Unitas

11/08/2025

The UNITAS Editorial Board, with the Faculty of Arts and Letters Dean’s Office and the Research Center for Culture, Arts, and Humanities, is glad to share the release of the latest issue of the journal.

UNITAS Vol. 98, No. 1 (May 2025) https://unitasust.net/current-journal/

CONTENTS

v Editor’s Note

Critical Engagements: End of the Pacific War
1 “Resistance from the Other Side: How Laurel Prevented Filipino Conscription into the Japanese Imperial Forces” by John Edward E. Alfonso
7 “The Monuments of Heroes: The National Military Shrines and Its Effects to Filipino Nationalism” by Jommel P. Tactaquin
20 “Japanese Expansionist Policy in the Asia-Pacific Region: Its Roots and Causes” by Archie B. Resos
35 “In Unity There is Strength: Guerrilla Interactions in Laguna with Fellow Guerrillas, Civilians, the Americans, and the Japanese Collaborators” by Marcelino M. Macapinlac, Jr.

Articles
57 “Aquinas’ Just War” by Tran Le Tung Thanh
71 “A Survey on the Exhibit Spaces of Selected Adaptive Reuse Structures in the Proposed Quiapo Heritage Zone” by Mary Ann V. Bulanadi
99 “Mind or Soul? Translating Mentis in Bonaventure’s Itinerarium Mentis in Deum” by Joshua Cedric Aquino Gundayao
115 “Identifying the Dionysian in Beethoven’s Op. 125” by Anton Heinrich L. Rennesland
129 “The Role of Friendship in Alasdair MacIntyre’s Critique of Modernity” by Al Vincent S. Tumlos

Reviews
145 “Evangelista, Patricia, Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country” by Jovito V. Cariño
147 “Georgiou, Myria, Being Human in Digital Cities” by Paula Nicole C. Eugenio
152 “Nepomuceno, Rex, Ganimíde” by Marvin Einstein S. Mejaro

UNITAS is an international online peer-reviewed open-access journal of advanced research in literature, culture, and society published bi-annually (May and November), with hard copies printed on demand or in a limited edition. It publishes leading-edge and challenging articles and monographs in regular and special issues in relation to the critical currents and themes of the nation, the Asian region, and the world, which try to meet the various problems and opportunities of today’s globalization. In particular, under the rubric of literary and cultural studies in Asia, UNITAS aims to be a platform for ethically engaged studies that represent intersections of national and international literatures, arts and cultures, crisscrossing critical and creative categories, text and context, and original works and translations. More information about the journal is available on the journal’s website.

UNITAS Editorial Board

Current journal page

21/12/2024

The Critical Island Studies Consortium of which UST Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Maria Luisa Torres Reyes, is a co-founder, will hold an international colloquium around the all-important theme, "Can Asians Critique?" Dr. Reyes is also the Editor-in-Chief of UNITAS, the UST scholarly journal, which is the oldest extant journal in the country. The papers to be delivered are slated to be published soon in Korea.

30/11/2024

The UST Scholar-in-Residence’s Office is proud to announce the publication of UNITAS Issue 97, NO. 2.

It features important topics across disciplines ranging from Film, Literature, Culture to History, which are of contemporary relevance nationally and internationally.

UNITAS is the oldest extant journal of its kind in the Philippines established by a modern university, the University of Santo Tomas (UST). In 2022, UNITAS celebrated its 100 years of publication, having been founded in 1922. In its pages across the decades, one could trace the intellectual history of the country and its people, the academic disciplines and its scholars as it emerged from 300 years of Spanish colonialism, soon followed by American colonial rule, until the so-called granting of its independence by the United States.

UNITAS journal is where scholarship stands the test of time.

UNITAS Journal

22/09/2024

UNITAS Journal co-hosts the ASIAN JOURNALS NETWORK:
Seminar Workshop hosted by the University of Santo Tomas

Three az UST journals—UNITAS, KRITIKE, and PHILIPPINIANA SACRA—will be hosting the 2024 Seminar-Workshop of the Asian Journals Network (AJN) on 1 October 2024 at the University of Santo Tomas. The AJN is a consortium of academic journals from across the Asian region. The network was formally established in 2022 through the efforts of Dr. Maria Luisa Torres-Reyes of UST’s UNITAS and Dr. Vincenz Serrano of AdMU’s KRITIKA KULTURA.

The consortium focuses on networking, sharing of best editorial practices, extension of resources, and journal quality assurance, inter alia. To date, there are around 26 active members of the AJN from China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan.

To know more about the establishment of the AJN, you can read the following essay written by Dr. Alexander Klemm, editor-in-chief of the South East Asian Media Studies Journal: https://shorturl.at/ohhV7. The AJN Seminar-Workshop 2024 is supported by the Office of the Scholar-in-Residence, the Faculty of Arts and Letters, the UST Department of Philosophy, and the UST Graduate School.

Are you a journal editor and curious about the AJN and its vision? Then we are inviting you to join our Seminar-Workshop on 1 October 2024. We are opening limited slots (5) for journals that focus on the following subject areas: communication, cultural studies, film studies, fine arts, history, humanities, indigenous studies, linguistics, literary criticism, musicology, philosophy, political theory, religion, and theology. If you are interested, then please fill-up the following online form: https://forms.gle/YXjwHeB67gvQeeAv6

03/06/2024

Read the UNITAS Centennial Issue!
You can't get any better than this. Top international scholars all in one issue. Vol 95. No. 2. July 2022

John D. Blanco (University of California, San Diego)
Christa Wirth (University of Agder, Norway)
Loren Kruger (University of Chicago)
Caroline S. Hau (Kyoto University)
Ruanni Tupas (University College London)
Woosung Kang (Seoul National University)
Inseop Shin (Konkuk University, Seoul)
Patricio N. Abinales (University of Hawaii-Manoa)
Nicanor G. Tiongson (University of the Philippines)
Joel David (Inha University, Incheon)
Melani Budianta (University of Indonesia)
Alex Taek-Geang Lee (Kyung Hee University, Seoul)
Patrick Messerlin (Sciences Po Paris)
Zhenzhao Nie (Guangdong University of Foreign Studies) Lily Rose Tope (University of the Philippines)
Jonathan Beller (Pratt Institute, NY)

18/05/2024

On May 2-3, 2024, the University of Santo Tomas hosted the International Conference of Ethical Criticism as Critical Theory held at the UST Thomas Aquinas Research Complex (TARC) Auditorium, which was convened by the Office of the Scholar-in-Residence, together with the UNITAS Journal of UST’s Faculty of Arts and Letters.

Day 1’s morning session began with the Opening Remarks by Prof. Maria Luisa T. Reyes of UST, Scholar-in-Residence, Editor-in-Chief of UNITAS journal, and conference convenor. It was followed by the keynote lecture by Prof. Nie Zhenzhao, Professor Emeritus of Zhejiang University and now Professor and Yunshan Chair of World Literature at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. The current president of the International Association of Ethical Literary Criticism (IAELC), he delivered a lecture entitled "Ethical Literary Criticism: Its Theory and Application." A plenary lecture by Prof. Leonard Harris from Purdue University followed entitled "Advocacy Aesthetics: Against Stereotypes."

In the afternoon, the UST Department of Literature held Panel Session 1 with speakers Asst. Prof. Ma. Eloisa Sevilla-Perez, Asst. Prof. Jennifer Rebecca L. Ortuoste, Mr. Rae Francis C. Quilantang, and Ms. Kimberly Nicole P. Quilantang.

The University of the Philippines-Diliman faculty from the Deparatamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas led Panel Session 2 with speakers Asst. Prof. Mary Jane B. Rodriguez-Tael, Asst. Prof. Karlo Mikhail I. Mongaya, and Ms. Raniela E. Barbaza. Asst. Prof. Mongaya, who organized this panel, presented his paper onsite while Prof. Rodriguez-Tael and Ms. Barbaza presented through video-recording.

The second day of the conference began with a talk by Prof. Maria Luisa T. Reyes on the dominant trends in the history of ethical criticism in the Philippines going back to the Reform Movement to the present in order to situate its practice in the context of the country’s history. Her talk was followed by invited plenary speakers Prof. Yang Gexin, of Zhejiang University, Prof. Biwu Shang of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Prof. Alex Taek-Gwang Lee of Kyung Hee University. The plenary session was moderated by Asst. Prof. Ma. Eloisa Sevilla-Perez.

In the afternoon, Prof. Jove Jim Aguas, Prof. Emmanuel Batoon, and Prof. Jovito V. Cariño, of the UST Center for Theology, Religious Studies, and Ethics presented their papers on "Eclipsing the Ethical and the Literary: Ruminating the Aesthetic, Ontological, and Theological Subjects of Ethical Literary Criticism." This panel was organized and moderated by Prof. Joyce Arriola.

Prof. Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Director of UST’s Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies delivered the first special lecture on "Going Beyond the ‘True’ and ‘Good’ in My Own Writing."

Afterwards, Ateneo De Manila University’s Ian Harvey Claros, Glenn Diaz, Regina Regala, and John Paulo Sarce, presented their papers in the panel session, "Exploring Literary and Cultural Studies Through Ethical Literary Criticism." This panel was organized and moderated by Assoc. Prof. Vincenz Serrano.

Prof. Jeremy De Chavez of the University of Macau delivered the second special lecture on "Kwentong Jollibee and the Formation of Intimate Publics."

The conference concluded with the establishment of the Ethical, Literary, and Cultural Criticism Association of the Philippines (ELCCAP). Leading the brief program were the members of the staff of the Scholar-in-Residence and UNITAS journal, namely, Asst. Prof. Ma. Eloisa Sevilla-Perez, Rae Francis Quilantang, and Jan Marvin Goh, all faculty members of UST’s Literature Department. Sevilla-Perez served as the emcee of the program of the two-day conference.

Caption by Yui Gaviola and Tammy Macalma
Photos by Brent Delansig

08/05/2024

CIS 2024 UPDATE:

The abstract submission deadline is extended until May 25, 2024! Submit your abstracts now for the Critical Island Studies International Conference 2024 (“The Political Lives of Islands”) on October 3-4, 2024, at De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines.

You may view the Call for Papers here: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=779743657503177&set=pcb.779743764169833

Here’s the link to the Abstract Submission Form: bit.ly/abstract-cis2024. You may also scan the QR code found on the accompanying poster.

For details and inquiries, visit our conference website  (https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cis2024/) or contact us at [email protected].

01/05/2024

Today & tomorrow

The University is hosting the International Conference on Ethical Criticism as Critical Theory from May 2-3, 2024. The event aims to gather scholars who may become part of the soon-to-be-established Ethical Literary and Cultural Criticism Association of the Philippines.

Register now!

Event Details: https://www.ust.edu.ph/international-conference-on-ethical-criticism-sets-the-stage-for-the-founding-of-the-ethical-literary-and-cultural-criticism-association-of-the-philippines-elccap/

24/04/2024

Register Now! https://events.ust.edu.ph/icecct/

Join us at the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ETHICAL CRITICISM AS CRITICAL THEORY, where literature meets ethics in an intellectually stimulating interdisciplinary conversation!

🗓 Date: May 2-3, 2024

📍 Venue: University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
UST Thomas Aquinas Research Complex (TARC) Auditorium

🔍 Keynote Lecture:
"Ethical Literary Criticism: Its Theory and Application"
by Nie Zhenzhao, MAE, Professor of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Professor Emeritus of Zhejiang University, China. Founding member and current President of the International Association of Ethical Literary Criticism

📝 Paper Presentations from renowned institutions:
University of Santo Tomas
University of the Philippines
Ateneo de Manila University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Zhejiang University
Guangdong University
Kyung Hee University
Purdue University

🌟 Conference Highlight:
Witness the historic establishment of the Ethical Literary and Cultural Criticism Association of the Philippines (ELCCAP)!

💸 Conference Fee: Php 3,000.00 (regular) Php 1,000.00 (students)

📌 Don't miss this opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of literary criticism, exploring literature as a unique expression of ethics.

The keynote speaker, Professor Nie Zhenzhao, will guide us through the theory and application of ethical literary criticism which interprets and analyzes literature from an ethical perspective. Considering it as a unique expression of ethics within a historical period, it argues that literature is not just an art of language, but an art of text.

Join us as we explore the ethical experiences in Western literary texts like Hamlet, The Old Man and the Sea, and The Journey to the West, as well as various literary and cultural texts from the Philippines and Asia.

24/04/2024

Meet our Plenary Session Speaker!

Register here: https://events.ust.edu.ph/icecct/

Join us at the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ETHICAL CRITICISM AS CRITICAL THEORY, where literature meets ethics in an intellectually stimulating interdisciplinary conversation!

🗓 Date: May 2-3, 2024

📍 Venue: University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
UST Thomas Aquinas Research Complex (TARC) Auditorium

🔍 Keynote Lecture:
"Ethical Literary Criticism: Its Theory and Application"
by Nie Zhenzhao, MAE, Professor of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Professor Emeritus of Zhejiang University, China. Founding member and current President of the International Association of Ethical Literary Criticism

📝 Paper Presentations from renowned institutions:
University of Santo Tomas
University of the Philippines
Ateneo de Manila University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Zhejiang University
Guangdong University
Kyung Hee University
Purdue University

🌟 Conference Highlight:
Witness the historic establishment of the Ethical Literary and Cultural Criticism Association of the Philippines (ELCCAP)!

📌 Don't miss this opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of literary criticism, exploring literature as a unique expression of ethics.

The keynote speaker, Professor Nie Zhenzhao, will guide us through the theory and application of ethical literary criticism which interprets and analyzes literature from an ethical perspective. Considering it as a unique expression of ethics within a historical period, it argues that literature is not just an art of language, but an art of text.

Join us as we explore the ethical experiences in Western literary texts like Hamlet, The Old Man and the Sea, and The Journey to the West, as well as various literary and cultural texts from the Philippines and Asia.