Wednesday, November 21, 2012

THE YEAR THAT WAS, THE YEAR THAT WILL BE (January 10, 2011)



Exactly a month ago last year, we – on behalf of Dr. Milagros Laurel, Dr. Marilu Madrunio, Dr. Coralou Santos, Dr. Sheilee Vega, and Dr. Patrocinio Villafuerte of the Technical Committee on Language and Literature -- attended the Commission on Higher Education's year-end assessment workshop.

In his capacity as the acting Division for Social Sciences chief, Mr. Buenaventura Macatangay still succeeded in reporting CHEd's accomplishment while everybody was in the merrymaking mode with our gifts and goodies! He showed how Humanities, where we belong, had a very busy year with other Technical Panels on Business; Criminal Justice; Social Sciences, Communication, and General Education; and Teacher Education.

Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs) for Center of Excellence (COE) were drafted in AB Philosophy, AB English, AB Flipino, AB Literature, AB Philippine Literature, AB World Literature, and AB Creative Writing. Last year, COE was awarded to the following Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): St. Louis College (San Fernando City, La Union); Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (South La Union Campus, Agoo, La Union); University of Luzon (Dagupan City); Angeles University Foundation (Angeles City, Pampanga); Central Luzon State University (Muñoz, Nueva Ecija); De La Salle University (Dasmariñas, Cavite); University of Batangas (Batangas City); Palawan State University (Puerto Princesa City); Universidad de Santa Isabel (Naga City); University of San Jose Recoletos (Cebu City); Mindanao State University (Iligan City); Capitol University (Cagayan de Oro City); University of the Immaculate Conception (Davao City); University of Southeastern Philippines (Davao City); Father Saturnino Urios University (Butuan City) and University of the Cordilleras (Baguio City). On the other hand, Center of Development was given to Colegio de Dagupan (Dagupan City); Pangasinan State University (Bayambang, Pangasinan); Catanduanes State University (Catanduanes, City); Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (Pili, Camarines Sur); University of San Agustin (Iloilo City), Western Mindanao State University (Zamboanga City), and Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation (Lucena City) whose vice president for academic affairs is Dr. Benilda Villenas, our former colleague in then independent Technical Panel on Literature.

Twenty seven HEIs and thirty seven programs in Humanities, for instance, had undergone evaluation for government authority!

Last 13 December, during the CHEd planning workshop for Humanities cluster, Dr. Co, aside from reminding all that CHEd provides the minimum standards for HEIs offering or intending to offer quality degree programs, reiterated that the existing HEIs shall be given three years to comply. We learned that there had been a national public hearing on the PSGs for the BA Philosophy degree program was held last 2 December at the same venue where Dr. Alfredo Co, the Technical Panel for Philosophy chair, presented the proposed PSG to the 51 participants composed of deans and senior faculty from public and private HEIs all over the country. With him were Dr. Manuel Dy, Dr. Zosimo Lee, and Dr. Jesus Rodrigo Torres, the new president of the Rizal Technological University (RTU), all members of the same technical panel, in that event organized by CHEd officials and staff led by Ms. Eleanor BA Fernandez, OIC-Director, Office of Programs and Standards (OPS). Dr. Co, over lunch, extended his invitation to us to the one of main events for the University of Santo Tomas' quadricentennial celebration for 2011 by way of an international conference -- Thomism and Asian Cultures: Celebrating 400 Years of Dialogue Across Civilizations -- on 23-26 May.

Philosophy is one of the first two programs in year of inception of the Royal, Pontifical, and Catholic University of the Philippines which was founded on 28 April 1611.

Like the Faculty of Sacred Theology, the Faculty of Philosophy is as old as UST!

CHEd, by the way, accredited UST as the COE not only in the field of Philosophy but also in the degress in Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Nursing, Teacher Education, and, of course, Theology.

According to Dr. Co, the convenor, this Quadricentennial International Philosophy Conference -- which is organized by the UST Department of Philosophy – has the support of the Office of the Rector, the Office of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, The Graduate School, and the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

Expected to send delegates are the international and local philosophical societies like Conférence Mondiale des Institutions Universitaires Catholiques de Philosophie; Academie du Midi; World Union of Catholic Philosophical Societies; Philippine Academy of Philosophical Research; Philosophical Association of the Philippines; Philosophical Association Philosophical Association of North Luzon, to name a few.

Among the plenary speakers who belong to the who's who in the world of philosophy are Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Moeller (University College Cork, Ireland / President, Academie du Midi); Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Pohl (Trier University, Germany / Academie du Midi); Prof. Dr. Walter Schweidler -Katholische (Universitaet Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Germany / Academie du Midi); Prof. Dr. William Sweet (St. Francis Xavier University, Canada / President, World Union of Catholic Philosophical Societies); Prof. Dr. John Ozolins (Australian Catholic University, Canada / World Union of Catholic Philosophical Societies); Prof. Dr. Piotr Jaroszynski (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland / World Union of Catholic Philosophical Societies); Prof. Dr. Vincent Shen (Chair, Philosophy Department. University of Toronto, Canada / Asian Association of Christian Philosophers); Prof Dr. Tran Van Doan (National Taiwan University, Taiwan/Vietnam/ President, Asian Association of Christian Philosophers); Prof. Dr. Noel Sheth (Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Religion / Vice President for Asia and Oceania, Conference Mondiale des Institutions Universitaires Catholiques de Philosophie); Prof. Dr. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah (Vice Rector, Pontifical Urbaniana, Vatican/Nigeria, Africa / Conference Mondiale des Institutions Universitaires Catholiques de Philosophie); and Prof. Dr. João J. Villa-Chã (Gregorian University, Vatican/Portugal / Acting President, Conference Mondiale des Institutions Universitaires Catholiques de Philosophie).
Last week, we got an e-mail about the acceptance of our proposed paper entitledAbadillism: Philosophy in the Poetry of Alejandro Abadilla (1906-1969)Alejandro G. Abadilla (AGA), who is considered the Father of Modernist Poetry in Filipino, ispoet, essayist, and fictionist who studied at UST where he graduated with a Ph.B. in Philosophy in 1931. We will focus solely on AGA's poetry books -- Ako ang Daigdig at Iba Pang Tula (1955), Piniling mga Tula ni AGA (1965), andTanagabadilla (1964 and 1965).

In 2005, we were fortunate to become the only one from the University of the Philippines Diliman campus to receive a professorial chair and the U.P. Portfolio grant.

We delivered the said preliminary paper on AGA on 10 March 2006, on the occasion of his 100th birthday, when we also launched a compact disc recording of his poetry which we produced and directed. Called Kaakuhan: Mga Tula ni AGA, Mga Tula kay AGA, it features the priceless voices of National Artists Virgilio Almario and Bienvenido Lumbera, with poets Teo Antonio, Roberto Aňonuevo, Rebecca Aňonuevo, Romulo Baquiran Jr., Joi Barrios, Rafael Dante Cruz, Ony Carcamo, Mike Coroza, Khavn de la Cruz, Jose Lacaba, Elynia Ruth Mabanglo, Lilia Q. Santiago, Benilda Santos andRogelio Mangahas who helped us with C & E Publishing Inc. in reproducing the CD which can be bought in C & E Information and Resource Center along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City. It highlights, too, AGA's son Bayani and granddaughter Malaya, who collaborated with us, Bely Ygot and Snow Badua for Ilang Tanagabadilla. Hopefully, Alejandro Abadilla: Tinipong Mga Tulawhich we edited will make it to the UST Publishing House's 400 Years, 400 Books Project.


TEXT SUPPORT:
Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested? 
A. Obsession


CONSIDER THIS:                                                                           
So a car's windshield is so large and the rear-view mirror is so small? Because our past is not as important as our future.

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