In a statement on social media, the Faculty of Pharmacy acknowledged the recognition, which “reflects the enduring legacy and pioneering spirit that have shaped our institution and contributed significantly to the development of pharmacy education in our nation.”

UST’s Faculty of Pharmacy is home to five programs, the BS Pharmacy, BS Pharmacy, major in Clinical Pharmacy, the Doctor of Pharmacy, the BS Medical Technology, and the BS Biochemistry programs. Three of these programs enjoy the certifications from the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance, and the BS Pharmacy and BS Medical Technology programs are accredited Level IV by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA), while the BS Biochemistry program enjoys Level III status.

A leader in academic excellence, research, and professional engagement, the Faculty of Pharmacy is home to decorated academics and leaders. Currently serving as President of the Philippine Pharmacists’ Association is the Dean Dacanay, alongside alumna Ma. Lourdes S. Garganera, RPh (Assistant Treasurer). Recently, Prof. Agnes Llamasares-Castillo, PhD was named as the 2024 National Research Council of the Philippines Achievement Awardee for Pharmaceutical Sciences. Among the Faculty’s most prominent graduates are Ms. Vivian Que-Azcona, President of Mercury Drug Corporation, the country’s leading drugstore chain.

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Among Castillo’s research highlights are drug delivery of natural products and product development. Her work with natural products and pharmacology have been published in journals such as Current Enzyme Inhibition, the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, and Neurotoxicology. Conditions that have been the subject of her studies include Alzheimer’s disease, osteoarthritis, and myeloid leukemia.

A decorated academic, she has been feted with the 2023 The Outstanding Pharmacist Award in Research by the Philippine Pharmacists Association, Inc. and the 2021 Best Mentor in Health Research Award by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development. Recently, she was also named a recipient of the 2025 Faces of PACOP Award (Research Category) by the Philippine Association of College of Pharmacy.

Llamasares-Castillo teaches at the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Graduate School and is an academic researcher at the Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences. She has recently partnered with Assoc. Prof. Donald G. Manlapaz, PhD, PTRP to establish the GRACE HUB with support from the TOMASInno Technology Business Incubator of the University.

The NRCP Achievement Award was established in 1979 to recognize “members for their significant contributions to their respective fields.” Among UST’s NRCP Achievement Awardees are Prof. Mario A. Tan, PhD (Chemical Sciences, 2023), Prof. Jovencio G. Apostol, PhD (Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2017),  Prof. Allan B. de Guzman, PhD (Governmental, Educational, and International Policies, 2006), and Prof. Maria Natalia R. Dimaano, PhD (Engineering and Technology, 2009).

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Academic researchers Prof. Agnes Llamasares-Castillo, PhD, Prof. Ross D. Vasquez, PhD, Assoc. Prof. Oliver B. Villaflores, PhD, all from the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, joined co-researchers from Singapore’s DELIGHTEX PTE LTD., namely Yutaka Kuroki, Aya Wada, Xinyi Zhu, and UST research assistants Kyle Andrei Cabatit, Jonah Joshua Garcia, and Janelan Martin.

The researchers were able to find thirty-nine plants with sleep-enhancing activities, such as Lactuca sativa, Nelumbo nucifera, and Ziziphus jujuba. The authors found that these plants “demonstrated consistent efficacy in improving sleep quality through interactions with the GABAergic system.” Though thirty-nine plants were identified in the reviewed studies, the researchers caution that “most studies are still preliminary, with the molecular mechanisms behind their sleep-enhancing effects remaining inconclusive.”

The researchers published on February 27, 2025 the review entitled “” in Phytomedicine Plus, indexed in Elsevier. The study is in line with phase 1 of the project funded by Singapore’s DELIGHTEX PTE LTD.

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Within various technical panels are Thomasian academics and researchers, namely:

ACCOUNTANCY

1. Prof. Patricia M. Empleo, PhD

BIOLOGY, Molecular Biology, and Microbiology

1. Prof. Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz, Dr. rer. Nat.
2. Prof. Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD
3. Prof. John Donnie A. Ramos, PhD

CHEMISTRY

1. Academician Professor Emeritus Maribel G. Nonato, PhD
2. Assoc. Prof. Oliver B. Villaflores, PhD

FINE ARTS

1. Assoc. Prof. Eric B. Zerrudo, PhD

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

1. Prof. Marilu R. Madrunio, PhD (Chair)
2. Prof. Camilla D.J. Vizconde, PhD

GRADUATE TEACHER EDUCATION

1. Prof. Camilla D.J. Vizconde, PhD

LITERATURE

1. Prof. John Jack G. Wigley, PhD

MARINE SCIENCE

1. Prof. Mary Beth B. Maningas, PhD

MATHEMATICS

1. Prof. Ma. Carlota B. Decena, PhD

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

1. Prof. Ma. Freida Z. Hapan, PhD

MEDICINE

1. Prof. Ma. Minerva P. Calimag, MD, PhD

MUSIC

1. Assoc. Prof. Dolores T. Andres, PhD

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

1. Asst. Prof. Kathlene Anne V. Hernandez, MHPEd

OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING

1. Assoc. Prof. Ma. Ninia I. Calaca, MA, MAPhl
2. Prof. Belen L. Tangco, PhD

PHARMACY

1. Prof. Aleth Therese L. Dacanay, PhD (Chair)

PHILOSOPHY

1. Prof. Robert A. Montaña, PhD

PHYSICAL THERAPY

1. Prof. Cheryl R. Peralta, DrPH

PHYSICS

1. Assoc. Prof. Angelita Silverio, MS (ret.)

REAL ESTATE

1. Prof. Eduardo G. Ong, PhD

SOCIOLOGY

1. Prof. Clarence M. Batan, PhD
2. Asst. Prof. Louie Benedict R. Ignacio, PhD

SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

1. Inst. Elinor Bautista
2. Asst. Prof. Judith S. Damian, MS (ret.)

The newly reconstituted technical panels will have a four-year term beginning on January 1, 2025 and ending on December 31, 2028.

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Funded by the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, the GRACE Hub, whose office was inaugurated on September 16, 2024, is a project led by multi-awarded academic researchers Donald G. Manlapaz, PhD, PTRP (Department of Physical Therapy) and Agnes L. Castillo, PhD, RPh (Department of Pharmacy).

Aiming to contribute to the attainment of UN Sustainable Development Goals on Good Health and Well-being and Quality Education, the project aims to fill the void of a “home” to synergize otherwise disparate ideas and efforts to solve various healthcare issues.

GRACE Hub is an Innovation Hub aiming to “lead the advancement of health research and product innovation by promoting and facilitating ideas and concepts to improve the quality of health care for all Filipinos.” As such, it positions itself as the pre-incubation hub of health research products, specifically those currently being supported by the Philippine government through PCHRD. The hub will provide experiential learning for health innovators, who will be trained on having an entrepreneurial mindset, generating creative ideas, and identifying a problem before these are brought to the TomasInno Center for actual incubation of the planned technology.

Operating under the Office of the Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, the GRACE Hub will initially help innovators from the UST health sciences programs and the UST Hospital and conduct training sessions to support innovation. Once capacitated, the trained future innovators will be transferred to the TomasInno Center where the ideas can be incubated for commercialization and rollout to the public.

Future innovators may get in touch with the GRACE Hub through their Facebook Page: .

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The UST passing rate of 87.10% is higher than the national passing rate of 55.19%.

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From left: Mark Kevin Devanadera, Angelica Crisostomo, Myla Santiago, Leonardo Guevarra, Jr., Yusong Guo, Minerva Daya, Robert K.M. Ko, Ruel Valerio De Grano, John Paulin, Maritess Cation, and Maricel Ranido.

To foster international collaborations and enhance academic excellence, the ľĹÉ« (UST) Faculty of Pharmacy Department of Biochemistry embarked on a benchmarking visit to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from March 12 to 16, 2024. The delegation from UST, comprising faculty members and researchers specializing in biochemistry, was warmly welcomed by Dr. Robert K.M. Ko, Acting Division Head, Division of Life Science, and Professor Yusong Guo at HKUST.

During the benchmarking activities, the UST delegation had the opportunity to tour state-of-the art research facilities and laboratories at HKUST, gaining insights into cutting-edge technologies and methodologies employed in biochemistry research.

Engaging discussions and knowledge sharing sessions facilitated a fruitful exchange of ideas, highlighting areas of mutual interest and potential collaboration. Dr. Minerva Daya, Chair of the Department of Biochemistry, UST Faculty of Pharmacy, expressed her appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by HKUST and emphasized the significance of international partnerships in advancing scientific research and education. “This benchmarking visit has provided us with invaluable insights and inspiration to further enhance our academic programs and research initiatives at UST. We look forward to exploring collaborative opportunities with HKUST in the field of biochemistry,” she remarked.

The visit to HKUST marks a significant milestone for the Department of Biochemistry paving the way for future collaborations and contributing to the advancement of biochemistry research in the Philippines and beyond.

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Faculty of Pharmacy Dean Aleth Therese L. Dacanay, PhD, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery academic researcher Maria Minerva P. Calimag, MD, PhD, and alumni Antonio Leachon, MD, Alfredo So, and Vicente U. Briones met with lawmakers to share their position on the bill filed by Rep. Ferjenel G. Biron.

In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Dean Dacanay mentioned that the group agreed to the bill, provided that provisions will be included for the protection of consumers against scrupulous e-prescriptions. Thus, safeguards on signatures, surrender of used prescriptions, and partial filling should be in place. Furthermore, the bill should clearly define legitimate online pharmacies given the proliferation of online sellers. Finally, the group advocated for an education campaign should the bill be approved.

Dacanay represented the Philippine Pharmacists Association, while Calimag spoke for the Philippine Medical Association. So is currently the President of the Consumer Healthcare Industry Association of the Philippines, while Briones heads the Drugstores Association of the Philippines. Leachon attended as a private individual in the hearing.

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Apart from the two distinctions, UST was also recognized for having the most number of Level IV accredited programs in the country. Level IV is the highest rating a program can get. Programs enjoying this status “have been highly respected as very high academic programs in the Philippines and with prestige and authority comparable to similar programs in excellent foreign universities,” according to PACUCOA.

Meanwhile, four bachelor’s programs were also recognized for producing topnotchers in recent Professional Regulation Commission licensure exams, namely, BS Medical Technology, BS Accountancy, BS Nutrition and Dietetics, and BS Architecture.

UST also won an award for the community outreach/extension program contest. The College of Science bagged Second Prize for “CCHEERS to Laudato si: Care for our Common Home through Environmental Expedition Integrating the role of Service-Learning.”

Thomasian professors were also recognized by PACUCOA. Graduate School academic staff Lucila O. Bance, PhD was named Outstanding Accreditor, while Dean Emeritus Carmen Kanapi, PhD received a Posthumous Award for Service. Service awards were also received by Graduate School academic staff Belen Tangco, PhD (Accrediting Team Chairman), as well as Faculty of Pharmacy officials Aleth Therese L. Dacanay, PhD, Frieda Z. Hapan, PhD, and Edilberto P. Manahan, PhD.

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Meanwhile, the University ranked 3rd in the top-performing schools after registering a 95.05% passing rate, which is higher than the 73.65% national passing rate. UST produced 288 new Thomasian Pharmacists.

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