philippine
Commission on Good Government.
Yorac
was born on March 4, 1941 in Saravia, Negros Occidental.
100 years of service
PGH revs up for total quality patient care delivery
This year, the Philippine General Hospital
(PGH) celebrates 100 years of delivering quality patient care. This
year also marks the launch of PGH’s Hospital Information Systems
Development Program that will use information and communication technology
(ICT) to enhance patient care experience and bring about efficiency
in hospital operations. The computerization program initially implements
three systems namely the Patient Chart Tracking System, Billing &
Collection System, and the Pharmacy Inventory System. The principle
behind the system is simple: less time spent on administrative tasks
means more time for patient care.
The Patient Chart Tracking and the Billing
& Collection Systems start with the hospital’s admitting units
(i.e., Outpatient, Emergency Room, Obstetrics-Gynecology, and Pay Admitting
Unit) by building the patient’s case record. By registering a
patient into the system, patient service requests such as laboratory
examinations and medications will be delivered promptly. This translates
to reliable service delivery, updated and accurate billing information,
quicker computation of patient claims and benefits (like PhilHealth),
and shorter queues at the Cash Division counters.
Known for having the lowest prices for
medicine, PGH has set up its Pharmacy Inventory System to centrally
manage the procurement, transfer, and dispensing of drugs and other
medical products of its Main Pharmacy and three other satellite pharmacies.
At the pay wards, the system is also linked to the Patient Chart Tracking
System where patient charge slips for drugs and medicines are eventually
consolidated and summarized by the Billing & Collection System.
Also part of PGH’s initial computerization
package is an information delivery infrastructure for enhanced coordination.
This includes installing fiber optic data communications backbone connecting
the Administration Building to the eight-storey Central Block Complex,
the Main Pharmacy near Taft Avenue, and the Outpatient Department along
Padre Faura Street.
Facilitating the completion of this
P20-million effort is the Information Systems Office (ISO) under the
Office of the Director. Recognizing ICT’s strategic role in transforming
and modernizing the hospital for its next 100 years, PGH Director Dr.
Carmelo A. Alfiler poised the ISO for the new task. The ISO’s
mission is to provide highly reliable technology services, deliver innovative
service offerings, and help reengineer processes using ICT. Aside from
managing the hospital’s information resources and infrastructure,
ISO also facilitates knowledge on ICT-related issues and concerns. Heading
the unit is Mr. Rogelio O. Morales assisted by Ms. Maria Teresa P. dela
Cruz as Coordinator for ICT Projects.
Assisting the PGH in putting its initial
computerization program in place is Leverage Technologies (LST), Inc.
Based in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, the company has been in the ICT
business for more than 10 years and done work for companies engaged
in a broad range of industries. As a world-class technology partner,
LST has successfully proven its capability in assisting PGH in implementing
and managing technological change.
Already in the pipeline is medical records
computerization which will provide doctors quick access to medical results
and a history of diagnoses and treatments of their patients, will serve
as a tool for administrators in the management and planning of patient
care and services, and will be a valuable resource for health research
and statistics. The P32-million project will cover the rehabilitation
and expansion of its existing ICT resources, implementation of document
imaging and management systems, building the electronic patient record,
and implementing the computerized patient record. The program holds
the promise of lesser storage space, a lean and efficient staff, shorter
turnarounds and improved quality service despite the growing demands
and complexity of their operations.
Also in the works is the automation
of all clinical and administrative units, geared at enhancing and streamlining
cross-functional processes. This project, with an estimated cost of
P82-million, fully complements the medical records computerization project.
Today, PGH is starting to reap business
value from its Hospital Information Systems Development Program, an
integral part of management’s strategy to strengthen the hospital’s
fiscal position. ICT is contributing toward realizing substantial savings
brought about by streamlined processes and enhanced service delivery
from shorter service turnarounds. It has also strengthened transparency
in governance.
Senate launches “One
Senator, One Machine” project for the Philippine General Hospital
With
a unanimous vote, the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines approved
SRP 304 introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago entitled “Resolution
to launch the ‘One Senator, One Machine’ Project for the
Philippine General Hospital” on September 6, 2005.
In her sponsorship speech, Santiago
lauded the institution for fulfilling its mission to render quality
health care, train health care professionals, undertake relevant biomedical
and health care systems research, develop a system of referral network,
serve as a center for complex health care problems, attain self-sufficiency
in resources, and, finally, act as a role model for health care delivery
in the country.
Santiago said that “if each senator
commits to donate one machine to PGH, the hospital will certainly be
aided in remaining true to its mission of ‘showcasing excellence
and leadership in quality health care for the Filipino,’ especially
to the indigent and marginalized.”
Recently, Santiago allotted P16 million
of her Priority Development Assistance Fund for the purchase of life-saving
diagnostic medical equipment for the gastroenterology and cardiology
sections of the PGH. As a result, PGH is now using the best and the
latest gastrointestinal endoscopic and cardiovascular ultra-sound technology
to serve the needs of its patients.
PGH Director’s Expanded Executive
Committee was present during the deliberation. PGH Director Carmelo
A. Alfiler thanked the senators for their collective efforts to help
PGH improve its services, especially those for the indigent and marginalized,
which he defined as a major step in PGH’s modernization program.
CAMP tops board exams
The
UP Manila College of Allied Medical Professions (CAMP) scored a passing
rate of 100% in the Physical Therapy Licensure Examinations 2005 and
79% passing rate in the Occupational Therapy Licensure Examinations
2005. The CAMP students who made it to the top 20 were:
Physical
Therapy
Gonzales, Eddieson M 3rd place
Go, Luisa G. 4th place
Ramirez, Benilda E. 16th place
Sarmiento, Kathryn Ann T. 20th place
Occupational
Therapy
Sarmiento, Irene Carolina A. 1st place
Leorna, Calvin Lester III M. 2nd place
Alvarez, Leslie Ann S. 3rd place
Periquet, Romualdez
tackle human values in medicine
Jen Alviar, MD
Aside
from teaching medicine, the University of the Philippines College of
Medicine’s (UPCM) role includes instilling the values of equity,
fairness, social justice, efficiency, and effectiveness in its students.
This is because the institution of reforms in the health care system
begins only by teaching students the values that will allow them to
serve the Filipino people justly and humanely.
The
University can do this with the help of leaders in the health sector
and the community. These were the points emphasized by Dr. Antonio Periquet
and Dr. Alberto Romualdez, former Secretaries of Health, during the
third Centennial Colloquium on Health and Human Values conducted by
the UP College of Medicine and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
on July 29 at the Basic Sciences Lecture Room-East.
Periquet
lamented the current health care situation, saying it is experiencing
a “silent health care crisis” because benefits are denied
the people who need them most. The problem is aggravated by the drain
of human resources, rise in health care costs, escalation of environmental
risks brought about by urbanization, and the depletion of financial
resources. He bemoans the fact that health care concerns have never
been prioritized in the national agenda despite the fact that access
to basic health care services is a basic human right.
Periquet
says the ultimate goal of the University’s efforts is to have
equity of access in health service, new technologies, and health benefits
regardless of socio-economic status. While he stressed the values of
effectiveness and efficiency through appropriate prescription of diagnostic
tests and interventions, he also emphasized humaneness, patience, honesty,
respect, and cognitive humility in clinical practice.
UPCM, Romualdez states, must live up to the above-described values when
it comes to the delivery of basic medical sciences. During his early
years of medical school, Romualdez said he developed the values of equality,
helpfulness, respect and solidarity, concentration, discipline, and
truth.
During
his time at the Department of Health, he made decisions based on what
he had learned. Romualdez concluded, “...knowledge, values, and
experience in science are valuable inputs in making key policy decisions
not only in health but in other areas of governance as well.”
Dr.
Victoria Villareal, Dean of the West Visayas State University College
of Medicine, echoed the dismal national health situation and cited the
exodus of doctors. She emphasized that the practice of medicine is a
service profession where values of rectitude, moral uprightness, and
humaneness are essential. She urged fellow UP alumni to examine their
values. “We look for models among those who came before us, we
should impose upon ourselves the task of guiding those who come after
us, especially the medical students and trainees,” she said.
UPCM celebrates centennial
The
University of the Philippines College of Medicine in Manila (UPCM) celebrates
its centennial with the theme, “100 years of heritage: healing,
humanity, heroism.”
The
yearlong celebration started on December 1, 2004 with a grand parade
at the UP Manila grounds. The celebration will culminate in an evening
that will honor UPCM’s outstanding men and women at a gala musical
to be held at the University Theatre in Diliman on December 1, 2005.
During
the centennial year, many activities were held to showcase the contributions
of UPCM to the patients, the community, and the nation. Highlights of
the year included a series of colloquia presided over by former Secretaries
of Health who were alumni of the College: Drs. Alfredo Bengzon, Juan
Flavier, Jaime Galvez-Tan, Felipe Estrella, Alberto Romualdez Jr, and
Manuel Dayrit; and a lecture series by the former Deans of the College:
Drs. Gloria Aragon, Alberto Romualdez, Jr., Marita Reyes, Amelia Fernandez,
and Ramon Arcadio.
DECL turns 95
Francezca C. Kwe
What
better way to celebrate almost a hundred years of being dubbed “the
country’s premier center of English and literary studies,”
than through a festival of words and images? Thus did the Department
of English and Comparative Literature (DECL), College of Arts and Letters
(CAL) celebrate its 95th year, through a series of lectures by its eminent
professors, alongside an exhibit of photos and covers from books by
resident UP writers from September 13 to 14 at the Bulwagang Rizal.
Following the opening of the exhibit
were the Professorial Chair Lectures at the Francisco Arcellana Reading
Room by professors Ma. Milagros Laurel, Rosalina Bumatay-Cruz, J. Neil
Garcia, Adelaida F. Lucero, Corazon D. Villareal, and Lily Rose R. Tope.
The two-day event was capped by the DECL Homecoming, which honored Jubilarians
Dr. Aurora Roxas-Lim and Dr. Helen Mendoza. Plaques of appreciation
were given to the “Living Chairpersons” of the department,
among them Dr. Damiana Eugenio, Dr. Elmer Ordoñez, Dr. Helen
Mendoza, Dr. Vivencio Jose, Dr. Consolacion Alaras, Dr. Corazon Villareal,
and Dr. Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. The program also featured tributes to retired
professors Dr. Gemino Abad and Dr. Vivencio Jose by Professors Isabel
Mooney, J. Neil Garcia, Milagros Laurel and Consolacion Alaras. In attendance
were former faculty and alumni of the DECL, many of them distinguished
writers and scholars, such as Rony Diaz, Adrian Cristobal, Raul Ingles,
Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio, Cynthia Ventura, Winnie Evangelista,
Edna de la Cruz, Frank Flores and Efren Abueg. Highlighting the DECL’s
continued commitment to the development of Philippine Literature, the
winners of the 2005 Amelia Lapeña Literary Awards were also announced.
The first prize winners were Francis Paolo M. Quina for short story
and Mary Bianca S. Consunji for creative non-fiction.
Established in 1910, the DECL has expanded
to undergraduate and graduate programs in Comparative Literature and
English Studies from an initial Master’s and Bachelor’s
Program in English.
Experts weigh changing
context of university-industry relations
Alicor Panao & Arlyn VCD Palisoc
Romualdo
University-industry
linkages, within the context of globalization and economic interdependence,
have a great potential to improve the relevance of teaching and research
in universities. This view was shared by experts during the Third Round
Table Meeting of the ASEAN-EU University Network Program held last August
28-31 at the Institute for Small Scale Industries in UP Diliman.
The universities have the intellectual
resources and the private sector has the financial resources, and if
we combine all these, we can move forward, said UP President Dr. Emerlinda
Roman, in a press conference held minutes after the round table opened.
The challenge, according to ASEAN Deputy
Secretary General Dr. Wilfrido Villacorta, is to build bridges between
the academe and private sector to enhance national and regional development.
“The demands of globalization have expanded the horizons of the
university,” stated Villacorta. According to Villacorta, these
horizons now include engaging in “interactive partnerships that
promote the development of surrounding communities.”
Villacorta cited the findings of the
2003 workshop sponsored by the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium
as beneficial to the discussion of university-industry relations. One
major problem identified during the workshop, he said, was the cultural
gap between these two sectors. To establish trust, then, frequent exchanges
of staff were suggested. It was also realized that effective collaboration
between university and industry was “much faster than the creation
of new companies for bringing inventions to market.”
During the Brussels workshop, the benefits
of an effective university-industry relationship were identified: the
opportunity to attract additional funds for teaching and research; cooperative
research with enterprises; access to modern equipment and facilities;
opportunity for staff and students to familiarize themselves with state-of-the-art
technology and management systems; enhanced awareness of the challenges
in the industry; development of technology-based degree programs; and
improved training and employment prospects for students.
The panel discussions on university-industry
collaborations elicited various inputs from the presenters who focused
on the specific experiences of their respective countries and institutions.
Prof. Jim Herbolich, the director of academic affairs of the European
Foundation for Management Development, a network organization in Belgium
for progressive business schools and leading corporations, talked about
six topics that concern both academe and industry: internationalization,
curriculum of management education, corporate social responsibility,
learning partnerships, corporate universities or corporate learning
centers, and the Bologna accord, known as the declaration to reform
higher education.
Meanwhile, according to British Chamber
of Commerce in the Philippines Chairman Mike Wooton, “The pattern
of university-business cooperation has changed, not only because the
universities and business recognize the need but also because governments
recognize the need for change.” Traditional linkages with big
business remain, he said, although entrepreneurship nowadays is fostered
by developments such as business incubators attached to universities.
Another opportunity arises when research
resulting from universities has the potential to be manufactured and
marketed. Universities usually lack funds for such an undertaking and
this is where industry can help. The vice chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia (UKM), Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mohamed Salleh Mohamed Yasin,
revealed that in their university, their collaborations with the business
sector involve the “commercialization of research products and
intellectual properties of UKM.” Such schemes include the selling
of technology, licensing agreements, research contracts, business incubators,
technology transfer programs, and consultancy.
Similarly, Prof. Liew Ah Choy, director
of the International Relations Office at the National University of
Singapore, said that apart from allowing professors to do consultancy
work in private corporations, industry experts should also be allowed
to teach. To ensure effective cooperation between the academe and private
sector, Choy suggested that both should work closely with national level
research institutes, focus on an industry that has the capability to
transform university research into application, and partner with relevant
national agencies with long term objectives.
Commissioner Saturnino M. Ocampo Jr.
of the Commission on Higher Education said that in the Philippines,
university-industry partnership is viewed as a venue for improving education
and employment opportunities of new graduates. Ocampo stressed, however,
that there is a need to maintain a very good balance between being technologically
modern and retaining local traditions and culture.
It became clear during the discussions
that apart from the expected benefits, linkages may also cause unintended
effects such as a possible distortion of research and training agenda;
a potential diversion of energy and commitment of teaching staff interacting
with industry away from traditional activities, particularly as regards
undergraduate teaching; limited open communication and publication;
and growing internal fragmentation and conflicts of interest among the
different groups within institutions or with public interest in general.
Ways of dealing with these side effects
have to be found both at the institutional and national levels. To avoid
them, European Foundation for Management and Development Director for
Academic Affairs Jim Herbolich suggested that university-industry linkages
be integrated into the strategic management of a university. By developing
a policy framework which provides transparency and specifies limitations
to the intervention of outside consultancies and involvement in spin-off
companies, universities should be able to prevent conflicting interests
among partners.
The meeting also tackled issues such
as the need to come up with a new profile of universities in a globalizing
world and to redefine the role of the private sector in higher education.
These challenges call for new approaches and schemes for human resources
and curriculum development and the involvement of external stakeholders.
AUNP presents 3rd round-table
resolutions
Francezca C. Kwe
Speaking
before the delegation at the conclusion of the 3rd round-table of the
ASEAN-EU University Network Program, UP President Emerlinda Roman expressed
the realization of the university’s position in a rapidly evolving
world. “Universities can no longer isolate themselves
from others; they must go beyond their own world and reach out to the
sectors of the society which they seek to serve, to make their existence
relevant and meaningful,” she said. She also added that a university’s
integrity and standards are never negligible, and that it is up to the
university to adapt its system of governance in ways that work with,
and do not compromise, their goals. The round table discussions focused
on partnership-building and networking among higher education areas
in both the ASEAN and EU.
In a draft of a resolution to be submitted
to member universities, organizations, and governments of the ASEAN
and EU, the body acknowledged the benefits of partnerships between universities
and industry, including “the generation of additional funds for
teaching and research, access to modern equipment and facilities, familiarization
with state-of-the-art technology and management systems and industrial
challenges, and the development of technology-oriented degree programs,
and improved training and employment prospects for students.”
Noting the difference between Asian
and European scenarios in the pursuit of such an ideal, the participants
emphasized the aspect of employability in the ASEAN region. The adoption
of a network of university units within the ASEAN to develop suitable
models to achieve their ideals similar to European partner organizations
was proposed. However, it was suggested that the network should be dedicated
to the needs of the ASEAN region. “Europe does not possess all
the answers,” declared Prof. Andrew Hammet, Vice Chancellor of
the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom.
Both regions do share the priority of
practicing sustainable development. “Although in the ASEAN, the
focus is more on environmental issues rather than sustainable development,”
Mr. Frank Hess, Head of Operations section of the European Commission
Delegation observed. He recommended the further extension of the discussion
on sustainability in the ASEAN, in accordance with the proposal of the
Education for Sustainable Development panel. The problem of poverty
is a crucial issue in both Europe and Asia, and should also be addressed
by universities, Hess added.
Among the resolutions given priority
was the creation of a credit transfer system in the ASEAN network, as
a “scheme to enhance student mobility within ASEAN.” In
the end, the “ultimate beneficiary” of such a system would
be the students, according to Roman. The body also included the creation
of promotional tools to enable the lobbying of a pilot system to ASEAN
Education Ministers and agreed on making “better use of ASEAN’s
own resources, not to exclude exchange and cooperation with European
colleagues.”
Back
to Top >>
UP champions newborn
screening in the Philippines
Mae Astrid Tobias
A
simple blood test can spell a huge difference for newborn babies.
The Newborn Screening Act of 2004 (Republic
Act 9288), a law helped develop jointly by the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) of UP Manila and the Department of Health (DOH), institutionalizes
the National Newborn Screening System which shall ensure that every
baby born in the Philippines is offered the opportunity to undergo newborn
screening, a simple blood test within 24 to 72 hours after the baby’s
birth.
The newborn screening can identify heritable
conditions that might lead to mental retardation and death if undetected
and untreated. “We had the newborn screening done for my nephew
and we found out that he has Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD)
Deficiency,” says Dr. Gladys Gadia-Tanangonan, a practicing obstetrician
for the past three years. She became suspicious that something might
have been wrong when members of her family had been feeling tired and
were found to be anemic. Later, they discovered that this was because
they had a strong history of G6PD deficiency. “When we found out,
we made sure that our babies underwent newborn screening, especially
the boys because the disorder is X-linked recessive.”
Aside from the G6PD deficiency, the
newborn screening test can also identify four more metabolic disorders
namely Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH), Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
(CAH), Galactosemia (Gal), and Phenylketonuria (PKU). The alarming thing
about this is that most of the babies affected with any of these conditions
appear perfectly healthy or normal at birth. Without newborn screening,
it is difficult for physicians to diagnose these conditions at birth;
that is, by the time doctors are able to recognize and identify the
disorder, irreparable damage to the baby will have already taken place.
The babies will be mentally retarded and in worse cases, may even die.
Janelle, 7, and JR, 14, both have congenital
hypothyroidism but Janelle was screened as a baby and received immediate
treatment. Today, she lives a normal life. JR, on the other hand, was
not as lucky; he was not given the newborn screening test. He had no
physical signs of any disorder at birth and was not treated immediately.
He has developed mental retardation due to his condition.
“An estimated 33,000 babies out
of the two million born every year, are at risk of these life-threatening
disorders,” says to Dr. Carmencita Padilla, director of the Institute
of Human Genetics (IHG). IHG serves as the most advanced newborn screening
testing center and serves more than 300 health institutions in the country.
Newborn screening is a simple procedure
already practiced routinely in most developing countries. In the Philippines,
it was introduced only in 1996 through a pilot study spearheaded by
Dr. Padilla and Dr. Carmelita Domingo of the UP College of Medicine.
Together with pediatricians and obstetricians from 24 hospitals, they
formed the Philippine Newborn Screening Study Group, which gathered
data and paved the way for the adoption of a national newborn screening
program.
The test, costing only P550, requires
a blood sample taken from the baby’s heel 24 to 72 hours after
its birth. The sample, which is blotted on special paper, is processed
by a centralized testing center currently run by the NIH. The results
are released within seven days. A negative screen means that the baby
is normal. If the baby is found to be positive for any of the disorders,
the parents will be informed and more tests will be conducted to confirm
the results. Once confirmed, the baby will be referred to the proper
physician or medical specialist for further treatment.
The Newborn Screening Act of 2004 requires
health practitioners to inform expectant parents of the availability,
nature, and benefits of newborn screening. It also requires all hospitals
and birthing facilities to provide newborn screening services by 2006
and makes this mandatory for the issuance of licenses to hospitals and
birthing facilities. Presently, only 400 out of the 1,700 hospitals
and birthing facilities implement newborn screening.
The law also mandates the NIH to create
the Newborn Screening Reference Center (NSRC), which would be responsible
for the national testing database and case registries, training, technical
assistance, and continuing education for laboratory staff in all Newborn
Screening Centers.
Back
to Top >>
The true fish story
at UPV
The
Philippines’ marine resource, once thought of as a rich, abundant
food source, is now believed to be continuously diminishing in supply.
Aware of this situation, the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
(CFOS) of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas consistently
pursues its mission to “provide quality education and conduct
cutting edge and relevant researches in the field of fisheries and aquatic
sciences.”
In
fact, the Commission on Higher Education has identified it as the Center
of Excellence for Fisheries Education and Center of Development for
Marine Biology. The quality of its graduates is also evident in their
performance in the PRC’s Fisheries Technologists Licensure Exam.
In 2003, it claimed the top 34 spots with a 92.31% passing rate. The
following year, CFOS again grabbed the topmost rank and six other places
out of the top ten. Students indeed benefit from the highly trained,
active faculty members, most of whom earned their Ph.Ds at foreign institutions.
While
fisheries has never been a popular choice among college enrollees, the
average enrollment in the undergraduate and graduate programs from 2000
to 2003 has decreased only because of overseas employment opportunities
for nurses.
CFOS
not only offers degree programs but also has a strong research program
through its four institutes and research units. To support research,
UPV funds studies which go through a series of priority checks and expert
reviews. Since the CFOS allocation is only around P800,000, many researchers
apply for bigger external funding from both national and foreign agencies.
UPV
researchers’ undertakings have already had significant impact
such as the resurgence of the angel wings in Capiz Bay, recently celebrated
in Roxas City’s Diwal Festival. Studies on the mudcrab also led
to improved production in hatchery, nursery, and grow-out. Closer to
home at the Miagao campus, the five municipal mayors of Oton, Tigbauan,
Guimbal, Miagao and San Joaquin have united in the creation of the Southern
Iloilo Coastal Resource Management Council. This commendable joint effort
initiated by the CFOS worked to apprehend commercial fishers encroaching
on local fishers’ areas. Many of UPV’s researches have been
awarded for their excellence and have been published in numerous international
publications.
Back
to Top >>
Acoymo lectures on
vocal education
Prof.
Ramon Acoymo, dean of UP Diliman College of Music, will speak on “Vocal
Education and the Voice Professional” at a seminar on “Contemporary
Evaluation and Management of Voice Disorders” to be held on October
13-15, 2005 at the UP-Philippine General Hospital Sentro Oftalmologico.
The seminar will feature doctors specializing
in such fields as bronchoesophagology and aerodigestive surgery. Dr.
Raymund Leslie Diaz, UP Voice faculty member, will speak on “The
Application of Singing Techniques for Treatment of Dysphonia.”
Back
to Top >>
UP Press 2005 Mega
Book Launch set on September 30
Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo
More
than 30 new literary and scholarly titles from the premier academic
publishing house in the country will have a mega book launch at 5:30
p.m. on September 30 at the Balay Kalinaw, UP Diliman.
The UP Press, under the leadership of
Director Ma. Luisa T. Camagay, assisted by Deputy Directors Mabi David-Balangue
and Prof. Rhodora Ancheta, is committed to advancing the University’s
objective of excellence by generating and disseminating knowledge through
the publication of meritorious works.
Works to be launched include the UP
Jubilee Student Edition series—handsome, inexpensive books designed
to make the finest contemporary Philippine literature in English and
Filipino more affordable to the general public. Introduced in September
2002 as part of its Read UP Campaign, the Jubilee Student Edition series
is the Press’ contribution to the celebration of the UP Centennial
in 2008. This year’s line-up of the Jubilee Student Edition series
includes Sky Blue After the Rain: Selected Stories by Cristina Pantoja
Hidalgo, former UP Press Director and now Vice President for Public
Affairs; The Garden of Wordlessness: Selected Poems by J. Neil C. Garcia;
Pinoy Odyssey by Mario Miclat; Iskrapbuk by Allan Derain; Pangangaluluwa
at Iba Pang Kuwento by Jimmuel Naval; and Nine Supernatural Stories
edited by April Yap and Lara Saguisag.
Other literary titles to be launched
are Memo Mulang Gimokudan by Virgilio S. Almario, National Artist and
dean of the College of Arts and Letters; Saulado by Rebecca S. Añonuevo;
Misterios and Other Poems by J. Neil C. Garcia; The True and the Plain:
A Collection of Personal Essays by Kerima Polotan; In Transitives by
Isabelita Orlina Reyes; Sapagkat Iniibig Kita at Iba Pang Bagong Tula
by Epifanio San Juan Jr.; The Trial of Andres Bonifacio by Regent Abraham
Sarmiento; and Sakit ng Kalingkingan: 100 Dagli sa Edad ng Krisis by
Rolando B. Tolentino.
Also up for display are scholarly works
such as Sawikaan 2004: Mga Salita ng Taon edited by Galileo Zafra and
Romulo Baquiran Jr.; The Tragedy of the Revolution by Adrian Cristobal;
Coffee and Dreams on a Late Afternoon: Tales of Despair and Deliverance
in Mindanao by Rafael Rivera Gomez; Captain Herman Leopold Schück:
The Saga of a German Sea Captain in the 19th Century Sulu-Sulawesi Seas
by Michael Schück Montemayor; Alternative Histories: Martial Law
Novels as Counter-Memory by Ruth Jordana Luna Pison; and Fragrant Ornamental
Plants in the Philippines by Teresa Lantin-Rosario.
For years now, the Press has come up
with aggressive marketing strategies to increase the distribution of
its publications. Its Read UP Campaign—aimed at increasing interest
in reading and promoting awareness of books written by Filipinos and
published in the Philippines—has paved the way for the opening
of its own bookstores in several UP campuses.
These bookstores are a testament to
the University’s focus on effective knowledge generation and dissemination,
and ensure that UP Press titles are readily available—a response
to some commercial bookstores’ policy of pulling out publications
that cater to a limited market. The main branch in Balay Kalinaw, in
fact, also carries books by other university presses, thus becoming
the first academic bookstore in the country.
The Read UP Campaign also includes the
Book Caravan—a kind of road show that brings authors and their
books to schools all over the Philippines. Its special features are
the UP Jubilee Student Edition series, a “Meet the Writers”
forum, literary readings, and a book sale. During the caravan, the Press
also holds a seminar on “How to Convert Your Research into a Book
and Publish with the UP Press.”
To strengthen its capabilities and widen
its network, the Press organized a round-table meeting last year with
other academic publishers in Southeast Asia. It was attended by officials
and representatives from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Penerbit
Universitas Indonesia, Universiti Malaya Press, Gadjah Mada University,
Singapore University Press Pte Ltd, Vietnam National University-Ho Chi
Minh; and Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
They discussed issues and concerns that
affect academic publishing as well as studied possible areas of collaboration.
The Press envisioned this meeting as a way to lay the groundwork for
an association of ASEAN academic publishers.
The UP Press continues to make its mark
in the academic publishing industry—combining excellence and accessibility
to promote literacy in the country.
Back
to Top >>
UP ICW issues new guidelines
for Writers’ Workshop
LIKHAAN:
The UP Institute of Creative Writing (UP ICW) recently announced that
it is now accepting applications for the 45th UP National Writers Workshop
to be held in Baguio for one week in the summer of 2006. UP
ICW Director Vim Nadera also announced that 12 fellowships are available
to advanced writers. During the UP workshop, fellows will be expected
to make a presentation of a chapter or draft of the work-in-progress
referred to above, and a short essay on an aspect of their writing or
of the genre in which they work. He explained that since there is now
a proliferation of creative writing workshops on both the national and
local levels, beginning writers have other options.
Nadera also announced the new Workshop
Guidelines. Applicants: (1) must be writers in English or Filipino;
(2) must have attended at least one creative writing workshop (national/regional,
including the UP National Writers’ Workshops), or earned a degree
in Creative Writing/Malikhaing Pagsulat, or won at least 1 national/international
literary award; (3) must have published at least 3 poems or 2 short
stories or 2 pieces of creative nonfiction (e.g., essays, memoirs, profiles)
in reputable collections or anthologies, journals, magazines (including
campus publications), or refereed Internet web magazines. Some of these
qualifications may be waived in exceptionally meritorious cases, with
the unanimous concurrence of the UP ICW associates, advisers, and resident
Fellows.
For more details, visit the ICW website:
http://www.up.edu.ph/~icw). Deadline for submission is December 15,
2005. For inquiries, call 922-1830.
Back
to Top >>
Men’s chess
team wins UAAP Season 68 title
Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo
After
27 years, the UP men’s chess team has recaptured the crown. On
September 24, the State U male woodpushers emerged victorious with 39
points, followed by De La Salle University (DLSU) with 37.5, and University
of Santo Tomas (UST) with 37. Three UP players also won individual awards.
Omar Bagalacsa won the gold in Board 4, Bernard Templo won the silver
in Board 3, and Cromwell Sabado got another silver in Board 1.
In the women’s division, UP placed
third with 30 points. DLSU came in second with 30.5 and UST was declared
champion with 33. UP’s Catherine Pereña was named Most
Valuable Player of the tournament and also won the gold in Board 1.
Teammate Melanie Ramos was awarded the silver medal in Board 4. Both
teams are coached by Leo Carlos.
The UP pep squad, meanwhile, came close
to winning first place in the cheerdance competition on September 17.
The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe managed to snag the championship from
UP’s grasp for the fourth straight year, leading only by 0.22
percent. UST got 90.98 percent while UP had 90.76. Far Eastern University
(FEU) was third with 88.72.
On September 25, the Junior Maroons
shot down the Ateneo Blue Eaglets in the “Junior Battle of Katipunan,”
62-61. UP Integrated School (UPIS) thwarted Ateneo’s attempts
to establish a big lead by playing tough offense and an even tougher
defense. Since Ateneo has a twice-to-beat advantage in the final four
round, a rubber match against UPIS is scheduled to determine who will
fight De La Salle Zobel for the juniors basketball title.
Meanwhile, the Maroon cagebelles fell
prey to the Ateneo Lady Eagles for the second time in the semifinals.
45-37 was the score that sealed UP’s fate on September 25. The
day before, the State U male spikers also lost their semis game against
FEU. Both UP teams finished their respective tourneys at third place.
Back
to Top >>
Go
back to UP System Homepage >> |