(From left) CD Asia’s Atty. Maria Theresa G. Libunao and Atty. Ma. Lourdes D. Sitaca,
Atty. Rodolfo Q. Aquino, Mrs. Helen Aquino, and Dean Ulan Sarmiento

The San Beda College of Law honors every graduate who makes it to the top ten of the Bar Examinations.  This accolade is called the Kalantiaw Award, which has been received by numerous topnotchers from the San Beda Manila campus. 

This year, however, is another first of sorts for the San Beda College Alabang School of Law. For the first time since the birth of the School of Law in Alabang, a graduate has come out triumphant, not only for passing the 2011 Bar Examinations, but also for garnering the 10^th spot in the previously held  bar exams. For his astounding achievement, the members of the San Beda College Alabang Board of Trustees, through the initiative of Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III, unanimously agreed that an award should be bestowed upon Atty. Rodolfo Q. Aquino, the very first bar topnotcher of SBCA-SOL.  This award shall be known as the ORBAZ BUDI AWARD, which shall be conferred upon every graduate who assumes one of the top ten slots in the Bar Examinations.

ORBAZ BUDI is an old Hebrew-Russian saying which means, “Be thou an example (or symbol).” Taken from 1 Timothy 4:12, the verse declares the call of St. Paul to Timothy to, “Be an example to all the believers in the way you speak and behave, and in your love, your faith and your purity.” ORBAZ BUDI, VYERNUIM, SLOVOM, ZHITIEM, LIUBOUIU, VXEROIN, CHISTOTOIU.

Aside from the honor of being given the coveted Orbaz Budi medal, Atty. Aquino and future bar topnotchers from SBCA-SOL shall receive CD Titles from CD Technologies Asia, Inc., a pioneer in electronic legal research in the Philippines. By partnering with CD Asia, bar topnotchers from San Beda Alabang shall receive an electronic library set of Philippine Laws and Jurisprudence, which shall provide future awardees with access to the most comprehensive databases of law related materials.

The bar topnotcher shall also receive a generous cash prize from San Beda College Alabang, as kindly approved by Dom Clement Ma. Roque, OSB.

The achievements of Atty. Aquino and of other future bar topnotchers from Alabang should be acknowledged and looked up to by all law students, specially those who are yet to take the bar examinations. As how Dean Sarmiento put it, the barristers should “be firm, determined, stubborn, tenacious, blessedly obstinate in fulfilling that goal of becoming a true Bedan lawyer.”  In addition, future Bedan bar topnotchers are expected to be exemplary models of proper behavior and must present themselves in a manner that is befitting of a Bedan lawyer.

This article appeared in the Graduation issue of  The Red Chronicles, the official publication of the San Beda College-Alabang School of Law.
San Beda College Alabang campus is located at 8 Don Manolo Blvd., Alabang Hills Village, Alabang, 1770 Muntinlupa City.

In line with the Aquino administration’s goal to encourage the private sector to help in governance, a partnership was created yesterday to give the public access to thousands of Philippine legal and government documents through the Official Gazette website (www.gov.ph).

Officials of CD Technologies Asia (CD Asia) and of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO), led by Secretary Ramon Carandang, signed a memorandum of agreement that will accelerate the Aquino administration’s plan to establish the Official Gazette website as the official government online portal and archive for government issuances. [More photos of the signing here.]

PCDSPO, Malacañang’s messaging and strategic research arm, is tasked to be the custodian of the institutional memory of the Office of the President. Meanwhile, CD Asia, publisher of the electronic Lex Libris series and the Philippine Legal Encyclopedia Series, is taking part in this groundbreaking effort to raise the Official Gazette to international standards.

The historic partnership allows for an information-sharing system between CD Asia and PCDSPO,  in which CD Asia shares with the Official Gazette selected Executive Issuances, Congressional enactments, and Supreme Court decisions it has amassed. In return, the Official Gazette will share source documents, as well as recently signed documents, with CD Asia. The result of this effort will be greater accessibility for citizens of our laws through the Internet.

In a speech delivered in New York last September, President Benigno S. Aquino III announced that the Official Gazette would be the government portal. Delivered during the “Power of Open: A Global Discussion“ organized by Google, President Aquino said, “On the principle that legislations and other regulations must be freely accessible to all, it is working to make over a century’s worth of legislation and executive issuances freely available to the public.” This agreement is a significant step in this direction.

pcdspo.gov.ph

Source: http://www.gov.ph/2012/03/14/pcdspo-cd-asia-ink-partnership-for-official-gazette/

The launch was held at the MVP Basement (beside the Ateneo Art Gallery) of the Ateneo de Manila Loyola campus. Prof. Santiago is a popular teacher at the Marketing and Law Department of the the John Gokongwei School of Management of the Loyola Schools.

In recognition of Prof. Santiago’s longstanding advocacy of the interests of indigenous communities, seven (a sacred number for the artists) works the Talaandig visual artists were shown in a one-day exhibit entitled “Sa Bebelek Hu Dalantad” (Colors of the Earth).  Seven beautiful art works, painted entirely using soil, were displayed for the audience’s appreciation. The collection featured the works of Balugto Necosia, Salima Saway-Agra-an, Soliman Poonon, Raul Bendit, Nino Tecson, Intonda Kinuyog, and Nympha Bendit, and gave us a glimpse into the fascinating world of the Talaandig tribe of Lantapan, Bukidnon. Art cards, greeting cards and other items made by the artists were also displayed and sold.

The program, emceed by Atty. Tanya Lat, began with a ritual held in the garden outside the venue led by Waway Saway, and featured a musical number from the Talaandig artists as well as remarks from Ms. Maricon Baytion, head of the Ateneo University Press, Prof. Santiago, Mr. Saway and Atty. Ma. Lourdes Sitaca, the President of CD Technologies Asia, Inc. (CD Asia).  Mr. Saway, who is a datu, artist, musician and educator, mentioned in his speech that he introduced soil painting to his community as a way for them to share their cultural heritage.  The program ended with a book signing and cocktails among law librarians, lawyers, students and friends of the esteemed author.

The launch and exhibit was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Ateneo University Press under the energetic leadership of Ms. Baytion and Mr. JV Castro who curated the exhibit; Atty.  Lat whose efforts made possible the participation of the Talaandig artists;  and CD Asia, the publisher of Law for Art’s Sake on CD-ROM. The book’s electronic version features the full-text of the cases and laws referenced in the print publication, programmed with a search software for ease of use.

The print copy of the book is available at the Ateneo University Press. CD Asia sells the book bundled with the CD-ROM for P1,795.

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]]> http://www.cdasia.com/2012/01/03/laws-for-arts-sake-book-and-cd-launch/feed/ 0 http://www.cdasia.com/2011/11/11/dar-legal-information-system-online/ http://www.cdasia.com/2011/11/11/dar-legal-information-system-online/#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:04:03 +0000 admin http://www.cdasia.com/?p=1067

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Book and CD.

Book and CD.

Applicants may submit their resume to:
CD Technologies Asia, Inc.
83 East Capitol Drive,
Bo. Kapitolyo, Pasig City
E-mail: cdasia_mla@cdasia.com

Applicants may submit their resume to:
CD Technologies Asia, Inc.
83 East Capitol Drive,
Bo. Kapitolyo, Pasig City
E-mail: cdasia_mla@cdasia.com

A practical guide for ethical lawyering, the handbook contains helpful practice tips using the Code of Professional Responsibility, the Canons of Professional Ethics, select Supreme Court decisions, and illustrations from popular culture. The author, Atty. Bobby A. Quitain, is a lawyer, motivational speaker, and Catholic lay preacher who integrates the fundamental canons of the legal profession with basic Scripture teachings to show lawyers how to “keep their clients without losing their soul.”