FELICE ANN CARIASO

ARVIN ALCANAR JO

New COE Dean wins at NAST BY FELICE ANN CARIASO

Shortly after being proclaimed as the new Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Pag-asa Gaspillo of the Chemical Engineer-ing Department has reaped yet another honor. According to the DLSU Newslet-ter, Dr. Gaspillo won the grand prize at the fifth National Academy of Science and

SC calls for greater transparencySC, Admin disagree on transparency issue

P rompted by administrative decisions and policies last school year that allegedly by-passed them, the Student Council (SC) is pushing for representation in “more pow-erful councils” this year. SC President Army Padilla called for greater transparency from the Administration, this in spite of the fact that students are represented in all

university committees. “There’s still more powerful councils or groups in the admin wherein the students are not represented, that decide on matters,” she reasoned out.

Padilla identified the Operations Council, Council of Deans, and Board of Trustees as the university bodies which have superior deci-sion-making functions in the University. The Operations Council is headed by Executive Vice President Dr. Carmelita Quebengco and is composed mainly of administrative officials. This body is primarily responsible for financial decisions. The latest instance of the Council’s actions is the purchase and installation of the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, estimated to cost around one million pesos, despite the call for austerity by DLSU System President Bro. Armin Luistro FSC.

The Council of Deans (COD) meanwhile is composed of the deans from the six col-leges, the Dean of Student Affairs, as well as a representative from the Faculty Association (FA). This group is considered as the highest decision-making body in DLSU. It may be recalled that the COD reversed the decision of the Discipline Office (DO) in the celebrated Dasha Boulton case. Finally, prominent figures, alumni, administrators, and Christian Brothers make up the Board of Trustees, which oversees major decisions.

Strong student representation

Padilla admitted that some decisions last year were not consulted with the SC, such as the shift to the Transformative Learning Pedagogy, though in principle the SC has nothing against it. But Padilla stated that not all decisions made were without student repre-sentation, such as the purchase and installation of CCTV cameras. She added that then SC VP-Operations Aikee Esmeli actually repre-sented the SC in the process of making the said decision but failed to properly communicate the matter to the EXECOM in order to make a stand. Thus, she emphasized that the SC’s goal is the manner of representation and not merely the number of student representatives in university bodies.

On its part, the SC is trying to achieve democratic, effective, and efficient student governance through accountability and

transparency of its officers. To prove that they want to heighten the accountability of SC Officers, Padilla said that this school year only Legislative Assembly (LA) Representatives and Executive Committee (EXECOM) Members of the SC will be allowed to act as student representatives in University Committees. In the past, appointed officers or lay persons of the officers’ choice have represented the SC in the committees. Lack of prior knowledge, concern, and accountability prompted the SC to discontinue the said practice.

Sufficient transparency

The FA, on the other hand, does not share the SC’s push for greater transparency in the University. Ramon Enriquez, FA President, recounted their negotiation with the Adminis-tration for their new faculty manual which took effect this school year. He said that except for a misinterpretation regarding the provision of requiring faculty members to earn a doctoral degree in order to achieve full-time status, the negotiation went well as the Administra-tion was very open to their proposals and vice versa. “I feel that they [the Administration] have been very transparent in telling us what they plan to do in the University,” Enriquez ended.

Jose Ronello Bartolome, CCS faculty, be-lieves that the Administration is transparent; however, it is a delayed transparency. During the CCS-COE merger talks, many CCS faculty and students were confused as to where the rumors originated. The Administration kept silent at this early stage. (See article on merg-ers, page 7)

Transparency is a compromise

Bro. Armin meanwhile believes that transparency is not making everything public but rather giving access to full information to people entitled to it and requires dialogue. He asserted that this kind of transparency is present. “We are not hiding anything, but sometimes people are protective of information because it is also used by other groups in the

MICHELLINE KUON

CCTV cameras installed despite SC opposition Despite steady but overdue opposition by the Student Council (SC) to the acquisition of Closed Circuit Television Camera System (CCTV), installation of the surveillance camera system around DLSU will still push through. A total of 32 cameras are scheduled to be fully installed in designated strategic places around the University within the first term of this school year.

The CCTV camera is a modern technology wherein cameras are linked to monitors with constant connection. These cameras are mainly used for visual surveillance designed to monitor all the variety of rooms, spaces and activities.

The SC’s plightThe SC believes that this undertaking is an irony to the

Administration’s upholding of austerity measures. With the University trying to cut down on expenses, such as water and electricity, the installation of CCTV cameras would certainly en-tail not only a shelling out of money to purchase the equipment, but also additional consumption of electricity.

Furthermore, SC President Army Padilla states that, “It [installation of CCTV cameras] would [also] create a culture where someone is watching you all the time, thus, hampering a liberal environment.”

Padilla believes the students were not properly represented at the time the committee was discussing the acquisition of the CCTV cameras. According to her, “it was never brought up in the EXECOM [Executive Committee] meeting last year and other officers did not know about it.”

However, since the necessary pieces of equipment have been bought and are already being installed, the SC only hopes that the CCTV cameras are going to be used for the purpose and on the designated places they are meant for.

No one is above the law.The Eleventh Division of the Court of Appeals found De La Salle

University (DLSU) guilty of unfair labor practice against the DLSU Employee’s Association-NAFTEU (DLSUEA-NAFTEU) in a decision rendered March 4, 2005.

DLSU had previously filed a petition to reverse the rulings of De-partment of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Patricia Santo Tomas dated November 17, 2003 and January 20, 2004, which the court denied.

The 2003 ruling declared that DLSU was guilty of Unfair Labor Practice by refusing to bargain collectively and by interfering with the DLSUEA members’ right to self-organization. DLSU filed a motion for reconsideration following this ruling, arguing that collective bargaining requires the proclamation of DLSUEA’s elected officers. Since proclama-tion of elected officers had not yet occurred, the University could not collectively bargain with the Union.

However, the 2004 ruling of the DOLE Secretary denied the Uni-versity’s motion because the “law and the rules prohibit the filing of any further motion to reconsider,” as the 10-page decision stated. The court affirmed the ruling by stating in its decision that, “non-proclamation of the newly elected union officers cannot be used as an excuse to fulfill the duty to bargain collectively.”

Moreover, the court stated that DLSU violated the union members’ right to self-organization when it removed the decision of the Secretary of Labor dated July 28, 2003 from the Union’s Bulletin Board. This decision ordered the school to stop from refusing to bargain collectively and to resume negotiations with the union. Likewise, it happened when the University harassed union members from freely campaigning in the campus during the election for union officers and when it has shown

DLSU guilty of unfair labor practice

ROBERT ROYCE ZUÑIGA

SEE NEW DEAN, PAGE 2

SEE DLSU GUILTY, PAGE 3 SEE CCTV, PAGE 3

SEE SC CALLS, PAGE 3

You're being watched! Newly-installed CCTV cameras hover above the University's vital installations.

PHOTO BY AMANDA VALENZUELA

Bastion of freedom. This silhouette of the Lapu-lapu shrine along Roxas Blvd. is a constant reminder of our ancestors' valiant fight for freedom.

PHOTO BY AITHNE JAEN LAO

LaSallianTheVOL. XLVI NO. 1 • THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY • 10 JUNE 2005

A re we even among the best in the country? DLSU was ranked a dismal 16th in a purported

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) study listing the top 20 colleges and universities nationwide. The list was supposedly based on the average passing rate of grad-uates in board examinations conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) through 1992 to 2001. DLSU was ranked behind 15 other universities nationwide including UP schools which grabbed the top three spots and Ateneo de Manila University (Loyola) at sixth place. However, the list stated cannot be considered as an offi cial list for its origin is not accessible.

Last May 9, Boo Chanco, a columnist for The Philippine Star, published the list in his column despite admitting that he was unable to confi rm the list independently. It was stated in his column that one need not spend a fortune in tuition and other fees in the so called exclusive schools in Metro Manila because there are a lot of good schools out there in the countryside. Particularly, the statement “there is even one college on the list from Butuan that I have not heard of (Urios College), and it did better than La Salle” caught the prying eyes of the administration, which immediately responded to defend the University.

In defense of DLSUBr. Roly Dizon, FSC, former CHED chairperson and

former DLSU System President, spotted several statistical defects that made the list misleading.

In a message posted by Br. Roly at the onelasalle website, he observed that the passing rate used as criterion for the list “tries to mix apples with oranges and come up with a hybrid that does not capture reality.” Board examinations have several categories based on the number of examinees. Therefore, a school that boasts a passing rate of 100 percent yet has only one examinee would not necessarily mean it is

better than another with 80 test takers and a passing rate of 85 percent. This was also brought up by Br. Armin Luistro, DLSU System President and EVP Dr. Carmelita Quebengco in an email response to Chanco's column. Br. Roly also stated that since the overall passing rate is different for each course, combining all these passing rates would make for an inaccurate perception of the colleges concerned.

Br. Armin and Dr. Quebengco further observed that schools which offer more courses with licensure examinations tend to have a higher ranking.

It may be recalled that Time Magazine came up with a listing of the top universities in Asia in 2000. Employing vastly different criteria which included research, student selectivity and Internet bandwidth among others, DLSU emerged as the top private university in the country, and second among all local universities next only to UP. Shanghai Jiao Tong University also performs annual ranking of world universities. In both lists, passing rates for board examina-tions was not a criterion for the ranking.

Study ranks DLSU 16th among RP colleges

An academic bridge program for incoming freshmen mari-time students was recently facilitated by seventeen faculty members from the College of Science (COS) and the De-partment of English and Applied Linguistics (DEAL).

Now in its second year, the venture, more formally known as “The Maritime Academic Ramp Project,” serves to improve maritime students’ academic competency to near the level required by STCW 95, the global seafaring standard. A 2001 Warsash Maritime Centre feasibility study entitled “Improving the Training and Supply of Filipino Senior Offi cers Qualifi ed at the STCW 95 Management Level” recognized the “knowledge gap” between gradu-ating Filipino high school students and the STCW95 re-quirement.

Fifty students from the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacifi c (MAAP)–Kamaya Point comprised the fi rst batch of students who underwent an intensive two-month review in English, Mathematics (Arithmetic, Algebra, and Trigonometry), and Science (Physics). Post-course evaluation subsequently showed signifi cant improvement in the areas of Language Usage, Numerical Reasoning,

and Reading Comprehension, particularly among initial low scorers. Bolstered by its previous success, the program went on to include students from the University of Cebu, John B. Lacson Academy, and the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy.

The academic ramp initiative traces its roots to Novem-ber of 2002, when DLSU alumnus Michael Estaniel and Capt. Helmut Sallaba, representing the Philippine Maritime Education and Training Foundation Inc. (PMF) Board of Trustees, met with DLSU-M Executive Vice President Dr. Carmelita Quebengco to discuss the University’s possible involvement in the development and testing of an academic ramp curriculum for maritime students. Dr. Quebengco then referred the matter to COS Dean Gerardo Janairo, who in turn spearheaded talks between the PMF and COS administrators, culminating in the project’s presentation to the funding agency last May 2003.

The project was done in partnership with the Inter-national Maritime Training Trust (IMTT), PMF, and the MAAP. COS Vice Dean Voltaire Mistades acted as the project coordinator.

COS, DEAL tutor maritime froshPAULO JOSE MUTUC

M ia, a College of Business and Economics (CBE) student, has been lining up since 5:30 in the morning to obtain a number card distributed

at 7:00am that would allow her to adjust. She was able to adjust six hours later.

Due to poor information dissemination, implementa-tion of the online regular adjustment caused long lines of confused students during the late adjustment period that happened from May 23 to 27.

The Enrollment Committee for SY 2004-2005 approved the implementation of the new online regular adjustment system. Last May 21, the online regular adjustment period was only for students who incurred failures during the third term of the SY 04-05.

Result of MiscommunicationThe Office of the University Registrar (OUR) an-

nounced the changes through dlsu_announce and other online mailing lists to the Lasallian community in March. However, Student Council VP for Academics Oliver To felt that the OUR’s publicity effort was not enough.

Students who wanted to adjust but did not incur any failure during the previous term thought they would be able to adjust during regular adjustment. Since the information regarding the changes did not reach all students, these students later realized on the regular adjustment day itself, forcing them to adjust during the late adjustment period.

Two University Academic Calendars circulated in the internet caused further confusion among students.

Rushed implementation? University Registrar Edwin Santiago stated there was no

rush in implementing the online regular adjustment system. The system was already prepared for implementation two years ago. It did not push through due to the request of a student representative for valid reasons.

It was only during last SY that the Enrollment Com-mittee fi nally agreed to implement the said system. He also stressed that former VP for Academics Arianne Jimenez was present when the implementing guidelines were discussed in the committee.

No Questions AskedBecause of the sudden upsurge of students wanting to

adjust for convenience, the Enrollment Committee has de-cided to entertain students, who wanted to adjust in the late adjustment period, without questions asked but in return a P150 fee called the Late Adjustment Fee. Moreover, students

who adjusted are also required to pay P70 for the reprinting of their Enrollment Assessment Form (EAF).

Assuming that 1000 students underwent late adjust-ment, and each of these students paid P220 for the late ad-justment fee and the EAF reprinting, the OUR has generated an amount of P220,000 for the late adjustment.

To believes that the root of the problem must be ad-dressed. “Why is there a need to pay for reprinting of EAF and late adjustment fee? And where does this fee go? Will it go back to the student services as well?” Currently, To assumes that the fees go to College Funds, but the SC will conduct a further study on this matter.

Preventive measures Because of the tricky adjustment process, the late adjust-

ment was extended to fi ve days as requested by To. This allowed most students to adjust their schedules despite the initial confusion.

For the meantime, To encourages students who adjusted due to new or dissolved sections and other unexpected cases to approach their respective College Assembly Presidents or the Offi ce of Vice President for Academics (OVP-Acad) in cases that the late adjustment fee was not waived.

On June 14, the Enrollment Committee of the OVP-Acad will have a meeting to draft a proposal to lengthen on-line adjustment to three days, where one day will be given to no failures and cross enrollees. Further, specifi c adjustment issues per department like CBE quota grades will be covered. As of press time, the OVP-Acad has drafted a system wherein the Reprinting fee of the EAF will be removed.

Old Adjustment TrendsPrior to the new policy, adjustments are done after every

online enrollment. Adjustment is divided into three periods. The Early Adjustment period is designed for students with under load schedules (less than 12 units), transferees and returnees. If a student has incurred any failures during the past term, they will be entertained during the regular adjust-ment period. Finally, the late adjustment period was only for students, who belong to dissolved sections during the fi rst week of classes for the opening of new sections.

However, a new adjustment trend began to surface, which caught the attention of the OUR. Many students who availed of late adjustment did not belong to the category of students the period originally catered to. The Enrollment Committee saw that majority of students’ purpose in adjust-ing was for convenience and no longer the reasons that they were intended for.

Adjustment diffi culties continue to haunt students

ROSS VERGEL DELANTAR AND GAYLE GUZMAN

“It has come to my attention that some of the Student Council [SC] offi cers are violating the ethical standards of the Student Council when it comes to partisan-ship.” This is what Arden Atienza, Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, voiced in his letter to the SC.

Dan Dizon, College Assembly President of the College of Engineering (COE), said the issue started when Chuck Chang of COE, a Santugon member, wore yellow in one of the SC meetings. Yellow, as well as blue, is the party color of Santugon.

Atienza stressed that SC offi cers should wear only white collared shirt to SC meetings. Recruitment for one’s political organization is barred, as well taking part in party-related campaigning while in offi ce.

Dizon, the only non-Tapat member of the SC-Executive Committee, and Santugon's Anina Rubio, batch representative of 58th Eng, observed that Atienza displayed paranoia in his letter. Dizon claimed that color of shirt is trivial, but paranoia politicized and “blew up” the whole issue. Rubio furthered that the incident was coincidental and could not be used for campaigning purposes.

On the contrary, Jhoan Lim, LA Rep of Tapat, agreed with Atienza. Lim reasoned that Atienza, also a Tapat member, was just doing his job. VP-Activi-ties Simoun Ferrer had laid down specifi c rules on attire, Lim recalled. Although paranoia may exist, the policy is a preventive measure aimed to promote the SC’s thrust of non-partisanship.

It may be recalled that partisanship was a stormy issue in the SC two years ago. Tapat actively pursued partisanship to let student offi cers act according to their party affi liations. The Executive Committee disapproved of partisanship.

DONELLE GAN

Technology (NAST) Hugh Greenwood Environmental Science Award for her inventions on wastewater treatment. The event was held at the Traders Hotel Manila last April 21.

Dr. Gaspillo’s works were just one of the many outstanding works presented in the Hugh Greenwood Environmental Awards. Launched in 2001, the event recognizes inventions and works that contribute to environmental protection and conservation.

The COE Dean and also full-time professor of the Chemical Engineering Department revealed that she began conducting some of her researches fi fteen years ago. Her other works were done in collaboration with undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students of DLSU.

NAST deemed Gaspillo’s researches regarding water potability and wastewa-ter purifi cation as essential to life. In Gaspillo’s presentation entitled “Research on Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes: A Consolidated Study,” where Gaspillo mentioned the effects of both domestic and industrial wastewater to the environment. She also came out with possible solutions to reduce water pollu-tion, such as “Chromium Reduction by Chemical Precipitation and Chromium Recovery by Ion-Exchange Method” and many more.

These contributions to water and wastewater management bagged for her the grand prize, which included a plaque and a $1,000 cash prize.

AILEEN KRISTEL CHAM

negative sense,” Br. Armin defended.According to Br. Armin, the transparency he wants to push this year is one

involving a system-wide database where vital information from all eight units can be collated, analyzed, stored, and retrieved effi ciently to aid decision-mak-ers like himself. He calls this the Information System, one of the three essential functions of the approach that he plans to centralize. The two other plans are pooling investment funds together to obtain higher yield, and centralizing pur-chasing activities to signifi cantly lessen lag time between requisition and release of items. Any savings from these activities earn will be translated into additions to the endowment fund for scholarships.

Interestingly, while the SC is working for representation in the Operations Council and Board of Trustees, Bro. Armin thinks that sectoral representation is not the best way of being effi cient in decision-making. He said that it is better to “put in the persons who know... professionals, and put them accountable to the bigger group... otherwise we won’t be able to move.”

EVP Dr. Carmelita Quebengco stated "In the spirit of transparency... there are no secrets in our campus." However as of press time, the EVP has yet to answer The LaSallian's additional questions.

The Student Council (SC) and the Discipline Offi ce (DO) convened last May 27 to discuss the issue regarding the banning of slippers in the University.

The meeting took place for the SC and the DO to address the growing concern of students regarding the policy. It may be observed that in the fi rst few weeks of classes, Discipline Offi cers performed rampant reprimanding of students caught wearing inappropriate slippers.

However, students who have been caught until this week violating the new policy will not be given a minor offense.

Moreover, the discussion between the two sectors centered on the clari-fi cation of what kind of slippers would be appropriate inside the campus and those that are not.

In line with this, the SC, as part of their mandate “to consistently protect and defend the rights of the students,” proposed certain specifi cations that would determine the slippers considered as inappropriate.

What to AvoidFollowing their deliberation, the SC and the DO have come up with three

qualifi cations that must be met in order to classify a slipper as appropriate or inappropriate.

Thong style slippers, which have “straps joint at one point between the fi rst two toes”, as well as those that are entirely made of rubber, synthetic or not, and foam, are considered inappropriate.

According to the agreement, the “entirety of the slippers is limited to what is visible to the eye” as well.

Also listed as a prohibited kind of slipper are fl ats with wedges and a base height exceeding three-fourths of an inch. Slippers with soles that are fl at on the ground and have a base height of three-fourths of an inch, on the other hand, are appropriate.

All other slippers that do not fall under the categories that the DO and SC have agreed on are also regarded as appropriate and could be worn inside DLSU.

ImplementationStudent Council President Army Padilla, through an email, stated that the

DO will not catch students wearing inappropriate slippers for the next two weeks. This is to allow for the dissemination of the agreed-upon policy. Full implementation of the policy will start on June 13.

DO, SC identify inappropriate slippersROBERT ROYCE ZUÑIGA

Protect student rights, uphold stu-dents’ welfare and encourage social changes. The Student Council’s (SC) yearlong thrusts will revolve around these main points.

GoalsAccording to SC President Army

Padilla, the SC should provide quality service through protecting student rights and welfare. In line with this, there will be reviews on the mandate and performances of all offi ces and sectors inside the University. The research on the University Student Government (USG) will be continued, as well as seeking for the approval of the Student’s Code within DLSU. Improvement regarding policies on activity approval will be reviewed and an Activities Monitoring Board Grad-ing System is being intensifi ed under the Offi ce of Student Activities (OSAc) and SC. Some former projects such as the Carpool Program will also be strengthened.

A pro-student UniversityOne of the SC’s main goals is to

obtain maximum student representa-tion in all university decision-making bodies. In accordance to this, the SC will pursue to have student represen-tation in the Enforcement Section of the Discipline Offi ce (DO) and in the Board of Trustees.

The Of fice of the President (OPRES) will lobby for the removal of certain unreasonable rules in the Student Handbook, for instance, the rule that slaps a minor offense for leaving or losing the ID three times. Furthermore, the autonomy of the SC and the Council of Student Organiza-tions (CSO) will be upheld.

For the Legislative Assembly’s part, Padilla stated that it will discuss reso-lutions directly affecting the students. Particularly, resolutions calling for the revision of the Student Handbook, the removal of the power of the Offi ce of Student Activities (OSAc) to approve or disapprove student activities, and to review the enrollment procedure will be put forward.

For affordable education and a prime mover institution

With regards to tuition fee, the fight continues for removal of un-necessary or unjustifi able fees as well as maximizing student representation during tuition fee increase deliberations in the MSCB. The student body will also be provided with academic manu-als to guard their academic freedom. The grievance system will be reformed

and strengthened.The SC will prepare standards of

education to ensure that instructors hired are well-equipped for teaching. Moreover, a stricter faculty hiring process and the evaluation through the Institutional Testing and Evaluation Offi ce is also at hand.

Leadership and DutyTo reinforce duty for the country,

the SC will continue to press the case of the Student’s Code to Congress. In addition, the DLSU SC will spearhead a movement for citizen empowerment by establishing an alliance called the Philippine Alliance of Students To-wards Empowerment. Additionally, the SC will intensify ties with other SCs from different universities to fi ght for students’ rights.

SC thrusts focus on student welfare JOYCE ANNE ALFONSO

partiality to the Aliazas group by allowing them to campaign without restraints inside the campus and allowed them to use its facilities for such function at the same time.

Grave Abuse of DiscretionFollowing the denial of its motion for reconsideration,

DLSU fi led a case against DOLE Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas for committing grave abuse of discretion in holding the University liable for unfair labor practice last March 18, 2005.

The University’s lawyers argued that the opinion of Bu-reau of Labor Relations (BLR) Director Cacdac, from which the DOLE Secretary allegedly based her conclusion that there was no void in DLSUEA leadership, could not hold water because it was not an offi cial Order or Decision.

However, the Fifteenth Division of the Court of Appeals, which tried the case, had an opposing view.

“We fi nd that the BLR Director’s statement in said letter-order, concerning the status of the Union’s leadership, even if it were to be considered a mere opinion, must nonetheless be given weight in the resolution cases coming within his juris-diction and specialized fi eld for expertise,” the court said.

Furthermore, they ruled that the DOLE Secretary did not commit a mistake when it ordered the University to commence negotiations with the Union because DLSU’s refusal to discuss despite the repeated demands of the Union constituted a violation of its duty to bargain. Since the court found that the Labor Secretary did not commit grave abuse of discretion, the dismissal of DLSU’s petition followed.

After the election of DLSUEA’s new set of offi cers last Au-gust 28, 2003, the University has resumed negotiations with the Union and has normalized its relation with it hitherto.

FROM DLSU GUILTY, PAGE 1

FROM NEW DEAN, PAGE 1

COE students continue to top licensure exams DLSU grabbed the highest passing rates in the recently concluded board exams in engineering courses in their respective categories. Categories are based on number of examinees.

Electronics and Communications EngineeringIn the recently concluded April 2005 Electronics and Communication En-

gineering (ECE) board examination, DLSU maintained fi rst place in the 50-99 examinees category gaining a 77 percent passing rate against the national passing rate of 33.6 percent. Eight students entered the top 20, which included the top spot grabbed by Elvin Ivan Uy followed by Jeffrey Tan at second. Other students who entered the top 20 are Christian Barlis (ninth), Eduardo Perez and Karen Villanueva (11th), Frederick Adan and Richardson So (13th), Joseph Viernes (16th), and Alain Abitria (19th).

However, the department has been facing sharp declines in its passing rate in recent years, the worst of which occurred during the April 2003 exam with a passing rate of only 83.75 percent (against the national passing rate of 35.99 percent) from April 2002’s passing rate of 91.36 percent (against the national rate of 43.51 percent). Even with a declining passing rate, a DLSU ECE student still topped all test takers in the April Board exams since 2000 except for April 2003. ECE professor Jonathan Coronel stated that the department still gains the highest passing rate in all categories in terms of number of examinees despite the decline.

Civil EngineeringIn the May 2005 Civil Engineering Board Examination, DLSU again per-

formed well, gaining an 87 percent ranking against the national passing rate of 35.76 percent. Fourty of 46 passed the exam. Allen Robert Adecer grabbed the highest place among DLSU students at seventh place followed by Roger Lanot Opina at 16th place. Like other Engineering departments, the Civil Engineering (CIV) department has also experienced slight decreases in the passing rate during the May Board Exams, where regular students usually take the exams. The depart-ment has been obtaining a 90 percent passing rate in May 2002 and 2003.

Mechanical engineeringAnother engineering department whose students recently took the board

exam is the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department. Concluded last April, the department acquired an 83 percent passing rate against the national passing rate of 45.74 percent, where 30 out of 36 Lasallian examinees passed. Not to be left out of the gradual decline, the passing rate decreased 10 percent from April 2004’s 93 percent (against the nation’s 47 percent passing rate). Mark Aaron Chan grabbed the highest place among DLSU takes this year at third, followed by Anthony Joseph Zara at 10th place.

AILEEN KRISTEL CHAM

But stillOpposing the student body’s opinion, Irwin Jurilla, Com-

puter Facilities and Operations (CFO) Head of the Informa-tion Technology Center (ITC), stated, “The administration has good reasons for having the CCTV [cameras]. The system is intended to be used for those reasons [monitoring possible theft] only, so it can neither be misused nor abused.”

Jurilla said that CCTV installation started last April. The installation is 80 percent complete and will be completed this June, Engr. Gerardo Mendoza of the Physical Facilities Offi ce said.

Designated areas where CCTV cameras are being installed are hallways with rooms containing expensive equipment, such as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) projectors and VHS players. CCTV cameras will also be installed within the vicinity of computer laboratories and SMART classrooms. Specifi ed places are Miguel and Gokongwei buildings, where most theft cases have been reported.

With the monitors to be stationed at their offi ce, 24-hour operation of the system will be placed in the hands of the Safety and Security Offi ce (SSO). The 32-camera CCTV system will be monitored via two personal computers, with each computer displaying 16 feeds.

Though there are still no guidelines as to its operation, SSO Director Dionisio Escarez believes that the monitoring device will be utilized mainly for the purpose of preventing possible theft and robbery cases. Jurilla added that guidelines will be created soon.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Kuon tried to obtain more information regarding the CCTV installation. However, Mr. Jurilla passed Kuon on to Engr. Gerardo Mendoza of the Physical Facilities Of-fi ce. Engr. Mendoza, in turn, passed Kuon back to Jurilla. Both claimed the other knew more.)

FROM CCTV, PAGE 1

FROM SC CALLS, PAGE 1

ARTWORK BY IAN ROMAN

Hard at work. SC President Army Padilla has placed student welfare as her top priority. PHOTO BY PAUL DARWYNN GARILAO

PHOTO BY LUIS DE VERA

Man of peace. A man stares at the sunset as waves crash onto his feet.

IMAGE COURTESY OF STUDENT COUNCIL

Partisanship issue opens anew

10 June 2005 2 10 June 2005 3U NIVERSITY The LaSallian U NIVERSITY The LaSallian

First day funk and moreLast month, columnist Boo

Chanco of the Philippine Star wrote about a study ranking the country’s twenty best tertiary educational institutions. The study, purportedly done by the Commission on Higher Education and the Professional Regulations Commission, based its ranking on the schools’ average passing rate in board examinations from 1992 to 2001.

DLSU was ranked 16th, way behind three UP (ranked first to third) and two Ateneo (ranked sixth and seventh) campuses. I can only imagine the administration’s disbelief at this result, something that I can infer based from reactions posted after the column was published.

(Keep in mind that the writer hasn’t confirmed the study yet, a fact that was later repeated in the writer’s reply to my e-mail about the column.)

While there is much bickering about the credibility of this study, the results of another interesting study made its way to the pages of the Philippine Daily Inquirer last May 29. Undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz of the Department of Education bared the results of the National Achievement Test in English, Math, and Science conducted among high school seniors in March of 2004.

Some might say that this study is irrelevant because it does not directly involve DLSU, but as I will present over the succeeding paragraphs, this has major implications on the quality of education that the University can provide for its students.

The passing rate for the exam is 75 percent. The statistics are startling. Out of all the takers, only 12.9 percent passed the Math exam. I know that many of us are not adept at Math, and while that might lead us to understand such a turnout, consider that the Math passing grade is already the highest mark of the three areas. A dismal 6.8 percent passed the English exam, and an even more pathetic 0.7 percent passed the Science exam. Overall, only 2.1 percent passed.

Translated, that means almost 90 percent of high school graduates need help with their Mathematical skills, almost 95 percent lack English language proficiency, and nearly all of them do not know their Sciences well enough. This just affirms the result out of the 1998 and 2003 Trends in International Math and Science Surveys that Filipino students are nearly below the pack as far as skills in the Math and Sciences are concerned.

The article went on to mention some interpretations out of the test results. In English, it said that there was a real comprehension problem. In Math, students had all sorts of problems computing for results, using formulas, and manipulating numbers and equations. In Science, students were not able to master all areas, especially physics. In short, students were having all sorts of basic and higher order thinking problems.

Another interesting tidbit was that none of the top 20 schools in this exam come from Metro Manila. Many of them come from far-flung places, places that are certainly deprived of resources. The logical conclusion here is that the lack of resources is not a hindrance to education. With the right commitment, education can be of high quality even outside the cities. This also raises the concern that Metro Manila’s extremely crowded public schools may be starting to prove detrimental to the Philippine educational system.

Given these results, the Department of Education probed into the heart of the problem. The lack of classrooms, facilities, and materials has been perpetually blamed for the poor education in the public school system. Yet it was puzzling to note that some schools fared poorly and some did well even when all of them faced the same constraints. The cause was glaring: low reading levels brought down results across the board. This was logical, since one cannot expect students to answer complex problems competently if they cannot even understand them. Low reading levels among students has turned into a disaster for the educational system.

What implications does it hold for DLSU? The lack of competent high school graduates obviously hinders our growth towards a world-class institution. Few world-class students can be produced if students come in with evident deficiencies in Math, English, and Science. As the number of good students dwindle, DLSU will be forced to compete for students that can meet its higher academic standards and maintain its reputation. Also take into consideration that this paltry number of competent students will be divided even further into the various professions/fields of study that society needs.

The fact that Metro Manila and other city-based high schools are not producing quality graduates as expected also means that there will be fewer students who are both competent enough and can afford the exorbitant prices that the University is imposing among its freshmen. This would prove detrimental to DLSU’s efforts to meet its revenue targets while maintaining a base of quality students at the same time. Only time will tell if DLSU will be forced to lower its standards because of what’s happening.

Such a trend also requires the University to invest in programs that will make sure its students can make it through the rigors of their respective degree programs. While the transformative learning pedagogy is a welcome initiative given that it encourages the development of critical thinking skills, I get the impression that some of the programs being included in it are remedial in nature.

This puts the University in a bind: do we pursue our dreams or should we look the other way to address society’s needs? It is obvious that we can’t do both. A push for world-class status would almost be like playing a blind ear to the fact that our society has some very complicated problems at the grassroots level. A push in the other direction would almost certainly require lowering our standards and invest more in remedial programs.

We are obviously making a fuss out of the ranking that came out of the first study presented earlier. Should a number one ranking be our goal, or should our goal be to help develop as many great individuals as possible? What really matters to us?

Before we push for greater transparency and other things that are more physical and administrative in nature (such as our ranking as a Philippine university), we should first look at where we’re headed in our educational mission. This is DLSU’s most basic thrust, and some thinking is required in this area more than ever as the University and the entire nation stands at a crossroads. The educational problem can already be felt, and it will only get worse. Which way do we go?

The great dilemma

Paul Darwynn Garilao Jose Paolo Lacdao Luis Emmanuel De Vera

Donelle Gan Juan Carlos Chavez Earlene Clarissa Ching Jan Michael Jaudian Eric Siy Alejandro Almendras IV Kristel Kaye Chua

EDITORS IN CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR UNIVERSITY EDITOR MENAGERIE EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR ART & GRAPHICS EDITOR

PHOTO EDITOR

CIRCULATION MANAGER

OFFICE MANAGER

10 JUNE 2005

The LaSallian has its editorial office at 502 Bro. Gabriel Connon Hall, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila 1004. TLS can be contacted through telephone number 5244611 loc. 701, or through its e-mail address, the_lasallian@yahoo.com. All contributions are subject to editing for clarity or space. None of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the express written permission of the Editorial Board.

UNIVERSITY Joyce Anne Alfonso, Jan Wilfred Cariquitan, Felice Ann Cariaso, Lyanne Dela Cruz, Ross Vergel Delantar, Gayle Guzman, Arvin Alcanar Jo, Michelline Kuon, Paulo Jose Mutuc, Robert Royce Zuñiga

MENAGERIE Nancy Chua, Joseph Marc de Veyra, Franz Francisco Chan, Chris Gabriel, Rosanna Guintivano, Angeline Martha Manuel, Anne Lorraine Ng, Claire Therese Ortega, Mariane Lourdes Perez, Anjeli Pessumal, Karess Rubrico, Dianne Margareth Tang, Nicole Tangco

SPORTS John de los Santos, Jhoanna Kay Leal, Don Eric Sta. Rosa, Reuben Ezra Terrado, Nikki Ann Mariel Tungol

PHOTO Christopher Kison, Aithne Jaen Lao, Dan Joseph Nable, Diane Lou Reyes, Ofelia Sta. Maria, Amanda Valenzuela

ART & GRAPHICS Patrick Joy Abanilla, Carvin Choa, Richard Rustum Gutierrez, Frank Herrera, Kenji Inukai, Kimberly Kha, Gene Carlo Magtoto, Christine Marie Mendoza, Rommel Mendoza, Ian Roman, Gerard Philip So Chan, Charm Ventura

SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS Maria Michaela Ferrer, Ernestine Suzanne Teves, Meryll Anne Yan, Isabelle Regina Yujuico

STUDENT PUBLICATIONS COORDINATORS Rosanna Luz Valerio, Joel Orellana

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Fritzie Ian Paz-De Vera

LaSallianThe

The bastion of issue-oriented critical thinking.

To declare "no secrets in the campus" is a gross act of insincerity.

EDITORIAL

The view from my silent observation post tells me DLSU is like an

automobile. Now, one only needs to have taken driving lessons in order to drive a car. There is no need to understand how the engine works, or how the power is transmitted to the wheels. As if in a car, students in DLSU are shown only the interior and they are expected to enjoy the ride, from frosh to graduation. There is no encouraging them to step out and inspect what’s under the hood. This “passenger” mindset I believe had crept slowly through the years because of pop culture.

I wonder how DLSU could propagate critical thinking in the classroom (if it really does) and yet provide glaring counterexamples outside of it.

Consider the then-rumored merger of the College of Engineering (COE) and the College of Computer Studies (CCS), now a defunct idea. When the issue was still hot, the Administration kept completely silent about it. Only a few brave souls went ahead and shared stories with the students.

This issue was cleared with a tone of finality no student can question. Was the Administration transparent in this scenario? Delayed and selective transparency, yes. However, delayed transparency is not transparency at all. It is useless. Keep a debatable issue under wraps and release it only when any inflow of ideas from the student body will not affect its outcome. This means the Administration has an innate sense of distrust against the student body. It betrays disrespect for students’ abilities to think critically for the future of THEIR university.

Consider the installment of the CCTV camera system. Up to now, the student body can only guess how much was actually spent for the system. Had it not been for a source, we would never have known the winning bid alone cost DLSU 940,000 pesos. Call that transparency!

Furthermore, there was virtually no consultation of the student body

in this acquisition. Two questions: Was the Administration expecting resistance from the student body, so they decided to forego of this process? Or had Aikee Esmeli and company done one lousy task of student consultation/representation?

Various policies that have taken effect just this year include CCTV installment, dress code policy especially banning of slippers inside campus, and transformative learning. Obviously, all these policies have started as mere ideas by someone somewhere, just like the merger rumors. Now, why does it seem that no matter how hard the student body, represented by the Student Council, tries to resist these new measures, all their efforts are in vain, at best only a compromise is achieved? This is what I think: There was minimal, if not non-existent student representation when the idea was at its infancy. This is the level where only members of the Administration discuss and come up with conclusions. By the time the idea is presented to the students, it has already been pre-finalized.

This is like uprooting a tree that has ingrained its roots deep underground. Remember the Art of War: The best general wins with the least effort, the best doctor cures before the symptoms come out. This tree should be uprooted while it is still young.

This is why I hope Tapat’s Executive Board would deliver on its promise of having student representatives in several important University committees/councils, like the Board of Trustees and

the Operations Council. Who knows where the next big addition to DLSU’s paradigms will be born? The student’s voice should be heard there.

* * * I salute the guys at Microsoft for

coming up with one hell of a difficult yet fun Imagine Cup, Algorithm category. In turn, I wonder why DLSU restricts Internet use so much. Allow me to connect the two sentences.

Imagine Cup is a global competition sponsored by Microsoft. There are several categories including business planning, rendering, software design, IT and algorithm. For the algorithm category I joined, there are three rounds: the elimination round open to everyone internationally, the semifinal round open to the top 200 scorers in the eliminations, and the finals open to the six highest scorers in the semis.

Sorry for self-congratulation, but I was the only Filipino who made it to the semifinal round. Now both the elimination and semifinal round are online (http://imagine.thespoke.net and http://www.wildnoodle.com/msic respectively). The semifinal round was in the form of a game called Herbert (a robot program), and it required .NET framework installed in PCs. So much for up-to-date computers. The framework was not even installed in Velasco computer labs then! I had to bug one technician to allow me to install the update.

The real problem was when ITC required everyone to log in using their MyLaSalle account. Though I am not a computer wizard, I experienced firsthand how this policy restricts student activity on the Internet. Herbert, which runs directly from the Internet, could no longer run in any DLSU computer lab. And my Internet connection at home is as slow as a snail.

This may be my personal ire, but I am quite sure that soon someone will have problems just like what I had. The ITC should carefully review its implementations to not severely delimit Internet use.

Delayed transparency is not transparency at all.

Grab the wheels

Stained image

Low reading levels has turned into a disaster for the educational system.

During enrolment or adjustment, I pity those people who have only one failing subject.

Image is an abstract marketing tool used by universities to attract

students, as well as establish an excellent reputation to companies and the world at large. The good and ugly credentials of a university are products of the image that it has instituted through the years.

Harvard University’s image as a trendsetter in law, medicine, and other related fields made it as a world-renowned university. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is highly acclaimed for producing engineers and scientists that become Nobel awardees. Locally, UP is known for training the Iskolar ng Bayan, who study in a non-spoon feeding environment while paying very economized tuitions.

De La Salle University (DLSU) has its distinct way of projecting a good image inside and outside the Lasallian community. DLSU is already a trademark to high school students and well-known companies, since its image as a top-caliber university is publicly accepted. Its tagline Your Future Begins Here implies assurance of employment after graduation.

No doubt, image setting is a brainchild of the Administration. It is their expertise to boost the good image of the University. When good news such as an upgraded level of accreditation, high scores in board exams, or UAAP championships glorify the University, the Administration is quick to broadcast its achievements.

But when the school image is humiliated at the national level, the Admin is quick to defend its side and clarifying issue. A recent proof of this was the Admin’s immediate response to Boo Chanco’s May 9 column, which ranked DLSU based on PRC data. This, of course, is a natural reaction, since negative feedback pose a threat to its standing.

The Admin practices a greater amount of sensitivity when dealing with controversial issues to safeguard the school image. But there is a paradox in the Admin’s statement that “there are no secrets in the campus.” Yet, if we ask concerned parties regarding hard-hitting issues, they are awkward to give any related information.

In our series of articles regarding the merging phenomenon, some administrators whom The LaSallian interviewed told our correspondents not to report on the issue, because of its controversial nature. Even college supervisors reminded their subordinates not to disclose any facts, because they are an “administrative concern.” In fact, a department chair commented, “Wala kayong pakilalam diyan. Pinagbawalan kaming magsalita.” Sometimes, concerned people only

answer the questions that would favor them or elate their status.

To declare that there are "...no secrets in the campus” is a gross act of insincerity. Observing its context, the phrase is a relative “secret” and not an absolute one. The proximity of secrecy is only confined to the higher operators of this University.

By nature, protecting the University image requires a level of compromise and the major tradeoff is transparency. The Admin believes that the more they answer delicate campus matters, the greater the tendency to tarnish the good reputation of DLSU.

But if the Admin will keep issues confidential, negative speculation would arise, causing more gaps to open. As a concrete example, I learned that many CCS faculty were worried before about the possible merging of CCS and COE. Those with probationary status fear they might be removed in their respective departments, because merging would involve reducing manpower as a way to limit spending. Because there were no clear and official statements, rumors continued to spread, causing more fears. But it took the Admin more months to iron the issues, which most faculty viewed as delayed clarification of the matter.

In reality, transparency is demanded of this University. By transparency, I mean the immediate clarification of hot pressing issues, the constant communication between the higher administration and departments, the easy access to University records, particularly the breakdown of DLSU finances, and other significant matters that require clarification.

* * *Behind the Admin’s staunch

protection of DLSU image, there is also a tendency that image-driven programs encroach the welfare and rights of students.

A classic example is the modular program being implemented among the accounting students. Through the years, our BSA program has been considered as one of the best programs in the country, because our accounting graduates exhibit consistent high passing rates during the CPA Board

Exams. The modular program is geared towards making the Accountancy course an honors program, which again adds prestige to the school image.

During its one-year implementation, Accountancy students encountered a lot of difficulties in the modular program. A friend of mine in the program commented that “the constant change of policy is unhealthy for the students. If you view it in all angles, it appears that we, the students are victims. This constant change creates confusion and unjust treatment.” Although the program has been successful in heightening the image of University, the execution of the program has affected a number of students.

With the hype of attaining the world-class status, the Admin always accelerate new programs to the point of executing them without proper testing, thus infringing the students’ welfare.

This is more alarming. In the May 2005 issue of Mobile Philippines (mph) magazine, ITC-Computer Facilities and Operations (CFO) Head Erwin Jurilla made an off-putting remark on the behavior of students regarding the usage of IT services. The department head was indirectly quoted, “The environment in (De) La Salle is different indeed. Students avail of IT services everyday. As users, they are unpredictable and some even pose as threats to the network security. But the [ITC] staff always gives the best of themselves to serve the academic community better.”

There maybe truth in the statement of Jurilla, but his revelation imposes a greater danger. Has the CFO head considered the ramifications of his statement? Outsiders then may view Lasallian students as threats to systems when they are already employed in any IT company, because this is the way they were evaluated in the University.

Jurilla underlined the good image of ITC service in a self-congratulatory way, but he has disdained the integrity of Lasallians. Students and not the image-driven programs are the real contributors to the school image. Whenever our students win in any prestigious competitions, the name of the University is glorified. In another angle, administrators seem bolder in expressing hot issues to national media rather than to campus journalists.

I understand why the Admin has to select what it divulges. Br. Armin stated in our headline article that “other people” might abuse the information. But is the selectivity for the good of the University as a whole or the “superficial” school image only? We'll only know in the long run when it improves or breaks down the University status.

The pen awaits.

Annual Recruitment Week. June 6 to 10. Central Plaza.

A blindfold is anything that is tied over the eyes in order to block the sight. In the context of DLSU, however, series of blindfolds figuratively represent major setbacks that obstruct students from the essential University matters. These blindfolds range from the Administration’s awkward (if not blank) response regarding University issues to the Student Council’s lame approach in combating policies that hamper student rights.

DLSU System President Br. Armin Luistro, FSC, is planning to get rid of one of the blindfolds by allowing some access to University files. Through a system-wide database, vital information for the eight DLSU units is expected to be collated, stored, analyzed, and retrieved. Such information should help decision-makers make the right decisions. This is from the System’s perspective.

Now, can this plan be pursued in DLSU-Manila, a University where accessing of student-related records is no walk in the park? In fact, campus journalists and student leaders find it difficult to access financial statements, discipline records, and other pertinent files in the University. Most DLSU offices refuse to share these records with students, justifying its confidential nature. The records, however, are considered as public documents, since they quantify and evaluate student concerns. It is possible that working under a shroud of secrecy permits the Administration to infringe on student rights. If this is not the case, then why not be transparent?

Transparency is accountability. The more the students see what goes on in a University, the more the Admin will become more accountable. Although the Admin can claim that transparency is already given in the University, the Lasallian community must feel it with sincerity. Removing this blindfold will definitely result to transparency.

Student representatives should be aware that transparency will also increase expectations on them. They must further assert themselves as a factor in decision-making by arguing accordingly to student perspective. Most importantly, they must take out their blindfolds during deliberations, so that they can see and foresee the possible implications of University policies and answer according with vigilant yet logical reasoning.

There is a glimmer of hope for the student body. This schoolyear, one of the SC’s goals is to strengthen the representation of students in deliberating University concerns. The council is lobbying for student representation in the Board of Trustees, the highest policy making body in DLSU and the Enforcement Section of the Discipline Office.

As the school year begins, let us remove the blindfolds that continue to encroach student rights—blindfolds that result to miscommunication and passivity. The political atmosphere may be more tensioned, but this would lead to clarification of issues and better service to the Lasallian community.

Remove the blindfold So, how have the first weeks of school been? Are you enjoying

your the term so far, or are you still having that summer hangover? I presume that a lot of people are having their own summer hangover since school started very early (May 23 was the earliest first day class since 2002, as far as I can remember).

Anyway, here’s one thing for sure: a lot of people had their first day funk. I’m not referring to the latest Rexona jingle, but to the funk (a state of depression, as defined by Merriam-Webster’s) that most people got when they had to adjust during their first day. I feel sorry for all those people that had to go to school very early and those who had to fall in line for the rest of the day just to get their subjects.

Whenever I think of enrollment and adjustment, whether it be online or manual, I pity those people who have only one failing subject. I pity them because they are always the deprived ones during online enrollment and they carry the “bad luck” up to the adjustment period. I pity them because they forever labeled by the registrar as the “regular” enrollees, students who get the fewest choice of the subjects, which usually becomes as a cause of delay, especially if the subject they want to get only comes out once every school year. And if adjustment comes, they simply scavenge on what’s left for them. As a suggestion, aside from opening more subjects, I think that changing the status of students with failing subjects from regular to priority enrollees, if the student did not fail any subject for the previous term, would help these students choose more subjects and timeslots.

* * *I don’t see the point on why some

SC officers need to assert that they came from Tapat or Santugon. I think that these officers should understand that they are already serving the student body. They should have in mind that the students are their primary concern and not the image of their political party. President Manuel Quezon said, “My loyalty to my party ends when my loyalty to my country begins.”

Sometimes it amazes me when I think that the two existing parties in DLSU instinctively think contrastingly. I mean if Tapat thinks and decides for the color black, then Santugon must think and decide for the contrasting color that is white or vice-versa. I have nothing against contrasting views and opposition. In fact, I believe that different views help make better ideas. However, what if the issue at hand is of common concern, like the welfare of the students? Will the two parties still think and act differently?

* * *During the past terms, I noticed

that almost all computers in some computer labs have USB ports but not all of them were functional – a student couldn’t personally use the USB port. Students must request from

the computer technician to transfer a file larger than a diskette’s capacity from the student’s computer to the technician’s computer where the USB port is working. My curiosity led me to think that the reason of disabling the USB drives was to prevent the students from downloading large files (like a small program) from the Internet, thereby clogging the campus bandwidth.

I think that students are aware of this fact. If a student wanted to download a large file, it would be more logical for the student to download it during the night since fewer people use the Internet on that period. In addition, USB flash disks are replacing the floppy diskettes, so it would be better if our world-class school allows the student to use the flash drives in computer labs.

Thus, it was a good thing when students were finally allowed to use USB drives in computer labs. I think the ITC finally realized that USB disks have become a necessity for students.

On other computer-related issues, just before the last school year ended, the ITC started to require the Lasallian community, both students and school personnel, to use their MyLaSalle accounts before they surf the net. This new rule, as my co-editor has said on his column, has limited student activity on the net. And now, just a week after school started, the ITC is requiring the students to log on to each computer before they use it. I believe that the ITC is only securing the use of the computer, but can they also monitor our private activities, like e-mailing and logging on to our blogs or Friendster, much like what CCTV cameras can do during our free time around the campus?

10 June 2005 4 10 June 2005 5O P I N I O N The LaSallian O P I N I O N The LaSallian

No it’s not your Guccis or Pradas. It’s your Islanders

and his siblings that are put to the world-class test.

The new school year opens with, astonishingly, a new dress code policy. Tank tops are finally given a rest; the policy has decided to go down. What kinds of slippers are prohibited by the dress code is still unclear. When I went to a certain department to ask the specifics, authorities immediately clammed up when they learned that my questioning was being made under the name of this publication. Since I wasn’t able to clear things up, I’ll just air my points out.

I’d like to believe that slippers are independent of their owners; the owner does not become the slippers. The problem is the new dress code does not realize this logic. The past few weeks have seen students being apprehended for their choice of footwear. The message that comes across is close to this: Inappropriate slippers make an offensive student.

For a fact, the feet should be the less conspicuous part of the body. First, it is outshone by the face, the arms, the torso, and the legs – the bodily parts that people usually notice first. Second, the feet are the hardest working body part, rivaled only by the brain, therefore, as we need peace for a clearer state of mind, so do we need comfortable footwear to appease our feet. Unfortunately, most footwear that are eye candies destroy the sanity of the feet, while comfortable footwear wouldn’t exactly make it to the ramps. Honorable as the dress code may be, training us well enough to look like models and all, it has yet to become more grounded. Physiological effects aside, the dress code has to be repositioned to suit practicality and not prudishness. For one, I see no point in banning tube tops when spaghetti tops and racer backs are allowed. (I think all three belong to the same family, meaning they show more or less the same amount of flesh). But can the dress code not apply the same open-mindedness as it had with spaghetti tops and racer backs? Surely, slippers couldn’t be more offensive than the two.

Let’s dissect the slipper. One kind is the rubber slipper (or the tsinelas na pangbanyo). Let’s not argue about this. This one is understandably to be left at home. Another kind is the flat slipper, with or without embellishments. Yet another is the slippers with heels, of varying heights, again with or without the occasional embellishments. But we can also call them sandals, and there are wedges too, which are becoming the “in” thing nowadays. So the question is: what kinds of slippers are exactly prohibited? I see the point of the dress code transforming us to become well-groomed individuals. It has in some point or another returned, or at least maintained dignity inside the university. But its mission shouldn’t be implemented to the point that students will be charged with an offense for wearing the “wrong” kind of footwear. For Peter’s sake, they’re just slippers. Not PDPI, not cheating, not gambling, but plain harmless, innocent slippers.

All we request is a less-than-tighter noose on this new dress code policy. After all, we Lasallians shouldn’t be judged by the kind of materials we clothe ourselves in. We must be judged by our lucid, critical minds. Let’s not forget that De La Salle is not a fashion house, but an educational institution. Abolishing “inappropriate” footwear will not solve the myriad of headaches worthy to be called problems. There are a great more things that we should turn our attention to—our swinish politicians for that matter, our country’s state of living, or the millions of people suffering in this world, or even our ever-increasing tuition fees. To sum it all up: instilling more critical concepts for Lasallians to ponder about.

Now, wouldn’t that be more appropriate? -Kube

* * *For our newly welcomed froshies, it’s good to have finally reached college. Goodbye to those slacks and layered top uniforms and hello to jeans and loose shirts. For the girls, they can finally apply the latest trends and finally rest their feet through wearing something more comfortable, such as slippers, but then again with some necessary restrictions, as discussed by my co-writer.

Unfortunately, what has become quite shocking to our froshies this year is the handbook’s section 13.3.1.3 which discusses the range of deadly weapons which happen to include our friendly supplies of scissors and cutters used for project purposes. And bringing of these without a permit coming from the DO will be charged as a minor offense.

It was not so long ago when the whole University was alarmed by the Eric Sabado stabbing of Starrie Sun at Gokongwei building in December of 2002. The controversy did call unwarranted attention to the DO (and DLSU, for that matter), and the end result is this rule on "deadly" weapons.

It was recently publicized that an inventory of sharp-pointed objects such as scissors and cutters will be conducted at all University offices. Students who wish to bring these kind of supplies will have to request for a DO sticker.

Such a DO effort is understandable given that we wouldn't want history to repeat itself. However, it creates a misconception that bringing in such supplies makes students offensive even when the intention is only to use it for certain legal needs.

Also, if a certain member of the community really wishes to inflict harm to another member, he or she will do so by any means, and not just through sharp or pointed objects. With such logic, you could consider a ballpen to be a deadly weapon. Your hands are also deadly by this logic, given that you could choke or hit another through them. It won't be long before cutting your fingernails will be considered offensive since it can be used to harm an individual.

The incident that took place in December 2002 is just an isolated incident. There was a real intention to harm and some supplies were on hand for the purpose. But that doesn't warrant putting a control sticker on each and every scissor or cutter in order to prevent such from happening again.

I cannot quite determine the purpose of implementing these kind of rules when there are far better and more serious things to tackle. Every individual in this University should continue to enjoy relative freedom and be treated, respected, and trusted as mature individuals. A just and free society would not consider wearing a slipper or bringing scissors to school as unbecoming. -LJ

Merging is a University concern affecting various Colleges and academic departments. Mergers have been posed, tried, and abolished within a short span of five years.

These issues pose significant influence on the student academic life. The LaSallian traces these mergers historically.

Past mergers: Lit-Fil, IS-PolSciANGELINE MONICA ARCENASIn Schoolyear 2000–2001, the Literature and Filipino Departments of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) were merged into one unit, with Dr. Isagani R. Cruz as the department chair. Another attempt to merge yet two more departments of the CLA, Political Science and International Studies, was also made early last year. However, referred to as a non-issue by the said departments, this merger did not push through.

Proposed by former CLA Dean Estrellita Gruenberg, the Lit-erature-Filipino merger was implemented in order to allow the two departments to provide, join, and assist each other in developing programs to advance the study of Philippine Literature. Since the Literature Department’s thrust as a nationalistic unit was the said subject, merging with the Filipino Department would provide addi-tional expertise on Philippine languages. Similarly, the collaboration aimed to allow the Filipino Department to have sufficient time to research on national languages.

Prior to implementation, a memo was circulated among the faculty, informing them about the possibility of a merger. Eventu-ally, the Administration and the Dean’s Office finalized the venture. Although official reasons for the merger were unclear to the faculty, the academic pressures of the trimester system did not allow much time for questioning. Aside from the nationalistic thrust angle, merging would lead to a more viable budget.

Concerning a similar move, the University of Memphis’s Dean Kostelnik stated that the merger is not one college absorbing another college, but a coming together of ideas. However, what happened in DLSU was that the members of the two departments often referred to each other as the ‘Filipino people’ and the ‘Lit people’.

Evidently, there still existed two departments only co-existing under one roof. Furthermore, although similarities can be found on paper, many of the fields of the two departments were distinct from one another. One professor mentioned that throughout the merger, he saw no opportunities for joint projects. However, he believes that there may have been other studies done by members of both faculties that he was unaware of.

Moreover, changes in scenarios have also affected the merging. The Filipino Department has since shifted from offering courses such as AB Filipino Major in Translation Studies to AB in Filipino Major in Media Studies. Such transitions have allowed them to function more and more as an independent department.

Because of such consequences, the merger was dissolved in 2003. As of date, the Filipino Department and the Literature

Department have reverted back to two distinct units. The chairs are, respectively, Dr. Janet Hope Tauro-Batuigas and Dr. David Jonathan Y. Bayot.

COE-CCSDONELLE GAN

So ends the finger-pointing. EVP Dr. Carmelita Quebengco confirmed talks discussing the possible merging of the College of Engineering (COE) and the College of Computer Studies (CCS). Prior to the confirmation, the rumor did not have a clear origin with both Colleges saying it came from students. When CCS Dean Caslon Chua asked the Administration, the Admin replied that the news came from “somewhere else.”

There is no definite plan to merge the COE and the CCS, the EVP stressed.

Dean Chua believes the rumors sprung up when CCS was transferred from the Professional Schools to DLSU-Manila. The rumor picked up steam when the CCS’ enrollment dropped by two sections last school year from 11 to 9, and the recent slump of Information Technology (IT) in the USA. However, Dean Chua maintained that this slump is not true in the Philippines. American and European companies have begun to outsource, employing many local IT graduates in the process. In fact, there is a surplus of jobs in the IT industry. A Philippine Daily Inquirer article dated February 21, 2005 stated that ICT companies are projected to hire 46000 IT workers this year alone. These jobs are not merely call center and medical transciptors, the Dean noted. He furthered that these “wrong impressions” are caused by erroneous government representation of IT.

Both internationally and locally, the Computer Science depart-ment is merged with some other department. In the University of the Philippines, CS is merged with the Electronic Engineering department. At the University of Santo Tomas, CS is under the College of Science. In Ateneo de Manila University, CS is under the Math Department. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a degree program called the Electronics Engineering and Computer Science (EECS).

The Computer science and engineering disciplines develop different skills in students, Dr. Chua claims. While CS students are given a strong foundation in software development, engineer-ing students focus on hardware and machine design. However, engineering students are also taught to program and some have knowledge of developing embedded systems, a forte of CS.

In-process: MEE – MEM DONELLE GANLast term, the Mechanical Engineering (MEE) and Manufacturing Engineering and Management (MEM) departments underwent exploratory talks considering merging. Dr. Julius Maridable, former dean and presently VP for Academics and Research (VPAR), pre-

sided over the talks. While MEE has a positive outlook regarding the merger, major-

ity of the MEM faculty showed remorse for the idea. The prime reason, which is the sharing of resources, could easily be achieved even without a merger, the faculty contested. And contrary to what former VPAR Dr. Bernardo said, faculty stated that MEM has wide differences from MEE.

It is true though that the MEM department has spent a lot of money. Licenses for CATIA, a high-end Computer Aided Design software package, have been bought for 40 million pesos. The Computer Integrated Manufacturing Laboratory, with its array of machines and robots, cost around at least 10 million pesos. The VPAR pinpointed huge expenses as a rationale for merging.

Final deliberations as to whether this merger will push through will rest upon the Administration as the talks have been elevated to the VPAR.

Speculation stage: CBE mergers DONELLE GAN AND PAULO JOSE MUTUC

Recently, College of Business and Economics Dean Dr. Michael Alba put forward to the faculty the idea of merging the Business Management (BMG) and Marketing Management (MMG) Depart-ments as well as the departments of Accountancy and Financial Management.

The BMG and the MMG share certain similarities. MMG de-partment chair Jaime Ong stated that marketing is one of a number of core areas a BMG student needs to be highly familiar with, re-gardless of track (Entrepreneurship or Applied Corporate Manage-ment), since it is in itself inseparable from the study of management and the practice of running business organizations. On the other hand, MMG is a course specializing more on the human resources management aspect of business. From this argument, Ong said that MMG can be crudely considered a specialization of BMG.

Accounting and finance, meanwhile, are two distinct yet highly related fields with close ties to economics. The former relates to the preparation and analysis of financial statements, the latter per-tains to the study of investments, businesses, and the money and capital markets.

In the case of University of Santo Tomas (UST), the reverse case happened. An article from The Varsitarian stated that the Accountancy Department recently separated from the College of Accountancy and Commerce to become the College of Commerce. A plan that had taken 10 years to plan, the merger finally pushed through after the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) made new pronouncements on the Accountancy program. In a memo-randum, CHED recognized the separate professional identity of Accountancy. One of the reasons given by the UST Administration for the merger was that a separate College could “focus on giving its students and faculty international exposure to achieve high spe-cialization and globalization in the accounting profession.”

The Merging trend(First of two parts)World-class rules

De La Salle is not a f a sh ion house , but an educational institution.

The human race is diverse, so they say. Each and every individual

has his or her distinct set of wants and needs. One’s blessing is another person’s bane. It’s the age-old rule of “What applies to one does not apply to all.”

T h a t ’ s w h a t t h e D L S U Admin i s t r a t ion p robab ly had in mind when they proposed the Lasallian Pedagogical Framework for Transformative Learning. Now, for those of you who may not know until now, a major change is beckoning in our campus system and to our curriculum, as we know it. On February earlier this year, the admin expressed its plans of shifting our school’s teaching method from the traditional lecture-based approach, to something that is more learner-centered.

The rationale behind the proposal is to stay true to one of the Lasallian education principles, which states that all sectors of Lasallian educational communities should be “committed to assuring the integral human and Christian development of learners in all their uniqueness and diversity.” Therefore, at this point, our fate as students is answerable only by either a definitive “Yes” or a definitive “No.”

As if that doesn’t sound radical enough, the aforementioned framework was proposed in order to coincide with the General Education Curriculum’s (GEC) revision of its objectives. As an excerpt from that revised curriculum puts it, an overhaul of our school’s teaching system is necessary, in order to “expand the students’ critical and creative thinking skills by engaging (them) in various modes of inquiry”.

Should this new system be implemented, the student population will be now faced with a rather daunting challenge. To put it more concretely, Instead of just sitting back in our armchairs trying to listen to the teacher’s every word, we now have to learn to form our own judgments and

assumptions on the subject matter. It would be the end of the traditional “chalk-and-talk” lifestyle we’ve grown accustomed to. No more passing of copied homework to the person to your right, or explaining how bills become laws through words lifted directly from photocopied handouts.

Indeed, this so-called transformative learning system represents another revolutionar y phase in DLSU’s teaching mission. Dr. Allan Bernardo, former Vice President for Academics and Research, also further justified it by sharing that students “just consume knowledge rather than produce knowledge”.

The way I see it, this could be very well the admin’s way of searching for new means to empower the students and to minimize, if not totally eliminate, “spoon-feeding.” As for the teachers, while we got used to them serving as our “hearing aids,” their job is now to serve as our interpreters. While that is indeed essential for us students to develop our own initiative and intuition, all “pros” of this intended framework actually wear thin here.

Sure, there are some courses that need practical application more than the usual everyday lectures, like in communication subjects, for instance. Why let yourself be rendered catatonic by monotonous lectures, when you can actually already apply what is

being taught with the professor just guiding you every step of the way? But although it is practical, it does not automatically follow that it is beneficial for all.

How about those who are taking up more objective courses, like Accountancy or Mathematics? Students taking up such subjects need that extra amount of attention and guidance from their respective professors. They can’t just be left out there to find out things on their own and expect favorable results with just a snap of a finger. There are some subject areas in our curriculum that still need to be taught in the traditional teacher-centered approach.

If the admin wants to foster student independence, they should do so by encouraging the professors to be more personal in their approach of teaching. After all, teachers should know, of all things, that they are dealing with human individuals, each having distinct, intricate personalities. If the admin wants to nurture the students’ free will and initiative, they should get teachers who are oriented with the uniqueness and learning capabilities of the students. Instilling responsibility is essential, but complete and abrupt eradication of traditional teaching methods would be potentially disastrous.

While it is indeed necessary for students to be taught the importance of self-reliance, there is still the need for guidance on the faculty’s part. With minimal intervention from our mentors, there is an imminent danger for us students to sink into complacency and presumptuousness. We will have the tendency to cruise through the term with no extra effort in our part to strive for growth. Worse, we will only realize the error of our ways once we feel the bitter pang of discontent upon seeing the two digits printed at the bottom of our course cards.

Pedagogical uh-ohs

There are still some subjects that need to be taught in a traditional approach.

Quo Vadis?Quo vadis? A few months from now,

some of us will be embarking on a new battle. Unto the ‘real world,’ that is. Behind the walls of this institution is a jungle—rather, a battlefield. In an arena of broken promises, decayed dreams, and endless denials, victory is uncertain. We entered DLSU to be someone of good utilization in the Filipino community and, on a lighter note, to serve our purpose. Some may have already presumed that our quest for greater opportunities here in the Philippines is already a lost cause.

I am not cynical, but rather being just one of the many who is still in doubt as to what life is outside college. If you’re not one of us, then do answer this question: “Are you who you are after college?” You could say an IT professional, a Certified Public Accountant, a producer, a Civil Engineer, and what not. If you say so, then, I’m not one of you – yet. I guess I’m still uncomfortable with the idea of an ‘unfriendly world.’

Education provides us with the ammunition to be adept in future tasks for our chosen career paths. And we may know all the programming languages, mathematic equations, accounting rules, and all other intellectual ‘feeds’ that education provided us. Then from there, the question is: will you be able to use them?

The answer is of your own making, they say. Living the ‘fast cars’ as would young generations, to which I belong, want. Here lies the problem of our community – fast money. It’s all about putting up a great harvest today and never think of tomorrow. We never think of the development from here onwards. Most of the time, it’s about the short term gains.

From that aspect, I move to discussing call centers that offer a very attractive salary for graduates. And before anything else, I would like to say that I have nothing against them, mind you. For our economically

frail and dependent nation, getting a piece of a billion-dollar industry is never a bad thing. It provides jobs and, more to that, gives people the buying power. And buying power means an invigorated economy. Its one of the best things you would want for this country—a surge of foreign investments and creation of more jobs for our countrymen. So, why hate it? We shouldn’t.

Honestly saying, I haven’t the slightest idea on how it operates. But this, I know: graduates of sciences and the arts have entered this industry. A very attractive salary has graced most of fresh graduates from all over the country. I’m glad, though, that it helps our economy regain its footing on the global arena. But is this the only way to best our function in the society as professionals?

It’s either this or the much greener pastures overseas. That’s the current mindset of young graduates nowadays. Rather than help his country regain its strength by serving his function, they opt to work on a foreign land or a career far from their chosen degrees. I believe that we should rejuvenate our nationalism for this would help us realize so many things we could do to help this country.

Seeing great inflow of foreign investments into our economy is a great sign for our economy. But should

we just let this be and say that Filipino ventures are of no chance to garner a competitive footing against the foreign ones?

To encourage entrepreneurship is one way to help our economy. Entrepreneurship creates jobs so that there are more opportunities for the Filipino community. And we all know that embarking on an entrepreneurial mission is very risky. But the ends would justify the means when you see the Filipinos being able to see hope and great opportunities in their motherland.

Then, in contrast, the idea of ‘fast money,’ still, haunts us and further alienates the Filipino community to its development as a nation. The argument that I am trying to relay is that we should fulfill our functions. Rather than commit to something that seems to say that the education you earned is just a diploma’s worth.

We should all realize that we shouldn’t rely too much on foreign investments or opportunities abroad. Because the political arena on the international level drastically changes, this makes our economy dependent on the decision-making bodies of powerful nations. If you say this is not the case, then do look at Japan and China’s present relationship.

Moreover, I’m not saying that globalization is one completely evil scheme. It’s just another market arena. And we should react towards globalization in such a way that we equip ourselves better so that we could compete globally. What I see now is that the Filipino economy is running on a stalemate. And this is because our competitive graduates are more into working abroad and server a much different function rather than contribute to his motherland’s development.

Quo Vadis, Lasallistas?

It's all about putting up a great harvest today and never think of tomorrow.

10 June 2005 6 10 June 2005 7O P I N I O N The LaSallian U NIVERSITY The LaSallian

“The modular program drains my strength. The classes are exhausting and when I get home, I just want to rest. They say the program would be success-fully overcome thru time management. But how can we manage time if there isn’t any left?”

-Justinne Dizon, 3rd year

“The modular is promulgated for a good purpose. I just hope I would serve

its genuine purpose in the long run. It’s hard to be under it. I feel pressured but yet it pushes me to study harder.”

-Ellie Navarra, 3rd year

“Modular is a good program but needs a lot of adjustment from students. A regular student will have a hard time at fi rst, but when they get the feel of it they will just go with the fl ow. One of the things that you’re competing with

here is time, and how fast you are able to absorb topics. It is not a program most students opt to have but it also has its positive effects in the long run.”

-Shar Choi, 3rd year

“The advantages of the modular program are that it instills discipline into the students; it makes us more responsible; and it allows concentra-tion on the topics since we only dig

accounting subjects in a particular term. But there are also disadvantages in the program like, after you fi nish a module, students tend to forget easily the lessons because of the fast-paced lecture. In short, there is no retention in the topics we’ve already taken up. I feel stressful everyday because of the long lecture hours per day.”

-Lorelee Granado, 3rd yearCOMPILED BY FRANCESCA STA. ANA

A s the Accountancy Department executes the modularization program for the second year, students have stepped up complaints about its implementation loopholes. Applied only at the Accountancy Department in DLSU, modulariza-tion is an innovative teaching approach wherein subjects similar in nature and topic are grouped into modules.

The problem of the modular program elevated in complexity every term. During its primary implementation, students only complained about room assignment inconsistencies and time duration of subjects allocated per day. After the fi rst term, many students failed in the modular program, though they were allowed to take a refresher course.

In the third term, 100 accounting students collectively raised their criticisms through a letter compiled by Art Belandres, junior offi cer-non-academics of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountancy (JPIA). Belandres submitted the letter to Dr. Corazon Subido, chairperson of the Accountancy Department March 16 of this year. Dr. Subido later mentioned that she was not aware that the letter was the voice of 100 students.

The letter comprehensively discussed major problems regarding the modular program. Such problems include policy on failures, issues on module subjects, assessment on modularization program, and an additional parent-student faculty confer-ence.

Dr. Subido replied to the letter on April 5. However, her reply was too general and did not totally address the complaints raised by the accounting students.

Students claim that the modularization program is fault-laden. The Department claims otherwise, putting the blame on the “underachieving” students themselves. The LaSallian examines the issue from both the students’ side and the Depart-ment’s side.

MODULARIZATION or DEMORALIZATION? Accountancy students encounter setbacks on modular program

“There is a huge difference on the policy regarding failure between the fi rst takers of the Modular Program and the current takers.” This was the assertion of the letter regarding students who fail in the modularized program.

Actually, the fi rst batch is promised a validating examination at the end of the term if they get below 2.0 in any module subject (excluding those who obtain a 0.0). If students fail the exam, they are required to take a refresher course the following term.

Later, the policy was modifi ed. The letter stated, “Instead of taking up the refresher course again if they (students) fail the fi rst refresher examination, they will now have to take the subject that they failed in a Modular system.”

The policy was again altered during the middle of the year. The letter furthered, “Instead of tak-ing up refresher course after [they] fail in the validating examination, [students] have to repeat the subject that [they] failed in a Module system.”

According to Dr. Subido, the once-a-week refresher course, is a “student-initiated learning” course, in which students would simply ask for further explanations and clarifi cations in the lessons reviewed.

However, the policy was modifi ed later in the school year because results indicated that the re-fresher course did not help the students at all.

The administration fi nally decided that students should just repeat the subject that they failed in the Module system if they fell short of the required grade in the validating exam.

The Accountancy Department has sole power to change its program. It performs a Strengths-Weaknesses-Objectives-Threats (SWOT) analysis after every module offered and whatever changes the faculty members decide is good for the program, and is done “immediately,” the chairwoman shared.

The letter also addressed the issue on Income Tax (INCOTAX) and Business and Transfer Tax (BUSITAX), which are prerequisite subjects to Module 2. The ID# 103 students have requested the Accountancy Department to disqualify these taxation related subjects as prerequisite to Module 2. In fact, both subjects are not prerequisite to Module 2 for those students with ID# 102 and below.

Moreover, many topics in INCOTAX and BUSITAX are related to the law subjects not yet taken by the students, such as Partnership and Corporation (PARTCOR) and Negotiable Instruments (NEGOTIN). “The basic principles on these subjects should be mastered fi rst by the students before proceeding to Incotax and Busitax. This point is evidenced by many students who have failing marks in both taxation subjects due to slow comprehension of the topics discussed in Incotax and Busitax,” the letter stressed.

Students also encountered problems regarding the Financial Management subjects. Under the modular program, FINAMA1, FINAMA2, and FINAMA3 were replaced by FINMA1A/2A/3A. Yet, the latter cannot be taken as a special class for the former. A major problem is that some students have not taken FINMA1A. To resolve the problem, the Accountancy and the Financial Management Depart-ment have agreed to allow these students to take up FINAMA1 but with a different examination.

Based on the BSA fl owchart, students can immediately proceed to Business Statistics (BUS-STAT) and Quantitative Methods (QUATECH), even if they have not yet taken Commerce Calculus (COMCALC). However, the Business Management Department claimed that COMCALC1 and 2 are a prerequisite of QUATECH and BUSSTAT. “In fact, some of our dear batchmates were re-quested by their QUATECH professor for this term to drop QUATECH due to their failure to take COMCALC before it. It seems that the Modularization is not yet clear to all other departments,” the letter revealed.

Dr. Subido termed the changes concerning the subjects on Tax (INCOTAX and BUSITAX) as “development.” The subjects mentioned play a big role in auditing, and since Module 2 includes au-diting in its scope, they decided to make INCOTAX and BUSITAX prerequisites to the module.

The modifi cations made on the Financial Management subjects were due to the changes in the syllabi of the CPA board exam and were also recommended by the boards of accountancy. It is also for these reasons that the department decided to make FINMA1a/2a/3a exclusive for accounting students. Though the scope would be more or less the same with FINAMA 1, 2 and 3, Dr. Subido expressed that “the depth of the discussion and the skills developed in the students would be more because of the board exam that they have to take.”

Furthermore, Dr. Subido said that the business environment has drastically changed in the past few years, and that they are not just preparing students to become accountants and decision makers of today, but also in the near future. “That’s the reason why we really have to adjust. The require-ments now are very different from fi ve years ago, or even three years ago.” Dr. Subido explained. She added that Lasallians must be competitive not only in the local but also in the global level.

The inconsistencies in the fl owcharts were “a matter of time implementation.” Dr. Subido understood that the Business Management Department probably decided that it would be better if Commerce Calculus (COMCALC 1 and 2) were prerequisites to Business Statistics (BUSSTAT) and Quantitative Methods (QUATECH). These, however, were not refl ected in the fl owcharts. The BMG Department seemingly failed to inform the Accountancy department about the said changes. Curiously, other departments were not affected.

Student-faculty and parent-faculty conferences were already conducted in order to clarify issues regarding the program. However, the students were suggesting convening all three parties. “An exchange of point of views and reaction would be helpful on improving the quality of the Modulari-zation Program,” the letter suggested.

The students suggested to review the fl owchart and to make current arrangements “including how subjects are grouped to come up with a module and the time allotment strategy used.” The students were also curious regarding the length, content, as well as assessment of the modular program.

Belandres stated that Dr. Subido’s claims about irregular students being the complainants of modu-larization were not entirely true because majority of the students who complained were regular, and that all of them were having the same problems. According to him, Dr. Subido immediately assumed that the reason for their complaints was because they were being delayed, and that wasn’t the case.

Aside from placing very high expectations on them, students also contest that the Modularization Program treats students like guinea pigs. The program should be carefully planned before actually being applied on students. In the same way that merchandise for sale are carefully tested by quality control before being sold, the Administration should have tested the program on a smaller scale before being applied to a whole batch of students.

Dr. Subido stated that they have initiated a forum including the parents of students who are quali-fi ed to major. She also said that last term, they had a session wherein both the parents and students are present, and they intend to continue doing this in the future.

One area where developments in the Modular program have happened concerned the partici-pation of the practitioner. On previous occasions, practitioners were given the opportunity to give lectures to the students. According to Dr. Subido, there were a certain number of times when the students preferred the faculty to teach.

However, the Department would not completely eliminate the role of the practitioner, because it wants to broaden the student’s perspectives and “so that they get in touch with the real business world even while they are still in school.” With this, the Department will assign business cases to students.

The department also made some improvements in scheduling the modules. The schedules will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions. The department also secured the availability of classrooms so that they would be exclusively used for the modules. Moreover, quizzes would be scheduled every Monday, so that the students would have more time to prepare.

There is still a lot of room for improvement, but Dr. Subido said that it was part of the learning process.

Dr. Subido claimed that the Accountancy program is the honors program and also the fl agship of the College of Business and Economics. Therefore, it is only natural for the program to be im-plemented very strictly. Borrowing arguments from Charles Darwin, only the best students survive Accountancy. The chairwoman is even suggesting that weaker students shift out. The chairwoman claimed that these weaker students have been the cause for the decline of DLSU’s performance in the board examinations. Furthermore, she points to these irregular students as the main opponents of the modularization program.

STUDENT ADMINISTRATION

On Failures

On module subjects

Suggestions

Parting Shots

“There is a huge difference on the policy regarding failure between the fi rst takers of the Modular Program and the current takers.” This was the assertion of the letter regarding students who fail in the modularized program.

Actually, the fi rst batch is promised a validating examination at the end of the term if they get below 2.0 in any module subject (excluding those who obtain a 0.0). If students fail the exam, they are required to take a refresher course the following term.

Later, the policy was modifi ed. The letter stated, “Instead of taking up the refresher course again if they (students) fail the fi rst refresher examination, they will now have to take the subject that they failed in a Modular system.”

The policy was again altered during the middle of the year. The letter furthered, “Instead of tak-ing up refresher course after [they] fail in the validating examination, [students] have to repeat the subject that [they] failed in a Module system.”

According to Dr. Subido, the once-a-week refresher course, is a “student-initiated learning” According to Dr. Subido, the once-a-week refresher course, is a “student-initiated learning” course, in which students would simply ask for further explanations and clarifi cations in the lessons course, in which students would simply ask for further explanations and clarifi cations in the lessons reviewed.

However, the policy was modifi ed later in the school year because results indicated that the re-fresher course did not help the students at all.

The administration fi nally decided that students should just repeat the subject that they failed in The administration fi nally decided that students should just repeat the subject that they failed in the Module system if they fell short of the required grade in the validating exam.

The Accountancy Department has sole power to change its program. It performs a Strengths-Weaknesses-Objectives-Threats (SWOT) analysis after every module offered and whatever changes Weaknesses-Objectives-Threats (SWOT) analysis after every module offered and whatever changes the faculty members decide is good for the program, and is done “immediately,” the chairwoman the faculty members decide is good for the program, and is done “immediately,” the chairwoman shared.

On Failures

Student-faculty and parent-faculty conferences were already conducted in order to clarify issues regarding the program. However, the students were suggesting convening all three parties. “An exchange of point of views and reaction would be helpful on improving the quality of the Modulari-zation Program,” the letter suggested.

The students suggested to review the fl owchart and to make current arrangements “including how subjects are grouped to come up with a module and the time allotment strategy used.” The students were also curious regarding the length, content, as well as assessment of the modular program.

Dr. Subido stated that they have initiated a forum including the parents of students who are quali-fi ed to major. She also said that last term, they had a session wherein both the parents and students are present, and they intend to continue doing this in the future.

One area where developments in the Modular program have happened concerned the partici-pation of the practitioner. On previous occasions, practitioners were given the opportunity to give lectures to the students. According to Dr. Subido, there were a certain number of times when the students preferred the faculty to teach.

However, the Department would not completely eliminate the role of the practitioner, because it wants to broaden the student’s perspectives and “so that they get in touch with the real business world even while they are still in school.” With this, the Department will assign business cases to students.

The department also made some improvements in scheduling the modules. The schedules will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions. The department also secured the availability of classrooms so that they would be exclusively used for the modules. Moreover, quizzes would be scheduled every Monday, so that the students would have more time to prepare.

There is still a lot of room for improvement, but Dr. Subido said that it was part of the learning process.

Suggestions

Opinions of Accountancy Students

PAUL GARILAO AND FRANCESCA STA. ANA

10 June 2005 8 10 June 2005 9U NIVERSITY The LaSallian P H O T O The LaSallian

BOO HOO

JAN'S LI'L SIS

Char Valdez

Ian Roman

Charm Ventura

1ST DAY Frank Herrera

LAMBASSADOR STORIES Ian Roman

KWENTONG STAR SCHOLAR Tin Mendoza

TBA Gene Magtoto

SUPER FROSH

The recent change in the Office of Sports Development (OSD) brought about new faces to man-

age the sports affairs of DLSU, as well as removing several members of the “old” OSD. Ramoncito Campos, together with former OSD Director Danny Jose, had been a prolific tandem as they have guided several squads to bag UAAP championship titles during their stay, and contributed a lot to the development of the different sports teams of La Salle. Now, things have come to an end.

Campos’ contributions to the OSDRamoncito Campos, an Ilonggo and

a former Olympian, has been involved in sports management since he started working in 1950. Some of the teams he handled before working for De La Salle were the Nepomuceno Productions, Meralco, and Far Eastern University (FEU). He also represented the Phil-ippines as a basketball player in three Olympic games: London 1948, Helsinki 1952, and Melbourne 1956.

His expertise in the field of sports prompted Bro. Benedict, Bro. Andrew Gonzales, and Bro.Rolly Dizon to re-quest for his help in DLSU’s sports pro-gram back in 1997. Under Campos and Jose’s management, De La Salle’s differ-ent teams such as the basketball, football, and chess teams began to seize several championships. This is due to Campos’s

help in recruiting talented athletes such as Janley Patrona (Green Spikers) and Kreme Huelar (Lady Archers). He also signed up coaches like Ronald Dulay and Ramil de Jesus, who handle the Green and Lady Spikers, respectively.

However, his most famous recruited coach is Green Archers’ coach Franz Pumaren, who was recommended by former PBA coach Tommy Manotoc. Unfortunately, over the past couple of seasons, Campos and Pumaren failed to see eye to eye on several matters such as player selection and recruitment.

After a long list of accomplishments during his stay in De La Salle, Campos decided to retire. He was planning to do so on December to coincide with his 80th birthday, so that he could stay up to this year’s UAAP basketball season. However, this never happened, because a change in the OSD took place before Campos’s planned exit. His tenure in De La Salle ended last May, which is tradi-tionally when contracts under the OSD expire and are renewed, after he asked to not have his extended.

Scholarship bluesAccording to Campos, a major

problem for the OSD was the budget allocation for the DLSU athletes. Unlike other UAAP schools, De La Salle’s sports scholarships are counted as part of the OSD’s operational expenses, effectively

limiting the scholarships available for recruits.

For several years, DLSU failed to win the general championship because of the limited number of players in sports. For example, the DLSU athletics team only had 14 out of 20 players for the wom-en’s team and 18 players for the Green Tracksters, making it the only school to lack some players last year.

According to Campos, their request for additional recruits for athletics and swimming was never taken into account because of the budget of the OSD. Out of the approximately 280 athletes of De La Salle, only 140 scholarships are available, and it is only the basketball team who benefits the most from the distribution of scholarships.

Furthermore, Campos stated that this year, the number of available scholar-ships has decreased to 100, presumably because of the austerity measures that have become so necessary all over the country, thereby adding a strain on the recruitment of athletes.

Another problem for the DLSU sports program is the relative difficulty for the prospective recruits to get past the academic standards in order to be admitted to DLSU. With the way things are going, Campos is pessimistic about gaining the overall championship anytime soon, although he hopes to be proven wrong.

tory. At least 41 of the original tenants were retained while the others eventually moved out.

In terms of the division of the dormitory, the lady athletes will be residing in Building Annex A of the Lasallian Center. On the other hand, the male athletes will be occupying the second and third floors of Build-ing Annex B.

At least 8 to 10 people shared rooms at the Scu-bilion House. This time, some rooms can only ac-commodate two to four people. Another difference would be that the place is not airconditioned, unlike at Scubilion House.

However, Br. Yanzon plans to hold an orientation before the start of the 68th UAAP Season in order to hear out the requests of the athletes, as well as their coaches. He’ll try to work things out in order to meet the needs of both the OSD and the athletes.

View of the OSD on the matterAccording to the new OSD head Br. Bobby Cas-

ingal, the transfer of the athletes was due to the fact that the Scubilion House was really CSB-owned. He thinks that it’s also time that DLSU athletes have a place of their own.

In addition, Br. Casingal shared that the Philip-pinesca, a well-known dance troupe, will be taking the place of the DLSU athletes who formerly resided in the Scubilion House.

Response from the AthletesAlthough the DLSU athletes were informed ahead

of time about their transfer, they were quite distressed

with the thought of moving out, especially those who had been staying in the Scubilion House for a couple of years.

Some athletes were also complaining that the transfer should have been scheduled earlier during the summer because some of them experienced conflict between their academic concerns and the relocation of their belongings to the new dormitory. The athletes also added that they it took them a lot of time to settle in since they were not provided with a vehicle to help them transport their things.

Arriving at their new dormitory, the athletes found other reasons to grumble about as they came to en-counter conditions far from what they got used to in their previous residence. Their rooms were ventilated by fans and not by air-conditioning units and they were not allowed to use flat irons for the fear that it might be the cause of fire. Also there was no common room for them to bond, and some comfort rooms only have showers, while lacking toilet bowls. With these, most of the athletes experience daily inconveniences with regards to sleeping and attending to their personal needs.

On the other hand, there are some athletes who prefer the Lasallian Center over the Scubilion House. According to them, it displays a more peaceful environ-ment and offers a more comfortable residence since it accommodates its tenants in only four people per room. It also provides additional facilities and services such as a basketball court and a canteen. In addition, Lasallian Center’s proximity to the DLSU campus benefits the athletes as well.

Life doesn’t get any better than this.For the first time ever, the Legends and All-Stars of Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle

University will be battling each other in the FilOil-Flying V Ultimate Showdown to be held at the Araneta Coliseum on July 2.

Four generations of players from these ultimate rival schools fight for school pride all over again in the double-header event. The Legends’ game will feature players from the 60’s to the 80’s while the All Stars’ game will showcase the talents of the players from the 80’s to the present.

The De La Salle Legends include DLSU stalwart Lim Eng Beng, San Miguel coach Jong Uichico, and actor Edu Manzano. Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo will take over the coaching chores for the DLSU legends. On the other hand, veterans Dindo Pumaren, Jason Webb, Luigi Trillo, and Mac Cardona will lead the All Stars.

On Ateneo’s camp, the Legends will be bannered by Jojo Lastimosa while the All Star team will be having Jayvee Gayoso, Eric Reyes, Larry Fonacier, and former coach Sandy Arespacochaga on their frontline. Coach Chito Narvasa will be their mentor for the ulti-mate showdown.

The basketball showdown is for the benefit of the De La Salle Pep Squad, Ateneo Athletic Scholarship Fund, and the De La Salle Greenhills Night School.

Height is might. This is what the De La Salle Green Archers witnessed as they were edged out by the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, 73-65, in the quarterfinal round of the 11th Fr. Martin’s Cup Basketball Invitational Tournament held at the FEU Gymnasium last June 1.

The lack of ceiling of the Green Archers was evident in the match against the Tama-raws, who feasted inside on numerous oc-casions scoring inside the paint. Meanwhile, De La Salle was stagnant on a number of opportunities that could have closed the margin when they needed it most.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Tamaraws orchestrated an 8-1 run; four on offensive putbacks by Mark Isip and Jeff Chan to peg the score at 61-54. Suddenly, the Archers became silent as their field goal shooting went sour after missing several key shots. Free throws also became the Archers’ undoing as they converted on only two-of-eight shooting from the charity stripe from thereon in. The lead was out of reach when Chan converted on a three-point attempt to give FEU-A a 70-59 advantage, the biggest in the game, with 1:48 to go in the fourth period.

Junior OJ Cua led the Archers with 15 points including three triples while Joseph Yeo had 12 points of his own. Chan poured in a game-high 20 markers while Isip added 16 for the winning FEU squad, who advanced to the semifinal phase of the tournament. Before their quarterfinal defeat, the Archers, champions of last year’s edition,

finished the elimination round with a clean 7-0 slate, mostly on lopsided fashion.

The match was actually a nip-and-tuck affair early in the game. JV Casio converted on a fastbreak lay-up to erect a 4-0 run early in the second quarter that could have broken the game wide open. But the Morayta-based cagers answered with a 7-0 blitz keeping the Archers at bay, 22-20. Cua answered with one of his three-pointers to set up a see-saw battle until the fourth period.

The Green Archers finished the elimina-tions of the Fr. Martin’s Cup with a relatively easy victory over TIP-Manila last May 25 at the St. Placid Gym in San Beda. The Archers completely dominated throughout the game over the coach-less Technological Institute-Manila, posting a final score of 98-35.

Rookies of the Green Archers were able to show a glimpse of what they can do for the team. Peejay Barua from University of Iloilo and Kish Co from St. Stephen led the scoring with 18 points and 16 points, respectively. Despite outstanding performances from his rookies, Coach Franz Pumaren knows that the rookies still have a lot to work on.

“We still have a lot of adjustments to do, especially with the kind of game we want to employ,” he said.

Jun Cabatu and Joseph Yeo had mild ankle sprains early in the second half but that didn’t stop the rest of the Archers from limiting their opponents to only six points at the end of the third quarter and further extending the lead till the final buzzer.

Tamaraws end Archers campaign in Fr. Martin’s Cup

REUBEN EZRA TERRADO AND JEWELYNN GAY ZARENO

A graceful exit

De La Salle, Ateneo Legends clash in Basketball Tourney

IVAN GEOFFREY GAYARES

JHOANNA KAY LEAL

FROM ATHLETES, PAGE 14...

S P O R T S The LaSallian

New home. DLSU-Manila's athletes now call the Lasallian Center their new home. PHOTO BY CHRIS KISON

De La Salle recently said goodbye to three-time Olympian Ramoncito Campos as part of its OSD revamp this school year. PHOTO BY DIANE REYES

10 June 2005 10 10 June 2005 11P OPTOWN The LaSallian

GreenGalleryRookie Special

Dinn Yamamoto Defense is the game of this new addition to the line up of the Lady Archers. A 17-

year old Sports Management student, Yamamoto was already a Rookie of the Year awardee during her high school years. This power forward from De La Salle Zobel has been playing basketball for seven years and was also a part of the Zobel team who brought home the championship in the NCAA and WBL tournaments. Surely, the Lady Archers will definitely benefit from this rookie as Yamamoto is prepared to dive for her the ball at all causes while also chipping in those precious points in the paint as well.

Beia SantosBeia Santos, one of DLSU prized recruits, is raring to get her offensive game on the road.

This 17-year old shooting guard from Assumption College has been training with the Lady Archers for the past two years, giving her more experience with collegiate basketball. Now taking up a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood, Santos is prepared to face tough UAAP teams in De La Salle’s quest for the crown. Averaging 18 points per game during her high school year, this former soccer player definitely has what it takes to be a Lady Archer.

Ayra MalabayabasComing fresh from winning the 67th UAAP

Table Tennis Rookie of the Year award in the jun-iors’ division, former Adamson Falcon Ayra Mala-bayabas is expected to show the best of her moves in the upcoming UAAP season. This time around, she is aiming to bag the ROY award in the seniors’ category. This freshman describes herself to be both an offensive and defensive player, although she is focusing more on her attacks. She has been playing the sport for nine years now and has also grabbed other awards including the championship in the UP Chancellor’s Tournament. Aside from table tennis, Malabayabas is also into other sports like basketball, volleyball, and soccer.

Noel Ceasar AtilanoCurrently taking up his Masters Degree in

Educational Leadership, Ten-Ten, as his coach and teammates fondly call him, is very determined to help his team bring home the crown in the 68th UAAP Table Tennis Tournament. Being the MVP and two-time champion of the 78th NCAA during his college days in Letran, this guy surely has a lot to contribute to the Green Paddlers. His forte is on tweedling, a move wherein he swiftly shifts his backhand from long pimps to rubber during rallies. Having the experience of compet-ing in various tournaments and winning awards, Atilano’s presence will definitely be instrumental in the Paddlers’ quest for glory.

Gerrick EugenioHailing from San Jose City, Nueva Ecija,

Gerrick Eugenio is another masteral recruit tak-ing up Early Childhood Education in DLSU. He has been playing table tennis for a little less than ten years and has been awarded gold and silver medals in the Age Group 20-under Competition and in the Juniors Division (3rd Leg), respectively. Besides being an athlete, 20-year old Eugenio is also a band vocalist and a traditional cuisine cook, as well. With all his heart and mind set for victory, Gerrick is optimistic that with the right timing and collective efforts from his team, the Green Paddlers will finally bring home the championship for De La Salle.

Vanessa Ng

A two-time champion in the NCR Table Tennis Tournament, Vanessa Ng from Philippine Cultural High School is another addition to the Lady Paddlers’ line-up. Ng started playing table tennis when she was still in grade four, primarily because it was a sport played by her family. Later on, she developed a passion for it and decided to undergo continuous training to be able to compete in different tournaments. With great skill and a lot of determination radiating during practice from this 16-year old Sports Manage-ment freshman, Coach Ramil Sta. Ana believes that she will certainly show off her superb moves this coming UAAP season as the Lady Paddlers defend their crown.

Marie Angelie DimakilingThis AB-Sports Management student is the third sibling

to play for the Lady Woodpushers, following the footsteps of veterans Faith and Oliver Dimakiling. Angie Dimakiling, a proud alumnus of Francisco Bangoy National High School in Davao, has been playing chess since she was in fifth grade. With her family serving as her inspiration, Dimakiling continued her family’s legacy in chess as she has already participated in various chess events, including two National HQ tournaments, one in 2002 in the Under 16 Bracket, and another one held just recently. She is also positive that the Lady Woodpushers would get the elusive championship as she’s determined to give her best in every match, with the help of proper training and constant practice that would further hone her skills.

Kish CoStanding at 6’3”, Kish Co is expected to fill in the

shoes left by Jerwin Gaco as the 17-year old power for-ward will bring his midrange shooting, rebounding, and defensive skills to the Green Archer squad. Co has led St. Stephen High School to back-to-back championships in the Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Association while also adding an MVP trophy to his name. This Advertis-ing Management major is looking forward to a fun yet challenging year as the Green Archers are all geared up to defend their UAAP title.

James MangahasJames Mangahas is no longer a stranger to big leagues

as he has already played for Philippine Christian Univer-sity as a small forward during his high school years. A member of the NCAA Mythical Five last year, 18-year old Mangahas was the cornerstone of the Baby Dolphins’ rotation. With his sweet-shooting game, it’s no wonder that the 6’3” Sports Management freshman has already set his mind on bringing home another championship to the Taft-based squad.

Peejay BaruaComing all the way from Iloilo, rookie PJ Barua just

started playing varsity basketball for the University of Il-oilo in his junior year. Barua, with his determination and ability to learn, has quickly made an impact in basketball as he helped his team in local leagues such as the PRISAA. This 17-year old Ilonggo believes that his shooting skills will be instrumental as he plays the shooting guard posi-tion this season. Modest and soft-spoken, Barua will just let his playing do the talking this season.

Lionel RiveraGame experience is what Rivera can definitely contrib-

ute to the Archers this season. A member of the Emilio Aguinaldo College basketball team, Rivera has helped the Generals capture the NCRAA, UCAA and University Games (UNIGAMES) titles. At present, the 21- year old Human Resource Management graduate will be backing up TY Tang at the point guard slot in the 68th UAAP Season. A slasher at 5-11, he hopes to make an impact in his one-year stay with the DLSU cagers while earning a Master’s degree in Special Education as well.Green Archers

Lady Woodpushers

Alexie Casey J. LaconicoAt the age of five years old, Casey Laconico started out her swimming career. A year

later, she has already set a swimming record in the novice stage of a swimming tournament. Gaining experience from various swimming competitions like the Sanya Samaki Cup in Bacolod, Laconico is now ready to represent De La Salle University, where some of her relatives graduated. With her solid strokes, she is expected to deliver in the butterfly event as the Lady Tankers swim their way to victory.

Maxine Bernadette Aurora V. GalangAfter participating in the prestigious South East Asian Games back in 2003, Berny

Galang is now ready to move on to bigger and better things as she represents the Lady Tankers in the long distance swimming event. Galang, who took her secondary degree in St. Scholastica’s Academy-Bacolod, is currently taking up AB Sports Management. Coming from a family of swimmers, Galang believes that with teamwork on their side, the DLSU Lady Tankers have a bigger chance of bringing home the championship that slipped away from their hands last year.

Ryan George Sia A graduate of De La Salle Greenhills, Ryan Sia had the option of going to the University

of the Philippines or De La Salle University. However, due to the lacking facilities of UP, Sia decided to stick with the latter. At an early age, Sia showed great potential in swimming as he won a gold medal in a swimming competition. Years later, Sia became a member of the LSGH swimming team where he even participated in the Asia-Pacific School Games in Australia back in 2001. Specializing in the breast stroke event, Sia is expected to help star swimmer Benjamin Uy in delivering the precious points for the Green Tankers.

Benedict S. KawA swimmer since he was a kid, Benedict Kaw is another addition to the talented roster

of the De La Salle swimming team. This Xavier College alumnus chose to play for the Green Tankers because he believes that besides gaining more swimming experience, DLSU also has a good educational background. As a rookie, he is willing to learn on what it takes to compete with more talented collegiate swimmers. Kaw has also participated in the NCR Palarong Pambansa where he excels in the freestyle event.

Tankers

Paddlers

Lady ArchersRaymond Lyoldi

A recent graduate from College of St. Benilde with a degree on Computer Applications, Raymond Lyoldi is now taking up his masters in DLSU centering on Early Childhood. This tall 21-year old has been playing volleyball for almost 9 years and considers it to be a great asset as it aids him in his studies through the means of scholarship. Lyoldi also finds himself to be strongest when at-tacking and playing defense but weakest in receiving which he is currently working on. Choosing DLSU wasn’t a tough decision to make so expect to see him active on the court as the upcoming UAAP season nears its opening.

Andrew BilleñaA graduate from Bacolod National High School, 16-year old

Andrew Billeña prides himself on being an exceptional open spiker. His decision for a choice of school to represent wasn’t difficult for him as he considers De La Salle to be number one in giving out the quality education, not to mention being also renowned nationwide. With determination and experience tucked under his belt, this young player will certainly go a long way.

Charleen CruzCruz, an open spiker from St. Louis College, is currently

adapting to the Lady Spikers’ style of playing. Despite being a freshman, Cruz already has her fair share of game exposure as she is now a part of the De La Salle volleyball team participating in the 3rd season of the Shakey’s V-league. Recruited after having played in the Palarong Pambansa, the Sports Management freshman has the benefit of getting to practice and play alongside star veterans Maureen Penetrante, Desiree Hernandez, and Michelle Carolino before the beginning of UAAP hostilities later this year.

Erika TiamzonAlthough a rookie in DLSU, Tiamzon has already played

several years of volleyball in the collegiate level for Ateneo de Davao University. Tiamzon will only play for the defending cham-pions for two years as she is currently taking up a postgraduate program in Early Childhood Education. Like her fellow rookie Cruz, Tiamzon is also a member of the Lady Spikers playing in the Shakey’s V-League. Another open spiker, Tiamzon was once nominated as Athlete of the Year in college and even made it to the Mythical 6 in the Mindanao Open 2003.

Spikers

Years have passed, yet Bacchus Ledesma continues to be a legend in UAAP baseball as he is one of the best players ever to don the uniform of the Green and White Batters. Now, Ledesma continues to form another legend; this time, it deals with life beyond baseball.

Coming to De La Salle to play baseball is a decision Ledesma would never ever regret. “It was in DLSU that I was able to harness my raw skills and turn it into something beneficial to the team,” he shared.

Even though Ledesma only started playing baseball at the age of 16, this recruit from Ateneo de Manila High School didn’t waste any time, as he was instrumen-tal in the Green Batters’ quest for victory.

Ledesma brought home two champi-onships for De La Salle, one on his rookie year and the other, on his last playing year. Besides garner-ing awards like Most Homeruns, Most RBI (Runs Batted In) and the MVP title, Ledesma was also on the Dean’s List and was

consistently pulling in good marks.

Ledesma’s best col-lege memories definitely involved the baseball team. “I remember everything; from the moment I was ac-cepted as a rookie to becoming the team captain of the Green

Batters. Of course, I could never forget hitting

the home run during Game 1 of the championship game back in

2000. The team was up by one run but the momen-tum was on UP’s side. Hitting that crucial homerun marked the way for another baseball crown,” Ledesma disclosed.

Having left the gates of De La Salle upon his com-pletion of his degree in Organizational Communication, Ledesma continues to be in active in the sport he cer-tainly loves. Ledesma said, “I would die without baseball. In fact, our group of De La Salle and Ateneo alumni put together the first organized adult baseball club. We started it out last 2001 and so far we are going strong. We have also put up a website (http://www.titansbase-ballclub.org) where our main goal is foster the growth of baseball beyond the collegiate level.”

Ledesma is currently working as a project manager for Citibank where he handles e-commerce banking. Happily married to his doctor wife, Ledesma shared his immediate and future plans, which still included baseball. The legendary baseball player wants to have a happy mar-riage and kids, get rich, play more baseball, and finally bring the Titans Baseball Club to a nationwide status.

On a parting note, Ledesma wants to be remembered as an athlete who also excelled in school. “Besides aim-ing to bring home the bacon every UAAP season, I also wanted to become a model student. It’s not just about getting passing marks, but getting good grades while gaining some knowledge as well was really important to me,” Ledesma added.

One lesson Bacchus Ledesma learned while playing for De La Salle is that hard work is the key to success. “It’s important that you work hard and play hard. There is no point if you work hard but you can’t enjoy yourself. On the other hand, if you play too much, you can never work on your game. This is a philosophy I don’t just apply to baseball, but in everything I do in life as well,” Ledesma concluded.

Bacchus Ledesma:

Achiever On and Off the Field

Athlete

Revis

ited

four-game winning streak. The Lady Spikers continued their streak after overpowering the Lady Stags in three straight sets last May 28. Final scores were 25-23, 25-18, 25-20.

The Lady Spikers’ tandem of former MVP Carolino and team captain Pen-etrante produced an aggregate 28 points that towered over Lady Stag Cherry Rose Macatangay’s game-high 19 points.

The Lady Stags started out strong in the first set, with a spike from Macatangay initiating a 4-0 run. The Lady Spikers immediately caught up, tying the game to 4-4. Neither team led for more than three points for the rest of the first set. Later on, a spike from Hernandez tied the set for the

eleventh time at 22-all before a 3-1 closing run by the Lady Spikers. The Lady Stags threatened to catch up as Jennifer Bohawe’s spike intercepted the set point for the Lady Spikers, but a quick drop by Hernandez potted the first set at 23-25.

It was the Lady Stags’ errors that spelled the difference during the second set. Early in the set, four service errors coming from the Stags gave the Lady Spikers a four-point advantage at 10-6. The Stags staged a 4-0 run but was halted by a costly service error that furthered the green squad’s lead to six points at 23-17. It was Jeanne Espolong’s error that gave away the second set victory to De La Salle at 25-23.

The Lady Spikers trailed behind the

Lady Stags at the start of the third set. After continuous efforts, the momentum finally shifted to De La Salle’s side when Penetrante scored an attack that pushed the scores to a deadlock at 8-all. It was followed by a 4-0 run that gave the Lady Spikers the lead. Two consecutive service aces from Hernandez followed by a drop from Penetrante stretched out the lead to six, 20-14. The Lady Stags almost managed a comeback but a kill from Hernandez closed the match, 25-20.

Previously, the Lady Spikers climbed to the top spot through defeating FEU, Lyceum, and newcomer ADMU, all in straight-set victories.

FROM LADY, PAGE 14

As a U A A P -student athlete,

one knows what it takes to win.

But honestly, is winning just the aspect that the student-athletes should focus on? Hopefully, the answer is no as the student athletes are also here in De La Salle University to study and get the so-called quality education.

As the UAAP season for each sport nears, every student athlete doubles his/her time and efforts in practice, cutting down the time needed for schoolwork and other activities. In the first place, balancing a daily routine of three hour-practices with academic stuff is definitely one tough act to do. With this in mind, is it possible that the DLSU student athletes are still getting the Lasallian education?

Actually, it depends upon the personality of the athlete if he gets the quality education. In my opinion, there are two kinds of athletes in De La Salle. First is the one who manages to juggle his studies despite the never-ending demands of team practices. This is the type of athlete who wants to learn and believes that the Lasallian education will benefit them in the long run. Also, he has his mind set on the fact that there is no such thing as permanence in this world so he’s looking forward to his future.

The other kind of athlete would be the laid-back student athlete who takes his studies for granted. No offense but this type would be one who has a superiority complex and his life just revolves in the sport he is in. He lives and enjoys so much in the present that it comes to the point where education just simply turns into his least priority.

During an interview with the new OSD Director (Bro. Bobby Casingal), he mentioned that at least 70% of the student athletes have a lot of concern for their studies. These people are also the ones who are able to make it to graduation. On the other hand, the remaining percentage definitely needs guidance as they treat their studies with less care and attention.

One of the main concerns of the OSD this year is what will happen to the athletes who take studies for granted in the future. Since these athletes came from a “world-class” university, people expect them to excel in their respective fields. Unfortunately, the education that was given to them wasn’t really put into use, leading them into a deep pit. In that scenario, it’s not just the athlete who puts himself in the danger zone but the reputation of DLSU as well.

Frankly speaking, I don’t blame Bro. Casingal for putting in a lot of stress on the education of the athletes. After all, the athletes’ representation of the school doesn’t end as they use up all their playing years; it continues after graduation as well.

Lasallian education?

During enrolment or adjustment, I pity those people who have only one failing subject.

Offseason reports on De La Salle's varsity teams

Preseason projectionsRookies, changes, and what's the same

All of it right before the UAAP tips off

THE LASALLIAN'SUAAP FIRST HALF PRIMER

Coming this July.

ERRATUM

Various erroneous biographical information of Lady Spiker Maureen Penetrante were printed in the Sports Awards feature of the March 2005 issue of The LaSallian.

Penetrante speaks Ilonggo, and not Cebuano as printed before. She is also only 21 years old, and not 24 as earlier reported.

The LaSallian regrets the error and extends its apologies to Ms. Penetrante.

DO

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RIC

STA

. RO

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10 June 2005 12 10 June 2005 13S P O R T S The LaSallian S P O R T S The LaSallian

Dominating. Manilla Santos and the rest of the Lady Spikers are waltzing past the competition at the Shakey's V-League.

The De La Salle University Lady Spikers secured their niche on top as they posted an immaculate 5-0 slate after crushing their archrivals, the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses, last May 30 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The Lady Spikers continued their victory run as they ripped the Tigresses in a lopsided game of three sets, with final set marks at 25-22, 25-19 and 25-20. Crowd-favorite Michelle Carolino led the Lady Spikers in their rampage, as she worked out an aggregate of 16 points, including 13 attacks and two blocks. Manilla Santos followed suit, contributing 12 attacks and an ace.

Meanwhile, Tigress Mary Jean Balse, who delivered 11 points, spearheaded her squad in keeping the scores close during the match. Alongside were teammates Roxanne Pimene-tel and Venus Bernal who jammed in 9 and 8 points, respectively.

It was a close first set as the Lady Spikers managed to stretch their margin to a maximum of only three points. The two teams exchanged faults and errors early in the set, ticking the scores at 6-all. Desiree Hernandez offered a spike that cracked the deadlock but Manilla Santos tied it back as she accidentally crossed the net. Scores were pegged at 11-all when a service ace from Tigress Kate Co Yu Kang shifted the lead to the España-based squad.

Lady Spiker Maureen Penetrante focused on breaking UST’s momentum as her successive spikes brought the scores to 16-13, but the Tigresses managed to get back and tied the scores again at 19-all. Finally, with collabora-tive efforts from Maureen Penetrante and Manilla Santos, the set was sealed at 25-22.

Although UST consistently keyed in the initial point, the second and third sets were less strenuous for DLSU as they were able to maintain their lead and even extended it to nine points. They took control of the game after the fourth deadlock when they executed a 5-0 run to push the scores to 8-4. The Ti-gresses never got ahead of the Lady Spikers as the latter posted a nine-point lead at 24-15. It was down to one point for the Taft-based squad to capture the second set but the Ti-gresses pulled off a 0-4 run that prolonged the set. Finally, the set ended at 25-19 with a spike from Penetrante.

The third set predicted the Lady Spikers’ victory as they buried the Tigresses through-out the set, with their lead stretching to as much as nine points at 17-8. Both teams played poorly, although DLSU benefited more from UST’s woeful performance.

In an earlier match, DLSU wrested back the solo lead after stopping San Sebastian’s

Lady Spikers lead Shakey’s V-league with a clean slate

NIKKI ANN MARIEL TUNGOL AND JEWELYNN GAY ZARENO

T he Office of the Executive Vice President has recently appointed a new Office of Sports Development (OSD) Director in the person of Br. Roberto Casingal, FSC, more fondly known as Br. Bobby.

As the new OSD Director, Br. Bobby will be responsible for the administration, development and implementation of the University’s sports program. This includes the aspect of recruitment

and training of varsity athletes to represent De La Salle in tournaments such as the University Athletic As-sociation of the Philippines (UAAP).

Familiar with the gameBr. Bobby (GS ’72, HS ’76,) who joined the De La Salle Brothers upon graduation (AB-PSM) in 1980,

is no stranger to the University. Prior to his new assignment, he has already served as the Special Assistant to the President for Sports and Social Concern last school year. He was also the Academic Coordinator of the Sports Office for College of St. Benilde (CSB). From 1996-2000, he was the Physical Education Director for De La Salle-Greenhills (LSGH) where during his term, LSGH marked its return as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) after a long absence from the league.

Bridging the GapIn an interview with The LaSallian, Br. Bobby stated that the University’s sports program has grown

in number in terms of teams, leagues, and athletes. This expansion has put the focus of the OSD solely on sports competence while lacking in the academic aspect. “If you focus so much on sports, you miss the big picture. We have to realize that sports is a part of the University,” he stated. With that, he wants to develop a sports program in which he will “beef up the concept of student athletes” by improving the academic component of athletes.

A new, unified visionAccording to Br. Bobby, a review of the OSD’s vision mission is in order. In doing so, the new vision of

the OSD will be able to unify all the concerned parties with regards to De La Salle sports.“We really want to ask (the concern parties) what they really want in sports,” he said. Br. Bobby added

that he will listen to all sectors—athletes, coaches, students, alumni, administrators, and educators—to form a unified vision for sports in De La Salle.

He pointed out one example in the univer-sity’s participation in the UAAP. “Do we really want to win the general championship or focus on a few sports that we are traditionally strong? On the basis of that vision, we could come out with a structure with regards to budget, mis-sion, academics, recruitment, support system, and even the whole operation of the OSD. We hope to have a program that everybody can live with,” he added.

No other wayBr. Bobby is adamant that his assignment

for De La Salle sports is not an easy task. Though he does have many plans, his short term goals—aside from the creation of a new unifying vision of De La Salle sports—is to continue the winning tradition of the school and a renewed emphasis on the academic aspect as well.

“We want our student athletes to be suc-cessful on the [playing field], in the classroom and also in life,” he concluded.

Words only a brother could share as a new era in De La Salle sports begins.

New at the helm. Br. Bobby Casingal takes over as the head of DLSU's sports program.

Br. Bobby assumes OSD Director post

DON ERIC STA. ROSA AND REUBEN EZRA TERRADO

SEE LADY, PAGE 13...PHOTO BY DIANE REYES

For almost seven years, De La Salle athletes have been residing in the Blessed Br. Scubilion Hall. Now, they have been asked to move out and transfer to the Lasallian Center, De La Salle-Manila’s own dormitory. As a result, some athletes are deliberating whether the move would be beneficial or if it would be just a disadvantage to them. The LaSallian takes in a closer look on the scenario.

Scubilion House-Exclusively for CSBAccording to Ms. Mildred Maniego, Administrative Assistant

and houseparent at the Blessed Br. Scubilion Hall (Scubilion), the athletes’ coaches received a memo from former Office of Sports Development (OSD) Director Danny Jose regarding the transfer of DLSU-Manila athletes currently housed at Scubilion to the Lasallian Center, which was to be pursued on May 27. The memo indicated that the transfer was primarily due to the policy that the Scubilion House will only cater to scholar residents (athletes, academic scholars and artists) coming from the College of Saint Benilde (CSB).

Scubilion House is a compound located in Dominga Street,

a little past Vito Cruz and almost nearing Buendia. It had been accommodating athletes from DLSU-Manila since 1998. Initially, athletes stayed at Arellano, afterwhich, they were transferred to the Lazo Compund, and finally, lodged at Scubilion.

Every month, the OSD sends off most of their recruits to be accommodated at the Scubilion House, and as of April 2005, a rough estimate of 111 athletes coming from both DLSU-Manila and CSB are being housed. Among these tenants, approximately sixty De La Salle athletes are expected to move out, some of which are expected to transfer to Lasallian Center, a dormitory for DLSU athletes and regular students. Although the Lasallian Center, which will become the DLSU athletes’ main dormitory, operates similarly under the De La Salle system, this transfer still equates to an estimated 50% loss in Scubilion’s total income as OSD pays Php3,000 per athlete who stays there.

Despite the loss, Ms. Maniego said that the transfer is still beneficial for the Scubilion House since they will just be handling residents coming from a single school. With this, they are only focused on reporting directly to CSB alone and no longer to

DLSU-Manila. It will also decongest the rooms in the dormitory, which are currently accommodating an average of 12 “assorted” students per room. Moreover, it will be beneficial on the athletes’ part as well since they will be relocating near the campus.

Lasallian Center- New Athletes’ dormitoryFor years, Lasallian Center has been the boarding house of reg-

ular De La Salle students. Now, due to some unexpected changes, the university’s dormitory is also catering to athletes as well.

Since the athletes had to move out of the Scubilion House, the Office of the Sports Development (OSD) decided to use the Lasallian Center as the athletes’ main residence. Last May 15, Br. Bobby Casingal, the new OSD head, assigned Br. Bobby Yanzon from the Congregation of Blessed Sacrament to take care of the dormitory’s management.

Some of the adjustments made in order to accommodate the athletes include asking some tenants to look for another dormi-

Athletes relocated to Lasallian Wellness Center

SEE ATHLETES, PAGE 11...

PHOTO BY ERIC SIY

EARLENE CLARISSA CHING

S P O R T SVOL. XLVI NO. 1 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY 10 JUNE 2005

The LaSallian

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