As the anticipated basketball match of their teams in the ongoing UAAP Season 82 looms, a fan page of University of Santo Tomas reminded its alumni and students of a friendship gesture once made with the University of the Philippines in 2011.
“The Growling Tigers of UST” Facebook page shared that the notable big “UP” block letters found within the sunken garden of UP-Diliman was a donation from UST as tribute to the former’s President Alfredo Pascual, who happened to be an alumni of UST.
The November 10 post also included photos of the “UP” letters when these were in the school grounds of UST.
“This gesture was made in 2011 when UST paid tribute to then UP President Alfredo Pascual who was also a graduate of UST. It was a timely election for Pascual to be at the top post of UP which coincided with the Quadricentennial Celebration of UST,” the caption read.
“According to one of those who attended the event hosted by UST for Pascual, there was a rare collaboration between UST Singers and UP Madrigal Singers that evening, something that has not happened again ever since,” it added.
An alumnus also shared photos of the event when UST made these letters during a testimonial dinner with Pascual, and then moved it to UP where they stayed for the past eight years.
“I fondly recall that event because i saw two great universities come together with even the UST Singers and the UP Madrigal Singers performing side by side,” Mike Malicsi said.
The UST Growling Tigers won over the twice-to-beat UP Fighting Maroons, 89-69, in their step ladder semifinals clash at the Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.
Both teams will figure in a knockout match this Wednesday for the right to face Ateneo in the finals.
Gesture for stronger ties
UST, the oldest existing university in Asia, celebrated its 400th anniversary last January 2011.
In March of that year, UST held a testimonial dinner with Pascual, who was an alumnus of UST High School, to pay tribute for his appointment as the 20th president of the premier state university.
During the event, Pascual and Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., former Rector of UST, expressed hopes that the two educational institutions could forge stronger ties for the pursuit of quality education in the future.
Pascual also emphasized that time how his short stay with UST influenced his vision for UP.
“Commitment to truth must be an integral component of the mission, vision, and rationale that guides all educational institutions across the country if we, as a nation, would have real progress and positive change in the future,” he said.