3rd COMIUCAP World Congress

3rd COMIUCAP World Congress Photo Gallery

2008-10-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

Visit the Ateneo Philosophy Department's multiply account for more pictures of the 3rd COMIUCAP World Congress in Manila.

COMIUCAP 2008 MANILA: A Huge Success!

2008-09-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

Dear COMIUCAP Conference Participants!

It has been nearly a week since the conference ended, and I'm writing you now to share the official results of the feedback you kindly provided through the evaluation forms.

Dear COMIUCAP 2008 Participants,

Overall, at least 250 professors and students of philosophy from over 20 countries spanning 5 continents participated in the conference, exceeding the organizers’ target of 150 participants. Of these, 157 delegates (a majority at 63%) gave their feedback.

Based on a rating scale of 1.0 to 5.0, with 1.0 as 'Poor' and 5.0 as 'Excellent', the 2008 COMIUCAP World Congress achieved an overall average score of 4.0! The breakdown of this score is as follows:

o Communications & Promotions 3.8
o Registration & Fees 4.0
o Program & Logistics 4.1
o Lectures & Workshops 4.1
o Overall Experience 4.2

Most notably, the item on the evaluation sheet that garnered the highest average score at 4.5 was the item “Was the conference worth attending?” Hence, based on the quantitative feedback, we can make the claim that the 2008 COMIUCAP World Congress was truly a success -- and it was a success that would NOT have been possible without each and every one of you. Hence, THANK YOU truly for being part of this event.

Having said that, the feedback you provided also indicated several areas that could have been handled better. Hence, to all of you who experienced some dissatisfaction with how the conference was conducted, we do offer our sincerest apologies and we hope you do not take it against our respective host institutions. Any errors we committed belong to us (as the organizers) alone. To those of you who have taken the time and effort to give us your appreciation and acknowledgment, we offer our gratitude.

Just a brief note on the people who worked behind the scenes to make this conference possible -- I would like to mention that EVERYTHING was done without professional help in a span of just three months. Every single task -- from designing the streamers and developing the website to translating the foreign language papers -- was done by the men and women of the Ateneo de Manila University's philosophy department with the assistance of the philosophy
faculty of the University of Santo Tomas. Furthermore, all of these tasks were undertaken without compensation, on top of people's regular teaching and/or studying loads, and in the weeks leading up to the conference, at the expense of most of the faculty's and staff's sleeping hours. So if you should encounter any of these brave souls, I do hope you give them a word of acknowledgment for all the difficulties willingly borne.

And of course, should any of you continue to have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me via this email address. If, for instance, you are interested in viewing the detailed evaluation form results and findings, I can email them to you upon request.

Once again, thank you very much for your unique contribution in making the 2008 COMIUCAP World Congress happen -- it was a privilege to be of service to you.

And I continue to remain in your service.

Eileen F. Tupaz
Conference Coordinator
COMIUCAP World Congress 2008 Manila

c/o Department of Philosophy
School of Humanities
2/F De la Costa Hall
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Philippines 1108
Telefax: +63 2 426 5665
Email: comiucap@admu.edu.ph

No excuse for not attending the COMIUCAP!

2008-09-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

The COMIUCAP organizers are happy to announce that philosophy enthusiasts who are unable to attend the ENTIRE COMIUCAP conference are welcome to attend INDIVIDUAL sessions at a walk-in price of P500 per session. The P500 fee includes:

(1) attendance at EITHER a plenary lecture OR a workshop session,
(2) a snack (either immediately after the plenary lecture or immediately before the workshop session), and
(3) free entrance to Prof. Marion's inaugural lecture on September 11, 11 AM to 12:15 PM.

The fee will NOT include kits, lunches/dinners, nor conference materials. The fee is payable upon walking in at the Leong Hall Lobby for the Ateneo sessions, and at UST for the sessions that will be held in UST.

===================

The schedule of the individual sessions is as follows:

(1) Thursday, 11 September, 14h00-15h15 :
Plenary Conference by Prof. Lorenz Bruno PUNTEL (University of Munich) : 'Transcendence between Anthropology and Metaphysics: a Concept in Need of Rethinking?" (Venue: Leong Hall Auditorium, AdMU)

(2) Thursday, 11 September, 15h30-17h30 :
Concurrent Workshops (Venues: Social Science Bldg. Conference Rooms 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, Natividad Galang-Fajardo Conference Room at Dela Costa Hall, Leong Hall Auditorium, AdMU)

(3) Friday, 12 September, 9h00-10h15 :
Plenary Conference by Prof. Friedo RICKEN (Hochschule für Philosophie Munich) "Language,
Experience, Transcendence"(Venue: Leong Hall Auditorium, ADMU)

(4) Friday, 12 September, 10h30-12h30:
Concurrent Workshops (Venues: Social Science Bldg. Conference Rooms 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, Natividad Galang-Fajardo Conference Room at Dela Costa Hall, Leong Hall Auditorium, AdMU)

(5) Friday, 12 September, 15h15-16h00:
Plenary Conference by Prof. Juan Carlos Scanonne (Buenos Aires): "La Trascendencia Como Intrínsecamente Constitutiva de Etica y Política" (Venue: UST Manila)

(6) Friday, 12 September, 16h30-18h00:
Concurrent Workshops (Venue: UST Manila)

(7) Saturday, 13 September, 9h00-10h15:
Plenary Conference by Prof. Franck BUDENHOLZER (Fu Jen University,Taiwan) "Science and
Transcendence : From the Self-Transcendence of Scientific Knowing to Faith in the Transcendent Source." (Venue: Leong Hall Auditorium, ADMU)

(8) Saturday, 13 September, 10h30-12h30 : Concurrent Workshops
(Venues: Social Science Bldg. Conference Rooms 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, Natividad Galang-Fajardo Conference Room at Dela Costa Hall, Leong Hall Auditorium, ADMU)

(9) Saturday, 13 September, 14h00-15h15:
Plenary Conference by Prof. Alfredo Co of University of Santo Tomas "Beyond Ricci and Longobardi : Exploring a Dialogue on East-West Transcendence?"

(10) Saturday, 13 September, 15h30-17h30:
Concurrent Workshops (Venues: Social Science Bldg. Conference Rooms 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, Natividad Galang-Fajardo Conference Room at Dela Costa Hall, Leong Hall Auditorium, ADMU)

We look forward to seeing you all at the conference!

COMIUCAP Workshop Schedules

2008-09-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD your copy here.

Session 1: Anthropology, Metaphysics, and Transcendence
Thursday, 11 September 2008; 15h45 – 17h45

Workshop 1

ARISTOTLE’S DE ANIMA AND HUMAN TRANSCENDENCE: SOME CONSIDERATIONS FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Ma. Liza Ruth A. Ocampo, Ph.D.
University of the Philippines–Diliman
Quezon City, Philippines

AQUINAS AND WOJTYLA ON HUMAN PERSON AND HUMAN DIGNITY
Jove Jim S. Aguas, Ph.D.
University of Santo Tomas
Manila, Philippines

Workshop 2

LIBERATION AS TRANSCENDENCE:
A LEVINASIAN READING OF THE PLIGHTS OF THE ANAWIM
Fleurdeliz R. Altez, M.A.
University of Santo Tomas
Manila, Philippines

THE COMMON GOOD OF THE FIRM IN THE ARISTOTELIAN-THOMISTIC TRADITION
Alejo José G. Sison and Joan Fontrodona
Universidad de Navarra
Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

Workshop 3

THE LIMITS OF TRANSCENDENCE
Leonardo N. Mercado
University of Santo Tomas
Manila, Philippines

SELF-TRANSCENDENCE AS HUMAN OPENNESS TO THE TRANSCENDENT
Godfrey Igwebuike Onah
Pontifical Urbaniana University
Vatican City, Italy

Workshop 4

LEVINAS ON CREATION, SUBJECTIVITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
April D. Capili
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Leuven, Belgium

THE NON-DIFFERENCE AND DIFFERENCE OF THE HUMAN BEING FROM GOD
Prof. Dr. Noel Sheth, S.J.
Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth
Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Religion
Pune, India

Session 2: Religious Languages and Transcendence
Friday, 12 September 2008; 10h30 – 12h30

Workshop 1

DECADENCE AND ASCENDANCY: PHILOSOPHY AND REASON
Darren Gustafson, M.A.
Ateneo de Manila University
Quezon City, Philippines

ST.THOMAS ON THE TRANSCENDENT ESSE OF GOD: IS IT PLATONIC?
Tomas G. Rosario, Jr.
Ateneo de Manila University
Quezon City, Philippines

Workshop 2

THE MATURING OF CONSCIOUSNESS TOWARD TRANSCENDENCE IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF JEAN NABERT
Prof. Wladyslaw Zuziak
The Pontifical Academy of Theology in Cracow
Kraków, Poland

A-DIEU: APPROACHING THE DIVINE
Ryan C. Urbano
University of San Carlos
Cebu City, Philippines

Workshop 3

HEIDEGGER, GOD-LESS THINKING, AND THE HOLY
Federico José T. Lagdameo, M.A.
Ateneo de Naga University
Naga City, Bicol, Philippines

HABERMAS AND THE UNIVERSE OF FAITHS: A Contribution of Discourse Theory to the Plurality of Faiths
Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino
Cagayan State University/San Beda College
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Philippines/Manila, Philippines

Workshop 4

ESSENTIAL PRAYER: BERNHARD WELTE AND THE AUTHENTICITY OF RELIGION
João J. Vila-Chã
Universidade Portuguesa de Braga

FROM AGUSTINE TO JOHN OF THE CROSS : MYSTICAL THEOLOGY AS PHENOMENOLOGY OF TRANSCENDENCE
Arnella Francis O. Clamor, Ph.D.
Ateneo de Manila University
Quezon City, Philippines

Session 3: Transcendence, Ethics and Politics
Friday, 12 September;16h45 – 18h15

Workshop 1

NOTAS PRELIMINARES PARA UNA ÉTICA SOCIAL PRAXEOLÓGICA DE CARÁCTER GLOBAL (PRELIMINARY NOTES FOR A SOCIAL ETHICS PRAXEOLÓGICA OF GLOBAL CHARACTER)
Iván Canales Valenzuela
Departamento de Filosofía
Universidad Católica del Maule
Talca-Chile

LA VIDA CONTEMPLATIVA COMO PRÁXIS
Jorge Barrera Martinez
Pontificia Universidad de Chile

Workshop 2

TRANSCENDENCE: A MEANS TO UNDERSTANDING AND ROUTING INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD
Paul Matthias Shimiyu, Ph.D.
The Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Nairobi, Kenya

TRANSCENDENCE AND POLITICS: A TOPIC OF ENCLOSURE?
Jean-Luc Blaquart
Université Catholique de Lille
Lille, France

Workshop 3

COULD THERE REALLY BE “MORE” IN PHILOSOPHY?
Remmon E. Barbaza, Ph.D.
Ateneo de Manila University
Quezon City, Philippines

REVISITING LEVINAS: TO WHOM TO WHAT I SAY ‘YES !’
Jane D. Gallamaso
Xavier University
Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

Workshop 4

RECLAIMING ANTIQUITY WITHIN THE SPACES OF DISCIPLINARITY: TRANSGRESSION AS TRANSCENDENCE
Luis S. David, S.J.
Ateneo de Manila University
Quezon City, Philippines

SPEAKING IN MANY TONGUES: TRANSCENDENCE AND TRANSLATION
Jose Mario C. Francisco, S.J.
Loyola School of Theology
Ateneo de Manila University
Quezon City, Philippines

Session 4: Sciences and Transcendence
Saturday, 13 September 2008; 10h15 – 12h15

Workshop 1

LA TRANSCENDANCE ET LA MISE EN QUESTION PAR LA SCIENCE DES FRONTIÈRES DE L’HUMAIN
Jean-Luc Blaquart
Université Catholique de Lille
Lille, France

LA SCIENCE PROUVE-T-ELLE LA TRANSCENDANCE DE L'HOMME?
Hubert Faes
Institut Catholique de Paris
Paris, France

Workshop 2

PAUL RICOEUR ET LA RELIGION COMME VOIE OU ITINÉRAIRE
Paul Dau Van Hong
Université Jésuite à Thu Duc
Vietnam

PHILOSOPHIE HERMÉNEUTIQUE DE LA RELIGION DE PAUL RICOEUR
Maciej Bala
Uniwersytet Kard. S. Wyszynskiego
Warsaw, Poland

Workshop 3

L’HOMME AFFECTÉ : L’EXISTENCE COMME RELIGION DE L’UNIVERSEL
Sergueï Spetschinsky
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Brussels, Belgium

PHILOSOPHY OF BEING, A NECESSITY TO REDISCOVER WISDOM
Fr. Grégoire Plus, CSJ

Workshop 4

JACQUES DERRIDA ON DIFFERÁNCE AND THE IM/POSSIBILITY OF THE NAME
Mark Joseph T. Calano
University of the Philippines–Baguio
Baguio City, Philippines

TRANSCENDENCE AND THE ELUSIVE SCIENCE OF THE MIND
Napoleon M. Mabaquiao, Jr., Ph.D.
De La Salle University
Manila, Philippines

Session 5: Transcendence, Art and Culture
Saturday, 13 September 2008; 15h30 -17h30

Workshop 1

ESPACIO, ARTE Y TRASCENDENCIA
Prof. Ricardo Pinilla Burgos
Universidad Pontificia Comillas
Madrid, Spain

THE TRUE GODS OF SOUND AND STONE
John Giordano
Graduate School of Philosophy and Religion
Assumption University of Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand

Workshop 2

TRASCENDENCIA DEL HOMBRE, TRASCENDENCIA DE DIOS
UNA LECTURA POSIBLE DE HEIDEGGER
Néstor A. Corona
Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
Universidad Católica Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina

RETHINKING WHAT COMES TO PRESENCE: WHAT HEIDEGGER SAW AND THE TO COME
Agustin Martin G. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Ateneo de Manila University
Quezon City, Philippines

Workshop 3

THE WESTERN UNIVERSE AND THE CHINESE UNIVERSE
Dr. Matthias Christian
School of Christian Studies
Macau Inter-University Institute
Macau, China

FROM BAMBI TO BUDDHA: TRANSCENDENCE IN JAPANESE MANGA AND ANIME
René B. Javellana, S.J.
Ateneo de Manila University
Quezon City, Philippines

Workshop 4

SUÑÑATA AS THE METAPHYSICAL FOUNDATION OF REALITY: AN ESSAY ON THE BUDDHIST NOTION OF EMPTINESS
Jonathan Ray Villacorta
University of Santo Tomas
Manila, Philippines

TRANSCENDENCE THROUGH DHARMA (The Philosophy of Duty)
Irene Lising, Ph.D.
University of Santo Tomas
Manila, Philippines

HUMANISMO Y TRASCENDENCIA EN MONTAIGNE Y PASCAL
Alicia Villar Ezcurra
Profesora Ordinaria de Filosofía
Universidad Pontifica Comillas
Madrid, Spain

Jean-Luc Marion: A Pre-Inaugural Talk

2008-09-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

In response to a request for a more accessible and less technical lecture, Professor Jean-Luc Marion has generously accepted to speak to an audience of philosophy students and enthusiasts. His talk "Doing Phenomenology Today" will take place on Wednesday, 10 September 2008 from 6:00 to 7:30 in the afternoon at the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall Auditorium in the Ateneo de Manila University Campus. A fee of Php 100 will be collected upon registration.

For more information, please contact: comiucap@admu.edu.ph

Lectures on the Thought of Jean-Luc Marion: A Pre-conference Talk

2008-08-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

To prepare a fruitful reception to Jean-Luc Marion's Inaugural Lecture "How to Distinguish Philosophy from Theology" on September 11, 2008 at the COMIUCAP World Congress at the Ateneo de Manila University, the Ateneo Philosophy Department will offer a one–day Seminar on the Thought of Jean-Luc Marion on August 30, 2008 from 8:00 A M to 12 NN and from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Escaler Hall.

The morning session, from a philosophical perspective, will be given by Mr. Eduardo Jose E. Calasanz of the Ateneo Philosophy Department. It will consist of two parts. A first part--a bibliographical survey--situates Marion as a historian of philosophy and as an original thinker, pursuing a dialogue with theology. A second part--a guided reading of three texts by Marion--answers these three questions: What methodological principle does Jean-Luc Marion adhere to and innovate? What metaphysical theory underlies his work? How does he engage the philosophy of religion?

The afternoon session, from a theological perspective, will be handled by Fr. Antonio de Castro, S.J. and Ms. Charity Durano of the Loyola School of Theology. It will also consist of two parts. A first part--a bibliographical survey--shows the reception of Marion's thought by theologians. A second part explores the possibility of a dialogue between theology and philosophy by posing the question: How can Marion's notion of the saturated phenomenon help us understand the doctrine of revelation?

BREAKING NEWS!

2008-08-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

ATENEO, UST HOST INT'L PHILOSOPHY CONGRESS

The World Congress of Catholic University Institutions of Philosophy (COMIUCAP or Conférence Mondiale des Institutions Universitaires Catholiques de Philosophie) will be holding its 3rd World Congress in Manila on September 11 to 13, 2008.

This will be the first time that the conference, conducted every four years, comes to Asia, with two top universities, the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of Santo Tomas, as hosts. So far, 116 delegates from fifty-one institutions (universities, colleges and seminaries) in the Philippines have registered as well as 30 delegates from twenty-one countries like China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Congo, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, France, Canada and the United States. The conference is expected to draw more than 200 deans, professors and graduate students of philosophy and theology from all over the world.

The COMIUCAP, founded in Rome in April 1999, currently has 80 member institutions
representing 35 countries. The main goals of the COMIUCAP are to promote the exchange of information and cooperation in the teaching of philosophy, and to undertake collaborative research on problems posed by contemporary society. The COMIUCAP Scientific Council consists of the following members: Philippe Capelle (Paris), Richard Cobb-Stevens (Boston), Nestor Corona (Buenos Aires), Vicente Duran (Bogota), Leovino Ma. Garcia (Ateneo de Manila University), Georges N'Dumba (Kinshasa) and Wladyslaw Zuziak (Cracow).

The theme for its 3rd World Congress "Philosophy, Religions & Transcendence" builds on the themes of its two previous conferences. The first one, held in Paris in 2000, focused on "Philosophical Reason and Christianity" while the second one, held in Mexico City in 2004, dealt on "Philosophy as Mediation." The 2008 Manila Congress tackles the notion of transcendence--a notion that both unites and separates philosophical and religious traditions and whose relevance is heightened by the Congress' location in Southeast Asia and its religious realities.

The conference's plenary speakers include Jean-Luc Marion, one of France's best-known living philosophers, and other notable thinkers such as Franck Budenholzer (Taipei), Alfredo P. Co (University of Santo Tomas, Manila), Lorenz Bruno Puntel (Munich), Friedo Ricken (Munich), and Juan Carlos Scannone (Buenos Aires).

The conference is open to anyone with a keen interest in philosophy and theology. To
participate in the conference, one can register online at www.comiucap-reg.tk. The
registration fees are PhP4,500 (for payments received before September 11, 2008) and PhP5,000 (for payments on September 11, 2008). Students can avail of a 50% discount on the above fees.

Interested parties can visit the conference website at www.comiucapmanila.tk for more information, or, can email their inquiries to comiucap@admu.edu.ph.

The Philippines: A Home Away from Home

2008-08-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Time Zone

CET +7 hours; GMT +8hours

Money
The unit of currency is the PESO. One peso equals 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of 1,000, 500, 100, 5O, 20, and 10 Pesos. Coins are in denominations of 10, 5 and 1 pesos and 25, 10 and 5 centavos. The current rate of exchange (July 2008) is approximately:

EUR (Euro) = PHP (Philippine Peso) 71.01
GBP (Great Britain Pound) = PHP (Philippine Peso) 89.29
USD (United States Dollar) = PHP (Philippine Peso) 44.61

Automated Teller Machines are plentiful In Metro Manila, as well as in major provincial cities like Cebu and Davao. Most major credit cards are accepted. You are advised to bring US dollar travelers cheques.

Any pesos acquired from foreign exchange dealers (banks, hotels, some shops) during your visit may be changed back into foreign exchange on departure at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Travel
Metro Manila is a megacity of over 10 million people. It stretches over a vast area and has 7 cities, each of which has its own shopping centers, local administration, hotels, etc. Because of the prevailing traffic chaos, getting from one part of Manila to another can be extremely time-consuming. Most people keep to Manila proper, Makati and Ortigas (the main commercial shopping area) since there is nothing distinctive about the other 'towns'. Buses and jeepneys are only for the youthful or intrepid foreigner. Taxis are not expensive but can be difficult to find at rush hours or in the rainy weather. Most taxis are metered. If a taxi is not metered, be sure to negotiate a price beforehand. The Metro Rail Transit (MRT) is a quick and convenient way to travel across the city of Manila. Electronic cards may be bought from booths, with prices varying based on distance. MRT prices go from pesos 9.50 to pesos 14.

The Makati Shangri-la Hotel, Manila is 20 minutes from Manila International Airport. Taxis and city shuttle buses can be found on the ground floor of the domestic and International arrival halls. Taxis are metered and the fare between Manila International Airport and the hotel generally costs around USD 10 per journey.

Language
170 languages are used In the Philippines and all of these languages predominantly belong to the Austronesian language family. Since its establishment in the sixteenth century, Spanish was the original official language of the Philippines. According to the 1987 Constitution, Filipino, heavily based on Tagalog, and English are both acknowledged as the official languages. English is widely spoken, especially in business.

Electrical Specifications
Electricity in Philippines is 220 Volts, alternating at 60 cycles per second. If you travel to the Philippines with a device that does not accept 220 Volts at 60 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter. Outlets in Philippines generally accept two types of plug: a two-pronged flat blade plug or a two-pronged round pin plug.

Shopping
Shopping facilities are very good. Clothes and shoes are particularly of good value. Makati has huge shopping centres and department stores - Rustan's, Glorietta, Ayala Center and SM. The Ortigas area likewise has popular shopping destinations - SM Megamall, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, The Podium and Robinson's Galleria. SM malls offer good value for money. Just a short distance from Ortigas Is the Greenhills Shopping Centre and Tiendesitas, which offer bazaar-type facilities suitable for budget shopping.

Tipping
Tipping is general practice in the Philippines. It is normal to tip about 10% on your restaurant bills. However, if the bill already includes a service charge you may leave loose change.

Normally, taxi fares are rounded up to the next 10 pesos. Besides this, a tip of about 20 to 50 pesos may be 10 pesos.

Hotel staff are usually tipped about 5O pesos.

Spare Time
If you have free evenings you may wish to consider any of the following:
Theatre. The Cultural Centre of the Philippines (CCP) on Roxas Boulevard by Manila Bay Is the place to see concerts or the ballet.

Cinemas. There are about 200 In Metro Manila. Most cinemas show foreign and local films, e.g. at the Ayala Center, Makati Cinema Square, Shang Cineplex, SM Megamall, and Robinson's Galleria. For popular films be prepared to queue both to buy a ticket and to find a seat. Ticket prices range from Pesos 60-150, Up-to date information on when and where films are showing can be found in the daily paper.

Eating Out. There are dozens of food restaurants around the metropolis. In Makati, restaurants line the commercial centre along the northern part of Makati Avenue and Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road). In Ortigas, quite a number of choices can be seen at El Pueblo and Metro Walk. Mabini Street In the Ermita/ Malate area have good eating places, cafes and bars. Greenhills in San Juan also have Rood restaurants.

Drinking. In cafes, beer and soft drinks will cost you 25.35 Pesos. In five-star hotels you can pay anything from 100 Pesos or more for a beer and 75 Pesos for a soft drink.

If you have any spare days, some suggestions for days out are:

Intramuros. This is the old Spanish City almost totally destroyed during the Second World War. The Church of San Agustin which survived is worth a visit, as Is Fort Santiago and the small Rizal museum located Inside the Fort.

Casa Manila. This is a house which has been restored in the manner of a Spanish period residence. The nearby Silahis Arts and Crafts Building In the same street contains a wide variety of Filipino handicrafts.

Nayong Pilipino. A park near the airport where the different regions of the Philippines have been recreated, for example; rice terraces and a miniature (extinct) volcano. All transport within the park is by jeepney and a good place to buy handicrafts can be found in native houses around the park.

Pagsanjan. A one-day excursion through open countryside and villages to the town of Pagsanjan, an hour’s journey up-river in a due-out canoe (take a change of clothes). There Is also an opportunity to 10 under a waterfall on a raft and finally, shooting the rapids back to the bus. This can be arranged through a travel agent.

Tagaytay. Half-day excursion to Tagaytay from where on a clear day it Is possible to look down onto the Taal Volcano and lake. Lunch and folk dances are arranged at Taal Vista Lodge with a stop at a jeepney factory and Bamboo Organ on the way back. This tour can be arranged through a travel agent.

Hidden Valley. A natural crater in the ground full of tropical vegetation and natural springs with warm water swimming pools, about 1 1/2 hours drive from Manila. The entry ticket costs approximately 1000 Pesos (but is liable to increase). The cost covers a buffet lunch meal, soft drinks and the use of chanting facilities and pools. The price is on the high side but the location is exotic. It is best to go In company with others If possible.

Your Return Flight
Please confirm your return flight as soon as possible after your arrival. This can be done over the telephone. To be sure, you should request the Computer Locator number and make a note of it. If you fail to re-confirm you may lose your seat. Check-in time is 2 hours before your flight. Retain 750 Pesos for the airport tax.

Telephones
Call from hotel rooms may cost up to 15 to 20 Pesos. For call-boxes you wilt need 5-peso coins: lift the receiver, put the coins In the slot and when you hear the dial tone, dial the number you are calling.

It may be useful to activate your mobile phone's International roaming facility before you travel.

Prepaid International budget call cards from the Philippine lon8 Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) can be purchased In telecoms kiosks In denominations of 300, 500 and 1000 Pesos.

The code for the Philippines is +63, the code for Manila is +2.

The code for calling out of the Philippines Is 00.

Medical
Visitors are also advised to consult their doctor prior to departure for medical advice on vaccinations and medical precautions for the Philippines.

Should you feel ill, please consult one of the EHEF staff. Medical treatment in the Philippines can be expensive. It is therefore essential that adequate insurance cover is taken out. Most proprietary medicines are available at Mercury Drugstores.

Normal health precautions for tropical climates should be observed, e.g., drinking bottled or boiled water rather than tap water, eating cooked rather than raw foods.

Emergency Numbers
General Emergency Number 117
Fire Brigade 911 9009
Ambulance (Makatl Medical Centre) 888 8999

Please note that the code for the Philippines is +63, the code for Manila is +2.

*images taken from Edwin Martinez Photostream

The Face of the Congress

2008-08-01T18:14:00.001-07:00

3rd COMIUCAP World Congress

2008-07-22T03:26:00.000-07:00

The Conférence Mondiale des Institutions Universitaires Catholiques de Philosophie (COMIUCAP, or, World Congress of Catholic University Institutions of Philosophy) will be holding its 3rd World Congress on September 11 to 13, 2008, with the Ateneo de Manila University and University of Santo Tomas as hosts. The conference, which is held only once every four years, will include more than 150 deans, professors and postgraduate students of philosophy and theology from all over the world.

The COMIUCAP was founded in Rome in April 1999 and currently has 80 member institutions representing 35 countries. The theme for its 3rd World Congress, Philosophy, Religions & Transcendence, builds on the themes of its two previous conferences. The first one, held in Paris in 2000, focused on Philosophical Reason and Christianity, while the second one, held in Mexico in 2004, focused on Philosophy as Mediation. The theme of the 2008 Manila congress focuses on the notion of transcendence – a notion that both unites and separates philosophical and religious traditions and whose relevance is heightened by the Philippines’ proximity to the Far East and its religious realities.

The conference’s speakers will include one of France’s best-known living philosophers, Professor Jean-Luc Marion, and other notable thinkers such as Professor Frank Budenholzer of Taipei, Professor Alfredo Co of Manila, Professor Lorenzo Bruno Puntel of Munich, Professor Friedo Ricken of Munich, and Juan Luis Scannone of Buenos Aires.

The Conference

2008-06-28T04:53:00.000-07:00

PROGRAMME

THURSDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER

8h30-9h30 : Registration at the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall in the Ateneo de Manila
University Campus
9H30 : INAUGURAL SESSION
VENUE: LEONG HALL AUDITORIUM, ADMU
Welcome Remarks by Fr. Bienvenido F. NEBRES, S.J.
President, Ateneo de Manila University

Opening Address, His Emminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal ROSALES, D.D.
Archbishop of Manila, President of the Congress

Address by Msgr Prof. Guy-Réal THIVIERGE,
General Secretary of FIUC/IFCU

Introduction to the Congress
by Prof. Dean Emeritus Philippe CAPELLE,
President of COMIUCAP/World

10h30 : Break

11h00 : Inaugural Lecture
by Professor Jean-Luc MARION
Paris-IV Sorbonne and University of Chicago
"How to Distinguish Philosophy and Theology Today"

12h15: Lunch at Leong Hall roof deck

SESSION 1 : PHILOSOPHICAL, METAPHYSICS AND TRANSCENDANCE
VENUE: LEONG HALL AUDITORIUM, ADMU

14h00-14h45 : Plenary Conference by Prof. Lorenz Bruno PUNTEL (University of Munich) :
'Transcendence between Anthropology and Metaphysics: a Concept in Need of Rethinking?"

14h45-15h15 : Discussion

15h15-15h30 : Break

15h30-17h30 : Workshops (Venues: Social Science Bldg. Conference Rooms 1&2, 3&4, 5&6,
Natividad Galang-Fajardo Conference Room at Dela Costa Hall, Leong Hall Auditorium)

18h30 : Welcome Dinner at Leong Hall roof deck

20h-22h : General Assembly of COMIUCAP

FRIDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER

SESSION 2 : RELIGIOUS LANGUAGES AND TRANSCENDENCE
VENUE: LEONG HALL AUDITORIUM, ADMU

9h00-9h45 : Plenary Conference by Prof. Friedo RICKEN (Hochschule für Philosophie Munich)
"Language, Experience, Transcendence"

9h45-10h15 : Discussion

10h15-10h30 : Break

10h30-12h30 : Workshops (same venues as the previous day)

12h30-13h30 : Lunch at Leong Hall roof deck

13h30-15h00 : Travel to the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex in the University of Santo
Tomas

15h00-15h15 : Break

SESSION 3 : TRANSCENDENCE, ETHICS ANS POLITICS
VENUE: UNIVERSITY OF STO. TOMAS, MANILA

15h15-16h00 : Plenary Conference by Prof. Juan Carlos Scanonne (Buenos Aires):
"La Trascendencia Como Intrínsecamente Constitutiva de Etica y Política"

16h00-16h30 : Discussion

16h30-18h00 : Workshops

18h30 : Dinner at University Santo Tomas

20h-22h: Regional meetings of COMIUCAP.
Asia/Océania, Europe, North America, South America, Africa.

SATURDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER

SESSION 4 : SCIENCES AND TRANSCENDENCE
VENUE: LEONG HALL AUDITORIUM, ADMU

9h00-9h45 : Plenary Conference by Prof. Franck BUDENHOLZER (Fu Jen University,Taiwan)
"Science and Transcendence : From the Self-Transcendence of Scientific Knowing to Faith
in the Transcendent Source."

9h45-10h15 : Discussion

10h15-10h30 : Break

10h30-12h30 : Workshops

12h30-14h00 : Lunch

SESSION 5 : TRANSCENDENCE, ART AND CULTURE
VENUE: LEONG HALL AUDITORIUM, ADMU

14h00-14h45 : Plenary Conference by Prof. Alfredo Co of University of Santo Tomas
"Beyond Ricci and Longobardi : Exploring a Dialogue on East-West
Transcendence?"

14h45-15h15 : Discussion

15h15-15h30 : Break

15h30-17h30 : Workshops

18H00 : EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION: Church of the Gesu, ADMU
presided by His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal ROSALES

19h : Farewell Dinner

SUNDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER City tour

How to Register

2008-06-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

Who Can Register? The 3rd COMIUCAP World Congress is open to the philosophy and theology faculty members of Catholic educational institutions as well as philosophy and theology postgraduate students.

How Does One Register? To register for the 3rd COMIUCAP World Congress, simply fill out the online registration form at www.comiucap-reg.tk, or, print it out and mail or fax the accomplished form at the address and number provided at the bottom of the form. Registration to the congress closes on July 15, 2008, so please register on or before this date. Once your registration is received, you will receive an email packet containing instructions on how to pay the conference fee; recommendations and suggestions on value airlines and accommodations; and—for international participants—basic information on the Philippines and Manila, including its history, weather conditions, currency, basic costs, transportation systems, sights, etc.

What is the Registration Fee? The following is the fee structure for the 3rd COMIUCAP World Congress:

For Non Students
Php4,000 (€65) [Until 15 July 2008]
Php4,500 (€70) [16 July 2008 to 10 September 2008]
PhP5,000 (€75) [11 September 2008 Onwards]

For Students
Php2,000 (€35) [Until 15 July 2008]
Php2,500 (€40) [16 July 2008 to 10 September 2008]
PhP3,000 (€45) [11 September 2008 Onwards]

In order to qualify for the student conference rate, you must be a full-time graduate student who is NOT working full-time at a professional job.

The fee will cover the following costs:
• admission to all sessions, lectures and workshops during the conference;
• meals during the three days of the conference, including the morning refreshment, lunch and afternoon refreshment;
• a conference kit, including a name tag and other important materials; and
• the interschool transfer from Ateneo de Manila University to the University of Santo Tomas.

What Arrangements Do I Need to Make and What Expenses Do I Need to Shoulder On My Own? You will need to arrange and shoulder the expenses for the following:
• your airfare to and from Manila;
• your accommodations in Manila;
• your airport-hotel-airport and hotel-campus-hotel transfers;
• your breakfasts and dinners; and
• your personal and incidental expenses, including sightseeing, shopping, tips and other items.

However, you can always contact the conference organizers at comiucap@admu.edu.ph for support related to making the above arrangements, and suggestions and recommendations will be sent to you as well once you have submitted your online registration form.

Any questions and comments regarding registering into the 3rd COMIUCAP World Congress can be addressed to comiucap@admu.edu.ph.