FIVE ARTLETS alumni are among the 61 awardees to be recognized during the 11th Distinguished Thomasian Alumni Awards on Nov. 27.
The Faculty of Arts and Letters graduates who will be honored during the event are Julianito “Boy” Villasanta and Ferdinand Laureta of the UST Philets and Artlets Alumni Association Inc. and Michael Anthony Vasco of the UST Graduate School Alumni and Grants Association, Inc.
The University will also recognize Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa and Reynaldo Lopez of the UST Law Alumni Foundation Inc.
Villasanta graduated in 1970 with a degree in Literature and served as the Filipino editor for The Flame. He is currently an online contributor for ABS-CBN.
Villasanta has also authored two UST Publishing House titles namely “Tio Ticong: Pulitika at Pelikula” and “Expose’ Peryodismong Pampelikula sa Pilipinas,” which was nominated at the 2008 National Books Awards.
Laureta is a Legal Management graduate and a business franchise developer for BNI Star.
Vasco, the incumbent UST Graduate School dean, completed three Philosophy degrees at the University. After earning his bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Arts and Letters in 1992, he received his master’s degree in 1994 and his doctorate in 1999 from the Graduate School.
He previously served as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters from 2009 to 2019.
Tolosa serves as the legal spokesperson and private prosecutor for the House prosecution panel.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Legal Management from the Faculty of Arts and Letters in 2003 and his law degree from the Faculty of Civil Law in 2008. The Thomasian lawyer graduated 7th out of a class of 145 students before passing the Bar exam in 2009.
Lopez is a lawyer who earned his Political Science degree in 1981. He completed his master of laws at the UST Graduate School in 1989.
Lopez also helped establish the Artlets Student Council during Martial Law alongside former The Flame editor Ronald Llamas and Eduardo Buenaflor.
The awardees from different alumni associations were selected by the UST Alumni Association Inc. (USTAAI), which released the list of recipients in a Facebook post on Oct. 14.
According to the nomination guidelines, the honoree must exemplify professional integrity in both public and private life, demonstrate active commitment to the mission, vision and values of the alumni association.
Nominations are submitted by batch representatives. All nominations must be officially endorsed and signed by the president of the respective member alumni association.
“The nominee must be a graduating alumnus or alumna of the university, exhibiting good moral character and active embodiment of the core Thomasian values of competence, compassion and commitment,” the UST Office of Alumni Relations said.
The awarding ceremony will be held on Nov. 27 at the Dr. Robert C. Sy Grand Ballroom of the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building.
Other awardees include Vice Mayor Zacarias Candelaria, Ernest John Obiena, Albert Martinez and Prof. Evelyn Songco.
The event will also recognize Most. Rev. Patricio Buzon, Prof. MA., Frieda Hapan, Ditas Cristina Decena, Alfred Lasala II, Prof. Jae-Gu Kim, Christian Rimando, Jose Bandong, Bayani rumbaoa and Nelson Castillo.
First held in 2010 to mark UST’s upcoming 400th anniversary, the UST Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest institutional honor bestowed upon graduates of the University. F – Preeti Gemiene Galvez
