Ti Simmila Scholar's Report.pdf

MARCH 2014 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF OF UP BAGUIO ISSN 0119-6634

�3 �12

The legacy of Darnay Demetillo isnot difficult to define. Excellencemarked all of his works, in most everymedium he employed. One remembershis watercolours, awash with the bluesof skies and oceans, and the pristinegrays of sand and distant shores. Hisportra i t s were arres t ing , s t rongrenditions of every subject, includinghimself. A favoured mode too were

wood and rubber cuts worked withprecision and understanding: think ofhis interpretation of Baguio City Hallviewed from Burnham Lake, and ofWright Park’s ponies (before thesehorses’ manes were dyed anime pinksand yellows by their handlers), and hiswhimsical, guitar-playing solitaries.His was an artistic technique honed

Unanimous choice for second

Darnay Demetillo Artist Award

Chancellor Rovillos cites the Award as “a celebration of excellence”� By VICTORIA COSTINA

Paintings by CFA major RomeoRosete IV share a common feature: acentral figure, foregrounded, envelopedby images that complete the thematiccontent of the painting. One painting“Penitence,” has a man, barebacked,crowned with thorns, and whiplashinghimself. A frame to the sufferer are a hostof grotesquerie that can be seen asembodiments of societal judgments, or hisinner demons, imaged as gawking,sharptoothed antagonists. This may be acommon enough subject, but Rosete’swork is compelling for both the dramaand the maturity of technique, for bothdepth and detailed rendering. Rosete says that a work begins, forhim, with a feeling, or with “internalstruggles” that find expression on canvas.Sketches take on shape and direction ashe works. An initial layer of paint isfollowed by several others, image uponimage, until he sees “the soul” of a workcoming through. Rosete never had Darnay for ateacher but his older brother who alsograduated from UP Baguio, in Fine Arts,was a student of Prof. Demetillo. Romeo,even as a senior in high school, wasacquainted with the works of Darnay andspoke of the artist’s “versatility.” Romeois grateful for the Award and nowcontinues to spend long hours painting.Such commitment is also in the legacy of

the master. �

Romeo Rosete IV,

awardee

continued next page

(From left) CAC Dean Anna Christie Torres, Romeo Rosete IV and Maisa Demetillo

�6-7�4Science lectures� Aris Reginaldo

Taboan

conference� Io Jularbal

Ibaloi Festival� Jimmy Fong andCarmen Kirk

�8At NUS� Marchellene Caday

Like a Sir� Rainier Dela Cruz

�9Bangkok

conference� Rosario Florendo

��Report��

2 TI SIMILLA March 2014

to perfection, with open, evolving styles, and a thoughtfulcaring for his subjects. All these shaped the creativity ofDarnay Demetillo who taught Fine Arts for severaldecades, and also served as Artist-in-Residence at UPBaguio. He was the key organizer of the Tahong Bundok,a guild of artists in Baguio.

The Darnay Demetillo Artist Award was instituted asa way of passing on this commitment to excellence in thevisual arts. At the awarding program held on February14, Dr. Anna Christie Torres, Dean of the College of Artsand Communication, spoke of the Award as a “primarymotivation for sustaining the legacy of Darnay Demetillo.”Prof. Junley Lazaga, head of the Department of Language,Literature and the Arts, sees the Award as a call to studentsto be “honest and serious about their craft.” Eight visualarts majors from various year levels in the Fine Artsprogram at CAC were nominated. The judges’ unanimouschoice for the Award— based on originality, craftsmanship,technique and seriousness— was Romeo Rosete IV, now

in his final year for a Certificate in Fine Arts.Serving as judges were Prof. Reynaldo Concepcion of

the College of Fine Arts, UP Diliman; Kelly Ramos, alsoof CFA, and Earl Desuasido, former instructor for FA atUP Baguio. Prof. Concepcion spoke of the young artistsas “kindred spirits of Darnay.” He commended Rosete’sart as “original, creative and [having] the “strongest visualimpact. Buong-buo yung trabaho.” Desuasido added thatRosete’s paintings “captured” him most, visually. Headvised Rosete to constantly practice his skills, workingon his craft by constant “exposure to the medium.” Ramosalso commended Rosete for work that “matches thevision.”

Among those present at the awarding were MaisaDemetillo, one of the daughters of Darnay Demetillo,College deans and faculty, members of the Executive Staffled by Chancellor Raymundo Rovillos, and students ofCAC. Rosete received a box of paints and brushes sent in

by Gloria Orden, based in the US.�

Unanimous choice, from page 1

A young master’s works: (from left) “Holier than Thou;” “The Truth;” “Penitence”

March 2014 TI SIMILLA 3

��Report��

Ten speakers from UP Baguio and UP

Diliman delivered lectures during the an-

nual celebration of College Week at the

College of Science. The talks covered vari-

ous topics: Applied Analyses (Mathemat-

ics), Human Kinetics, Ecology and Tax-

onomy (Biology), Chemistry, and Manage-

ment of Chemicals. Several of these talks

were delivered as Professorial Chair Lectures, some are re-

sults of recent researches and others are studies that were pre-

sented in recent international conferences.

All speakers who delivered Professorial Chair Lectures

were from UP Baguio, namely, Dr. Juancho Collera (Depart-

ment of Mathematics and Computer Science), Prof. Fernando

Florendo (Human Kinetics) and myself (Department of Bi-

ology). Using numerical bifurcation analysis, Dr. Collera

discussed identifying symmetry-breaking bifurcation in a sys-

tem with dihedral symmetry groups. Prof. Florendo, on the

other hand, presented the results of his research on the ef-

fects of dance aerobics and weight training on the body fat

percentage of female students of UP Baguio. I presented the

general and specific patterns of responses of non-native (pest)

small mammals (rats, mice, shrews) in relation to varying

degrees of habitat disturbances in the southern Cordillera re-

gion. In another lecture I focused on the same topic in Ecol-

ogy, but in this other paper, the responses of native species

(mostly, endemic to the Philippines) to different levels of dis-

turbances were presented. The latter lecture was first pre-

sented at the International Mammalogical Congress, held in

the United Kingdom in August 2013.

The other speakers from UP Baguio were Dr. Jerico Bacani

from DMCS, Liezel Magtoto and Dr. Zenaida Baoanan, both

from the Department of Biology, and Dr. Ofelia Giron from

the Department of Physical Sciences. Dr. Bacani presented a

paper that makes use of “shape optimization technique” in

solving Bernouli free boundary problems. The talk was also

previously presented during the International Conference on

Mathematics and Computing, held in India in December 2013.

In the same conference, Dr. Bacani was awarded a best paper

presentation. Ms. Magtoto shared the unex-

pected encounter and eventual identification

of a new plant species (Amorphophalus

adamsensis) through photography.

Dr. Giron’s talk focused on a new field

in chemical sciences, known as green chemis-

try. According to her, this new field promotes

design and processes that minimize the use

and generation of hazardous substances through development

of environmentally sustainable and economically attractive

solutions. Dr. Baoanan also shared the results of her training

in Brunei on the risk assessment and management of chemi-

cals. In addition to presenting basic principles and concepts

on this topic, she also presented a possible direction for UP

in the management of chemicals.

Two other speakers from the Institute of Environmental

Science and Meteorology in UP Diliman joined the roster of

speakers from UP Baguio. Dr. Benjamin Vallejo, Jr., a fac-

ulty member of the Institute, talked about the concept of

climate envelope models and their uses. According to him,

these models are useful to resource managers because the dis-

tributional range of organisms as affected by environmental

change may be predicted. The other speaker was Roberto

Badrina, an MS student of the same Institute. The focus of

his lecture was on the design and use of a model that deter-

mines the impact of land cover changes on the Philippine cli-

mate.

Faculty and students from the College of Science attended

the lectures, along with visitors from the Department of Ag-

riculture-CAR. Focus of discussion was on the methodology

of each research and possible collaborations.

The lectures, held on February 5 and 14, were organized

by the College of Science Lecture Series Committee, headed

by Dr. Jerico Bacani, in partnership with the Student Coun-

cil through its College of Science Representative Christian

Roman.�

Lectures held for College of Science Week�By ARIS REGINALDO

��Report��


continued next page

The annual National Commission for Culture and the Arts

(NCCA) Philippine Writers Festival, more popularly known as

the Taboan, is an avenue for upcoming and professional writers

in the country to further improve their skills through an ex-

change of new ideas and concepts.

This year’s Taboan was held at the Subic Holiday Villas, Subic

Freeport Zone, Zambales. The 3-day festival which started on

February 24 garnered participants from all over the Philippines,

presenting an array of various writing styles, cultures, and expe-

riences. But the festival does not only cater to writers per se, it

also makes its mark as a hub for scholars, researchers, teachers,

and good ole lovers of literature. For this year, the festival theme

was “Winds and Waves, Wars and Words,” reflecting the vari-

ous conditions the country has gone through since last year. In

fact typhoons, earthquakes, skirmishes, among others, are what

the country has to go through on a regular basis. The Taboan

sees these not as hindrances but as a thrust for social awareness

and expression.

Taboan is a Visayan word for marketplace where the exchange

of goods and services takes place. For the NCCA the Taboan is

a marketplace where participants could get and give at the same

time. At the festival, your wallet is your skill, your bayong is

your brain and knowledge is the commodity. The festival is in-

Taboan 2014: National Commission for Culture and the Arts

“Winds and Waves, Wars and Words”� By IO JULARBAL

deed a place for

learning, teach-

ing, and sharing,

all for the cause

of enriching

Philippine liter-

ary culture.

The festival

hosted several

talks from some

of the most re-

spected Filipino

figures in litera-

ture, including

Philippine Na-

tional Artists for

L i t e r a t u r e

Bienvenido Lumbera and Virgilio Almario. Also there to share

their thoughts and ideas were, among others, Dr. Michael Tan,

UP Diliman Chancellor and Philippine Daily Inquirer colum-

nist; novelist, essayist, and short story writer Cristina Pantoja

Hidalgo; Director of the Literary Arts Division of the Cultural

Center of the Philippines Herminio Beltran; poet and perfor-

mance art therapist Victor Emmanuel

Nadera Jr., and Dr. Priscilla Macansantos,

head of the NCCA National Committee on

Literary Arts.

The Sessions, Lessons, and Happenings

The festival formally opened with a

marching band and cultural dancers greeting

the participants just outside the venue

grounds. Hosted by the vibrant and ever en-

ergetic Cecile Yumul, the session started with

several speeches, led by NCCA Chair, Prof.

Jun De Leon, who discussed how important

literature is especially in identity and in self

respect. Festival Director Julliet Mallari also

took the podium and gave the participants

an overview on the Taboan. Dr. Michael Tan,

keynote speaker for the event in his typical

“Pinoy Kasi” style would elaborate on the

Keynote Speaker Dr. Michael Tan, Chancellorof UP Diliman

With Bienvenido Lumbera and Dr. Epifanio San Juan, Jr.

��Report��


f e s t i v a l ’ s

t h e m e ,

mentioning

that resil-

ience should

not be a rea-

son to not

strive for

b e t t e r

things in

l i f e .

Olongapo

C i t y

M a y o r ,

R o l e n

P a u l i n o ,

b a r e l y

catching his

breath, would also take the time to wel-

come the participants and thank the

NCCA for bringing the writers festival

to Subic.

The festival offered several parallel ple-

nary sessions with an array of topics: the

Internet and the revival of literatures; Ang

Pagsulat Bilang Hanapbuhay; The Critic as

Intermediary; Literature and Nation

Building, just to name a few. What sets

Taboan apart from other writers confer-

ences is the fact that the Taboan is not a

paper reading conference. Designated pan-

elists are encouraged to speak right off the

bat and have a free flowing discourse with

the audience, ergo a free exchange of ideas.

In Taboan academic boundaries are indeed

blurred because everyone is given a voice

and a chance to be heard. Though it was

impossible to attend all the parallel ses-

sions, here are things I learned from some

of the sessions I was able to attend:

“Panitikan sa Panahon ng Delubyo:

the Literature of Disaster” was a plenary

treat for everyone, featuring two of the

country’s National Artists for Literature,

Bienvenido Lumbera and Virgilio

Almario. In their session Bienvenido

Lumbera discussed matters concerning

social media and the emerging online-

writer class, referring to them as not new

writers but writers using new media.

Virgilio Almario on the other hand was

bombarded by questions concerning the

Philippine alphabet and the controversial

P and F issue. He would reply by saying

that our old alphabet does not cater to so

many sounds in the country and that it

has to evolve to be more ethno-linguisti-

cally viable.

I was fortunate enough to be a panel-

ist in one of the sessions, “The Natural

Life of the World: Translation as Preser-

vation.” Aptly, because I am currently

part of a Cordillera Language Documen-

tation project involving translation and

preservation. Stopping myself from pre-

senting yet another Igorot-laced tirade, I

ended up discussing post-colonial indig-

enous views and subaltern speak. Luck-

ily, fellow highlander and fellow writer

Johnny Buhay was with me on the panel

and so began the tirade. For our panel, a

major point of discussion was the fact that

even if considered as a tool for preserva-

tion, translation can be very destructive

if done incorrectly. Mr. Buhay used the

translation of the Ifugao Hudhud as an ex-

ample, stating that translating the Hudhud

is not exactly recreating the Hudhud, but

simply a

textual in-

terpretation

of it. He

continues,

there is

more in the

H u d h u d

than just

mere words,

it is a way of

life, culture,

and tradi-

tion. Ironi-

c a l l y ,

present in

the audience

was Rio

Alma who has written a translation of

Hudhud in Filipino. And here comes a self-

serving lifting of the bangko. Our panel

garnered several fans due to its more or

less indigenous-fueled discourse. Though

several questions were thrown at the

panel, these came as mere reiterations of

our statements. I’ll assume that more hard-

hitting questions were not asked simply

because the audience was satisfied with

what we had to say or maybe they were

afraid we’d start chopping their heads off

if they had queries. Afterwards, several in-

vites for future lectures were given, hands

were shaken, and signatures and photos

were taken. It was a good day.

In “Wounded Writers: Yielding Vul-

nerability for Insight,” the effects of lit-

erature as a tool for healing were discussed.

First on the podium was Dr. Vim Nadera

who shared his experiences in applying

poetry as an activity for cancer patients.

Based on his findings, poetry seems to ease

the anxiety of dying and provides a better

outlook in life. Nadera hopes that one day

the Philippine medical community would

seriously consider using reading and writ-

ing literature as part of medical therapy.

Next to share his thoughts was Fr. Albert

With Dr. Priscilla Macansantos and Aeta performers during the festival opening

continued on page 11

��Report��


Overshadowed by Baguio’s 19-year-oldflower festival, the first Ibaloi Festivalmanaged to be the alternative festival atBurnham Park. Starting with a parade onFebruary 2, the festival was held on theweekends of February , culminating on the23rd, Ibaloi Day. The festival includedworkshops on Ibaloy music and dance,rituals and ritual utensils, language andlanguage arts, and plenty of entertainment.

The Ibaloy (also spelled Ivadoy,Ibadoy, Ibaloi [the spelling used in mostlegal papers], Ibaluy) are the indigenouspeople in and around Baguio. Baguio, ofcourse, is another spelling of the Ibaloyword bagiw that means “moss.” Before thecreation of legal boundaries, the Ibaloyconsidered each other as comrades andrelatives as shown when they invite eachother to participate in their prestige andwealth-sharing feasts. Cooperative workand community activities also characterizetraditional Ibaloy life.

Colonization and Philippine nation-state building dispersed and divided theIbaloy into barangays, towns andprovinces, a historical phenomenon that somehow affected how Filipinosin general perceive and relate with each other, often based on imaginedperceptions of irreconcilable differences. This situation would becomeapparent in the dynamic processes involved in the growth of Baguio asa city and secondary national capital. As they were systematically pushedout of Baguio through the appropriation of their lands for governmentuse, and the invasion of the city by other Filipinos, the Ibaloys wouldeventually become a minority in their traditional domain.

During the last decades of the 20th century and the early years of the21st, the Ibaloy of Baguio and Benguet organized formal and informalgatherings for fellowship and celebrations of traditional feasts. Thediaspora of Ibaloys all over the country and the world also necessitatedsuch gatherings.

Ibaloy meetings and celebrations have become regular in Baguio,mostly at Burnham Park. Through the leadership of members ofprominent Baguio Ibaloy families like the late Cecile Cariño Afable, thecity government began to take notice and declared February 23 of everyyear as Ibaloi Day in the city of Baguio. The declaration was made on 28September 2009 (RESOLUTION Numbered 395 [Series of 2009). Inits resolution, the Sangguniang Panlungsod justified the date as the day“when the US Supreme Court recognized the legitimacy of Mateo

Cariño’s struggle for Native Title and togive due recognition to the originalindigenous inhabitants of the City.” Thiswas followed by ORDINANCENumbered 09 (Series of 2013)“institutionalizing the Ibaloi Day andmaking it a regular activity of the CityGovernment of Baguio.” Later, on 16August 2010, the City Council woulddesignate “that portion of Burnham Parkbetween the children’s playground and thecity orchidarium as site for the MateoCariño monument and as an IbaloiHeritage Garden” (RESOLUTIONNUMBERED 182 [Series of 2010]).

After a series of informal and formalmeetings of the leaders and other interestedparties in and around Baguio, the Onjonni Ivadoy (Union of Ibaloys) Associationwas organized in 2010 and registered as anon-stock and non-profit association withthe Securities and Exchange Commissionon 14 January 2011. The incorporatorsinclude Ibaloy men and women who havedistinguished themselves in their vocationsas teachers, government officers, business

people, professionals and private individuals and youth. As a legitimateassociation, the Onjon has updated organizational and financial reportswith the SEC and the BIR.

The purposes for which the association has been incorporated are:to unite the Ibaloy tribe of Baguio and Benguet wherever they reside; toperpetuate the cultural customs, traditions and language of their Ibaloyancestors; to educate the younger members about the history, customs,traditions and language of the Ibaloys; to foster love, fellowship andcooperation among the members and non-members; and to providemutual assistance to sick, elderly and indigent Ibaloys.

At present, the Onjon ni Ivadoy Association has a membership ofat least 3,000 persons from Baguio, Benguet, the rest of the country andoverseas.

In February 2010, the first Ibaloi Day was celebrated at the IbaloiHeritage Garden, spearheaded by the Onjon ni Ivadoy Association.The occasion included ritual offerings to the ancestors, traditional prayers,preparation and serving of traditional food and wine, playing ofindigenous instruments and performance of festival dances. Participantsincluded organized cultural groups and representatives from Ibaloy townsin Benguet, Ibaloy residents in Baguio and Benguet, city, town and

Notes on the first Ibaloi Festival�By JIMMY FONG

continued next page

The Onjon ni Ivadoy Association has a membershipof at least 3,000 here and abroad

Dr. Jimmy Fong and Teresa Goron


��Report��

February 22 and 23 this year proved significant for me, an academicwho aspires to do research on a group of inhabitants in one of the moststunning, inspiring places amidst the Gran Cordillera. As ananthropologist doing a lifetime study of feminism and religion, I feelprivileged that I finally have the time and opportunity to be able topursue these two topics here in Benguet.

My proposed topic of research is on the lived experiences of Ibaloywomen at the turn of the century and changes that have happened sincethen. Questions I am interested in asking entail the lived experiences ofIbaloy women at present as well. As I review the literature on the differentethnolinguistic groups in the Cordillera, I see that the Ifugao, MountainProvince (Bontoc) and Kalinga are well studied. But I find that materialson the Ibaloy are rare. Yet Baguio City was once home ground of theIbaloy.

The First Ibaloy Festival was a coming together, a coming homethat I witnessed as greetings were made from individuals who had notseen each other for sometime.

My research topic, Ibaloy Women, was greatly enhanced when Imet at the festival Ibaloy women from Itogon, La Trinidad, Tuba,Tublay, Camp 7 and Kabayan. This was a golden opportunity thatdoes not happen often. The festival was an instant introduction to thedifferent aspects of Ibaloy culture laid before my eyes. The tents set upwere dwarfed by a prominent structure, a hastily built Ibaloy housebuilt with huge bamboos as posts in lieu of the ban on pine wood. Truly the statement that the Ibaloys made use of what nature hasprovided, is evident in the use of the reed (we call runo), from the stickitself to the leaves used as material for roofing.

Several rituals were shown, dances were performed and severalongoing workshops covered dancing, step by step, how to wear anIbaloy costume, food preparation like brewing rice wine (tafey) andcooking sweet potatoes. Poetry reading was held.

A golden opportunity� By CARMEN DOMINGO KIRK

provincial officials and some overseas Ibaloys. Sacrificialanimals and other materials were contributed by the membersand their leaders.

The same celebrations were held in 2011, 2012 and 2013with generous support from Baguio and Benguet provincialand town officials. Despite being held during the PanagbengaFlower Festival season in Baguio, the Ibaloi Festival/Daycelebration managed to draw its own participants and

audience.�

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Finally therewas a languageworkshop usinga linguisticapproach inlearning alanguage. Thiswas conductedby Dr. JimmyFong, a facultymember of UPBaguio, Collegeof Arts andCommunication. Dr. Fong is anavid Ibaloycultural workerwhose passion isso evident. Iasked permissiononce to observe his class on the Ibaloy language. I have tackled English,Spanish and French without much trouble but Ibaloy proves to be achallenge.

The communal chanting was most impressive. I closed my eyes totruly savor the sound of a community being led and responding in

unison.�

Ibaloi Festival, from page 6

Dr. Kirk at Ibaloi festival

Shared tasks among Ibaloi women

��Travelling Scholar Story��


National University of Singapore

(NUS) notched the 1st spot in the 2013 QS

University rankings among ASEAN uni-

versities. It is also dubbed as the leading

global university centered in Asia, lever-

aging on global alliances with the best uni-

versities across the globe. UP for one, has

been its core partner university for the

past few years. Apart from this, NUS has

dynamic student exchange programmes,

actively accommodating 1,300 culturally-

diverse and intellectually-promising stu-

dents from 100 countries worldwide.

When I was in my sophomore year, I

got the opportunity to be the sole UP stu-

dent exchange representative for the

Temasek Foundation National University

of Singapore-Leadership Enrichment and

Regional Networking (TF-NUS-LEaRN)

Programme. The TF-NUS-LEaRN schol-

arship award is funded by Temasek Foun-

dation, Singapore to promote student ex-

changes between NUS and partner uni-

Looking back

Leadership enrichmentat the National Universityof Singapore�By MARCHELLENE CADAY

versities in ASEAN, India, China, Hong

Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. With the

objective of grooming the next generation

of Asian leaders and with a special focus

on the ASEAN region, the programme

aims to sponsor academic achievers and

student leaders for exchange and commu-

nity involvement across Asia.

I can vividly remember how euphoric

the feeling was when I arrived in the

cleanest country of Singapore. I was very

much in awe of the taxi drivers dressed

up in suit coats, like they were attending

a prestigious ball. Singaporeans are very

helpful too especially for one like me who

is not good at reading maps accurately.

My host family, Mr. and Mrs. Ngiam,

acquainted me about Singapore’s best – the

food, the places, the people, the culture,

the way of life. They were very hospitable

and they never failed to remind me about

the importance of education – that educa-

tion is my future. They told me that after

graduat -

ing from

college, I

could go

back to

SG and

they were

willing to

reach out

if I plan to

look for a

job. I an-

s w e r e d

p o l i t e l y

that I’ll

serve my

c o u n t r y

first and probably go back to SG for fu-

ture academic pursuits, if offered another

opportunity, or I could otherwise just

gladly visit them.

All the modules I took at NUS were

not too different from UP – well, study-

ing has never been a piece of cake. The

grading system is quite dissimilar, how-

ever, because the highest grade that a stu-

dent can get is 5.0 (A+) and the lowest is

1.0 (D-). Whereas in UP, uno (1.0) is a

nerd’s grade and singko (5.0) is a student’s

reflection of psychological distress and

emotional heartbreak. Apart from the aca-

demic requirement of passing all the

courses and of at least getting a GWA of

3.0 (C+), we were also mandated to col-

laborate with a volunteer network group

for community involvement. I became a

member then of SG Cares, the largest non-

profit volunteer organization in

Singapore. I successfully completed my

volunteer hours by taking part in various

activities, from interpersonal provisions

such as tutoring primary students, be-

friending the elders, sketching with men-

continued on page 11

With fellow TF-NUS LEaRN scholars

The most promising of student leadersin the ASEAN undergo training at NUS

Marchellene Caday

��Essay��


Whenever people ask me what I do for a living and I tellthem that I teach, the first reaction I get is disbelief. Most say Ilook too young for the part. Sometimes I feel flattered by thecompliment. Other times, I feel slightly insulted with what Iperceive to be a stereotype. Are all teachers supposed to lookold? Not knowing how to react, I just smile and tell them thatappearances are often deceiving.

Once they get over their incredulity, many inquire aboutwhat I teach. So I explain that I handle courses in economics andstatistics at UP Baguio. More stereotypes, more headshaking.Economics? Wow, you must be really good in Math. UP? Radi-cal. All throughout, I keep that smile pasted on my (apparentlyyoung-looking) face.

The more inquisitive ones go further, and ask why I decidedto teach. Well, where and how do I begin? Becoming a teacher isby no means an easy choice to make. To be honest, I never re-ally planned on being one. When I entered the university, mygoal was to work in a fancy company and land a job with animpressive title and lucrative salary to match. Typical collegedream, I suppose. Right before graduation, however, I began toconsider things from a different perspective. I realized that thethings I thought mattered the most are actually the least impor-tant. Sure, a high salary is always a practical consideration yetit’s never the be-all and end-all of things. I remember one of myprofessors saying, “If all you wanted to do is to make a lot ofmoney, then go find a rich employer. But that’s not what you’rein UP for. You’re here because you can make a difference.”

I realized she was right. And what better way to make a dif-ference than to guide the younger generation? Yeah, I know,I’m still young, too (at least relatively). I may not yet possess thewisdom that they say comes with age. But youth is not withoutits advantages. For one, the idealism that has been kindled bylearning still burns bright, along with that insatiable passion fornew knowledge. Plus, young people always seem less intransi-gent. We are not set in our ways and are more open to freshideas. Thus, students are always less inhibited and are more will-ing to interact with younger faculty members. Maybe that’s alsobecause we can relate to them better. Do not get me wrong. Allthe teachers I have met, regardless of age, are open to debatesand welcome inputs from students. It’s just that the older a teachergets, the more intimidating he/she seems to become. I shouldknow. I have been a student not that long ago.

Many students think of their teachers as second parents. ButI would like to think of younger educators, like me, as theirelder brothers or sisters. Like older siblings we have authorityover them, we know more than they do, and yet we could still

relate with what theyare going through.We may boss themaround, a little, wemay scold them fromtime to time, and yetwe are there when-ever they need a pieceof advice.

Economics: TheScience of Choice

In my two yearsof stay in the university,I have handled severalcourses that cater to stu-dents from different yearlevels. I have employeddifferent approaches inteaching, from lecturesto group work and reporting. I also found that recapping theprevious discussion is an effective way to stimulate the class,with a sprinkling of jokes and brainteasers to help me along theway. I must admit I am not the song-and-dance type. I’m prettyold school, actually. If everything else fails, there is always chalkand talk.

Every class I teach has been an adventure, but I have to saythe most interesting subjects are often those which cater to fresh-men students. Take Economics 11, for instance. It is an Intro-ductory Economics course offered to students of BA Social Sci-ences majoring in Economics and BS Management Economics.As I usually say on the first day, this subject is their first taste ofthe exciting world that is economics. Excitement, of course, isalways relative, and any teacher would tell you it’s quite thechallenge to make every subject live up to students’ expecta-tions. But Econ 11 is especially challenging since it is the litmustest that may influence their decision to continue with the pro-gram or not. Well, no pressure there.

The first lesson in Economics is scarcity. Every resource weuse in the production of goods and services that would satisfyour needs and wants has a limit. Therefore, every economic agenthas to make choices in the most efficient way possible, withconsumers aiming to maximize the satisfaction they derive fromconsumption and producers wanting to maximize their profit.To illustrate the problem of scarcity, I often use an examplethat students can easily relate to: budgeting their monthly al-lowance. Since majority of my students are not from Baguio,they have to stretch the sustenance they receive from their par-ents not only to cover expenses for food and school require-ments but rental costs as well. Once they draw up their budgetschedules they end up realizing that the first thing they need todo is to prioritize. In the process they learn that what theywant is not always the same as what they need. This is true forindividual consumers and this is true for other economic actorsas well, regardless of size or scope. Business firms must decide

continued next page

Like a Sir� By RAINIER RIC DELA CRUZ

Rainier Dela Cruz

��Essay��


what commodities toproduce given thelimited resources thatthey have, how muchof these to produce,and the method ofproduction that theywill use. Even thegovernment has tomake decisions re-garding the resourcesit has at its disposal.

As a discipline,Economics combinesapproaches from thenatural sciences andthe social sciences. Itborrows techniquesand tools from math-ematics in its analysisof economic phe-nomena. More often

than not, this intimidates students. Time and again I have tofind ways to make students feel more comfortable with calcula-tions, especially when I have to teach Economics 106 (Math-ematical Economics) and Social Science 101 (Fundamental Sta-tistics for the Social Sciences). Econ 106 covers equilibrium analy-sis, matrices, linear programming, and optimization problems,among others. Basically, it reviews economic concepts from amathematical standpoint, employing tools from both algebraand calculus. Soc Sci 101, on the other hand, deals with basicconcepts and techniques used in the organization, presentation,analysis and interpretation of quantitative social data. It encom-passes different tools that can be useful for the purposes of re-search, with emphasis given to the social sciences. The course isvery interesting because unlike the other subjects I handle, Sta-tistics is offered not just to Economics majors but to other BASSstudents as well. So I get useful inputs from my students major-ing in Social Anthropology or History, with minors in Psy-chology, Philosophy or Political Science. I integrate these intothe whole learning process.

Mention statistics or calculus to the average student and s/hefreaks out. So my usual strategy is to give as many sample prob-lems as possible, at least until everything gets less confusing forthe student. I give exercises when necessary, and sometimes Iask my students to solve problems on the board and explaintheir solution to their classmates afterwards. The key is to makestudents understand that all the formulas and mathematical tech-niques that they have to contend with are just tools; they arenot ends in themselves. At the end of the day, they have tointerpret the values that they have solved for and apply these toreal world problems. This is especially important for Soc Sci101, because most students have to use statistical tools in theirundergraduate theses later on.

Aside from mathematical courses, I have also handled con-ceptual subjects like Economics 101 (Macroeconomics) and Eco-nomics 121 (Monetary Economics). Econ 101 builds on the foun-dations laid in Econ 11, and is usually taken by students duringtheir second year. As a 4-unit course, it is more demanding bothfor me and my students. With Macroeconomics, the class is in-troduced to national income accounting, consumption and in-vestment decisions, income and employment determination, andmonetary, fiscal, and international policies. Econ 121, meanwhile,is more specific, and focuses on the role of money in theeconomy. It looks at specific financial institutions, and studiesfinancial markets along with the usual financial instruments be-ing traded there. It also includes discussions on different policiesand strategies employed by monetary authorities to govern thefinancial system.

Both courses do not only focus on theories. They also allowstudents to apply the concepts to the analysis of everyday prob-lems. These include business cycle fluctuations, especially reces-sions and depressions. I usually ask my classes in 101 and 121 toexamine the 2007-2008 Global Reces-sion, the 1930’s GreatDepression, and themore recent eco-nomic and fiscal cri-sis in the EuropeanUnion. They do casestudies, and along theway the students areable to use what theylearned to analyze thefactors that can leadto such events, theirimpact, and howthey could be pre-vented in the future.

Economics is the science of choice. And it teaches us thatevery choice we make entails a trade-off. A trade-off is a cost. Aseconomists we refer to it as an opportunity cost. If you chooseto produce one commodity, then you forego the opportunityof producing another. If you choose to spend your income onone good, then you lose the chance of spending it on anotheritem. If you want A, then you have to give up B, C or D. Everydecision you make, economic or not, entails a sacrifice on yourpart. I knew this when I decided to teach. I knew that I wasgiving up the chance to be somebody else or to earn a higherincome. But I also knew I could live with those opportunitycosts. I was looking for fulfilment, after all. And what could bemore gratifying than to meet your students on the street andhear them call you “Sir,” and you realize that in a way you havebeen part of their lives. Yes, I like being a teacher. I love being“Sir.” �

BA Social Sciences, major in Economics,magna cum laude

“Students have tointerpret the valuesthat they have solvedfor and apply these toreal world problems”


tally-challenged people, to environmental dealings like garbage

sorting, animal habitat cleaning and advocacy promotion for

health awareness such as AED hunting (Automated External

Defibrillator, used to automatically diagnose life threatening

cardiac arrests). True enough, it was a fulfilling experience to

give back to the Singapore community. Going the extra mile to

extend a hand no matter how tiring it was, was all worth the

effort.

Leadership enrichment is at the core of the TF- NUS-LEaRN

Programme. The task handed onto me was to utilize the vari-

ous experiences I had both as a scholar and volunteer so that I

could contribute significantly as a leader in my home country.

Currently, I am a member of OSCAR (Outstanding Students

of the Cordillera Administrative Region) and last February 26

we conducted Youth Hours, the annual gathering of academic

achievers, student leaders and socially responsible youth of the

Cordillera Region. I learned in one of the workshops I had as a

TF--NUS-LEaRN scholar that a leader is not easily swayed by

the glamor of the title alone, but is responsible about work,

motivating other people regardless of social class or stature to

strive well in the finest of their potentials.

As I was giving my talk to the participants of Youth Hours, I

remembered this ethos well, shared it to them and finally

clinched my speech with the point that that a leader is one who

does not get tired of inspiring other people to learn, to lead and

to serve for life. Now as a UP educator, I am trying my best to

encourage my students in understanding not only academics but

life lessons as well, and that each one of them has the capability

of becoming a leader because essentially, that is what a true

Iskolar ng Bayan means.

My NUS student exchange experience has truly been a re-

warding journey for me, thanks to UP, to the professors who

believed in me, who managed to write a brilliant commenda-

tion letter that captivated the screening committee and most

importantly, who molded me as a student leader. I shall con-

tinue to share my story and hopefully inspire more of the young

minds that shape the nation.�

NUS, from page 8

Alejo, SJ who shared how

poetry and music have

eased pains and tensions in

war-riddled Zamboanga.

A peaceful discourse is ac-

tually achieved in the cre-

ative terms of pen and pa-

per, with both sides given

a chance to explain and express themselves. Present in the audi-

ence were wordsmiths from the Tacloban area who shared some

songs.

The Cordillera contingent

Being at Taboan means that you are (as the Festival commit-

tee would write) part of the “most prolific and prodigious of the

country’s poets, fiction writers, playwrights, essayists and mixed

media artists.” Let me take this time again not only to carry my

own bangko but my entire sala-set as well. I was humbled to be

part of an elite group consisting of national artists, multi-literary

award winners, eccentrics, and brilliant wordsmiths. Along with

delegates representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the high-

land delegates came in full force. Led by Palanca award-winners

Butch and Priscilla Macansantos, the Cordillera contingent in-

cluded Ifugao Iloko writer Johnny Buhay; Ibaloy writer Melvin

Magsanoc; poet, veteran literature teacher, and Baguio girl Chris-

tine Flores, and myself.

The festival included a tour of Subic and San Fernando,

Pampanga, pizza and beer night in Olongapo, sponsored by the

Rotary Club of Olongapo, and the awarding of the 2014 NCCA

writers prize. 2014 Taboan ended with an overnight stay and

dinner program (with talent show) at the Widus hotel in Clark

Freeport Zone. �

Taboan, from page 5

Image: Clever Girl by Tessa Hadleywww.theguardian.com

��

The views and opinions expressed in TI SIMILLA do not necessarily reflect the collective stand of the academic staff or theofficial position of UP Baguio.

Office of Public AffairsUP BAGUIO2600 BAGUIO CITY, PHILIPPINES

ENTERED AS SECOND CLASS MAIL AT THE Baguio City Central PostOffice, Upper Session Road, Baguio City WITH PERMIT NO. CAR-08.

ISSN 0119-6634

��Report��

Published by the University of the Philippines Baguiothrough the Office of Public Affairs

E-mail: [email protected] Baguio website: www.upb.edu.ph

Editing and Layout: Victoria CostinaAssociate Editor: Jimmy Fong

Contributors: Faculty of College of Arts and Communication,College of Science and College of Social Sciences

Logistics: Malorie Joy Mones

Two of us from the Department of Lan-

guage, Literature and the Arts of the College

of Arts and Communication capped the year

with paper presentations at the 5th Interna-

tional Conference on Language and Commu-

nication (ICLC) held in Bangkok from Decem-

ber 12-14, 2013. This year’s theme was on “In-

novative Inquiries and Emerging Paradigms in

Language, Media and Communication.” The

conference was hosted by the Graduate

School of Language and Communica-

tion of the National Institute of Devel-

opment Administration, Bangkok, Thai-

land.

Dr. Anna Christie Torres, Dean of

the College of Arts and Communication,

read a paper titled, “Food for Thought:

Power, Identity, and ‘Nourishment’ of

a National Language” under the panel

on Power, Discourse and Politics. Her

study highlights the integral role of food

and language to our identity. Focused

on exploring the problem of how food

reveals the changing identities and nour-

ishes the national language, the paper touches

on staples of the Filipino table like rice (and

our numerous ways of cooking rice and terms

referring to rice in different stages), soup (like

bulalo and sinigang) and coffee and how these

reflect popular culture, language and identity

of the Filipino. Dr. Torres concluded, “While

foregoing certain commonalities among Phil-

ippine ethnolinguistic groups, food as language

likewise opens the arena of communication to

the table, the street and even cyberspace, in-

creasing the over-all linguistic capital and func-

tional domains of man.”

I also presented a paper, “Exploring

Baguio’s Linguistic Landscape: A Preliminary

Study of Signage in Philippine English,” under

the Sociolinguistics panel. The paper studies

signage in Baguio City using Philippine En-

glish and presents innovations and peculiar

features of English used for this purpose. I in-

vestigated what signage reveals about the im-

plicit language policy and preference in Baguio

City and what these reveal about language use,

especially English. Based on examples of

signage gathered for the study, it appears that

despite the number of local languages used in

the relatively small space of Baguio, English

remains the preferred language for composing

signage in business districts, even in the public

market. However, it is interesting to note that

the kind of English used exhibits a liberal use

of innovative features representative of a local

variety of the language.

Though the conference was held amidst

alarming news on political and civil

unrest in Bangkok, it was well-at-

tended and only a handful of foreign

paper presenters did not show up.

The number of Filipino delegates to

the conference was impressive, with a

total of 16 paper presenters.

A particularly interesting accom-

plishment during the event was the

establishment of important links with

Dr. Serafin Coronel-Molina of Indi-

ana University who delivered the first

day’s keynote address, “Rethinking

Language Policy and Planning in the

21st Century,” and the conference’s

Co-Chair, Dr. Hugo Lee Yu-Hsiu of NIDA.

Dr. Molina’s interest in language preservation

and revitalization is in line with the CAC’s

research and extension thrusts and he has gra-

ciously consented to open cooperation among

CAC, UP Baguio and Indiana University in

any project along these lines. �

A Bangkok confab on languageand communication �By ROSARIO FLORENDO

UP Baguio faculty read papers on food and culture,and Outer Circle language use

Dean Anna Christie Torres (right) and Rosario Florendo

Ti Simmila Scholar's Report.pdf

Documents

Transcript of Ti Simmila Scholar's Report.pdf