Friday, January 8, 2010

Thomasians let's see this proclamation through - 2010: Year of The Thomasian



Fellow Thomasians,

Now that the countdown to our alma mater’s Quadricentennial in 2011 has begun let us do our share in preparing for the big event. Considering the illustrious role that it has played in Philippine history and the contributions of its distinguished alumni in the shaping of our nation, UST’s 400th Anniversary should be considered as our country’s grandest celebration in years. In fact, we should be very thankful that this event of great historical significance is happening during our lifetime.

It is, therefore, not only fitting and proper but also imperative to do what we can in promoting the Quadricentennial and sharing ideas or launching related projects to ensure its success.

As a loyal and proud Thomasian I have initiated a call for President Arroyo to declare “2010: YEAR OF THE THOMASIAN” as the perfect way to usher in 2011 and as a fitting tribute – not so much to the current enrollees and living alumni of UST but – to the past decades’ and centuries’ great Thomasians.

On July 1, 2009 I faxed the Office of the President about this and it was referred by the Correspondence Office to the Legislative Liaison Office on August 6. We may be well towards the second week of January but we can still lobby for the declaration. (In 1999, while still a migrant worker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I initiated a campaign to have the following year declared as “The Year of OFWs”. January 2000 came and still no word about the declaration. I didn’t stop barraging Malacanang with faxes, emails and even phonecalls. On February 8 then-President Joseph Estrada finally signed Presidential Proclamation No. 243 effecting the declaration.)

Fellow Tomasinos, let us get this message across to President Arroyo. Let’s do this not necessarily to seek recognition for us living Thomasians per se, but to exalt the Thomasian Family of the past four hundred years.

You can check out my letter to PGMA at http://ust400.blogspot.com/2009/06/2010-as-year-of-thomasian.html

DECLARING THIS AS YEAR OF THE THOMASIAN WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE BECAUSE IT IS THE EVE OF UST’S QUADRICENTENNIAL. BESIDES, IT IS ALSO THE YEAR OF THE TIGER WHICH SYMBOLIZES THOMASIANS.

What you can do to help in getting the message across to PGMA:

1. Forward this site’s link to fellow alumni or even to your friends: http://www.ust400.blogspot.com

2. If you have friends or relatives in media, forward a copy of the letter and ask them to write something about the campaign.

3. Copy the following and fax (736-1010) and/or e-mail (corres@op.gov.ph) it to PGMA:
I support the call for Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to declare 2010 as “YEAR OF THE THOMASIAN” in honor of UST’s great alumni of decades and centuries past and as a most proper and fitting way to usher in 2011, UST’s 400th Anniversary.

4. If you have celebrity friends – especially those who are also alumni of UST – who appear regularly on TV, request them to mention something about this campaign every chance they get.

5. Use all your connections in government and media to get this message across to PGMA.

Go Tomasinos! Let’s see this proclamation through! GO USTE!!!

Yours in the true Thomasian spirit,

Rhoel Raymundo Mendoza
Fine Arts-Advertising (Batch ’81)
1990 POEA Bagong Bayani awardee

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