UST Research Center for Culture, Arts and Humanities

20/05/2026

[Research fellow engagement]

On May 22, 2026 (Friday), Prof. Rhochie Avelino E. Matienzo, PhD, Prof. Ian B. Pacquing, PhD, and Mr. Prince Airick S. Gapo, M.A., will be the presenters at the UST Department of Philosophy’s 8th Work-in-Progress Seminar for AY 2025–2026, to be held at 6:00 PM via Zoom. Prof. Matienzo will present his work-in-progress entitled “The Concept of Anxiety and Kundiman,” Prof. Pacquing will discuss his study, “Desiring Otherwise: Fromm and Rosa on Adaptability,” and Mr. Gapo will present his research, “Politika at Estetika sa mga Kwentong Pambata.”

Prof. Matienzo, Prof. Pacquing and Mr. Gapo are RCCAH research fellows under the Philosophy Studies - Research Interest Group.

[𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭]

Dear Philosophy Faculty, Graduate Students, and Friends:

We wish to invite everyone to the Department's 8th Work-in-Progress Seminar for AY 2025-2026 on 22 May 2026 (Friday). The WIP will be held via Zoom at 6:00 pm. Our following colleagues will be presenting their works-in-progress:

1. Rhochie Avelino E. Matienzo, Ph.D. - The Concept of Anxiety and Kundiman

2. Ian B. Pacquing, Ph.D. - Desiring Otherwise: Fromm and Rosa on Adaptability

3. Prince Airick S. Gapo, M.A. - Politika at Estetika sa mga Kwentong Pambata

For faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students of the UST Department of Philosophy: The WIP seminar is open to all members of the Department of Philosophy and all graduate students of philosophy of the USTGS. All graduate students enrolled in GPR-MA and GPR-PhD1 in the current semester are required to attend and participate in all WIP sessions. The link will be sent to you (no need to pre-register).

For external participants: In every WIP session, we will be opening slots to a limited number of external participants (discretion of the WIP organizers) on a first-to-register basis. If you wish to attend and participate in the upcoming WIP session, kindly register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScfIwbhvntHKcYEfFaIyM3tihTi8WOMlSA3rSNOjvpFojfSyA/viewform (please be reminded that registration does not guarantee a slot).

We appreciate your participation and insights during the seminar, and we hope to see you in the next WIP!

𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒚. 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑼𝑺𝑻.

20/05/2026

[Publication Announcement]

We congratulate Asst. Prof. Paul A. Castillo, PhD, on the publication of his article entitled “Bagong-Pagdalumat sa Krimeng Nagdaan: Adaptasyon ng ‘God Sees the Truth’ ni Leo Tolstoy sa Ang Babaeng Humayo ni Lav Diaz” in Pelikula Journal, Volume 10 (2025).

The article may be accessed here: https://www.pelikulajournal.com/volumes

Asst. Prof. Castillo is an RCCAH research fellow under the Literary and Cultural Studies - Research Interest Group.

Annual volumes published by the University of the Philippines Film Institute.

19/05/2026

[Research fellow engagement]

On May 21, 2026, Asst. Prof. Anton Heinrich L. Rennesland, PhD, and Prof. Joselito D. Delos Reyes, PhD, will serve as speakers at the hybrid seminar Politics and Aesthetics in Our Everyday Lives, which will be organized by the Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB) in collaboration with the Faculty of Cultural Sciences of Universitas Padjadjaran. Asst. Prof. Rennesland will deliver his lecture titled “Waiting After the End: Rereading Adorno’s ‘Versuch, Endspiel zu verstehen’ through Beckett’s Waiting for Godot,” while Prof. Delos Reyes will present “TANAGA: Filipino Poetic Form.”

Asst. Prof. Rennesland is an RCCAH research fellow under the Philosophy Studies - Research Interest Group, while Prof. Delos Reyes is affiliated with Literary and Cultural Studies RIG.

The Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB), in collaboration ​with the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, will hold Politics and Aesthetics in our Everyday Lives.

Event: https://www.ust.edu.ph/politics-and-aesthetics-in-our-everyday-lives/

Pubmat from Departemen Susastra dan Kajian Budaya FIB-Unpad

19/05/2026

[Research fellow engagement]

Assoc. Prof. Mary Ann Venturina-Bulanadi, PhD, served as one of the speakers at R-TALKS 2026, held on April 18, 2026 (Saturday), from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Instituto Cervantes in Intramuros. During the event, she delivered a lecture on the vital practice of Adaptive Reuse.

Assoc. Prof. Venturina-Bulanadi is an RCCAH research fellow under the Fine Arts and Design Studies – Research Interest Group.

15/05/2026

The University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts and Design, in collaboration with the UST Research Center for Culture, Arts and Humanities, proudly invites you to "Thomasian Interiors: Design, Identity, and the Life of Space", a dual presentation of student work and research-engaged design inquiry.

The event features a culminating exhibition from the Introduction to Exhibition Design (IED) class, presenting student-designed mini-exhibits that explore the intersections of interior design with faith, history, science, medicine, and economics within Thomasian spaces.

Presented alongside this exhibition is "Spaces That Remember: Measuring the Socio-Cultural Sustainability Index in Adaptive Reuse", a research-engaged workshop from the Basic Adaptive Reuse in Interior Design (BARID) class by Assoc. Prof. Mary Ann Venturina Bulanadi, PhD, of the College of Fine Arts and Design and the Research Center for Culture, Arts and Humanities, University of Santo Tomas.

The workshop will be complemented by the research presentation “Reimagining Space, Telling Stories: Exhibition Design in the Context of Adaptive Reuse.”

Together, these parallel outputs from the IED and BARID classes reflect the convergence of teaching, research, and practice, demonstrating how interior design education at the University of Santo Tomas becomes a site for critical inquiry, cultural stewardship, and design innovation.

- Exhibition Dates
May 18–23, 2026
Lobby, Central Laboratory Building
University of Santo Tomas

- Research Presentation
May 18, 2026
8th Floor Central Laboratory Auditorium
Central Laboratory Building
University of Santo Tomas

15/05/2026

[Research fellow engagement]

On April 24, 2026, Inst. Zhea Katrina R. Estrada, M.A., served as one of the speakers at the Southeastern Philippines Journal of Research and Development (SPJRD) Talks 2026, where she delivered her lecture titled “Igal Ka'mbo'an: A Sama Master's Perspective on Passing Tradition to the Next Generations.”

Ms. Estrada is an RCCAH research fellow under the Philosophy Studies - Research Interest Group.

[𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭]

We congratulate Inst. Zhea Katrina R. Estrada, M.A., for being one of the speakers at the Southeastern Philippines Journal of Research and Development (SPJRD) Talks 2026.

Her lecture was entitled, “𝘐𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘒𝘢'𝘮𝘣𝘰'𝘢𝘯: 𝘈 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.”

𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒚. 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑼𝑺𝑻.

13/05/2026

[Publication Announcement]

We are pleased to announce the release of the latest issue of TOMAS, the journal of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (Volume 6, Issue 2).

We extend our congratulations to our fellow RCCAH researchers featured in this issue:
- “The Sacramental Poetics of Gemino H. Abad: Aspects of the Catholic Imagination in Selected Poems from The Light in One’s Blood” by Ms. Ma. Ailil B. Alvarez, PhD.
- “Ang Bayan ng mga Nangi-ngibang-Bayan: Pagbasa sa mga Prodigal” by Prof. Chuckberry J. Pascual, PhD.
- “Ang Pagsasalin ay Pananakop: Isang Pagsasanay Buhat sa Ang Masayahing Agam 83” by Asst. Prof. Anton Heinrich L. Rennesland, PhD.
- “Three Poems from The Glimmer Assembly” by Mr. Joel M. Toledo, MA.

The journal’s issue may be accessed here: https://tomas.ust.edu.ph/volume-6-issue-2/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRva29leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE4dHB3MmNEZlBNcGk1RXUxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHs8qBGjIorGsBhwaTW9HwmMvDRYtQGnEtrZtSFgDPe0oItUE7Gi0G9v8_LjK_aem_oRGOMT7W02NQrTUch_FHcw

Ms. Alvarez, Prof. Pascual and Mr. Toledo are research fellows under the Literary and Cultural Studies - Research Interest Group, whereas Asst. Prof. Rennesland is affiliated with Philosophy Studies RIG.

In this creative-critical essay, I offer a theoretical exploration of why the Lin-nean taxonomy as an artificial method of naming…

12/05/2026

[Book Launch]

We congratulate Assoc. Prof. Guillerma L. Mendoza, Ph.D., for the successful launch of her book, DISKARTE: Understanding Design Culture through the Chairs of Filipino Design Exemplars, held on May 11, 2026, at the Conference Hall of the Miguel de Benavides Library, University of Santo Tomas, Manila.

In this book, Assoc. Prof. Mendoza explored Filipino design culture through an analysis of chairs designed by notable Filipino designers, offering meaningful insights into the relationship between design, culture, and everyday life.

Assoc. Prof. Mendoza is an RCCAH research fellow under the Fine Arts and Design Studies - Research Interest Group.

12/05/2026

The UST Research Center for Culture, Arts, and Humanities opens its call for research proposals for AY 2026-2027 to faculty members (secondary [JHS and SHS] and tertiary levels) whose degree is aligned with our research interest groups (RIGs) and who are employed with any of the following classifications:

(1) Probationary-track academic staff with demonstrated research performance
(2) Tenured UST academic staff
(3) Graduate School academic staff exclusively teaching in UST with demonstrated
research performance

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESS:
• Letter of intent addressed to the RCCAH director, endorsed by the academic staff’s respective department chair and dean.
• Updated curriculum vitae highlighting the faculty member’s research experience (publications, conference presentations, etc.)
• Accomplished research capsule (downloadable from the UST Gurus Patio under OVRRI’s “Downloadable Forms (Research Innovation)” tab)
• Email all files to [email protected] by May 15, 2026. Initial evaluation and comments will be communicated to the researcher by the first week of June and the final list of approved applications will be sent to the office of the dean by the second week of June.

MINIMUM EXPECTED RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Paper presentation in a national or international conference
• Publication in a peer-reviewed journal (with special emphasis on those indexed by WoS and/or SCOPUS) or a book chapter with reputable publishers
• Participation in the center’s activities and committee assignments
• (For Tier 3 and 4 researchers and for GS academic staff) mentoring of graduate students
• Submission of the following reports:
o Midyear Progress Report by December 15
o Research Terminal Report by June 15
o Year-End Accomplishment Report by July 31

For more information or queries, please contact the research center by email ([email protected]) or local 8389

The UST Research Center for Culture, Arts, and Humanities opens its call for research proposals for AY 2026-2027 to faculty members (secondary [JHS and SHS] and tertiary levels) whose degree is aligned with our research interest groups (RIGs) and who are employed with any of the following classifications:

(1) Probationary-track academic staff with demonstrated research performance
(2) Tenured UST academic staff
(3) Graduate School academic staff exclusively teaching in UST with demonstrated
research performance

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESS:
• Letter of intent addressed to the RCCAH director, endorsed by the academic staff’s respective department chair and dean.
• Updated curriculum vitae highlighting the faculty member’s research experience (publications, conference presentations, etc.)
• Accomplished research capsule (downloadable from the UST Gurus Patio under OVRRI’s “Downloadable Forms (Research Innovation)” tab)
• Email all files to [email protected] by May 15, 2026. Initial evaluation and comments will be communicated to the researcher by the first week of June and the final list of approved applications will be sent to the office of the dean by the second week of June.

MINIMUM EXPECTED RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Paper presentation in a national or international conference
• Publication in a peer-reviewed journal (with special emphasis on those indexed by WoS and/or SCOPUS) or a book chapter with reputable publishers
• Participation in the center’s activities and committee assignments
• (For Tier 3 and 4 researchers and for GS academic staff) mentoring of graduate students
• Submission of the following reports:
o Midyear Progress Report by December 15
o Research Terminal Report by June 15
o Year-End Accomplishment Report by July 31

For more information or queries, please contact the research center by email
([email protected]) or local 8389

11/05/2026

[Publication Announcement]

We congratulate Asst. Prof. Jose P. Mojica, PhD, on the publication of his article entitled “Assemblage of/as Faith: Max Balatbat Reimagines the Sacred in ‘Sampalataya’” in Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, where he examines Max Balatbat’s 2025 solo exhibition “Sampalataya”, exploring how assemblage reinterprets faith through the textures of life in Caloocan.

The article may be accessed here: https://chajournal.com/2026/04/29/max-balatbat/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRmZsxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFWb0UzUXJiSmdSUnlBNlJIc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHiaWofuDafi1osSAC4b4ONz0cXJiGasaEBfN81gpnnq_KsPYt0BpN5jkoSMv_aem_yyOX2X3AaEXY0ghIhxQ6bw

Asst. Prof. Mojica is an RCCAH research fellow under the Communication and Media Studies - Research Interest Group.

[ESSAY] “Assemblage of/as Faith: Max Balatbat Reimagines the Sacred in ‘Sampalataya'” by Jose P. Mojica When one imagines the church, certain images come to mind. Mannerist-style painti…

08/05/2026

[Research fellow Recognition]

We congratulate Mr. Mark Anthony S. Angeles, MA, LPT, as an awardee of Talaang Gintô: Makata ng Taón 2026 of Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino.

Mr. Angeles is an RCCAH research fellow under the Literary and Cultural Studies - Research Interest Group.