Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences - VSU

Congratulations to Dr. Guiraldo Fernandez, Jr. for spearheading this new partnership for DPSS and VSU!

ICYMI: Last March 6, Dr. Jerry Imbong’s class, Seminar on Contemporary Philosophy, successfully organized a seminar titled “Alain Badiou and Axel Honneth: A Seminar on Contemporary Philosophy,” held at the ARIC Lecture Hall. The event brought together students, faculty members, and invited guests for a stimulating exploration of two influential thinkers in contemporary philosophy.

The first speaker, Mr. Ismael P. Magadan, Jr., presented his lecture, “The Emancipatory Potential of Axel Honneth’s Theory of Recognition.” In his talk, he traced the intellectual origins and historical development of Critical Theory, highlighting how Honneth’s theory reframes struggles for recognition as central to social justice and human emancipation.

The second lecture was delivered by Dr. Regletto D. Imbong, who spoke on “On Being Human: Alain Badiou’s Being, Event, and Truth.” Dr. Imbong explained Badiou’s philosophical framework and discussed the four conditions of philosophy: love, politics, art, and science. He also emphasized the role of the subject’s fidelity to an event as the ground through which truth emerges and transforms human existence.

Following the lectures, a brief open forum allowed students and participants to engage directly with the speakers. The discussion provided space for thoughtful questions, reflections, and critical dialogue, enriching the learning experience for everyone present.

Overall, the seminar proved to be a stimulating and intellectually engaging gathering, fostering deeper appreciation of contemporary philosophical debates and encouraging meaningful dialogue among students, faculty members, and invited speakers, bridging the gap between Critical Theory and praxis in our contemporary society.

ICYMI: DPSS recently hosted an International Online Seminar on Chinese Philosophy. A huge thank you to Dr. Yong Li from Sun Yat-sen University for sharing his profound expertise and guiding us through the intricate nuances of Chinese philosophical thought.

In an increasingly interconnected world, these cross-cultural dialogues are essential for expanding our ethical and intellectual horizons. We are grateful for the opportunity to engage with scholars globally!

Just in time for the celebration of the National Women's Month, the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences extends its greetings to one of empowered women in the department, Ms. Gilda Prejula Nayre.

Ms. Nayre received her Token of Recognition during the Joint Flag Raising Ceremony & GAD Opening Ceremony for National Women's Month celebration earlier today at the RDE Hall for her 35 years of loyal service to the university.

Ms. Nayre's loyal service, not only to the department but to the university, is a testament of commitment to efficiency, patience, and dedication to her purpose.

Congratulations, Nanay Gilda!





Photocredits: Dr. Annie Parmis-Amorganda

𝓞𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓭𝓪𝔂 𝟒𝟎 𝔂𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝓪𝓰𝓸, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓮𝓯𝓾𝓵𝓵𝔂.

The morning of 25 February found Manila preparing for two inaugurations. The people flocked to Club Filipino in San Juan to witness the start of a new era. All across the metro and in cities and towns across the country, from Baguio to Davao, the people joined in the last wave of People Power.

As the day went on, more and more of the military broke away to side with the people. Triumphal crowds gathered around Nagtahan and Mendiola, cutting up the barbed wire that once separated them to bring home as souvenirs. The people could feel that the a new page had turned in the story of our people; and that they were the driving force for that change. Whatever lay ahead in the future, they would be the ones who would write it. The whole world now knew that in the Philippines, Power was in the hands of the People.

"Bayan Ko" was a popular nationalistic song from the early 20th century. It signified one's longing for the country to be free from oppression and subjugation. As a symbol of our struggle for freedom, the song had become an unofficial 2nd national anthem and remains a staple for celebrations and protests. During the EDSA People Power Revolution, the song was often heard to rally the people during moments of intense pressure or crisis, with Radio Veritas intermittently playing it as part of their broadcast.

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𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟰𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗗𝗦𝗔 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟮𝟱 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝟴:𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗘𝗗𝗦𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲, 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘇𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Don't forget to follow us here and on our Social Media Platforms to get updated on more events and programs for EDSA and other historical remembrances!

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𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:
https://tinyurl.com/EDSA40posters

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗗𝗦𝗔 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
https://nhcp.gov.ph/people-power-of-1986-a-nationwide-phenomenon/

Today, we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution. This important event in our nation’s history reminds us of a time when Filipinos came together with a shared hope to restore our democracy. As an academic institution, we take this opportunity to encourage reflection, learning, and meaningful conversations about our past.

This March 4, 2026, DPSS will host an International Online Seminar in Chinese Philosophy, courtesy of Dr. Li Yong, a Philosophy professor of Sun Yat-sen University, China.

Student Engagement:
Invited 4th-year AB Philosophy students served as resource persons and talked about how they navigated their philosophical research problems and questions through the review of literature.

aProf. Beljun Enaya, AB Philosophy Program Coordinator, expresses his sincere appreciation to Ms. Sheena Jean Zoilo, Ms. Ara Caparas, Mr. Noel Risma, and Ms. Gemmalou Lebaresos. Their insightful contributions to the class on Seminar on Special Questions in Philosophy provided invaluable real-world perspectives for the 3rd year AB Philosophy students.

Congratulations, Dr. Jerry D. Imbong!

𝐇𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐃𝐫. 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐃. 𝐈𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐠!

We are incredibly proud to announce that his book,"𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐨𝐧/𝐋𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐨. 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫, 𝐂𝐒𝐬𝐑", has won the Best Book in Philosophy Award at the 43rd National Book Awards by the National Book Development Board.

"This book is a comprehensive study on the gift and testament of Gaspar’s lifelong commitment to the poor – highlighting the struggle of the Lumads, explaining the contentious situation of the Moro, and exposing the continuous exploitation of the ‘land of promise’. This book is not only about Gaspar but about making philosophy matter in the real life of the Filipino people." - Fr. Raymond Montero-Ambray, Diocese of Tandag, Province of Surigao del Sur.

Your CSCRHS family celebrates this milestone with you, Sir Jerry! Thank you for continuing to champion narratives that make philosophy deeply relevant to the Mindanawon spirit and the Filipino experience.

The Culture and the Arts Office is calling all VSU literary arts enthusiasts who are interested in joining the Regional Literary Arts Festival 2026. For more details, please refer to the poster.