The UST That I Knew

I could not count the times I blogged about University of Santo Tomas, the Royal, Pontifical and oldest university in the Far East. It makes one proud of being an alumna there from high school to college.  We fondly call it USTe. I had so many photos of it which I took over the years whenever I had time to take a visit. I remember that the last time I visited the place was when Nissa had her thyroidectomy first week of September 2019 at the UST Hospital.

The very first time that I set foot there was during the summer of 1969. As I graduated from the province, I was quite late in taking the entrance exams for high school students. Since my dad also worked there, I was allowed to take the high school entrance exams at the office of the principal. At first I had a hard time adjusting to high school life. Most of my classmates were honors students from known schools in Metro Manila. I just garnered First Honorable Mention when I graduated from grade school. What I liked most about high school? The friends and classmates I got to know better, our English, Science and History teachers, quite disliked Algebra and Trigonometry. I loved  Chemistry and Physics though.

When I was in college, I worked for a time at the UST Main Library, Humanities Section. I was proud to be called student librarian and I gained lots of friends in the process. That’s where I learned to appreciate serious reading. I loved the rituals of attending early morning student masses at the UST Chapel. Finally earned a degree in Economics when I left the university.

It has changed a lot, more buiĺdings, pavilion and research center over the years. Proud to say that Nissa, Josef and I are alumni of UST embracing a good Catholic education in the process.

Got some photos from the net since I already uploaded most photos I took over the years.

This is the main building of the university.

HAPPY 413TH  FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY USTe.

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Pocket Of Joy

It was a joyful but quiet celebration of meeting 2021 finally. Although firecrakers are prohibited during the general community quarantine, for a few minutes before the new year started and a few minutes after, it was so noisy outside. By 1 am, everything was so quiet.

Mom and I are alone in the house. Josef, Jovy and our two pets spent the new year with Jovy’s grandma. They will stay there until Sunday.

Here’s our simple lunch: a healthy veggie salad with mayo/garlic/vinegar dip, slivers of cheese and thin slices of crisp apple, two rolls embutido and baked macaroni. Blueberry cheese cake and brownies for desserts. Heaven🍎🥒🥬🧀

Turning a new leaf in the calendar of life, another 365 days to make life more meaningful.

Peace and prosperity to all. HAPPY AND BLESSED 2021.

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Memories

Getting a little nostalgic seeing the pics I took of UST  a few years ago. I spent my high school and college life here. And this central lane leads to the lovely main building of the university.

Bringing back the clock – remembering old friends who were part of  my growing-up years, the heartaches of first love, cramming for exams, early morning student mass at the UST Chapel, the daily walks inside the campus, banana que at P. Noval, cornik laced with chili oil at Dapitan.

I just love taking photos of every corner of UST. This Arch of the Centuries is the “ruin” of the original structure of UST founded more than 400 years ago.

Well…I am just proud to be a Thomasian!

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UST In The Dark

At first, I didn’t actually like these shots but on second look, they have a redeeming feature, my favorite subject – clouds. And the sun showing its face in the shadows of the Arch of the Centuries of my alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas!

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University of Santo Tomas (Main Building)

Two months ago, I had another opportunity to take shots of  one  of my favorite subjects, my alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas, officially known as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, the Catholic University of the Philippines. UST or USTe as we alumni fondly call it is the oldest existing  university  in Asia. In terms of student population, it is the largest Catholic university in the world in a single campus. The institution was established through the initiative of Bishop Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the third Archbishop of Manila. I blogged about it  more than any other subject  I encountered. You see, I am a proud alumna of the University spending nine years of my life since high school in this revered institution.

The UST Main Building with its massive, imposing and seemingly solid facade is one of the best city landmarks in Metro Manila. Designed by Fr. Roque Ruaño, O.P., priest and engineer, it has the distinction of the first fire-proof building in the country. The building is composed of forty independent structures separated from each other by a gap of one inch, which is filled with loose cement. One of these structures rises beyond the level of the fourth floor to form the tower in the center of the huge box-like stone mass.

Back in high school, I was never curious what the statues and monuments atop the main building stand for. Being a student who saw them everyday, they were  just part of the campus and the lovely facade of the building. It’s when you have left its portals that you get to appreciate it better and you’re proud, so truly proud that after all these years, you are still welcome in its bosom.

The  trio of statues represent  theologians and historians: St. Augustine, the Doctor of the Church, St. Raymond de Peñafort, O.P., doctor of Canon Law, and Vincent de Beauvais, O.P. French historian. And the three statues facing A.H.Lacson St. are those of the playwrights: the Spanish Lope de Vega, the Greek comic Aristophanes, and the French neo-classical comedian Moliere .

The wide campus in front of the UST Main Building.

The cross atop the tower symbolizes the University’s mission to impart knowledge in the sacred and civil sciences. Slightly in front of, and below the tower is the “Tria Haec” clustered around a giant clock in the center facade of the fourth floor. The hooded and robed figure “Faith” brandishes a cross up high and occupies the top of the clock. Lower and to the left of the clock stands “Hope” and to the right, “Charity”. All these statues communicate with their varied expressive poses magnified in stone. They teach in silence.

These three figures represent  the great philosophers Aristotle, St. Albert the Great and Plato.

This is  the inner quadrangle of the Main building. The surrounding rooms here used to be the UST Main Library (back in my time, that is).

I walked these halls countless times during my student days and working for almost three years as a student librarian instilled in me the love of books.  Those were the days and I really miss you, USTe!

Hmm…just want to remember, this is my 855th post, thanks WordPress!

Goal of 855 Posts Completed. Congratulations!

100%

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Walking Through History (Revisiting the University of Santo Tomas Museum)

It’s been years, close to four decades in fact since I last visited the UST Museum. There was a time , when I was still a student, when I used to spend hours just looking at the  vast collections of the museum but there were a lot more added through the years and the place has been renovated. I could spend a whole day just looking at everything here but since I was meeting a friend at the  UST Priory, I just took a few shots of the place. Imagine yourself visiting the oldest existing museum in the Philippines and all you could utter are oohs and aahs just absorbing and thinking how UST has collected and saved all these and we’re talking of more than 300 years.

This is the grand staircase of  the UST Main building where the museum is housed. Notice the murals hanging on the walls, they are creations of Filipino masters Galo Ocampo and Carlos “Botong” Francisco.

The Natural History Collection

Shelter Collection – Ethnography

Clothing Collection – Ethnography

Hunting, Fishing Collection – Ethnography

Metal Craft

The Papal chair used by Blessed  JP II during the 1995 World Youth Day in Manila.

Coins, Medals and Memorabilia – Natural History Collection

This year UST will have its Neo Centennial Celebration and the UST Museum will open its doors to an exhibit dubbed as ” 400 Shots To Immortality” which will run from January 20 to February 10, 2012.

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Congratulations University of Santo Tomas (We Did It)

Back in March, I blogged about  The UST Dominican Cross, a part of University of Santo Tomas’ celebration of its 400th year and an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record.  Here is an official announcement from the university and a link from the Guinness  site.

The largest human cross was achieved by 13,266 participants at an event organised by the University of Santo Tomas (Philippines) in Manila, Philippines, on 9 March 2011.

Go USTe! Proud to be a Thomasian!

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THe UST Dominican Cross

The Thomasians did it again. It was an estimated gathering of 24,000 students, faculty members and UST staff at the UST  Field to form the black and white Dominican Cross. It symbolizes the Catholic and Dominican identity of the University of Santo Tomas. the even was meant to highlight

penance in the season of Lent and as part of the 400 years celebration of the university. Fr. Winston Cabading, OP said that this is also UST’s attempt to rewrite the Guiness Book of World Records by forming a Dominican Cross.

Proud to be a Thomasian!

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After Almost 38 Years

Time flies, certainly!  We had our informal high school reunion yesterday at one of our batchmates’ s house in Quezon City.  Though it was  not the  first time we had it, it was the first time since our high school graduation that I met some of our classmates.   It was almost 38 years and we were just in our teens when we graduated from high school. Most of them are now proud grandparents!   One of the regular attendees is a four-year old grandson of one of our batch mates.  He practically grew up with the batch and is familiar with almost every one.  I call him our “reunion baby”.

Our reunions always start with a Thanksgiving Mass and end with so much laughter, reminiscing the good old days and sometimes remembering events  and our beloved teachers.  It’s about cherishing getting older and humming songs of yesteryears,  updating each other on the latest happenings in our lives, hours of bantering, exchanging jokes and laughter.  Not to be left of course is the scrumptious  lunch or dinner for the batch.   UST Education High School – part of history, part of a Pontifical, Royal Catholic University in the Philippines.

It may take years before we see some of our classmates again but the friendship, camaraderie and sense of belonging  are what we will always cherish in our hearts.

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Wow, Just Wow

And I thought the fireworks the other night are lovely but this is even more beautiful –  the culmination of the week-long celebration of the 400th year of University of Santo Tomas – UST Quadricentennial Alumni Night Pyromusical!

Go USTe, Viva Santo Tomas, Proud to be a Thomasian!

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