Escribo Tomasino

Excellence, a virtue that no one knows It is a dream that one bestows Never know and unsure That the future will secure It is the tree that one harvests But really, what does excellence manifests? Is it the love or the passion? The hardwork or dedication? For self or for nation? Excellency, a myriad of meanings To the development of beings Excellence is not excellence at start It is failure that one must depart When negativity resides in them It is the spark, let them To achieve, learn to fail, lose, and cry The learning that one could try It is the step we should take This, be the gift of your sweat Self, that is the bet Shan't stop until you get Claim the trophy of your agony At last, the self is built What should we do next? Strive beyond obstacles A never ending journey Little shall rest Back to top

Excellence Hard to attain, aimed by many Life-changing, gruelling, confidence-gaining An incredible feat dreamed by lots, but gained by plenty Never easy, loss of it is heartbreaking Not a quick process But steady Kaiser Carel Ocampo Back to top

Many can say that age does not matter in your pursuit of excellence and indeed this is a fact for 16-year old Filipino student Maria Isabel Layson of Iloilo National High School, the winner of DepEd’s 2019 National Science and Technology Fair in “Best Individual research in Life Science”. While most students at her age are expected to excel in athletics or in exams, instead she has shown excellence in the field of medical research. Despite her age, she was able to independently conduct a research on Jamaican cherry, which is a common fruit that grows abundantly in her native country, the Philippines.  Through her study, she has successfully proven that this unsuspecting fruit can cure type 2 diabetes through its bioactive compounds. So far, most biological plants that have been found as an effective regulator for the disease only has one or two components, either the root or the leaves, that has been proven to cure diabetes. However, Layson found that not only t...

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines, usually referred to as UAAP, founded its Cheerdance competition in 1994 to show a disparate kind of athleticism. Our very own UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe (SDT) showcased what Thomasian’s got and made Espana the pioneer home of the Cheerdance’s crown. After USTSDT’s win in 1994, it wasn’t just a repeat in 1995, but a three peat in 1996. Although 1997’s competition was suspended and 1998’s wasn’t joined by the troupe, it was a great comeback in 1999 for we ended up as runner up for, again, three consecutive years. Tired of being on the sides of the podium, Salinggawi once again got the gold for consecutive years, this time for five. 2007, 2008, and 2010 were also podium finishes for us, while the following years were quiet ones. It was 2014, 2015, and 2017, when we growled back as runner up. Since the opening of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition, Gawi, indeed, never failed to bring some bacon for the Tigers. Thirsty for another...

Among 4,977 who took the 2019 Licensure Exam in Electronics Engineering and Electronics Technician, 2,460 ECE students passed. Among these 2,460 passers two of students of the University of Santo Tomas made it to the top 10 and even one of them succeeded in being the topnotcher of their batch in both the ECE and Electronics Technician Licensure Exam. From last year’s 79.26-percent to an 80-percent passing rate, the University of Santo Tomas qualifies as the third top-performing school in the field of electronics engineering. 96 out of a total of 120 Thomasian examinees passed the Electronics Engineering Licensure Exam 2019.In line with this, the university maintained its rank as the second top-performing school of Electronics Engineering and Technician in the Philippines with a 92.55-percent passing rate which us 87 out of 94 Thomasian examinees. UST's ranking was maintained with the help of their very own ECE graduate Mr. Neil Kenneth Mendoza who topped the exams as...

Walking endlessly in this wearisome journey, hunger and thirst start to swallow me nothing is certain, but uncertainty for someone like me who was known to be a prodigy   Broken, bruised and beaten down but not a single battle is won blood, sweat and endless tears, and sacrifices throughout the years, appears to be all in vain and I was rewarded with nothing, but pain Little did I know that although the process is slow, all the intention is for me to grow into a beautiful butterfly to be admired on high, by every eye as the gold is pressed down in fire onto its shape, as desired, I will embrace the suffering required for greatness to be acquired. and take all these little steps Leading me onto excellence. Back to top

The proximity of each Thomasian student’s shelter varies greatly; some need only less than a hundred steps to reach their dorm, others may be a jeep away, but some take a couple of hours to arrive at their homes. Traffic has always been the bane of a commuter’s life. It is a hurdle that they cannot manipulate, yet traffic in itself manipulates the commuter instead: how long they should wait for a jeep to arrive, the number of songs that they have to listen to before reaching their stop, how much effort they need to exert in order to stay vigilant in public - and the list goes on.   The college life of a former UST student from the Faculty of Arts and Letters proved that the commute life wasn’t able to stop him from performing well in his academics. Mark James Capulong hailed all the way from San Pedro City, Laguna, where his daily travel time reaches about 5 hours. For 4 years, he has endured this but was still able to garner a bachelor’s degree in Economics while also ...

There is no place in the world where you won't hear at least from one person, "Math is so hard!" or anything similar. Anyone could also see an anonymous user in social media complain about its difficulty. From all ages, all occupations, all schools, many are stumped by the 'ridiculously hard' subject. But why is it difficult in the first place? First, Math is always objective. There are only two remarks for each answer: 'right' or 'wrong'. If the number is correct, it's correct. Otherwise, it is wrong. There is nothing in between. Teachers may give points for effort despite the wrong answer, but that doesn't mean that your answer is anything 'less wrong'. Second, Math is always cumulative. If you don't know the lesson before, you probably won't understand the next. If you missed the fundamentals, you miss everything else. It's tougher to climb down and cram climbing back up than to slowly take the lessons in th...

A Quick Guide to Studying in UST Good morning, sunshines! Oras na para sunugin ang kilay sa pinagmamalaking Pontifical, Royal, Catholic, at ang pinakabagong titulo, Aquatic University of Santo Tomas! Para sa mga baguhan riyan, nako! Ihanda na ang sarili sa samu’t saring gawain sa iba’t ibang asignatura na iyong makakalaban pagpasok ng unibersidad. Para sa mga karamay kong hindi na fresh, kaunting paalala lang mula sa inyong kapwa-Tomasinong nagluma na. Ano ba ang dapat kong gawin pagpasok ng UST? Make sure you are in your complete uniform.  Kapag ikaw pinansin ni kuya guard, good luck na lang papasok ng building mo.  Wear your ID at all times.  Ang ganda-ganda ng lanyard, hindi mo susuotin? Sayang 300 mo sis!  Greet the teachers warmly.  Sila ang second parents niyo. Nawa’y igalang natin sila nang lubusan.  Show mutual respect to all authorities.  Even our maintenance staff. No one should be disrespected! Anong dapat kong dalh...

Ngiti ng pakikisama , Sa bibig ay tila naka-pana Kagalingan at kabaitang itinaga Mula sa pusong minana I-ngiti sa ilalim ng kalungkutan Piliting huwag hayaan Ito ang sandata at panlaban Sa buhay na hindi magaan Huwag itigil ang ngiti Pagkat ito ang nagsisilbi Positibong bagay, wag itabi Sa buhay ito'y patuloy na maghahabi Saksihan mo ang iyong ngiti Nakasanayan ay ipamalagi Iyong paligid ay mabibighani Sa kagandahang ibinabahagi, Saksihan mo ang iyong ngiti. Back to top

Many can say that one's love for  their  family serves as a huge factor  in their own pursuit of success in many fields. Indeed, this is a fact for 16-year-old Filipino student Maria Isabel Layson of Iloilo National High School, the winner of DepEd’s 2019 National Science and Technology Fair in “Best Individual research in Life Science”. While most students at her age are expected to excel in athletics or in exams, instead she has shown excellence in the field of medical research. Despite her age, she was able to independently conduct a research on Jamaican cherry, which is a common fruit that grows abundantly in her native country, the Philippines.  Truly family drives the passion of attaining one's goals as Layson states that it was the multiple loss of her family members to the disease that pushed her to finish her study. In her study, she has successfully proven that this unsuspecting fruit known as Jamaican cherry can cure type 2 diabetes through its bi...

Tahan na, Munting ningning At hayaan mo na ang Kalawakan ang yumakap sa'yo Tahan na, Munting ningning Hingang malalim, Tanggap namin ang 'yong pagkatao Kahimat ang buong mundo'y Mismong nagdala ng iyong trahedya, 'Wag kang mag-alala, aming bituin Sapagkat hindi ka ipagpapaubaya Naliligaw sa kadiliman "Saan papunta? Saan papatungo? Umalis na ba silang lahat?"  Baka iyong nalilimutan,  Aming bituin Na sa pag-aaruga at pagmamahal Ikaw ay aming pupunuin Kaya tahan na,  Tahan na,  Magpunas na ng mga luhang Nanggaling sa namamagang mga mata.  Kami ang iyong Tahanan. Back to top

Lumubog nang muli ang araw Gawain mo’y patuloy umaapaw Ni isa sa kanila ay hindi malinaw Hindi alam kung anong unang galaw Hindi alam kung paano sisimulan Tila ang mga pagpupuyat ay walang         patutunguhan Lahat ng ginagawa ay walang  kasiguraduhan At kung ito ba ay meron pang katapusan Minsan mo nang naisip sukuan Ang pangarap na iyong nais makamtan Ngunit naisip mo na hindi ka mag-isa sa laban At kasama mo ang buong bayan Ang pangarap na mapaglingkuran ang kapwa At mabigyan ang pamilya ng buhay na maginhawa Ay siyang patuloy na sumasariwa Sa motibasyon mong gumawa  Pangarap, Para sa Panginoon Para sa Pamilya, at Para sa bansang Pilipinas. Back to top

Araw-araw nag-iipon Ng isang munting baon Ng pag-asa at galak Kabuuang magaganap. Kahit baya'y naghihirap Ito'y babango't maglalayag Tungo sa buhay na Kahit payak ay di salat. Anumang magaling Kahit na maliit Basta't malimit ay Patungong langit. Kahit na isang kusing Ito ay may dating Sa pusong may pag-ibig May pangarap na sasapit At ang tangi niyang sandigan Ay ang Diyos at kapatid. Iyan ang tugtuging kasunod ng Lupang Hinirang tuwing Lunes ng umaga sa aking dating paaralan. Ang lahat ay nakangiting kumakanta’t sumasabay sa indayog ng musika habang isinasayaw ang koreograpya ng awitin ng Pondo ng Pinoy. Ngunit, ano nga ba ito’t saan ito nagmula? Kaninong mga kamay kaya naibabahagi ang munti kong piso?     ‘Jay-jay’, sabi ng aking guro sa Christian Living Education o CLED, iyan daw ang pangalan ng batang may hawak na lata’t may punit na damit na ating nakikitang naka-displey sa halos lahat ng simbaha’t mga Katolikong paa...

  Archbishop Jose Palma, born in Iloilo and was ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Jaro in 1976, is the newest member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture who was recently appointed by Pope Francis last November 11, 2019. He is the only Asian appointee among the eight new members who joined the council as well. Archbishop Palma is a Thomasian graduate of batch 1980. He finished his licentiate in theology and was honored as the magna cum laude in his batch. He became the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines from 2011 to 2013 and led the International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu in 2016. Through this he became the metropolitan of the Cebu archdiocese since 2011. It is not surprising that he was appointed as one of the council members because he actively shares his insights and opinions about current trends and problems experienced by the Filipino people. He is a human rights advocate who is strongly and verbally against th...

SImilar to a leaf  Who has estranged itself from its own kind Floating aimlessly amongst thickets With the wind behind its back Like a plastic bottle on the ocean Slowly disintegrating, Drifting away from land, With waves taking it to different waters Talking about these similar instances, How come they hit close to home? I’ve long been driving an empty car That seemed to drive on its own Across a path laid out for it Its wheel I cannot control But then again, they say That good things come  To those who follow Someday the leaves will find its trees And the bottles will find its purpose As well as those who are still lost, May they eventually reach their fate And someday I know That this car whose wheel I cannot control Will take me somewhere good And I’ll be happy I followed its path  Back to top

As a Filipino, one of my main medium of transportation along with many more fellow commuters in the Philippines, is the ever so popular "jeepney". Now a bona fide jeepney rider like me knows that when the jeepney driver asks "May bababa ba dito? (Is this anybody's stop?)", one would just usually say "Para! (Stop!)". However, in one sunny afternoon on a jeepney ride on the way home, this usual exchange did not unfold. No, instead when the driver asked if anybody wanted to be dropped at the next stop ahead, the man next to me yelled out a clear "Yes, Sir!"  Although the man only uttered 2 words, his reply was enough to surprise and start my questioning of life and our mundane decisions. It really got me thinking that perhaps he has to be one of the most obedient person in the whole universe that 80% of the words that flows out from his mouth was "Yes, Sir!" that he couldn't help not saying it in the jeep. And well, maybe ...

Before harvesting fruits, one must first have a tree; but before having a tree, one must first have a seedling; and before having a seedling, one must first plant a seed and look after it every single day with care.  The same goes for respect.             Building a good character starts by respecting your own self – your mind, your body, and your actions. Before love, success, and happiness, one must have respect for oneself as the foundation of these things. We can only accept the love we receive from others if we believe that we are deserving. We can only be successful if we believe that we are capable of doing so. We can only be truly happy if we recognize and appreciate who we are and what we have. And self-respect is a prerequisite for all of these things. Respect is not given and neither can it be bought. It is something earned by our character. But earning respect from others is already a difficult task. How much more if we at...

I walked out into the daylight, what a beautiful morning it is. I wonder what would my fate will lay out today. The day seems fresh, it is the type of day that you would see rarely in a million times. This day is my day I hope so. I got some things to do, many things. I hope the day would not ruin my momentum of getting my workload done.  Oh God! This old man can’t walk any faster? Chill, chill, I have no right to judge this man. At last! This office really welcomes me. Oh here comes the workload, I can do this. Hey joe! Could you deliver these papers to the head manager. Oh he could not deliver it soon enough; he has workloads also. I have no right to scold him. He strives for his family like I do, I do not want these situations to change my beautiful morning. I should understand them in what they do and cannot do. Respect should be on top of those things. Be humble to others and show respect. I think I found an answer to lit my day brighter. Be respectful to anyone, be...

“Integrity is the seed for achievement. It is the principle that never fails.” – Earl Nightingale Integrity is a virtue often neglected by many. In both individuals and institutions, it is often overlooked. But what they fail to realize, is that it is something essential, and every one of us should value it and set it as one of our principles in life. The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas was established in 1611, more than four centuries ago. The university has gone through a lot of events since it was built. It stood strong under the country’s colonization by Spain and survived the rule of the Americans. And even after being destroyed by the Japanese in 1944, it was rebuilt and continued to educate its Thomasians. Throughout its history, UST managed to produce successful alumni, excelling in every field, in every time period. Its years did not make its quality education falter, but instead, had improved its quality. And the secret behind this? Integrity. ...

Dati, Hindi ko inakala Na ang aking araw-araw Ay tuluyang makukulayan. Hindi ko inabalang Isipin na ang aking upo sa silid Ay lubusang mabubuhayan. Akala ko, Paggising sa umaga ay maliligo na naman, Magsisipilyo na naman, Magbibihis na naman, Papasok na naman, At pupuwesto sa silid habang Pinapakain ng pansamantalang kaalaman. Hindi. Sa inyo ko napag-alaman Kung paano gamitin ang "ng" at "nang" Kung bakit bilog ang mundo At kung tayo lang ang buhay na nilalang. Sa inyo ko natutunan Ang kahusayan ng kultura Ang kasaysayan ng sining At kung bakit ito unti-unting nabubura. Sa inyo ko nagawang matuto Paano humihinga ang baga Paano naipapàsa ang katangian At ang pagpapakaraming kay hiwaga. Sa inyo ko napagtanto Na simple lang ang panandaan Na kailangan pagtiyagaan ang pamalitan Na madali i-factor ang dawaking tumbasan. Salamat, dahil, Kahit ang boses ay napapaos At ang paa'y n...

When was the last time that you’ve genuinely said thanks to someone for being part of your life? Was it an hour ago? A week ago? Or was it something that had completely escaped from your mind? Is it something that you find so trivial? Maybe it’s because you know that these people in your life are just here around you, that you don’t find the need to express your appreciation for them. But you don’t know that. Everything is just so uncertain in this world that many events can occur in a single snap of a finger.  Time is fleeting. You see these certain people everyday, converse with them everyday and bond with them everyday. Next thing you know, they’ll disappear and the regret of failing to say the words that you’ve ought to tell them will well up inside you. And yet, the only thing left for you to do is to accept things and move on. Your parents, for example, won’t be with you forever and everyday should be a chance for you to show your gratitude to them. Say thank you for...