Every year since 1993 the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas (UST) which is celebrating its quadri-centennial anniversary in 2011, honors some of its alumni who have excelled in their respective professions and fields of work. This is an annual event started by the University’s alumni association as the school’s means of recognizing its outstanding graduates who have significantly contributed to the development of the nation and society. The award is appropriately described as “TOTAL” which stands for “The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni”.
The TOTAL awards is the highest honor bestowed by UST and the Alumni Association upon the alumni who are the great source of pride and inspiration in the University’s mission of providing quality Catholic education, and of shaping men and women with Thomasian ideals, tenets and principles. It is given in recognition of alumni’s significant and exemplary contribution in various fields of specialization, expertise and discipline.
The awardees are chosen from among a big number of outstanding nominees by a screening committee headed this year by Mr. Baltazar N. Endriga. The results of the initial rigid screening process are then thoroughly reviewed by the UST Alumni Association Board which is headed by its president Laura Suarez-Acuzar. The final evaluation is thereafter done by the top officials of the University headed by its incumbent Rector Magnificus, Rev. Fr. Rolando V. De la Rosa, O.P.
The alumni awardees finally selected best exemplify the Thomasian values of competence and excellence in their respective fields of expertise in pioneering human endeavors, compassion for other members of society, commitment to their profession and a demonstration of moral courage under adverse circumstances.
Some of the notable awardees for the last 15 years are: the late President Diosdado Macapagal, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Andres Narvasa for Government Service; Cardinal Jose Sanchez, Archbishops Leonardo Legazpi and Oscar Cruz for the Church; Fr. Rogelio Alarcon O.P. and Fr. Rolando dela Rosa O.P., for Education; the late SC Justice Jose Y. Feria and retired SC Justices Arturo Buena, Bernardo P. Pardo and CA Justice Jaime Lantin for Law; Dr. Jorge Garcia and Dr. Gilberto Gamez for Medicine; Leandro Locsin and Francisco Manosa for Architecture; Peter Favila and Tony Tan Caktiong for Business Management; Salvacion Yniguez and Stella Brimo for Performing Arts; Ramon Orlina for Visual Arts; the late Teodoro Locsin Sr., Joe Guevarra and Joe Burgos Sr., for Media/Journalism.
For this year, the TOTAL awardees are the following: Abelardo M. Tolentino Jr., Architecture; Carlos R. Alindada, Accounting; Rimando C. Saguin, Community Service; Fe Aldave-Yap, Education; Ferdinand A. Tumpalan, Engineering Practice; Florante F. Cruz, Entrepreneurship; Nelia B. Buenaflor, Public Service; Leila Monserrat-Florento, Health Allied; Federico M. Macaranas, Humanitarian Service; Mercedes Berenguer-Topacio, Interior Design; Hon. Diosdado M. Peralta, Law; Maria Regina Bautista-Navarrete, Management; Jose C. Sison, Media; Gloria Dizon-Coronel, Performing Arts; Trinidad Palad-Trinidad, Science, Christopher M. Remandaban, Technology; and Jose F. Datuin, Visual Arts.
It is indeed a great honor to be chosen as The Outstanding Alumni in Media for the year 2008. But the honor and glory actually belongs to our God who just made me His instrument and gave me all the graces to be most useful and effective in this work.
My wife Josie and our sons and daughters-in-law, Jopet and Cef, Joel and Ruby, Jay and Mireille, Jolly and Jane, Jaybee and Susan and all their children comprising so far our 14 grandsons and one granddaughter, join me in warmly thanking UST and the Alumni Association for this award. I am sure our daughter Joyce is also beaming with gratitude way up there.
As a Thomasian, my role model is of course St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, one of the great theologians of the Church, the patron saint of our school after whom our University is named, for showing me how to communicate the Truth clearly, simply, and concisely, founded on strong faith and solid reasoning. But aside for him, two other Saints also named Thomas have markedly influenced me in carrying out my mission: they are St. Thomas the Apostle for showing me how to judiciously find out the Truth who is the Resurrected Christ Himself, the cornerstone of our Faith; and St. Thomas Moore for showing me how to serve the Truth with utmost loyalty being the “king’s good servant but God’s first”.
Of course I also got inspiration from my late father, Bienvenido A. Sison Sr. who served as General Principal of the UST High School, my late mother Natalia who was a grade school teacher in the UST Elementary School and my nine other brothers and sisters who all finished schooling in UST. I am proud to say that we are really a family of Thomasians.
And so I accept this TOTAL award in media: first as a challenge coming from the Fr. Rector himself, “to always uphold the Thomasian ideals of competence, compassion and commitment in my professional and personal endeavors”; and second as an impetus to strive harder for excellence in seeking and communicating the Truth, for a just, peaceful and prosperous society.
Note: Books containing compilation of my articles on Labor Law and Criminal Law (Vols. I and II) are now available. Call tel. 7249445.
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E-mail at: jcson@pldtdsl.net