Hosted by AMEE, an International Association for Health Professions Education, the conference is a leading event in health professions education, attended by over 3,000 global participants, with only 42% of submitted abstracts accepted. The award honors innovative teaching, learning methods, assessment, and curriculum planning excellence.

During the conference, Escuadra was recognized as one of the 12 finalists for the prestigious Patil Teaching Innovation Award at AMEE 2024.

The Patil Teaching Innovation Award celebrates innovation in relation to teaching and learning methods, assessment and鈥痗urriculum planning. The award is named after Professor Nivritti Patil, the Vice Dean at the Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science & Technology.

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The project was also part of the 1^st batch of the Policy-funded Research Projects under the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The Office of Hon. Faustino 鈥淚nno鈥� A. Dy V of the 6^th District of Isabela initiated the project and was supported by the Municipal Government of Echague, Isabela. The turnover activity was conducted on August 19, 2024 (Monday) at the Blessed Jane of Aza Lounge, Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building.

The plan aimed to assess the potential of Barangay San Miguel in Echague, Isabela, for sustainable community-based tourism in the new and next normal. It also determined the current situation of the barangay, specifically its community-based tourism industry development, analyzed different related issues, constraints, and opportunities of the barangay for community-based tourism industry development, assessed the perspectives and views of different stakeholders on the sustainability and development of the barangay鈥檚 tourism resources, assessed tourism development impacts, specifically on the barangay鈥檚 economic, socio-cultural, and environmental aspects, and developed a sustainable community-based tourism strategic development framework and sustainability indicators for Barangay San Miguel, Echague, Isabela.

Mr. Louie Simbe, the Municipal Tourism, Culture, and Arts Officer of the Municipality, and Ms. Claire Santiago, the Political Affairs Assistant under the Office of Congressman Dy officially received the plan. Officials from the DOST NRCP also attended the event. It was headed by Dr. Aimee Lynn Barrion-Dupo (President) and Dr. Bernardo N. Sepeda (Executive Director). The UST RCSSEd was represented by its Director Dr. Jeremaiah M. Opiniano.

#TeamKomunidad of the UST CTHM and Sentro Turismo spearheaded the project under the leadership of Asst. Prof. Jame Monren T. Mercado, with the team members, Asst. Prof. Avi Ben P. Andalecio, Dr. Fhamela F. Sarmiento, Asst. Prof. Maria Concepcion A. Ang, CTHM Assistant Dean Assoc. Prof. Evangeline E. Timbang , and CTHM Dean Atty. Gezzez Giezi G. Granado.

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The 九色 Singers, the acclaimed mixed choral group representing the 九色 (UST), recently concluded a triumphant 18-day international concert and competition tour titled “Beyond All Praising” covering Switzerland and Norway held from September 13 to 30, 2024. They have brought home multiple awards from the 10th Grieg International Choir Festival, including the coveted Grand Prix Award.

Their journey began amidst the historic charm and picturesque landscapes of Switzerland, where they captivated audiences in cities like Goldach, Schaffhausen, Winterthur, Stein am Rhein, and Bern. The 32-strong group resonated deeply with both local communities and Filipino expatriates as they shared their artistry and celebrated Filipino excellence. During their visit, the choir had the honor of meeting with His Excellency Bernard Faustino Dy, the Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland, reaffirming their dedication to showcasing the Philippines’ rich cultural heritage through music.

As part of their 37th international tour, they went to the Scandinavian country of Norway, a first for the UST Singers. In Bergen, the “City of Fjords,” they were met with great enthusiasm and support from the Filipino community and His Excellency Enrico T. Fos, the Philippine Ambassador to Norway. The warm welcome further fueled their passion as they prepared to compete in the prestigious 10th Grieg International Choir Festival.

Under the masterful guidance of their founder and conductor, Professor Fidel Gener Calalang Jr., the UST Singers delivered a breathtaking performance that earned them the coveted Grand Prix award on September 29, 2024. Their highly virtuosic rendition of “Sagayan,” a powerful piece from the contemporary Filipino choral work Mang谩 Pakalagi谩n by Nilo Alcala, captivated the audience and judges alike. This contemporary take from traditional music from the Southern Philippines, with its evocative chants and rituals, resonated within the Grieghallen, a 1,500-seat concert hall named in honor of Edvard Grieg.

The UST Singers’ victory extended beyond the Grand Prix. They also secured First Prize in the Mixed Choir category and Second Prize in the Folk Music category. Their winning repertoire included “Daluyong” by Ily Matthew Maniano, a poignant tribute to the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda; “Norwegian Alleluia” by Kim Andre Arnesen, a beautiful piece that seamlessly blends Nordic folk traditions with a modern choral setting; and the contemporary sacred piece 鈥淐hariots鈥� by Dutch-born South African Composer P茅ter Louis van Dijk.

Named after the renowned Norwegian classical composer Edvard Grieg, the 10th Grieg International Choir Festival provided a platform for the UST Singers to compete against 30 other choirs from 10 countries all over the world such as Estonia, Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovakia, Germany, Latvia, Poland, Denmark, and Norway.

As the sole Asian and Filipino representative at the festival, the UST Singers made history by becoming the first Filipino and Asian choir to claim the Grand Prix award in the competition’s history. This remarkable achievement underscores their unwavering commitment to cultural diplomacy and musical excellence on the world stage.

Founded in 1992, the UST Singers have become a symbol of Filipino musicality worldwide. Their 37 international tours have taken them from Asia to Europe, to Australia and the United States. They are the first and only choir to clinch the highly-coveted Choir of the World Grand Prize-Luciano Pavarotti Trophy twice at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in 1995 and 2010. As Cultural Ambassadors of Goodwill of the Philippines, they have shared the rich cultural heritage of their homeland with audiences worldwide, from Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to the Royal families of Spain and Thailand, and numerous other world leaders. From historic concert halls and churches to prestigious musical festivals, the UST Singers have graced stages where few Filipino choirs have ventured before.

Following their most recent international triumph, the UST Singers are set to continue their mission to inspire and uplift audiences with a series of performances and concerts around Metro Manila. Their journey serves as a testament to the power of music to transcend borders and connect people through shared cultural experiences.

_ZV_8486.jpg – The UST Singers triumphantly wave a Philippine flag as their conductor Fidel G. Calalang, Jr. (standing, center) shows the three certificates of the international prizes they won in Norway.

_ZV_3193.jpg – The UST Singers conclude their 37th international concert tour with a performance in Bern, Switzlerland.

_ZV_4575.jpg The UST Singers conductor and founder Fidel G. Calalang Jr. and the UST Singers right before their final bow in Switzerland

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During the session, Assoc. Prof. Arevillaga provided an in-depth exploration of the critical role of mental health in the workplace. She examined mental health from multiple perspectives, including Neuroscience, Psycho-dynamics, Cognitive-behavioral approaches, Humanistic theories, Socio-cultural contexts, the Biopsychosocial model, Integrative frameworks, and Genetic influences. She further highlighted the significant impact of different types of stress on an individual’s mental health and identified key factors contributing to these stressors. The session’s primary objective was to enhance participants’ mental well-being by equipping them with effective strategies for sustaining positive mental health.

Additionally, Assoc. Prof. Arevillaga focused on building interpersonal resources to improve productivity, foster social connections, and promote empathy and prosocial behavior in both personal and professional settings.

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Dr. Vhon Oliver S. Garcia (B.Sc. Bio 2011 and M.Sc. Biological Sciences 2013), who, apart from his degrees from UST, also finished an M.Sc. in Integrative Biology from the University of Guelph (Canada) and a Ph.D. from the University of Queensland (Australia). Dr. Garcia is now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Adelaide (Australia) where he continues to conduct research on sea snakes – an interest which began when he conducted his M.Sc. thesis on the Lake Taal sea snake, Hydrophis semperi under the supervision of Acad. Dr. Arvin C. Diesmos and Prof. Dr. Rey Donne S. Papa.

Vhon, together with renowned sea snake expert Assoc. Prof. Kate Sanders, Ph.D., postdoctoral research fellow Dr. James Nankivell and doctoral student Ms. Amelia Pointon conducted a two-day seminar-workshop on sea snakes last August 14 and 15, 2024 at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex (TARC) Auditorium and the Science Online Learning Environment (SOLE) Room. Garcia and his colleagues visited the university after participating in the World Congress of Herpetology held at the Universiti Malaysia in Sarawak.

Organized by the Department of Biological Sciences of the UST College of Science, both days saw the participation of biology students from the UST College of Science and Graduate School together with participants from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Nueva Vizcaya State University and St. Mary鈥檚 University 鈥� Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. Meetings to discuss future collaborations under the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the 九色 and the University of Adelaide were also discussed between concerned officials from the College of Science, particularly its International Relations Committee and the Department of Biological Sciences.

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The University was represented by the UST Bacteriophage Ecology, Aquaculture, Therapy, and Systematics (BEATS) Research Group during the biannual conference 鈥� Viruses of Microbes (VoM) 2024. The research conference was held at the Cairns Convention Center in Cairns, Queensland, Australia and was attended by a diverse audience from around the world.
With the theme 鈥淓xpanding Our Viral Frontiers,鈥� Prof. Dr. Donna May D. Papa, the head of the BEATS Research Group, and two of its members, Ms. Tracey Antaeus Gutierrez, MSc. and Ms. Christian Marie DC. Perez presented their respective papers that highlight their recent discoveries in phage research and applications.
The five-day conference was composed of various activities from a pre-workshop about communication for early career researchers, plenary meetings headed by renowned international phage scientists, oral and poster presentations, and a networking dinner where attendees talked about future grants and collaborations.
Phages are specific bacterial viruses that do not harm humans. Thus, they are now being studied and used as antibiotic alternatives to mitigate antibiotic resistance in different parts of the globe. This has also been the mission of UST-BEATS as they aim for the potential use of their promising phage collection in medical applications. With this, Dr. Papa was then given an opportunity to speak with Dr. Ruby Lin of The Westmead Institute for Medical Research and the head of Phage Australia for future collaborations.
Papa is a recipient of the 2023 Rosalind Franklin Society (RFS) Special Award in Science. Gutierrez is an alumnus of the UST Graduate School, while Perez is currently a graduate student pursuing Master of Science in Microbiology.

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This is the first time that editors of monolingual Filipino journals have come together to talk about their best practices in publishing research papers in Filipino, as well as the challenges they face, and build collective actions towards increasing the number of publications written in the national language and other indigenous languages 鈥嬧�媔n the Philippines.

Dr. Taruc looked back at the history of Hasaan, the annual interdisciplinary refereed journal in Filipino produced by the UST Departamento ng Filipino, established via a national conference on language and culture.

The current chairperson of UST Departamento ng Filipino was joined by Dr. Alvin B. Yapan of Katipunan: Journal ng mga Pag-aaral sa Wika, Panitikan, Sining at Kulturang Filipino, Ateneo de Manila University;  Dr. Danielle P. Ochoa of Diwa E-Journal, Pambansang Samahan sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino (PSSP); Dr. Rowell D. Madula of Malay, DLSU; Prof. Atoy M. Navarro of Saliksik E-Journal, Bahay-Saliksikan ng Kasaysayan/Bagong Kasaysayan Inc. (BAKAS); Dr. Rhoderick V. Nuncio of Dalumat, Networked Learning PH. Inc. (NLPH); Dr. Romeo P. Pe帽a of Filipinolohiya: Journal sa Filipino, Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Dr. Aurora E. Batnag of 碍补飞铆苍驳, Pambansang Samahan sa Linggwistika at Literaturang Filipino (PSLLF); Dr. Raquel Sison-Buban of SALIN Journal, Propesyonal na Asosasyon ng mga Tagapagtaguyod ng Salin (PATAS), Inc.; and Dr. Michael Francis C. Andrada of Daluyan: Journal ng Wikang Filipino, Sentro ng Wikang Filipino, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman.

The event was organized by DLSU Departamento ng Filipino, in cooperation with Sentro sa Pagsasalin, Intelektuwalisasyon, at Adbokasiya (DLSU SALITA), Andrew Gonzalez Philippine Citation Index, and DLSU Departamento ng Humanidades at Agham Panlipunan.

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Her visit on September 21, 2024, included an official welcome at the Main Building followed by a tour of the UST Museum. She then conducted a brief lecture and dialogue with students of the newest undergraduate degree offering in the university – B.Sc. Data Science and Analytics. This was followed by a tour of the facilities of the UST Educational Technology Center at the Frassati Building and ended with a dialogue with academic staff and officials of the College of Science and College of Information and Computing Sciences, which co-offer the B.Sc. DSA program in the university.

Arriola-Kanada highlighted the unique opportunities for the students of the B.Sc. Data Science and Analytics and their responsibilities in ensuring ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in many industries. She also emphasized that their creativity should begin and be nurtured while they are studying for their degrees.

This visit was made possible through the initiative of the Design Center of the Philippines under the Department of Trade and Industry, which invited Arriola-Kanada as one of the speakers for their International Design Conference as part of their Design Consciousness Week and Philippine Creative Industries Month with the 九色 was one of their academic partners.

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Rev. Fr. Pablo Tiong, OP, SThL-MA, opened the conference by welcoming participants and collaborators, emphasizing the event鈥檚 aim to deepen perspectives on relationships with creation and each other. The first keynote address was delivered by Rev. Fr. Sebastiano D鈥橝mbra, PIME, founder of the Silsilah Movement, who spoke on the importance of engaging in dialogue with creation, sharing the story of how the Silsilah Movement emerged as a bridge for peace in their community. Following his address, His Excellency Most Rev. Gerardo Alminaza, D.D., Bishop of San Carlos and Vice-Chairman of the Commission on Social Action, Justice, and Peace (ECSA-JP), presented the integration of peacebuilding into educational frameworks, particularly within religious communities. He emphasized the vital role of peace education in nurturing compassion and building a more harmonious society.

A dynamic panel discussion followed, moderated by Asst. Prof. Val Brillo, academic staff from the Institute of Religion. Panelists included Prof. Arvin Eballo, Ph.D., President of the Religious Educators Association of the Philippines (REAP), and Imam Ebra Moxsir, President of the Imam Council of the Philippines, who both shared their insights on the responsibilities of religious leaders in fostering education and peacebuilding. Other distinguished contributors to the discussion were Asst. Prof. Froilan Alipio, MCD, Director of UST Simbahayan 九色 Development Office, Mrs. Aselo Arago and Mr. Ted Arago, National Coordinators of the Focolare Movement, and Ven. Miao Jing Shi, Head Abbess of the Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple. Each offered unique perspectives on how their respective communities promote dialogue and improve relationships both within and beyond their circles.

In the afternoon, Prof. Dean Emeritus Lilian Sison, Ph.D., from Religions for Peace Philippines, delivered a presentation highlighting the crucial role of faith communities in promoting environmental responsibility. Prof. Sison, who also serves as Director of the Office of International Relations and Programs, stressed the importance of collective action in addressing ecological issues. The subsequent panel discussion, moderated by Prof. Joan Cristi Bagaipo, Ph.D., focused on integral ecology and education. Panelists, including Ms. Sonia Mendoza, Chairperson of the Mother Earth Foundation and Rev. Erahvilla Maga-Cabillas from Iglesia Filipina Independiente, shared how religious communities can lead the way in sustainable practices and ecological advocacy. Other contributors, such as Assoc. Prof. Ma. Sanita Quilatan, Ph.D., from the Laudato Si鈥� Movement Philippines, Pastor Alvaro Senturias Jr. of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, and Ms. Haidi F. Fajardo, Area Director for Public Affairs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also underscored the critical need for faith-driven efforts in addressing environmental challenges.

The conference concluded with the landmark Declaration of the First Week of October as Dialogue with Creation Partners Week, a significant initiative designed to promote ongoing collaboration between religious and ecological movements. Rev. Fr. Ermito De Sagon, O.P., Director of UST鈥檚 Institute of Religion, delivered the closing remarks, reaffirming UST鈥檚 commitment to peace education, interfaith dialogue, and environmental advocacy.

Participants left the event not only with a renewed sense of purpose but also with a shared vision of peace, dialogue, and environmental responsibility. The conference planted seeds of hope and collaboration, promising continued growth and collective action in the months and years to come, with each participant contributing to the shared journey toward a more peaceful and sustainable world.

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