SAN BEDA UNIVERSITY (SBU) held the 6th Senator Edgardo J. Angara Memorial Public Lecture on Public Policy, with the theme “Laudato Si: A Commitment of the Nation, the Community, and San Beda University” at the Jonathan Sy Auditorium, last February 8.
Taking up on the University’s commitment to the papal encyclical “Laudato Si’,” the lecture centered on the need to enlighten the Bedan community regarding the different aspects of having such a commitment, such as legislation, resiliency, preparedness, and policies concerning environmental topics.
The lecture series also honored the legacy of the late Sen. Angara, whom the University conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa back in 2018. Moreover, it also highlighted the Benedictine hallmark of “stewardship” to encapsulate the spirit of this year’s celebration of University Week.
The event began with a performance from Vox Legis, the choir from the College of Law (COL), which leading the Invocation and the National Anthem. Following them were opening and inspirational remarks made by the University Rector-President, Rev. Fr. Aloysius Ma. A. Maranan, OSB, and Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara, the son of the late Sen. Angara, respectively. Asst. Prof. Sybil Agreda, the Assistant Prefect of Student Activities of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) served as the master of ceremony for the event.
The lecture began with three discussants who were also faculty members of the SBU Graduate School of Law. Dr. Antonio Gabriel La Viña, the former Dean of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) School of Government, focused on the lack of mention of fossil fuels in international legislation.
Prof. Karen Olivia Jimeno, who gained fame as the spokesperson for the defense team of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona, then spoke about understanding disaster risk and disaster reduction. Lastly, Dr. Cheselden George V. Carmona, a long-time law professor and international law expert, had climate/environmental refugees as his topic.
Moreover, the Dean of the Graduate School of Law, Rev. Fr. Ranhilio C. Aquino, was also present and highlighted the idea of having “intergenerational equity.” The activity then concluded with Mrs. Gloria Angara, the widow of the late Sen. Angara, delivering her closing remarks via a pre-recorded video message.
In an interview with Dr. Divina Edralin, PhD., the University’s Vice President for Academics, she stated how the activity was planned “[last] November, before the actual public lecture, which is held every Friday of University week…[So] we [finished planning] as early as November, and then we’re able to finalize, usually, by December…”.
Additionally, Dr. Edralin shared how one of the major struggles in scheduling the event was Malacañang’s implementation of an additional non-working holiday last February 9. She shared that “because Friday was a long weekend… all of us suddenly were like, ‘What do we do if the four speakers are not available?’ Thank God they are faculty members of the school of law and they’re all available to move it on a Thursday.”
She also said that it was the reason why the Areté Awards happened on the following Monday, instead of before the public lecture like how it was originally sequenced every year.
She also revealed that the themes were chosen based on their relevance to the current academic year and through discussions with the academic council. Speakers were selected based on these themes, with the University aiming to invite luminaries capable of sharing their expertise, whether they are internationally based or local. Lastly, when asked about the hopes for next year’s public lecture, the Vice President mentioned that the planning would start once again in November, following a routine schedule, “like clockwork.”
(with Manssel Latonero)