Retracing My Father's Steps

University of Santo Tomas
Espana, Manila
21 March 2009


Being a member of different forums made me create friendships with the other members. I have come to meet Halie and because we were both point and shoot camera users and that we're both into photography, we became good friends. In March of 2009, we decided to do a photowalk, and the first place we visited was the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

Taken from Wikipedia:

The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of
the Philippines (or simply UST or affectionately, "Ustê". Filipino: Unibersidad
ng Santo Tomás), is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of
Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop Miguel de
Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the Philippines and in
Asia, and is one of the world's largest Catholic universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus. UST is also the largest university in the city of Manila. Having the distinction as the only Pontifical University in Asia, UST is the only university, Catholic or not, to have been visited by two popes three times: once by Pope Paul VI on Nov. 28, 1970, and twice by Pope John Paul II on Feb. 18, 1981 and January 13, 1995.

The University is composed of several autonomous faculties, colleges, schools and institutes, each conferring undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate degrees, and the basic education units. Several degrees have been accredited by the Commission on Higher Education as Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development.

The Patron of the University is St. Thomas Aquinas, while St. Catherine of Alexandria is the Patroness.

I was very excited to visit this University because this is where my father studied college. His family was a poor one, and he decided to travel to Manila from his hometown in Bacnotan, La Union to study college. To sustain his studies and his everyday existence, he worked as a janitor in the University during daytime and attended his classes during night time. I hoped to see some of the spots in his photographs, but as outsiders, Halie and I weren't able to enter the main building. We just content ourselves by taking pictures outside:




The Time. The facade of the main building has a clock (which displays the correct time).


The Benavides Monument. Fronting the main building of the University was a monument of Fr. Miguel de Benavides, one of the founders of the University.


Grounds. I just like that big UST marker on the University's grounds. The green field at the back was the soccer field.


Post Office. Roaming around the campus, we reached the Post Office, and I switched my camera's setting to Sepia just to give that rustic feel in the pictures - the University's centruries old now, and I just want to fuse the old look with the current setting.


The Hospital. The University also offers medical courses, and I guess this is where they train.


The Fountain of Wisdom. One of the popular landmarks in the University.


Arch of the Centuries. Stands fifteen meters away from the University's main vehicular entrance along España Boulevard. It is declared by the National Museum as a National Treasure, it serves as the link of the campus with its Intramuros roots and its Spanish heritage. It has become a symbol of learning—the portal to greatness under which students and alumni (such as Rizal, Mabini, Quezon and Osmeña) have passed. The Arch of the Centuries was originally erected in 1611 at Intramuros, where UST was originally found. When the University transferred to its present location at Sampaloc, the Arch was also carried piece-by-piece and was re-erected at the front of the main vehicular entrance of the University. The original Arch which faces the Main Building was the main doorway to the university building before it was destroyed during World War II when it was at Intramuros. A newer arch faced España Boulevard, which is a reconstruction of the original arch. The Arch contains Doric columns, but is Baroque in its details. The inscription on the arch says "Gateway to the history of the finest breed of Filipinos," a reference to the numerous alumni who have made an impact in Philippine history. On the left pillar of the facade facing España Boulevard is commemorative plaque honoring national hero José Rizal, and on the right pillar is another plaque honoring President Manuel L. Quezon; both being UST alumni. On the sides at the top of the Arch are panels depicting the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the patron saint of the University and of all Catholic schools.

Halie, being a lover of photojourn and street photography has got me try taking pictures of people, too. It's something I am not really used to do, but here was my UST street style pictures:


Studying. It's a wonder that there were still students studying their lessons when it was already the end of the semester. The day we visited, the grounds near the facade of the main building was actually in the process of decorating for their Senior Night. Well, I guess these two still has an exam to take before they could officially call it summer.


Ice Cream Man. I had to max out on my camera's zoom to take this shot because I was actually taking a picture of the main building, and somehow, I noticed this ice cream cart while framing one of the pictures. I liked that he named the cart "Sto. Tomas," which is also the name of the University.


Street Sweeper. Makes me see how my dad used to look like back then.

It took Halie and I two hours to roam around and take pictures. We sure would like to stay longer, but we still had to visit other places, so after we wrapped up this photowalk, we were getting ready for the next one.

*** Jenn ***