The lecture, entitled “C.A.R.E.: Writing and Publishing Manuscripts and Beyond” was attended by students of the B.Sc. Chemistry program, DOST-ASTHRDP scholars under various natural science programs of the UST Graduate School and academic staff of the Department of Chemistry.

During the event, Prof. Cordell emphasized on the importance of properly communicating one’s scientific knowledge through publications in valid, peer-reviewed journals and how this is important in the development of capable scientists. Throughout his lecture, he used the acronym C.A.R.E. to highlight his key takeaways for the audience such as “Conduct Appropriate and Rigorous Experiments”, “Commit to Accurate Report as an Experimentalist”, and “Critically Assessing Research Expenditures”, among others. These examples, as well as many other CARE acronyms he has developed, have been published in the journal Natural Products Communications last September 2021 ().

Prior to the lecture, Prof. Cordell met with Acad. Prof. Emeritus Maribel G. Nonato, currently serving as Assistant to the Rector for UST General Santos, Prof. Rey Donne S. Papa, Dean of the College of Science, Assoc. Prof. Alan Rodelle M. Salcedo, Chair of the Department of Chemistry, and academic staff of the Department of Chemistry to discuss potential program offerings in the soon-to-be opened School of Science of UST General Santos. Prof. Cordell’s insights as an academic official of the University of Illinois and natural products researcher were instrumental as the department is preparing its program offerings for UST’s first campus in Mindanao.

Prof. Cordell, who is an emeritus professor in the University of Illinois at Chicago and former Dean of its College of Pharmacy, is a long-time collaborator of several natural products chemists of the UST Department of Chemistry, such as Prof. Emeritus Beatrice Q. Guevara, Acad. Prof. Emeritus Maribel G. Nonato and Prof. Ma. Alicia M. Aguinaldo. He was given the title Honorary Professor of Chemistry by the College of Science of the ŸĆÉ« in 2017.

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Academician Professor Emeritus Fortunato B. Sevilla III, PhD and Professor Christina A. Binag, PhD were elected to a three-year term (2025-2028), while Department of Chemistry Chair Alan Rodelle M. Salcedo, PhD was elected to a two-year term (2025-2027). Finally, Assoc. Prof. Felicidad Christina Peñafiel, PhD was elected to a one-year term (2025-2026).

The Kapisanang Kimika ng Pilipinas (Chemical Society of the Philippines) is an 85-year-old society of chemists. It publishes scholarly articles in Kimika and regularly hosts conferences and scientific activities.

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Winning the Third Prize is Inst. John Andrew C. Albay, PhD of the Department of Mathematics and Physics for his work  “Colloidal Heat Engine Driven by Engineered Active Noise.” Albay becomes the first NAST TSYS awardee of the Department.

Receiving citations are Inst. Katherine Yasmin M. Garcia, MS of the Department of Chemistry and Asst. Prof. Jame Monren T. Mercado, MA of the Department of Tourism Management.

Garcia was recognized for her work entitled “Antiproliferative and Cytotoxic Cytochalasins from đ˜šđ˜±đ˜ąđ˜łđ˜”đ˜Șđ˜€đ˜°đ˜­đ˜ą đ˜”đ˜łđ˜Șđ˜Žđ˜Šđ˜±đ˜”đ˜ąđ˜”đ˜ą Inhibit Action Polymerization and Aggregation.”

Meanwhile, Mercado, who is an academic researcher of the Research Center for Social Sciences and Education, was recognized for his work entitled “Ysla de Panciteria: A Preliminary Study on the Culinary Heritage Significance of Pancit Using the Heritage Documentation Approach — the Case of Luzon Island, Philippines.” Mercado co-authored the work with Dr. Avi Ben Andalecio, also of the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

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In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Balitaan disclosed that the Division of Chemical Sciences includes as its main thrusts empowering members “who are globally and highly respected researchers” and continuing “strong linkages with local and international scientific organizations for enhanced cooperation in the development and sharing of scientific information, responsible community leaders in ensuring environment protection, food safety and public health.”

Balitaan’s recent studies have focused “on the development of bio-inspired and biomimetic materials for anticorrosion, antibacterial, antibiofilm, wound healing and sensor applications.”

Both Balitaan and Villaflores are affiliated with the Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences.

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Salcedo’s work, based on papers co-authored with Academician Professor Emeritus Fortunato B. Sevilla III, PhD and published in Instrumentation Science and Technology and Acta Manilana, was a response to the need for ways to detect atmospheric pollutants of concern in the environment. Using digital imaging analysis, the parameters included the color values, polymer reagent binder, amount of Cul, exposure time, and Hg⁰ concentration.

With the theme “Establishment of Sustainable Technological Solution for Industry and Society”, the two-day conference gathered academics, researchers, scholars, and industry practitioners from around the world to share and discuss recent advances in sustainable science, technology, and innovation. The four Innovative Tracks of the conference – Innovative Life Science and Smart Materials (iLS), Innovative Advanced Production and Industrial Engineering (iAP), Innovative Sharing Economy and Sustainable Science (iSE), and Innovative Education Science and Quality Assurance (iES) – guided the discourse, encapsulating a wide array of topics and scopes within the realm of sustainable development.

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The framework of CARE

In her lecture, Nonato used the word care and transformed the same into several acronyms that show what developing a 21st-century university needs. Citing factors such as management, human capital, and research, Nonato envisioned a modern university to be a “Comprehensive Academic and Research Enterprise” whose programs are rolled out by “Competent Advanced-degree and Research-oriented Educators.”

Citing the most recent jobs report of the World Economic Forum, Nonato zeroed in on the effects of automation on clerical and secretarial roles that are seen to decline in demand, and the importance of education, agriculture, and digital commerce and trade, which conversely are seen “to have large-scale job growth.”

The incumbent Assistant to the Rector for General Santos stated that “CARE may also be adopted by the human capital of the academic institution. Presence of CARE in in the human, structural and relational capitals will surely lead to a sustainable and successful operations of the academic institution. Harmony of the concept of CARE will demonstrate significant convergence of knowledge and services leading to a resilience university.”

Integrated innovation in Mindanao

Nonato unveiled the collective vision of UST General Santos City to be a campus that runs on an integrated innovation framework. This framework, according to the pioneer research of the Pandanus plant, ”involves diversity where people of different disciplines with common aspiration (Intention) are brought together to cultivate ideas (Ideation) that will generate (Invention) innovative products, services, and processes (Synnovation) which will improve the quality of lives of the community (Transformation).”

The UST General Santos campus will soon open and will initially offer degree programs related to business, health, engineering, information technology, and the sciences. Located on an 80-hectare lot, the campus will soon have the inauguration of the expansive UST General Santos Main Building.

Nonato, UST’s first-ever Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, is a seasoned researcher and academic who pioneered phytochemistry research for the Pandanus species. A longtime Professor of Chemistry, she has received recognitions both here and abroad for her researches. After her retirement, she was appointed Assistant to the Rector for General Santos.

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UST REFI was awarded the grant by the Gerry Roxas Foundation (GRF) and the Philippine office of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the project titled “Siquijor Island Conservation and Restoration: Toward a Regenerative Ecotourism Destination”.

This action research project was among 11 recipients of grants from GRF’s program called INSPIRE or Investing in Sustainable Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems.

Looking at both seascapes and landscapes, the project aims to ensure that the island’s natural ecosystems “will be conserved and restored, leading to a sustainable and regenerative Siquijor Island”. For 2.5 years, this action research project hopes to aid Siquijor’s collaborative governance efforts on environmental protection, environmental conservation education, and achieving community-based sustainable livelihood.

The project seeks to empower Siquijor’s provincial and municipal governments to regulate the use of trees and medicinal plants, curb illegal and unregulated fishing activities, encourage tourism development, reduce solid and liquid wastes, and control freshwater consumption. These efforts contribute to the vision of making Siquijor a “zero-waste island”.

A team from REFI will spearhead the project, led by Executive Director Fr. Maximo Gatela, O.P. and Technical Team Leader Dr. Moises Norman Garcia of the College of Science. Team members include Dr. Maria Rosario Virginia Cobar-Garcia (Science), Dr. Arlen Ancheta and Dr. Alain Jomarie Santos (both from the Faculty of Arts and Letters), as well as Asst. Prof. Arnold Distor and Asst. Prof. Racquel Layco (Science).

Dr. Ancheta, Dr. Cobar-Garcia, Dr. Garcia, and Asst. Prof. Layco had done studies on the zero-waste island concept, covering solid waste management, energy efficiency, food and water, and sustainable use of natural resources. These previous studies were conducted for a global advocacy group, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), under the auspices of the Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (or RCSSED, UST’s social sciences research arm).

According to team leader Dr. Moises Norman Garcia, the previous studies and the current INSPIRE-funded project will capitalize on “environmental advocacy to counter climate change and [take inspiration from] Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Sí.”

This INSPIRE-funded project contributes to climate change action, says this full professor of Biological Sciences, by directly aligning the project to some of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

UST REFI formalized its receipt of the INSPIRE grants during a May 22 grants awarding ceremony at the National Museum of Natural History, with the US Ambassador to the Philippines, Her Excellency Mary Kay L. Carlson, gracing the event.

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According to UST-Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy Dean Patricia M. Empleo, PhD, the College’s “objective is to continue enhancing the quality of our academic programs, not necessarily for external accreditation or assessment, but more so for our stakeholders (learners and industry partners especially) who rely on us for the provision of the much-needed accounting professionals. We integrate the AUNQA framework and see it as an effective tool for continuous quality improvement.”

Meanwhile, College of Science Dean Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD looked back at the five-year journey to re-certification that the College undertook: “The good news we just received from the AUN validates that the improvements we have instituted had addressed the majority, if not all, of the concerns and points for improvement that they had provided us after their first visit in 2017. This includes the revision of our curricula for the Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology programs and the increased research productivity of the departments concerned, as well as the transfer of our laboratories to the Central Laboratory Building. We will continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of our operations as we start planning for the AUN assessment of other programs such as Microbiology, Applied Mathematics and Applied Physics in the near future. I am extremely thankful for our hardworking and dynamic team of academic and support staff and students who have worked hard to ensure that we meet the standards set by the AUN.”

The three-day assessment led by AUN-QA Expert Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tan Kay Chuan coincided with an assessors’ training with attendees from five Southeast Asian countries. The re-certification maintains UST’s 18 bachelor’s programs on top of the Institutional Certification UST enjoys from AUN-QA.

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The assessment team was led by AUN-QA Training Expert and Chief Assessor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tan Kay Chuan (Lead Assessor, BS Psychology). He was joined by Prof. Dr. Rohaida Mohammad Saat (Lead Assessor, BS Accountancy), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ornsiri Cheunsuang (Lead Assessor, BS Biology), Prof. Wan Ahmad Kamil Mahmood, PhD (Lead Assessor, BS Chemistry), Dr. Nguyen Thi Huyen (Assessor, BS Accountancy), Mr. Mean Udam (Assessor, BS Biology), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supitcha Cheevapruk (Assessor, BS Chemistry), and Asst. Prof. Dr. Luerat Anuratpanich (Assessor, BS Psychology).

In their respective messages, Rector fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., PhD and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Cheryl R. Peralta, DrPH reaffirmed the University’s commitment to improving its provision of quality Catholic education by submitting to external review from international experts. The assessments, UST’s 7th so far, uses the updated version of the AUN-QA programme assessment tool. The visit included interviews with various stakeholders like students, academic staff, support staff, employers, and alumni, among others, and included site visits and document review.

Chief Assessor Tan, in his wrap-up presentation, invited the University officials to consider the VUCA world’s challenges and changes. He noted, among others, the increasing impact of artificial intelligence on pedagogy, which he said must keep up with latest technological trends. The assessors likewise cited the University’s various program strengths, including the functional internal quality assurance systems at the program, college, and university levels, and the positive feedback from different stakeholders. The assessors also presented points for improvement in preparation for a post-pandemic world.

The onsite assessment was held in conjunction with the 13th Assessor Training Workshop of AUN-QA, who provided the training to experts from Brunei Darusallam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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According to the citation read out during the conferment ceremonies, “Professor Emeritus Fortunato B. Sevilla III of the ŸĆÉ« is an NRCP Achievement awardee and an Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology who has been recognized locally and globally for his pioneering contribution in sensors and instrumentation science research in the Philippines. He conducted training workshops on the development of low-cost instrumentation and microscale chemistry in different parts of the country and in Asia and Latin America. Acd. Sevilla is a beacon to his numerous students and colleagues in the academe and in the Chemistry profession. He contributed to the professional growth of several generations of chemists, mentors, and institutional leaders. He serves as Chair of the Technical Committee for Chemistry of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and has been President of the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (FACS), Kapisanang Kimika ng Pilipinas (KKP), Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP), Organic Chemistry Teachers Association (OCTA), Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies (PFCS), and Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology (PhilAAST).”

Sevilla is a prime mover of developing low-cost instrumentation and microscale chemistry in the country and has been mentoring chemists and researchers for decades. In the University, he has served as Assistant to the Rector for Research and Development and two-time Dean of the College of Science, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Summa cum Laude, in 1968. It was in 2015 when he was elevated to the rank of Professor Emeritus, in a solemn ceremony that celebrated his preeminence as a professor, researcher, and mentor.

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