The Top 1 of the November 2024 Licensure Examination for Agriculturists (LEA), a graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños, shared reflections on his journey from college to taking the board exam.
Ian Gabriel Mangulabnan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, majoring in Agricultural Extension.
Photo courtesy: Facebook/Ian Gabriel Mangulabnan
In his Facebook post on November 30, Ian shared his reflections on his journey.
He began the post with a line from the lyrics of the song “Damdamin” by Syd Hartha.
It says, “darating ang para sayo sa tamang panahon at pag dumating sayo’y para talaga sayo” -syd hartha, damdamin!”
“these lyrics by syd perfectly encapsulate the emotions surrounding my LEA journey. at nov 22 din mismo rinelease ang kantang ito! wala lang ang galing lang.”
“let me share my reflections a week after the release of the results (at wala rin akong long post noong grumad ako last year, kaya bawi na lang ngayon hehe) sorry na rin agad sa mga nagsawa na sa mukha ko sa mga post,” he said.
Here are Ian’s three reflections: First Reflection: Having a solid family/foundation/support system
According to Ian, having a solid family, foundation, or support system is truly the most underrated privilege one could have. He mentioned that he had come across this idea in a post before and completely agrees with it. He expressed his admiration for those who took and passed the exam while juggling work, studies, family care, and other responsibilities in life, crediting the people who serve as their pillars of support.
Second Reflection: Exam results do not determine our overall worth/value
He explained that the board exam results were based solely on answering 600 items—a small fraction compared to the vast array of concepts and knowledge in the field of agriculture. These results do not reflect their expertise in the field or the many concepts that were not included in the exam. Ian acknowledged that he still has much to learn from research, practice, farmers, and farming communities.
Moreover, he emphasized that the results are just the tip of the iceberg—what people see on the surface—while board exam takers understand the hardships they endured during their preparation. He said, “Kaya regardless of the results, we should be proud of ourselves. We need to stay grounded while also keeping our heads up.”
Third Reflection: Enjoying and being in the moment is key
He shared a principle he learned from “Ichigo Ichie” and continues to live by, especially during his board exam journey. He transformed his anxiety and fear into excitement and anticipation. He enjoyed the process of reviewing, embraced the dull moments of waiting in the testing room/center, and even found joy in taking the actual exam itself. He didn’t allow fear and nervousness to overwhelm or control him.
“Chill lang talaga. Be in the moment. Nandun na tayo eh. Yun yung naging mindset ko. My co-takers can attest to this HAHAHA. Pero ayun, we just have to trust ourselves and what we know,” he emphasized.
Towards the end of his post, he expressed gratitude to everyone who congratulated and supported him throughout his journey, especially to God.
Turalba’s words echo the boldness evident in her art. She isn’t afraid to delve into uncomfortable truths, to create pieces that challenge viewers and spark conversation.
Josephine ‘Jing’ Llamas Turalba, wife, mother of two, artist and educator, majored in Psychology at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. She went on to pursue an MFA in New Media in 2009 from Transart Institute validated by Donau-Universität Krems in Austria. After her MFA, she began lecturing part-time in higher education at UP Diliman, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and the Philippine Women’s University (where she became the Dean of the School of Fine Arts and Design in 2013 until this year). She also took an Advanced Masters on Artistic Research in Antwerp in July 2023.DAILY TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
Josephine “Jing” Llamas Turalba isn’t your typical multidisciplinary artist. Her canvases aren’t usually made of linen, and her brushes aren’t dipped in paint at present. Turalba’s medium is memory — trauma woven into tapestries of brass and leather, each stitch of the latter a testament to resilience.
In a recent interview on the digital show Pairfect by Dinah Ventura, Managing and Life Editor of DAILY TRIBUNE, Turalba offered a glimpse into her world, where art confronts the complexities of violence and transforms vulnerabilities into strength.
An exhibit that anchored the conversation was aptly titled “Click. Share. Tag.,” a sprawling assemblage of 10 leather tapestries, each three meters high coming together to form a nearly 10-meter wide canvas. It was a raw space at the Cultural Center of the Philippines that Turalba carved for herself to let people grapple with a myriad emotions, not the least of which is of loss.
But Turalba’s artistic journey — she has her studios in both Manila and Boston — began not with tapestries, but with a brush in hand. Paintings were her initial language, a way to express the emotions that swirled within her.
“When I was about 12 years old, my mom put me in this summer workshop. I think it always starts there. And then I discovered I loved it,” Turalba recalled.
“So I was helping my mom with our business, Marcel’s Jewelry. At the time, we had shops in Glorietta, Shangri-La Hotel and Rockwell. However, there were some changes within the company and I said maybe it’s time that I do my art, my obsession, and which I already began when I was younger. …When the opportunity came up, I took my Master’s in Fine Arts and went into arts.”
Then a turning point arrived — with a sharp, metallic intrusion into her life. The death of her father from four bullets shattered her world. The fear, the confusion, it all coalesced around the very instruments that took her father away
— bullets and their empty shells.
Those gleaming brass casings, harbingers of violence, became Turalba’s unlikely muse. In a cathartic act of defiance, she started pounding them, transforming them into wearable sculptures. Each piece was an armor, a shield crafted from the very things she feared. It wasn’t about glorifying violence, far from it; it was about taking control, about neutralizing the fear’s crippling hold on her.
“I couldn’t control the emotions and what was happening and what I was feeling within, but this, I can control, I neutralized the psychological hold.
“And whom am I going to blame, can I blame? Can I blame the weapon? But, you know, after all this, it’s really not the weapon. It’s really the person who pulls the trigger, right? So it’s still us as human beings,” mused the artist.
“I would say, as an artist… we, as artists, we always push boundaries,” Turalba elaborated on her creative philosophy. “We always try to make work that goes beyond the limits. And so, in any society, maybe some people will say you’re not ready, the society is not ready, but who can really tell who’s ready and who’s not? I mean, the work of the artist is really to go beyond the limit…”
The bullet shells, however, weren’t the only material whispering stories to Turalba. Leather, a symbol of protection and control, entered her repertoire as she embraced the world inhabited by her husband, architect Antonio “Toti” Turalba, a competitive shooter. And so off to gun shows they did, where leather gun holsters made her realize the potential of leather as an artistic material.
Likewise, her travels abroad became another source of inspiration. The ubiquitous selfies of the time, the frenetic tagging on social media — all these seemingly disparate elements found a home in her tapestries woven from these experiences. In all, her art is a commentary on the fleeting nature of connection in a digital age, a world where experiences are reduced to clicks and tags. But beneath the surface lies a deeper layer — the leather, once a symbol of control, now binds the narrative of her past, transforming it into a story of resilience.
Turalba’s words echo the boldness evident in her art. She isn’t afraid to delve into uncomfortable truths, to create pieces that challenge viewers and spark conversation. This is perhaps best exemplified in an ongoing project that tackles a sensitive issue — the territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
“Yeah,” Turalba continued, her voice animated, “and I made some parachutes. I made…a big parachute and small parachutes. And then I was discussing the issue of China building on our islands at the time and nobody was taking note, it was only Justice (Antonio) Carpio, who was pushing it.”
“But at the time… nobody was paying attention, except Justice Carpio, who filed that case. And we won. So it really bothered me. The idea that we’re being bullied — I think that’s primal within me, like somebody taking advantage of the other,” she added, referring to the 2013 case filed by the Philippines against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague.
In 2016, the court would confirm the Philippines’ entitlement to its exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea and junk China’s claim to nearly the entire South China Sea.
Away from geopolitics, Turalba has incorporated a new perspective — hydrofeminism. “However I want to, I’m now injecting a new thread,” she explained. “I’m injecting the, what they call the hydro-feminist point of view, which ‘explores the connections between women, water and power.’”
“First the feminist you know, the voice of the marginalized. Then, the hydro-feminism, which asks you to think about you — us as human beings,” she explained. “But from the point of view of being water given that we are, how many percent 70 to 80 percent water?”
Turalba’s art is a visceral exploration of the human condition. It’s a testament to the power of art to heal, to confront darkness and stitch together hope from what would be despair to others.
Cosette Canilao broke in 2018 what had been deemed an insurmountable barrier when she was brought in to head Aboitiz InfraCapital, thus becoming the only female president and chief executive officer in the Aboitiz Group.
Navigating male-dominated circles, however, is not new to Canilao, given her years of experience in infrastructure development, a field where men usually occupy the top positions.
Canilao—a product of the University of the Philippines who has also attended executive education programs at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Said Business School at the University of Oxford—has over 20 years of leadership experience in public-private partnerships (PPP), investment and corporate banking, and crisis management and restructuring practice.
She held key management positions such as partner and practice leader for the Crisis Management Group and Financial Services Industry at PricewaterhouseCoopers, director at Standard Merchant Bank Asia, and managing director for PPP Advisory at Atkins Acuity.
She also actively participated in developing and promoting PPP frameworks and shared knowledge with developing countries such as Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Tanzania.
Prior to joining the Aboitiz Group, Canilao made her mark as executive director of the PPP Center during the Aquino administration. She was instrumental in building the project pipeline as well as the successful bidding of 12 projects over almost five years from 2011 to 2016.
Today, as head of Aboitiz InfraCapital, Canilao intends to add to that long list of major infrastructure projects, with the group focusing on helping uplift lives and spurring economic growth through smart and sustainable infrastructure solutions across the country—from industrial-anchored economic estates to water facilities, digital infrastructure and transport and mobility projects.
As she brings these projects to fruition, Canilao aims to bring more women along with her.
In 2022, Aboitiz InfraCapital became a new member of the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment, saying it was in line with the commitment of the group to further empower women and promote equality in the workplace.
“Conscious and unconscious bias should be eliminated and women should be allowed to flourish and achieve their utmost potential in any field, in any workplace,” said Canilao.
She added, “Glass ceilings should be broken effortlessly; glass cliffs should be overcome easily, until both are extinct. We can only achieve this by being deliberate and articulate in the policies that we put in place. With the support of evidence-based data, it is my hope that more progressive, proactive, and bold policies will emerge to allow female genius to flourish.” INQ
Phivolcs Director III values her work with the goal to always help and give the ‘favor’ back to the Filipino people
Inspired by the urge to offer good service to Filipinos, and with the thought in mind that any work inspired by a goal to help the people is considered as good work, Dr. Ma. Mylene Villegas truly has a heart of a real “Iskolar ng Bayan.”
Photo credit to Mylene Villegas
A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Geology at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and now the Deputy Director of one of the most reliable agencies in the country, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), Dr. Ma. Mylene Villegas is firm in her values to work steadfastly for the public.
“For my case, considering that I am a product of public school system, I always feel that it’s a way of giving back to the country kasi libre akong pinag-aral, so for me, how in a little or whatever kind of means can you give back to the country and make sure na nakatulong tayo (For my case, considering that I am a product of public school system, I always feel that it’s a way of giving back to the country because I studied for free, so for me, how in a little or whatever kind of means can you give back to the country and make sure that we can help),” Villegas said.
Also a licensed geologist who finished third in the Philippine Regulatory Board (PRC) 1990 Geology Licensure Board Examination, Villegas has been serving one of her purposes by working in an agency that studies how to lessen the impacts of disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, a task which she believes to be a generator of more opportunities towards economic growth.
Success journey
It was not a coincidence, but maybe more of destiny, when the stars aligned for Villegas after the Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991. It was when an opportunity came in.
Photo credit to Mylene Villegas
Just few months after the eruption, Villegas said she started working from the lowest entry-level position in Phivolcs, and from there on, countless experiences in field works had changed her life.
From monitoring lahars particularly during the rainy season in her first five years in the agency to studying the activities of volcanoes through delving into the qualities and kinds of different rocks, she then realized what she really wanted to do in her life as a Science Research Specialist (SRS) way back 1991.
Photo credit to Mylene Villegas
As Villegas had also experienced traversing the heights of various landforms, she learned that there is nothing too hard for a person who had self-discipline.
With that, she became a Senior Science Research Specialist (SRS) in Phivolcs for two years, until she was able to serve as the Chief SRS for another two years.
In her duty as the Chief SRS, Villegas was able to significantly contribute to various projects of the agency by leading systematic conceptualization and implementation of Phivolcs information materials and by publishing several relevant research studies in Science particularly in geology.
Photo credit to Mylene Villegas
Just nearly four months ago, Villegas took her oath as the new Deputy Director of Phivolcs, a woman who is now overseeing the internal and external affairs of the agency including the challenges that it faces.
Photo credit to Phivolcs
Science in the eyes of a woman
In her early years, Villegas said most of her classmates wanted to pursue careers in medical and engineering field, but she wanted a fresher and unusual path.
“I was more inclined to something different, and I saw that there was geology course which was not that popular during those days, it was in the 1980s,” she said.
Villegas added that as time goes by, she even realized the essence of her work, as knowing how to make Science more understandable to people can impact their lives.
“What we work on, the world that we have right now—it’s actually helping people, it is very important that you do Science because it’s helping people, in the end, when you do research, it has to have an impact or it has to solve problems of humanity,” she said.
“Our goal remains that whatever we do, we make sure that our end use will be for the benefit of the Filipino people,” she added.
Woman leadership
For Villegas, holding onto the core values of Phivolcs is a must for every government, as these include innovation, integrity, and service to the people.
“How we take care of our people, excellence—-hindi pwedeng pwede na ‘yan, it is always that you have to make sure to do your best all the time and that you’ve exerted all possible means of doing things and ‘yung tamang quality of work that you do,” she said.
She also said that success in Phivolcs was more of a teamwork, while they also work on themselves as leaders to inspire their team members to always do their best.
She added that she had good supervisors in the past from whom she was able to adapt the desire to encourage the current employees and future generations to have the same kind of aims and goals.
Villegas also has an educational degree on MS Geology in Arizona State University, a Master’s degree on Development Communication from UP Open University and a Doctorate degree in Communication, also at UP Open University.
On December 5, 2023, at noon in Davao City, Juan Antonio Mendoza, a swimmer from Davao City, couldn’t contain his anxiety, causing his hands to shake. Unaware of his hunger, he eagerly awaited news.
The Davao City swimmer’s unease vanished in an instant when a private message arrived from one of his University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) Law underclassmen who managed to access the Supreme Court website, shared the news that Antonio’s name was among the successful bar examinees.
In a burst of joy, Antonio shouted, joined by his father, Lionel, and brother Vince. His mother, Antoinette, couldn’t hold back tears. The Mendoza family’s living room transformed into a scene of pure celebration as Juan verified his name on the livestream.
“When I knew I passed, I felt so happy that I shouted and jumped. I couldn’t believe that I made it. I savored that moment of extreme happiness, and then I felt a sense of relief. I felt my worries go away and I just felt relief,” said Antonio, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness Economics at the University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao in 2019.
He dedicated his achievement to his grandfathers, who had always desired to have a lawyer in the family, and to his parents, who unwaveringly believed in his capabilities.
The preparation
The accomplished 24-year-old swimmer opted for a self-study approach in preparation for the Bar exam.
Juggling work commitments, he devised a daily routine, mindful of not overburdening himself with prolonged study sessions.
His schedule involved working in the morning, dedicating the afternoon to study, squeezing in a brief exercise session, and resuming his studies in the evening.
He grappled with mentally and emotionally readying himself in the days leading up to the Bar exam. The mounting nervousness became palpable as the exam approached.
He said, “Fortunately, I was able to sleep well, but I get really anxious during the day because I didn’t know what to expect, and I constantly doubted whether I was ready to take it or not. A huge help during the days leading up to the Bar exam was the support I received from my family, friends, and the Usep School of Law community.”
Acknowledging the constraints of his demanding schedule, he admitted that law school during the pandemic left little time for his passion for swimming.
Reading consumed much of his day, but whenever possible, he seized the opportunity to swim, allowing a brief respite from his rigorous routine.
Swimming
Swimming has been a significant aspect of Antonio’s life, having clinched gold medals in the 2018 Philippine National Games (PNG) in Cebu and the 2017 State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (Scuaa) National Meet.
He said swimming was pivotal in benefiting him physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“Physically, swimming kept me fit and was a great stress reliever. Mentally and emotionally, swimming taught me that there are always good days and bad days, but every day is an opportunity to learn.”
He approached each day without expecting perfection, recognizing that setbacks were inevitable.
Whether facing exam failures or challenging recitations, Antonio embraced each experience as a chance to learn and continually improve. MLSA
Takushi Ohno, a retired journalist and head of the UP Alumni Association-Japan chapter, writes a new book that also shows why the Philippines is in his heart
MANILA, Philippines – A Japanese Filipinologist has published a new book that revisits the story of Ferdinand Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe, adding another title that contributes to the mutual understanding and friendly relations between the Philippines and Japan.
Scholars play a key role in bridging ties between countries as their teachings and outputs – books, research papers – are used by students and policymakers, and this latest book by retired journalist Takushi Ohno is no exception.
The book, The Truth Behind the Circumnavigation of the Magellan Fleet after 500 years, written in Japanese, tells readers about the perilous but historic voyage that first discovered a route around earth.
An English translation of the series is available online via a subscription to Daily Manila Shimbun. While the series focused on the Philippines, the 280-page book builds on it by taking up Philippine relations with Japan, China, and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
“My book is not for students but for general readers who know little about the Philippines. I wrote this book in order to introduce history, people, society and culture of the Philippine islands at the occasion of Magellan’s 500th anniversary,” Ohno said in an e-mail response to questions from Rappler.
Ohno is known in Philippine history circles for his first book, War Reparations and Peace Settlement: Philippines-Japan Relations 1945-1956, published in English by Solidaridad Publishing House in 1986. It’s an authoritative material that explains the negotiations on the war reparations, and how the Philippines ended up with much less than what it demanded despite having the most World War 2 casualties among countries in Asia outside of Japan.
FILIPINOLOGY. Some of Takushi Ohno’s books about the Philippines that teach readers about Philippine history, society, foreign relations, and political economy. Courtesy of Takushi Ohno
Ohno, now 75, has the Philippines in his heart due to the many friends he has made here after living here for 10 years. Manila is where he met his wife, Yurie, a music teacher sent by the Japanese government in the seventies to tutor in the Manila Japanese school. Ohno was then a part-time Japanese language teacher to Filipinos at the school.
FAMILY. Filipinologist Takushi Ohno (center) with his wife Yurie (right) and a daughter, Yu, a nongovernment worker in Timor-Leste, in this photo taken in 2021.
They married in 1977 in Christian rites at the Union Church in Makati, with the late professor Ajit Singh Rye, father of University of the Philippines (UP) political science Assistant Professor Ranjit Rye, and Dr. Josefa Saniel, as godparents. Both Rye and Saniel had served as deans of the Asian Center, and Saniel has been called the “grand dame of Japanology in the Philippines.”
GODPARENTS. Takushi Ohno with his late ninong Prof. Ajit Singh Rye and ninang Dr. Josefa Saniel, during a visit to the Philippines in December 2008. Takushi Ohno
Ohno, who speaks and understands basic conversational Filipino, has memorable experiences during Martial Law, including getting arrested for violating curfew and being made to cut grass in Quezon City.
In 1972, with a recommendation from the Japanese embassy in Manila, he served as a guide and interpreter of a group sent by the Japanese government to look for two Japanese stragglers, including Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda, in Lubang Island, Mindoro. Although the team didn’t find the stragglers, Onoda would eventually surrender to then-president Ferdinand Marcos two years later. Ohno would also get to personally meet Onoda when the latter visited Kenya in 1987, when Ohno was posted in Nairobi as chief of Asahi Shimbun‘s Africa bureau.
FRIENDS. Takushi Ohno meeting Filipino friends, Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug and former Newsbreak staffwriter Leilani Chavez, in Tokyo, Japan in April 2023. Courtesy of Leilani Chavez
Ohno took up his post-graduate studies at UP from 1970 to 1977, getting a masters degree in Asian Studies from the state university’s Asian Center. He pursued a doctorate in political science, also at UP, but wasn’t able to complete it after he opted to join Asahi Shimbun as a staff writer. He would return to the Philippines 16 years later to head the Manila bureau of Asahi Shimbun in the last year of the Cory Aquino administration, and witnessed the first democratic elections post-1986 with the victory of Fidel V. Ramos in 1992.
As testament to his value as a Filipinologist, he has served for 35 years as president of the UP Alumuni Association–Japan Chapter (UPAA-J).
Ohno says he continues to write about the Philippines since he believes his second home is one of the most important neighbors of Japan, especially in terms of security and economy.
VISIT. Takushi Ohno with the late ANC anchor Twink Macaraig during a December 2010 visit to the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) studio in the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City, Philippines. Isagani de Castro Jr./Rappler
Personal circumnavigation
His latest book is the first that gives a glimpse into Ohno’s own circumnavigation as a citizen and as a journalist.
In the book’s prologue, Ohno recalls that when he was asked four years ago about the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s expedition in 2021, he “hurriedly began to look into it” and “at the same time, recalled my experiences and memories from my youth.”
He recounts his visit to the Cape of Good Hope, often mistakenly thought of as the southernmost tip of the African continent, a place in South Africa that was important to early discoverers.
“The tip of the Cape Peninsula is Cape Point… A lone lighthouse stands at the top of the hill. As you stare intently ahead, you can feel the waves and wind carrying the heartbeat of the earth. The area up to Cape Point has now been developed as a nature reserve, with walking trails and other facilities, and is a popular tourist attraction in post-apartheid South Africa,” he writes.
“The Cape of Good Hope is not the southernmost tip of the African continent. The southernmost point is Cape Agulhas, located at 20° 01′ east longitude and 34° 83′ south latitude. It is located about 150 kilometers southeast of the Cape of Good Hope, and when looking directly at the ocean, the marker that says ‘Atlantic Ocean’ on the right and ‘Indian Ocean’ on the left in English catches the eye.”
TIP. A marker of the southernmost tip of the African continent in Cape Agulhas, Overberg, South Africa. Courtesy of www.cape-agulhas-info.co.za
Ohno points out how this is connected to the voyages of the pioneers of globalization.
“In 1498, the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama sailed around here and arrived at Calicut on the west coast of India. From a European perspective, the crossing of Cape Agulhas was an epoch-making event that opened the door to the full-fledged Age of Discovery.”
As a journalist, Ohno was posted in Africa, the Philippines, and Australia, which gave him a unique perspective on life as well as the political economies in three continents. He was also a roving correspondent of Asahi Shimbun in the then-Union of Soviet Social Republics’ and Eastern Europe’s turbulent year in 1990.
He recalls going to India when he was still a student, and realizes belatedly the close sea link between Asia and Africa.
“Walking from Bombay (now Mumbai) Port to the city. On the way, as I was taking a break and sipping chai (black tea) at a stall, a young man passing by the shop approached me and asked, ‘Are you going to Africa?’ That was surprising. I was a little surprised to hear a place name that I had never expected, but when I looked at the map again, I understood. The sea in front of us is the Arabian Sea. If you close your eyes, you can imagine the Arabian Peninsula stretching out beyond you, leading to the vast continent of Africa. Well, I realized that Bombay is surprisingly close to Africa.
“Looking back, I have visited many places that are familiar to me from the Age of Exploration. However, at that time, even when visiting such places, apart from the Cape of Good Hope, I did not think about the Age of Discovery.”
Using historical accounts by Italian scholar Antonio Pigafetta and other first-hand materials translated into Japanese, Ohno recounts the encounter between Magellan and the natives that would eventually lead to his death in a battle led by Lapu-Lapu, chieftain of Mactan.
He says Magellan encountered friendly natives, “almost similar to the people of the Philippines today.”
“Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines was a prelude to the conquest, colonization, and Christianization of the islands. Lapu-Lapu, the chieftain of Mactan Island, killed Magellan and was later hailed as a ‘national hero’ of the Philippines, becoming a symbol of nationalism,” writes in the book’s epilogue. “Today, Mactan Island has a monument to Magellan and a statue of Lapu-Lapu in an area that has been developed as a park, and is one of the tourist attractions.”
He writes that while it took 1,082 days or roughly 3 years for Magellan and his successor, Elcano, to circumnavigate the globe in a westerly direction and return to a port in Spain, today it takes commercial airlines only around 50 hours (including layovers) to circumnavigate the globe.
Ohno wrote the book partly because of the need to present views from Asia and the developing world about world history, and urges students of history to read first-hand sources now available as e-books which heretofore were not readily available.
Referring to Magellan’s and other early explorers’ voyages, which came to be known worldwide as the “Age of Grand Navigation,” he writes that the idea that “European history is world history remains stubborn and deep-rooted.”
“Still, movements continue to be pushed back and pushed back, sometimes gently, sometimes violently, in various parts of the world to force a rethinking of history. I looked back on the past with a modest desire to join in this movement,” he says. – Rappler.com
Nanotechnology is a bustling field that opens the door to innovation across a wide variety of industries, from fashion and clothing to health and wellness. With this in mind, Dr. Gil Nonato Santos launched the iNano Research Facility in 2006.
iNano aims to provide nanotech-related services to academic institutions and industries, from manufacturing nanoparticles to nano-coating materials. Its diverse range of projects includes an abaca fabric coated with nanocomposites that can be used for spacesuits. Another project is focused on detecting lung diseases such as active tuberculosis, which affects 10 million people worldwide.
Dr. Gil Nonato Santos, head of DLSU’s iNano Research Facility, demonstrates a cost-effective tuberculosis test that uses nanotechnology to detect telltale compounds in a patient’s breath. (Photo credit: Dr. Gil Nonato Santos)
Dr. Santos received his doctorate from the University of the Philippines – Diliman National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP). He is currently a full professor at De La Salle University – Laguna (DLSU-Laguna) and a visiting professor at Osaka University.
Based out of DLSU-Laguna, iNano has collaborations with institutions and companies across the globe, including a prestigious partnership with Integrated Microelectronics Inc. (IMI), a global company that manufactures electronics and semiconductor supplies, and support from USAID. iNano also has collaborations with the Lung Center of the Philippines and National Taiwan University.
More of iNano’s achievements and goals will be discussed by Dr. Santos at the next iStories session on Monday, November 20, at 4:00 PM. He will give his talk at the CS Admin Auditorium and will also be live streamed on Zoom. To join, you may register through this link: https://bit.ly/iStories6
iStories is a series of monthly innovation-themed talks, storytelling, and activities featuring local and international scientists. The initiative aims to ignite the creativity and inventiveness of young scientists not just from UPD-CS but also from other institutes inside and outside of UP.
Dionisio Calvo (Photo from FIBA.Basketball)There are only two Filipino basketball players who made it to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Hall of Fame: the legendary Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga (2023), and Dionisio Calvo (2007) who is an alumnus of the University of the Philippines.
FIBA is the world governing body for basketball founded in 1932. The federation awards the Hall of Fame to great individuals who played key roles in shaping the history of this well-known sport. To belong to this distinguished list is an honor that Dionisio Calvo, a graduate of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (BS Agriculture 1926), has conferred upon the country and his alma mater.
Calvo, or “Chito” to his acquaintances, was enshrined as a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in the Contributor category on March 1, 2007, and he belonged to the pioneering batch that received this prestigious award.
A man of various contributions to the basketball community, Chito proved that he is worthy of such a great title.
He was part of the University of the Philippines basketball team that won the championship title in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) back in 1926.
Coach Chito was praised by the players he mentored. He was described as a very skilled tactician and a firm yet soft-spoken coach. He is considered one of the greatest, if not the best, pre-war basketball coaches, having commanded many teams.
He coached the Philippine Basketball National Team in two Olympic games; one in Berlin in 1936, where they ranked 5th, and in London in 1948. Coach Chito also led the Philippine team that clinched the championship at the 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi.
Chito ignited the love of basketball for a wider audience when he co-founded the Asian Basketball Confederation, which is currently known as FIBA Asia, giving more opportunities to players to be part of the international basketball community.
Chitos’s passion, determination, and perseverance in helping the Philippine team and improving basketball earned him a place as a record holder in FIBA. His legacy will never be forgotten and will serve as an inspiration to the current brood of basketball players such as his former team, the UP Fighting Maroons, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 that kicked off on September 30, 2023 (Saturday).
Dionisio “Chito” Calvo is indeed a distinguished alumnus and Atleta ng Bayan.
Last Aug. 20, six in-denial Goldies swinging, swaying and shaking their (oversized) booties and worn-out knees to the tunes of “Bongga Ka Day,” “Macho, Macho Man” and “Bonggahan”: Sessie Tible-Caoyonan, lawyer Rowena Daroy-Morales, Jun Sabug, the author, Minnie Banez-San Juan and Dr. Carol Israel-Sobritchea
The most turbulent period of the University of the Philippines’ (UP) history was recorded during our era in the 1970s. The First Quarter Storm happened. The suspension of habeas corpus was declared and the announcement of martial law caught us all by surprise.
Yet the indomitable spirit of UP survived all these.
Yes, we attended teach-ins and discussion groups (DGs), held vigils, joined rallies and marches. The UP community stood their ground against the police and military takeover of the campus.
Many survived teargas attacks. There were those who learned to manufacture molotov cocktails in the basement of Kamia Residence Hall. And there were those who initiated boycotts and strikes.
While my friends and schoolmates went to all these mass actions, coming home trembling and hungry, I was restricted from participating because my father was with the military then.
Stories abound of friends and comrades who went home barefoot, out of breath from running away from the antiriot patrols. Among my fellow UP students, there were those who landed in jail and got beaten up by the police during demonstration dispersals.
The more patriotic and brave ones went underground. Sadly, many never came back. They were either missing in action, perished during bloody encounters or were “salvaged” beyond recognition.
We grieve for these young heroes and heroines to this day. We remember them. We honor them. We will never forget them.
‘Peyups’ way
Meanwhile, within the Diliman Republic, we followed our parents’ wishes and their sacrifice, so that we may pursue higher education, obtain our university degrees and serve a bigger purpose for the benefit of our country. Of course, apart from studying hard, we also lived our university years on campus and had fun in our free time.
Against the backdrop of martial law and curfews, campus life eventually had some semblance of normalcy. The campus administration and the various student organizations laid out activities beyond lessons that were taught in classrooms.
UP president Jijil Jimenez (fourth from right) and UPAA president Robert Aranton (third from right) with the 2023 jubilarian honorees
All these were designed for us to grow the ‘Peyups’ way. The UP Delta Lambda Sigma sisterhood, the political committee of the UP Residence Halls Association and UP Christian Youth Movement were some of the organizations in the university where I lived. These organizations nurtured me and contributed to my growing up as a young idealistic AB Broadcast Communication student.
We lived through our university years, developing a taste for a broad range of experiences among the dizzying choices of what the university offered us.
Where we lacked certain skills, specialty clubs were set up to help, with math problems and the like. One may end up not only mastering the subject but gaining a college sweetheart, as well!
For a taste of the finer things in life, we trooped to free concerts, movies and performances at the Abelardo Hall, UP Theater, College of Arts and Sciences Theater, or the Dulaang Kapiterya of the UP Institute of Mass Communication—with our significant others or friends and classmates.
Campus romances blossomed and thrived—and lasted/settled in domestic bliss through all these years. The ill-fated ones, while many have ended up at the altar, are now just bittersweet memories of one’s youth’s folly.
Academic freedom
The UP professors encouraged us to be voracious readers, to be deep thinkers, to keep our ears close to the ground, and to identify the community or organization we chose to serve.
All our mentors inculcated in us the love of country and national pride. It has been in our DNA to appreciate what it means and what it takes to be proudly Filipino.
The author and Nena De Leon-Paler are first in line in the “ikot” jeep, the fastest mode of transport from building to building. The fare for one ride in the ’70s was 5 centavos.
Free thinkers. Philosophers. Debaters. Activists. Leftists. Conservatives. Regionalists. Social Democrats. Greek-lettered society loyalists. Sophists. Fence-sitters. Free loaders.
Regardless of what badge we carried, academic freedom allowed us to sit in the classroom for traditional learning, or knock down those walls to learn from the masses.
We learned to be streetsmart. We learned to adapt in volatile, complex and sometimes ambiguous situations.
Through perseverance, many, if not all, allowed us to graduate and be the change agents, enablers and capability-builders of our country.
Born in the generation of baby boomers, flower people, and “make love not war” champions, we were in UP in the most interesting of times.
Natural-born leaders
Yet, many of us never really “left” the university despite holding prestigious and/or servant leadership roles in different sectors and industries.
Whether in the political arena, in government, in business and industry, in the academe, in arts/heritage/socio-cultural development, in NGOs, in mass media, we served as natural born leaders. Now as golden jubilarians, we continue to serve to this day.
The golden jubilarians after receiving their golden medallions from UPAA last Aug. 20
The experiences we had in the 1970s had us gravitating back to the UP Diliman campus, not just through the years, but through five decades.
We have witnessed how the university has evolved, how activism has ebbed and flowed through the youngblood of the many Iskolar ng Bayan, and how the graduates feed our country’s and international workforce with a diverse group of talents.
We can at least speak of what to expect in the future as we have half a century of learnings to pass on. Many of us will continue to have a strong desire to serve, regardless of how far we go, how far our ambitions take us.
Welcomed by the bright yellow sunflowers along University Avenue on the approach to the Oblation, in front of Quezon Hall (Administration Building), we anticipate coming home.
1972: Eleanor Drilon-Gregorio, Nena De Leon-Paler, Cecille Carreon-Eco and the author at the Oblation Plaza. The present fountain was a later addition.
Count on us to be there in alumni gatherings and reunions to pay tribute to UP Naming Mahal, just like we did last Sunday, Aug. 20, where together with my batchmates, we joined the revelry for the diamond, golden, ruby and silver jubilarians.
As a proud golden jubilarian this year, I look forward to celebrating as a diamond jubilarian in 10 years’ time. And yes, together with my batchmates, we plan to present another performance that will surely bring the house down again!
The author, a member of UP Diliman AB Broadcast Communication Class of ‘73, is a retired publicist.
Jessica Franco Perez
Magna cum laude
Doctor of Medicine
UP College of Medicine
I am Jessica Franco Perez, 32 years old, from San Mateo, Rizal. I studied BS Nutrition in UP Los Baños and graduated magna cum laude in 2011. I passed the Nutritionist-Dietitian Licensure Examination and became a Registered Nutritionist-Dietitian that same year.
I worked at the Dietary Department of the UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH) as a clinical dietitian. I was assigned at the Nutrition Clinic of the Department of Out-Patient Services where I provided nutrition assessment, individualized diet plans, and educational lectures to patients, doctors, and paramedical professionals. While working at PGH, I was also given opportunities to participate in different researches.
I am a co-investigator in a research project of Dr. A.G. Limpoco of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, titled “Development and Evaluation of Rapid Eating Assessment for Patients (REAP) Tool”. I also became part of several patient support groups, such as the Hansen’s Club, Lipat Kalinga, and Psoriasis Club.
After six years of working at PGH, I then applied to and got accepted in the University of the Philippines College of Medicine at the age of 28. I became a member of the UP Pangkalusugang Samahan ng mga Mag-aaral (UP PAGSAMA) where I served under the SocCon Force, a committee that focuses on social engagements and community organizing activities. In the recently conducted 114th Commencement Exercise of the UP College of Medicine, I finally got my Doctor of Medicine degree, graduating magna cum laude and being one of the Top 5 Most Outstanding Graduates in Academics of our batch. I was also given recognition as one of the Top 3 Most Outstanding Interns of AY 2022-2023, being an outstanding intern in Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Surgery.
Pursuing the dream
Photo courtesy of Jessica Perez.
I have always dreamt of becoming a doctor since I was a child. However, being born in a middle-class family, this dream seemed impossible. Being the second child in a brood of four, I also wanted to help my parents financially, especially in sending my younger sisters to college. I initially gave up on my dream of becoming a doctor and focused on a career still close to medicine. I was happy serving as a clinical dietitian. It was an equally fulfilling profession, having the opportunity to help other people through proper diet and a healthy lifestyle. However, I knew that some part of me was wishing and hoping I could still be a doctor someday. Every morning after I conducted lectures in the OPD waiting areas, seeing the long queue of people patiently waiting to be seen by a doctor, I had always felt the desire to serve more, both as a dietitian AND as a doctor.
When my youngest sibling was already in her last year in college, I asked myself, “Posible pa bang maging doctor ako? Ipu-pursue ko pa rin ba ang pagme-Med kahit na matanda na ako?” These doubts had been running through my mind for quite a while. I also did not want to be a burden to my family, especially to my mother, given the additional years of studying instead of earning money. Thankfully, my family and friends were very supportive and encouraged me to still try. As the famous line goes, “It is better to try and fail than to never know and wonder what could have been if I tried.” And so, I juggled work, the National Medical Admission Test review, and preparations for applications to medical schools.
With a limited amount of savings and overwhelming uncertainty, I found the courage to resign from the job I had treasured for six years to start this new journey. I was very blessed to be accepted in the UP College of Medicine, where I could have a subsidized, high quality medical education. Without the subsidized tuition fees, the scholarship grants from the College, the Pe Gan Heng Foundation, and the UP Medical Alumni Society of America (UPMASA), as well as the unending support of my family and friends, I may not have been able to reach this point.
Student life and survival tips
The University of the Philippines has been my home since I was in college. I have always believed in its ideals and advocacies. With this, I am truly grateful to be admitted to the UP College of Medicine that lives up to its vision-mission of cultivating highly competent scholars whose lives are directed to learning and service to the underserved. Our medical curriculum is guided by the principles of a community- oriented education, research, and service. These ideals and principles guided me through all these years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the College greatly helped the students as they were able to quickly adapt to the challenges and difficulties brought by the pandemic restrictions. They made sure that we were learning, while giving us ample consideration and understanding of the fact that we were also taking care of our family and doing chores at home, on top of our obligations as medical students.
Admittedly, I struggled with my studies, especially during my first year in medical school. With a gap of six years from the last time I had reviewed for an exam, I needed to relearn and adjust my study habits to fit the highly demanding medical education. I would sleep first after a long day of lectures and then wake up early in the morning to study. We all have different learning styles and thus, it is important to identify the study routine that works best for you. What worked for me may not work for other students. But if I were to share one study habit that greatly helped me survive medical school, it is the habit of planning and making a schedule. Planning ahead and identifying my target accomplishments for the day or the week made me more efficient and focused on my activities.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Perez.
Another survival tip is to allow yourself to rest, as well as to allot quality time with family and friends, and on your hobbies. These will help you keep your sanity and will give you a boost to face yet another week of unending lectures, duties, and exams. My advice to make this possible would be to: 1) actively listen during lectures; 2) limit your time for browsing your social media accounts; and 3) prioritize sleep (you absorb and understand better what you are reading with a clear mind). I also maximized my study hours during weekdays (or on allotted study days) so that I could go home to Rizal and spend time with my family in the other days. All these helped me maintain balance between studies and life outside medical school.
Last but definitely one most important advice that I want to share is to have a deeper reason for what you do. Why are you studying medicine? Whenever I felt exhausted having to study for an exam even after a tiring hospital duty, I always went back to why I was here. I always reminded myself not to study just to pass the exams, but to study so that you will be a competent and excellent doctor for your future patients; study so that you can be part of a better healthcare system that you have always wanted. When we have a purpose that goes beyond us, things will still be difficult, but you will have the courage to overcome whatever obstacle you will face.
Plans after graduation
After graduating and passing the Physician Licensure Examination this October 2023, I plan to apply to the Internal Medicine residency program at the UP Philippine General Hospital. In the future, I also want to enter the academe as a professor and to participate in activities, programs, and advocacies directed to the service of marginalized communities and to the betterment of our healthcare system.
Photo collage courtesy of Jessica Perez.
Looking back on my journey
Work hard, be patient, and do not give up on your dreams, even if it would take time realizing them. There will be detours and things will not always be in your favor. But be steadfast and trust that God’s plan is the best plan. Looking back on my journey, I now realize why God had to delay my admission to medical school. It was at the right time for me, when there was a CGMS (Cash Grant to Medical Students Enrolled in State Universities and Colleges) to largely subsidize our tuition fee knowing that I might not be able to finish my medical education due to financial constraints. I was taught by the most excellent professors who nurtured and inspired us to do our best as future physicians. I met my friends who have supported me and believed in me even in times when I myself doubted my own capabilities. They made my stay in UPCM worthwhile and much more bearable. Trust that the failures, rejections, frustrations, and “unanswered” prayers we encounter are part of the process to prepare us for the best things in life.
May we always uphold honor, integrity, and excellence whatever path we choose. May we all live a life of purpose, a life directed to the service of others. Kudos at Padayon, mga Doktor Para sa Bayan, Kasama ng Bayan!
