01 february 2010. VOLuMe 41. NuMber 16. 12 PaGeS 5 FIELD NOTES: An agenda for 2010 and beyond Engineering faculty wins international best paper award 2 10 Lasallians embark on quest for fitness DLSU eStabLiSheS CoLLege of bUSineSS anD SChooL of eConomiCS See page 3 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.
Transcript
01 february 2010. VOLuMe 41. NuMber 16. 12 PaGeS
5
FIELD NOTES:An agenda for 2010 and beyond
Engineering faculty wins international best paper award
2 10
Lasallians embark on quest for fitness
DLSU eStabLiSheS CoLLege of bUSineSS anD SChooL of eConomiCS
See page 3
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.
A faculty from the Civil Engineering Department earned the Best Paper Award for enlightening Asia-specific topics in the 8th Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) International Conference last November 16-19 in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Dr. Alexis M. Fillone’s paper titled, “The Estimated Effect of the Proposed Fx Megataxi Express Service on Mode-Changing Behavior in Metro Manila,” earned the award out of around 600 papers submitted and presented in the conference.
Fillone is the first Philippine-based Filipino researcher in transportation to receive the award in this prestigious conference. The award was given to recognize Fillone’s academic and practical contribution to realizing better mobility in the Eastern Asia and the world.
A total of 10 best papers were given during the conference. The 8th EASTS International Conference was attended by more than a thousand faculty, students, and researchers from 26 countries.
Papers by Dr. Edgar Dona of the Civil Engineering Department, titled “Airport Location and the Intensity of Urban Concentration” and Dr. Cristela Dakila of the Economics Department, titled “Assessment of Two Modes of Financing Land Transport Infrastructure Investment in the Philippines” and “Core Periphery Relations and Urban Transport Infrastructure Investment”, were also presented during the conference.
Several papers were also presented by the faculty and graduate students from University of
the Philippines-Diliman and Ateneo de Manila University.
Fillone, appraised and selected by the International Scientific Committee (ISC), received the award personally from Dr. Kyung Soo Chon, president of EASTS.
engineeRing faCULty WinS inteRnationaL beSt PaPeR aWaRD
The reorganization was undertaken to strengthen the foothold of the College of Business as the premier business school of the country and to promote the School of Economics as a prime resource in understanding economic policy issues.
The changes in CBE were a result of a two-year consultative process facilitated by the University’s visioning committee chaired by Vice Chancellor for Lasallian Mission and External Relations Br. Bernie Oca. CBE’s Dr. Myrna Austria, Pia Manalastas, Dr. Benito Teehankee, Dr. Paulino Tan, Dr. Tereso Tullao, Dr. Phillip Juico, Dr. Benjamin Espiritu and Arnel Uy are members of the said committee. The decision was approved by the DLSU Board of Trustees last November 12.
Among the salient criteria that were considered as bases for the establishment of a school are the number of students as well as the number and composition of faculty, and their track record in research, publication, and partnerships.
Also included in the requirements for the creation of a school are the unit’s actual and potential international status, and actual and potential impact on national, regional, and international development. The unit must likewise demonstrate financial viability as well as adequacy of resources for academic instruction. Among the other requirements, the unit must manifest a sound rationale as a “school” aligned with the Mission-Vision of the University.
“The University’s vision is to make the College of Business the premier business school in the country and we believe that this reorganization would very much help in realizing that vision,” said Austria.
Austria named two main objectives of the reorganization in line with this thrust: to produce graduates who are technically competent, humanistic, socially responsible, and sustainability- oriented business managers, and leaders as befits products of a Lasallian and Catholic institution; and to undertake research work that will positively influence management practice and public policy in business management.
She said that through its graduates and research outputs, DLSU will remain the school of choice for students, faculty, parents, and employers: “As a premier institution in Business education, the College of Business aims to attract students who aspire to become sought-after, well rounded professional, business managers and effective entrepreneurs; faculty who want to contribute to the nation by helping form the next generation of business leaders and producing business knowledge relevant to today’s national and global challenges; parents, who believe in the quality of Lasallian Education for their children; and employers who need well-equipped business managers.”
With the new setup, the College of Business resources and efforts are focused more towards its excellent program offerings, namely Accountancy, Business Management, Commercial Law, Financial Management, Marketing Management, and Management Science. The College of Business will continue to have its own Dean and a Vice Dean each for undergraduate and graduate students. Each department will have both undergraduate and graduate programs.
The School of Economics, on the other hand, will now enjoy its own identity being a distinct entity from the College of Business. The school will be an additional expert resource to policymakers, business, and media as it provides immediate analysis of relevant and timely national economic policy issues. The distinct strength of the faculty is their micro approach to macro issues.
The School of Economics will offer the single and double degree Economics programs. It will have its own dean and vice dean.
The synergy between the College of Business and the School of Economics will be maintained with faculty from both institutions servicing all departments and doing collaborative research.
Starting Academic Year 2010-2011, the College of Business and Economics will be restructured into two separate entities, namely the College of Business and the School of Economics.
DLSU eStabLiSheS CoLLege of bUSineSS anD SChooL of eConomiCS
As an assessment reform advocate, Plata competed for the grant to organize the First English Proficiency Assessment Summit, as her research showed the limited assessment literacy of English teachers around the country. In particular, there is limited information on standards and framework of language assessment.
Plata has a Specialist Certificate in Language Testing and Assessment from SEAMEO-RELC, Singapore. Since 2000, she has trained more that 10,000 teachers and administrators all over the Philippines on assessment reform. She has conducted research on assessment reform in the Philippines. She is a member of the International Testing Association and an individual affiliate of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE).
De La Salle University Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Learning Dr. Jesusa Marco and University Research Coordination Office Dr. Madelene Sta. Maria were invited to deliver presentations during the third seminar in the Academic Management Seminar Series sponsored by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) held on January 21 and 22, 2010 at the Tanghalan Teresita Quirino, University of Santo Tomas.
The seminar, which was launched to address the need for continuing education among higher education institution professionals in PACU member schools, focused on the theme “Enhancing Graduate Education and Research.”
For their presentations, Sta. Maria shared her observations on “Current Trends in Graduate Research” during the first day of the seminar, while Marco contributed insights on the “Ethical Guidelines in Research” the following day.
DeaL faCULty WinS inteRnationaL gRant
aDminiStRatoRS PaRtiCiPate in gRaDUate eDUCation, ReSeaRCh SeminaR
Department of English and Applied Linguistics (DEAL) faculty Dr. Sterling Plata won an international grant competition from the International Testing Association in an effort to promote understanding of language testing issues and practice among test developers and assessors.
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.
An AgendA for 2010 And Beyond
Why has the Philippines—Asia’s first democracy and once upon a time second only to Japan economically—lagged behind the rest of Asia in wealth and importance?
It’s an important question that, in recent years, may have finally found an answer: “bad social infrastructure,” or the “norms, laws, and institutions that allow the diversion and erosion of gains from productive activities,” in the words of University Fellow Dr. Michael Alba.
A particularly important weakness of the Philippines’ social infrastructure is the strength and quality of its government. From a commercial standpoint, government institutions are supposed to do two things: first, encourage economic activity by lowering the cost of doing business, and second, protect and enforce the rights of individuals. Since economic transactions are ultimately based on contracts—which, in turn, depend on people’s perception of others’ trustworthiness—ensuring that the “rule of law” is followed and that those who write and administer these rules are trustworthy become essential to realizing any economic goals.
Unfortunately, the national agenda, over many decades, has been shortsighted and politically expedient, including many flawed policies whose true detrimental effects we are only beginning to realize. For instance, from the 1950s to the 1980s, out of nationalistic fervor, we protected industries which we
by Paulo Jose M. Mutuc
knew would not survive the demands of a global marketplace. Since the 1935 Constitution, in the same spirit, we have put in place unnecessary restrictions on foreign investment. We neglected and continue to invest little in education and science and technology. Leadership in this country—if not advancing questionable policy--has demonstrated a similarly tragic tolerance for corruption and severe inequality.
As the country remains, in the words of UP professor Raul Fabella, “a pit of institutional dysfunction,” so has, unsurprisingly, its less than satisfactory economic track record. Among its Southeast Asian neighbors, per capita GDP growth has been lowest in the Philippines during the last three decades; thirteen years after becoming a founding member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), liberalization—or the opening of our economy to the rest of the world through increased trade in goods and services—has not translated to meaningful gains in employment. Nor have we seen substantial growth in the value and volume of our exports. Given this situation, it is not hard to understand why we Filipinos, according to World Public Opinion Surveys, are among the world’s most skeptical of globalization.
As Southeast Asia takes further steps toward an integrated economic community by 2020, it is important for us to take note that the promise of shared prosperity held by an ASEAN economic bloc will also come with significant demands on our already weak sociopolitical institutions, and, consequently, result in losses to poor and marginalized sectors. With the benefits of greater economic openness not being enjoyed equally by ASEAN countries, the challenge is how to make this wave of globalization a truly win-win situation for our country.
In the Philippines, the lack of means to enable and support broad-based market participation and productive economic activity (principally among the rural poor and the indigenous) has led to an over-reliance on migrant worker remittances—which, unfortunately, have largely come from domestic work done that can hardly be equated with meaningful participation in the global economy.1
Our failure to capitalize on globalization, interestingly, is not because of globalization per se, but because of structural problems—particularly those concerning our school system, marked by poorly performing basic education and a marginalized technical and vocational sector. From this perspective, the country’s very high literacy rate apparently masks several unfortunate facts: that Filipino students are not internationally competitive in basic math and science (and, according to more recent data and some concerned quarters, in English proficiency); that educational quality across all levels remains very uneven2 ; that unskilled labor workers still comprise most of the Philippine working population here and overseas; and that a significant mismatch between the
labor and education markets persist. (As per the latest (2006) estimates from the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics, unemployment is the highest among those with at least a year of college education at 11.1 percent—3.2 points higher than the national average—even as the country lacks people in a worrying number of critical, skilled professions like meteorology; underemployment is about 20 percent, averaging 16.9 percent for college attendees.)
There has been some progress. The National Statistical Coordination Board, for example has noted an increase in vocational enrollment and a greatly expanded labor market driven by demand for information technology and back office services which require special skills but not college degrees. To the extent that freer trade and greater mobility tend to disproportionately favor educated individuals, the biggest contribution the national government can make to the cause of Philippine development and, consequently, East Asian regionalism (more than simply spending more on education every year), is adopting a decidedly more pragmatic and proactive approach in setting and implementing education policy—that is, advancing and promoting practical education (especially in the secondary level) as well as re-assessing the effectiveness of its existing resource commitments to higher education—while doing so in a manner that is credible and socially acceptable. (As it is, the Philippines is moving toward a society that by 2030 will see most people either having tertiary education or only primary education—a demographic mix that is clearly undesirable for developing a knowledge economy built on a skilled, adaptable workforce (Goujon and K.C., 2006).)3
What do all these mean for all concerned Filipinos? First, as yet another
election season approaches, we should make sure that the candidates we support—and the leaders that we will
eventually elect—commit themselves to reforming government. Specifically, we need them to engage in the difficult tasks of reducing bureaucratic red tape, pursuing effective and sustainable agrarian reform, and putting forward a truly national economic agenda that considers the strengths and welfare of the countryside as well as the need to advance scientific research and education.
Broader responsibilities, however, lie with those of us in civil society. We need to persist in pressing the state for reforms (directly and indirectly), and bridge, to the best of our capabilities, government gaps in the delivery of crucial services such as housing, education, and health care. These are enormous tasks, but certainly doable, as the success of GawadKalinga and CNN Hero EfrenPenaflorida shows. In this regard, advocating social entrepreneurship among students and small and medium enterprises—the backbone of the domestic business sector—should bring about a gradual end to endemic, community-specific problems that are almost always connected to poverty; doing so should also help sway public opinion in favor of free markets and greater trade openness.
The coming elections present an opportunity for this country to finally begin the long-postponed work of realizing its great potential. Clearly though, the work ahead of us is great, and will only begin after the new President is sworn in.
Paulo Jose Mutuc is a lecturer in the Economics Department.
inteRnationaL StUDieS ChaiR eLeCteD aPiSa PReSiDentInternational Studies Department Chair Dr. Julio Teehankee was recently elected president by the executive committee of the Asian Political and International Studies Association (APISA).
Founded in 2001, APISA is currently Asia’s leading academic association dealing with political and international studies. Teehankee’s election was announced by the association’s executive secretary, Dr. Hari Singh, during the opening ceremonies of the Fourth APISA Congress held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Makati.
Modeled on academic institutions in North America and Western Europe, APISA serves as an academic community for scholars working on Asia. The association organizes the biannual congress and sponsors a range of academic and professional activities such as book awards, fellowships, regional and international conferences and workshops, and capacity building. The APISA executive committee also announced that the official secretariat office will be transferred from the Unibersiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to De La Salle University next academic year.
Teehankee is a specialist in the comparative
analysis of politics and development in East and Southeast Asia, with particular focus on elections, party politics, democratization and governance. He has long been active in the local and international academic organizations.
Prior to his election as APISA president, he served as a member of its Executive Committee (2007-2009), the highest policy-making body of the association. Previously, he served as Secretary (1995-1999) and Board Member (1999-2003) of the Philippine Political Science Association (PPSA). He has also served as Chair of the DLSU Political Science Department for four terms between 1994 and 2007.
As newly-elected APISA president, Teehankee will head an official Asian delegation to the 60th anniversary conference of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom to be held in Edinburgh, Scotland from March 25 to April 1, 2010.
Several faculty members from the College of Engineering reaped a number of awards in the 2009 Search for Outstanding Thesis and Disseration in Advanced Science and Technology last December 18 at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati City.
Engr. Oliver Viloan, an MS ECE graduate, was the grand winner for the Microelectronics and Mechatronics Category. The title of his study was “Decision Support System for the Agricultural Process Management.” Dr. Elmer Dadios, University Fellow and Full Professor from the Manufacturing Engineering and Management, served as the adviser.
Meanwhile, Engr. Lawrence Phoa Belo, an MS in Environmental Engineering and Management graduate and a current part-time Faculty Member of Chemical Engineering and PhD student in Chemical Engineering, was the Grand Winner for the Earth Science and Space Technology Applications category. His work is titled “Measurement of Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD) in Selected Stations of the Pasig River Using a Bench-scale Benthic Respirometer.” Dr. Pag-asa Gaspillo, University Fellow
and Full Professor of the Chemical Engineering Department, together with Jose Marie Lim, served as the advisers.
The awards, which were given by the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD), are in recognition of scholarly work contributing significantly to the body of knowledge and to the development of S&T in the country.
The search was open to all MS and PhD graduates in the following disciplines: biology and related fields (molecular biology, biotechnology, biochemistry), chemistry/biochemistry, physics, mathematics statistics, computer science/information technology, earth sciences/space technology applications, materials science, microelectronics/mechatronics.
engineeRS ReCeive aWaRDS fRom PCaStRD
Last January 20, the launching of Fit Quest: The DLSU Weight Loss Challenge 2010 took place at the E. Razon Sports Complex. The contest will cover the entire third term of the current academic year.
The Office of Sports Development (OSD) started the three-month long challenge because the department believes that healthy people redound to a productive society. In this regard, OSD is embarking on a campaign of health and wellness designed to get the community moving and living a more active life. To do this, Fit Quest aims to create high impact, fun, safe, and medically sound activities that will encourage a more active lifestyle for all involved.
One of the most superficial or most easily recognizable manifestations of health and wellness is programmed, controlled and supervised weight loss. Thus, the urgent need arose for the OSD to create a pervading health consciousness in the University.
To promote health and fitness, OSD made sure that the weight loss competition would involve representatives from all sectors of the Lasallian Community. All teams underwent medical screening
process by the Strength Conditioning Inc. (SCI). From this screening, SCI designed a training program specific for each team.
Ultimately, at the end of the contest, the team with the highest percentage of TEAM weight loss combined with the highest loss in their TEAM body fat percentage loss will be determined as the winner.
Throughout the third term, Fit Quest will also be holding numerous seminars, workshops, and fitness activities that can be attended by the rest of the DLSU community.
LASALLIANS EMBARK ON
QUEST FOR FITNESS
Strategic Lasallian Intent:Quality of Lasallian Education
De La Salle University continuously strives to “to raise further the quality and relevance of Lasallian education to make it even more responsive to the needs of the learners and society.”
this is one of the six strategic intents identified in the 2008 Philippine Lasallian family Convocation. a reflection of this commitment is the self-assessment initiative under the aSean University network’s Quality assurance program conducted two years ago.
the self-assessment report undertaken by the College of business and economics and the College of engineering served as an instrument by which they were able to evaluate their overall academic quality using internationally-approved standards.
DLSU President and Chancellor br. armin Luistro fSC said that DLSU participated in the assessment in an effort to push its standard to a higher level and learn from the experience.
“We want to get an honest feedback not only on where we are but also where we will go,” br. armin pointed out.“the aUn initiative is beyond accreditation at the national level where DLSU has reached the highest level possible,”
said DLSU Chancellor emeritus Dr. Carmelita Quebengco, the former chief quality officer of the university. She noted, “this is an assessment of quality at the aSean level where the assessors are all qualified academics from the best aSean universities.”
is published bi-weekly by the Marketing Communication Office (AH-21/F, 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 ([email protected]), Operations Director; Anne Alina ([email protected]), Editor; Ma. Ruby Carlos, AARichela dela Cruz, Magsy Magbanua, Mark Pitoc, Arfie Koc, Marco Mañalac, Writers; Peter Varona, Art Director; Ricky Binoya, Ave Gaile Peraz, Luis De Vera, Graphic Artists; Virginia Umacob-Gases, Secretary; Raymond Menor, Office Assistant. 2401 may be accessed online through the URL: http://www.dlsu.edu.ph
De La Salle University formally kicked off the Green Screen last January 20 at the Marilen Gaerlan Conservatory.
CamPUS-WiDe DigitaL Signage netWoRk LaUnCheD
“Green Screen: Zero Hour” was an event held to celebrate the birth of the new Lasallian project, Green Screen. Starting at 12 p.m., which was the last hour before the actual launch of the project, the Green Screen Countdown was displayed onstage during the event as well as throughout the University in the different LCD locations. The countdown started running last December.
The Green Screen consists of ten LCDs strategically located all around campus which will give the DLSU community news, announcements, information, and entertainment. The project was conceived as part of DLSU’s thrust to continuously refine the University’s facilities and provide the Lasallian community with an environment conducive to learning.
In an effort to streamline communication channels within the campus, DLSU acquired Cayin Digital Signage Players for the centralized LCD announcement system. Dubbed as Green
Screen, the announcement system is a gateway for students, faculty, and administration to provide information to the community on important news and updates, as well as to aid in promoting activities and events within the campus. Also, the funds that the Green Screen will raise in sponsorships will go to the One La Salle Scholarship fund.
The following are the Green Screen sites: College Canteen, Velasco, Gokongwei, SPS, Yuchengco, Sports Complex, North and South Conservatory, and two in Brother Andrew Gonzalez Hall.
For Lasallians interested in posting content or material on the Green Screen, inquiries will be welcomed at the Marketing Communication Office at the 21st floor of the Brother Andrew Gonzalez Hall, intercom 144. For a speedier process, the Green Screen Request Form is currently on the Intranet available for download.
