The University of the Philippines, on 8 January 2008, opened festivities marking its centennial. The day started with a huge motorcade from UP Manila in Padre Faura where the university was first established in 1908. The Manila convoy was joined by other motorcades originating from UP Baguio, UP Pampanga and UP Los Baños and converged with the UP Diliman contingent, entering the Diliman campus in a grand parade. UP Alumni Association President Ponciano E. Rivera Jr. ‘61 was among those who welcomed the delegations at Quezon Hall.

The Upsilon Sigma Phi joined the parade as part of the UP Diliman contingent, the only frat that marched to the Oblation. Being the oldest Greek-letter fraternity in the country and in Asia, we made sure to be part of this historic event!

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UP president Dr. Emerlinda Roman named the twelve UP Centennial Fellows who will deliver the “Self-Reflection Lectures: The View from Inside,” one of the four planned lecture series for the UP Centennial. Among them is University Professor Emeritus, Dr. Gemino H. Abad ‘55.

Dr. Abad is a multi-awarded poet and critic. He teaches English, comparative literature and creative writing at UP Diliman. He has served as secretary of the University and the Board of Regents (1977-1982), vice president for academic affairs (1987-1990), and director of the UP Institute of Creative Writing (formerly the UP Creative Writing Center) (1995-1998). He is a founding member of the Philippine Literary Arts Council, which puts out the Caracoa (the only poetry journal in English in Asia); and currently sits on the board of advisers of the UP Institute of Creative Writing and at the editorial board of the UP Press. He has received numerous literary awards, including the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas for lifetime achievement in poetry and literary criticism in 1996 and the UP Alumni Association Professional Award in Literature in 1997. He continues to teach as university professor emeritus at the College of Arts and Letters, and sit on several UP System committees.

Antonio M. Cailao ‘66 is newly appointed president and chief executive of state-owned Philippine National Oil Company. Cailao, who took his oath of office on September 1, is a veteran international banker from Citigroup. He has been given the task of overseeing the smooth privatization of two of the company’s subsidiaries, PNOC-Energy Development Corp. and PNOC-Exploration Corp.

Saeed “Apin” Daof ‘52 is now the chairman of Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA). Daof will bring significant contribution to the development of Southern Philippines particularly in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, education, power, utilities, manufacturing and exploration of natural resources. Congratulations brods!

Congratulations to the re-elected and newly-elected members of the Philippine Congress, Senators Joker P. Arroyo ‘48 and Francis N. Pangilinan ‘81; and Representatives Roque B. Ablan, Jr. ‘50 (1st District of Ilocos Norte), Eduardo C. Zialcita ‘68 (2nd District of Paranaque), Jesus Crispin Remulla ‘79 (3rd District of Cavite), Ferdinand Martin Romualdez ‘85 (Leyte), and Roman T. Romulo ‘86 (Lone District of Pasig City). In the province of Tarlac, Victor A. Yap ‘84 (Tarlac) defeated Jose “Peping” Cojuangco for the post of provincial governor. Also elected were Mayor Arnulfo B. Fuentebella, Jr. ‘94 (Tigaon, Camarines Sur), Board Members Neil Andrew N. Nocon ‘87 (2nd District of Laguna) and Michel Kristian R. Ablan ‘00 (1st District of Ilocos Norte), Councilor Jaime “Jimmy” Borres ‘63 (3rd District of Quezon City) among many others. Congratulations brods!

Nicanor E. Yñiguez ‘37, the grand old man of Southern Leyte politics, passed away last Friday in Maasin, Southern Leyte. He was 91. Yñiguez was Speaker of the Batasang Pambansa from 1984 to 1986.

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The College of Economics and Management at UPLB has approved summa cum laude honors for Carlos Juan Paolo “Chip” Vega ‘04 who completed his degree in Economics, major in Natural Resouce Economics. Congratulations brod!

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially named Minor Planet No. 6636 in honor of Dr. Roman L. Kintanar ‘48 last week. Kintanar headed the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for nearly 36 years before retiring in 1994. It was the Astronomical League of the Philippines which proposed the asteroid’s name to the IAU “in recognition of Kintanar’s long service and innumerable contributions to the advancement and modernization of weather forecasting in the Philippines, as well as for inspiring future astronomers.”

The official citation for Asteroid 6636 Kintanar was published in Minor Planet Center Circular No. 59384 on April 2. It reads: “Roman Lucero Kintanar (b. 1929) directed the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration from 1958 to 1994. A dedicated public servant and distinguished scientist, he was president of the UN World Meteorological Organization during 1979-1987.”

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Dr. Leopoldo “Pol” Vergel de Dios ‘31 passed away in California, USA last March 24. A few days later, on March 30, B/Gen. Jesus T. Mendoza ‘32, former Surgeon General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, joined our Creator. Vergel de Dios and Mendoza were both charter members of the medical fraternity Phi Kappa Mu in 1933, a testament to motto of the Upsilon of gathering the light to scatter.

The Manila results are in! Chrysanthus “Bojit” Herrera ‘06 is the incoming chairperson of the University Student Council in UP Manila for AY 2007-2008. This is the third time in four years that the frat has produced a USC Chairperson after Albert Francis E. Domingo ‘04 in Manila in 2005, and Michel Kristian “Kris” Ablan ‘00 in Diliman in 2004. To add to the good news, Justine Benjamin “Benjo” Pajaro ‘06 was also elected vice-chairperson of the College of Medicine.

In the Junior Marketing Association in UP Diliman, Lauro Francis “Junjun” Guevara, Jr. ‘05 was elected Vice-President for the Socials and Public Relations Committee and Gregorio Angelo “Gelo” Villar ‘05 won as Vice-President for External Affairs. Congratulations brods!

Election results are out in Diliman. Herminio “Third” Bagro III ‘02 is the No. 1 USC Councilor! This is the third time this decade that the frat has produced a No. 1 USC Councilor after Vincent Patrick “VP” Palafox ‘00 in 2000 and Paolo Luis M. Gomez ‘03 in 2004. To add to the good news, Paolo Marco R. Mapula ‘02 also won as No. 5 USC Councilor! The third brod in USC 2007-2008 is Francis “Kiko” Serina ‘06 who won as No. 1 College Representative of Engineering.

In the Engineering Student Council, Ramon Miguel “Miggy” Abeleda ‘05 won as IE Representative while John Emmanuel “JE” Umbal ‘07 won as EEE Reresentative. In the College of Arts and Letters, Johanne “Jay” del Rosario ‘06 won as College Councilor.

Congratulations to all the brods for a job well done!

The Secretary of the University and the Board of Regents, Dr. Lourdes Abadingo, announced on February 7 that Ponciano E. Rivera, Jr. ‘61 is the new Alumni Regent. UP Alumni Association (UPAA) President Atty. Gari M. Tiongco ‘61 is serving the Board as a regular member. Rivera joins brods Tiongco, Romulo G. Davide ‘54 and Edmundo M. Varona ‘54 in the Board. Congratulations brod!

In view of the fact that there were only fifteen nominees for the position of Board of Directors for the year 2007-2009, it was decided that the nominees be elected by way of acclamation, instead of secret ballot. The fellows assembled at the venue were asked to express their approval of the nominees by standing up and clapping their hands. The fellows agreed to the proposal. They simultaneously stood up, cheered and clapped their hands upon which the nominees were declared duly elected members of the Board of Directors of the USPAA for the year 2007-2009.

The outgoing Chairman and President welcomed the following new members of the Board: Antonio Abad Jr. ‘57, Eliseo M. Ilano ‘57, Behn Cervantes ‘58, Francisco B. Aniag, Jr. ‘66, Geronimo S. Esguerra ‘68, Gregorio S. Ejercito ‘72, Francisco S. Pascua ‘73, Enrico V. Livelo ‘81, Joel Viado ‘83, Felicano Manuel Manlulu II ‘85, Gari Tiongco II ‘91, Valdemor Enrique Aguilar ‘93, Miguel A. Robillo ‘96, Tecson John S. Lim ‘97 and Jaime Fortunato A. Caringal ‘99. Abad and Aniag were elected Chairman and President respectively. Congratulations brods!