Elected alongside Ramos is Dr. Jessamyn Marie Yazon of the Philippine Science High School – Main Campus. Both of them served as Presidents of the Biology Teachers Association of the Philippines (BIOTA-Phils).

An allergology expert, Ramos is a decorated researcher who has received various national and international accolades. As a leader, he served as the immediate past Dean of the College of Science and under his term, the College secured international accreditation from the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance for its BS Biology program. Ramos also teaches at the Graduate School.

AABE gathers educators from across Asia and Australia and holds a biennial conference, which this year was held from October 12-14, 2024 in Ehime University, Japan. The association likewise publishes the Asian Journal of Biology Education to provide a venue for latest research from the field. The association also capacitates teachers through professional development interventions.

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Ramos tackled the fundamentals of an effective Learning Management System, choosing the appropriate method in line with the institution’s needs, and also the role of the environment between the learners and the educators.  “A modern learning management system is more than a catalog of eLearning courses, a platform of planning, delivering and measuring impact of training both online and offline,â€� Ramos said.

According to Ramos, modern learning platforms perform multiple tasks other than hosting, tracking, or analyzing. “Not only we are looking for something that is very robust; it should be able to do all of them in a very efficient manner from centralizing and automating your administration,â€� Ramos said. “You can of course personalize content, consolidate training and learning initiatives in web-based platform, and even go beyond delivering content,â€� she added. 

Moreover, Ramos encouraged the educators to look into the core of institution, and seek for the best way to demonstrate their teaching skills. “We might be looking an choosing the right LMS, at the end there is no one size that would fit your institution. You must start from the heart the core of your institutions, know what is this vision I want to  accomplish, and everything else would follow in every decision making, and in every support system  that you will put in place will now be in congruent with what you want to solve.�

Ramos is a faculty member of the Department of Secondary Education. She was re-elected as President of the Philippine e-Learning Society for 2019-2020. Ramos was also elected to the Board of Trustees for a term of three years, from 2019-2022.

Among the massive-scale projects that Ramos led are: 1) the deployment of a massive online course on Disaster Risk Reduction to about 11,000 student volunteers to prepare the Youth of the Philippines for the visit of Pope Francis (EduTech Asia Awards 2017 – Greatest Individual Contribution for Educational Inclusion); 2) UST’s national teacher-training implementation work with UNESCO ICT for Education (Bangkok) and among Philippine teacher education institutions as Resource and Distribution Training Center (RDTC) in the promotion of the use of open and free educational resources (OERs), which was recognized as the Best Innovative Teacher Education Program Initiative in 2016.

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The orientation activity, facilitated by Rev. fr. Stephen Redillas, O.P., Senior Consultant for Information and Communications Technology of UST, brought to the fore the Blackboard and digital learning endeavors happening at the ¾ÅÉ« – Manila, for possible adoption by the DPP schools.

According to Rev. fr. Winston F. Cabading, O.P., SThL-MA, Assistant to the Rector for Information and Communications Technology, “we are offering our expertise to our sister schools in the DPP in jumpstarting their e-learning initiatives.� Recognizing that the schools are at different stages of technology integration, fr. Cabading said that UST “will guide and provide training where needed to the schools� so they can maximize the potentials of digital learning.

During the session, Educational Technology Center Director , MSc presented in greater detail UST’s experience in using the Blackboard Learning Management System, which from 2002-2018 gave the University the e-Learning Access Program (e-LeAP) and since 2018 has given rise to the UST Cloud Campus. This made UST the pioneer institution in massive-wide e-Learning adoption in the Philippines.

The DPP schools represented were the ¾ÅÉ« – Manila, ¾ÅÉ« Angelicum College – Quezon City, ¾ÅÉ« – Legazpi, Albay, Colegio de San Juan de Letran – Calamba, Laguna; Intramuros – Manila; Bataan; and Manaoag, Pangasinan; and Lyceum of Camiguin.

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In an interview, Ramos disclosed that among her priorities for her incumbency are: certification levels of proficiency for our PELS members, forming specialized professional learning networks among members, co-organizing international events (eLearning Forum Asia 2021 in the Philippines), and assuring the quality of eLearning institutional adoption by awarding the PELS own seal of accreditation and recognition.

Ramos, the current Director of the Educational Technology Center, specializes in leading a massive eLearning implementation. Such work includes training UST’s faculty workforce to effectively use technology to create meaningful eLearning experiences across the wide spectrum of online delivery environments (technology-rich classrooms, blended, and fully-online), produce eLearning content, and supervising the implementation of UST’s participation to the ASEAN MOOC consortium known as Global Access Asia.

Among the massive-scale projects that Ramos led are: 1) the deployment of a massive online course on Disaster Risk Reduction to about 11,000 student volunteers to prepare the Youth of the Philippines for the visit of Pope Francis (EduTech Asia Awards 2017 – Greatest Individual Contribution for Educational Inclusion); 2) UST’s national teacher-training implementation work with UNESCO ICT for Education (Bangkok) and among Philippine teacher education institutions as Resource and Distribution Training Center (RDTC) in the promotion of the use of open and free educational resources (OERs) (Best Innovative Teacher Education Program Initiative, 2016 Dakilang Parangal Awards by the Philippine Association for Teacher Education); 3) the Rapid eLearning Course Development Program for UST’s 2000+ workforce, a teacher-training for eLearning practitioners earned the Philippines the 2014 Blackboard World Catalyst Award for Staff Development (Nevada, USA); 4) UST-NSTP project for 9000 students being at the forefront of educational innovation that have developed and implemented high impact educational strategies that scale (2018 Blackboard Catalyst Awards in Asia for Leading Change); and 5) UST’s eLearning ¾ÅÉ« Development Project whose educational and administrative innovations have markedly improved the total learner experience of our 46,000 student body (2018 Blackboard Catalyst Award in Asia for Optimizing Student Experience).

PeLS is a premier professional organization in the country that leads the advancement of eLearning practice in the academe and industry through professional development opportunities and collaboration.

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According to Assistant to the Rector for Information and Communication Technology Rev. fr. Winston F. Cabading, O.P., SThL-MA, the session aimed “to bring the 3 most digital technology-immersed departments [, , and the ] together for a unified strategic planning for the University.�

Among the areas of concern were “the interfaces among the three [units]� and the need to craft a 5-year strategic plan, backed up by a mechanism to accomplish the targets. Also, the gathering aimed “to draft appropriate policies for the ICT services of the University.�

Rev. fr. Stephen Redillas, O.P., served as facilitator in the strategic plan. Among the salient points discussed were the competencies of each of the three units and how these competencies can be harmonized to move toward the same goals.

According to fr. Cabading, “Santo Tomas e-Service Providers (STePs) provides the robust, reliable, scalable, hardware and network infrastructure, while the Educational Technology (EdTech) Center provides the innovations for connected learning on multi platforms. Finally, the Institute of Information and Computing Sciences (IICS), as the academic department, [is responsible] for the creation of technological innovations as well as training Thomasians IT professionals who are prepared for the fast-changing landscape of information technology.�

In an online interview, EdTech Center Director , said that with the August 2018 decision to provide the EdTech Center “a clearer focus specifically to be the support unit dedicated for eLearning through the UST Cloud Campus project and instructional media production…the EdTech Center [now] can better focus and prioritize services to harness the university’s expertise in deploying massive e-Learning scale adoption.�

Part of the goals is for UST to be an online university, which will allow it to 1) develop and deliver fully online courses; 2) offer unique courses that are not available to existing program offerings; 3) model and showcase 21st-century teaching and learning practices that embrace student-centric approaches in physical and virtual learning spaces; 4) develop an exemplary league of online instructors in course design, development, and delivery; and 5) produce digital content for a wider set of audiences, among others.

On the part of the academic units, the Institute of Information and Computing Sciences “aims to provide latest technologies to the University.� IICS Director Jerralyn T. Padua, MSc stated that it will partner closely with the EdTech Center to “offer dynamic programs and courses for students, alumni, professionals, and all other stakeholder.� Furhtermore, the Institute will “strengthen its software development consultancy in close coordination with the Santo Tomas e-Service Providers (STePS) in the service of all Thomasian business process owners by introducing innovative systems/applications for various units in the University.�

The output of the entire planning session was a Wildly Important Goal (WIG) to unite the efforts of all units concerned.

The Office of Information and Communication Technology was established in 2018 by the Rector, the . With its establishment, the Santo Tomas e-Service Providers and EdTech Center now fall under its direct supervision. STePs used to be under the Office of the Secretary-General, while EdTech Center used to be under the Office of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs.

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Now in its 20th year, the theme for the celebration was, “Dalawang Dekadang Pagpapala, Pasasalamat, at Pagdiririwang sa Tagumpay ng Gurong Tomasino.� (Two Decades of Blessing, Gratitude, and Celebration of the Success of Thomasian Teachers)

In his message, UST Rector , commended the appropriateness of the theme, “…sapagkat sa nakaraang dalawang dekada ay maraming Tomasinong guro ang naglaan ng oras at panahon sa pagtuturo ng mahusay, sa patuloy na pagsasaliksik at paglikha, sa pagtulong sa pamayanan at paglilingkod nang tapat sa Unibersidad.� (…because in the last 20 years, many Thomasian mentors have dedicated their time to excellent teaching, continued research and innovation, and being active in the community and loyal service to the University.)

However, the Father Rector also emphasized that the true success of teachers lie not in the number of years of service, and cannot be measured by the number of awards received or research works produced.

“Kung susuriing mabuti, malaking bahagi ng kanyang tagumpay ay mamamalas sa kinalalagyan, o kalidad at antas ng pamumuhay ng mga magaaral na dumaan sa kanyang masusing pagtitistis at pagtatasa, at matiyagang paghuhubog sa kanilang mga kamalayan, upang maayos na matimbang ang katuwiran laban sa kamalian, matutuhan ang tamang paraan kung paano umiwas sa mga panlilinlang, at magkaroon ng lakas ng loob na manindigan sa katotohanan,� Fr. Dagohoy explained. (If we would contemplate it, a large part of [a teacher’s] success is manifested in the status or quality and level of living of students passing through their thorough scrutiny and assessment, and patiently molding their consciousness, in order to properly weigh out righteousness against error, to learn the right way to avoid deceptions, and to have the courage to stand up for the truth.)

Quoting the philosopher George Steiner, the Father Rector reminded the faculty of their mission, “To awaken in another human being powers, dreams beyond one’s own; to induce in others a love for that which one loves; to make of one’s inward present their future; that is a threefold adventure like no other.�

Former University Rector and former Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education Rev. Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P., was the guest speaker. In his address, he challenged faculty members to remember that teaching is not merely a profession, but also a profound vocation.  He discussed, “[As God’s call,] a vocation is a fundamental decision in life, defines the person’s presence in the world, expresses one’s deepest identity, and orients one’s actions towards destiny.â€�

Following the address was the awarding of the Gawad Benavides or the service awards for milestone years. Thirty-seven faculty members received the Gawad Benavides for 20 years, while 38 mentors were awarded for 25 years of service. Twenty received the award for 30 years of service, and 23 were lauded for 35 years of service.

For 40 years of service in the University, eight were recognized, namely: ., from the ; Asst. Prof. Carmelita Cardona and Assoc. Prof. Rodolfo Rabor from the ; Prof. Ma. Corazon Zaida Gamilla, M.D., Prof. Josephine Lumitao, M.D., and Assoc. Prof. Edgardo Orlina, M.D., from the ; Assoc. Prof. Ma. Rebecca Penafiel from the ; and Assoc. Prof. Evangeline Timbang from the . Dr. Gamilla gave the response on behalf of all awardees.  

The Gawad San Alberto Magno, a special award for outstanding published research, was given to , of the Faculty of Pharmacy under the Health Sciences category (Immunology of a Fap2 peptide mimotope of Fusobacterium nucleatum and its potential use in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer); Asst. Prof. Andrea G. Vargas, Ph.D., of the Faculty of Pharmacy under the Science and Technology category (Cloning molecular analysis, and developmental expression of 3 oleosin cDNA isoforms in coconut [Cocos nucifera L.]); and Assoc. Prof. Moises Norman Z. Garcia, Ph.D., and Assoc. Prof. Maria Rosario Virginia C. Garcia, Ph.D., of the under the Social Sciences and Education category (The Environmental Literacy of Elementary School Teachers based in the City of Manila and Nueva Ecija Province). , of the under the Humanities and Cultural Studies category and for outstanding publication, namely, for his research work “Ang Tagalabas sa Panitikanâ€� while his book “Ang Nawawalaâ€� earned him the Outstanding Book award under the Humanities and Cultural Studies category.    

The Gawad San Lorenzo Ruiz is given to those with outstanding achievements or are recognized in the national or international scene. The awardees were: College of Science mentors , who received the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award and ., who was named  2018 Outstanding Young Scientist in Pharmaceutical Sciences by the National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines, and Novartis Next Generation Scientist by the Novartis Pharma Switzerland; Faculty of Arts and Letters mentor Mr. Paul A. Castillo who won the third place in the Talaang Ginto Makata ng Taon 2018 given by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino; faculty member and Director who was named Greatest Individual for Education Inclusion in the 2017 Edu Tech Asia Awards by the EduTech Asia / Terrapin; Faculty of Pharmacy Dean , who was named ‘Outstanding Pharmacist’ in the 2018 Outstanding Professional of the Year Award by the Professional Regulation Commission; and Dean Prof. Patricia M. Empleo, Ph.D.,  who was named to the Global Accounting ‘Hall of Fame’ by the Institute of Certified Management Accountant.

The board of judges was composed of academics in the various disciplines, and literary writers:  Arnold V. Hallare, Dr. rer nat., Hope Sabanpan-Yu, Amaryllis T. Torres, Alfred A. Yuson, Galileo S. Zafra, Ph.D., Maricar W. Ching, Ph.D., Evelyn A. Songco, Ph.D., Edilberto P. Manahan, Ph.D., Junie B. Billones, Ph.D., Mark Anthony D. Abenir, DSD, and Esperanza C. Cabrera, Ph.D.

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The seminar-workshop, attended by 50 participants composed of Biology teachers in junior and senior high school and college students, was conceptualized to respond to the need for student-centric approaches to meet the 21st century skills and examine digital learning trends and its implication in influencing the current and future delivery of content, pedagogy, and technology.

UST Director and College of Science Dean , who also teaches under the Biology Department, delivered and facilitated the lecture and workshop sessions.

The EdTech director delivered a lecture on Inquiry-Based Learning, Digital Learning Trends in Science Education, and Augmented Reality using Dino Encounter App while Dean Ramos presented inputs on Genetic Analysis using DNA2App, Pairwise Sequence Alignment and Applications, Guided Inquiry Workshop, and Open-Ended Inquiry Workshop which provided the participants ideas about experiential and active learning techniques using varied digital tools that can be applied in the classroom.

During the workshop, the participants were allowed to navigate free educational resources for teachers and other open digital tools that can be appropriately integrated in teaching and learning. They used computer applications to simulate science concepts and experimentations. They were exposed to hands-on internet-based learning activities.

At the end of the workshop, the participants were expected to have developed the skill in integrating technology in the teaching-learning process and in identifying the digital theories and pedagogies that are most applicable in the delivery of their lessons.

The workshop was for free according to College of Science Dean Prof. John Donnie A. Ramos, Ph.D., because, “It is some sort of a community extension service of the College of Science and the BIOTA-UST Chapter. The participants are all BIOTA members from both private and public institutions.� The participants were teachers from selected JHS, SHS and HEIs from various schools in Luzon including those who come from as far as Ifugao in the North and Bicol in the South.

The participants were from the following schools: Gen. Ricardo G. Papa Sr. Memorial High School, Batangas State University Main Campus I, Sta. Maria National High School, Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Sta. Mesa Manila, Southville 8c National High School, Tondo High School, DepEd Makati, Division of City Schools of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, Ateneo Junior High School, Mayamot National High School, University of Nueva Caceres, Quirino State University, General de Jesus College, Holy Trinity University, Immaculate Heart of Mary College, Quirino State University, UST College of Education, Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College-Sta. Maria Campus, Ifugao State University, and Bagumbayan National High School.

Also participating were: University of the Philippines – Manila, Senior High School De La Salle Lipa, Far Eastern University Institute of Technology-Alabang, De La Salle University – Manila, Department of Education-Bagumbayan National High School, De La Salle Lipa, UST Angelicum College, Ismael Mathay Sr. High School, Philippine Malabon Cultural Institute, Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation, Sta. Peregrina High School, St. Mary’s Educational Institute, Laguna Bel-Air Science School, Hope Christian High School, Bulacan State University, BHC Educational Institution, Inc., and Polytechnic University of the Philippines Santa Rosa Campus, Universidad de Manila, and the UST Graduate School.

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Ramos, Director of EdTech since 2011, has been credited for expanding UST’s former e-Learning Access Program and leading it to transition to the new CLOUD Campus. Under her watch, UST received a four-star rating from PeLS and was featured by BlackBoard Learning as an exemplar case. Ramos was recently hailed as one of the pioneer Adobe Campus Leaders.

#ThomasiansLeadingTheWay

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, an Advisory Committee Member for Research of the and incumbent President of the Philippine Medical Association, delivered a lecture entitled “Technology-enhanced Research: Digital Management of Research Workflow.�

Meanwhile, , Director of the , conducted a seminar-workshop entitled “Detecting Plagiarism using Open Source and Proprietary-based Tools.� The workshop was attended by medical editors, educators and researchers, who explored a variety of tools that act as both deterrent and educational tools to prevent plagiarism and create opportunities to help users in the proper attribution and citation of sources.

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