Huwag bibitiw’: UP professor emeritus urges new scientists to shape PHL’s future

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In the face of a future yet to be written, beset by Promethean technologies and an Apolakian climate, one of the country’s foremost Filipino writers calls on a new generation of Filipino scientists to stay grounded—and stand their ground.

UP Diliman Professor Emeritus Dr. Rosario Torres-Yu exhorted UPD-CS’ graduates to remain hopeful but vigilant of the future. (Photo credit: Garcia Photography Services)

“Ihahabilin ko ito nang may pakiusap: huwag sanang magbago ang isip ninyo. Kailangan ng bansa natin ng higit pang maraming scientist,” distinguished writer Dr. Rosario Torres-Yu exhorted the University of the Philippines - Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) graduating class of 2023, noted for having the most number of PhD graduates in the College’s 40-year history.

A professor emeritus and former dean of the College of Arts and Letters (UPD-CAL), Dr. Torres-Yu expressed cautious optimism for the future in her keynote address delivered at the UPD-CS Special Recognition Program last July 29. She also underscored the fundamental role of Filipino scientists in safeguarding the country’s future.

UPD-CS’s newly-minted graduates should never forget why they became scientists, Dr. Torres-Yu said, waxing poetic: “Ang kinang ay dapat timplahin ng kabuluhan para higit na maging kapakinabangan sa bayan at sambayanan. Samakatwid, hindi tayo nabubuhay para sa sariling kinang lamang.”

 



Hopeful vigilance for the future

Dr. Torres-Yu said she would be remiss as a professor and mentor if she did not urge vigilance and caution amid the celebration. She reminded UPD-CS’ new scientists that their lives and work are not isolated from the rest of the world:

“Anuman ang laboratoryong piliin, hindi ito maitatago sa nangyayari sa mundo. Kumbaga sa bagyo, literal at metaporikal, umaabot sa atin ang unos, baha, lindol, pagkawasak ng kapaligiran, kabuhayan at kapayapaan… Gusto ko mang iwasan ang pagbanggit tungkol dito, dahil ang pagtatapos ninyo ay dapat na maging masaya, magkukulang naman ako bilang guro kung hindi ko man lang mabanggit ang tungkol dito,” she told the gathered crowd of over 400 graduates.

“Ang mahalaga ay manatili ang ugaling mapagmatyag na taglay na ninyo dahil mga scientist kayo; maging mapanuri, makilahok at pumanig sa pagbabagong makabubuti sa ating bayan at sa sangkatauhan,” she added.

UP Diliman Professor Emeritus Dr. Rosario Torres-Yu exhorted UPD-CS’ graduates to remain hopeful but vigilant of the future (Photo credit: Shedy Masayon, UPD-CS SciComm)

She also touched on the need to inspire Filipino children to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through literature. Dr. Torres-Yu’s non-profit organization, Supling Sining, Inc. (SSI), collaborated with UPD-CS to create the Sulong-Agham multilingual children's books series.

UPD-CS’s Class of 2023 produced a total of 454 graduates. This number consists of 19 PhD graduates, 108 MS graduates, seven MA graduates, three Professional Masters, five diploma recipients, and 312 BS graduates. The number of the College’s PhD graduates for 2023 is also almost double that of the previous year, the most number of PhD graduates UPD-CS has had in its 40 years of existence.

The full text of UP Diliman Professor Emeritus Dr. Rosario Torres-Yu’s keynote address to the UPD-CS Class of 2023 can be found here: https://science.upd.edu.ph/cs-2023-recognition-day-inspirational-message/

SSS beefs up campaigns against delinquent employers

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The Social Security System (SSS) asserted that it is aggressively pursuing delinquent employers nationwide and vows to intensify further its efforts to collect their unremitted contributions.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet made the statement to assure all SSS members of its commitment to pursue delinquent employers and to urge all employers to comply with their obligations of religiously remitting the social security contributions of their employees.

“Each employer is assigned to a specific SSS Account Officer (AO) whose responsibility is to ensure employers’ compliance to Republic Act 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018, such as registration and reporting of their employees and remittance of corresponding contributions to SSS,” Macasaet explained.

He added that Statements of Account (SOAs) are prepared regularly, which leads to the conduct of payroll audits whenever discrepancies are discovered. Billing letters are then sent to the employers who are obliged to settle as soon as possible or within the payment deadline.

Errant employers will receive a demand letter from SSS which could lead to the filing of a case assuming the persistent non-compliance by the employer.

SSS intensified its Run After Contribution Evaders (RACE) campaigns, which aim to compel delinquent employers to comply with the law by issuing a Notice of Violation and instructing them to report to SSS within 15 days or face legal consequences.

“Even though we are aggressively pursuing delinquent employers, we still offer them some relief through our contribution penalty condonation programs for their consideration so that penalties may be waived if they are deemed eligible,” he said.

“SSS is also continuously reconciling and updating its records since we discover that several employers sometimes neglect to update the list of their employees in the SSS records resulting in overstated SOAs being issued by SSS,” Macasaet said.

SSS issues hundreds of thousands of SOAs and billing letters, which have to be later classified depending on actions taken by SSS and/or the concerned employer.

SSS regularly coordinates with state auditors toward fairness in the presentation of financial statements as well as in assessing compliance with pertinent laws, rules, regulations, and policies or procedures. State auditors’ observations, recommendations, and reports help drive continuous efforts to improve SSS operations.

Meanwhile, Macasaet ensures stakeholders that SSS is financially capable of continuously paying benefits and granting loans to its members and pensioners as its cash flows remain healthy, with revenues outpacing expenditures.

INDX3 Summit 2023: Pioneering the Future of the Digital Economy with FinTech Alliance.PH

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The highly-anticipated INDX3 Summit, an annual gathering of the country's forward-thinking fintech industry leaders, is set to take place on August 7 to 8, 2023 at Shangri-La The Fort, Taguig City.

Themed "Creating What's Next In Digital: Dare-Drive-Defy”, the summit promises to be a monumental convergence of expertise and insights with the digital industry’s shakers and movers including regulators and policy makers, leaving a lasting impact on the industry.

The INDX Summit has gained recognition for shedding light on the remarkable growth and progress of the FinTech industry, both in Southeast Asia and globally. The event is in collaboration with esteemed partners, including the Department of Finance, Bangko ng Sentral ng Pilipinas, Securities and Exchange Commission, Insurance Commission, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Credit Information Corporation, National Privacy Commission, and Anti-Money Laundering Council. In addition, global partners such as Mastercard, Singapore Fintech Association, Korea FinTech Industry Association, ASEAN Innovation Business Platform, Gorriceta Law, GCash, Finscore, S&P Global, Brankas, Netcore, and InvestHK are supporting the annual event.

The INDX3 Summit 2023 will focus on fostering the country's thriving digital economy within the FinTech sector by bridging the gap between customers and advanced technological innovations. It will explore the vital role of emerging discoveries in driving transformative progress in today's digital economy. Moreover, the summit will delve into the safe, convenient, and efficient utilization of digital innovations and assets by industry players while helping consumers adapt to the rapidly-growing digital transformation era.

Taking the lead in this groundbreaking event is Fintech Alliance.Ph, the country's largest collaboration of strategic digital finance players and start-ups, collectively responsible for over 90 percent of fintech-initiated financial transactions volume. Fintech Alliance.Ph aims to reshape the Philippines' digital economy by building and expanding a sustainable digital financial ecosystem, with a focus on benefiting every Filipino, especially the underprivileged. Recently, Fintech Alliance.Ph launched the country's first nationwide, multi-stakeholder, industry-led consumer education and cybersecurity awareness campaign in partnership with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, dubbed #WagMagpalokoMagingScamAlerto.

"This highly-awaited gathering of the Philippines' top visionaries, thought leaders, industry figures, and trailblazers signifies the immense power of collaboration and the historic progress we have made and continue to make in the fintech industry," said Lito Villanueva, founding chairman of FinTech Alliance PH. He added, "The past three years for the fintech industry have been challenging, but we've come out of it stronger, better, and more determined than ever to celebrate our successes and pursue our goals for the digital transformation and betterment of our nation."

To register for the INDX3 Summit or become a Fintech Alliance member and enjoy exclusive benefits, interested individuals can visit: https://fintechalliance.ph/navigate-the-digital-economy/



About Fintech Alliance.PH

FinTech Alliance.PH, the Philippines' premier and largest digital and fintech association, is composed of startups and unicorns that account for over 90 percent of digital-initiated transactions volume in the country. It has published the first Taxonomy of FinTech in the Philippines and institutionalized ASEAN’s pioneering industry-led Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics. For more information, visit https://www.fintechalliance.ph/.




Caption for the group photo:



(Left to right): Mags Fetalino III of Entrepreneur in Residence, Edison Tsai Executive Director of SeedIn Technology Inc.,

Atty. Mark Gorriceta Managing Partner of Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra,

Zdenek Jankovsky Executive Director of Home Credit, Lito Villanueva Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer for RCBC, Ida Tiongson CEO, Opal Portfolio Investments Inc. and Director of Prulife Uk Ph, Martha Borja Country Head of Grab, Angelo Madrid Maya Bank President, Arianne Ferrer External Affairs Director of Tala Financing.