PACUCOA conducts orientation visit for 3 UA&P programs
A team of accreditors from the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) headed by Dr. Dante Silva conducted an orientation on accreditation for the Master of Arts in Humanities (MA HUM), Master of Science in Human Capital and Organization Development (MS HCOD), and BS Business Economics (BSBE) Programs on February 17.
The orientation included focus group discussions on the areas under survey during accreditation visits: Philosophy and Objectives/Organization and Administration, Faculty, Curriculum and Instruction, Research, Student Services, Library, Social Orientation, and Learning Resources.
Present in the orientation were the Program Directors, Unit Heads, Program accreditation teams, and members of the Operations Committees of the College of Arts and Sciences (for MA HUM), School of Education and Human Development (for MS HCOD), and School of Economics (for BSBE).
In the closing meeting in the afternoon, the team of accreditors presented their exit statements, highlighting their recommendation to PACUCOA to grant Associate Status to the said programs. An associate status will qualify the programs for a Preliminary Visit, a stepping stone to a Formal Visit for Level I accreditation.
We congratulate the MA HUM, MS HCOD, and BSBE Programs for a productive PACUCOA orientation visit.
UA&P President Dr. Winston Conrad B. Padojinog (seated, center) with the PACUCOA accreditors (seated) and representatives from the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Economics, School of Education and Human Development, Academic Quality Assurance Office, Center for Teaching and Learning, Human Resource Management, Office of the University Registrar, and BIGGKAS+.
The team of PACUCOA accreditors (seated) with the representatives from the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Economics, School of Education and Human Development, Assets and Facilities Management Group, Academic Quality Assurance Office, University Library, Center for Teaching and Learning, Human Resource Management, Office of the University Registrar, and BIGGKAS+.
Chaplaincy Advisory: Ash Wednesday
The imposition of ashes will be administered during the Masses on Ash Wednesday (March 5):
7:45 am Sancta Maria Stella Orientis Oratory (SMSO)
12:05 pm SMSO and Dizon Auditorium
5:00 pm ALB Oratory for Liturgy of the Word/Imposition of ashes (No Mass)
Ash Wednesday is a day of universal fasting and abstinence in the Church. Fasting (required from ages 18 to 59) takes only one complete meal and other partial meals. Abstinence from meat is also required for Catholics 14 years old and above.
Upcoming Retreats for Female Employees
All female faculty and staff of UA&P are invited to participate in the upcoming spiritual retreats this March and April 2025.
The Holy Week Retreat Seminar for Women, with the theme "Walk with Christ to Jerusalem and Experience the Joy and Hope of Easter," will be on April 14-16, 2025, from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm at the Celestino Dizon Auditorium. This retreat, which will be led by UA&P Head Chaplain Fr. Carlos Estrada, is also open to UA&P alumnae, mothers, graduate students, and friends. The participation fee is Php3,500, inclusive of morning snacks and lunch. A discounted fee of Php3,000 is available for employee participants.
For those seeking a more immersive experience, a Seminar Retreat for Women will be held on March 24-27, 2025, at Panagmula Conference Center, Baguio City. Themed "Walking the Path of the Jubilee Year," this retreat will be led by UA&P chaplain Fr. Alfred Cruz. The participation fee is Php8,100.
To register for the retreat, please use the following links:
Full-time regular employees are eligible for a Php 3,000 retreat subsidy. For the closed retreat in March, the remaining amount may be requested under professional development.
For inquiries, please contact Lexie Estacio at [email protected] (Closed Retreat) or Liza Alvarado at [email protected] (Holy Week Retreat Seminar).
Córdoba professor visits UA&P
Dr. Cesar Mora Marquez from the Faculty of Law and Economic and Business Sciences of the Universidad de Córdoba (UCO) in Spain visited UA&P from February 9 to 13, 2025, as part of the Erasmus+ Faculty Mobility Program.
Dr. Marquez delivered a lecture entitled “Basic Concepts of the Spanish Economy and a Small Comparison with the Philippine Economy,” hosted by the UA&P School of Economics. He teaches Information Sources of the European Union, Economic Statistics, Financial Mathematics, Spanish and World Economics, and Business, Tourism, and Economic History at UCO.
Dr. Cesar Mora Marquez (third from left) with (L-R) SEC OpCom Secretary Mr. Perry Reyes, SEC Vice Dean Ms. Viory Janeo, SEC Dean Dr. Peter Lee U, and PIA officers Ms. Jhona Camba and Ms. Yel Abella.
Dr. Cesar Mora Marquez (center), SEC Vice Dean Ms. Viory Janeo (5th from left), and SEC OpCom Secretary Mr. Perry Reyes (rightmost) with the students from the School of Economics.
UA&P faculty join PACLAS conference on Fiestas and Festivals
Faculty members from the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) participated in the 2025 Philippine Academic Consortium for Latin American Studies (PACLAS) Conference held at De La Salle University Dasmariñas on February 3-4, 2025.
With the theme “Fiestas and Festivals in the Philippines and Latin America: Legacies in Consciousness and Community,” the sixth PACLAS conference attracted scholars from various universities nationwide. Supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of American Affairs, the event featured an online keynote address by Philippine Ambassador to Chile Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat, who underscored the socioeconomic and cultural significance of fiestas. Representatives from the embassies of Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina also shared insights on their countries’ festivals, drawing parallels with Philippine traditions.
UA&P’s History and Asia Pacific Studies Departments made significant contributions. Dr. Juan Mesquida described fiestas and festivals as a “gold mine for scholars.” Dr. Mary Josefti Nito examined the role of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in shaping Mabitac, Laguna, in the seventeenth century. Mr. Jeremy Clemente analyzed 19th-century fiesta preparations in San Pedro Macati (present-day Makati City), revealing their intersection with economic and political factors. Ms. Juliana Odoño documented the pabalat or filigreed paper wrappers of Bulacan, emphasizing its cultural value.
From the Asia Pacific Studies Department, Dr. Elizabeth Urgel explored Iriga City’s Tinagba Festival, while Dr. Carmita Eliza Icasiano studied Bacolod’s Masskara Festival. Both highlighted the role of these events in fostering social solidarity, cultural heritage, and tourism.
The PACLAS conference served as a platform for continued interdisciplinary discussions, affirming fiestas as integral to cultural identity, community life, and transcendence beyond the everyday. Plans are underway to publish the research presented into an edited volume.
The current PACLAS chair, UA&P, represented by Dr. Marya Svetlana Camacho, led the event in collaboration with De la Salle University Dasmariñas as host and the University of Santo Tomas that headed the secretariat.
UA&P Vice President for Faculty Affairs Dr. Marya Svetlana T. Camacho (center) receives the Certificate of Appreciation from Dr. Christian George Francisco of DLSU Dasmariñas, VP for Global Engagement and External Relations and co-chair of the conference, and Dr. Belen Lorezca-Tangco, UST professor and head of the conference secretariat.
