Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Congratulations to our Graduates!

Details

The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman held its graduation ceremony on 28 June 2015, at the GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium, GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center, Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman.

There were a total of 11 graduates for the mid-year term 2013–2014 and Academic Year 2014–2015. For the masters program of the Asian Center:

  • Gilbert Jacob S. Que, Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MAAS)
  • Asnawi M. Maamor, Master of Arts in Philippine Studies (MAPS)
  • Melanie P. Aldeon, Master in Asian Studies (MAS)
  • Fatima Rhaisieta Muallam, Master in Asian Studies
  • Katrina SJ. Navallo, Master in Asian Studies
  • Joycee A. Teodoro, Master in Philippine Studies

Mr. Que’s thesis is entitled, “The Role of Post 1990-Bollywood Films in Identity Formation of Second-Generation Indian Transnationals in Metro Manila” while Mr. Maamor’s is “The Role of Indonesia and Malaysia in the Peace Process in Southern Philippines: A Comparative Assessment.”

Photo: MA graduates of the Asian Center.

Joining them were five graduates of the Tri-College PhD Philippine Studies Program (title of their dissertations)

  • Cristina R. Triumfo, Ph.D. | Tiangge Online: The Proliferation of Philippine Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Internet
  • Maria Jovita E. Zarate, Ph.D. | Pagtatanghal ng Bayan: Ang Pulitika sa Kultura ng mga Ritwal na Pananampalatayang Katoliko sa Angono, Rizal
  • Roderick C. Javar, Ph.D. | Retokadong Talambuhay, Manipuladong Salaysay: Ang Pananalambuhay kina Manuel M. Quezon at Ferdinand E. Marcos
  • Perseville U. Mendoza, Ph.D. | Filipino Philosophy in the Martial Traditions of the Philippines: The Dungan as Philosophic Principle
  • Jose Maria Edito K. Tirol, Ph.D.| Of Forgetting and Remembering: Social Memory, Commemoration, and the Jewish Refugees in the Philippines during the Second World War

Mr. Gilbert Que delivered the response on behalf of the MA graduates, who encouraged all graduates to “fulfill our dharmas, grow into men and women for others, and use our lives to send a message of goodness, and leave a legacy of uniqueness.” Dr. Perseville Mendoza spoke on behalf of the Ph.D. graduates, stressing the need to ground their research in Philippine society, the importance of conducting inter- and multidisciplinary research, and the imperative to disseminate their research to a broader public.

The guest of honor for the graduation ceremony was Dr. Elena R. Mirano, former dean of the College of Arts and Letters; Marynor Madamesila and students of the Asian Center provided intermission performances; and Dr. Rebecca Gaddi, president of the Alumni, Friends, and Benefactors of Asian Center, Inc., inducted the new graduates into the organization.

The Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.