• Dialogue with Cultures and Religions in Asia
• Thomistic Studies
• Catholic Doctrine
• Church History and Historical Theology
• Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue
• Early Christian Studies
• Christian Anthropology
• Human Rights and Just Political Order
• Catholic Bioethics
• Catholic Moral Theology
• Catholic Social Thought
• Religious Education
• Philosophical Ethics
• Environmental Ethics

Research Grants are available for tenured Faculty members of the University of Santo Tomas (Manila) who have good publication records and a doctorate degree in a discipline relevant to the area of research interest. 

Researchers are encouraged to send their accomplished research proposal and research capsule to ctrse@ust.edu.ph not later than May 30, 2024. Proposals approved after peer review will be accepted for AY 2024-2025. 

You may download the Research Proposal and Research Capsule through: . 

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As co-host, CTHM handled the Culinary Challenge Competition Briefing, held on March 3, 2024, at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. (BGPOP) Building’s Multi-function Room (MFR), while the Food Styling & Photography Competition was also held at the BGPOP Lobby and Mezzanine on March 23, 2024. Both events were internally organized by the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM) 3HCE1’s Solasta Productions, led by Mr. Wyett White Lee as the course facilitator and Mr. Rod Fredric S. Villamarin as the Overall Chairperson, as part of their partial fulfillment of the requirements for THM52027: Introduction to Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events Management.

The highly anticipated event commenced with a remarkable turnout, welcoming 3,074 guests on its opening, where The University of Santo Tomas Chorus of Arts and Letters set the tone for the event with a moving invocation followed by a stirring rendition of the national anthem.

The expo’s opening statements were delivered by a roster of prominent figures who have played pivotal roles in the agriculture and food industry. Among them were Mr. Roberto Angelo O. Amores II, Director of PhilFoodEx; Hon. Cynthia A. Villar, the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food; Hon. Francisco Tiu P. Laurel Jr., Secretary of the Department of Agriculture; Mr. William Tiu Lim, also a Director of PhilFoodEx; and Mr. Sergio Ortiz Luiz, President of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. Their insights set a forward-thinking agenda for the expo, emphasizing the importance of innovation, sustainability, and collaboration in the food sector.

The three days featured culinary competitions such as the Philippine Regional Table Setting Competition, Kitchen Masters, PINASarap Breakfast, Modern Filipino Dessert, Healthy Pasta, Mystery Ingredient, and the UST Dream Team competition, featuring 2nd to 3rd year Culinary Entrepreneurship and Hospitality Leadership students from the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management. The PFE Knowledge Challenge also debuted during this year’s expo, challenging students’ knowledge on various topics.

Additionally, Dr. Reinald A. Andaya, CHE, a UST CTHM Academic Staff and the Laboratory Coordinator, held a seminar on the third day called “Namit Gid!: Iloilo City’s Journey for the UNESCO Creative City on Gastronomy.”

The culinary competitions were hosted by Mr. Louis San Sebastian and Ms. Clarisse Ricablanca, 3rd-year Culinary Entrepreneurship students from UST CTHM. On the other hand, the PFE Knowledge Challenge was hosted by Mr. Louis Anjello Cheng and Ms. Anna Mae Paño, also from the same college.

The final day’s highlight was the awarding ceremony, a moment of recognition and appreciation for all participants who represented their schools with pride and passion.

The 16th Philippine Food Expo was organized by the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Inc. (PHILFOODEX) and Cut Unlimited Inc. It is supported by 3HCE1’s Solasta Productions of the UST CTHM as partnered organizers and student marshalls.

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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.

For further information and media inquiries you may visit UNITAS official facebook page:

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A Cooperation between Dominican Institutions in Manila, Ibadan, and Fribourg

Sex and Gender have become fluid categories – as never in the history of mankind before. What are the scientific backgrounds, and what are the consequences for theology? What do these developments mean for a global player like the Catholic Church? We shall discuss the different (and/or similar?) perspectives with researchers and students from the Dominican Universities in Manila and Ibadan and the Faculty of Theology in Fribourg, which is coined by the Dominican spirit.

The 4th CoMIF is scheduled on April 12, 2024, Friday (2:00 – 6:00 pm, Manila / 8:00am – 12:00nn Fribourg and Ibadan). The CoMIF (or Collaboration of Manila, Ibadan and Fribourg) is an informal collaborative arrangement initiated by academic staff from the University of Santo Tomas (Manila), Dominican University (Ibadan), and the Faculty of Theology of the University of Fribourg (Fribourg). 

Those interested to participate in the conversation may register through Zoom:   

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UST offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences and Graduate School, respectively. The bachelor’s program enjoys international recognitions by the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance and the World Federation of Occupational Therapy, as well as local recognition by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation.

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Independent rankings website EduRank, which uses research publications and citations as data, named the University of Santo Tomas as the top Philippine university for the field of Theology and Religious Studies in terms of research outputs and citations. The rankings were released on February 29, 2024.

UST, a Pontifical University and the Catholic University of the Philippines, operates three ecclesiastical faculties: Sacred Theology, Philosophy, and Canon Law. It also offers civil degrees on theology (major in social-pastoral communication) at the Graduate School, while theology/Christian living courses are institutionally mandated in the tertiary and basic education levels, respectively.

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In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Vasquez disclosed the plans of the division for the coming years, as encapsulated in the title: “Fostering Filipino Excellence in Pharmaceutical Science: Advancing Research, Transforming Healthcare, and Enhancing Lives for a Healthier and Resilient Nation.” Vasquez disclosed that the division leaders and members envision the group “to be a dynamic and forward-thinking hub of scientific exploration, dedicated to transforming innovative ideas into tangible healthcare solutions.” Collaborations among academic, industry, and healthcare organizations are expected “to amplify the impact of pharmaceutical research, fostering a collaborative ecosystem that accelerates progress and health for Filipinos.”

Among Vasquez’s recent research projects are painkillers screening and the potential cardiovascular toxicity of anti-leukemia drugs. Currently, he is working on natural mood enhancement products from Philippine sources. He is also working on a UST-funded project entitled “Utilization of zebrafish model for human diseases and the application of AI tools in Pharmacology and Toxicology Research.”

NRCP is a national organization of researchers that aims to advocate frontier science and humanities research and evidence-informed policies with the highest ethical standards committed to impact national and global sustainable development.

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Tan, a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry, was recognized for his contributions to the chemical and pharmacological significance of 𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴 species and endemic Rubiaceae plants.

“[Tan’s] extensive studies have illuminated the rich therapeutic potential of these plant varieties, particularly in the realm of neuroprotection and natural products, with a special focus on potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease,” as read in his citation.

His research tackled the anti-amyloidogenic activity inherent in pure compounds isolated from nature and crude extracts from Philippine endemic and indigenous plants, offering valuable insights into developing neuroprotective agents utilizing the bioactive compounds derived from the said plant species.

In the same NRCP division, the Thomasian researchers who previously received the award were Prof. Emeritus Fortunato B. Sevilla III (1994), Prof. Emeritus Beatrice Q. Guevara (1999), Prof. Emeritus Maribel G. Nonato (2006), Prof. Alicia M. Aguinaldo (2011), and Prof. Christina A. Binag (2013).

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Borne out of a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) research grant, the said laboratory is built to ramp up research with state-of-the-art modern equipment and field rooms, as well as to assess the condition of the athletes, aid them in recovery after injury, and keep track of their performance.

RCHS Supervisor Prof. Consuelo G. Suarez, MD, PhD, FPARM proudly shared that the laboratory is the first of its kind in the country. Moreover, Suarez envisioned the laboratory to be a niche of research innovations where they can forge ties with researchers from various walks of life to gain a multitude of inputs, and then serve as a venue for seminars and workshops to empower medical and paramedical personnel, athletes, coaches, and educators alike.

Meanwhile, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation Rev. fr. Jannel N. Abogado, O.P., DThPatSc emphasized that the UST research centers are guided by the anecdote that “science must be felt by people”, with the aim to give light to others. “We want research projects and our research programs to have an effect in the lives of people and the community […] we do so because this is our job, this is our role, this is our mission,” fr. Abogado said. “We constructed this laboratory because we know that the works and the technologies that will come out to this will be beneficial to people,” he added.

For Faculty of Medicine and Surgery Dean Assoc. Prof. Ma. Lourdes D. Maglinao, MD, the new facility aims to be the niche of groundbreaking research works that are envisioned to change people’s lives. “This center represents a symphony of expertise, a collaboration between the healers who mend and the coaches who push us to soar,” Dean Maglinao said.

The academic units that are primarily involved in running the laboratory are the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Engineering, and the College of Rehabilitation Sciences.

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The University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Sacred Theology, Institute of Religion, and
Center for Theology, Religious Studies and Ethics are jointly hosting the Theology
Week 2024, which will also feature St. Thomas Aquinas Forum 2024 and 11th Leonardo
Legaspi, OP Lectures.

The event will feature 10 lectures and will happen on March 21-23, 2024 at the George
S.K. Ty Function Halls, 4th Floor, Buenaventura G. Paredes, OP Building, University of
Santo Tomas, Manila.

The speakers are Fr. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, OP,
Fr. Ziqiang (Martin) Bai, OP, Fr. Felix delos Reyes, OP, Fr. Jannel N. Abogado, OP, Levine
Andro Lao, Allan Basas, Joel Sagut, Blaise Ringor, Jove Jim Aguas, and Jovito Carino.

Their lectures will center on three important aspects: 1) discussions on the relevance and
legacy of the thoughts of Thomas Aquinas in Asia, particularly in the Philippines; 2)
expositions of the thoughts of selected Thomists who were also Thomasians, that is,
Thomists who taught in the University of Santo Tomas – the conference will focus on the
Thomasian Thomists of the 19th and 20th centuries; and 3) demonstrations of the lasting
legacy of Thomism in the University of Santo Tomas through the works of present
‘Thomasians’ especially those teaching in the Ecclesiastical Faculties.

Moreover, Theology Week 2024, with the theme, “Thomism in the University of Santo
Tomas and in Asia: The Legacy of Thomas Aquinas,” is a contribution to the Dominican
Order’s double jubilee celebrations to honor St. Thomas Aquinas, particularly the 750th
anniversary of his death.

This conference is also part of the activities of the Center for Thomistic Studies (CTS),
which was instituted as the University’s response to the declaratio of the Domincians’ 2013
Trogir General Chapter that seeks ‘to develop centers of specialized studies pertinent to the
region wherever the Order is present,’ reiterated by the Provincial Chapter of the Dominican
Province of the Philippines that mandates ‘to strengthen the Thomistic intellectual tradition’
in the University of Santo Tomas (cf. APC Calamba 2021 178).

The onsite attendance to the Conference is primarily reserved for the Thomasian
community while non-Thomasians are encouraged to follow the event through live
streaming via the FB page of the UST Institute of Religion
(. For questions, please contact
ir.proarc@ust.edu.ph.

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