In Memoriam

Ex-UPLB vice chancellor Gomez passes away

March 21, 2022

By: Carla Gomez – @inquirerdotnet

Dr. Arturo Gomez (Photo from Facebook account of Dr. Arturo Gomez)

BACOLOD CITY – A former vice chancellor for academic affairs of the University of the Philippine Los Baños (UPLB) and director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) passed away in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday, March 17.

A funeral service for Dr. Arturo Gomez, a native of Ilog town in Negros Occidental, will be held at the Rangsit Methodist Church in Bangkok on Monday morning, March 21, and will be followed by his cremation.

Gomez was a professor and vice chancellor for academic affairs of UPLB, and the fifth director of SEARCA, a non-profit organization that works to elevate the quality of life of agricultural families through sustainable livelihoods and provide access to modern networks and innovative markets from 1988 to 1993.

In a UPLB statement, Gomez was described as a “beloved mentor, colleague and a friend to many in the circle of agriculture science.”

“Dr. Art will be missed by many, and will be remembered for his passion and contribution for Philippine Agriculture,” it said.

SEARCA, in its Facebook page, said Gomez was an agronomist and statistician, and was one of the pioneers of multiple cropping systems in the Philippines.

Gomez and his wife co-authored text books, including the “Statistical Procedures for Agricultural Research” that has helped a lot of students and research scientists.

He was survived by his wife, Dr. Kwanchai Gomez, and his son, Victor.

Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1571025/ex-uplb-vice-chancellor-gomez-passes-away

UP salutes Prof. Gerardo B. Agulto, Jr., 79

March 14, 2022



The University of the Philippines (UP), especially the UP Diliman – Extension Program in Pampanga and Olongapo (UPDEPPO), “will always celebrate” the life of Prof. Gerardo B. Agulto, Jr., who passed away last March 10 at the age of 79.

After retiring from service in 2007 as Associate Professor of the UP College of Business Administration, now the Virata School of Business, Agulto served as Executive Director of the UP Foundation until 2021.

“Prof. Agulto has always been known as the Father of the Master of Management Program… He recruited the best and brightest of his former students from Diliman to establish and enrich the MM program… The magic fiber of his being is most memorable: cultivating the life of the mind as well as giving heart to the UPDEPPO community,” Dr. Julieta C. Mallari, former director of UPDEPPO, wrote in a testimonial posted on the Facebook page of the UP Clark and Subic Master of Management Program. Memorial services were held from March 11 to 13 in Quezon City.

Agulto grew up in San Jose, Nueva Ecija. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1963 and his MBA in 1974, both in UP Diliman. His mother, Socorro Bautista-Agulto, was a UP BS Pharmacy alumna (1938).

Agulto worked in the private sector from the 1970s to the 80s. Initially, he worked for Coca-Cola Export Company as Management Information System Coordinator for the Pacific Region and later, as Product Manager. He also became Senior Vice President of the Philippine National Bank.

He rose through the ranks at the UP College of Business Administration (renamed Virata School of Business). He was a Project Assistant in 1968, served as an Instructor, was eventually promoted to Assistant Professor, and was Associate Professor 7 when he retired in 2007. He was Officer-in-Charge of the College from August 1, 1990, to April 30, 1992. He also served as Director of the UP MBA Alumni Society from 1997-1998.

Source: UP MPRO

Former UPD CHE Dean Gonzalez, age 96

Image from the UPD CHE Facebook page


The University of the Philippines (UP) mourns the passing of Prof. Eva Beatriz Gonzalez last March 10 at the age of 96. She served as dean of the UP Diliman College of Home Economics. She was also Officer-in-Charge and College Secretary of the UP College of Education.

Gonzalez epitomizes the principles of her Alma Mater: honor and excellence. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, cum laude, from UP in 1948. She is the first Filipina to earn her M.A. (1951) and Ph.D. (1958) degrees in Home Economics from Cornell University. At Cornell, she also minored in Child Development and Family Relations.

Gonzalez taught at UP Diliman and St. Scholastica’s College as an instructor. She became Assistant Professor then Associate Professor at the UP College of Education and the UP College of Home Economics.

Gonzalez also worked as a UNESCO consultant and adviser.

Among the academic posts she held were: Vice President of the Philippine Mental Health Association, from 1994 to 1995; President of the UP College of Education Alumni Association, from 1988 to 1992; Director of the UP Alumni Association, from 1981 to 1984; Board Member of the UP College of Home Economics Alumni Association, from 1979 to 1981. She is also an alumna of the UP Delta Lambda Sigma Sorority; and a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

Dean Gonzalez comes from a distinguished family of educators and administrators. Gonzalez’ father was UP President Bienvenido Ma. Gonzalez served from 1939 to 1943 and then from 1945 to 1951. Many of UP’s colleges and units were relocated from Manila to the Diliman campus during his term.

UP President Gonzalez’s father, Joaquin Gonzalez, was a member of the Malolos Constitutional Assembly and was the founding Rector of the Universidad Literaria de Filipinas under the Aguinaldo Government. Gonzalo, Dean Gonzalez’s brother, served as UP Regent and Professorial Lecturer at the UP College of Law. Former UP Regent Gizela Madrigal Gonzalez-Montinola is Dean Gonzalez’s niece.

Source: UP MPRO

Artist Kidlat de Guia, Kidlat Tahimik’s son, dies at 46

March 11, 2022



Filmmaker and visual artist Kidlat de Guia, an emerging movie director best known for his artworks and son of National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik, has died in Madrid, Spain. He was 43.

His brother Kawayan de Guia shared the family’s loss in a Facebook post Thursday.

The younger Kidlat helped his father in mounting his art pieces for a colonial art exhibition in Madrid, which began October 2021.

At the time of his death, de Guia was working on the completion of his documentary under the auspices of the Film Development Council of the Philippines ( FDCP) and the building of a cinema center in Baguio.

“I am shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Kidlat de Guia. He was a good friend for many years even before I chaired FDCP,” FDCP chairperson Liza Diño told ABS-CBN News Thursday.

“I was so pleased that FDCP was working with him to finish his 8-year-old documentary ‘Rangtay Papan Idjaybangir’ which was granted the CreatePHFilms Post-Production Support, as well as finding a new home for our Cinematheque Baguio, and working on the collection of his Tatay through the Philippine Film Archive.“

The younger Kidlat was also known his unique and evocative weaving of photography and other visual arts forms.

“He was as talented and as dedicated to the arts as a visual artist as his father. We had so many plans of working together, and I am devastated to lose a dear friend,“ added Diño.

The de Guia family has yet to share official details of the exact date and cause of Kidlat’s sudden passing.

In his post, his brother Kawayan paid tribute to Kidlat with these words: “To you, my brother, our brother, our friend, our partner in crime, the playful eye, the comfort zone, the bearer of good and bad news, you, my friend, you! The backbone. My love, our love, love.”

Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/03/10/22/artist-kidlat-de-guia-son-of-kidlat-tahimik-dies-at-46

Ruby Leah Agnir (1940-2022)

March 7, 2022



On February 20, 2022, Ruby Leah Agnir (nee Ordinario), 82, of Wesley Chapel, FL and formerly of Franklin County, MA (Greenfield and So. Deerfield) joined her Lord after a brief battle with lung cancer at the Regal Palms Assisted Living Facility in Largo, FL. Her daughter Rowena Rantanen, son-in-law Eric Rantanen, son Frederick Agnir, daughter-in-law Christiana Carter and caregiver Ann-Marie Ricks were by her side in person, while friends and family members joined through internet live streaming technology.

Ruby was born on February 2, 1940, to Rev. Roman and Tereza (Rubio) Ordinario in Davao City, Philippines. Her husband was the late Rev. Dr. Federico “Eddie” Agnir, whom she married on April 30, 1961, at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City in the Philippines.

A musical prodigy, Ruby enjoyed a lifelong passion and career for over 70 years as a professional musician starting with her playing the pump organ at 9-yrs old for her church. Working as an organist and music director for a multitude of churches throughout her life, her most recent positions include the music director for Atonement Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL and organist for St. Elizabeth Episcopalian Church in Zephyrhills, FL.

Ruby will fondly be remembered by her students as she taught piano, organ and voice for over 50 years. Community theater as well was one of her passions, as she participated in dozens of plays and musicals in various roles including music director, actor, singer, director, and producer. She was the founder and artistic director of the community theater group The Green Room Players (Greenfield, Massachusetts), whose proceeds were donated to non-profit organizations including The ALS Foundation among others.

She was also a retired college instructor of speech, theater arts, and music education courses. She majored in English, Speech, and Theater Arts from the University of the Philippines and holds a master’s degree in English Literature from Silliman University (Dumaguete, Philippines).

Additionally, she was a life member of many organizations including Order of the Eastern Star and Ladies of the Oriental Shrine of North America, holding various offices. She was also a member of the American Guild of Organists and the American Choral Directors Association as well as a life member of the American Mensa Association, the High IQ Society.

A published author, Ruby’s books include Prisms showcasing her original poetry and Fairy Gifts (Tales of Enchantment) – a set of original plays written for Youth Theater. Additionally as part of her passion to serve, she authored the books In Our Music, God and Upward Beyond the Brim, both collections of essays and other writing aimed at inspiring artists who use their talents in houses of worship.

Ruby’s husband, Federico (Eddie), pre-deceased her in 2018. She is survived by her three children, daughter Mirla Thompson (Wilmington, NC), daughter Rowena Rantanen (Apex, NC), and son Frederick Agnir (Clearwater, FL). She also is survived her brother Sadiri Ordinario (Santa Clara, CA), her sister Elizabeth Weil (Ann Arbor, MI) and her six grandchildren as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Friday March 11 from 6-9pm at the Friendship Hall of the Atonement Lutheran Church in Wesley, Chapel, FL.

True to her musical vocation, a Musical Memorial Service designed by Ruby herself will be held Saturday March 12 from 1-3PM, also at Atonement Lutheran Church.

To watch the live stream Saturday Memorial, go to: discoveralc.com and scroll down and click “live stream.”

Ruby donated to several charities. With that in mind, the family wishes memorial contributions to The ALS Foundation or St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in her name.

Ruby Agnir Obituary (1940 – 2022) – Wesley Chapel, FL – The Recorder (legacy.com)

UP CURSOR’s Official Statement on the Death of Chad Booc

February 28, 2022









UP CURSOR’s Official Statement on the Death of Chad Booc

Earlier today, we have received reports that human rights activist and our very own alumnus Chad Booc was killed yesterday, February 24. This was later confirmed by his close friends and family. The AFP once again claims Chad’s death to be a result of an “armed encounter with NPA rebels” [1].

Chad was a BS Computer Science student of UP Diliman. After graduating as cum laude, he chose a path less traveled instead of pursuing a conventional career in the IT industry. He boldly and selflessly went out to serve the indigenous communities as a volunteer mathematics and science teacher for ALCADEV, a Lumad school in Surigao del Sur. Since then, he had devoted his life to serving the people in whatever way he could [2,3].

Last February 2021, Chad – along with other Lumad students, teachers, and elders – was arrested during a violent raid dubbed as a “rescue operation” inside the University of San Carlos – Talamban campus. The police claimed, with no evidence, that the volunteer teachers were training children to be part of the New People’s Army (NPA) despite the University administration denying these accusations. With the Lumad students being part of a bakwit school program where they were learning how to read and write, Chad and six other detainees were released, but only after three months [4].

This instance is just one of the many attacks by the state elements against the Lumad communities. For years, Lumad schools have suffered from aerial bombings, closures, illegal arrests, extrajudicial killings, red-tagging, and other forms of military assaults. Against all these, Chad, alongside other teachers, never gave up their endless struggle to protect the indigenous people and their lands. In a “democratic” society such as ours, it should not be a crime to be indigenous or to defend indigenous people and their rights.

Chad was not only a staunch defender of the rights of the Lumad people. He wholeheartedly immersed himself in marginalized communities to learn from them and serve them to the best of his abilities. His death is a huge loss not only to his family and friends, but to the communities he lived with and the individuals he inspired as well.

Chad was one of the countless activists baselessly red-tagged and helplessly murdered by the military in order to silence the administration’s critics. Even in his death, he was accused of being a member of the NPA. Amid the threats he faced, he persevered in his community endeavors and remained steadfast in the democratic movement.

There has been no official evidence to support that Chad was part of the NPA despite repeated claims by state forces, resulting in his release last year. Contrary to the reports by the military, the CPP-NPA also claimed that no armed encounter took place in New Bataan, Davao de Oro — the area of the supposed encounter between Chad’s group and the military [5]. It should also be noted that the CPP-NPA is also known to publicly honor and acknowledge the death of their members.Thus, there is no reason to believe that Chad’s death was indeed due to an armed encounter between the AFP and the NPA.

As the UP Association of Computer Science Majors, we honor the selfless life of Chad Booc, and remember his heart to fight for the underserved. In light of today’s loss, we condemn the unjust and inhumane killings of Chad Booc, the Lumad volunteer teachers, and all those who sought to defend the marginalized and silenced. We urge media outlets to remain objective in their news reports as they should first and foremost be the ones to stop the spread of misinformation.

With roughly two months away from the National Elections, the Organization strongly encourages everyone to educate themselves on the different stances of the candidates and support a leader who promotes a culture of peace and civil discourse, not one of unjust killings and baseless allegations.

May Chad Booc continue to live through us as we embrace what it genuinely means to be an Iskolar ng Bayan especially on a day where we commemorate the People Power Revolution:

“Higit sa lahat, ang mandato natin bilang iskolar ng bayan ay maisabuhay natin nang buong puso — at ‘yun ay paglingkuran ang sambayanan.“ – Chad Booc (2017)

#JusticeForChadBooc #StopTheKillingsPH

[1] Lumad teacher Chad Booc, 4 others slain in Davao de Oro – military: https://www.rappler.com/…/lumad-teacher-booc-others…/
[2] Who is Chad Booc, the activist arrested in Cebu with the Lumad?: https://www.rappler.com/…/things-to-know-chad-booc…/
[3] From computers to communities – https://up.edu.ph/from-computers-to-communities/
[4] TIMELINE – The plight of the Lumad evacuees in Cebu: https://www.rappler.com/…/timeline-plight-lumad…/
[5] CPP accuses AFP of fabricating ‘encounter’ to cover-up Chad Booc’s death: https://mb.com.ph/…/cpp-accuses-afp-of-fabricating…/
[6] The UP Parser interview with Chad Booc in September 2017: https://www.facebook.com/…/a.10153525…/10155648264621131

Source: UP Association of Computer Science Majors Facebook post