'The SU pin truly is a symbol of home with all the hallmarks of its vision and mission, the center of excellence in many dimensions of education and the only university for which Dumaguete has been known internationally as the University Town.' The ongoing gathering of Sillimanians from all over the globe in Toronto, Canada dubbed as 'Tipon 2007' - which, incidentally, ends today - has drawn more unstinting support from alumni of Silliman University primarily because of the importance and respect accorded to their loyalty as graduates or former students of this campus by the sea.

It was likewise an opportune time for university officials led by Dr. Ben S. Malayang III to give an update of developments on campus - including the various constructions going on, giving a semblance of vigor and projecting a sense of service to its clientele - as well as projections or plans for the future.

One laudable project that was mentioned was the Coin Bank Project spearheaded by the Silliman Alumni Association, Inc. where alumni groups the world over fill up their coin banks intended to augment scholarship funds or intended beneficiaries specified by the alumni. As of April this year, the Coin Bank Project has collected the amount of P113,616.65 representing contributions from various alumni chapters in the Philippines and abroad. More recent graduates of the university and other individual alumni also turned over their filled coin banks to the alumni office.

Children of alumni will also get a 50 percent discount on the Silliman University Admission and Placement Examination given to high school students all over the country who may wish to study at Silliman, as well as discounts on college entrance testing fees. However, children of lifetime members of Silliman Alumni Association, Inc. will get a 100 percent discount on both testing fees. The team from Silliman University deemed it fit to bring samples of the SU pin that the alumni association has been distributing lately to recent graduates of the university. According to Judge Rafael Crescencio Tan Jr., vice-president of the Silliman Alumni Association, Inc., in order for the graduates to capture and treasure forever their happy days in college, the SU pin was designed and packaged so that they can be worn near the graduates' heart.

"It is a symbol to capture the essence of the graduates' academic life on campus. It is an artistic and poetic expression of what Silliman University means to each one of us - our guiding star, the university we all honor, in our hearts without a peer, our alma mater, ever lovely, ever dear," Judge Tan said in a recent speech for graduates of the university, picking out some appropriate phrases from the Silliman Song.

He said that for each one of us, the pin symbolizes our loyalty to the roots of our knowledge, without which our careers could not have lifted off. The three significant figures embodied in the pin represent the motto of the university, "Via, Veritas, Vita" ("The Way, The Truth, The Life") where the lamp lights our path to knowledge, the book that captures our knowledge base, and the laurel leaves symbolic of our winning victories in the classroom, on the court, the track, and the field. Thus, added Judge Tan, the SU pin truly is a symbol of home with all the hallmarks of its vision and mission, the center of excellence in many dimensions of education and the only university for which Dumaguete has been known internationally as the University Town. "It's like telling the world that your career started at Silliman University and will continue to be at Silliman University," Judge Tan exhorted the graduates.

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The launching of the Wastewater Treatment Plant at the Quezon Memorial Park in Dumaguete last Wednesday saw the realization of the project done with the help of the United States Agency for International Development.

Vice-Mayor William Ablong informed that the completion of the project was made possible through the Local Initiatives for Affordable Wastewater Treatment of the USAID using the decentralized wastewater treatment system that applies the biological approach or natural system of treating 80 cubic meters a day of used water from the city public market.

Ablong said that the program was especially made in order to keep our water clean, drinkable, and conducive for swimming. In a study conducted by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Dumaguete's coastal waters are contaminated with coliform bacteria ten times the standard, which means that the water is not safe for swimming and even for catching fish.

However, the water treatment program is ideal for the people, costing the city government three million pesos, with low maintenance cost because it does not need electricity and chemicals to maintain the facility. "There is also a resource recovery through re-using the treated wastewater for gardening, flushing, and for agriculture.

Regarded as a contribution to the water and sanitation target of the Millennium Development Goals, the initiative is in compliance with the mandate of R.A. 9275, otherwise known as the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, which "requires each local government unit in the Philippines to construct sewage treatment facilities to address the nagging wastewater and water pollution issues in their area of jurisdiction."

Ablong explained that there would be a reduction of 75 percent to 90 percent of BOD. For instance, the wastewater from the public market contains 400 to 500 milligrams per liter. However, once the raw wastewater passes through the treatment system, its BOD is reduced to 30 milligrams per liter or below, which is the acceptable standard of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, thus rendering the water safe.

He further said that once the wastewater flow passes through the activated sludge in each compartment, pollutants are decomposed through intensified contact with the beneficial bacteria. "Here, we used two different kinds of bacteria, the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria to fight against organic waste. The anaerobic bacteria are bacteria that do not use oxygen, and the aerobic bacteria are bacteria that use oxygen. These two are used to clean up or heat up organic waste coming from the public market," Ablong expounds.

With such a project, the city could certainly help address the impending issues confronting the environment today and perhaps, counter the probable imminent loss of clean, drinking water.