New Silliman University Pastor

Silliman University has a new pastor in the person of Rev. Noel Villalba, who also sits as a member of the Board of Trustees of Silliman University in a holdover capacity. He replaces interim University Rev. Pastor Jonathan Pia who will be teaching at the Divinity School.

Rev. Villalba, whose term will end in 2009, was born on December 18, 1949 in Manila. He graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Mass Communication and Master of Divinity from Silliman University.

Prior to his appointment, he served as: Head Pastor of the United Church for Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in Davao, Director of the Mindanao Institute in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte, and Coordinator of the Asian Committee for People’s Organization of the Urban Rural Mission in Hong Kong. He was also a researcher-writer at the Ibon Facts and Figures in Quezon City.

Rev. Villalba has also been invited to deliver speeches in the country and abroad: “Defending Workers Rights in Melbourne, Australia” at the International Trade Union conference organized by the Australia-Asia Workers Link in Australia, and “Crossing Borders for Justice” at the People’s Plan for the 21st Century in Bangkok, Thailand. As a journalist, he has attended the journalist exchange program in East and West Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland sponsored by Dienste in Ubersee.

Swim Team Reaps Medals

Swimmers from the Silliman University Swimming
Club with assistant coach Dondon Jorolan (in sunglasses) pose with their medals after the 8th Davao Mayor's Cup Swimmiing Competition at the Ladislawa Country Club in Davao City (from left) Mikhaila Solomon, Ana Paraiso, Isabella Helen Mosqueda (partly hidden), Sander Fuentes, Kristina Dennise Paraiso, Sheena Leduna, Alexis Faye Pal and Eric Quinquito.

Swimmers from the Silliman University Swimming Club reaped a total of 27 gold medals, eight silver medals and three bronze medals in the 8th Davao Mayor’s Cup Age Group Swimming Competition at the Ladislawa Country Club in Davao City last May 25 to 27.

Two of the youngest swimmers in the tournament—Sander Fuentes and Krstina Dennise Paraiso—won seven and 10 gold medals, respectively, in the 6-and-under category, bagging the Most Outstanding Athlete awards for the boys and girls category of the three-day meet.

Fuentes grabbed the gold medals in 100 meter Individual Medley, 25 meter butterfly, 25 meter backstroke, 25 meter breaststroke, 50 meter backstroke, 50 meter butterfly, 50 meter breaststroke. He also got the silver medal for the 100 meter freestyle and 50 meter freestyle and the bronze medal for 25 meter freestyle.

Paraiso, on the other hand, won the gold in all the events she joined—100 meter Individual Medley, 25 meter butterfly, 25 meter backstroke, 25 meter breaststroke, 100 meter freestyle, 50 meter butterfly, 50 meter backstroke, 50 meter breaststroke, 50 meter freestyle and 25 meter freestyle.

Kristina’s sister, Ana, also won gold medals in the 9- to 10-year-old category for 100 meter Individual Medley, 50 meter backstroke, 50 meter breaststroke, 200 meter freestyle, 100 meter backstroke, 100 meter breaststroke, 100 meter freestyle, and 50 meter freestyle. Ana also won silver medals for 50 meter butterfly and 100 meter butterfly.

Meanwhile, Sheena Leduna also won gold medals for the 11 to 12-year-old category for 50 meter butterfly and 50 meter freestyle. She won the silver medals for 50 meter backstroke, 100 meter butterfly, 100 meter breaststroke, and100 meter freestyle. Leduna also won the bronze medals for 50-meter breaststroke and 100 meter backstroke.

Dondon Jorolan, assistant coach of the Silliman Swimming Team, said the competition had inspired all the swimmers to continue with their training for the next competition, the SU Founders Day invitational swimming competition , which will be held at the Shaw Memorial Pool of Silliman University this coming August.

The other members of the Silliman Swimming Club who joined the 8th Davao Mayor’s Cup were Eric Quinquito, Isabella Helen Mosqueda, Mikaela Solomon and Alexis Faye Pal.

Seminar on Grievance Handling

The Silliman University Faculty Association (SUFA) conducted last May 31 to June 2 a seminar on grievance handling, aimed at fostering good relations between union and administration.

Over 30 participants from SUFA, Silliman Administration, and unions and managements of companies in the province and Cebu attended the seminar on “Grievance Handling and Updates on Labor Jurisprudence”.

Prof. Rene Ofreneo of the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations was the speaker.

According to SUFA Vice President John Credo, the seminar was a way of educating members of the union and administration on how to settle issues at the “grassroots level”. This, he said, would prevent litigation, which “becomes an expense on both the part of the union and administration.”

VisMin Philosophical Association Conference

More than 30 philosophy teachers, scholars, and enthusiasts attended the 30th Philosophical Association of the Visayas and Mindanao (PHAVISMINDA) National Conference on May 28-30, 2007 at the Silliman University Multi-Purpose Room.

The theme of this year's conference was "Doing Philosophy in the Philippine Context."

SU President Dr. Ben S. Malayang III, a philosophy scholar himself, delivered the keynote address titled, "When Philosophers Play Soccer" (click link to access speech).

Several presentors presented their papers, followed by open forums. Those who presented were: Dr. Charito J. Pizarro of the University of San Carlos on "Postmodernism: The Filipino Philosopher's Edge,"; Dr. Jane D. Gallamaso of Xavier University on "The Philosophical Approaches to Environmental Preservation,"; Dr. Florentino H. Hornedo of the University of Santo Tomas on "The Historic Roots of Our Traditional Values,"; Dr. Reynaldo Y. Rivera of Silliman University on "What Is Called Doing Philosophy in the Philippines?,"; Dr. Eddie R. Babor of Holy Name University on "Heidegger's Philosophy of 'Authentic Existence' and the Filipinos,"; Fr. Dr. Michael D. Moga, SJ of Ateneo de Zamboanga University on "The Obligation to One's Self,"; Dr. Rolando M. Gripaldo of De La Salle University on "The Making of a Filipino Philosopher," and Prof. Christopher Ryan B. Maboloc of Ateneo de Davao University on "Ideology, Perspective, and Social Reality in the Aesthetic Theory of Georg Lukacs."

The 31st PHAVISMINDA National Conference was targeted to be hosted by the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City.