Several accolades through awards and appointments were given to a number of academic staff and fellows from the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS).
Asst. Prof. Benedict B. Parfan, newly-appointed UST Publishing House Director, was appointed member of the National Book Development Trust Fund Advisory Committee. This committee’s primary responsibility is to oversee grant applications for government funding, facilitated through the National Book Development Board (NBDB).
Meanwhile, Mr. Mark Angeles from the Departamento ng Filipino who is also a Resident Fellow at CCWLS was awarded “Mananaysay ng Taon” by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF). Angeles serves as the Director of Literature and Arts of Caloocan Historical and Cultural Studies Association, Inc.
Likewise, Asst. Prof. Jennifer Rebecca L. Ortuoste, Ph.D., another distinguished Resident Fellow of the CCWLS, has been elected to serve on the PEN Board of Directors. The Philippine PEN, a member of International PEN (Poets, Playwrights, Essayists, Novelists) has centers across 150 countries worldwide.
Another resident fellow, Assoc. Prof. Chuckberry Pascual, Ph.D., was included as a finalist for Pinakamahusay na Saliksik by the Sentro ng Wikang Filipino (SWF) for his work Ang Pagsasalin sa Ilustrado: Isang Awtokritisismo. Pascual teaches Literature and Creative Writing courses at the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters and the UST Graduate School.
Also showcasing Thomasian talent is Asst. Prof. Joel Toledo who was in Bellagio, in Northern Italy as part of The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Creative Arts Residency for a collaborative project with illustrator, Panch Alvarez. Their collaborative project, which ran from May to June, is a book of poems and illustrations called Seasonal Adversities. Seasonal Adversities seeks to expand the narrative on climate change—an environmental crisis felt globally with issues also affecting the Philippines—one that encompasses both an ecocentric and anthropocentric aspect of the discourse. The project explores and hopes to capture the complexity of climate change through the unbounded lens of poetry and visual art, believing that both the sciences and the humanities have equal footing in conveying vital messages relating to the climate crisis.
These individuals’ achievements and appointments highlight the dynamism of Thomasian educators, further enriching the cultural tapestry of their respective fields and beyond.
