The UST passing rate of 87.10% is higher than the national passing rate of 55.19%.

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Edison Ong claimed the 2nd rank with his 89.08% rating. Vergel Enriquez registered an 87.67% score to earn the 6th place. Lastly, in the 8th spot, Eryll Alea tallied an 87.08% rating.

UST was likewise named the second top-performing school after notching an 84.45% passing rate, producing 56 new Thomasian doctors. The national passing rate was 55.50%.

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The activity, a joint undertaking with the alumni of the Tomasinong SOCCSKSARGEN chapter, gathered close to 300 attendees comprised of 150 families, SOCCSKSARGEN chapter officials, UST Alumni Association, Inc. officials, and UST officials. The Thomasian community gave gifts and dined with the community of Batomelong, which is led by the Barangay Captain, Hon. Alikhan K. Bentaib.

In his message, Captain Bentaib thanked the SOCCSKSARGEN Chapter’s representatives, led by incoming President Antonio Villanueva, Jr. and Secretary-General fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P. “Hindi po kayo nagkamali na pilian ang community ito. Kakatapos lang po ng aming Ramadan namin. Sino ba naman ang hindi matutuwa na mapili? Maraming salamat po!”

Meanwhile, UST Secretary-General fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P. introduced the Thomasian community to the residents of Barangay “hindi lang po kami kaagapay. Mga Pilipino po tayo, at tayong lahat ay magkakapatid.”

Finally, UST Assistant to the Rector for General Santos Professor Emeritus Maribel G. Nonato, PhD expressed hope that the University’s efforts in academics and research will be of great help to the local communities of Mindanao.

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In the book, Mata gives the readers a portrait of President Ramon Magsaysay and also a glimpse of his harrowing firsthand accounts after the plane crash in Balamban, Cebu, which claimed the lives of the former president and 25 others, as its lone survivor. It was first published in 1957 and was co-penned with Vicente Villafranca.

Mila Magsaysay-Valenzuela and Joy Mata, daughters of the two respective Filipino icons, expressed their gratitude to those involved in organizing the book launch, including the University, which kept the legacy of their fathers alive.

“[Through this book], I hope that people realize that life is so fragile. And as fragile as it is, I hope it inspires people to live life with a lot of consequences and with integrity and love for country,” Mila said.

Mila also shared that they also conduct trekking activities that revisit the site of the plane crash in Cebu to commemorate the president’s death anniversary.

Memorabilia, photographs, and other items that offer a glimpse of the vibrant life of Mata, a Philets alumnus belonging to the class of 1959, were also exhibited in the lobby. He passed away in 2018.

In June 2023, Mata’s family donated 846 books from his Library. After turning over her late father’s books to the University, the new custodian of Mata’s books, Joy gathered her siblings and decided to publish a new edition, tapping Art Angel Commercial Quests, Inc. as the publisher.

“Although my father has already met his deadline, his little candle will continue to burn with so much warmth and light, especially [by] sharing his books with the readers at the UST Library and with everyone [through the] new edition of the book, One That Came Back,” Joy said.

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The Thomasian painter came from a family of artists in Angono, Rizal. Dedicated to bring positive change, the third generation Blanco has lent his creativity and artistic vision to significant projects in the country such as the Vigan Convention Center, the restoration of the Ayuntamiento Building in Intramuros, as well as becoming an instrument in establishing the Regional Art Guild of SOCCSKSARGEN in collaboration with the Department of Tourism.

He was also designated as the “Outstanding Citizen of the Town of Angono for Visual Arts and Music” in 2012, which attests to his advocacy as a multi-faceted artist in his hometown.

At present, Blanco serves as Angono, Rizal’s tourism youth ambassador. Their family runs the Blanco Family Museum and Art Gallery that curates and celebrates their family’s vibrant legacy in their hometown.

The Congress seeks to recognize the nine domains of the Philippine creative industries.

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Bishop Alarcon finished his theology studies in the University of Santo Tomas. Ordained priest in 1996 in the Archdiocese of Caceres, he is one of the country’s youngest bishops. A longtime educator, he has served at the Minor Seminary of St. John the Evangelist, Superintendent of Naga Parochial School, Superintendent of the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese, as well as President of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines.

Among the previous Archbishops of Caceres is the late Most Rev. Leonardo Zamora Legaspi, O.P., D.D., the first Filipino Rector and one of the longest-serving archbishops of Caceres (1983-2012).

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Faculty of Pharmacy Dean Aleth Therese L. Dacanay, PhD, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery academic researcher Maria Minerva P. Calimag, MD, PhD, and alumni Antonio Leachon, MD, Alfredo So, and Vicente U. Briones met with lawmakers to share their position on the bill filed by Rep. Ferjenel G. Biron.

In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Dean Dacanay mentioned that the group agreed to the bill, provided that provisions will be included for the protection of consumers against scrupulous e-prescriptions. Thus, safeguards on signatures, surrender of used prescriptions, and partial filling should be in place. Furthermore, the bill should clearly define legitimate online pharmacies given the proliferation of online sellers. Finally, the group advocated for an education campaign should the bill be approved.

Dacanay represented the Philippine Pharmacists Association, while Calimag spoke for the Philippine Medical Association. So is currently the President of the Consumer Healthcare Industry Association of the Philippines, while Briones heads the Drugstores Association of the Philippines. Leachon attended as a private individual in the hearing.

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The new Thomasian architects were led by the following graduates who landed in the ten highest places:

#4 – Ar. Franchesca T. Lopez – 84.40%
#5 – Ar. Nicole Carl Erika Aunario – 84.30%
#5 – Ar. Andrea Marie M. Ugay – 84.30%
#6 – Ar. Jene Miguel C. Macam – 84.20%
#7 – Ar. Angel Lyn B. Balastigue – 83.60%

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The milestone inauguration comes just one month after the USTAAHK was both formally recognised as a registered society (Society registration number: 0065480) by the Hong Kong government in December 2023, and a duly registered Philippine organisation with the Consulate General of the Philippines in Hong Kong the same month.

The USTAAHK is made up of 13 founding members, namely Ms. Jan Yumul, president of USTAAHK; Mr. Nobel Gabasan, vice president; Ms. Anna Pendry, public relations officer; Mr. Erwin Regalado, secretary; Mr. Byron Agarano, treasurer; and Mr. Joel Almeda, auditor. Ms. Pendry, Mr. Gabasan, Mr. Almeda, Mr. Agarano, and Mr. Regalado, also serve concurrent roles, as chairperson, Socio-Cultural Events Committee; vice chairperson, Socio-Cultural Events Committee; chairperson, Finance Committee; vice chairperson, Finance committee, and chairperson, Sports and Games committee, respectively.

Other founding committees include Ms. Tanya Sales Manzano, chairperson for external affairs, Communications and Marketing ; Mr. John Go, chairperson for internal affairs, Communications and Marketing; Ms. Joy Alba, chairperson, Membership and Presence; Ms. Maureen Pickering, vice chairperson, Membership and Presence; Ms. Jenely de Ocampo, chairperson, Advocacy; Ms. Michelle Rea Yongque, vice chairperson, Advocacy; and Mr. Victorino Baltazar, vice chairperson, Sports and Games.

While the UST alumni in Hong Kong have previously organised social, family-oriented, and team-building activities, this marks the first time the group has formalised their association where an induction ceremony was held at The Hive in Sheung Wan. The event was well supported with the attendees reaching more than 100 Thomasian alumni, business representatives, academic representatives, community leaders, and nonprofit organisations.

Newly designated Philippine Consul General to Hong Kong Germinia Aguilar-Usudan, a Juris Doctor (Doctor of Law) graduate from UST, graced the event as keynote speaker and administered USTAAHK’s founding officers’ oath. In her speech, Ms. Aguilar-Usudan said the University of Santo Tomas “is not only the university where we pursued our education and earned our degrees”, but it was also “the place that developed our character and who we are today”. “Its core values, namely ‘competence, compassion and commitment, guide us in the pursuit of our dreams and aspirations,” said Ms. Aguilar-Usudan.

“As founding officers of the USTAAHK, you are expected to perform your task with competence, to serve everyone with compassion, and to fulfil your mandate with commitment. Let us all serve our kababayans in HK, ‘the UST way’ and make our alma mater proud,” she added. The Consul General also seized the opportunity to wish the attendees a belated New Year, and an advance Lunar New Year.

“Twenty-twenty-four is the year of the Wood Dragon. It is expected to be a great year to start new projects, explore new opportunities and create value for yourself and others. A very suitable year for the new USTAAHK. Congratulations!” said Ms. Aguilar-Usudan. “I wish all of you good health, happiness, and a successful new year ahead. Maraming, maraming salamat po. Mabuhay! Mabuhay ang UST! Mabuhay, mabuhay ang USTAAHK. Maraming Salamat,” she added.

The induction ceremony was also supported by guests who flew in from UST Manila, namely the UST Office of Alumni Relations (OAR), led by Ms. Joreen Rocamora, acting director of UST-OAR; Ms Carla Romina, alumni engagement officer of UST-OAR, and Ms Marlot Ira Coleen Ngo, web data management officer at UST-OAR.

Dr. Evelyn Songco, chairman of UST Alumni Association Inc. (USTAAI), also graced the event. In her opening remarks, she linked the latest addition of the USTAAHK to the USTAAI family to that of the birth of a child, which “is always a joyful occasion”. She said the birth of an alumni association “is definitely a cause of joy” and so “we gather this evening to celebrate that”. “We also celebrate tonight the past and the future. We celebrate the past because every alumni group coming together is born out of the alumni’s connection to the past; because of the memories of our alma mater,” said Dr. Songco.

“Today, we celebrate the future because I am sure that with this event tonight, you will always have meetings and say “Kita tayo”. With those words comes the promise of the future – the promise of faith, of hope, and of charity,” she added. Dr. Songco also reminded the Hong Kong Thomasian community that the promise of faith “rests on our fidelity to our alma mater and on one another as we promise to see each other in the future”, in continuing to “pursue the mission of our profession or our life advocacy”, and that the promise of hope “rests on how well we will serve our alma mater, the alumni, and the community”.

“The promise of charity rests on how generous we shall be with our time, talent, and treasure to keep in touch with one another, conduct assemblies, and activities for the benefit of our alma mater and the Thomasian alumni in HK, and the community,” said Dr. Songco.

She said faith, hope, and charity “have amazingly sustained the USTAAI, the mother alumni association of all recognized alumni associations” and that they were in constant partnership with the Thomasian Alumni Community Foundation, Inc (TACFI), which raises funds for the activities of the USTAAI.

“Giving birth and sustaining an alumni association is a daunting task. It is a volunteer work for all of us. It is a commitment; a mission; and most importantly, it is an act of giving. As volunteers, we are blessed not with material things but with joy in our hearts. That is our reward,” said Dr. Songco.

The USTAAI chairman was also accompanied by Ms. Katherine Lou Bundang, business manager, USTAAI, and Ms. Pickering, who serves concurrent positions with USTAAI and USTAAHK.

Bringing a message to the newly inducted USTAAHK Board of Directors on behalf of the Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, OP, PhD, Ms. Rocamora, acting director of UST-OAR, said the establishment of the USTAAHK was “the dawn of a new chapter”. “My heartfelt congratulations to all of you! You have accepted the mantle of leadership with courage and dedication, stepping forward to serve our vibrant community of Hong Kong-based Thomasians. Your commitment to upholding the legacy of UST, fostering unity among alumni, and propelling our association to even greater heights is truly inspiring,” said Ms. Rocamora.

She noted that the path ahead “may be paved with challenges”, but with “unwavering determination and a shared vision, you will conquer them all”. “Embrace the diversity of the association, draw strength from our shared history, and never lose sight of the values that bind us together: compassion, commitment and competence, said Ms. Rocamora.

“Let your leadership be a beacon of light and inspiration for every Thomasian in Hong Kong. Remember, the success of UST Alumni Association Hong Kong lies not just in your individual efforts but in the collective spirit of our association,” she added. In her closing remarks, Hong Kong-raised Ms. Yumul, founding president of USTAAHK, acknowledged and thanked Dr. Songco and the USTAAI, the Manila-based mother chapter, for welcoming the USTAAHK as a member under its wings. She also thanked the UST-OAR for being instrumental in forming the USTAAHK’s establishment.

Ms. Yumul also unveiled the chapter’s advocacies, which would focus on uplifting and mainstreaming Filipino professionals in Hong Kong, supporting youth empowerment, and putting “care” in the healthcare of migrant domestic workers. USTAAHK events will also aim to target the promotion of Philippine arts and culture in Hong Kong through hosting exhibits, live demonstrations, and workshops by Filipino artists, musical performances by UST groups.

“Today is a celebration of countless overcoming and coming together. A lot of people ask me why the need to form the USTAAHK. (To) the Filipinos in Hong Kong, let’s face the reality. We’ve been boxed into one profession for a very long time. So, I hope we can change this. I hope our engagements will deepen and broaden as we overcome challenges,” said Ms. Yumul.

According to the ������ý Affairs Department’s Race Relations Unit, citing the 2021 Population Consensus, there are 201,291 Filipinos in Hong Kong with more than half of the population employed as domestic workers in the city.

“There were ‘Three Cs’ of the Thomasian values that were mentioned tonight: competence, commitment, and compassion. In the Hong Kong version, I want to add one more ‘C’. (Be) ‘Community Engagers’ because we will go very far. The establishment of the association ends our 14-year journey in search of Thomasian trailblazers and organizers. We look forward to your support,” she added.

Ms. Yumul also acknowledged several community leaders in the academic, NGO, and business fields for graciously accepting the association’s invitation. Some notable guests included Ms. Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, general manager of the Mission for Migrant Workers, Ms. Janet Carnay, volunteer at the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, and Mr. Thiru Nachiappan, Chairman, Tomorrow’s Youth Development Fund.

Ms. Jonnet Kudera, Regional Philanthropy Manager, The Fred Hollows Foundation, and Mr. Lito Castillo, Chairperson, Hong Kong Musicians’ Union were also among those present. The event was also attended by business executives such as Ms. Estephanie Chan, account executive at Philippine Airlines, as well as past chairmen of the Philippine Association of Hong Kong, namely Ms. Jocelyn S. Palomaria, Ms. Myrna P. Hill, and Ms. Kathy De Guzman, who is also general manager at PNB Hong Kong.

Members of the academic community who came to support the event included Dr. Theresa Cunanan, associate programme director, Division of Arts and Languages, College of International Education at Hong Kong Baptist University and Jan Gube, Assistant Professor at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong.

Thomasian alumni Dr. Michael Manio, lecturer and head articulation programme at the University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences was also present. Dr. Manio is also a guest lecturer and honorary professor at the Hong Kong Metropolitan University.

Meanwhile, other Hong Kong chapter alumni of Philippine universities were also present, namely Ms. Maritess Turingan, President, University of the Philippines Alumni Association Hong Kong (UPAAHK), former UPAAHK President Ms. Sherina Manimtim-Erno, and Mr. Gary Flores, Treasurer at De La Salle University Alumni Association One La Salle HK Chapter.

Sponsoring the event were San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong Limited, veteran Filipino caterer Siony’s Lutong Bahay, Kambal Gallery, Grandpa’s Crib and Gastropub, Pickering Marine Group, and Ace Cho Photography.

Article Contributors: Ms. Anna Pendry, Founding Public Relations Officer, University of Sant
Tomas Alumni Association Hong Kong Chapter; Ms. Tanya Sales Manzano, Founding Chairperson for External Affairs, University of Santo Tomas Alumni Association Hong Kong Chapter

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Different individuals and professionals in the Philippine beverage industry were invited to share their expertise, such as Mr. Arnel Sulangsawa (Bartender, Coconut Grove, Admiral Hotel Manila), Ms. Camille Tiongco (Head Bartender, Bar Flora Quezon City), Mr. Rian Asidao (Diageo, Brand Ambassador, Johnny Walker, and Alumnus, UST CTHM), and members of the Whisky Live Team, Mr. Kris Ong (Singlemalt PH), Mr. Jaz Jan Juan (The Spirits Library), and Mr. Ramil Quinonez (Pinoytender Mgt.).

More than broadening the student’s knowledge about the world of whiskey from the sagacious talks delivered by our esteemed mentors, the selected BS Hospitality Management students who triumphed during the first phase of the event were also able to exemplify dynamism as they displayed astounding showmanship in crafting whiskey-based cocktails.

Ms. Mary Angel D. Elacion, Academic Staff from the Department of Hospitality Management, also spearheaded the event. The event also acknowledged the CTHM student participants for the Whiskey Live and Bar Show, which will happen on October 27 and 28, 2023 (Friday and Saturday) at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. The student participants are Luke Adriano (BS Hospitality Management major in Culinary Entrepreneurship) and Louis Anjello Cheng (BS Hospitality Management major in Hospitality Leadership).

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