THIRTY-EIGHT faculty retirees, including two Faculty of Arts and Letters professors, were honored for their decades-long service during a testimonial ceremony on Thursday, July 17, at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. building.
Department of History Assoc. Prof. Maria Eloisa De Castro and Department of Sociology Prof. Clarence Batan were among the members of the UST academic staff to retire for the academic year 2024-2025.
De Castro, an Artlets alumna, taught for more than 41 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies in 1979, her master’s degree in Oriental Religions and Cultures in 2000 and her doctorate in philosophy major in history in 2015, all at UST.
In 2019, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts recognized her research on secondary education during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines.
On May 6 last year, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. appointed her as a member of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, representing the private sector.
Meanwhile, Batan began teaching at the University a year after completing his bachelor’s in Sociology in 1995. He served for more than 29 years and was the coordinator of the Sociology department in 2019.
Batan earned his master’s degree in sociology at the University of the Philippines-Diliman and his doctorate in sociology from Dalhousie University in Canada, where he also obtained a certificate in university teaching and learning.
In 2018, Batan served as president of the Philippine Sociological Society.
Among his recognitions were UST Gold and Silver Series Research Awards, the Outstanding Book Award from the National Academy of Science and Technology and the Gawad San Lorenzo Ruiz at the 16th Dangal ng UST Awards.
He also obtained international research fellowships from Brown University and the International Development Research Center in Canada.
Of the 38 retirees this year, seven came from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, namely, Prof. Pilar Agnes Andaya, Assoc. Prof. Maria Victoria Concepcion Cruz, Prof. Clarissa Mendoza, Asst. Prof. Renato Montenegro, Assoc. Prof. Vicente Rosales, Jr., Prof. Anne Marie Trinidad and Prof. Tim Trinidad.
Five are from the Faculty of Engineering, namely, Asst. Prof. Armando Barretto, Assoc. Prof. Patrick Ellis Go, Prof. Joehanna Ngo, Asst. Prof. Remigio Rambongga and Asst. Prof. Rodelio Tiburcio.
UST also honored four retirees from the College of Architecture: Asst. Prof. Grace Beriňa, Asst. Prof. Leah Martin, Assoc. Prof. Willa Solomon and architect Maria Lourdes Rigunay.
Three retirees were recognized from the College of Science namely Prof. Carlos Garcia, Asst. Prof. Claudia Mendoza and Asst. Prof. Enrico Yambao; while another three were honored from Junior High School namely master teachers Evelyn Gregorio, Frederick Roy Manubay and Ma. Victoria Torres.
Two retirees each from other colleges were also acknowledged for their services: Asst. Prof. Celso Noel Aban and Assoc. Prof. Cristina Castro-Cabral from the College of Commerce and Business Administration; Assoc. Prof. Maria Mercedes Buendia and Assoc. Prof. Pilar Romero from the College of Education; Assoc. Prof. Jocelyn Domingo and Prof. Librado Santiago from the Faculty of Pharmacy; senior teacher Lorna Billanes and junior teacher Elizabeth Kapulong from Senior High School; and senior librarians Narcelita Lane Olamit Marivic Usita.
Assoc. Prof. Antonio Africa from the Conservatory of Music, Assoc. Prof. Rouena Villarama from the College of Nursing, Prof. Patricia Empleo from the UST-Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy and senior counselor Marie Lalaine Recio were also honored for their contributions to the University. F
