The Student Executive Boards of the Entrepreneurial Management Program, College of Arts and Sciences, and Institute of Information Technology (EM-SEB, CAS-SEB, and ITEC, respectively) invite all UA&P Alumni to attend Infusion 2010 on 6 August 2010, Friday, 6:30 P.M. at C3 Events Place, Greenhills.

Infusion 2010 will have the theme The Red Carpet: Giving Through Glamour. It will serve as the launching and initial fundraising for UA&P H.O.P.E.S. (Helping Others by Providing Efficient Service), a socio-civic project headed by the three SEBs geared towards helping calamity-affected communities and other charitable endeavors. This event will also welcome and incorporate the freshmen into the UA&P community.

Each raffle ticket worth P50 gives you a chance to win a Blackberry Bold, gift certificates and other exciting prizes. Event entrance, on the other hand, costs P250 (5 raffle tickets). Ticket sales will be allotted to fund UA&P H.O.P.E.S, which will in turn go to calamity victims and rescue operations, and the other three SEBs for their future projects.

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Nicole Briones, the CAS-SEB External Vice President, at (0917) 320 0107 or at nicole_briones08 at yahoo.com.

And the winners are:

Carmencita Esteban Platinum Award
Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga/Bisyo
Agency: Publicis JimenezBasic
Advertiser: Monde Nissin Corporation
 
Effectiveness Advertiser of the Year Award
Monde Nissin Corporation
 
Effectiveness Agency of the Year Award
Publicis JimenezBasic

Adobo Magazine article on Tambuli Awards 2010
Photos of the Tambuli Awards

Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary of founding, Kultura is putting up a visual art exhibit entitled TAKE PART featuring fifteen visual artists belonging to the UA&P community; our alumni, staff, and students.

TAKE PART is an invitation with different meanings. One, it is an invitation of the OSA-Kultura Desk to the circle of visual artists of the university and gather them together to celebrate their works in a form of an interactive exhibit. Two, TAKE PART is an invitation to viewers to glimpse from art the beauty of life and humanity; a part of man’s interior life, the beauty of things, and the story of life. Thus, we will be inviting the literary student organizations of the school, Haranya and Creative Writer’s Guild to create poems and prose out of the artworks. Three, TAKE PART is an exhibit of different art forms; painting, drawing, sculpture, installation art, photography, and digital or graphic art—showing the diverse ways one can participate in visual arts. Lastly, it is an invitation to the university community to take part in Kultura activities; to engage and participate in art making, whether it be visual arts, music, theater, and other forms of art. Thus, prior to the exhibit, we will be organizing workshops on print making and sketching for people who want to hone and practice their art skills. Some of the artworks from the workshops will also be included in the main exhibit.

The exhibit is tentatively scheduled on August 24-September 17, 2010. Opening night will be on August 24 featuring the artists and music and dance performers from the UA&P community.

Download the guidelines for TAKE PART.

“As a politician, I have to be able to think out of the box,” says UA&P alumnus and Balanga City Mayor Joet Garcia, who credits the University for allowing him to do just that. He graduated from the University (then Center for Research and Communication) with a BA in General Humanities with specialization in Political Economy, and although he was practically born into the world of politics, it was not an endeavor he immediately wanted to pursue until he realized that his education had given him the tools to do so.

“I may not be an expert in everything but I believe my liberal arts course in CRC provided me with the skill to study and analyze various real life situations and come up with smart and practical solutions to everyday problems at the city hall,” Mayor Garcia says. “People from all walks of life see me in my office to discuss almost anything under the sun,” he adds. “They may be farmers needing technical assistance on organic farming, teachers introducing a new reading program for grade-one students, fishermen objecting to the Supreme Court’s ruling on commercial fishing in Manila Bay, vendors complaining about the increase in lease rates at the public market, or the sick asking for medical assistance. I need to be able to give my insights every time, and this is where I am able to use my liberal arts background.

“My education in UA&P trained me to be a critical thinker,” he adds.

Son of Bataan Governor Enrique Garcia and younger brother of Congressman Albert Garcia, the alumnus didn’t share the typical “traditional politician” inclination of making a family business out of public office. Instead, Mayor Joet Garcia had to do some soul searching and spend time in another career altogether before realizing just what he was capable of.

“My father was already a congressman when I was in college but I didn’t really see myself following in his footsteps. It was only after I worked for an IT company for 10 years that I realized my educational background prepared me for a much bigger role in nation building,” he says. “Honestly, I didn’t quite know what to expect from my political economy course at that time. I just thought having a good background on economics and understanding politics will prepare me for whatever profession I will pursue in the future.”

Of his college years, he recalls “Fr. Juan Manuel Perez grabbing me by the neck and bringing me to his office whenever he sees me hanging around in the ledge. This gave me the opportunity to talk to him about everything, but more important, where God needs to be in my life.”

It was, perhaps, this positive experience that gave Mayor Garcia such a soft spot for education, giving it top priority among his many responsibilities and achieving considerable success. “In my first term as city mayor of Balanga, our greatest achievement was helping our public elementary schools rank first in the National Achievement Test,” he says. “This means our elementary students are the brightest in the country and this is the result of the effective partnership amongst the parents, teachers, and government.”

Hoping to get re-elected for a second term, Mayor Garcia still has his eyes set on meeting this high precedent and further improving his city’s quality of education.

“I would like to see to it that I help the city achieve its vision of making Balanga a world-class university town by the year 2020,” he says. “We want to be the center of education in the region and be like the university towns of Stanford, Salamanca, or Harvard where the whole community is involved in developing and producing world-class graduates.”

Under his leadership, Balanga City was named the “Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit” by the 35th Business Conference & Expo in 2009, the second year in a row the city had been awarded such distinction. Whether he is re-elected or not, Mr. Garcia’s first term would be a difficult act to follow. Fortunately, he is determined to outdo himself, given the opportunity.

“A lot has been said about how dirty politics can be but from my experience, the positive side greatly outweighs the negative side,” he says, encouraging students to take a more active role in government. “If presented with the opportunity, involve yourself in public service. Being in government is the most direct way of helping people and making a difference in our country.”

By Mr. Carlo Cabrera, Corporate Communications Office

This article is from Universitas March 2010

Dr. Jaime Laya, our guest speaker; Dr. Placido Mapa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UA&P Foundation Incorporated; Dr Josemaria Mariano, President of UA&P; Members of the Board of Trustees, Management Committee, and the various operations committees of the university, faculty members and members of the administration, parents, friends, and fellow graduates, good afternoon. On behalf of the graduating batch of 2010, it is with great honor that I welcome you all to the Fifteenth University Graduation Rites.

Today marks an important milestone in each of our lives—the time to harvest the fruits of our labor and culminate all the hard work and dedication that has been endured. For many of us, today marks the conclusion of more or less seventeen years of academic journey. But the adventure is not yet over.

There is pride in each one of us as this day has finally arrived. Parents, I can attest to all the hardship and challenges that your son or daughter has experienced that have provided him or her, a seat in this auditorium. Though we all have claim on our own individual crosses as we walked the path to sweet victory, it is not to say that any of us got it easier than the other. Fellow Graduates, we have earned this rite of passage.

But a word of caution. I was once told that it’s a jungle out there. We will be faced by the creatures that have, until today, lurked only within the textbooks and class lectures. The so-called “real world” is scary but with endless possibilities. But worry not because we have been equipped with the skills, knowledge and values that will allow us to brave through and into the depths of the jungle. 

To our teachers, who have provided us with the light that will guide us through the jungle, we thank you for the lessons, the words of wisdom, and the guidance. For the projects that have taught us patience and the value of teamwork, for the papers that have taught us perseverance and determination in spite of all revisions, and for the exams that have taught us how to use our time wisely, thank you for contributing not only to our academic growth, but to our personal development as well.

To our friends, who seemed to understand us the most. These are bonds forged during late night cramming sessions, eleventh hour study sessions, or just simple hang-out sessions at the ledge. Friends who have saved our sanity more than once during the hell week stress.  Thank you to the Dormers, for being that group of friends that has been there for me, for accepting me as I am.

Lest we forget our parents, who for more than twenty years have built for us the moral foundation that allows us to be strong despite challenges and temptations around us. This is for you—for the unconditional love and support that pushed us to do our very best to prove that we are worthy of the gift of education that you have given us. May we always be reminded that if we ever get too deep into the forest, that we may always run to you for guidance. To my parents, thank you for letting me go—for letting me study here in Manila away from you. Thank you for letting me grow up. Salamat sa pagmamahal at pag-unawa.

And of course, let us not forget our batch. We may be a small school, but together, we are a powerful force that can make a difference. Unitas. The ever-infamous Ondoy was no match for the spirit of unity that brought us together to help not just the members of the UA&P community, as our efforts were also witnessed within Red Cross and beyond. Yes, we may be a small school, but we were able to impact greatly the unsuspecting lives of those who were affected by the storm. The way Study Hall A was so quickly transformed into a donations drop-off and volunteer center was simply remarkable. Who says we have no school spirit?

Within the walls of the university, we have all done great things. We have followed Dante’s journey, visited the Greek civilization, tasted a bit of Renaissance art, and debated with Machiavelli. And who can forget terms like common good, psyche and transcendence that have become part of our daily conversations already.

Aside from academics, we have kept the campus alive with our extracurricular activities such as ROC and VIARE plays, Chorale concerts, I Came I Sang I-Mic, Haranya, and Fu’s Dragon Dance among others. We have all evolved from the carefree first-year students to the now socially-aware individuals.

Outside, we have given pride to our University through the victories of our varsities: Futsal, Volleyball, Basketball, and Cheer Dance. All these are the manifestations of the holistic development that we have learned to appreciate in our stay in the university. It is a balancing act of sorts, keeping in synch with our academic life while managing to involve ourselves in the non-academic aspects of the university life.

And after today, we will be facing the real world—and this time, no more readings to provide answers, only experiences that will teach us the hard way. No more teachers to correct our mistakes, only life itself watching our successes and failures. The jungle can be very cruel—that’s why we have to keep our values intact. We have to remain focused and optimistic. In daylight, the forest is beautiful, but let not its beauty set you off your trail. And in the dark, the forest is frightening, but do not let this make you lose faith.

Gretel said to Hansel “Losing our way on a journey is unfortunate, but losing your reason for the journey is a fate more cruel.” As we enter into the forest of our lives, we should try not to lose ourselves in the beauty that the forest presents. Remember all the things that we, as a batch, have achieved through the years, and remind yourself: you were meant for great things. Our adventure through the forest will be a tiring but worthwhile experience.

Today, I challenge you. Go. Face your jungle. Show the world the greatness that was meant for you. Don’t just go with the flow—create impact and live!

Once we set foot outside this auditorium, there’s no turning back.

So fellow graduates, a job well done! Today is finally here, my friends! We’ll see each other in the jungle.

 

To Dr. Jaime Laya, our guest speaker, Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Dr. Placido Mapa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UA&P Foundation Incorporated, Dr. Josemaria Mariano, UA&P President, the UA&P administration, faculty, and staff, respected guests, beloved parents, fellow graduates, Jejemons and Jejebusters, NBA enthusiasts and Lakers Haters, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon!

Ika-dalawampu’t siyam ng Mayo ng taong dalawang libo’t lima nang pinagpasyahan kong tanggapin ang iskolarsyip na ipinagkaloob ng pamantasang ito. Matagal naming pinag-isipan ng aking pamilya ang mga bagay-bagay, marami kasi ang kailangang isaalang-alang. Pero sino ba naman ang makakatanggi sa “You have been granted 100% Merit Scholarship with board and lodging, book allowance and monthly stipend”, ani sa sulat na aking natanggap ilang linggo bago ang araw na iyun.

Dala-dala ang aking maleta, sumakay ako ng bus, kasama ang aking ama, na puno ng pag-asa at pag-aalinglangan. Pansamantala kong nilisan ang aking pamilya at ang lugar na aking kinalakihan na tanging lakas ng loob at kagustuhang magtagumpay ang dalang puhunan.

Hindi ako makatulog sa bus nang gabing yun. Ang dami kasing tanong na naglalaro sa aking isipan, “Paano kung lumampas kami ng istasyon?”, “Ano kaya ang hitsura ng Maynila?”, “Makikita ko kaya si Angel Locsin? O si Jolina Magdangal kaya?”. Hindi rin maipinta ang aking mukha sa halo-halong emosyon. Sabik na masaya na natatakot na hindi mo maintindihan. Kalaunan, naramdaman ko ang pangangatog ng aking katawan. Hindi ito dulot ng kaba bunga ng pananabik na makarating ng Maynila, kundi dahil nakatutok pala sa akin ang aircon ng bus.

Ngunit aaminin ko, sobra-sobra ang kaba ko no’n, kahalintulad ng kaba ko ngayon sa entabladong ito, habang nagsasalita sa inyong harapan. Ang tanging nakapag-panatag lang sa akin para ituloy ang biyaheng iyon ay ang pagnanasang matulungan ko ang aking mga magulang, maging magandang halimbawa sa aking mga pinsan at kabarangay, at, kung papalarin, ay makatulong din sa aking mga kapwa bikolano. Batid ko rin na ang mga pangarap na iyon ang simula ng maraming pagbabago.

True enough, a lot has indeed changed.

It is undeniable that I have come a very long way. From a small boy with big dreams,… to a boy who is still small (sorry, I only grew a few inches, but gained a lot of weight, obviously), whose dreams are little by little becoming a reality. For sure, you still remember the first time you set foot in our school. It was that very same day when I realized that, it’s a different world out here. I immediately noticed the big difference between the life that I had lived back in Bicol and that in Ortigas. Of course, how could I have not noticed that…I am in a different place now – 8 hours away from Bicol by land. One of the obvious differences was how the people talked. From “Kumusta ka na? Ano na ang ginigibo mo?” to “Hi, how are you? What are you doing?”, from “tsong, madya kakan kita ning goto sa karinderya” to “Let’s make kain na sa Caf”, and “the like, parang, uhm, you know”…anyway.

The difference was very apparent. Coming from the Bicol region, which is one of the poorest regions in the Philippines, and coming here to Manila, which has the highest regional income per capita in the country, I noticed that big gap between the less privileged and the privileged ones. That gap, I felt was rooted on the choices and opportunities available for the fortunate people, which the less privileged are deprived of.

News tells us that there is a growing gap between the rich and the poor: the rich becoming richer, and the poor becoming poorer. In the little world of economics, we have what we call the Gini Coefficient which measures the income inequality of a country. A value of 0 indicates perfect equality which means that all wealth is divided equally among everyone. On the other hand, a value of 1 indicates that only one person has all the wealth and everyone else has nothing. The lower the value of it, the better.

According to the United Nations data, the Gini Coefficient of our country in 2009 was 0.44. This is already high compared to the Gini coefficient of our neighboring countries: Cambodia-0.407, Malaysia-0.378, Indonesia-0.394, and Vietnam-0.378. This income inequality, which manifests the gap between the fortunate and the less fortunate, is rooted on the disparity in the choices and opportunities that can be received between the rich and the poor.

For example, education is not a birthright. It is not a privilege for the privileged. But given the gap, this tends to happen. The less fortunate are deprived of going to a good school since they cannot afford it, while the privileged are enjoying their stay in prestigious universities and colleges.

I’m not from a very well off family. And if things went differently, I would not even have dreamt of the chance to be able to study in a high profile university here in Manila. But UA&P gave me that chance. That chance to improve my language proficiency and my love for the arts. That chance to learn the most basic, yet the most important lesson one should learn: the essence of a man, his being, his right to live a dignified life, and his capability to give himself to others. These are the lessons that we have learned during our stay in the university. These are the lessons that we may carry with us when we step out of the gates of the campus.

As graduates of the university, we are now equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to help give that same chance to other people. Now more than ever, we are in the position to offer more help, our talents, and skills, to uplift the lives of others.

In UA&P, we already did that when we braved the rainy nights of Ondoy and gave that chance for others to survive. We already did that when we joined the BIGGKAS outreach program and provided to the San Joaquin Elementary School students that chance to learn math, science, religion, and sports. We already did that when we followed the simple rule in the cafeteria, when we wore our I.D. and followed the dress code which paved the way for more opportunities to further cultivate the corporate culture of the university.

And I challenge you now my dear batchmates, to embody that same attitude outside our school, that is, in our workplace, to be instruments of opening up opportunities and chances to others.

Sure you can organize an outreach program, donate a million pesos cash, be a politician, or even visit the depths of South Africa to show that you are contributing to the provision of chances and opportunities, of closing the gap…..But you don’t necessarily have to go to that extent. It can be as simple as doing your work well in the office. By doing this, you are giving justice to those individuals who are deprived of the chance to study and earn a well-paying job. That is the least that we can do for them. As Ivy Baker Priest puts it, “Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones come daily.” Let us grab those small opportunities everyday to help others, which will eventually bridge the gap between the less privileged and the privileged.

As we march later to get our diplomas, remember all the challenges that we have traversed just to earn that piece of document. Remember the sleepless nights that we have spent just to finish our APS or PRS papers. Remember the group study sessions that we have conducted just to review for our Math exams. Remember the tons and tons of reading materials that we have photocopied; the numerous highlighters that we have consumed; the number of coffee or extra joss that we have drunk just to stay awake; and the endless trials of OLS models we have tested.

But most importantly, remember those people behind all of these because they are the ones who provided us with the opportunities to improve ourselves, to be better individuals, and the chance to be man for others….And may we be like them for others as well, just as how they did to us, starting from enhancing the lives of those people around us (your seatmates, for example), one person at a time,…one community at a time.

To the UA&P community, Amber Study Center, Tambuli Residence Hall, School of Economics, IEP friends, and Dormers, thank you for giving me the opportunity to have a shot at pursuing my dreams. To my Family, thank you for giving me the opportunity to love and be loved. And to our Lord Almighty, thank you for giving me the chance to begin and begin again everytime I fall.

Marhay na aldaw po asin Dios mabalos saindo gabos!
 
 
 
 

Like many UA&P graduates, alumnus Ivan Guerrero has been making waves the world over through a combination of his natural talent and skills honed at the University. But unlike most of his peers who would credit some wise old sage for setting them on the right path, Mr. Guerrero is making headway in the film production industry—all thanks to a talking frog. 

“To be honest,” he confesses, “I got hooked on production at a very young age by watching The Muppet Show. Every week, Kermit the Frog and his band of Muppets would do skits, elaborate musical numbers, and tell stories in an effort to entertain the audience. As the show progressed, I got a good look at the magic that happened backstage. Actors rehearsed their lines. Kermit frantically switched between directing and hosting. The sets went up, while the lights came crashing down. I enjoyed watching all that chaos coming together as a coherent piece of entertainment. Later on, I learned that Jim Henson modeled The Muppet Show and the Muppet movies after his own experiences as he was starting his career in broadcasting and film.” 

Mr. Guerrero, however, has exemplified a significantly higher degree of proficiency than his stuffing-filled templates could ever manage. While taking further studies at Purdue University in the US, he produced a student film that scored him a Student Emmy Award last year, a feat that would do even Statler and Waldorf proud. A documentary entitled “Plight of the Peregrines,” the film told the story of the Peregrines, Purdue University Calumet’s struggling basketball team. 

At Purdue, Mr. Guerrero graduated with a BA in Broadcasting, not to mention a perfect 4.0 GPA that earned him the “Highest Distinction” title equivalent to a summa cum laude. Before that, he graduated from UA&P with an MA in Integrated Marketing Communications. The fledgling filmmaker was very active during his years at the University, having cut his teeth in production by participating in numerous stage plays, as well as being the Secretary of the Student Executive Board. Soon after his departure from UA&P, his flair for creativity landed him a spot as Art Director for the Philippine office of McCann Erickson, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. 

“UA&P provided me with a solid foundation through its liberal arts program,” Mr. Guerrero says. “It imparted a firm understanding of literature and art, as well as practical skills, like project management and entrepreneurship. A lot of production work entails striking a good balance between aesthetical-literary knowledge and procedural know-how.” 

Upon finally deciding to venture into the world of filmmaking, he received much acclaim in the American media for his online films he calls “premakes,” mock trailers edited together from movies of the 1940s and 1950s to look like interpretations or reimaginings of modern films. That such imaginative works proved worthy of the commendation of an international audience, especially so early in his career, just goes to show how well Mr. Guerrero had the basics down pat. “It’s a combination of things: tell a good story, learn what it takes to make a good story that connects with your audience, do extensive preproduction work before filming, work with talented people, and be open to the ideas of others. 

“And,” he adds, “always take initiative. Production involves a lot of hard work and patience.” 

Though film is a strictly visual medium, Mr. Guerrero’s core philosophy requires that he approach the matter blindly. “‘I close my eyes in order to see,’” he says, taking a page from Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gaugin. “It means a couple of different things. First, it suggests learning to look at things from an alternate perspective. It also suggests freeing one’s mind from preconceptions. These are essential traits for great storytelling. More important, the quote suggests developing a trust of one’s unconscious and instincts in making decisions. That is an essential ‘peculiarity’ for directing.” 

Having already proven so much and gaining the attention of so many, Mr. Guerrero is just getting started. He continues to work fervently on his craft, hoping to work with American studios in writing and directing his own productions. He’s definitely an alumnus to watch out for; he may no longer be taking cues from a puppet, but he’s still got the world on a string. 

By Mr. Carlo Cabrera, Corporate Communications Office

This article is from Universitas March 2010