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With Dean Jimmuel Naval and this year’s Top 5-winning UP College of Arts and Letters (CAL) Lantern Parade entry: KALbaryo, designed by prize-winning designer and UP Theatre Arts Assistant Professor John Carlo Pagunaling. The lantern is a homage to the late UP CAL Professor Emerita of Art Studies Brenda Fajardo’s art piece “Barahan ng Buhay.” Dr. Fajardo passed away early this year, and the college is paying tribute to her incredible journey and legacy as a teacher, artist, scholar, and community worker 🌻

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With Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for Research and Development Leah J. Buendia and the DOST National Research Council of the Philippines Governing Board under University of the Philippines Los Baños Professor of Entomology Aimee Lynn A. Barrion-Dupo. The photo was taken before the 1098th Business Meeting of the DOST-NRCP Governing Board. 📷 Vincent Olarve (DOST-NRCP)

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Remembering one of my closest friends—Boholano Artist, Production Designer, Film & TVC Director, and UP College of Fine Arts (CFA) Professor Leo Abaya (13 December 1960-26 May 2021) on his 64th birthday.

Leo is a UP (BFA, magna cum laude) and Winchester School of Art - University of Southampton (Master of Fine Art) alumnus. He received an AAP Prize in 1993 for his Views and Points of View (oil on canvas). The painting was purchased as part of the Singapore Art Museum’s permanent collection in 1994. Leo’s Official Portrait of Dr. Onofre Corpuz, 13th UP President, commissioned in 1997, is part of UP’s Art Collection.

Leo received Urian, FAMAS, Star, MMFF, and Iloilo Film Festival Awards for Best Production Design for Jose Rizal (1998), Muro-ami (1999), and Kubrador (2006).

Leo also designed The UP Gawad Oblation, an award given by the University to UP alumni and friends for “extraordinary service with or in the name of UP.” As revealed to UP Art Studies Professor Tessa Maria Guazon, Leo’s works frequently inquire about the body, history, and remembering.

On February 24, 2023, Fundacion Sansó donated proceeds from the Masters Giclées sales (limited-edition giclées of the works of National Artists Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Abdulmari Imao, and Juvenal Sansó) to the UP CFA for the establishment of the Leo Abaya Thesis Grant.

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With the Governing Board, at the 91st founding anniversary of the DOST National Research Council of the Philippines 🌻. 📷 Vincent Olarve (DOST-NRCP)

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A chance visit from UP Baguio Assistant Professors of Language and Literature Io Jularbal and Roland Rabang. Both attended my Ph.D. classes years back. By then, Professor Emeritus Delfin L. Tolentino had refined and shaped their explorations into literary and cultural studies.

Io is the new UP Baguio College of Arts and Communication (CAC) Dean. Previously, he chaired UP Baguio's Committee on Culture and the Arts (CCA). His dissertation focused on "Transitions and Transformations in the Colonial and Postcolonial Discourse of Headhunting in the Highlands of Northern Luzon. His extensive research in this area underscores his commitment to helping problematize the complexities of indigenous studies in the Philippines. On the other hand, his article "A Rhetorical Analysis of Isabelo F. Delos Reyes’s El Tinguian (1888)" reflects his engagement with the contexts and nature of Delos Reyes's attempts to produce a more localized and nativistic view of the Tinguian which tends to differentiate itself from European writings about the people. However, using rhetorical devices to give meaning and understanding of the “other,” Delos Reyes, in the end, still rendered an outsider’s view of the Tinguian.

Meanwhile, Roland was the Director of UP Baguio's Office of Public Affairs. He was previously mentored by veteran journalists Peppot Ilagan of The Gold Ore and Steve Hamada of the Baguio Cordillera Post. His experiences in photojournalism, news writing, and feature writing have enriched his academic pursuits and provided a unique perspective on the intersection of media and culture. He has contributed articles to many publications, including The Manila Times and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and his fortnightly column for the Baguio Chronicle served as a vital counterbalance to the rigors of his early academic life. He is now working on his Ph.D. dissertation, "The Northern Luzon Cordillera Visions of Eduardo Masferré: An Analysis of Photography in Four Planes," exploring a slice of the intricate relationship between visual representation and cultural identity in the Cordillera region.

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At a get-together hosted by Washington DC-based Retired UP Professor of History, Dr. Bernardita Reyes Churchill. She earned her BA History degree, magna cum laude, from UP Diliman. Later, she pursued an MA at Cornell University and a Ph.D. at the Australian National University (ANU).

Dr. Churchill's mentors in UP include Teodoro A. Agoncillo, Oscar M. Alfonso, Gabriel Fabella, Guadalupe Fores Ganzon, Serafin D. Quiason, and Josefa Saniel. At Cornell, her mentors were Knight Biggerstaff and D.G.E. Hall. At the ANU, her mentors were E.A. Basham, Hector Kinloch, H.H.E. Loofs-Wissowa and Anthony Reid. Her studies at these institutions provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the historical narratives and dynamics of the East and Southeast Asian region.

Dr. Churchill has significantly contributed to Philippine historiography throughout her academic career. Her notable publications include studies on the Philippine Revolt against Spanish colonial rule, the independence movement against the United States, and a co-authored, award-winning volume on the Philippine Senate. Additionally, she has produced extensive research on the Philippines' diplomatic relations with China and Portugal.

She served as Chair of the UP History Department and, following her retirement from UP, continued her research and teaching through appointments at the University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University.

She served as president of the Manila Studies Association and the Philippine Studies Association, organizations through which she has guided the development of Philippine local history and studies at both provincial and regional levels. Her outreach efforts, mentoring, and organizational initiatives have ensured that underrepresented communities are included in the broader historical discourse.

As President of the Philippine National Historical Society (PNHS), Dr. Churchill has been instrumental in hosting meetings that feature local and regional scholars. Many of the presentations from these meetings subsequently appear in the Society’s Journal of History, thereby facilitating the dissemination of research that extends beyond the confines of Metro Manila. The PNHS’s conferences and publications have significantly contributed to a more inclusive understanding of the country’s past, drawing upon the voices and perspectives of scholars from various locations.

Dr. Churchill’s influence on the global academic stage is particularly evident through her role as chair of the International Conference on Philippine Studies (ICOPHIL). Since its inception in 1980 at Western Michigan University, ICOPHIL has attracted scholars worldwide every four years, providing a platform for promoting Philippine studies as a vital field of intellectual inquiry. Dr. Churchill is known for her unwavering support of emerging scholars, particularly those who may find themselves intimidated in more extensive academic settings, where the prominence of scholars on China, Japan, Korea, and India often overshadows Southeast Asian studies.

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More Photos from the UK Alumni Soiree 2024 hosted by Her Excellency, Laure Beaufils, the British Ambassador to the Philippines and Palau (3rd from R), the British Council Philippines, the British Embassy Manila and the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines Philippines.

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ATM: At the UK Alumni Soiree 2024 hosted by Her Excellency, Laure Beaufils, the British Ambassador to the Philippines and Palau, the British Council, the British Embassy Manila and the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines.

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Quick coffee with two former students, now Ayala Group Vice Presidents--Mai Marcelo (Globe Telecom Vice President and Customer Intelligence Head) and Mark Arthur Payumo Abalos (iPeople [Yuchengco-Ayala Education Partnership] Vice President and Dual Transformation Head). Mai is a UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (Sociology) alumna while Mark is a UP College of Arts and Letters (English) alumnus.

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Scenes from the 72nd Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature 🥂

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Maraming Salamat po, Philippines Graphic at Philippines Graphic Reader 🙏 https://philippinesgraphic.com.ph/2024/11/19/slaughterhouse-poems/

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I spent some of my happiest years working with these retirees from UP’s administrative, research, and extension offices. Very thrilled to see them flourish years after I last saw them🌻

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Dr. Soledad Reyes graciously hosted a Bienvenida for Karina Africa Bolasco and Ambeth Ocampo, who recently arrived from Frankfurter Buchmesse. I could not take our photos with LJ (UP College of Mass Communication Associate Louie Jon Sánchez, who came from a previous engagement) because I had to leave early to teach two successive classes in Diliman.

De La Salle University Publishing House and the DLSU Department of Literature are hosting a forum and the launching of LJ’s Ang Drama ng Ating Búhay: Isang Kultural na Kasaysayan ng Teleserye. The launch is scheduled for 12:00 noon on Saturday, the 23rd of November, 2024. It will be held at The DLSU Learning Commons on the 6th Floor of the Henry Sy, Sr. Hall. I hope the twin events will highlight the significance of LJ's pioneering study and serve as a platform for emerging writers and scholars to engage in meaningful discourse regarding contemporary issues in literature and media. The event is free and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Break a leg!

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Several weekends ago, I captured a series of images depicting the town of Aparri. I have since learned that many structures featured in my footage have suffered significant damage. Aparri and numerous parts of Northern Luzon have recently been declared a state of calamity due to the extensive destruction inflicted by Super Typhoon #MarcePH and Tropical Storm #OfelPH.

According to reports from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWD), the repercussions of these natural disasters are staggering. More than 20,000 families, representing over 78,000 individuals, have been adversely affected in #Aparri alone. This situation underscores the urgent need for support and recovery efforts to assist those who have been displaced and to help rebuild the community that has endured such overwhelming challenges.

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Several weekends ago, between typhoons, I had the opportunity to visit Lal-lo Church, located on Real Street in Lal-lo, Cagayan. I hope the church has withstood the challenges of natural disasters that have recently battered Northern Luzon.

Lal-lo (old name: Lal-loc) was known as the Diocese of Nueva Segovia from 1595 to 1755 when the seat of the diocese was moved to Vigan. It was Cagayan’s capital until 1839 when Tuguegarao became the provincial center. The Philippine Historical Commission marker, dated 1939, prominently displayed at the site, is a testament to Lal-lo Church’s significance.

As Nueva Segovia, Lal-lo was one of the first four cities founded by the Spanish colonists in the Philippines (others were Manila, 1571; Cebu, 1565; and Nueva Caceres, now Naga, 1575).

Rev. Fr. Miguel de Benavides O.P. dedicated himself to addressing the spiritual needs of Cagayan’s native population as the first bishop of Nueva Segovia from 1596 to 1602. After a brief three-year tenure, he was appointed Archbishop of Manila on October 7, 1602. Sadly, he passed away in 1605, six years before realizing the university he had envisioned, the University of Santo Tomas (UST), was eventually founded.

I revere Lal-lo Church's historical and cultural importance. It stands not merely as a place of worship but also as a monument to Cagayan's rich heritage.

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Honoring the memory of Tiger Villanueva during his wake—with his wife, Butch Villanueva, and Butch’s former colleagues from Smart Communications, Inc.—Miriam Zamora Choa, Marcelino Jr Narcida, and Gayle Certeza. By sheer coincidence, Tiger’s brother Wacky, sister-in-law Tricia Endozo-Villanueva, aunt Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, and cousin-in-law Myrza Sison are also my friends.

While the circumstances were mournful, the wake prompted us to appreciate the camaraderie Tiger had fostered in his life, making our reunion a time of reflection and reconnection.

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