NEW Solar car kickS off NatioNWidE tour

18 JANUARY 2010. VOLUME 41. NUMBER 15. 12 PAGES

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RP’s Outstanding Accounting Students from La Salle

“Balik Scientist” conducts lecture series on CO2 capture science

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FIELD NOTES:Pagkatao in Filipino thought

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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.

Specifically, the cooperation envisages the development of knowledge products that aim to improve governance and policy making on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and implementation of clean energy systems through collaborative engagements and interdisciplinary work between DLSU and FSU.

Dr. Alvin Culaba of the Center for Engineering and Sustainable Development Research (CESDR) and Dr. Francisco Magno of the La Salle Institute of Governance (LSIG) have been coordinating with FSU on several partnership prospects and activities.

Part of the agreement was a roundtable

discussion held last December 10 at the Multi-Purpose Hall of Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall. Titled “Sustainable Communities: Developing a Research and Training Agenda on Climate Change, Clean Energy, and Disaster Preparedness,” the roundtable discussion was organized through the joint efforts of LSIG and the CESDR.

The roundtable discussion aimed to gather inputs from key stakeholders from academe, government, private sector, civil society, and donor agencies in order to craft research and capacity building programs on renewable energy systems and disaster risk reduction.

dlSu forgES partNErShip With florida StatE uNivErSityDe La Salle University recently signed an International Cooperative Agreement with Florida State University (FSU) for the development of cooperative efforts to enhance the academic interchange between the two institutions.

The tour began and will end at the De La Salle University grounds, where SIKAT and its predecessor, SINAG, were designed and built by La Salle engineering students and faculty members, in partnership with The Philippine Solar Car Society, Inc. and sponsors Ford Philippines, Motolite, Shell, and Sunpower Corporation, among others.

From DLSU, SIKAT will proceed to 26 other universities and malls in key cities across the country. The car will be featured in exhibitions in all its stops, which include SM Cagayan de Oro, MSU-IIT in Iligan, University of Mindanao, La Salle Bacolod, and University of San Carlos in Cebu.

The solar car’s improved design features new generation sun power cells and a sleeker, more maneuverable and aerodynamic design. Like SINAG, SIKAT’s body is made of lightweight carbon fiber found in current F1 car models, but at 190 kilograms, SIKAT is lighter by 100 kilograms and can outrun SINAG’s top speed of 112 kph. SIKAT can also be driven at night, on its batteries, for eight straight hours.

The road show is aimed at promoting the use of solar energy and preparing the team for the 2011 World Solar Car Challenge in Australia, where in 2007, SINAG finished 12th among 40 entries.

NEW Solar car kickS off NatioNWidE tour

RP’s second solar car, SIKAT, kicked off last January 12 a historic 50-day tour across the Philippines.

In his lecture, Santos, an expert on CO2 capture science, covered a variety of topics on carbon capture science and its applications, including carbon capture techniques in power plants, techno-economics of carbon capture, policies in Europe, and carbon capture technologies.

Carbon capture was presented as a practical and viable means to reduce emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Santos explained that emissions can be reduced by improving energy

efficiency and developing alternative energy sources, like wind and solar power. However, a rapid move away from fossil fuels is unlikely as energy supply infrastructure has a long lifetime and such a move could destabilize economies.

He said that a way to reduce emissions without

having to turn abruptly from fossil fuels is “to capture the CO2 that is released from fossil fuel-fired power plants and store them underground. The effect will be significant as power generation accounts for about one-third of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use.”

Santos is currently a member of the IEA Greenhouse Gas (GHG) R&D Programme team and his responsibilities include developing the oxy-fuel combustion research network and coordination of various IEA GHG’s projects and its information generation activities.

Santos obtained his postgraduate degree from Portsmouth University in 2002, doing research on the use of biomass fired in small-scale boilers. He worked for the International Flame Research Foundation where he gained experience in the development of low NOx burners, oxy-fuel combustion technology and flame measurement techniques for combustion research.

The DOST Balik Scientist Program contracts Filipino science and technology experts residing abroad to come home and share their knowledge and expertise. The program aims to strengthen the scientific and technological human resources of academic, public and private institutions in order to stimulate the development of new or strategically important technologies that are vital to national development.

“Balik SciENtiSt” coNductS lEcturE SEriES oN co2 capturE SciENcE

Former DLSU chemical engineering professor Dr. Stanley Santos conducted a series of lectures on Carbon Dioxide capture or “Carbon capture” last December 4 and 11 at the Gokongwei Hall as part of the Balik Scientist Program of the Department of Science and Technology.

Never before in the history of our country has there been more crucial period in the

decadence of the moral values of personal dignity than what it is today. This moral degeneration

takes on the various tentacles of graft and corruption, which are too numerous to mention.

What really aggravates the situation is the fact that those who want to be good are

either harassed or threatened; those who choose to be honest are abused, bribed, “eliminated”

or “salvaged.” And those who blatantly abuse power to exploit their fellow Filipinos, especially in

politics, are glorified, elected to the public office, and further given society leadership status.

It is no surprise then that today the Philippines is perceived by foreign businessmen as

“the most corrupt country in Asia.” And on December 11, 2007, the Pulse Asia Survey reported:

“GMA is the most corrupt president of the Philippines.”

When I read this news item in the dailies, I remembered Confucius, one of China’s great

thinkers. Confucius said: “It is shameful to be rich when the government is corrupt.” (Nakakahiya

ang maging mayaman kung ang gobyerno ay kurapt.) The perception is that if you are rich when

the government is corrupt, your wealth must have come from a bad source.

By way of implication, Confucius’s perception suggests that it is not shameful to be not

rich when the government is corrupt. That is, if you are not rich amidst the culture of graft

and corruption in government, then you have not lost your dignity by being honest. Your moral

integrity remains intact and indisputable. If only to console ourselves, it can be said that

teachers and non-teaching staff, because they are not rich, have at least their dignity intact,

which is their precious wealth. Ang karangalan ng mga guro ay hindi matutumbasan ng salapi.

Indeed, the Filipinos’ decline in virtue and their loss of insights into the demands of

national welfare have brought about the moral collapse in Philippine society. In this light, there

is a felt need to revisit the past and return to the treasures of our cultural heritage in order to

draw moral guidance and lasting inspiration from our forebears.

Let us learn from the moral lesson that our predecessors have handed down to us. Our

ancestors speak to us through our cultural patrimony and enter in dialogue with us. Let’s listen

to them and benefit from their time-tested wisdom and experiences, particularly on the value of

personal dignity.

Florentino T. Timbreza, Ph.D.

Pagkatao in Filipin

o Thought

What is meant by pagkatao in Filipino cultural heritage?

Pagkatao bears various connotations in English, but it is close to the concept of personhood

or selfhood. The Filipinos though relate it with personal dignity, self-esteem, good name, personal

honor, moral integrity, good-naturedness, good character, credibility, and trustworthiness (malinis na

pangalan, sariling karangalan, kabutihang-asal, kagandahang-loob, magandang kaugalian, katapatan,

kalinisang-puri, kabaitan, mapagkakatiwalaan). It is also essentially related to self-worth, self-image,

and self-respect.

For the Filipinos, pagkatao or self-esteem is regarded not only as one’s most precious wealth

as human person, but also the measure of one’s true greatness, kadakilaan. Real wealth consists of

individual honor, moral integrity, honesty, credibility, and good reputation (which also connotes word of

honor and delicadeza). Worldly riches and social fame can be bought and lost, but one’s good character

is priceless and lasting. The value of self-worth gives weight to personal honor rather than riches that

come from an evil source, e.g., graft and corruption.

To wit, the Ilocanos say: “Bay-am ta kukua ta masapulan, ngem tay naimbag a panagnaknkem narigat

a matuntuntunan.” (Never mind wealth for it can be procured, but good character is hard to find.) ‘Ti tao

a nanakman, daeganna tay nabaknang.’ (A man of good breeding excels over a rich one.) “Uray nakurapay

ti kasasaadmo, nabaknangka iti imatang tit ao no nasayaat ti aw-awidmo” (You may be poor but you are

rich before the eyes of the people if you have good upbringing.)

The same virtue is shared by the Tagalogs: “Ang kalinisang-puri ay hindi nabibili.” (Moral integrity

cannot be bought.) “Di man nagmana ng kabuhayan, pero nagmana naman ng magandang kaugalian.” (One

may not have inherited affluence but inherited good manners.) Giving high premium to the same precept,

the Boholanos profess: “Ang maayong cagawian labaw sa bulawan.” (Good name is more valuable than

gold.) “Ang tonay na kagyomon iyo an ugaling marhay.” (Real beauty is good manner.)

Which is dearer to you, your surreptitious fame or your personal dignity? Which is more valuable,

your personal dignity or your questionable wealth? Which is better: to become famous and rich but with

tainted character, or to remain an ordinary individual with unblemished character? The response spells

out the big difference between a corrupt person and one who values his personal dignity despite the

tremendous temptations of sex, money, and power.

FIELD NOTES. What is going on in the world? We ask our faculty members to make sense of what we need to know,

understand, and reflect upon. They agree to share insights and observations about their respective fields or special

interests. Field Notes serves as a window to different worlds where we all belong.

Postscript

Does the culture of graft and corruption, which has widely permeated Philippine society, mean the

Filipino value of pagkatao or personal dignity is already lost and dysfunctional? It does not necessarily mean

so; on the contrary, the rampant practice of graft and corruption rather heightens and deepens the value of

personal dignity.

The value of personal dignity remains as invaluable as our predecessors had perceived and experienced

it, despite the deterioration of the people’s moral values at present. Notwithstanding the fact that many

unscrupulous people in government practice graft and corruption, the value of honesty stays. For it is not the

value of honesty that is destroyed but the perpetrators themselves.

In other words, people’s failure to respond to the call of the value of personal dignity has caused their

own moral and spiritual destruction. Filipinos call this karma, the law of retribution: “Kung ano ang gawa

ay siyang mapapala.” (What one does is what one begets.) By doing evil, one becomes evil oneself, and by

committing graft and corruption, people become dishonest and corrupt, and they will suffer dearly for it.

By way of comparison, the Filipino value of the family subsists despite the philandering sexcapades

of husbands and wives. In fact, it is the philanderer’s and adulterer’s mischief that elevates or adds more

importance to the value of marriage; precisely because, whereas the philander and adulterer are wrecking

their marriage and shattering their family, the value of marriage shines up for couples to hold on to if they

want family, the value of marriage shines up for couples to hold on to if they want to maintain a happy and

fulfilling conjugal union and successful family life.

Likewise, whereas the value of personal dignity endures amidst graft practices and government

anomalies, the grafters and the crooks themselves are the ones being morally destroyed and spiritually

devastated. Truly enough, “Kung anuman ang iyong itinanim ay iyon din ang iyong aanihin.” (Whatever you plant

is what you are going to reap.) Manunumbalik sa atin ang bunga ng ating gawain at pag-uugali, masama man

o ito o mabuti. And so, grafters and crooks will reap their own misdeeds in one way or the other, sometime,

somewhere, somehow. This–in Filipino thought–is the law of life.

A University Fellow, Dr. Florentino T. Timbreza is regarded as the Father of Filipino

Philosophy. His newest books are Sariling Wika at Pilosopiyang Filipino (C&E) and

Filipino Philosophy Today (NBS2008).

The duo bested 22 other teams from various universities in Asia chosen to compete based on their essay entries. Almalbis and Roque’s writeup and defense of the essay “Asian Youth Empowerment: Challenging Asia to Become the World Trade Leader” passed the elimination round.

The tandem went on to win the finals with their presentation on Second Generation of Free Trade, a topic assigned to them to research,

analyze, and present to a panel within a prescribed period.

Economix is an annual contest organized by the student organization of University of Indonesia’s Economics department to provide a place where Asian youth can present their thoughts and innovations on the subject of economics.

The participation of the DLSU team was made possible with the support of the Office of Dean of the College of Business and Economics and the Economics Department.

laSalliaNS WiN iN iNtErNatioNal EcoNomicS coNtEStEconomics majors Brian Paul Almalbis and Francis David Roque bagged the grand prize in the recently concluded 7th Economix competition in Depok, Indonesia.

Time management tip:

When you are already tired, do not try to work on difficult tasks. You will accomplish more and get better results when you work with all your energy and full attention to details.

Lasallians on the DOT (Definitely on Time) is a De La Salle University campaign to strengthen a culture of punctuality and honesty. The program is being undertaken in response to a memorandum issued in September 2008 by the Commission on Higher Education, which urges higher education institutions in the country to support its Project W.A.T.C.H. (We Advocate Time Consciousness and Honesty).

The winning team, comprised of Accounting majors Leah Francine Cu, Kenneth Dy, Jo Anne Illescas, and Norita Paderna, bested five other finalists from different parts of the country. Kenneth Dy was also declared the Best Presenter in the competition. This award is also a first in the 10-year history of the competition.

The team was given a fictitious business case that they had to analyze, report and present to the judges from CIMA-Malaysia.

In the Individual Category, three students–Jenny Rodis, Mark Angelo Acosta, and Leah Francine Cu (who was also a Team Category participant)–made it to the Top 20 list, besting other participants from other schools.

The nationwide search was organized by the Philippine Institute of Certified Accountants (PICPA) and the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Commerce and Industry (ACPACI), in cooperation with Philippine Duplicator’s Inc. and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

rp’S outStaNdiNg accouNtiNg StudENtS from la SallE

Once again, De La Salle University was declared champion in the Team Category of the 11th Nationwide Search for Outstanding Accounting Students of the Philippines, held last December 10 at Century Park Sheraton in Manila. This is the second straight win for DLSU in the Team Category.

The activity featured the visit of two current members of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, Kenneth Clarke and Mark Pritchard of the Conservative Party. Serving as resource persons, Clarke and Pritchard discussed the opportunities, potentials, and challenges in enhancing foreign relations between Great Britain and the Philippines.

According to Clarke, the linchpin of the Philippines-UK relationship is the resolve of both countries to uphold democracy, human rights, and free trade. He added that, historically, the Philippines has never been in conflict with UK, hence there is no threat that can restrain friendly relations between the two nations.

Pritchard cited opportunities for greater cooperation between the two governments such as Filipino migration to the UK, adapting to climate change, animal welfare protection, tourism, and human security. He emphasized that the UK Parliament is committed to addressing development issues in the Philippines through legislative attention.

Present in the event were former DLSU President Br. Rolando Dizon FSC, LSIG Director Dr. Francisco Magno, Political Science Department Chair Dr. Eric Batalla, Yuchengco Center President Dr. Trinidad Osteria, Philippine Ambassador to the UK Manuel Lagdameo, and British Embassy Political Section Head Chris Wright.

talk oN rp-BritiSh rElatioNS hEldThe La Salle Institute of Governance (LSIG), in partnership with the DLSU Yuchengco Center, Political Science Department, and International Studies Department, conducted a roundtable discussion on Philippine-British relations dubbed “Visions for the Future” last December 16 at the Francisco Ortigas Seminar Room.

The 2008 Philippine Lasallian Family Convocation

The 2008 Philippine Lasallian Family Convocation serves as a period of strategic reflection and discernment in preparation for the celebration of 100 years of Lasallian presence in the Philippines.

It is a strategic planning exercise to determine the extent of accomplishment of the 2003 PLFC resolutions and to formulate new and follow-up action between 2008-2015.

The 2008 PLFC builds on the following documents: the 1999 Synod document, “Lasallian Ministry Action Plan;” the 2003 District Council document “Vision 2011;” and, the Lasallian Guiding Principles, the document that concretizes the resolutions of the 2003 Convocation.

Strategic Intents and Capability-Building Measures• Quality of Lasallian education • Social involvement in justice, peace and integrity of creation • Accessibility of Lasallian education • One La Salle • Lasallian identity, vocations, and association • Lasallian formation

With the 2008 PLFC, Lasallians are called to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Strategic Intents (SIs) and their corresponding Capacity Building Measures (CBMs); identify, clarify, and live out the spirit behind the SIs and CBMs; help other members of the Lasallian Family get a good understanding of the SIs and CBMs; help implement and monitor the 6 SIs and CBMs in the different Lasallian ministries and institutions.

is published bi-weekly by the Marketing Communication Office (AH-21F, intercom 144). Editorial deadline is 3 p.m. Tuesdays. Contributions should include the name, office and signature of the sender. Materials may be edited for clarity or space.

Johannes Leo Badillo, Director for Operations; Anne Alina (anne.alina@dlsu.edu.ph), Editor; Ruby Carlos, AARichela dela Cruz, Magsy Magbanua, Mark Pitoc, Ameurfina Koc, Marco Manalac, Writers; Peter Varona, Art Director; Ave Gaile Peraz, Ricky Binoya, Luis De Vera, Graphic Artists; Virginia Umacob-Gases, Secretary; Raymond Menor, Office Assistant; Aaron Mamiit, Student Writer. 2401 may be accessed online through the URL: http://www.dlsu.edu.ph

DLSU won the bid via a lopsided 72-28 final vote, anchored on a solid Asian bloc voting of 38-0.

Convenor Dino de Leon, a La Salle alumnus (AB-DSM ‘07) and presently Centennial Office Coordinator, led the campaign activities and made the official pitch to the Council. De Leon believes that the Philippines, specifically DLSU, was highly favored because of lower registration costs; the assurance that the host can provide ESL/EFL adjudicators to ensure responsiveness to all the issues of not only geographical regions but also linguistic groups; its promise to fly in 66 of the best judges in the world; and availability of diverse dietary requirements such as Halal, kosher, and vegetarian food.

The co-chief adjudicators for the tournament will be WUDC 2007 Best Speaker Sam Block (Cambridge Union) and 2004 Philippine Best Speaker, Lucinda Teresa David (DLSU AB-ECM ‘04). The Tab System, on the

other hand, will be handled by Asian Champion Muhammad Abdul Latif.

WUDC or “Worlds” is the largest debating tournament and one of the larger international student events worldwide. Over 1,400 delegates from more than 50 countries are expected to participate in the 10-day event.

De La Salle University will host the 2011-2012 World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC), winning over Hart House, University of Toronto, during the World Universities Debating Council meeting held last January 1 in Antalya, Turkey.

la SallE to hoSt 2011 World dEBatE champioNShipS