27 OCTOBER 2008. VOLUME 40. NUMBER 11. 12 PAGES

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Making science accessible to the poor

Marine station trains Sea Scouts

5 6

see page 3School renamed after Br. Andrew

DLSU establishes linkage with Apalit technical schoolSchool renamed after Br. Andrew

DLSU to host computational linguistics conference

2401 (twen´te fôr´,o, wun) is a landmark number along Taft Avenue. It is the location ID of De La Salle University, home to outstanding faculty and students, and birthplace of luminaries in business, public service, education, the arts, and science. And 2401 is the name of the official newsletter of DLSU, featuring developments and stories of interest about the University.

The election of PATE’s new officers was part of the 2008 National Convention and General Membership Meeting last September 19 and 20 at the Philippine Columbian Association in Plaza Dilao, Paco, Manila.

Gaspillo is the fifth president of PATE, Inc. from DLSU, following the tracks of the late Br. J. Benedict FSC, and Dean Emeritus Eduardo Gutierrez, and the previous deans of the College of Engineering, Dr. Angel Lazaro and Dr. Servillano Olano, Jr.

With the theme, “Towards Greater Mobility in Professional

Engineering Practice,” the Convention brought together engineering educators and school administrators to discuss current developments in engineering education, particularly those that pertain to program accreditation in line with international requirements in professional engineering practice.

In the convention, DLSU Chancellor Emeritus Dr. Carmelita Quebengco gave a talk on “Quality Assurance—the ASEAN Perspective” as one of the plenary speakers.

PATE, Inc. is the national organization of engineering

schools in the Philippines. It currently has 115 member institutions from the National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. PATE commits itself to the advancement of engineering educations in its functions of institutions, research and extension service.

The organization also assists existing or proposed engineering and/or technological schools or colleges by providing them among others with available data pertaining to laboratory standards, curricular requirements, industry needs and manpower development.

EnginEEring groUp ELEctS coE DEAn AS prESiDEntCollege of Engineering Dean Dr. Pag-asa Gaspillo was recently elected as the president of the Philippine Association for Technological Education (PATE), Inc. for 2008-2010, the fifth president of PATE, Inc. to come from De La Salle University.

The high school stands on a lot that Br. Andrew inherited from the Gonzalez family and which he donated to his hometown. His philanthropic works for the town also includes a community hospital for the poor. He quietly supported the people of Apalit, and not much was known of his philanthropy until after his death.

The Office of the Sangguniang Bayan of the Municipality of Apalit, Pampanga, through the efforts of Representative Anna York Bondoc-Sagum of the 4th District of Pampanga, passed Resolution No. 54 Series of 2008, endorsing the renaming of the school last September 18. The resolution was approved by Apalit Municipal Mayor Oscar Tetangco Jr. and the members of the Apalit Sangguniang Council.

Bondoc-Sagum, together with Catalina Garcia, principal of the Br. Andrew School, earlier met with DLSU College of Education administrators for possible linkages in teacher and student training. This initiative was done for the continuation of the relations of the institution to DLSU since the school was established by Br. Andrew.

Last September 26, delegates from the CED headed by Dean Dr. Roberto Borromeo, Vice Dean Rochelle Irene

Lucas, Lasallian Institute for Development and Educational Research (LIDER)Coordinator Dr. Maricar Prudente, Department of English and Applied Linguistics Chair Dr. Danilo Dayag, Educational Leadership and Management Department Chair Dr. Michaela Muñoz and Physical Department Education Chair Virginia Calabio visited the school for exploratory discussion on teacher-student training.

Training needs analyses were conducted by CED faculty members Prudente, Laramie Tolentino, and Virgilia Calabio last October 22. The activity would be the basis for development of modules on teacher training in the areas of Math, Science, English, and PE, as well as the leadership training modules for the students.

DLSU EStABLiShES LinkAgE with ApALit tEchnicAL SchooLDe La Salle University, through the College of Education (CED), recently established a linkage with the Apalit Vocational/Technical High School, now renamed as the Br. Andrew Gonzalez Vocational/Technical High School in honor of the late DLSU president and visionary leader.

CED administrators with the local officials of Apalit, Pampanga

After his one year stay in Bethlehem University as a visiting professor, former De La Salle University President Br. Rolando Dizon FSC is back on campus, not only to teach undergraduate and graduate classes, but also to help in the One La Salle Scholarship Fund campaign and to take active part once again in the various advocacy groups that he founded and currently chairs.

Br. Roly, who considers classroom teaching as his first love, is currently teaching four classes in different campuses—DLSU, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, and Philippine Normal University. The subjects are Philippine Development, Management Ethics, and the Dynamics of Religion.

Outside classroom walls, however, Br. Roly is actively engaged in helping De La Salle Philippines generate funds for the One La Salle Scholarship Fund campaign. He said he is now in contact with Philamlife Chief Executive Officer Jose Cuisia Jr. to seek the assistance of Lasallian families who can contribute to the scholarship fund.

Br. Roly is also taking active part in his various advocacies, one of which is the Good Citizenship Movement (GCM) that he founded almost four years ago. GCM aims to fulfill the Filipino people’s aspirations towards the building of the Philippines as a strong republic

by devising a program promoting good citizenship and coming up with a set of training and teaching modules on Good Citizenship Values based on the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

With the natural progress of GCM came the birth of “Transform Education, Transform the Philippines,” a more focused advocacy that highlights only three of the Good Citizenship Values—Patriotism, Integrity, and Excellence.

Br. Roly believes that these are the core values that must be deeply rooted in every Filipino leader in order to have good governance.

Br. Roly said that “Transform Education, Transform the Philippines” is currently still in its strategic planning stage, however, various industry groups are already expressing their support for the campaign. One of the long term goals of the advocacy, he explained, is that these values will be incorporated in students’ curriculum, with the aim of reaching at

least 20% of the entire population.But aside from his advocacies in

education, Br. Roly is also known for his passion for chess. After two years of lobbying that chess should be part of students’ curriculum, it was recently approved by Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus.

Through a DepEd memorandum, Physical Education classes will be required to teach chess to Grades 3 to 6 for 10 hours a year starting next school year.

With a teaching load, fund-generating activities, and advocacies in education and sports, Br. Roly remains steadfast in his mission as a Christian Brother, even after his stint as president of DLSU. And with the knowledge and understanding that he has gained during his stay in Bethlehem, he hopes to significantly contribute to the betterment not only of all Lasallian schools, but also of the Filipino nation as a whole.

Br. roLy rEtUrnS to DLSUAftEr BEthLEhEm tEAching Stint

Br. roLy rEtUrnS to DLSUAftEr BEthLEhEm tEAching Stint

De La Salle University will host the 22nd Pacific Asia Conference on Language, Information and Computation (PACLIC 22) at the University of the Philippines Visayas-Cebu College on November 20-22, 2008.

DLSU to hoSt compUtAtionAL LingUiSticS confErEncE

PACLIC 22 is organized under the auspices of the PACLIC Steering Committee and endorsed and supported by the Asian Federation of Natural Language Processing (AFNLP). Annual meetings of PACLIC have provided places for theoretical and computational linguistics scholars, who are mostly from the Pacific Asia region, to get together to share new ideas about language, information and computation.

Following the tradition of previous PACLIC meetings in Hong Kong (2001), Jeju, Korea (2002), Singapore (2003), Japan (2004), Taipei (2005), China (2006), and Seoul, Korea (2007), PACLIC 22 will emphasize the integration of theoretical frameworks with applied fields, cognitive accounts for language processing, and computational modeling of language.

The conference will cover the various aspects of theoretical and computational linguistics with topics on: (1) language, (2) information, and (3) computation in various parts of the world (Brazil, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States). Of the total 71

papers submitted for presentation, 44% were accepted as regular papers (or 31 papers) and another 21% as postersor 15 papers). These papers will be published in the conference proceedings.

For more information about PACLIC 22, please visit http://ccs.dlsu.edu.ph/nlp-team/paclic22 or contact the Program Committee Chair, Rachel Edita Roxas, at roxasr@dlsu.edu.ph, or the local organizing committee chair, Charibeth Cheng, at koc@dlsu.edu.ph.

mAking SciEncE AccESSiBLE to thE poor Lasallians join Uk students for Balud project

DLSU student leaders recently formed alliances with university students from Imperial College London to help a small, poor school in Balud, one of the poorest communities in Basey, Samar.

The students’ first collaborative project focuses on the improvement of education in Balud Elementary School, and is part of an international program known as The Balud Project, which is a vision of total development of the community in the fields of education, health and water, micro-enterprise, and environment.

Members of the DLSU group are Electronics and Communications Engineering majors Bryan Leo Asis, Jayson Reggie Obos, Michaelson Lim, and Ron Semira, and Mechanical Engineering student Leah Villalon. Asis, Obos and Lim, all belonging to the 59th Engineering batch, are former SC representatives. Villalon is the SC-legislative assembly representative of the 60th Engineering

batch, while Semira is the current president of the Engineering College Assembly.

The team from Imperial College was spearheaded by Steven Chambers, a math major, who established the Imperial BlueCube, a philanthropic trust he founded. BlueCube received a grant from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 to finance the UK students’ travel to underprivileged schools in developing regions, and help with teaching and development as part of the celebration of the centenary of Imperial College London.

Chambers was joined by six other Imperial students, namely Neha Obhrai, Emma Thompson, Ambarish Dash, Adam Aziz, and Kristina Östman. They were accompanied

by Lisa Carter of the University College London, Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III of Cardiff University, and the Balud Organization members of the University of the Philippines in Tacloban City headed by Dexie Jean Gacutno and Julie Jean Abude.

A Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the DLSU Student Council and the Imperial BlueCube for the Balud Project last September 5 at the British Embassy, with British Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Philippines Peter Beckingham witnessing the event.

Obos shared that a roundtable discussion was held between DLSU and Imperial College students on how to collaborate on the future activities of the Balud Project. The MOA aims to make Balud School a model school and a center of excellence for rural elementary education.

To kick off their mission, the teams went to Balud last September, with the Imperial College students introducing new methodologies in teaching science and mathematics to the elementary pupils. For their part, the DLSU student leaders gave more than 300 books donated by the Lasallian community. The Lasallians were tasked to build a library as a learning hub not only for the school but also for the community.

Imperial College London, which celebrated its centenary in 2007, is renowned for its research and projects for the poor, especially in the areas of health, medicine, engineering and technology. The institution has always emphasized the role of academe in tackling global ills.

The pupils of Balud Elementary School welcome their guests from Imperial College and DLSU.

Representatives of DLSU and Shell companies in the Philippines unveiled the marker of the newly renovated audio-visual room, named after the company, at the Velasco Hall last September 30. The tiered-type, carpeted AVR features 93 seats with writing tablets, a modern sound system complemented with an acoustic ceiling, a 96-inch retractable projector screen, and glass writing board.

Photo shows, from left, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Development Engr. Aurellano De La Cruz Jr., Executive Director for Development and Alumni Relations Jose Kalaw, Vice Chancellor for Lasallian Mission and External Relations Br. Bernard Oca FSC, Shell companies in the Philippines Chairman Edgar Chua, DLSU President and Chancellor Br. Armin Luistro FSC, and Sustainable Development Manager of Shell companies in the Philippines Chito Maniago.

ShELL, UnivErSity officiALS UnvEiL Avr mArkEr

Quebengco turns over College of Law plans and program to VCAChancellor Emeritus Dr. Carmelita Quebengco recently finished all pertinent plans and the program of the DLSU College of Law and turned them over to Dr. Julius Maridable, Vice Chancellor for Academics, for implementation.

Photo shows Chancellor Emeritus Dr. Carmelita Quebengco handing over the materials to Dr. Julius Maridable. Witnessing the event are, from left, Atty. Virgilio de los Reyes and Atty. Jose Manuel Diokno, who will serve as the College of Law vice dean and dean, respectively, and Br. Armin Luistro FSC.

Quebengco ensured that the University would be all set for implementing the operating policies and guidelines for the college upon the approval of the University’s proposal by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Guided by the vision of DLSU President and Chancellor Br Armin Luistro FSC for the college, Quebengco brainstormed with

a team of human rights lawyers and drafted the concept paper of the College of Law, its curriculum, general policies, priorities, and financial feasibility.

Together with incoming Dean Atty. Jose Manuel Diokno and incoming Vice Dean Atty. Gil de los Reyes, the curriculum was further refined and the roster of faculty and members of the Law Board

of Advisers was identified.Other university

administrators who assisted Quebengco in the preparations for the opening of the DLSU College of Law were: Assistant Vice Chancellor Edwin Santiago for the CHED requirements in applying for a permit; Dr. Violeta Valladolid,

Institutional Testing and Evaluation Office Director on the development of the DLSU Law Aptitude Test; Melisse del Rosario and Ma. Paz Isabel Trinidad of the Admissions Office for the Law admissions policies, guidelines, and schedule. The DLSU College of Law will be housed at the Br. Andrew

Gonzalez Hall.

Following UNESCO’s declaration of October 5 as World Teachers’ Day, De La Salle University, through the initiative of the Office of President and Chancellor Br. Armin Luistro FSC, paid tribute to the teaching faculty last October 15 at the Yuchengco lobby.

UnivErSity cELEBrAtES tEAchErS’ DAy

In his message to the Lasallian community, Br. Armin said that “as a leading educational institution in the country, De La Salle University will not be where it is now without the competence, hard work, and dedication of our teaching workforce.”

He also expressed hope that this annual celebration and recognition of the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development would be commemorated for the whole month of October.

Students organized performances and distributed tokens for the teachers. Student leaders from the Student Council and the Council of Student Organizations also gave testimonials on their teachers’ dedication to their vocation and excellence in their respective fields. Students also asked their professors to sign on their Teachers’ Day mural.

University Fellow Dr. Tereso Tullao (left) hosts the event. Photos(right) show Lasallians inprayer and celebration.

LASALLiAnS tAkE A BrEAk with wELLnESS progrAm

One of the major highlights of the caravan was the health and wellness seminar conducted by media personality Cory Quirino, who discussed the importance of caring for the body, mind, and spirit. She explained that each aspect of life must be in sync with each other in order to have a more fulfilled and happy life.

Also part of the caravan was the multi-sectoral forum on the latest job trends, which was attended by representatives from different industries—Toshiba, Philippine Airlines, and several business process outsourcing companies.

The industry representatives discussed what qualifications their companies are currently looking for in students and fresh graduates today.

Another seminar held was the

“Tunay na Ligaya: A forum for students” with invited guest speaker Arun Gogna. A well-known lay preacher, he discussed the approach that one must take to maintain lightness in life. He explained that while it is important to be serious in work and in studies, one must never forget to be lighthearted and happy.

Other activities held during the caravan were the Academic Enhancement Skills Shop, simulated job interview, career talk and recruitment, a hip hop class, ongoing reflexology sessions, a day-long nutrition consultation booth, and the Volunteers’ Night/Service Awards Night that served as the culminating event of students’ curriculum, it was recently approved by Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus.

HIP TO BE HERE. The Marketing Communication Office (MCO) of De La Salle University (DLSU) recently kicked off the University’s Hip to be Here campaign for students of La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) and De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (DLSZ).

H2BH is designed to inform high school students of DLSU feeder schools of the advantages in enrolling at DLSU. Included in the program is the staging of the I am the Future exhibit in LSGH and DLSZ campuses, a DLSU campus tour, and a Hip to be Here presentation that highlighted the excellence of Lasallian education.

With the theme, “Wellness and happiness,” the Office of Career Counseling Services (OCCS) held its annual OCCS Caravan last October 13-17, featuring a number of activities and seminars on the importance of health and the latest trends in job hunting today.

Sustainable Harvests-Bio Economic (FISH-BE), which provides a model for developing a profile of fisheries, thus leading to a systematic presentation and evaluation of information. FISH-BE helps estimate the fishing capacity of an area.

FISH-BE, which comes in a freely-distributable version called Fishing Industries’ Support in Handling Decision Applications (FISH-DA), aims to improve fisheries management in the country. It is now being promoted to 130 local government units to reduce overfishing and promote sustainable use of their coastal resources.

“I am the future” Exhibit will be staged at One E-Com, SM Mall of Asia, on October 25 to 29, SM San Lazaro on November 5 to 7, SM Marikina on November 12 to 16, and SM North Edsa on November 24 to 28.

Exhibit, from page 12

With the theme, “Taking Care of the Sea,” the half-day activity was facilitated by DLSU alumna Maricar Samson, with invited guest lecturer Biology Department Associate Professor Dr. Carmen Ablan-Lagman. Gerry Lagman facilitated the game that served as take-off point for Ablan-Lagman’s lecture.

In cooperation with the Matuod Homeowners’ Association and Matuod Free School, the series of monthly trainings for the Sea Scouts candidates is aimed to prepare them to be future leaders in conservation and sustainable use of the marine resources of Talim Bay by enhancing their knowledge and skills in marine science, resource assessment, public education, and disaster preparedness, among others.

They are taught using a multi-level and comprehensive curriculum to prepare them to serve as guides, masters, and facilitators for beach camps and field trips; assistants and assistant

instructors to students undertaking field work; assistants to research and thesis students; assistants to the research and monitoring, and habitat protection and restoration programs; and facilitators in the coastal resource management and disaster preparedness programs.

The curriculum is divided into basic, intermediate, and advanced with courses in reef, mangrove, sea grass, and turtle and will incorporate reward and evaluation systems, scholarships, and lectures on first aid, life-saving techniques, camping skills, and public speaking.

The Sea Scouts’ monthly trainings, which started last June, will end with the Sea Scouts candidates’ graduation into more specialized Beach Scouts/Turtle Patrol, Seagrass Scouts, Mangrove Scouts, and Reef Scouts called the “Hakbang” in February of next year.

mArinE StAtion trAinS SEA ScoUtSThe Sea Scouts candidates of Talim Bay, composed of 61 children from 7 to 18 years old from the three barangays around the bay, underwent their fourth training activity last September 20 as part of the ongoing series of monthly trainings sponsored by the De La Salle University Br. Alfred Shields Marine Station in Lian, Batangas.

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SM Supermalls invited DLSU to stage the exhibit for free in different SM malls, as part of the company’s environmental awareness campaign. The exhibit runs from October to December.

One of the major highlights of the exhibit is Sinag, the Philippines’ first solar car to race in the World Solar Challenge in Australia. Constructed in less than a year, Sinag is a testament to the Lasallians’ pioneering spirit and passion to make a difference. Engineering faculty and students put their faith in action and conquered all odds by working together and spending grueling hours to finish the construction of the solar car.

Aside from solar energy, DLSU also took on the challenge of creating wind energy by developing a research on wind turbine technology. Students, with the help of their professors, completed the project in two years. With a 3-kilowatt maximum

DLSU EnvironmEntAL ExhiBit StArtS mALL toUrDe La Salle University, in partnership with SM Supermalls, recently started touring the “I am the future” exhibit—a showcase of some of the University’s outstanding technological innovations that offer alternative solutions to environmental challenges.

capacity, this invention can produce enough electricity for one household.

Also featured in the exhibit is the Micro-Hydro Power Plant in Abra, which was constructed and finished in 1997. By 1999, the MHP project had already provided electricity to a high school and to more than 100 households.

Bent on spreading MHP technology in the country and allowing more communities to enjoy the benefits of electricity, DLSU established the Center for Micro-Hydro Technology for Rural Electrification Project (CeMTRE) in 2002.

The project initiated by the Br. Alfred Shields Marine Station in Talim Bay, Lian, Batangas on the conservation, protection, and management of the marine resources is also part of the exhibit. La Salle faculty and students undertook a painstaking educational campaign for the local fisher folk and their families to participate in proper coastal management, which led to the beautification and protection of the marine ecosystem in Talim Bay.

Another project showcased in the exhibit is the Fisheries Information for

see page 10