UST Philets and Artlets Alumni Association commemorates 60th anniversary of the Faculty of Arts and Letters
The Faculty of Arts and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), which houses the liberal arts programs of Asian Studies, Behavioral Science, Communication, Creative Writing, Economics, English Language Studies, History, Journalism, Legal Management, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology, will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year.
In celebration of this milestone, the UST Philets and Artlets Alumni Association, Inc. held a gathering with the theme, “A Tradition of Excellence: UST Philets and Artlets from 1896 to 2024.”
The event, aimed at discussing the celebrations for the faculty’s milestone, focused on the association’s goal of gathering alumni from various generations and honoring the legacy they left behind.
“I would want to encourage alumni to go back to the college so that you’ll be able to see the changes and the progress, developments. At the same time, invite them to give back through scholarships that would enable other students to continue their education, and be future leaders at the same time,” said Melanie Turingan, the current dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters.
Turingan told members of the media that the faculty was originally referred to and established as the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters in 1896 before becoming the Faculty of Arts and Letters in 1964.
“The establishment of the philosophy and letters paved the way for the entrance of lay students who are not seminarians because only seminarians were allowed to enroll in the past because UST was not established in the beginning as a university that would cater to lawyers, doctors, but priests,” said Turingan.
UST Philets and Artlets Alumni Association Inc. President Henry Tenedero shared that as the Faculty of Arts and Letters has been prospering throughout the years as it has produced notable individuals who have excelled in their respective fields, it is important to remember the previous faculty which were referred to as the Philets as they are a “dying generation” and should be honored.
“We don’t want them to be erased in the annals of the history of our wonderful celebration,” said Tenedero.
The celebration for the milestone will involve events such as the Concierto Para Sa Kabataan in January, which the association will be co-organizing with the Artlets Student Council for both Artlets students and alumni, as well as a grand gala night titled “From Pen to Pixels: Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future” on March 1 at the Manila Hotel and a fundraising campaign for the future projects of the association such as the Artlets Alumni Scholarship Fund (AASF).
Each department under the faculty will also be expected to hold conferences or forums that will highlight alumni from both the Philets and the Artlets. There will also be a photo exhibit that will showcase the journey of both Philets and Artlets alumni as well as a poster-making contest to improve the poster for the entire celebration.
“We want to share with our dear esteemed alumni the joy of giving back and the warmth of being united with the faculty that hold us to be the best in our fields, a space that provided us a home away from home and most importantly, where wonderful memories were shared and will never be forgotten,” said Turingan.
