Starting June 2010, freshman students will pay the same tuition each term until they finish their course.

Victor Vicente Sinco, FU vice president for finance and administration, said regular students enrolled in a four-year course will be allowed five years, at most, to finish their course while students enrolled in a five-year course, like BS Architecture, will be allowed at most six years to get their degree in order to avail of this guaranteed tuition freeze.

This scheme, Sinco said, is Foundation University’s way of helping students get an education.  By keeping tuition fees steady, students and their parents can make better financial projections in the next four years, he said.

Students who are now in their second to third year, will pay the same tuition they paid last year until they graduate.

Sinco, however, said that miscellaneous fees may vary from year to year because of possible increases in the prices of some materials needed by students for a particular course.

The said program is initially a joint classroom project of junior and senior broadcasting students under the supervision of Ms. Melita “Bing” Aguilar.  “However, we later decided to make it a project of the entire Broadcast Communication Society with me and Ms Christy Ann Marie Cong as the advisers,” Aguilar said.

She added, “This is the first and only public affairs program run by students in campus, and a great training ground for our BC students here at Foundation University”.  The premiere topic of the talk show was, “Are the Filipinos ready for Poll Automation?”  The invited speakers or panelist during the launching episode show were Kriss Michael Tubog, adviser of FU Student Government; Atty Ian Macaraya, City COMELEC officer; Zapphire Zamodio, President of Silliman University Student Government of Silliman University; and Alex Pal, a practicing journalist.  They are the ones who will discuss the issue and answer the questions that will be raised by the audience and texters who are listening on air.

According to Aguilar, the launching was successful because the program achieved listeners are it really showcased a very informative talk show.

“The students really performed well as they already know the ins and outs of the program and they are already senior and junior students so they are equipped with all the theories.  It is more on application of what they have learned from the four walls of the classroom,” Aguilar said.

“We are on our fourth show since we missed one Saturday because of brown out.  I see to it that every episode is a learning process.  I can see the success of the show because of the people who were listening and because also of the feedback we get during the show and we are also getting support from the administration,” she added.

The said program airs every Saturday 3-5 in the afternoon with the objectives to educate and inform students as well as the community on current issues. Among the topics discussed during its various episodes were poll education, finding or waiting for true love as special episode for the Valentines Day, road safety, and voters’ education. (Meghan Lanyog)

Casero won third place for his photo of children playing ball, entitled, “When kids play the world wins,” while his two other entries entitled “Skywalker” and “Future Worldcuppers” were chosen as finalists, earning him a total of P29,000.

He received his prize from PSC Chair Harry Angping in Manila last Thursday.

The contest , which was open to all amateur and professional photographers in the country, was held in line with the PSC’s 20th anniversary celebration.

Winning the contest gave Casero a glimpse into the competitive nature of professional photographers.  “I was dubbed here as the only provincial photographer who qualified and won a national contest,” Casero said in a text message.

The entries of the photo contest were displayed in a photo exhibit during the “All in Sports Expo” on February 25-28 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

All candidates for provincial positions as well as mayoralty and council candidates for Dumaguete City and Valencia town were invited to join the walk. Eventually joining the walk from among the candidates were Vice Gov. Jose “Petit” Baldado, Board Member Mariant Escano-Villegas, Dumaguete City Vice Mayor Woodrow Maquiling, Dumaguete City Administrator Dominador “Junny” Dumalag, Jr. and Bayawan City Mayor German Sarana, who had to leave Bayawan City at 3 a.m. to get to Valencia town;

Dumaguete City Councilors Alan Gel Cordova and Antonio “TonyRems” Remollo were also joined by other Liberal Party candidates Myrish Cadapan-Antonio, Lani Ramon, Joe Kenneth Arbas, Manny Arbon, and Dave Saceda. All the candidates were asked to speak in an impromptu program after the walk, where they all extolled the virtue of exercise and of keeping fit.

The Provincial Police Office, under P/Sr.Supt. Augusto Marquez, also sent a platoon-size delegation, along with students, faculty and staff from Foundation University, Negros Oriental State University, the St. Paul University of Dumaguete and the Saceda Youth Lead High School, which saw a total of almost 2000 participants.

The real “winner,” if there was to be one, she said, was Foundation University President Dr. Mira Sinco, who had walked the distance for the second time. She had joined the We Walk dry run, which was held last January 16.

Dr. Aparicio Mequi, director of the Institute of Youth Sports and Peace, who conceptualized the walk, paid tribute to the many volunteers from the organizers at the start of the walk in Valencia, the Dumaguete Traffic Management Office which maintained order on the road, down to the servers of champorado to the walkers at the Robinson’s Parking lot.

“It was beautiful! It was a grand show!” Mequi said, adding that the success of the walk only proves that Dumaguete just needs to get more people involved. “Many are willing to be of help but they don’t get that opportunity often. If we get everyone involved, there isn’t anything we cannot do,” he said.

Inspired by the outcome of the We Walk, officials of Robinson’s Land Corporation, the owner of the Robinson’s Dumaguete Mall, are set to discuss plans for a regular walking program at the mall with Foundation University. (Alex Pal)

Debating on the motion “This House believes that elections are only for the literate,” the Foundation University Debate Society (FUDS) argued for the government’s side while the Silliman University Debate Society (SUDS) took the side of the Opposition.

Sillimanians Carlo Angelo Regalado and Ana Katrina Espino were recognized Best Rebuttal speaker and Best Debater, respectively.

An initiative of the Foundation University Student Government, the debate was done in the All-Asians Format, where the topic was made known to the debaters only thirty minutes before the debate.

The debate adjudicators were Atty. Myrish Cadapan-Antonio as Chief Adjudicator, together with Lea Janice Sicat and Mark Raygan Garcia.

Everyone assemble in from of the FU North Campus at 4 in the morning and rode the school bus at exactly 5:30am going to the Valencia Municipal Hall.  The walk started at 6am going to the FU Main Campus where the breakfast was served for the walkers.

More than 200 students and some 20 faculty members, staff and coaches all numbering to 270 walkers joined the 7-kilometer walk under the rain and later on, the scrumptious breakfast.

“The objectives of the WE Walk program is to create awareness of and encourage the involvement of the academic community, political leaders, business sector, media, and residents of Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental, in walking as a form of exercise for a wellness lifestyle,” said Dr. Aparicio Mequi, the chairperson of the FU IYSPeace and the head of the WE Walk Program.

He added that the other objective of the program is “to be proactive in the protection and preservation of the environment.”

The formal launching of the WE Walk Program will be on Saturday, February 13 where participants will walk from Valencia to Robinson’s Mall in Dumaguete.

On the other hand, FU started its campus walk as part of its WE Walk Program last Monday, January 25 at 4 in the afternoon.  The said activity will be administered every 4 to 6pm from Monday to Friday around the FU Green.

All foundationites are encouraged to join and walk 10 laps around the campus walk lane in less than 35 minutes, 3 days in a week for women and same laps in less than 27 minutes for men, also 3 days per week, and an hour walk for those who do not want to be pressured with the requirement for the number of laps.  (Mary Angelyn Rosales)

Jayfel Rayoso, a sophomore Silliman mass communication student, was killed by still unknown assailants on the evening of Jan. 7.  According to reports, his body was found dumped in a ravine in Barangay Isugan, Bacong, Negros Oriental, six days after he was last seen by friends, and two days after he was reported missing to the police.

The Foundationites were led by their advisers, Prof. Melita “Bing” Aguilar and Christy Ann Marie R. Cong.

“We are in unity with Silliman’s intention that justice be indeed served for Jayfel as it is the main reason why laws are designed,” Cong Said.

She added, “The FU community stingily condemns such a heinous act of killing particularly since Dumaguete City is known as the City of Gentle People, as well as of its being regarded as a University Town.”

The indignation march convened at the SU Amphitheater where the various participating groups carried banners and placards calling for justice, as well as for the Dumaguete community to come together in unity to ensure the safety and protection of every individual especially the students.

The indignation march converged at the Quezon Park where a brief program was held, headed by SU College of Mass Communication, joined by the parents and relatives of Jayfel and representatives from the different sectors including Rev. Gamaliel Tulabing of the Diocese of Dumaguete Association of Catholic Schools, City Administrator Engr. Dominador Dumalag Jr., and Chief of Police Leopoldo Cabanag.

A university-wide Stress Management Workshop for the faculty and staff of Foundation University (FU), headed by Human Resource Director Shelly Palmore-Teves, was conducted last January 9 at the Sofia Soller Sinco Hall.

The speakers of the said workshop were Dr. Earl Jude Paul Cleope and Jaruvic Clavano Rafols.

Dr. Cleope is a History professor as well as the director of the Office for Instruction of Silliman University (SU).  He had a special training on Group Facilitation called Institutional Capability Enhancement Program conducted by the Evelio V. Javier Foundation in the University of the Philippines, Los Banos in 1998.

On the other hand, Rafols is the Head of the Guidance and Testing Division and at the same time the Guidance Counselor for the College of Education and College of Computer Studies, and a part-time professor of the Graduate School of SU.

According to Teves, it was the Guidance Office of the University that recommended the conduct of the said workshop.  Based on a survey facilitated by the Guidance Office, Stress Management for the faculty and staff was the top-ranking topic which needed to be addressed.

Dr. Lilian P. Sumagaysay, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and at the same time acting dean of the Office of Student Affairs, said that the workshop was very helpful and applicable in handling stress not only from work but as well as those which arise from other activities.

There were 142 participants who attended the event as part of the FU faculty and staff in-service training which lasted from 1pm to 6pm.  The activities during the workshop included the Knots of Life, the Stress Scale, the Circuit Board, proper stretching and breathing exercise, and the discussion on understanding stress in general as well as its common causes.  (Presy Mae Muana and Melfred Casquite)

A month before that on Aug. 21, Negros OrientalG Gov. emilio Macias II announced that a plan was being drafted by the Provincial Engineer’s Office to undertake a “survey of the access road that will be rehabilitated and developed in support of the Shrine’s support infrastructure.”

The Filipino-Japanese-American friendship shrine, an eight meter concrete tower with white marble finish, is located on a plateau on Nasunog ridge – the northeastern shoulder of Mt. Talinis in Sagbang, Valencia.

I downloaded the following from the website of the dumaguete Host Lions Club:
The shrine was inaugurated on April 2, 1977, which — because of its special message regarding the quest for peace — is ample reason for all of us in the City of Gentle People to create awareness of its significance in our midst:
The significance, symbol and purpose in constructing this amity memorial shrine are:
1. Serve as a sacred memory and deference to, and an act of mourning for the Filipino, American, and Japanese soldiers who died during World War II.
2. A history landmark of the fiercest and major encounter during World War II in Negros Oriental.
3.A tri-sided tower representing the American Liberation forces (164th Regiment later replaced by the 503rd Parachute Regiment, US 8th Army), the Filipino guerrilla units (75th Infantry and 77th Infantry) and the Japanese Imperial Forces (174th Infantry and Unit 31 Air Corps).
4.A navigational aid and beacon for ships and planes. The tower is visible from a distance and is provided with a high voltage bulb beamed towards the sky,electronically controlled, the electricity is provided by the geothermal generator in Mag-aso (2 kilometers from the site) which was operational by 1980.
5. A fulfillment of the burning passion of those left behind to denounce war and its evils. It is a tangible proof that the human quest for universal brotherhood and peace among men and nations of diverse background, origin, race, religion, and culture can be achieved.
6. A visible declaration of the costly futility and disillusion in settling differences, misunderstandings, international clases of ideologies, and search for wealth by means of war.
7. A painful reminder of those who use force or armed encounter as means of advancing egoistic interest and self-aggrandizement.

Reading the above manifesto and being painfully hurt by the impunity of those involved in the Maguindanao Massacre, we are encouraged to actively pursue our plan to organize an event that will promote the Shrine’s message of “denouncing war and its evil (and) the use of force or armed encounter as a means of advancing egoistic interest and self-aggrandizement”.

To date, I have sent emails to the Japanese Embassy, the Japan Foundation, as well as the American Embassy seeking support for the improvement of the access road to the Shrine. Such efforts on my part could be futile but I have always been a cock-eyed optimist.

With elections just around the corner, we anticipate that the plan of Governor Macias and the Provincial Engineer’s Office to rehabilitate the road to the shrine will be shelved until after the elections next year.

I understand it in the Dumaguete Host Lions Club, headed by its president Angeline Dy, Edrei “JB” Lim (1st vice president/treasurer) and others like Immediate Past President Anthony Jerome Villegas, Board of Directors Gregorio “Goring” Uymatiao Sr., Marcelino Maxino, and Monserrat Magbanua are responsible for maintaining the shrine.

Thus, I call on the CLub and its members to join hands with us at Foundation University and do something concrete to preserve and promote this historic site and utilize it to inform and educate the children and youth regarding its significance in the promotion of peace ad brotherhood.

“If we are to have peace, we must have to start with the children,”Mohandas Gandhi reminds us.

It will also be an excellent medium to promote tourism in Negros Oriental since our Province is one of those identified as a part of the tourism hub in the Tourism Act of 2009.

April 2, 2010 will be the Shrine’s 33rd anniversary. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful event in Negros Oriental if we commemorate the day with something special like an adventure marathon participated in by Filipinos, Japanese, and Americans, and people of other nationalities celebrating a day of peace?

Among the activities for this year’s celebration were the Parada (the street dancing), Pasundayag (frolics), booth display, Christmas decoration contest, inter-department acoustic singing competition, Eco-bag making contest and of course the prestigious Hara sa FU 2010.

Such activities were intended to enhance and develop the sportsmanship, creativity, hard work, unity and cooperation among the students, faculty and staff of students, faculty and staff of every college and department in the University.

The Celebration started with the opening of the Kasadya-an Village inside the FU main campus joined by all the departments and student organizations led by the FU Student Council. The Alumni Homecoming succeeded the event in which 60 outstanding alumni were recognized for their accomplishments that brought honor to them and their Alma mater.

In her message, Foundation University President Dr. Mira D. Sinco said in addressing the alumni,”All of you (alumni) who have come here today is a manifestation of your caring for your Alma mater and for others. And please note this: those of you whom we have chosen to recognize as awardees whom this year’s alumni homecoming, the basis for our giving and of your receiving the award bestowed upon you is because in your personal and professional life, you have shared and cared for others and your community. It;s a simple reality that what we are recognized for is not our unselfishness but our ability to be selfless, to care and share with others.

On December 8, a celebratory mass officiated by the University Chaplain Fr. Julius Perpetuo Heruela was held at the Sofia Soller Sinco Hall as a thanksgiving of the entire FU community for another year of its existence in providing quality education.

In the evening, the candidates for the Hara sa FU showcased their respective talents where the representative from College of Education, Ms. Alora Villahermosa, who staged a hi-hop dance bagged the Best in Talent award.

During the pageant night on December 10, the candidate fro the College of Arts and Sciences, Ms. Hamsirajane Kim Hamsirani, bested the other seven candidates as she was crowned as Hara sa FU 2010. She also bagged Best in Evening Gown, Best Speaker and the Darling of the Press as chosen by the members of the press during the press conference last December 4.

When asked of the best University life she has experienced, Ms. Hamsirani responded,” I love everything about my university life especially the fact that I’m spending it here in Foundation University. I love the environment, the facilities and the quality of education.”

“But the best thing about my university life so far is the learning that I was able to get from my teachers. The teachers here are well-equipped with knowledge and they have that great ability of sharing their knowledge. They also show that They are responsible in sharpening the students’ mind and they are also responsible in filtering the students’ hearts, which means honing the moral values of the students,”she added which gained a favorable applause from the members of the audience.

Ms. Hamsirani is a freshman Broadcast Communication student and a regular disk jockey of Greyhound 101, the University radio station.

On the other hand, Ms. Villahermosa from the College of Education and Ms. Dizzy Casero from the College of Business Administration (CBA), who also obtained the Best in Entourage Award , were proclaimed the 1st and 2nd runner up, respectively.

For the inter-department acoustic competition, the contestants from the College of Nursing, College of Education and College of Business Administration respectively bagged the top three spots.

Another event that made the faculty, staff and students of the University busy was the inter-department Christmas decoration contest where the University Clinic and School of Computer Studies were declared the champions, followed by the University library.

Then on December 12, the members of the University community marched and danced for the Kasadya-an Parada, a show of colorful and well-lighted floats, props and dancers of the different departments from Looc to the FU main campus ground.

The CBA reaped the major and minor awards in this year’s Kasadya-an which include Best Choreography and Champion for the Kasadya-an Parada; Best in Costume, Most Colorful, Best in Choreography , Best in Choreographer during the Gabi ng Pasundayag (frolics).

“I am very happy and proud. The CBA’s success was a product of teamwork, unity and cooperation of our students and faculty with of course, the guidance from our almighty God. I just let them have their freedom to exercise their creative minds, leadership and initiative,” said Dr. Ruben Sanchez, Dean of the CBA.

The awarding ceremony held at the University main ground ended with a fireworks display which lasted for about 30 minutes, joined by the sounds of cheers and applause from the faculty, staff and students of the University and the Dumaguete community as a whole.

The celebration of the Kasadya-an 2009 concluded with the FU administration, faculty and staff Christmas party at the Sofia Soller Sinco Hall as they showcased their respective talents in dancing as well as in singing and acting where the contingents from the University Grade School, University High School and the COllege or Arts and Sciences won as the top three best performers, respectively.

As the Foundation University successfully conducted the Kasadya-an 2009 in line with the celebration of its 60th founding anniversary, through the hardships and efforts exerted by the faculty, staff and students, it is indeed a matter of pride!