Intramuros Learning Sessions episode no. 49
Overview
In its more than four centuries of existence, the University of Santo Tomas has built a considerable legacy, many of which were achieved in its original campus in Intramuros, Manila. A close look at these legacies shows that these were both material and non-material, or tangible and intangible heritage respectively. Their timelessness and relevance lie not just in being tied to the truth and virtues found in the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, whose name is perpetuated by the university. They are everlasting because they were carried out in the service of the Roman Catholic Church and inevitably, the nation.
- Guest speaker: Eloisa de Castro, Ph.D.
- Moderator: Rancho Arcilla
About the speaker: Eloisa de Castro, Ph.D.
Maria Eloisa G. Parco de Castro, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Santo Tomas where she earned her BA, MA and Doctorate degrees.
She was a contributing author to La Naval: Triumph of a People’s Faith (2007) which was awarded as the Best Book in History in 2008 by the National Book Development Authority. Dr. De Castro edited A History of the University of Santo Tomas: Four Centuries of Higher Education, 1611 – 2011, which was chosen as Best Book in the Social Sciences during the Gintong Aklat Awards in 2014. She also edited the Second Edition of National Artist Carlos Quirino’s Old Manila (2016). In 2019, Dr. De Castro was given a Research Award by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for her study on Philippine Secondary Education in the Spanish Colonial Period which is being prepared for publication.
About the moderator: Rancho Arcilla
John Paul Escandor Arcilla, known professionally as Rancho Arcilla, is the author of the Intramuros Register of Styles (2021). He served as Chairperson of the Intramuros Technical Committee on Architectural Standards (TCAS) from June 2022 to May 2024. As TCAS Chairperson, Arcilla oversaw the review of all development, including new constructions, in the Walled City.
Arcilla was also the first Archivist of the Intramuros Administration. With a mandate from Atty. Guiller Asido, Administrator of Intramuros from 2017 to 2022, Arcilla established the Administration’s Archives and Central Records Section, serving as its first Section Head from July 2019 to June 2024.
He has an MA in Philippine Studies from UP Diliman and a BA in Asian Studies from the University of Santo Tomas. Arcilla specializes on colonial architecture.
In 2021, Arcilla was instrumental in the development of the Revised 2021 Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Presidential Decree No. 1616, the main framework and legal instrument in the management of Intramuros District. The architectural provisions of the IRR and the Intramuros Register of Styles (2021) is based on his MA thesis Walls within Walls: The Architecture of Intramuros (2021).
About the Intramuros Learning Sessions
The Intramuros Learning Sessions (ILS) is the educational lecture series of the Intramuros Administration (IA). The IA is an attached national government agency under the Department of Tourism.
Topics are interdisciplinary and cover themes related to Intramuros and Manila studies, Philippine studies, as well as cultural heritage studies. Pursuant to IA’s charter, the ILS aims to contribute to the strengthening of the Filipino’s national identity and sense of belonging and pride.
For inquiries contact us at [email protected]
| See Previous ILS Episode Healthy Parks, Healthy People | See Next ILS Episode Casa Manila: The Elegance and Romance of Spanish Manila |
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