On January 14, 2025, University Rector and Research and Endowment Foundation, Inc. (REFI) President fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., PhD signed the memorandum of agreement with Dr. Belo, who consolidated support from Wilcon Corporation, Anstay Reality and Development Corporation, Markeenlo Realty, Inc., and Adije Realty and Development Corporation, to fund the four-storey institute with twenty-five laboratories.

In attendance were REFI officials led by Executive Director fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., as well as UST officials led by the Vice-Rector for Finance, fr. Roberto L. Luanzon, Jr., O.P., SThD, DL, Facilities Management Office Director fr. Dexter A. Austria, O.P., Assistant to the Rector for UST Santa Rosa Philipina A. Marcelo, PhD, Office for Grants, Endowments, and Partnerships in Higher Education Director Levine Andro H. Lao, MA, Executive Assistant for UST Santa Rosa Seigfred Prado, PhD, Project Management Assistant Shikara Poblete-Jose, MSc, and Facilities Management Office Assistant Director Albert Surla, MSc. Joining Dr. Belo were Wilcon Depot, Inc. President and CEO Lorraine Belo-Cincochan and Executive Vice-President and Chief Product Officer Careen Belo. Legal counsel Atty. Sheila Pasicolan was also in attendance.

With a total ground floor area of 1,555.83 square meters, the facility will provide much-needed room for UST’s research activities, which are currently done in the Manila campus. With the added space, the various research centers will have counterpart spaces to pursue studies on the following areas: food security and safety, health and well-being, environmental sustainability, energy, information and communications, and materials and product innovation. The institute is expected to be completed in December 2025.

In 2024, UST was hailed as the country’s top higher education institution for Interdisciplinary Science Rankings by Times Higher Education. Earlier that year, on January 26, 2024, the project broke ground, a few meters away from the UST-Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong Innovation Center.

Dr. Belo is one of UST’s most decorated alumni. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering in 1973, was named The Outstanding Thomasian ALumni awardee for Engineering Practice in 2022, and was conferred the Doctor of Commerce, honoris causa degree, in September 2023.

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Dr. Papa, who leads the three-year project which began in July 2024, said that the project aims to “isolate bacteriophages infecting various clinical strains of A. baumanni collected from different hospitals and to produce a working prototype of phage formulation—composed of characterized bacteriophages that show high viability for therapeutic use.” In particular, the study aims at potential intravenous administration of the treatment using bacteriophages, which are a group of viruses aimed at targeting bacteria.

So far, the team has collaborated with ARSP sentinel sites and tertiary hospitals to collect water samples and doing enrichment set-ups and testing the filtrates. The team also procured necessary equipment, which will be transferred soon to the UST-Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong Innovation Center in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

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Spread across two plenary session days and an onsite gathering in the various academic units, over 1,500 academic staff from the higher and basic education units engaged with speakers who discoursed on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Catholic teachings, and the task of integrating these into course plans and outcomes.

In his keynote address, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alimane Alminaza, D.D. shared how institutions like UST “play a pivotal role in molding current and future generations in emphasizing sustainability” and how educational institutions may adopt the “Laudato Sí Shools Framework, alongside the inclusion of the rights of nature in the curriculum, as well as further development of the integral ecology framework localized to a particular context.”

Representing the government, Philippine Statistics Authority Chief Statistical Specialist for Poverty and Human Development Bernadette Balamban localized the UN SDGs within the Philippine context, providing an update on how the country is faring vis-à-vis the targets. While progress has been made in SDGs 12 and 14, there is regression in targets under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Balamban called for a “deliberate attempt to recalibrate our curriculum, instruction, and assessment methods in order for HEI’s to be of aid in meeting the set national targets.”

Talking about institutional sustainability, Dr. Yew Kee Ho of the City University of Hongkong’s Chow Yi Ching School of Graduate Studies, spoke of the “vital role of research in promoting sustainability aside from incorporating topics in instruction.” Deputy Dean Ho also bared the need to reflect on University and Impact Rankings when it comes to implementing projects and programs related to sustainability, as these external benchmarks can provide input on recalibrating efforts.

Sustainability in coursework

Two experts spoke about integrating sustainability at the classroom level. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization Regional Office Chief of Education Santosh Khatri spoke of scaffolding in relation to sustainability and integral ecology.

In doing so, Khatri reiterated Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for 2030, which aims to fully integrate the 17 SDGs into policies, learning environments, capacity building of educators, and empowerment and mobilization of young people. He also emphasized six key concepts of Greening Curriculum, which include climate science, climate justice, post-carbon economies, ecosystems and biodiversity, resilience-building, and sustainable lifestyles.

In another session, Ateneo de Manila University – Lily Gokongwei Ngochua Leadership Academy Executive Director Maria Assunta C. Cuyegkeng, PhD raised awareness on how to make outcomes impactful in light of sustainability and learning experiences. In her session, Cuyegkeng stressed the value of “discernment which begins with reflecting on our experience, which ultimately develops our interiority” to sound off a “call toward adopting a new lifestyle, ecological conversion, and ecological education.” Integrating sustainability, according to Cuyegkeng, requires a “whole-of-university approach when it comes to redesigning our learning experiences.”

Leveraging on sectoral expertise in promoting sustainability

The webinar also included a panel discussion featuring Mr. Benjamin N. Villacorte (Chairman of the Philippine Sustainability Reporting Committee and a Member of the Sustainable Actions for Value-Creation and Enablement (SAVE) Council of SGV & Co.); Prof. Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD (Dean, College of Science); Asst. Prof. Froilan A. Alipao, MCD (Director, Simbahayan Community Development Office); and Prof. Cecilia B. Moran, Dr. rer. nat. (Executive Assistant for Research Operations and Management, Office of the Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation).

The session, moderated by Prof. Patricia M. Empleo (Dean, UST-AMV College of Accountancy) and Inst. Fermin Antonio D.R. Yabut, PhD (College Secretary, UST-AMV College of Accountancy), provided a platform to share bare how the industry, academe, community development, and research and innovation sectors can work together for sustainable development. Tips were shared to further strengthen working in interdisciplinary teams.

Putting ideas into course plans

As a culmination of the training, parallel onsite workshops were held on January 10, 2025 in the different academic units, where each unit’s pedagogical lead and e-Learning specialists facilitated discussions that aimed to identify practical steps to promote sustainability in instruction and office practices per academic unit.

Later in the day, twenty small groups were formed from different academic units and offices with the aim of sharing practices for promoting sustainability in terms of curricular activities, research activities, community engagement activities, and operational processes. The session provided a platform to craft initial plans for interdisciplinary collaboration to promote sustainability.

The program was organized by the Office of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, the Center for Innovative Teaching and Educational Delivery, and the Educational Technology Center, with support from the UST-Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy.

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The study examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies with healthcare, offering a unique perspective rooted in Catholic ethical principles, underscoring the need for AI to improve healthcare outcomes while safeguarding human dignity as well as the integrity and autonomy of medical practice.

In exploring how AI technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing are reshaping healthcare, the article tackles critical concerns such as data privacy, algorithmic biases, transparency, and the moral responsibilities of AI developers and healthcare practitioners. It also emphasizes the importance of preserving patient autonomy and informed consent. Drawing inspiration from Catholic teachings, the authors advocate for a patient-centered vision of care which can be applied in various areas of healthcare practice such as disease diagnosis, personalized treatment planning, robotic-assisted surgeries, and sophisticated health data management.

The article invites healthcare professionals, AI developers, and policymakers to collaborate on creating inclusive, equitable AI healthcare systems that respect the irreplaceable value of every individual person. The authors assert “The Catholic Church’s core tenet is that all people are endowed with intrinsic dignity by being born in God’s image and likeness. Therefore, healthcare AI should be developed and implemented in light of this notion. AI systems created with human dignity in mind would meet the demands placed by patients without treating them as less than data points or algorithms.”

The full article is available online in Journal of Religion & Health. To learn more, visit

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Ramos has vast experience with nongovernmental organizations promoting solid waste management or reduction, recycling, and resource recovery. In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Ramos stated that he will help “promote adherence to segregation at source by all waste generators in support to Carbon Neutrality and Sustainability Initiatives toward a circular economy and a zero-waste future.”

The UST alumni president also bared that there’s a need to change the mindset of waste generators from Not in My Backyard or the old NIMBY attitude, to taking personal responsibility for their own waste right in their homes or offices as responsible stewards of the earth and creation. Ramos called on “everyone to help in the effort of saving the environment without waiting for somebody else to do it and right within their places, with a Now in My Backyard attitude.”

Ramos earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Faculty of Civil Law in 1990. He called on his fellow Thomasians to take steps “toward a more sustainable lifestyle in order to heed the call for our common home under the encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Sí, which is about caring for the planet and the urgent need to address environmental challenges. It calls on people to take action and have a global dialogue about how their actions and decisions impact the future of the planet.”

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Meanwhile, Isabella Duran claimed the #4 rank and scored 85%. Queenee Apa-Ap scored 84.80% to occupy #5. Monique Esmile and Zharylle Gayeta shared the #7 place with their 84.40% score. Marion Lucero and Ross Ramos also shared the #8 place with their 84.20% score. Ray Torres secured the #9 place with his 84% score.

In this season, the University’s College of Rehabilitation Sciences alumni logged a 98.28% passing rate, posted by 57 new registered Thomasian Occupational Therapists, and was named #2 top-performing school.

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Alexia Guadalupe and Andrew Halili shared the #8 spot with their 88% score, while Alexandra Osias scored 87.83% to land at the #9 spot.

The University produced 195 new CPAs, logging a 74.43% passing rate.

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Beginning with a discussion of a continuum of QA system implementation, i.e. compliance (doing to follow), commitment (doing to cooperate), and culture (doing to contribute), Carillo presented her “Preparing for C.H.A.N.G.E.” Framework which builds on the following elements: 1) clarity of purpose; 2) habit formation; 3) agility; 4) nurturing environment; 5) governance support; and 6) ethics-based principles. 

Carillo was invited by the conference organizers to join the panel “Strategies for Future-Proofing Quality Culture in ������Ƶapp Higher Education” along with Consulting Director Dr. Karen Treolar, Mahidol University’s Acting Vice-President for Quality Development and Social Engagement Assoc. Prof. Sompop Pathanturarug, and Institut Teknologi Bandung Rector Prof. Reini Wirahadikusumah.

Carillo, the immediate past Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, was instrumental in making quality assurance initiatives a common goal in UST. She led a university-wide push for units to subject themselves to external scrutiny by undergoing accreditation visits, eventually leading to the Institutional Accreditation of UST. She also initiated the AUN-QA assessment of academic programs and led the University-wide effort to secure an AUN-QA Institutional Assessment Certification in 2019. 

At present, Carillo serves as a  coach/trainer for the AUN-QA Tier 1 Training on assessment at programme level and as chief/lead assessor in assessments at programme level. She is also part of the Institutional Sustainability Assessment (ISA) team of the Commission on Higher Education.

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Pierre Angelo Reque II scored 82.7950% and secured the 20th rank, while Andrew Gil Ambray scored 83.4450% to secure the 12th place.

UST is #4 top-performing law school with more than 100 candidate after logging a 80.35% passing rate, producing 139 passers

The national passing rate was 37.84%

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UST was ranked #3 in the cluster of higher education institutions that fielded 100-299 examinees and with at least 90% passing rate.

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