posponed conference

Due to logistic concerns of the post-institution, Pangasinan State University and Step-Up International, the date of the conference originally scheduled this month of November, is posponed indefinitely.

Updates about the said conference will be posted here anytime...
Thank you.

8th Regional Seminar Conference

The PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION OF NORTHERN LUZON (PANL), Inc. successfully held its 8^th Regional Seminar  Conference at the Seminar Hall, Fourth Floor of BBCCC Building (Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative) Assumption Road, Baguio City last October 21, 2011 (Friday).

The theme of this year’s academic gathering was “Teaching Philosophy and the Challenge of Quality Education: Principles and Strategies.”This year’s seminar conference responds to the challenge of pedagogy in teaching philosophy for critical and creative thinking. It aims to provide teachers/instructors of philosophy the content of teaching and also the methods they must employ to be more effective in the task of instilling philosophic ideas and life-tested values to students. The speakers were Prof. Narcisa Canila (UP Baguio), Prof. Ronald Taggaoa (SLU Baguio) and Prof. Hermida (Ateneo).

Congratulations to all the members and thank you for your active participation!

Save Our Mother Earth Now Concert

The Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network (APIYN) and the Philosophical Association of Northern Luzon (PANL) have come together and gave an audio-visual concert that aims to educate young and old about the alarming environmental situation humankind is facing, the grave threat of climate change and global warming to all life on earth. It also aims to educate about the cultural identity, diversity issues confronting indigenous youth.

Presented last September 20, 2009 at the Baguio Convention Center, Baguio City, the concert program brilliantly interweaved lights and sounds and the viewers on a journey that encompassed indigenous people, the environment, and other soci0-cultural issues. With stunning visual animation, backed by the best environment-advocate musicians in town, viewers enjoyed the breathtaking storytelling done by combining the old concert mechanincs with new flash animation technology. Not only that the concert provided additional awareness to environmental issues but also marked a memorable aesthetic experience.

All hope is not lost for our Mother Earth. Thank you for helping us saving our only home, our planet.

(note: The APIYN is a youth organization and is an expert on the field of youth organizing, mobilization and advocacy of youth issues. APIYN is also an indegenous peoples organization and has been involved since 2002 on issues of indegenous peoples. It has been closely involved in advocacy and lobby for the recognition of IP rights at the United Nations level and national levels).

World Philosophy Day

The Philosophical Association of Northern Luzon, in cooperation with the Department of Philosophy of the University of the Philippines Baguio, together with students majoring in philosophy, the New Louisian Philosophical Society (NEOLOUPHIS) of Saint Louis University, had a week long celebration of the 7th World Philosophy Day (Nov.20,2008) from November 17-22, 2008.

This year's theme is "Power and Rights: Reaffirming Human Digninty Through Just Social Institutions." This is in commemoration of the 60th years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Dr. Julius Mendoza, Head of the Department of Philosophy of the Universtiy of the Philippines Baguio delivered a lecture on "The Correlate of Claim-Rights" in the afternoon of November 20. All members of PANL from different schools and regions in northern luzon were also encouraged to enjoin an activity during those day/s bearing our association's name.

6th Regional Convention

The Philosophical Association of Northern Luzon (PANL) conducted its 6th Regional Convention last October17-18, 2008 at the City of Baguio, hosted by the Maryhurst Seminary. This year’s theme for the convention was “Philosophy and Human Formation: Keeping the Intellectual and Religious Tradition Open in the Age of Globalization."

The first plenary lecturer was Dr. Julius D. Mendoza (University of the Philippines Baguio, Philosophy Chair), shared something about "Globalization, Uncertainty, and Tradition." Following the plenary lecture were the simultaneous concurrent lectures delivered by Professor Jeffrey M. Centeno (Saint Louis University Faculty) and Mr. Fides Bitanga on "Philosophy as Living Wisely: Going Back to the Basics," and on "Forming the Human Spirit through the Preferential Option of the Saying and the Said in the Age of Globalization," respectively.

In order for the participants to unwind from the activities of the first day, the association had a fellowship and cocktail party wherein the delegates were given the chance to listen and watch perform the BINHI band in persons. The second day of the conference commenced with a Eucharistic Celebration presided by Rev. Fr. Bong _____. PANL offered its thanksgiving to the ultimate source of being through the holy sacrifice of the mass. The Convention culminated with the second plenary lecture of Fr. Andres M. Cosalan on "Paul and the Intellectual Currents of His Time."

The election of new sets of officers for 2008-2010 was also conducted in the afternoon of the second day of convention. Mr. Danilo S. Alterado remains to be the president, Ms.Anabelle L. Abordo as the secretary, Ms.Melany DR. Natividad as the treasurer, Mr.Jeffrey M. Centeno as the Press Relation Officer, and Dr.Fernando Martin B. Serrano as the Chairman of the Board (all coming from Saint Louis University, Baguio). The two new exacutive officers are Mr.Alan Anthony Baccay of the University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao as the Vice-president for Northeast, and Mr.Reynan C. Afan of Philippine Military Academy as the Vice-president for Northwest. The following three new members for Board of Directors were also elected: Mr. Sergio Imperio of Saint Paul University Philippines, Tuguegarao; Mr. Hipolito L. Jacla Jr. of Saint Louis College, San Fernando La Union; and Mr. Richard G. Aggalao of Saint Louis College of Bulanao, Tabuk City.

For more pictures, click the link:
http://s318.photobucket.com/albums/mm401/panlphilopanl/6th%20Regional%20convention/

Process Philosophy and the Metaphysics of Becoming

The lecture of Dr. Andre Cloots on Process Philosophy and the Metaphysics of Becoming in Saint Louis University was sponsored by the Institute of Philosophy and Religion, the SLU Libraries, and the College of Human Sciences and in close coordination with the Philosophical Association of Northern Luzon. The lecture was held at the fourth floor of the Charles Vath Building where it has also given an opportunity for the school to showcase currently acquired philosophy books.
Before going to the lecture of Dr. Cloots, allow me first to present a brief overview of what Process philosophy and Metaphysics are. Process philosophy is an established and time honored philosophical tradition that highlights becoming and changing over static being. Process philosophy has been recognized to be existent in many historical and cultural periods; however, the term “process philosophy” is primarily associated with the work of American philosophers Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) and Charles Hartshorne (1897-2000). Process philosophy is differentiated from other philosophical traditions in its attempt to bring together the varied intuitions found in human experience (such as religious, scientific, and aesthetic) into a consistent and comprehensible all-inclusive scheme. Metaphysics, on the other hand, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the study of reality transcending those of any particular science, traditionally including cosmology and ontology. Any attempt to investigate what reality is necessitates the need not to be confined on the physical. One must go beyond the physical. Thus, as what one metaphysician has said, “the root and ground of all metaphysical inquiry is the unrestricted drive to know all that there is to know about all that there is.”

With all those that have been said above, let us now proceed to Dr. Cloots lecture. Dr. Cloots lecture was primarily anchored on the process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead, an English-born mathematician who became a philosopher. The concept of becoming in Dr. Cloots lecture revolves around the postulation that becoming involves a process. That becoming involves a series of actions directed toward a specific aim. Take for example this paper I have written on Dr. Cloots Lecture. Before this paper would be published in order to be read by whoever is interested with it must first undergo a series of actions, like thinking the appropriate word to be used, some of my fingers pressing the keyboard, committing some errors in the process of writing this paper, checking the spelling of the words, printing this paper, etc. All these actions are considered necessary moments. All those actions mentioned would form an integral part of the whole process of coming up with this paper to be read by you or anyone else who is interested. Becoming as a process entails different interconnected and necessary moments.

Becoming in Dr. Cloots view is not simply to be confined to the physical because seeing becoming in a holistic approach necessitates the need to go beyond the physical. Thus, trying to know who we are in the process of becoming would entail the need to know the self not simply through the physical aspects or attributes we have but to know also ourselves through the values or even character traits that we possess. Likewise, Dr. Cloots averred in his lecture that understanding the concept of becoming is to think of the world in terms of events. We have to see the world as an event, that is, seeing the world in the context of hi(her)storical events. Seeing the world in the context of hi(her)storical events is to picture the world as made up of millions and millions of events. An event is to be seen as a happening. As a happening, event deals with influences coming from different sides and the unification of all these influences take place in us as persons.

Composed of millions and millions of events, the world in its totality involves a coordination of events as posited by Dr. Cloots. This calim of Dr. Cloots can be traced back to its roots on the process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead in Process and Reality that the fundamental elements of the universe are occasions of experience, that is, occasions of experience can be collected into groupings; something complex such as a human being is thus a grouping of many smaller occasions of experience. The world can be likened to a person that constitute a world in itself whereby a person is her(him)self with all those series of earthly events that happened in the life of the person molding h(er)im to what s(he) is now. The concept of becoming is not simply restricted to one event alone; otherwise, it would be impossible to speak of becoming. The presence of a synchronized events forming into some sort of a web creates the occurrence of becoming. Let us take again the human person as an example. The person is the person the s(he) is now not simply because of one event that occurred in his or her life, let us just say that the person was born in this time and place, but the person is the person that s(he) is now because of all those influences brought by the events that occurred in the temporal existence of the person. However, this does not exclude again the other events that may still occur in the future that could influence again the person to undergo the process of becoming. To make our example more specific, allow me to use myself as an example. I am Mark Gil J. Ramolete, not simply because I was born in Vigan City sometime in 1980, but I am what I am now as a result of all those planned events and unplanned events that occurred in my life in my interactions with my former and current teachers, including all those events that unfolded in my life as a person in my interactions with all those persons I met in the market, in the street, in the mall, etc. I may have changed as a result of all those events that unfolded in my life but I am still me though not exactly anymore the same as the person that I was 10 years ago or 20 years ago. This is also similar to your case as a person in your interactions with others. You have changed to some extent as a result of all those events that unfolded in your life but you are still you but not exactly the same as the person that you were before. This is what Dr. Cloots was driving at when he mentioned that permanence/identity is a result of change, of becoming.

Dr. Cloots reiterated that becoming is to be seen as be-coming, that is, as a verb. Dr. Cloots emphasized this because there’s always the element of novelty in the process of becoming. With the element of novelty, something new becomes or something new comes out. With the element of novelty in becoming, creativity as a result arises. From novelty, creativity follows because nothing new comes out or something new does not become if all those influences would not be specifically unified, coordinated or synchronized by the person. In mentioning the concept creativity in relation to novelty, Dr. Cloots took the opportunity to accentuate the importance of being in a university. Dr. Cloots posited that to be in a university is to travel the world of ideas and learn how to connect these ideas. Dr. Cloots further said that studying allows us to find ideas and to know how they are connected. Taking the words of Dr. Cloots into account, I would like to give a simple advice to all students including myself that we should learn to connect all ideas we are learning from our teachers. We should and must remove the prejudice we have from other subjects because of the misconstrued belief that we have or what others have imposed upon these subjects that they are not important. As students it is now our duty and not simply the duty of our teachers to connect all these ideas. We have to be creative in forming a web among these ideas and see the benefit we can get and share in the greater scheme of things or in our mode of togetherness. Those who have survived and those who have become successful persons are those who have learned to be creative with strong pillars and foundations in the process of becoming. However, as Dr. Cloots has said that becoming could either be in an upward movement or downward movement, and as such we may either experience a unity or disharmony of feelings when we progress or fail respectively in unifying all those influences affecting our lives in order that something new becomes in us. Nevertheless, inasmuch as we are still alive and are still capable of unifying these influences, we have to continue with the thrust of becoming.

by Mr. Mark Gil J. Ramolete, MA

PANL Member, Faculty of the Department of Philosophy, College of Human Sciences, Saint Louis University

For More Pictures, Click the link: http://s318.photobucket.com/albums/mm401/panlphilopanl/cloots%20lecture/?action=view&current=bbcd4b22.pbw

UNESCO Lauds PANL and SLU's Philosophy Department, IPR, for Celebrating World Philosophy Day

“On behalf of the Human Security, Democracy and Philosophy Section, thank you very much; we congratulate you on this initiative to promote philosophical reflection in your country and encourage you to continue to do so…” these are the inspiring words of Kristina Balalovska, Head of the Human Security, Democracy and Philosophy Section of UNESCO Paris Headquarters, through an email received by the Philosophy Department. In a very recent communication, UNESCO reiterates their commendation and they would be glad to receive more details of the activities we plan to organize this year.

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) celebrate World Philosophy Day every third Thursday of November each year. Maybe you ask the query, Why Philosophy at UNESCO? UNESCO's response is simple. They responded with a question, it says, "How could UNESCO, as the intellectual and ethical arm of the United Nations, function without promoting philosophical reflection as the basis for democracy, human rights and a just society? In other words, how else can one foster an authentic foundation for peaceful co-existence without doing philosophy?" UNESCO gave their message loud and clear. They extend the invitation to all member states, Universities, Research Centers, NGOs and other groups to participate in this annual auspicious celebration of philosophy in order to promote philosophical reflection in all human agencies in view of a better and transformed world. As every year since 2002, the tradition of World Philosophy Day continues!

The main objectives of World Philosophy Day are: 1) to renew the national, sub-regional, regional and international commitment to philosophy; 2) to foster philosophical analysis, research and studies on major contemporary issues so as to respond more effectively to the challenges that are confronting humanity today; 3) to raise public awareness of the importance of philosophy and its critical use in the choices arising for many societies from the effects of globalization or entry into modernity; 4) to appraise the state of philosophy teaching throughout the world, with special emphasis on unequal access; and, 5) to underline the importance of the universalization of philosophy teaching for future generations.

The United Nation's humanistic goal for the new generation via the renewed appreciation and immersion in the life of philosophy can take ground in the spiritual aegis of the university. Philosophy for the university is both its gift and task. It is within the lifeworld of the university that we can do and live philosophy. Given its pivotal stage in the education and formation of the young, the university plays a crucial role in realizing the potentials of a renewed world of enlightened citizens.

Cognizant and in response to these task and challenge, the Philosophy Department, Institute of Philosophy and Religion together with the Philosophical Association of Northern Luzon (PANL) vow to uphold and promote PHILOSOPHY in the academe and in the public sphere; we vow tO organize a World Philosophy Day activity every November of each year. This is a way in which we can Witness to the vocation of Philosophy and thus contributes to the actualization of a Transformed educational system, society and World.

Since 2005, the Philosophica Association of Northern Luzon(PANL) together with the Philosophy Department celebrates World Philosophy Day here in SLU. In November 2005, the theme of the celebration was, “The Idea of University in a Globalized Society: A Philosophical Task”. Aside from the exhibit at the Diego Silang Lobby, there were five lectures which were all given by Philosophy Faculty members: Ethics in Politics and the Tasks of Universities by Prof. Danilo Alterado; Tatlong Etikal na Mukha ng Pilipino sa Meno by Prof. Edwin Mirano; Humans and Non-Human Animals by Dr. Wifried Vanhoutte; Women and Emotions: Emotions as Value Judgment by Prof. Melany Natividad; A Paradigmatic Critique of the Socio-Political of the Philippines: A Bernard Lonergan Perspective by Prof. Patricio Cabauatan.

Last year’s celebration focused on an Inter-Disciplinary Conference with the theme: Philosophy and/of Law: Interpretation and Application. The main speaker was Rev. Fr. Ranhilo C. Aquino, PhD, JD. This conference showed the affinity of philosophy and law. It was also the occasion to introduce and showcase the new course offering of Bachelor of Philosophy and Legal Studies (PhB&LSt).

The theme of this year’s celebration is The Right to Philosophy in the University – A Pedagogy of Human Flourishing. The week long celebration (November 19-24) is highlighted by Exhibit and Philosophy Clinic at the Diego Silang Lobby; and two Philosophy Lectures. The activities are spearheaded by the New Louisian Philosophical Society (NEOLOUPHIS) with the participation of the Philosophical Association of Northern Luzon.

5th PANL Regional Convention

The Philosophical Association of Northern Luzon (PANL) conducted its 5th Regional Convention last October 26-27, 2007 at the City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The host institution for the convention was the Immaculate Conception School of Theology. This year’s theme for the convention was “Understanding Culture: Towards an Interface between Philosophy and Spirituality.”

The first Plenary Lecturer of the convention was Fr. Adalberto Barut, PhD, Rector and Dean of Studies San Pablo Seminary, Baguio City. The lecture was entitled “From Inward Generation to Transcendence through Symbolic Consciousness.” Following the plenary lecture were the simultaneous Concurrent Lectures. Professor Gerardo Palcon, MA, Head Department of Philosophy, Divine Word College, Bangued, Abra presented his paper on the topic “Cultural Spirituality and the Search for Well-being among the Itneg in Abra.” Professor Lawrence Dexter D. Ladia, MA, faculty, Department of Religion, IPR, Saint Louis University, Baguio City articulated his paper entitled “Educational Hospitality: A Form of Integral Spirituality.”

After the series of lectures given, the convention coordinators gave the participants time to tour the scenic spot of city of Vigan via the “Kalesa.” Among others the favorite spots were the Burgos National Museum, Pagburnayan, Chavit Singson’s Baluarte and Mini Zoo, and the famous UNESCO World Heritage Plaza.

In order for the participants to unwind from the activities of the first day, a cocktail party and fellowship was given wherein the delegates were serenaded with Ilocano songs. The local artists of the Ray-ao ti Pangaldaw (a local radio program) gave their beautiful rendition of Ilocano harana and popular Ilocano music to the delight of everyone.

The second day of the conference commenced with a Eucharistic Celebration presided by Rev. Fr. Adalbert Barut and Rev. Fr. John Habawel (Rector of ICST). PANL offered its thanksgiving to the ultimate source of being through the holy sacrifice of the mass.

The second Plenary Lecturer was Professor Narcisa Paredes-Canilao, PhD, Department of History and Philosophy, University of the Philippines, Baguio City. Her lecture was a pioneering one for it was delivered entirely in the Ilocano language. The title of the lecture was “Adda Kadi Kaes-eskan Ti Biag? (Pilosopiya ken Asyano nga Espiritwalidad iti Tractatus ni Wittgenstein).” The Convention culminated with the second Concurrent Lectures. Fr. Julio Rebolledo, MA, Head, Department of Philosophy, University of Baguio, Baguio City discussed his work “Spirituality of Suffering: Reflections of Abraham Heschel’s Path to Philosophy.” The other Concurrent Lecture was a presentation of the paper by Professor Romano Bulatao, MA, Head, Department of Religion, IPR, Saint Louis University, Baguio City. The paper was entitled “Linawa: An Anthropological Exegesis of Malinac Lay Labi (Towards Understanding Pangasinense Spirituality).”


For more pictures, please visit the link:
http://s318.photobucket.com/albums/mm401/panlphilopanl/2nd%20regional%20convention/?action=view&current=6e93ca7b.pbw

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