Presenting the initial findings of her study “Integrating Multiperspectivity in Encouraging Students to Enter the Teaching Profession: Contexts, Challenges, and Causality,” Mirasol looked into the demographic characteristics of those enrolled in the academic track – humanities and social sciences strand of senior high school and in tertiary teacher education programs to determine factors that will predict their intent to consider teaching as a career and whether they feel this is the best career option.

Combining surveys and focus group discussions, the study uncovered low interest to teach among SHS students, who expressed uncertainty about job satisfaction and economic returns. Though they considered teachers to be crucial in society, concerns about salary and workload weighed heavily on SHS students.

In contrast, education students revealed long-held childhood aspirations to teach and find it fulfilling. They agree that teachers receive support and believe that teaching provides long-term career growth.

Mirasol recommended the engagement of the community, as well as mentoring and career guidance in basic education to help promote teaching as a career. School-industry partnerships as well as incentives and support for those pursuing teaching may also be explored. Finally, the promotion of diversity and inclusion is seen as a possible way of increasing the base of future teachers.

Mirasol teaches at the Department of English and is an academic researcher of the Research Center for Social Sciences and Education. The study is funded by the Ateneo de Manila University – EDCOM II partnership and was presented on March 12, 2025.

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With the recognition, the University joins the government “in developing a new system for recognizing and evaluating Teacher Education Centers of Excellence, as well as providing technical expertise in the review and enhancement of pre-service teacher education curricula.”

College of Education Assistant Dean Louie B. Dasas, PhD and Academic Programs Quality Assurance Office (APQAO) Director Marife V. Narcida, MS received the recognition from the TEC, chaired by Department of Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara, who was joined by the other officers and members of the TEC.

The Center of Excellence recognition, previously conferred solely by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), is now conferred as Teacher Education-Center of Excellence (TE-COE) by the TEC of which the CHED Chairperson is an ex-officio member by virtue of Republic Act 11713, also known as the Excellence in Teacher Education Act.

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The discussion, moderated by Professor Linfa Wang of Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School and Dr. Lee Fok Kay of Temasek Foundation, Singapore, delved into what it takes to be ready for the next pandemic. Bergantin and her co-panelists stressed the importance of convincing governments and leaders of the ASEAN groups that the knowledge base gained during the COVID-19 pandemic is a vital resource worth sharing to the general public. Bergantin recalled the collaboration between the government and professional associations during the pandemic. A case in point was the preparation of COVID-19 guidelines prepared by the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, whose inputs helped craft policies during the onslaught of the dreaded virus.

The panel included Indonesia’s Dr. Darmawali Handoko, Medical Services Deputy Director Prof. Derrick Heng, Thailand’s Mahidol University Prof. Prassert Auewarakul, and Malaysia’s Tropical Diseases Research and Education Center Executive Director Prof. Dr. Sazaly bin Abu Bakar.

Bergantin also added that a sound pandemic preparedness policy requires the participation of not just scientists and government leaders, but also economists, vulnerable groups, and community members. In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Bergantin said that: “I am just thankful that aside from teaching, I have been included in various clinical practice guideline creation and health technology assessment thus I have first hand experience in policy-making (recommendation), which I have just realized when I was asked to join the panel. I may not hold a degree in public health but working for the Filipinos in my capacity from the academe, together with other specialists from UST who are regularly consulted by the government based on their expertise, the Thomasian spirit of competence, compassion and commitment truly burns bright.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bergantin joined fellow doctors and healthcare professionals in the UST Hospital to save lives amidst the strictest of mobility restrictions. Look at her COVID-19-focused interview with the Communications Bureau here: 

The congress drew over 300 onsite participants and was supported by Temasek Foundation, Singapore.

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In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Caliwan said the recognition was “very fulfilling” as it recognizes “accounting teachers with outstanding achievement and distinguished performance as an educator, and whose outstanding contribution has a national impact.” Caliwan said the distinction is “a very big honor that I will treasure forever.”

Caliwan thanks the University community, particularly Accountancy Dean Patricia M. Empleo, PhD, Accountancy Regent fr. Franklin F. Beltran, O.P., PhD, and the college community, for their support. “UST allowed me to be actively involved in my professional organizations. A lot of activities for accounting teachers that we co-organized are held in UST. We showed the accounting education profession the Thomasian brand of service.”

Caliwan credits parts of his award to his recent stint as president of the National Association of CPAs in Education (NACPAE), during which time he championed the capacity-building of CPAs in education through a multi-part nationwide caravan of workshops on Outcomes-Based Education and updating on the CPA Licensure Exams based on recent pronouncements of the Professional Regulation Commission. The one-year term also gave a chance to broach the idea of a Magna Carts for Accounting Teachers, which is envisioned to “will answer the many concerns of accounting teachers.” Among these are the stringent and expensive continuing professional development unit requirements that make some CPAs shy away from teaching.

The awarding ceremonies will take place on November 21, 2024.

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BS-SLP students Mariela Anya Soriño, Kathleen Megan Torres, Emilia Andrea Coronel, Robert Anthony Bertumen, and Vinz Adrian Chan were under the supervision of Inst. John Arden Romanillos, MHPEd, RSLP, who together showcased how UST runs its BS-SLP program. 

First offered in 2009, the four-year bachelor’s degree program involves at least 1,200 hours of supervised clinical training in various settings, such as the community and hospital. Such training endeavors allow students to screen, evaluate, and assess patients and help in individual and group therapy sessions. Apart from equipping students to handle concerns on speech, language, and swallowing disorders, aural habilitation and rehabilitation and augmentative and alternative communication are integrated in the curriculum.

Graduates of the program may proceed to take advanced studies in the fields of health professions education, clinical audiology, and medicine (all offered in UST), bringing with them sound training in practice and research. The Department of Speech-Language Pathology includes as part of its thrusts the conduct of research that will adapt and make culturally relevant SLP interventions, develop evidence-based practices, and promote professional growth and continuing education.

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In a memorandum from the Office of Information and Communications Technology, the tools offer “invaluable benefits across diverse fields” and encouraged the educational use of the said softwares. Among the expected benefits to the entire community are the improvement of digital skills, assistance in the creation of compelling projects, and enhancement of visual and graphic design skills.

The rollout marks a significant milestone in UST’s provision of software applications, particlarly Adobe, to Thomasians. In the past, those in design programs were prioritized. However, with graphic design now an important skill across all fields due to the ubiquity of online media, the University makes the softwares accessible to the entire community.

Thomasians can access their Adobe All Apps using their Google for Education suite accounts.

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In a message to the Thomasian community, Dones called on Thomasians to “be driven by a passion to serve others as a gift from God,” to whom he dedicates the victory, along with his family. As a lifelong member of a Dominican academic community, Dones shares the importance of prayer and “offering every action as a form of worship.” Dones said: “We are called to perform our duties with love, thank those who support us, forgive those who have wronged us, and see every task as an opportunity to thank and praise God.”

Dones was nominated by the accredited professional organization, the Philippine Physical Therapy Association (PPTA), which vetted nominees based on qualifications, professional activities, character, and most importantly, contributions to the profession. Dones’s nomination by PPTA emanated from the nominations of CHRMS academic researchers Asst. Prof. Lyle Patrick D. Tangcuangco and Inst. Mark Angel B. Serra.

Dones is a research fellow at St. Luke’s Medical Center and is involved in two projects funded by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). His various research projects address issues such as hospitalized COVID-19 patient outcomes, hepatocellular carcinoma risks, hypertensive urgency and emergency, and the delivery of blended teaching in health science programs.

Also an innovator, he is the Chief Executive Officer of PainFree Management and Consulting, Inc., which is a grant awardee of the DOST-PCHRD and an incubatee of UST’s own TOMASInno Center, the in-house technology business incubator.

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The team was composed of BS Tourism Management students, namely: Kyle Alexandra A. Mararac, Krishna Andrei O. Martinzo, Alyssa Shane P. Paguio, and Solomon M. Santiago under their event production, Lunggati Creations. This year’s event proposal entry is entitled, “MANGAN! Biyaheng Pampanga, a Dine and Ride Adventure!”

The team were under the guidance and supervision of their academic advisers Asst. Prof. Maria Concepcion A. Ang, MBA, and Inst. John Jerick C. Santos, MLOL. Additionally, the Tourism Promotions Board appointed Mr. Anton Magpantay as an industry coach to better align the wholeness of the event business proposal to the practice of the industry.

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In her Messages at the opening of the event, Mayor Arcillas emphasized the initiatives taken by the City from years ago in integrating the SDG global objectives in the City’s local programs, which now culminate to Santa Rosa becoming a pilot city in adopting the UN ESCAP Tool.�� “I wholeheartedly endorse this initiative, cognizant of the prestige and responsibility accompanying our role as a pilot city,” she said.�� She mentioned how she issued Executive Order 13 Series of 2024, creating the Technical Working Group (TWG) that shall be responsible in crafting the City’s VLR.

A few days before the two-day Consultation-Workshop, Prof. Marcelo and other officials of the University met with the Vice-Mayor, Hon. Arnold B. Arcillas, and the CPDO Coordinator, EnP. Ermin V. Lucino, MPM, to align many aspects of the short- to long-term plan for UST Santa Rosa with those of the City of Santa Rosa.  Vice-Mayor Arcillas and EnP. Lucino recognized UST Santa Rosa as an important private Higher Education Institution (HEI) partner of the City, particularly in its initiatives to become a ‘Smart City’, the characteristics of which are consistent with the SDGs.  In his Message at the Consultation-Workshop showing how the City has been continuously pursuing opportunities to collaborate with its stakeholders to achieve the SDGs, EnP. Lucino shared that the City was planning to establish a Technology Business Incubator (TBI). However, “with the ��ɫ bringing their TBI at their Santa Rosa campus, we need not establish our own. We just have to partner with them,” he said.  EnP. Lucino emphasized that this sharing of expertise and resources leading to inclusive economic prosperity is consistent with SDG #17 (Partnerships for the goals) and other SDGs interrelated with it.    

The City’s VLR TWG is being supported by the UN ESCAP Team led by Mr. Omar Siddique.  The TWG, through EnP. Lucino, recommended to ESCAP to team up with SDG experts from UST to assist in preparing the City’s VLR.  Prof. Marcelo received the recommendation favorably for UST to collaborate with UN ESCAP and the VLR TWG of Santa Rosa.  “The University’s decision to develop UST Santa Rosa as its Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship external facility is precisely to be in a better position to serve in nation-building and in addressing global issues through collaboration and cooperation.  We welcome opportunities such as this.  UST will definitely take part in this landmark endeavor of the City of Santa Rosa every step of the way.  We are proud to be a part of this initiative,” she said.

The activity was organized by the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) of Santa Rosa as lead organizer with support from other offices of the Santa Rosa City government and various national government agencies such as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).  It was attended by Santa Rosa LGUs, representatives from the industry, the education sector and other stakeholders of the City.

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