The lecture, entitled “C.A.R.E.: Writing and Publishing Manuscripts and Beyond” was attended by students of the B.Sc. Chemistry program, DOST-ASTHRDP scholars under various natural science programs of the UST Graduate School and academic staff of the Department of Chemistry.

During the event, Prof. Cordell emphasized on the importance of properly communicating one’s scientific knowledge through publications in valid, peer-reviewed journals and how this is important in the development of capable scientists. Throughout his lecture, he used the acronym C.A.R.E. to highlight his key takeaways for the audience such as “Conduct Appropriate and Rigorous Experiments”, “Commit to Accurate Report as an Experimentalist”, and “Critically Assessing Research Expenditures”, among others. These examples, as well as many other CARE acronyms he has developed, have been published in the journal Natural Products Communications last September 2021 ().

Prior to the lecture, Prof. Cordell met with Acad. Prof. Emeritus Maribel G. Nonato, currently serving as Assistant to the Rector for UST General Santos, Prof. Rey Donne S. Papa, Dean of the College of Science, Assoc. Prof. Alan Rodelle M. Salcedo, Chair of the Department of Chemistry, and academic staff of the Department of Chemistry to discuss potential program offerings in the soon-to-be opened School of Science of UST General Santos. Prof. Cordell’s insights as an academic official of the University of Illinois and natural products researcher were instrumental as the department is preparing its program offerings for UST’s first campus in Mindanao.

Prof. Cordell, who is an emeritus professor in the University of Illinois at Chicago and former Dean of its College of Pharmacy, is a long-time collaborator of several natural products chemists of the UST Department of Chemistry, such as Prof. Emeritus Beatrice Q. Guevara, Acad. Prof. Emeritus Maribel G. Nonato and Prof. Ma. Alicia M. Aguinaldo. He was given the title Honorary Professor of Chemistry by the College of Science of the ŸĆÉ« in 2017.

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The quintessential administrator and Dean of All Seasons
In his address of petition, Graduate School Dean Michael Anthony C. Vasco, PhD, who served as Sison’s first Faculty Secretary at the Graduate School, heaped praises on his former superior, whom he called the “quintessential administrator and Dean of All Seasons.” Recounting the fifty-four years of dedicated service that Sison has been rendering the University, he expressed appreciation at how Sison demanded excellence from those she worked with, but matched such exacting nature with the ability to mentor those under her. Likening the honoree to Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, Vasco said UST produced a chemist administrator, too, in Lilian Sison.

Sison has been a University administrator for 42 straight years, since her first appointment as Faculty Secretary of the Graduate School in 1981. After retirement in 2013, she was asked by then-Rector fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P., PhD to be the first Director of the Office of International Relations and Programs.

As he granted Dean Vasco’s petition, the Rector, the Very Rev. fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., PhD called Sison the “best-qualified candidate for Dean Emeritus.” Calling Sison “a lady who gets the job done,” he recognized Sison’s “relentless determination and fruitful action” and how “she made a mark in every assignment that will keep her leadership and management footprint.”

Heaping praises on Sison’s visionary leadership, the Rector said that Sison does not wait for opportunities but rather creates them, evidenced by the many instances in which she pioneered game-changing reforms in the University, from her time in Academic Affairs, to the Graduate School, and now, in Internationalization, which has come out in various rankings agencies as UST’s strongest suit. Her track record in internationalization was foreshadowed by her stint in the Graduate School, where her moves to make courses research-intensive were complemented by opportunities for student exchange and international paper presentations, as well as the acquisition of higher degrees in collaboration with partner universities such as the University of Western Australia. Sison was also relentless in her pursuit of scholarship and funding opportunities for faculty members to earn their degrees abroad, in countries such as Germany (through the DAAD scholarship).

No longer a second-rate university
In her response, Sison looked back at her half-century career in UST, speaking at length about her time in the Graduate School and Academic Affairs, where she was Assistant to the Rector (the post has since been elevated to Vice-Rector level). Sison thanked the University Rectors under whom she served, from the time of the second Filipino Rector, fr. Frederik S. Fermin, O.P., SThD.

Sison credited frs. Norberto M. Castillo, O.P., PhD and Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P., PhD, SThD for pushing for UST’s research intensification in their own incumbencies. Sison recalled the challenge given to her by 1990s Rector fr. de la Rosa, who wanted to remove the stigma that UST is a second-rate university of the Philippines. The newly minted Dean Emeritus then recounted how her under leadership in the 1990s, the improvement of the faculty profile through the acquisition of higher degrees and the decongestion of classrooms while providing vital resources through the Library and embracing Internet technology. By the time her term ended in the heydays of the 1990s, UST was counted by ASIAWEEK as one of the country’s top-tier universities—which precipitated the moniker “Big 4 Universities” that the University now enjoys.

Diversifying the Graduate School’s offerings
Sison also thanked former Rectors frs. Tamerlane Lana, O.P., de la Rosa, and Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P., for entrusting to her the stewardship of the Graduate School for 13 years. In her incumbency, she not only upgraded faculty profile and quality by recruiting younger faculty who also had research and/or industry practice, but also ensured a more research-intensive orientation for programs through the introduction of the Research Colloquium requirement. The diversity of programs offered also intensified, with programs on cultural heritage studies, rehabilitation sciences, and curriculum and instruction, among others, opened.

A heart filled with gratitude
Sison expressed profound thanks to the people she worked with, from the Dominican Fathers, co-administrators, faculty members, support staff, and students, as well as those who share her advocacy in Religions for Peace. “Thank you for being kindred spirits,” said Sison. “I am deeply humbled, and I dedicate this honor to my family: my daughter Christine and her husband, Allen; my grandchildren, Ram and Nina; to my sister Cora and brother Jose; and most of all, to the memory of my late husband, Ramon Sison, who did most of the sacrifice when there was conflict between work and family.”

“Fifty-four years of professional journey at UST was a joyful experience inspired by my family and the patronage of the Blessed Mother. So what can I tell you, young Deans, based on my experiences? Believe in yourself. You can do anything if you put hard work into it. Continue reading and learning and be kind to all in manners and action. Finally, heed what St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: ‘Whatever you do, do it for the greater glory of God.’”

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Tribute to the homebuilding essentials provider

UST Rector fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., PhD hailed Belo’s perseverance and resourcefulness, which stemmed from his family’s entrepreneurial upbringing. The Thomasian alumnus’ shrewdness led him to pioneering ventures and his innovative approaches paved way for thriving enterprises that opened doors to countless individuals. “He is a man of vision. His leadership in the corporate world has not only revolutionized industries, but also created opportunities for the economic growth of the Philippines,” fr. Ang said.

The Rector recalled that the recent lockdowns also prompted them to improve and to rehabilitate the Thomasian community’s home in preparation for the new work and study setup; he likewise expressed his gratitude to Belo for lending his hand. “Home is a basic human need that provides comfort and safety. For this reason, the legacy of our honorary as the alchemist of home improvements will live on in our hearts and memories,” fr. Ang said.

Graduate School Dean Prof. Michael Antony C. Vasco, PhD, referencing economist Adam Smith, described Belo as a person who selflessly offered his ability to put himself in the position of impartial observer to form a sympathetic notion of the moral merits of the case, thus demonstrating the three Thomasian core values of competence, compassion, and commitment. “Mr. Belo’s belief of providing support to human development by sharing the fruits of his success to the greater number of people who are in need of such assistance, by making his business empire an instrument to provide access and opportunity to improve the lives of people and the environment, demonstrates his existential concern to his fellow men and penchant support for UST’s mission of serving the Church, the nation, and the global community,” Vasco said.

Credit to a well-rounded Thomasian formation

In his message of gratitude, Belo attributed his success to the Thomasian education he obtained and eventually imbued in running his enterprise–the largest and leading distributor of homebuilding essentials in the country. “With our University’s trust to develop competent, compassionate persons committed to serve the Church, the nation and the global community, I became a well-rounded individual well-equipped with technical know-how, social, and interpersonal skills, and most importantly, the moral fortitude to pursue my dreams not for myself alone but for God, [and for my] country as well,” Belo said. He then thanked his professors for molding him, as well as enabling him to translate his aspirations into reality.

Belo also shared the three entwining aspects he learned in his career: 1) The importance of value-driven vision and dreams, and what you want to become. 2) The value of hardwork in building meaningful relationships. 3) The sense of fulfilment in service in giving back.

The Faculty of Engineering and the UST Graduate School spearheaded the cause for Belo’s recognition, which received the stamps of approval of the Council of Regents, Academic Senate, and the University’s Board of Trustees.

The man behind Wilcon

With a degree of BS Electronics and Communications Engineering (BS-ECE) from the Faculty of Engineering, Belo started as a simple entrepreneur and owner of a 645-square-foot hardware store along Quezon Avenue in 1977.

Driven by his focus and desire to be of service to Filipino homebuilders, and with a strong belief that Filipinos should be given the best product choices for their homes, Belo founded the Wilcon Builders Depot, and Wilcon Home Essentials — Wilcon Corporation’s two-store format that covers a wide array of products, including local and international brands of tiles and flooring, plumbing and sanitary wares, electrical and lighting products, hardware and tools, furniture, furnishings and houseware, paints, appliances, and building materials, among others.

In 2022, he received The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni (TOTAL) Award. He was also named the “Man of the Year of the Asia Leaders” by the Manila Times.

Wilcon Builders Foundation, Inc. is a nonstock, non-profit, socio-civic organization, with philanthropic engagements such as providing educational assistance, extending a helping hand to the victims of calamities, and initiating efforts to save the environment.

The ŸĆÉ« confers honorary awards on noteworthy individuals, through the conferment of Honorary Academic Degrees and Honorary Professor ranks.

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A man of science

Mr. Ricardo S. Po, Sr. (1931-2021) is the Founder of Century Pacific Food, Incorporated, one of the country’s biggest food manufacturing companies specializing in private-label tuna products. He first studied in the University’s old College of Liberal Arts, the forerunner of the present-day College of Science, but due to financial difficulties had to stop his pursuit of the degree in Industrial Chemistry. Not one to be deterred, he embarked on a career in publishing and advertising, as well as stock brokerage.

It was in 1978 when he combined his academic preparation in chemistry as well as his exposure to the world of business and founded the present-day Century Pacific Food, Inc., where he became known as a hands-on entrepreneur who valued innovation and diversification, as translated to the wide array of products CPFI has been known for.

In 2006, by virtue of the Commission on Higher Education’s equivalency program, he earned the Master of Business Administration degree from UST, which likewise honored him the year later with The Outstanding Thomasian ALumni (TOTAL) Award.

Mr. Po left behind a legacy of excellence and innovation as he joined our Creator in 2021. He is survived by his family and the entire CPFI team in championing “affordable nutrition” for every Filipino household.

The ceremony will be attended by top University officials, led by the Very Rev. fr. Filemon I. dela Cruz, Jr., O.P., Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the Board of Trustees, and the Very Rev. fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., PhD, Rector. The Po family will represented by Mrs. Angelita T. Po, the wife of the honoree, and their sons, Ricardo Gabriel, Christopher, Teodoro Alexander, and Leonardo Arthur, accompanied by their spouses.

The nomination for Mr. Po emanated from the UST College of Science and was endorsed by the UST Graduate School. It passed through the scrunity of the University’s governing bodies, including the Academic Senate, Council of Regents, and the Board of Trustees.

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From 2011, the partnership between the Starkey Hearing Foundation has resulted in numerous missions whereby many Filipinos, including members of the Thomasian community have benefited. Austin is known for his humanitarian act in many parts of the world. Established in 1984, the Starkey Hearing Foundation is a US-based non-profit organization that collaborates with governments, nongovernment organizations, and health leaders to make hearing healthcare services more accessible.

To date, they have conducted missions in over 100 countries The Golden Cross Award is given by the ŸĆÉ« to outstanding personalities that include, among others, the former United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director General Her Excellency Madame Irina Bokova, the former King of Spain His Majesty King Juan Carlos I, and former Permanent Delegate of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations General Carlos P. Romulo. The Starkey mission in the Philippines is an ongoing project of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Dr. Salve Olalia quoted SHF Founder William F. Austin, saying, ‘We go where we are needed and where we are appreciated.’

First published in and photos courtesy of: SunStar Pampanga

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