This innovative conference aims to explore the burgeoning field of ethical literary and cultural criticism, a theory and method of interpreting and analyzing literature from an ethical perspective. The event will gather esteemed scholars and students from around the globe to highlight the intersection of ethics and literature, and the role it plays in understanding and shaping human experiences.

Keynote Lecture by Distinguished Professor Nie Zhenzhao

The conference will be highlighted by a keynote lecture titled “Ethical Literary Criticism: Its Theory and Application,” to be delivered by Professor Nie Zhenzhao, MAE, of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Professor Emeritus of Zhejiang University, China. Professor Nie is a renowned scholar in the field who is the President of the International Association of Ethical Literary Criticism. His work has earned him international recognition, including being named to Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Scientists List and a Most Cited Chinese Researcher by Elsevier.

Plenary Speaker: Professor Leonard Harris

Joining the spotlight at the event as a plenary speaker is Professor Leonard Harris of Purdue University, Indiana, a celebrated philosopher known for his critical pragmatism and the Harrisian conception of philosophy. Professor Harris’s contributions to the field, including his notable works on philosophy and ethics.

Conference Highlights and Registration

To deliver plenary lectures throughout the conference or serve as reactors after the panel presentations are highly esteemed academics from top universities abroad like Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in China, Kyung-Hee University in South Korea, Purdue University in the US, and the University of Macau.

Capping the event will be the establishment of the Ethical Literary and Cultural Criticism Association of the Philippines (ELCCAP), the first and only one in the country to be made up of academics, scholars, researchers, writers, artists, and students.

Attendees are invited to register for the conference, at a fee of Php 3,000.00 for regular participants and Php 1,000.00 for students. Registration can be completed online at

With the conference focus on the exciting interplay of ethical criticism and literary and cultural texts, the conference promises to be a landmark occasion in the country for engaging in intellectually stimulating forum for students, and professionals alike.

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According to Wigley, priority projects of BDAP include “activities related to the Philippines being the Guest of Honor in the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2025, establishment of Philippine Book Fairs in different parts of the country, the 2024 and 2025 Gintong Aklat Awards, and the strengthening of readership and book publishing among its stakeholders and members.”

Meanwhile, Parfan stated that collaborations “with the book industry, other academic institutions and our fellow publishers” will continue. Recently, UST participated in the Sinag Festival with other publishers from the country’s top universities. Being in BDAP, according to Parfan, “will also give the USTPH a voice in influencing policies concerning the publishing industry. As trustees, our participation in BDAP will also open doors to the university as regards major international book events and organizations. We’re also planning collaborative events where we can launch books from different publishers in one venue to provide more interactions among authors and readers.”

Parfan authored works such as “Orbits of Obsession: Notes on the Philippine Lyric Sequence in English,” “By the Fisherman’s Grief,” and “Antarctica” and was a finalist in plums such as the Madrigal Gonzalez Best First Book Award, the Gemino H. Abad Prize for Poetry, and Manining Miclat Awards for Poetry. He is a resident fellow of the Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies.

Wigley, former Chair of the Department of Literature, has authored several books, including “������ý of the Ashfall: A Memoir” and “Falling into the Manhole: A Memoir.” Apart from serving in administrative capacities in UST, he previously served as Treasurer of the BDAP from 2013-2017. Both are resident fellows of the Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies.

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The award-winning book, published by the UST Publishing House in 2021, wheels through an avenue where readers are invited to ponder upon shared experiences embodied in his essays. “Paglalahad lang naman ng pakikisakay, paglalakbay, at pagiging pasahero ang naisulat ko doon sa aklat. Pero dahil pasahero tayong lahat, one way or another, baka may shared experiences tayo na pwede pag-isipan, pagnilayan, at kung may matutuhan, kahit hindi sadya, makakabuti,” Delos Reyes said.

‘Maging mabuti, maging makatao’

For the Creative Writing program coordinator of the Department of Literature, while awards serve as validation and testament of the writer’s zeal, he underscored that the writers should make the readers reflect and ruminate. “Sa mga nagsisikap makapagsulat, may award man o wala, maging popular man o hindi, pagsikapan sanang sumulat o mag-articulate ng ideya na makapagpapabuti sa kalagayan ng tao at lipunan, to make people a tad more intelligent, discerning, and reflective sa mga nangyayari sa kanilang paligid, at makatulong sa ikabubuti ng lipunan,” he said.

“Maging magaling na manunulat, yes. Pero higit sa pagiging magaling, maging mabuti. Maging makatao. May validation man ng awards o kadalasan, wala., he added.

Bestowed every two years since 1981, Gintong Aklat Awards honors outstanding book publishers based on the quality of books they produce yearly; it is managed by the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), whose awards are meant to recognize excellence in bookmaking in the country today among its members.

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During the campaign season, Arriola expressed intent to “spearhead an institutional self-assessment of the Humanities Division in order to take stock of its potentials and trajectories.” To realize these, Arriola envisions crafting of a Research Excellence Framework for the division and harnessing of the concepts of New Humanities. Arriola also expressed hope that the Division during her incumbency will “influence cultural policy-making, particularly in the areas of regional culture, creative arts, design industry, and cultural mapping,” among others.

In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Arriola said that with the chance to lead in bodies like the NRCP, the University “will benefit as we could clarify the voice of the humanities before the council through our own understanding of it. Since NRCP is [into] policy-making, policy advocacy, and research administration from the national perspective, UST will benefit in representation in the said domains.”

A multi-awarded and prolific scholar, Arriola was the NRCP’s Achievement Awardee for the Humanities in 2018. She is also the inaugural Director of the Research Center for Culture, Arts, and the Humanities. In 2021, she was named the Teodoro F. Valencia Professorial Chair Holder in Journalism.

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Capping the previous Academic Year, USTPH also took pride in publishing the two-volume screenplays and a collection of short stories of Ricky Lee, the newly minted 2022 National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts.

The following is the complete lineup of the published books in different fields:

Poetry
1) Lunas sa Nabubuong Lubos by Paul Alcoseba Castillo
2) Burning Houses and Hush Harbor by Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta
3) All My Distances Point to ������ý by King Llanza
4) Moon Hanging Low Over my Window and Other Poems by Babeth Lolarga

Fiction
1) Servando Magdmag at iba pang Maiikling Kuwento by Ricky Lee
2) Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco (Translated by Chuckberry Pascual)

Screenplays
1) Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Vol. 1: Brutal, Moral, Karnal by Ricky Lee
2) Mga Screenplay ni Ricky Lee Vol. 1: Himala, Salome, at Cain at Abel

Creative Nonfiction
1) #Pasahero: Mga Nakikisakay na Sanaysay by Joselito delos Reyes
2) The Holy Wife: Stories of Extraordinary Love by Ting Pantoja-Manalac

Social Sciences
1) Duterte Watch: Descent into Authoritarianism by Vergel O. Santos
2) Sports in the Philippines: History, Values, Spirituality by Rev. fr. Edgardo D. Alaurin, O.P., SThD
3) ASEAN as an International Organization: International Law and Region-building in Southeast Asia by Jose Duke Bagulaya

Theology
1) Church as a Communion: Perspectives and Expressions (Edited by Rev. fr. Jannel N Abogado, O.P., DTPS)

USTPH also revealed its three upcoming titles: “Shooting the Zombie Apocalypse” by UZ Eliserio (Fiction – Short Stories), “Faith and Psychology: A Walkthrough on the Filipino Basic Ecclesial Communities” by Milagros Arrevillaga (Nonfiction – Social Sciences), and “From Manila to the World” by Paolo Mangahas (Creative Nonfiction – Travel Essays).

Serving as the University’s publishing arm, USTPH was established in 1996 through the merger of the Santo Tomas University Press (STUP), and the UST Printing Office (USTPO). USTPH evolved from the UST Press, which was founded in 1593 by Fr. Francisco de San Jose, O.P. It is the oldest continuing press in the world today, next to Cambridge University in England.

Get your copies of the books here:
Shopee:
Lazada:

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For Medicine, the University ranked in the 651-670 range. The University received ratings for the H-index citations and citations per paper, and was likewise rated for Employer Reputation and Academic Reputation.

The University programs of English Language and Literature were ranked 301-320 in the world. The University received ratings for its Employer Reputation, Academic Reputation, and research efforts as indicated by citations per paper.

The QS World Subject Rankings 2022 gathered 14.7 million unique research papers and rated 1,543 institutions from 161 locations. The rankings assessed a total of 51 subject areas.

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Arriola will likewise continue to serve as PACMRI’s Director for Research, while Pusta will take on a new role as the Assistant Treasurer and the Sub-committee Head for Research Enhancement.

The oath-taking ceremonies will be held on February 25, 2022.

A renowned scholar and holder of the Teodoro Valencia Professorial Chair in Journalism, Arriola teaches at the Faculty of Arts and Letters’ Department of Literature, where she served as its former Chair, and the Department of Communication and Media Studies, which she likewise led years back.��

Specializing in communication and media studies, Pusta handles diverse subjects such as Marketing Communications, Communication and Socio-cultural Change, Broadcast Journalism, and Communication Research. She teaches at the Department of Communication and Media Studies.

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This virtual ��ê�ٱ�-à-��ê�ٱ� entitled “The Other World: The Challenges and Anxieties of Translation”, held on November 17, 2021 via livestream, was a part of UST Publishing House‘s “UST Author Lecture Series” in the Manila International Book Fair 2021 (MIBF 2021), where Thomasian authors shared their knowledge on literature and on developing one’s craft.��

Challenges of translation

While translating Hidalgo’s two critically acclaimed books, Pascual shared the challenges he faced in the process, citing the translation of the female voice in the books from English to Filipino. “Iniisip ko baka mamaya ideal translator ni Ma’am [Hidalgo] ay babae rin, so isa iyon sa mga bagay na dapat kong i-overcome habang sinasalin ko ang mga libro,” he said.

Likewise, Hidalgo noted that her two books embodied different voices. Nonetheless, she lauded Pascual for giving justice to its Filipino translation. “Generally, my narrator is a woman and often a woman like myself, iba ang boses ng ‘The Ballad of a Lost Season’ sa ‘Where the ‘Moon Only Rages’, which are fairy tales,” she said. “[Pascual] was able to get that voice and translate it, which is to me a marvel,” she added.

Moreover, Pascual underscored that Filipino poet Gemino Abad’s theory, which is writing “from” English, guided him in translating English works. “Isinasalin ko lang [ang mga akda] pabalik, so may pagsundo. At isang paraan din sa pagsundo ng mga akda ni Ma’am Jing [Hidalgo] ay ang pagpapalitaw ng pagkakautang niya roon sa oral tradition,” he said, noting that Hidalgo’s works harked at the stories from her generation’s grandparents.

Both the translated works, Kundiman ng Panahong Naiwan and Sa Bayan ng Nagngangalit na Buwan: 9 na Kuwentong Bayan, were published by the UST Publishing House.

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Looking back at old works

For Hidalgo, revisiting her old works published more than a decade ago, felt like it was written by a “very young woman” or another person. “When I read the book in translation, it was the strangest feeling: it was like revisiting an old place and then you see your former neighbors, or people you used to know, and they are speaking in another language, so that it seems to me that they are different people, including the character who was based on me,” Hidalgo said.

“It’s like meeting strangers, but the strangers that you used to know, so they are partly familiar and partly unfamiliar.” she added.

An award-winning fictionist and a renowned travel writer, Hidalgo has authored more than 30 books of fiction, travel, essays, and reference materials. Some of her notable works are Catch a Falling Star, Stella and other Friendly Ghosts, Creative Nonfiction (a manual and a textbook), and Collected Stories and Tales, to name some.

The moderator of this event was Prof. John Jack G. Wigley, PhD of RCCAH and Department of Literature.

Revisit the literary conversation between Thomasian authors .

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One of the most influential journalists in the Philippines

The Teodoro F. Valencia Professorial Chair in Journalism memorializes a man who was dubbed by the Associated Press as “one of the most influential journalists in the Philippines.” One of the first graduates of the University’s Journalism program, Teodoro “Ka Doroy” F. Valencia was a columnist and commentator best known for his column “Over a Cup of Coffee” and for his radio commentaries. The professorial chair in his honor was established by the Teodoro F. Valencia Foundation, Inc. and UST in 1988 to “improve journalism in the Philippines” and to “affirm UST’s commitment to inculcate in her students a Catholic moral principle and responsible press based on truth and justice.”

A decorated scholar of the Humanities

The Professorial Chair Holder, Professor Joyce Arriola, PhD, is a multi-awarded scholar, having received the Outstanding Book Award from the National Academy of Science and Technology and the 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Research in the Humanities Awardee by the National Research Council of the Philippines. A prolific researcher and an experienced administrator, she was the inaugural Director of the Research Center for Culture, Arts, and the Humanities and as the last Director of the old Center for Intercultural Studies. With academic credentials in literature, journalism, and communication, Arriola conducts multidisciplinary studies, specifically in cultural and memory studies.

Arriola teaches at the Faculty of Arts and Letters’s Department of Literature, where she was former Chair, and the Department of Communication and Media Studies, which she likewise headed years back.

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Pelikulang Komiks tackles the major assumptions of a proposed/emergent Filipino komiks-to-film adaptation theory based on archival texts from the 1950s. The main concern of Arriola’s work is to present the concepts and assumptions about komiks-to-film adaptation that will constitute the proposed Filipino film adaptation theory. 

“At a time when comic book characters appear on the big screen with some regularity, and American research on comics-to-film adaptation is ripe, Joyce L. Arriola’s book is most welcome. Not only does Pelikulang Komiks…offer a non-Western perspective on film adaptation, but it does so with systematic research, thorough analysis, and clear expression. Professor Arriola has made a significant contribution to both cinema and comic art theory for which we are grateful,” writes John A. Lent, publisher/editor-in-chief International Journal of Comic Art.

“Joyce L. Arriola’s new book is a remarkably prescient study of Filipino popular culture. Combining in equal measure historical imagination, cultural understanding, and sensitivity to film and komiks, it generates numerous insights and pathways of inquiry that the interested reader can pursue with profit. Carefully researched, lucidly written, cogently argued, and theoretically sophisticated, this book will make a distinctive contribution to the growing body of critical literature on Asian popular culture.” Professor Wimal Dissanayake of the Academy for Creative Media-University of Hawaii writes in the blurb.

Arriola, a multi-awarded academic and the 2018 Research Council of the Philippines Achievement Awardee for Humanities Research, is a research fellow of the Research Center for Culture, Arts, and the Humanities, where she was also Founding Director. She teaches at the Graduate School and the Faculty of Arts and Letters, where she used to head the Department of Communication and Media Studies and the Department of Literature and the Humanities.

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