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Written by: Aryzza Antonette A. Aperocho Photo by: Jeremy Edera The Thomasian Homecoming Walk, along with the ROARientation and Homecoming Mass, for Batches 2024 and 2025 is set to commence on-site at the University on August 23, 2022, as part of the traditional Rite of Passage that signifies the Thomasian experience. After two academic years of virtual Welcome Walks, the University announced the upcoming Thomasian Homecoming Walk. It is a special version of the Thomasian Welcome Walk, a traditional event that started in 2002 and is held as part of the Onboarding Activities originally intended for freshmen, for the second-year and third-year students of the Higher Education cluster as well as the Grades 8, 9, and 12 students of the Basic Education cluster who missed the on-site walk due to the pandemic. UST Secretary-General Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., EHL said the sophomores and juniors have already been welcomed, and the Homecoming Walk will emphasize welcoming them back. Coronel released a circular on August 8, 2022, stating the details and schedules of the Homecoming Walk. Due to pandemic restrictions, the Thomasian Welcome Walk has been previously held virtually through the Minecraft platform, where the students may virtually walk through the historic Arch of the Centuries and explore the University. For all batches, the assembly will be held at the academic units' respective buildings, followed by the mobilization and entry to the Quadricentennial Pavilion (QPav) Arena. The Homecoming Mass marks the start of the on-site activities, followed by the ROARientation 2022 and the Homecoming Walk, which will all be streamed live on the Tiger TV Facebook page. The first batch of students for the Homecoming Walk, which includes the Faculty of Engineering, will start their assembly at 6:30 am and the Onboarding Activities at 8:00 am. The second batch will begin the assembly at 10:30 am and the Homecoming Mass at 12:00 pm. Tiger TV will also be posting a Livestream of the “TMN On-Ground: Treasuring the Thomasian Experience” on their Facebook page to introduce the students to Tiger TV and Tiger Radio, UST’s official student-bodied platforms. In the Livestream, Tiger TV will be setting up four booths: the Tiger Radio Booth, Tiger TV Booth, Website Booth, and Photo Booth. Each booth offering different activities will be set up in the Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Written by: Doroteo Prudenciano II and Szarina dela Paz Photo by: Ray Baltazar Alunen, Jeremy Edera, and Kimboy Tacderas After a three-year halt, the University of Santo Tomas’ on-site Onboarding activities made its comeback with the theme "Unearthing the Treasure" welcoming almost 10,000 freshmen, including 1,286 freshmen from the Faculty of Engineering, last August 9, 2022. The day of festivities housed freshmen Thomasian Traditions, namely, Welcome Mass, ROARientation, and Welcome Walk. Additionally, the new UST block letters and tiger statue were unboxed in the university’s Plaza Mayor later that day. To kick-start their Thomasian journey, the freshmen attended the Welcome Mass in the Quadricentennial Pavilion. Fr. Isaias Tiongco, O.P., UST Vice Rector, presided over the mass of the afternoon session. In his homily, Fr. Tiongco reminded the first-year students to remain authentic as they embark on a new chapter of their lives. As the mass concluded, the ROARientation began. Performances from the university’s pride, UST Yellow Jackets, Conservatory of Music Singers, Ba Duancen, UST Prime, UST Ronins, UST Galvanize, Sinag Ballroom Dance Company, Symphony Orchestra, UST Singers, and UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe, were showcased during the event. Moments after the ROARientation, the freshmen went to prepare for their much-awaited Thomasian Welcome Walk into the Arch of the Century. “Nakakatuwa siya dahil maeexperience na namin ‘yung buhay ng isang Thomasian at nakakatuwa na nakita rin namin for the first time yung mga friends namin [in person] rather than online,” Johann Sebastien M. Vizconde, an Industrial Engineering (IE) freshman, said in an interview. The Faculty of Engineering was alongside the College of Architecture, College of Law, College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, College of Commerce and Business Administration, Faculty of Ecclesiastical Studies, Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, College of Education, Graduate School, Graduate School of Law, and College of Science in the afternoon session of the arch entry. To mark the end of the Onboarding week, the unveiling of the remodeled tiger statue and block letters at the Plaza Mayor was administered. The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe accompanied the unboxing as they performed Katy Perry’s “Roar”. In his message, UST Secretary General, Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., EHL, uttered that inside the box, it signifies the distinct identity of the university as the leading Catholic Higher Education Institution (HEI) not only in the Philippines but also in the Asia Pacific region. Facilities Management Office (FMO) Director Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P. also delivered his message mentioning that the unveiling of the new structures was a representation of UST’s conquer over the COVID-19 pandemic. “Tigers and Thomasians are very adaptable. Both are able to blend and excel in a given environment,” Fr. Austria said. He added that the structures were also to mark the expansion of UST to Santa Rosa, Laguna, and General Santos City, South Cotabato.

Written by: Aldous Dale Caballero Photo by: Jeremy Edera The Manila campus of the University of Santo Tomas is set to open from Aug. 15 - 19 and 21, 2022 for the national ID registration of Thomasians. Walk-in applications are prohibited; therefore, applicants must set an appointment on https://events.ust.edu.ph/nationalid/ and bring their registration form 1A, valid supporting documents, and a black pen to their scheduled appointment. All administrators, alumni, Dominican Fathers, faculty members, family members of UST stakeholder/s (aging five and above), UST Hospital personnel, parishioners, service providers, students, and support staff are encouraged to register. Applicants are advised to bring an original copy of at least one (1) of the following primary documents: PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth AND one (1) government-issued identification document which bears their full name, front-facing photograph, and signature or thumb mark. DFA-issued Philippine Passport or ePassport; GSIS or SSS-issued Unified Multi-purpose Identification Card (UMID); Land Transportation Office (LTO)-issued Student’s License Permit or Non-Professional/Professional Driver’s License Applicants may bring their birth certificate in case they do not have any of the primary documents along with one of the following secondary documents: PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth/NSO-issued Certificate of Live Birth with Birth Reference Number (BreN) LCRO-issued Certificate of Live Birth PSA-issued Report of Birth PSA-issued Certificate of Foundling Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Identification Card Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) ID Seaman’s Book Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID Senior Citizen’s ID SSS ID Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) ID License to Own or Possess Firearms (LTOPF) ID NBI Clearance Police Clearance/ID Solo Parent’s ID PWD ID Voter’s ID Postal ID Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) ID Philhealth ID Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA)-issued Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) National ID from other countries Residence ID from other countries Under the condition that it contains a front-facing photograph, signature/thumbmark, full name, permanent address, and date of birth, the following will be accepted as secondary supporting documents: Employee ID School ID Barangay Clearance/Certificate Barangay ID City/Municipal ID Applicants are prohibited from wearing sleeveless shirts, sandos, and shorts and are discouraged from wearing make-up. Applicants are also advised to wear a face mask and a face shield throughout the process.

Written by: Justine Keith R. Moises Photos by: Julia Beatriz Galvez To officially kick off the journey of first-year engineering students as Thomasians, the UST Engineering Student Council (UST ESC) facilitated EXCITE 2022: An Exceptional Door for Thomasian Beginnings last August 6, 2022, via Zoom and Facebook Live. The event commenced with an opening prayer led by Rev. Fr. Roberto L. Luanzon Jr., O.P, Faculty of Engineering's Regent. Prof. Angelo R. dela Cruz, PhD, PECE, Acting Dean of the UST Faculty of Engineering (UST FoE), delivered his opening remarks, emphasizing the university’s longstanding commitment to improving its students’ technical competence and the quality of education it offers. The Administrative Officials of FoE, Rev. Fr. Roberto L. Luanzon, Jr., O.P., SThD, DL, Faculty Regent, Prof. Angelo R. dela Cruz, PhD, PECE, Acting Dean, Asst. Prof. Anthony James C. Bautista, PME, MBA, PhD, Acting Assistant Dean, and Asst. Prof. Ma. Luisa T. Asilo, MEng, PECE, Faculty Secretary, were recognized after. Furthermore, the six mother organizations of the Faculty of Engineering, namely, UST Chemical Engineering Society (ChES), UST Network of Electronics Engineering Students (NECES), UST Electrical Engineering Circuit (EEC), UST Industrial Engineering Circle (IEC), UST Mechanical Engineering Club (MEC), and UST Association of Civil Engineering Students (ACES), were presented. An overview of the eight interest organizations in the faculty, namely, UST One Voice Engineering Chorale (OV), American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers - (ASHRAE), Rotaract Club - Engineering Unit, UST Engineering Commission on Elections (Engineering COMELEC), Engineering Dance Troupe (EDT), UST Cisco Networking Academy Gateway (CNAG-ENGG), Operations Research Society of the Philippines – UST Chapter (ORSP-UST), UST Engineering Alumni Association (UST-EAAI), and UST Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Student Branch, was provided afterward. Five first-year students each won grab vouchers worth 500 pesos in the raffle draw facilitated subsequently. Asst. Prof. Anthony James C. Bautista, PME, MBA, PhD, Acting Assistant Dean, concluded the first part of the program with his closing remarks, providing tips on how to achieve success in the field of engineering. After a short break, the students proceeded to the private Zoom link provided by the ESC, where they accomplished team-building activities that sought to build a bond among the students and their respective blocks. The event was done in collaboration with Tiger Apparel.

Written by: Justine Moises Image by: Jann Kaizer Tena, Christian Mungcal, and Alyssa Almoite The UST Tiger Media Network is set to release Onboarding Week 2022: Unearthing the Treasure, a series of live streams to showcase the university’s history, tradition, and culture through various performances, from August 3-9, 2022, via Facebook Live. Commencing the post-brigade on August 3 is the release of the first episode of the three-episode special entitled “Tatak Tomasino: Onboarding Week Special”, which will honor the long-preserved National Cultural Treasures within the university, as well as discuss the traditions, student life, and events that the Thomasians celebrate annually. The second and third episodes will be aired on August 5 and 7, respectively. On August 5, a virtual ROARientation will be facilitated by the Communication Bureau from 8 AM to 12 NN. The freshmen will witness and experience in-person three events on August 9, namely, ROARientation 2022, Thomasian Welcome Walk 2022: A Walk to Treasure, and the Unboxing of the New UST Block Letters and Tiger Statue. A live broadcast of these events will be aired on Tiger TV’s Facebook page and shared by the official Facebook page of UST. ROARientation 2022 is an event consisting of entertainment acts coupled with Thomasian values, aiming to parade the university’s historical and cultural relevance beyond excellence. This event that will be held in two batches, 9 AM and 3 PM, consists of an opening number, interactive games, live performances, and the batch dance. Furthermore, Thomasian Welcome Walk 2022: A Walk to Treasure will manifest the tradition of entering the Arch of the Centuries to signify the beginning of one’s journey as a Thomasian. This segment will be facilitated in two batches, 11 AM and 5 PM. Consecutively, at 6 PM, the new UST Block Letters and Tiger Statue will be unboxed. To introduce the freshmen to Tiger TV and Tiger Radio, TMN On-Ground: Treasuring the Thomasian Experience will be set up at the Quadricentennial Pavilion consisting of four booths: Tiger Radio Booth, Tiger TV Booth, Website Booth, and Photo Booth. The Tiger Radio Booth will allow the students to speak and engage inside the TR booth while broadcasting it live through mixlr.com. Meanwhile, the Tiger TV Booth posts a spiel challenge for them. Moreover, freshies may win Premium Merchandise and a possible sponsorship with Switch as they complete a short survey inside the Website Booth. A photo souvenir, containing a QR code leading to the TMN website/ Tiger TV page, from the face-to-face event will also be provided in the Photo Booth.

Written by: Doroteo Prudenciano II and Yitzhak Osei Bumanlag Photo courtesy of University of Santo Tomas Facebook Page Conferred by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), University of Santo Tomas (UST) was awarded Quality Excellence for having Chemical Engineering, as well as twelve other programs from other faculties and colleges in the university, designated as Centers of Excellence (COEs) on May 18, 2022. As per the notification letter addressed to the UST Grand Chancellor, Very Rev. Fr. Gerard Francisco P. Timoner III, O.P., SThL-MA, the award was given to the programs for their “valuable contributions in uplifting and sustaining quality and excellence in higher education in their respective programs, disciplines, and areas of responsibility.” CHED Executive Director IV Atty. Cinderella Filipina S. Benitez-Jaro signed the letter. The twelve other programs included in the list of COEs are: Biology (College of Science), Nursing (College of Nursing), Chemistry (College of Science), Hotel and Restaurant Management (College of Tourism and Hospitality Management), Medical Technology (Faculty of Pharmacy), Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Surgery), Music (Conservatory of Music), Pharmacy (Faculty of Pharmacy), Philosophy (Faculty of Arts and Letters), Psychology (College of Science), Teacher Education (College of Education), and Tourism (College of Tourism and Hospitality Management). CHED, led by Chairman J. Prospero de Vera IV, gave the award to nine Philippine Higher Education Institutions. In the country, UST placed third among universities with the most number of programs identified as Centers of Excellence. On behalf of UST, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Cheryl R. Peralta, DrPH, and Secretary-General fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., EHL, received the recognition.

Written by: Mark Rafael Santos, Aldous Dale Caballero, Szarina Julia dela Paz, Justine Keith Moises, Doroteo Prudenciano II, Carl Calderon, and Mary Andrew Dalogdog Images Taken by: Jan Nacino, Justine Tobias, Hannah Domingo, Ray-b Alunen, Aldea Mendoza, Daxia Rigor The UST Electrical Engineering Circuit (EEC) spearheaded this year’s Electrical Engineering (EE) Week, which opened to the different events and competitions in its 5-day run from April 19-23. The mass presided by Rev. Fr. Roberto Luanzon Jr., O.P., officially marked the beginning of the department’s week celebration via Facebook Live. In his homily, he shared the story of how Mary Magdalene is in the tomb of Christ as he relates this to how people often question where Christ is in times of hardships. “Not only that we experience Christ in our lives, that we see Christ in our lives, but we also share what we feel and what we experience with Christ because we know how important Christ [is] in our lives,” Fr. Luanzon said. Fr. Luanzon delivered a message and a prayer of guidance for the UST EE Alumni who took the Board Exam from April 26-27, which concluded the morning event. Following the opening mass, an Academic General Assembly was conducted via the UST EEC Facebook page, which recognized the EE department’s dean’s listers of the 1st and 2nd term of A.Y. 2020-2021, and the 1st term of A.Y. 2021-2022. The assembly officially commenced with the opening remarks of EE Department Chair, Asst. Prof. Carlito M. Gutierrez, MS. Gutierrez congratulated the awardees and encouraged all EE students to study diligently. EE faculty member, Engr. Zane Ninia D. Sallan, REE, motivated students to keep their eyes on the goal of success and congratulated awardees in her concluding speech. Webinars The UST Electrical Engineering Circuit (UST EEC) decked the first day of the Electrical Engineering Week with a webinar entitled “PATHWAYS: A Peek into the Industry,” giving the EE students a glimpse of the industry waiting for them via Zoom Cloud Meetings and Facebook Live. The two guest speakers were Engr. Alyssa Isabella R. Punzlan, REE from Philippines Electricity Market Corporation Enforcement and Compliance Office (PEMC-ECO) and Engr. Jonard Carlo P. Salian, REE from National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). Compliance Monitoring Senior Analyst Engr. Punzalan presented a quick summary of the energy market in the country. Afterward, she discussed possible career opportunities specifically in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC). Engr. Salian provided an overview of power systems and then shared his experiences working in Electric Power Distribution as a Systems Operations Engineer and in Electric Power Transmission as a Network Operations Principal Engineer. After his talk, he elaborated on the similarities and differences between these fields. The lone event for the second day of the week-long celebration was the webinar entitled "R U OK: Let's Talk About It Mental Health Seminar,” which aimed to give students tips on how to cope and find comfort in stressful times. The first speaker for the event, faculty member of the UST Department of Psychology, Lovely Ana V. Aguas, RN, MP, RPsy, helped the students in assessing their mental health status and discussed tips to improve their mental well-being. Richelle E. Testor, one of the Faculty of Engineering's guidance counselors, discussed maintaining one's mental health and wellness afterward. Both speakers concluded with a question and answer portion held after each of their discussions that aimed to address the queries of the viewers. EE Quiz Show 2022 The EE Quiz Show 2022 kicked off the third day of the Electrical Engineering Week where second to fourth-year students from the department participated via Zoom Cloud Meetings and Facebook Live. The quiz show challenged the participants with 30 questions from different subject areas, namely Mathematics, Engineering and Allied Subjects, Electrical Engineering, and General Information. The competition was conducted by year level, wherein each participating group answered different questions with varying difficulties ranging from easy, average, and difficult—with each consisting of 15, 10, and 5 questions, respectively. In the second-year level, the champions are Llyod Von T. Nisnisan and Ma. Cielo P. Galuno, both from 2EEA, Allison Jon Tabuso and Jhan Reginald Supan, also from 2EEA, as the 1st runner-up, Marc Vincent U. Distor and Lance Kasel C. Lasam of 2EEB, both 2nd runners-up. The third-year winners are Allen Rich A. Pintor from 3EEA and Rizelle Langit from 3EEC, both bagged the championship, Jace A. Tesaluna, and Miguel Adriene G. De Guzman from 3EEA finished as 1st runners-up, and Khelvin Sabangan and Leigh Clement DL Salao from 3EEA being the 2nd runners-up. Carl Angelo D. Arugay and Vaughn Irvin T. Santos from 4EEC, secured the championship for the event, while Chih-Chieh T. Ho from 4EEB, won 1st runner-up, wrapping up the list of winners for the quiz show. EE Games In an intense best-of-five final showdown, Team Kokak Kodak and Team SiMarkTahimikLang battled for the gold in the Mobile Legends tournament, the sole tournament of the Electrical Engineering week. The first game was rather long as it ended past the 30-minute time with Team Kokak Kodak wiping out the opposing team. Ending past a similar time, the third game ended with a close score of 32-30 given that both teams were left with only the base standing and all nine turrets destroyed. Throughout the finals round, the marksmen carried the landslide victory of 3-0 for Team Kokak Kodak with Brody (14-4-8 KDA) in the first game and Beatrix (13-0-6 and 15-3-6 KDA) in the last two games. It was also recognized that both teams used a double-tank lineup with Khufra as a consistent pick for Team SiMarkTahimikLang. EE BINGO The Bingo Night held on the last night of the EE week concluded the celebration after its launch via Facebook Live and Zoom Cloud Meetings that offered a chance to win cash prizes to bingo cardholders. Players enjoyed five rounds with different patterns to form: the first round being a sigma pattern, the second round being an ohm pattern, the third and fourth rounds being in last man standing format, and the final round of the event in blackout format. The winners of the first to fourth bingo rounds who received an amount of 1000 Php each are Floyd Christian Gali, Reimiel San Roque, Juan Carlos Andres, and Paul Daniel De Jesus, respectively. Alecx Andrei Oliva won the grand prize of 3000 Php for winning the event’s last round. A raffle draw was conducted in the event, which gave 500 Php to the four winners, namely, Kaitlyn Isabelle Guevarra, Viber Nick Refuerzo, Luisa Marie De Belen, and Justine Cristobal, while Adam Kiane Añonuevo received 1000 pesos for being drawn twice.

Written by: Eunice Abayon and Miguel Ballecer Image by: Camille Grace Buli The UST Sentro sa Salin at Araling Salin (UST-SSAS) held a 2-day webinar, “SALINSANAY: Webinar sa Pagsasaling Teknikal Bilang Gawaing Propesyonal” last April 23 and 30, via Zoom. To mark the start of the webinar, Assoc. Prof Pilar I. Romero, Ph.D., LPT, the Dean of the College of Education, opened the first day with her remarks. Shortly after discussing the guidelines, Dr. Wennielyn F. Fajilan and Mr. John Dale V. Trogo, both from the Filipino department were introduced as the first speakers for the webinar. Their discussion focused on the topic "Tungo sa mga Komunidad ng mga Tagasaling Pilipino: Ang Pagsasaling Teknikal Bilang isang Kolaboratibong Proyekto." "Hangad namin na makapulot kayo ng ilang mga tips at ilang mga konsiderasyon sa inyong praktis bilang tiga-salin okaya sa inyong praktis bilang guro ng isang tiga-salin," Dr. Fajilan, the coordinator for UST-SSAS states in her introduction of the topic. This was soon followed by Asst. Prof. Elenita Mendoza, LPT, MA from the Filipino Department with the topic "Filong Bilang Teknikal na Wika: Proseso sa Pagsasalin ng mga tekstong teknknikal ng USTSSAS." The last speaker for the first day of the webinar, Prof. Alvin Ringgo Reyes, LPT, MA, also from the Filipino Department focused on the topic "Pagtataya ng Kalidad ng Salin: Sipat sa Ilang Framework." He provided attendees with information on how to create their method of determining the quality of a text translation. Following the first day of the webinar, the 2nd day featured Dr. Franz Guisseppe Cortez, Mr. Dino Tordesillas, and Dr. Rosalyn Mirasol talking about topics related to technical translation. The first speaker, Dr. Franz Guiseppe Cortez, delivered a talk centered on “Mga Hamon ng Pagsasalin ng mga Konsepto sa Pilosopiya.” He focused on the struggles that are evident in the translation of philosophical teachings to Filipino. Throughout this talk, Dr. Cortez shed light on the translation of some of the most common and renowned teachings of philosophical thinkers, such as Plato and Aristotle. For his closing statement, the speaker said, “Hindi sapat na bihasa lang sa simulaing wika at tunguhing wika ang nagsasalin ng mga teksto at konseptong pilosopiko. Kailangang marami rin siyang alam sa pilosoper na kaniyang isinasalin.” Mr. Dino Tordesillas, PhD, a Developmental Biologist from UST, the second speaker of the event, tackled “Mga Hamon ng Pagsasalin ng mga Konsepto sa Agham.” His talk is anchored on the difficulties that are encountered when translating scientific terminologies to Filipino. Towards the end of his talk, the speaker reiterated the importance of teaching sciences using the native language, supported by several reports that state the poor performance of Filipino students. After the commencement of a short intermission number, the event proceeded with the talk of the speaker, Dr. Rosalyn Mirasol. Her topic is titled “Back Translation: Quality Assessment Tool,” which mainly focuses on back translation and its importance in understanding texts that are written in foreign languages. The topic also shed light on the rubric that is considered whenever texts are back-translated. Following this, Dr. Wennielyn Fajilan from UST Sentro ng Salin at Araling Salin gave announcements regarding the upcoming events and services that the center offers. Dr. Cheryl Peralta, Vice-Rector of the UST Academic Affairs graced the event with her closing remarks. Asst. Prof. Ma. Lanie V. Vergara, M.A., and Mr. Ian Mark Nibalvos hosted day one and day two of the webinar, respectively.

Written by: Gerald Araco Art by: Shinkiro Today, the UST Engineering Student Council faces a crisis of dissolution. In what can only be described as a department-wide debacle, the latest edition of the ESC election yielded a zero turnout of candidates for every position available. Historically, there have been instances of fewer than expected candidates and, at worst, the inconvenience of a few unfilled positions, but this new low of total passivity towards the proceedings of such an important establishment paints a bleak picture of the status quo. Thomasians have long acknowledged their socio-political responsibilities and have done so by engaging in discourse in virtue of the upcoming national elections. Therefore, it comes as some surprise that politics in the university is a matter to which they have seemingly turned a blind eye. Of course, it is not a fair allegation to deem them culpable for the ESC’s situation, and granted, the affairs of the state naturally take greater precedence, but to trivialize the imminent fate that befalls the student council would be a gross misjudgment. This adamance to fulfill the succession of council responsibilities can be ascribed to the toll of academic workloads. In a recent interview with the Thomasian Engineer, Kyla Sarcos, the ESC’s incumbent president, confirmed that the aggravations of the online setup have done little to prompt any interest among younger members to take on the responsibilities of the student council, much less concern themselves with matters outside academics. Difficult as it is for the rank-and-file to keep up with the demands of their professors, council members are burdened with maintaining a certain grade point across all subjects while cleaving to the duties of service to Thomasians; no easy feat, to say the least. Yet, amid the challenges of the online setup, the student council has been able to deliver in every respect. It has succeeded in organizing events and webinars, delivering health and academic services, and so on. These have all been met by a fanfare of acclaim and an abundance of gratitude from the student body. This is why it has startled many to witness such a revered establishment face dire uncertainty over its future. This crisis does not constitute the result of Thomasians’ own inaction, but the failures of oversight from the university itself. With highly competent professors, UST has not neglected its oath to provide premier education, but, as many disillusioned students concur, it has whitewashed the truth of its excessiveness in academic expectations. It has undermined students’ capacity to cope daily with an elaborate mess of subject-related tasks. The imposition of complex projects, an exorbitant number of assignments, and draconian deadlines have levied hours of students’ personal time against their will. One semester after another, students have progressed fruitlessly from pillar to post, regressing into a disheveled heap of aggravation. For the student council, this academic mayhem has eaten away at its ability to function, much less, stay afloat. As its president had also pointed out, grade-based disqualifications of some willing student leaders from election candidacy has been another cause for the zero candidate turnout in the election. These (disqualifications) have gravely impaired the resolve of ESC's remaining team heads and members to run for office. In effect, it is almost as though it has been left to fate to decide what shall become of the student council. In the wake of the ESC’s sudden upheaval, one might question if it is even remotely possible to prevent the student council from becoming defunct. The simple answer is yes, absolutely. Alarming as it seems, this issue can handily be put to rest by a single amendment. When the faculty acknowledges that the enterprise of student governance is a labor-intensive affair, they ought to do well to adjust the scholastic requirements expected of student leaders. It would constitute hypocrisy of the highest order not to implement such accommodations for them while many student-athletes continue to implement their infamous tactics of circumventing academic workloads on the pretext of busyness. For the faculty, it would truly be of no consequence to exercise a much-needed restraint of demands against those whose noble pursuits are directed to the collective well-being of fellow Thomasians. Should that not make a sufficient argument in favor of the student council, then the very foundation upon which the student council was established ought to be committed to memory. The Engineering Student Council is an inalienable part and parcel of the UST Engineering experience. For the better part of 50 years, it has torn down the apprehensions of unfamiliarity between students. Where there existed only the dissonance of hushed introversion, the ESC has nurtured a lasting esprit de corps. Moreover, by giving enterprising student leaders opportunities to helm momentous projects, the student council has endowed the engineering student body with countless opportunities not only to socialize but to pick up knowledge on new industry skills and innovations and kick one's feet up against the pressures of academics in gleeful and worthwhile recreation. Equally deserving of praise are its health services and surplus of academic reviewers have been of tremendous aid to students over the years. The pandemic has demonstrated beyond doubt the importance of keeping the student council alive because its foremost efforts, now laid bare, have always been to sustain the well-being of students, no less. The student body has not yet been made certain of what is to follow but it need not reach that day to concede that every facet of the engineering student council is what makes one's stay in UST worthwhile. The Thomasian Engineer’s simple entreaty to students is this: even if difficulties in school persist, there must be a magnanimous few among yourselves that should one day take on the reins of the student council and brave the consequences of public service. After all, the world could always use a few more righteous people. The only question is, who will stand up and lead?

Written by: Jose Miguel Ballecer, John Carlo Urbano, Aundrea Levanza, Zein Ady Advincula, Mary Andrew Dalogdog, Aldous Dale G. Caballero, Hannah Andrea Romerosa, JF Nichols Cortez, Carl Tristan Gile, Laurence Gabriel Arellano, Nikole Valdecañas, and Jamie Lopez Photo by: Daxia Rigor, Hannah Domingo, Bea Caranto, and Tori Lopez To celebrate its 115th founding year, the UST Civil Engineering (CE) Department started the week-long festivities with its opening ceremony, “Civil Engineering Week Grand Exhibit and Ribbon Cutting,” last April 6 via Zoom and Facebook Live. The event began with a mass presided by Rev. Fr. Roberto L. Luanzon Jr., O.P., Faculty of Engineering’s Regent. The Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Asst. Prof. Anthony James C. Bautista, and the CE Department chair, Rajiv Eldon E. Abdullah, MEngg., also graced the department week’s opening event with their welcoming remarks. An awarding ceremony for Civil Engineering students who won in different events during Engineering Week followed afterward. Maria Clarisse B. Guzman, the Junior Vice President of UST Association of Civil Engineering Students (ACES), then presented the events to be expected during CE Week. Webinars The first webinar lined up for the week was “Total Station,” which took place on April 6 via Zoom and Facebook Live. The webinar’s keynote speaker, Engr. Roberto Siccion from Geotech Mercantile Corporation discussed a total station’s purpose, how it works, and its importance in the civil engineering field. UST-ACES also conducted a two-day webinar with the theme “One More ChanCE: Leading the Future to Sustainable Living” last April 7 and 8, via Zoom and Facebook Live. Day one of the two-day webinar, entitled “CleanCE: Nurturing One's Life Through Clean and Accessible Waters,” featured UST Engineering alumna Assoc. Prof. Marla Maniquiz-Redillas, Ph.D. In her talk, she highlighted the importance of managing water in accomplishing the goal of achieving sustainable urban water. Concluding the webinar series was the webinar entitled “Be ResponCEble: Accountability and Awareness on Proper Management of Solid Waste.” The invited speakers, Prof. Marisa S. Jovellanos-Sobremisana, PhD, Mrs. Emelita Aguinaldo, and Mr. Jan-Vincent P. Mercado, shared their knowledge on the topic of proper solid waste management. The organization also held a webinar entitled “Engineering on Business (EngBnB)” to discuss different ways to improve entrepreneurial skills last April 8. The invited speakers, Melvin Dave S. Jordan, UST alumnus, gave tips to students who are just beginning their business journey; John Karol Angeles, currently a third-year Industrial Engineering student in UST and owner of Zeke Mats PH, shared his tips on how to start a business; and Engr. Neil Kendrick Sy, UST Civil Engineering instructor, discussed how to handle a construction firm as a civil engineer. Litrato With the theme “How can you explain Civil Engineering to people outside your field?,” UST-ACES launched Litrato, a photo “meme” competition open to all Civil Engineering students last April 6, 2022. The participants of the event and the title of their works are as follows: John Orelle A. Mangahas, Engineering Stress; Crystal Angeli Grace G. Mercado, Hat Hard Mo ‘to; Jeffrey C. Alfonso, CE Job; Justin Ian M. Magallanes, Pangarap; Michael G. Mercado, What Engineering Students Really Do; and Gwyne Audrey R. Ugalino, Marx Multiverse of Madness (1). Jeffrey C. Alfonso of 4CE-C placed first with his work entitled “CE Job.” Along with him were Gwyne Audrey R. Ugalino, and Michael G. Mercado, who placed second and third, respectively. Winners of the competition were decided based on the entries’ number of likes on Facebook. Truss Me! To start the 2nd day of CE Week, UST-ACES arranged Truss Me!, a bridge-building competition open to all students in the department. The competition was divided into three rounds: the easy round, which had a one-point system per weight increase and five minutes to construct the bridge; the average round, which had a three-point system per weight increase with seven minutes to prepare; and lastly, the difficult round, with a five-point system per weight increase and ten minutes allotted time. After three intense rounds, Group 9 consisting of Larie Andre Lansangan, Marie Meleeza Marquez, and Jerimae Las Piñas l, bagged the championship title with 181 points. Group 2, comprising Albert Gulla Jr, Lourd Neo Malaluan, and Orelle Mangahas, came in second with 174 points, and completing the top three were Sophia Nicole Austria, Gwyne Audrey Ugalino, and Benneth Jazmine Ugay from Group 1 with 166 points. Palaicepan Mico Joshua Melina of 3CE-F bagged the championship with 24 points in the third-year’s individual category of PalaiCEpan held on the fourth day of CE Week via Zoom, Discord, and Facebook Live. Joining Melinas on the podium were Toby Miguel Orduna of 3CE-B who scored eight points, and Stephen Gregory Morales of 3CE-E with seven points. In the third-year group category, HinD Nagreview from 3CE-D emerged victorious with 25 points. They were followed closely by Parokya ni Anog from 3CE-A and Section Bee from 3CE-B, both finishing second with 24 points. With a final score of 23 points, H4HB from 3CE-H landed the third spot. Due to the lack of participants from the second-year students and the ongoing thesis of the fourth-year students, only third-year students were able to participate in this event. LaRUAŇO To make CE Week more interesting and fun, the UST ACES introduced laRUAÑO to bring out the sportsmanship and competitiveness of both students and CE faculty members last April 7, 8, and 11. The event is comprised of three e-sports and two mini-games: Call of Duty: Mobile (CODM), Mobile Legends (ML), VALORANT, Stumble Guys, and Tetris. Stumble Guys In a total of six rounds, twenty-six players from different year levels fought for their spot on the podium in a Stumble Guys tournament held last April 8 via Discord. Similar to the PC game version, Fall Guys, the players raced through various obstacles in each round to reach the finish line. Surviving the most number of rounds, Mark “Briiiii02” Magpayo was crowned the victor, while Cyrenne "sAAqzY" Maralit and Kyle "KyleDane" Robles grabbed the silver and bronze, respectively. Tetris The civil engineering students were tested on their puzzle-solving skills with the nostalgic game Tetris, held on April 7, and 11, via Zoom and Tetr.io. The tournament started with 14 players who showed their ability to work under pressure as they avoided getting knocked out and battled their way through the elimination round. On the first day, James Reinier S. Aquino emerged on top, while Josh Martin B. Hipolito snatched the second place from Michael Lawrence M. Origenes. Manuel Lorenzo C. Muhi ruled the second day over Kirov Vonne V. Concepcion and Coby Sebastian D.J. Balajadia, who got the silver and the bronze, respectively. VALORANT After an intense fight against 30 Bombs, Wrong Direction was dubbed as champions of the Valorant Tournament with a final tally of 2-0 in a best-of-three series, scoring 13-6 in the first round and 13-3 in the second. With their tight defense during their defending phase and aggressive push in their attacking phase, Wrong Direction was able to hold their score advantage between the games, which led to them winning the match-up. Nine teams competed in the double-elimination tournament, with Wrong Direction being the first team to make it through the final round. Despite being in the losing bracket, 30 Bombs was able to advance to the final round after a battle with Big Baby Cholo for the last spot. ACES vs CE Profs To take a break from the ensuing competitions between the students, the ACES vs CE Profs Mobile Legends Match was held, where the ACES came on top after three thrilling games, two games to one. The CE Profs were composed of Engr. Jervin Kent C. Nava, BSCE, Engr. Franz Geronimo, Engr. Jonah Anne C. Casillan, BSCE, Engr. Andre del Rosario, MSCE, and Engr. Leonardo Olalo. The ACES students, led by Rin Tohsaka's Benedetta, controlled the first game from the early stages, capped off with Adeinr.'s Kimmy's ace. To tie the series at 1-1, the CE Prof completed their own wipeout, led by Engr. Del Rosario's Freya. The ACES squad was able to take the first lord at 11 minutes but was easily defended by the CE Profs. In the third game, the ACES dominated, powered by Johnnnn's Vale, scoring 35 kills against 7 of the CE profs, closing the match at 15 minutes. Call of Duty: Mobile After securing a slot in the finals, RG Gadz bested their rival and captured the Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) Championship title after pulling down Team qt with a 2-0 sweep in a best-of-three series. In the championship battle, the best-of-three series consists of a hardpoint mode for game one, a search and destroy mode for game two, and another hardpoint mode for a do or die round. With good rotation play and positioning, RG Gadz took game one and sealed the game at 135-200 as the Team qt started slowly in hardpoint mode. In the second game, with a longshot and a headshot, RG Gadz had an inclination to close the championship match, 4-8, with a 4v1 situation. RG Gadz’s Joaqin "CP KuroRG" Castillo scored 7,105 with a total of 60 kills and 12 assists and was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Mobile Legends Ecko’s Angels and AMOY POCH, the clash of second-year levels, competed for the victory in a best-of-three final round of the Mobile Legends tournament. In the first match, the latter team secured the turtles and Lord in the early game with a double-marksman strategy of Moskov on the gold lane and Karrie as their core or jungler. However, the Ecko’s Angels conquered the mid to late game with Cecilion’s (mage) magic burst damage, resulting in a 14-20 victory. With the same mage retained in the second match, and a double-tank strategy of Uranus on the exp lane (off-lane) and Franco as their roam, the team secured a 2-0 sweep in the championship round. Ecko’s Angel’s Cecilion was recognized as the most valuable player (MVP) for both matches, with a KDA (kill-death-assist) of 8-2-10 and 7-1-17, respectively. CE Got Talent UST-ACES started the last day of the week-long celebration with a battle of performances in the "CE Got Talent: Online Edition" via Zoom and Facebook Live. All participating representatives were given a maximum of five minutes to showcase their performance. Luis Teylan and Jessi Mae Allyson Co from 2CE-A, Jan Patrick Bergonio from 2CE-B, Francesca Leigh Estorel from 2CE-C, Pocholo Miguel Abeleda from 2CE-D, John Mark Limbo from 2CE-D, Alexandra Mendoza from 2CE-E, and Gio Ruazol from 2CE-F are among the participants from the second year department. The third year department's contenders include Tricia Pacao of 3CE-A, Jan Joshua Fetil of 3CE-B, Marial Tinimbang of 3CE-D, Isabella Mendoza and 3CE-G dancers, and representatives from 3CE-H. Tricia Pacao from 3CE-A took first place in the talent show. Completing the top three spots with her were Jessi Mae Allyson Co and Luis Antonio Teylan who ranked third, and Gio Ruazol who placed second. CEnergy Finishing the week-long celebration was the organization’s awards night entitled “CEnergy: UST Civil Engineering Awards Night” which happened last April 12, 2022, via Zoom and Facebook Live. The event was to officially announce and reward the winners of the various events held throughout the week-long celebration. The new members of each committee were also recognized at the event. This was led by their respective officers-in-charge and team heads. The executive board members were also acknowledged at this juncture. Further, the recognition of the winners of special awards, both faculty and students, took place shortly after. The nominations and voting happened throughout the CE Week, where students were given the chance to vote for both students and faculty members to be recipients of various special awards.

Written by: Justine Keith Moises and Doroteo Prudenciano II Photo courtesy of UST Industrial Engineering Circle The UST Industrial Engineering Council (UST-IEC) kicked off a three-day series of posts entitled “The Wildlife Project” to advocate for sustainability and promote the preservation of biodiversity on April 19-21, 2022 via Facebook. The event was organized in cooperation with the UST UNESCO Club and EARTH UST, and in partnership with the Philippine Parks and Biodiversity and the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Society. The first post of the event shared the definition of wildlife and its importance. It also provided necessary and timely information on how to take care of the future wildlife. To remind the students of the importance of wildlife, a photo contest was held featuring entries from Julienne Alicon Romano, Anna Sofia Banzon, Ray Baltazar Alunen, Corrine Anjela Mayo, and Cyrene Franchesca Molina. Molina’s entry entitled “Oh My Deer!” topped the competition, also bagging the People’s Choice Award, while Alunen’s “A Web That Intertwines All” and Ramano’s “Higad to Believe” clinched the second and third spots, respectively. Ms. Sherrie Garcia, one of the Partnerships Champions for Philippine Parks & Biodiversity, concluded the post brigade for the first day with her anecdote on her journey to conservation, revealing that the beauty and damage of nature inspired her to volunteer for various NGOs such as Philippine Parks and Biodiversity. The second day opened with a bingo game consisting of wildlife conservation activities, allowing the students to assess how much they have helped in the conservation of wildlife. In another post, Geodetic Engineer Ruby Magturo and Assistant Secretary Desamarie Antonette Fernandez from the Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines shared their work experiences with wildlife and gave their messages to the students. Partnerships Champion for Philippine Parks and Biodiversity Mr. Mark Joseph Laceste capped the second day by sharing his journey about his environmental advocacies. He mentioned that as a volunteer, the stories of the environmental defenders and the forest rangers became his source of hope to create more projects that impact the community and inspire systematic change. On the third day, Mr. Jay Fidelino, secretary of the Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines, told how he discovered and pursued his love for preserving Philippine biodiversity. Geodetic Engineer Jose Don De Alban concluded the event by discussing how his work as remote sensing and GIS mapping specialist led him to meet wildlife conservationists, sparking his interest in the field.

Written by: Szarina dela Paz Photo courtesy of UST Industrial Engineering Circle UST Industrial Engineering Circle (IEC) in collaboration with UST Computer Science Society (CSS) launched “Dunong Sulong,” in partnership with Ateneo Casa Famiglia Servants of the Poor Inc. with three phases held throughout April. The phases took place on four different days, April 1, 2, 8, and 23, respectively. The community development project aims to provide teaching supplies and training webinars for the faculty of the partner community located in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Phase one, which marked the start of the project, was conducted on April 1. Teaching supplies such as bond paper reams, printer ink cartridges, brown envelopes, boxes of face masks, and a flash drive containing modules of basic functions of the computer and Microsoft Office applications were safely delivered to the partner community. On April 2, a motivational webinar titled “From the Bottom to the Top: Thriving for Success,” was facilitated, wherein guest speakers shared their journey as an educator. Asst. Prof. Anthony James C. Bautista, PME, MBA, PhD, Assistant Dean of UST Faculty of Engineering (FoE), formally commenced the event with his opening remarks, highlighting how the project can contribute to church-building, home-building, and nation-building. This was followed by a background discussion on the project led by Jasel Anne Mingua, Executive Vice President of UST-IEC and project head of Dunong Sulong, where she shared that “Dunong” translates to “Wisdom”. The first speaker was Engr. Carlos Ignacio P. Lugay, PhD, PIE, ASEAN Engr. from the Industrial Engineering (IE) Department, with his talk titled “My Journey in the Academe: Lifelong Learnings,” where he narrated the ten lessons he learned from his journey. Assistant Principal of Our Lady of Mercy School of Quezon City Ms. Alpha Z. Cristobal, LPT, MA.Ed., followed Engr. Lugay with her talk entitled, “Looking Inward to See Outward: 4Ps to Personal Growth.” The 4Ps correspond to Purpose, Passion, Perseverance, and Prayers. An open forum was held at the end of each talk to answer the questions of the audience. Andre Eusebio also graced the event with an intermission. Asst. Prof. Mildred Duran concluded the webinar with her closing remarks. The first half of phase three commenced on April 8, entitled “FinTalk: An Asset to Life.” Engr. Abiel M. Badillo from the IE Department started the webinar with his opening speech. The guest speaker, Asst. Prof. Charmina Lou C. Bautista, PIE, RFP, CSS from the IE Department, discussed financial literacy in her talk titled “Personal Finance for a Healthy Financial Life Beyond 2022,” focusing on the financial dashboard, savings, and investment plan in action, and the tool for long-term investing. This was followed by an open forum and a performance from Anette Grace O. Padrinao, Executive Associate for Community Development and Project Head of Dunong Sulong. The second half of phase three, which also marked the last part of the project, was titled “TechTalk: Introduction to Web Design for Business,” held on April 23. Asst. Prof. Jerralyn T. Padua, MSCS, Dean of UST College of Information and Computing Sciences (CICS), started off the webinar with her opening speech encouraging students to share a little of their time for the community. Resource speaker, Ms. Alma V. Perol, MIT, an instructor from UST-CICS, held a brief discussion on the importance of business websites and a short workshop on designing a business website with the use of Wix.com. This was followed by an intermission by Padrinao. The event concluded with a gratitude message from Georger Bersabe, Academic Coordinator of Ateneo Casa Famiglia Servants of the Poor, the project’s partner community. The following professors made the project possible: Asst. Prof. Joehanna K. Ngo, PhD, PIE, ASEAN Engr., IE Department Chair, Engr. Manolo P. Binuya, Community Development Coordinator of UST-FoE, Asst. Prof. Mildred C. Duran, MBA, Community Development Coordinator of UST-CICS, Engr. Yoshiki B. Kurata, MSIE, CIE, adviser of UST-IEC, Asst. Prof. Jonathan B. Cabero, MS, adviser of UST-CSS, and Asst. Prof. Donata D. Acula, PhD, adviser of UST-CSS.