| Headlines |
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Communication Arts
and Media
Center in the 1st CMAA Media Fair
Letran
Media Center, headed by Fr. Jose Martin Sibug, O.P., took part in
the recently concluded 1st Catholic Mass Media Awards Media Fair at
the 5th floor, Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall in Ortigas.
The three-day
exhibit was participated in by media organizations involved in
publishing, broadcasting, production and newspaper. Schools offering
courses in communication, like Letran College, St.
Scholastica’s College, University of Sto Tomas and Philippine
Women’s University, also took part.
The media fair
marked the official launching of the CMMA 2001 both for students and
professionals. The
Communication Arts of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS)
submitted entries in the student category for the TV documentary,
short film and public service awards. Awarding will be held on
October 2001. The Media Center showcased its non-linear editing
facilities, one of the state-of-the art facilities of the center,
which is used by Communication Arts students for their laboratory
requirement.
ELEMENTARY DEPARTMENT
AT PAASCU LEVEL 1
By successfully hurdling
the Preliminary Visit conducted by the Philippine Accrediting
Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAASCU) last
August 2000, the Elementary Department has been given the Level 1
status by the said accrediting agency up to January 2003. As of this
time, the Department is in the process of implementing the
recommendations of the PAASCU in preparation for the formal survey
which is scheduled in February next year.
JAVIER AND TORRES
ATTEND CONGRESS
Mr.
Reynaldo V. Javier, Administrative Assistant and a faculty member in
the Natural Science area of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
(CLAS) attended the 17th Philippine Chemistry Congress held last May
23-25, 2001 at the Xavier Sports and Country Club, Cagayan De Oro
City.
The annual
convention with this year’s theme, “Kimika Para Sa Kaunlaran Ng
Pilipino”, was organized by the Philippine Federation of
Chemistry Societies (PFCS). This year’s hosts were the Kapisanang
Kimika ng Pilipinas (KKP) and the KKP- Integrated Chemists of the
Philippines (KKP-ICP).
The Congress aims
to emphasize the significant developments in chemistry research,
education and professional practice in the country and to provide a
venue for the interaction among the different segments of the
chemistry community. According to Dr. Elma C. Llaguno, president of
PFCS, this has forged stronger bonds among chemists to speak with a
stronger voice on national issues .
The three-day Congress was highlighted
by a series of plenary and parallel sessions on chemistry education,
natural products, analytical, material, physical/computational,
environmental, inorganic and bio-chemistry. Furthermore, a dialogue
with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regarding Chemistry
education and curriculum was held. There were also research posters
exhibited as well as the latest laboratory equipment from different
local and foreign distributors.
And as part of
PFCS’s program of popularizing Chemistry, the first Philippine
Chemistry Olympiad was also held for secondary schools participated
in by regional contestants. A fellowship and an awards night
followed culminating the affair.
The Congress was
participated by chemistry educators and practitioners in the
different sectors nationwide.
Meanwhile, Mr. Enrico V. Torres, chairperson of the
Mathematics area attended the 2001 ANNUAL CONVENTION of the
MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY OF THE PHILIPPINES (MSP) held recently at the
University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City.
The convention was
participated in by local mathematicians all over the country to
discuss the results of their continuing effort to upgrade
mathematical education. The event’s keynote speaker was Secretary
Raul Roco of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS)
and the welcome address was delivered by Bro. Augustine Boquer, FSC,
president of the University of St. La Salle.
The convention
held a series of plenary sessions. Topics ranging from Individual
and Social Aspects of Learning of School Mathematics, Mathematical
Modeling, Applied Mathematics and Algebra of a Graph. It was
followed by parallel sessions that tackled Math education, Algebra,
Analysis and Statistics, Graph Theory, Combinatorics and Applied
Mathematics.
The MSP was oganized primarily to
uplift mathematics education and research in the country closer to
world standards and to be at the forefront of meeting the challenges
to make mathematics a major contributor to our nation’s development.
Jonathan Allen S. Yabut Won the Digital LG Quiz Show.
Jonathan Allen Yabut recently won the weekly championship of the
Digital LG Quiz Show last June 26, 2001 at the GMA Studios, Broadway
Centrum under the tutelage of Ms. Edna Marco, the head of Cultural
Affairs and Mr. Larry Legaspi, high school physics teacher.
Jonathan engaged with other four other high school students in
competing for related questions and puzzles in science, history,
arts and literature, astronomy, math and computer.
There were 5 rounds of various difficulties. Selected students
and officials from the high school department also participated to
give moral support. At the end of the game, Jonathan emerged as the
winner with a whopping score of 490 points beating the highest score
of the season once held by the Manila Science High School with 480
points. Jonathan received P12,000.00 and a 22-inch colored TV
from LG Electronics which will be given for the high school
department.
Jonathan will soon compete in the monthly finals on August 2
with four other weekly finalists. “The competition is really
tough. We are hoping that Jonathan will be able to reach the finals,
so we are all asking for your prayers and support.” Ms. Kai Marco
said. Watch out for Jonathan’s taped weekly competition at GMA 7 on
August 26, Sunday at 10:00 am.
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| Campus Events |
BINYAG ARRIBA
The Guidance &
Counseling Department in coordination with the CLAS and the CBAA
held the Binyag Arriba last June 8, 2001 at the Letran Gymnasium.
Aimed to orient the freshmen with the Colegio’s policies and
services, the activity featured the presentation of the
Administrators, the Area Heads and the Faculty; discussion of the
Colegio’s History and its Vision-Mission statement by Mr. Erickson
Ramos and Mr. Rey Domingo; and talks on the academic policies by Dr.
Myrna Torreliza and Dr. Nancy Eleria. The Binyag Arriba ended with
a eucharistic celebration officiated by Fr. Roger Estorque, O.P.,
the College Chaplain and Fr. Edwin Lao, O.P., Rector and President.
High School
Freshmen
Orientation
“The one
who loses is the one who never tries” - with that winning adage in
mind the High School Department and the High School Guidance and
Counseling Center went through the finale of the High School
Orientation Program. The Affair took place at St. Thomas Hall on
June 7 , 2001 with Mr. Niño Segovia, the High School psychometrician
anchoring the fun-filled afternoon. The orientation featured the
introduction of school administrators, the freshmen classes and
their advisers plus contests on the best emblem, best adage and best
class presentation. There was also a quiz contest about the Colegio.
Section I-414 made a sweep by winning all categories.
The contests were judged by Mrs. Carmelita Pascual,
the Language coordinator of the High School, Ms. Edna Marco of the
Cultural Affairs and Mrs. Ofelia Legaspi of the External Affairs.
Also in attendance were the Executive Assistant and Registrar, Mr.
Rey Reyes, the Planning and Development Officer, Dr. Rosalie Salonga,
Miss Melba Silvela, OIC of the Guidance Services, the High School
Principal Mrs. Violeta Quimosing and her Administrative Assistant,
Mrs. Maria Theresa Suratos.
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CBAA HOLDS FACULTY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The College of Business
Administration and Accountancy (CBAA) recently held its General
Faculty Assembly for the first semester of the school Year 2001-2002
at the Quezon Hall during the college’s first Activity Hour.
Dr. Nancy
Eleria, the Dean of the CBAA presided the assembly assisted by Mr.
Remigio Tiambeng, the CBAA Administrative Assistant. It was attended
by full-time and part-time faculty members of the different areas of
the department.
Policies
pertaining to classroom management, proper decorum of faculty
members, student-faculty relations, new grading system of the
collegiate department were among the agenda discussed.
Also tackled
during the meeting was the peer evaluation among faculty members
with the use of the Performance Management Appraisal System (PMAS)
instrument provided by the Human Resources Development (HRD)
Office.
The Faculty
Assembly also paved way to the introduction of the revised course
outline of Seminar, Research and Practicum (SRP) for all Senior CBAA
students. It was discussed that the thesis writing will be done in
the first semester, while the students’ On-the-job training (OJT)
and series of seminars for professional development will transpire
during the second semester.
Dr. Eleria
likewise took the opportunity to stress the need of faculty members
to finish their further studies.
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STUDENT COUNCIL
ELECTION
College students now have the sight of the new line-up of the
Student Council Officers as the election concluded last July 16,
2001.
MAGDALO and SANDIGAN were the two contending parties who presented
their respective programs in the Meeting de Avance last July 13,
2001 at the Letran Gymnasium.
St. Liem dela Paz
Student Center
Blessing
The blessing of the St. Liem dela Paz Student Center is set on
August 30, 2001 at four o’clock in the afternoon.Department of
Education Culture and Sports (DECS) Secretary Raul Roco will be the
event’s guest of honor.
The blessing of
the St. Liem dela Paz Student Center is set on August 30, 2001 at
four o’clock in the afternoon. Department of Education Culture and
Sports (DECS) Secretary Raul Roco will be the event’s guest of honor.
Fr. Rector’s
45th Birthday
Both the non-academic and academic personnel expressed their
greetings through a courtesy visit in his office as the Colegio’s
Rector and President, Rev. Fr. Edwin A. Lao, O.P., turned 45 last
June 9, 2001. The day got more momentous for the Rector as VIPs
attended a small birthday gathering in the new St. Liem de la Paz
Student Center. Among his guests were Gov. Luis Singson, Mr.
Francisco Eizmendi, Atty. Leonard De Vera, Mr. Cesar Apolinario, Mr.
Vicente Ayllon, Mr. Justo Ortiz, Capt. Benhur Gomez, Mr. Domingo
Patajo, Mr. Jesus Mendoza, Mr. Jose Aligada, and Mr. Julius Platon.
QUEZON DAY 2001
The Colegio will once again pay
tribute to one of its prominent alumnus, late President Manuel
Quezon on August 19, 2001 at the Letran Grounds.
This year’s Quezon Day Celebration, with a theme “Si Quezon: Ang
Huwarang Alumno at Dakilang Pilipinong Gabay sa Panahong Makabago”,
will feature three cultural presentations from the academic
departments and the speech to be given by the family of the late
alumnus. Quezon Day Celebration 2001 is hosted by the High School
Department with Ms. Victoria Ramos as the over-all chair.
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| Alumni Affairs |
 ALUMNI TAKES PART IN THE LIEM DE LA PAZ
FOUNDATION
Mr. Jesus B. Mendoza, Jr. of Letran Alumni
Foundation, Inc. (LAFI), Mr. Jose Maria A. Aligada of Letran Alumni
Association, Inc. (LAA), and Rev. Fr. Edwin A. Lao, O.P., Rector and
President recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement delineating the
role of the alumni in the St. Vicente Liem de la Paz Foundation,
Inc. (SVLP). The signing of the MOA was held last March 12, 2001
at the Office of the Rector in the presence of Atty. Jennifer S.
Sta. Ana, Mr. Federico Ortiz III, LAFI Treasurer and Mrs. Derly
Navarro, Asst. Head for External Affairs. The said agreement gives
the Letran alumni an active role and participation in the
alumni-related policies of the SVLP.
The MOA also contains provisions
for the creation of the Letran Alumni Fund Committee (LAFC) which
shall manage the priority programs that includes but shall not be
limited to the operational requirements of the LAA, scholarships, and faculty development programs.Furthermore, the agreement
stresses the participation of the Letran Alumni in the various committees of SVLP by way
of representation. This recent arrangement signifies a closer bonding between the Colegio
and its alumni.
 Rekindling Old Ties with Spain
The Instituto de Espanol’s new director, Señor Jaime Galvan
paid a courtesy call on the Father Rector on Friday, May 25, 2001, to forge a cooperation
between the Instituto and the Colegio in the field of teaching the Spanish language and to
strengthen the awareness of Letranites regarding the necessity and importance of Spanish
in global business. Present in the informal
talk with Senor Galvan were Rev. Father
Joemar Sibug, O.P. head of the IMC who represented the Father Rector, Miss Edna Marco,
head of the Cultural Affairs, Mr. Ariel Delas Alas, Comptroller, Mrs. Rowena Reyes,
Assistant Area Chair of Communication Arts, Dr. Myrna Torreliza, Dean of CLAS and Mrs.
Ofelia Legaspi, Acting Head of the External Affairs.
Director, Galvan, made the following commitments: to give support to
Letran’s cultural projects by providing materials and teaching aids upon request, to
screen movies and hold cultural presentations in the Colegio, to allow faculty and
students to have access to the Instituto’s library and to invite the Colegio from
time to time in its socio-cultural affairs.
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| Rector's Standpoint |
Quo
vadis, Letran Knight?
Can a 45-year
old man make a dent on the armor of a 400-year-old knight?
Sitting
here at my desk, the Rector and President of Colegio de San Juan de
Letran, a school that’s more than than just a school, more a
shining reflection of a nation that has gone the gamut of
colonization, a successful revolution, a national betrayal,
re-colonization, a commonwealth, an invasion, another national
betrayal and finally a confused democracy teethering over the
unstable waters of the southeast Asian region, I wince at my own
audacity. How dare I even dream of taking this seat, much less
actually occupy it?
Charting the
future of a 400-year old knight.
Yet, after a year of trying on the Rectorship as for size, I feel
the logic of it all. It’s the profundity of my situation that
somehow escapes me as of now. But, as the Lord Himself, has implied
often enough, I shall find enlightenment in the fullness of time.
For now, I must
learn the lesson of humility and appreciate the humbleness of my
condition. It’s the first necessary step, I realize,
before any great task. I felt the responsibility to do justice to
400 years of history and, God knows, how many more hundreds of years
into the future.
Caught in the
middle of the demands of the past and of the future, I am
overwhelmed by the task bestowed on me by my colleagues in the
Dominican Order. Any person who would discern the magnitude of the
task ahead - steering a 400-year-old knight onto a path of relevancy
and productivity - would be just as humbled.
Idealism vs. Realism
Having overcome the sense of awe
about the job, the next question to tackle is direction. Quo vadis,
Letran? Does the knight in shining armor have a place in the
information highways of the country, of the world? Or is he gone
obsolete, good for nostalgia and romance? Has chivalry, the essence
of knighthood, the raison d’etre of Letran, gone obsolete? Or has
the cavalier, the elite, gone out of mode?
Is idealism,
which is the essence of true knighthood, incompatible with realism?
Do we reinvent the knight in shining armor?
Gauging from unhampered good enrollment,
good even during Letran’s lowest times, parents and students are not
yet ready to throw idealism, which Letran symbolizes, out of the
window. Gauging too from the relevance of the chivalry of the modern
heroes of EDSA People Power II, Letran Knights all - Ilocos Gov.
Chavit Singson, former Philippine Stock Exchange President Jose Luis
Yulo, Congressman/ prosecutor Cecilio Apostol, concerned lawyer and
private prosecutor Leonard de Vera, and civil society leader Pastor
Saycon - chivalry or the adherence to truth, bravery and nobility
of character have not altogether gone out of fashion.
Letran for all time
Juxtaposing idealism and realism can be flawed in the light of
popular belief and current events. Idealism need not negate realism.
In fact, a full dose of healthy idealism can make a better reality.
And where are all these mental meanderings leading us, dear readers?
To the one great insight that Letran and the knightly virtues it has
meticulously cultivated in all its students these past 400 years -
truth, courage, and nobility of character - is good and relevant. In
fact, knightly virtues are urgently needed today, as it will be in
the next 400 years, and, the knights of Letran firmly believe, for
all time.
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| Sports News |
|
On with the Show! : 77th NCAA OPENING
The 77th
season of the National Collegiate Athletics Association opened last
Saturday, 7th of July at the Araneta Coliseum with Philippine
Christian University as host. After the traditional opening number
and the parade of players from the eight competing schools, the
hostilities began in the basetball wars.
Rookie Jitters
The rookie-laden Letran Knights
started its campaign with opening day jitters and succumbed to the
classy play of Defending Champions, the College of Saint Benilde
Blazers, 71 - 65. The Blazers headed by last season’s Most Valuable
Player Sunday Salvacion and Rookie of the Year Al Magpayo trimmed
the Knights lead to clinch the win for the Blazers. Former Squire
Ronjay Enrile led the Knights with 17 markers followed by fellow
rookies’ Ismael Junio and Harold Sta. Cruz with 13 a piece. The
Knights almost bagged the game only to collapse in the final
quarter.
Adjusted?
The
Knights finally notched its first win of the season at the expense
of host Philippine Christian University Dolphins last Saturday, 14th
of July at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. As expected, Ronjay Enrile
spearheaded the Knights attack to lead all scores with 22 points.
Time to Rebuild?
After bagging back-to-back titles in
1998 and 1999, the Knights were booted out
of the Final Four mainly due to the departure of the core of talent
that comprise that powerhouse line up either to the professional
leagues or to residency rules. Its time for the Knights to rebuild.
The Knights splits its first two games of the season, not a bad
start. Unexpectedly, rookie Ronjay Enrile led the Knights. Enrile, a
former Squire and undoubtedly an offensive threat would really
create problems for the opposing teams but being a rookie can he
withstand the pressure to lead the Knights? There are still several
holdovers for Coach Binky Favis who could be the leader of this
team. There’s forward Jason Misolas, who honed his talent with a
brief stint with Blu Detergent Bar in the Philippine Basketball
League, high leaping forward Billy Moody and slasher Aldin Ayo.
Misolas and Moody are part of the team that bagged the back-to-back
titles and Ayo was part of the 1999 Champion Team. They must provide
the leadership to this team, which is overwhelmingly composed
of rookies. When crunch time comes a team will surely go to the
veteran or to the more experienced one not to a new comer which is
very vulnerable to pressure. We cannot take away the fact that
Enrile is a pure scorer and will score anytime he wants to but what
we are saying is that the holdovers must impose their leadership to
the rookies to propel the Letran Knights to a Final Four stint and
maybe in a year or so the Knights will again be crowned champions.
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| Perspectives |
|
Beyond the Walls . . . .
What has happened to Manila Bay? This has been the cry of the
Philippine Aquatic and Marinelife Conservationists Association Inc.
(Pamaran). Due to decades of urbanization and industrialization
Manila Bay has become an area of ecological concern so much so that
the Manila Bay savers was put up by Mr.Dante Pasia the present
Executive Director of Pamaran.
Last June 29,
2001, Letran was invited to join the Manila Baysavers in an informal
breakfast meeting at Cafe Illustrado. Mr. Pasia met with Rev. Fr.
Jose Martin Sibug, O.P. Prior of the Convent of St John Lateran and
Head of the Communication Arts Department of the Colegio and Mrs.
Ofelia Legaspi, Acting Head of the External Affairs. The Colegio was
offered to join the annual September Bay Clean up, the ecological
journalism seminar and to support the Mangrove Nursery in a La
Huerta, Las Piñas, Rizal. Through its Communication Arts student
organizations, the Colegio will help by coming up with a masterlist
of business establishments, schools and government entities that
could be tapped to sponsor and help in the clean up protest and be
involved in a sustainable campaign for the conservation of Manila
Bay. The Colegio also plans to involve its Communication Arts
students to make this concern a project of their photo journalism
activities.
There was a
positive response to the letter of complaint sent by the Colegio to
the BPI Management regarding their garbage dumpsite along Muralla
adjacent to the school’s dormitory. It was cleaned up and
disinfected. The Colegio hopes the cleanliness will be maintained
for the benefit of everyone.
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| Editorial |
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The Peso is Falling
Down
There is an old song which runs . . . “London Bridge is falling
down, falling down, falling down.” London Bridge is falling down, my
fair Lady!” Actually it is a game and we enjoyed playing it.
But nowadays,
the Peso, like London Bridge is falling down and no one enjoys it.
Business is in the dumps and the players are all dour-faced. The
workers, supposedly led by the militant groups, are demanding for an
increase in pay but the employers know that an increase can spell
doom for their business. And the ranks of the unemployed can soar
past the 5.5 million computed in June. It is this stark reality of
the peso losing fast its buying power juxtaposed against the
background of growling stomachs and the crescendo of crimes that
bring the spectre of Hades into our everyday life.
We, in the
academe, may feel so far removed from the problems of the man in the
street as the stomach is way down from the head. What do we care if
the economy crumbles for as long as the students are in class and we
receive our pay?
This is the
irony tower of the intellect syndrome -- a kind of hideaway for
those whose head is tilted towards the stars. Don’t look down or
you may see dirt and be horrified that a multitude of men are out
there begging for a crumb of compassion or a teeny-weeny bit of
feeling of solidarity with their aches and pains. They are a smelly,
grumpy lot whose God is closely associated with their belly and
whose king is the clown who can make them laugh to forget their
misery.
We play with
words and ideas; they play with their hands and their senses. How
different can they be from us!
Think, my
friends, think. Can we bridge the chasm that divides? Can we reach
out our hands to those on the other side? Can our ideas commune with
stark of reality?
The world is
one but it moves between two contrary points -- the positive and the
negative, light and darkness, the rich and the poor etc, etc. Only
in perfection, in God, can we find the reconciliation of opposites.
Where are we?
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| Featured News |
LETRAN GLOBE TIE-UP
June 25, 2001 marked Letran’s tie up
with Globe as Rev. Fr. Edwin A. Lao, O.P., Rector and President
signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Globe Telecoms
specifying a linkage that will technically connect Globe’s SMS
(short message service) and the school’s web server.
This tie-up
provided the facility to enable a member of the school community to
access information from Letran’s web site (www.letran.edu)
using their Globe handy phone.
BENEFITS?
There is no
limitation as to the content of information that the school
provides, for example: school announcements, events, alumni
activities, job openings, sports news (NCAA updates), school
organization meetings, directory services, personnel location
notices, weekly/monthly calendar of events, announcements to parents
and students, payment schedules, exam schedules, grades, etc. This
opens up tremendous opportunities to enhance communication in the
Letran community.
HOW IT WORKS?
To avail of the
service, simply type-in the keyword
letran followed by the desired category and send it to
2333. Initial categories are: news, events,
help, jobs,
dir (for directory assistance),
alumni and sports.
This recent development is one of the innovations spearheaded by the
EDP Department through the leadership of the Acting Head, Mr. Randy
S. Castillo and his staff. The EDP staff considers this as humble
service that the Colegio can give by maximizing the school’s
resources in pursuit of a better service in terms of information and
digital technology.
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The Business of Running a School
(A short talk with Fr.
Edwin Lao, Rector - Letran College)
by Mars Balgos
He comes across as
a calm, collected man with not a worry on his mind. If he did not
introduce himself as the current Rector of the Colegio de San Juan de
Letran, I would have passed him off as a kind college professor or a
parish priest in some wealthy parish. Hardly the type of firebrand the
school needs to shake it out of the doldrums.
But appearance can
be deceiving.
Because this
supposedly calm and collected man - Fr. Edwin Lao, O.P. -- does have a
lot on his mind. He aims to improve Letran, and he will not take forever
to do it. Ponch and I learned this rather quickly during our recent
meeting with him at the Cafe Illustrado in Intramuros, Manila.
He spoke with the
cool analytic air of a marketing man: “During the two decades, Letran
had lost touch with its target market. We did not improve our curricular
offerings, much less our positioning in the market. We even had problems
with our teachers and our staff because we did not increase their
salaries for several years. And, when you have these problems in a
school, the eventual result is the decrease in enrollment.’
I mean, does this
sound like it comes from a Dominican priest? This priest sounded like he
not only knew marketing and finance principles down pat, but had the
confidence and wherewithal to implement them. It was refreshing to Ponch
and me, to say the least, because Fr. Lao seemed like the type of
Dominican who would run the school using modern management principles.
This shouldn’t be
surprising, considering that Fr. Lao earned a master’s degree in
management from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). This, in
addition to the dimension of the kingdom of heaven, makes him eminently
qualified to hold the position of Rector of our dear old alma mater. Fr.
Lao held the position of Treasurer of Letran for
nine years, and during his watch, the school crawled out of the
financial hole it had dug itself into and back into the black.
“Letran got into
financial trouble with its ill-planned expansiion into Calamba,”
revealed Fr. Lao. “Of course, the market was there, but we did
not have the finances to run two large schools at the same time.” This
was news to both Ponch and me, because we had assumed that Letran
borrowed money from the banks to finance its expansion. I had taught at
the commerce and engineering departments of Letran-Calamba for the first
two years of my professional life, and I didn’t even have an inkling
that that expansion nearly caused Letran-Manila’s demise.
“All of Letran’s
expansions, whether physical plant improvements in Manila or extension
campuses, are funded internally,” explained Fr. Lao. “We don’t borrow
from banks or other lending institutions. We just rely on the float from
the time we collect the money at enrollment to the time when we have to
disburse money in trickles.”
Guys, even if you
don’t know the first thing about running a business, you would know that
if you spend more than you earn, you will be well on your way to
oblivion, right? In Letran’s case, the school did not increase tuition
fees for many years, and yet it chose to fund an extension campus in
Laguna. Since the school did not borrow from banks, and did no outside
fund-raising from parents, alumni or other benefactors, then the
financial trouble the school went through should not come as a surprise.
All of that, of
course, is now water under the bridge. Letran-Calamba has since become
an independent college rather than an extension campus, and has
contributed to the industrialization efforts of Southern Luzon for the
past twenty years. Letran-Manila, on the other hand, recovered from this
financial debacle and is now focusing on
quality improvements.
“It is only now
that Letran is undergoing PAASCU accreditation,” said Fr. Lao. “For me,
this is very important because it gives us a relevant standard to
measure ourselves against.” With this renewed focus, Letran
administrators and faculty are now more attuned to changes that have to
be made to improve the quality of education.
“For instance, we
have gone back to basics and focused on the two disciplines that Letran
had always been famous for - Science and English,” said Fr. Lao. The
grade school and high school have re-instituted the English-only rule,
and the collegiate has chosen to identify its flagship courses as
Communication Arts and Computer Management.
The school has also spent a lot of money on building new facilities and
buying computers, telecommunications and broadcast equipment, and
audio-video items to make education an interactive learning experience.
But the journey is
far from over. Fr. Lao is merely on his second year as Rector and he
still has a lot of plans. He said that we alumni can help by funding
scholarships and professorial chairs. We can also help by starting up
projects like the Career Orientation program suggested by Francis Lugue
and by helping out college students as thesis panelists. If some of us
can also teach, then this would be most welcome.
As a parting shot,
Fr. Lao said, “The school has not yet tapped its alumni network because
we are trying to show a track record of improvement. You should drop by
sometime and see the physical changes that the campus has undergone.”
Ponch and I said we certainly would go back one of these days.
And so with a quick
handshake, Fr. Edwin Lao bid us goodbye and returned to the business of
resurrecting our school - armed with the thought that we in Letran 7478
are willing to help out in whatever way we can.
(This write-up is an excerpt from the website of Letran 7478.)
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