MANILA, Philippines - For some people, science and religion don't go together. But looking at the life of Ateneo de Manila University's first scientist president Fr. Jose Ramon "Jett" T. Villarin, S.J., one would marvel at how he has managed to succeed in both worlds.
Even before this interview took place, we already had some scoop on him. His fellow Jesuit and Xavier School president Fr. Johnny Go S.J. confided that he is an admirer of this man who gives good homilies during Masses. But while Fr. Jett obviously didn't give a homily when we finally sat down with him for the interview, we could readily see why his colleague has such high regard for him. Fr. Jett has the gift of gab. While he shared with us his reflections on the decisions that he had to make in his life, his words, unwittingly, also had an effect on us.
"What's my life for? Saan ito patungo? I live until 80, 85 years, I die, that's it? Pinasakay pa ako nung tsubibo tapos paalisin ako, ano ito?," says Fr. Jett in explaining the process he had to go through before he entered the priesthood. Unknowingly, these metaphysical questions from an inquisitive mind, that he says is a mark of a true Atenean, also urged us to ponder about our own fate and purpose.
What is equally impressive about him is his passion as a climate change advocate. Such passion pushed him to continue his cause even when people were not listening. Fr. Jett had been warning people about the effects of climate change since the 1990s, long before former US Vice President Al Gore had come out with his documentary film "The Inconvenient Truth." Dropping his alarmist and depressing approach of getting his message across, Fr. Jett decided to shift his efforts into teaching people how they could adapt and cope with climate change. Still, the struggle to be heard and heeded is a challenge to this day.
"Yeah, minsan paulit ulit. (Pero) tuloy tuloy lang. But when you say climate change, may absorption capacity rin yung mga tao, they can get saturated. I want to change that with what's hopeful. So it's going to happen, what can we do now?" reveals Fr. Jett whose work on the greenhouse gas emissions enabled him to be part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This team of climate scientists won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with Gore.
In 2000, he was named National Outstanding Young Scientist by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). The following year, the book he edited entitled "Disturbing Climate" was conferred the National Book Award (Sciences) by the Manila Critics Circle, the National Book Development Board, and the NAST.
As the 30th president of the Ateneo, Fr. Jett inherits the reins from his predecessor and mentor Fr. Bienvenido Nebres who was the one who urged him to pursue further studies as a scientist while preparing for the priesthood. Fr. Jett acquired his master's degree in Physics from the Marquette University in Wisconsin, and his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia in 1997.
Fr. Jett is now setting his sights on making the institution a research-centered university. He is also determined to instill in the students a love for the environment and country, through a cultural change and a deeper understanding of the Ateneans' role in nationbuilding.
In this 60 Minutes interview, Fr. Jett, the educator, priest, and scientist shares with us his plans and developments for Ateneo, as well as the reforms that everybody - Atenean or not - needs to make in order to cope with the reality of climate change. (Rachel C. Barawid)
STUDENTS AND CAMPUSES BULLETIN (SCB): You graduated with a Physics degree, and it has been said that science and religion do not really go together. But you're both a physicist and a priest...
FR. JOSE RAMON "JETT" VILLARIN (JRV): It's a caricature. They think science collides with faith. But these are two kinds of faiths. Even scientists tend to become fundamentalists.
You guys may say if you don't see it, you don't believe in it. Pero sabi ko, itutulak ko 'yung mga scientists. In one of my sermons, I said we lost the wonder of it all. You see starlight but there are no longer stars. You speak of the formulas of scientists but do you mean, when will two things, by virtue of having mass, attract and not repel?
At some point, science stops. You cannot just keep on floating and saying that this is the pattern. At some point, lulundag ka, even if you say walang Diyos, walang patutunguhan ang lahat nang ito, pero meron, may humahawak ng lahat.
SCB: So you do not believe science and faith collide?
JRV: I don't think so. I very well believe in a benevolent God and say that evolution is what brought us here. These are two different vocabularies, two different languages. In fact, science helps you appreciate God, but I have to believe in God first, that's an assumption. I cannot use science to lead me to God.
SCB: When did the realization come for you, that science and religion go together?
JRV: I had to think through this philosophy. I was schooled in the Ateneo. And philosophy will make you question not just logic ah. My sister studied in UP at nakita ko 'yung philosophy nila, logic eh. Ateneo makes you think through some of these metaphysical questions. Why should there be something rather than nothing? Bakit mayroon, puwede namang wala? Bakit tayo nandito, hindi naman puwersado na magkaroon? Those things prod you to do a deeper reflection.
At some point I asked, what's my life for, saan ito patungo? I live until 80, 85 years, I die, that's it? Pinasakay pa ako nung tsubibo tapos paalisin ako, ano ito?
SCB: Did you go to school in Ateneo because you have always been interested in this kind of education?
JRV: Ateneo was never in my horizon. Then somewhere along the way, lagi akong napupunta dito sa Ateneo. Nagpunta ako dito kasi bumagsak ako sa Pisay (Philippine Science High School). Sinabi ko pa sa mga tao dito, "Alam ninyo, hindi naman kayo ang first choice ko eh!" (laughs). Ang yabang yabang ko na! Nung bumagsak ako, first exam pasa na so sinabihan ko na, "Sorry, ba-bye Ateneo!" (laughs). Eh bumagsak ako second exam, I had to eat humble pie. Will you accept me (laughs)? And then college. Pasado na ako sa UP, pero Ateneo offered a scholarship. In a sense those are intersections, you could have turned left instead of right. So you wonder. We're free and God respects the freedom of choice. But I think in some mysterious way, when we make material decisions or wrong moves, we're not entirely forsaken.
SCB: What were you like as a college student?
JRV: I was shy, I was a nerd, I was quiet. I played my guitar. I headed one of the biggest orgs in campus. Doon ko nakilala si Noynoy. He was third year then, I was fourth year. Matanda ako sa kaniya ng isang taon. Lagi niya sinasabi 'yan (laughs). I was just a regular kid. My college years were happy years.
SCB: Was there a particular situation or turning point that made you think of entering the priesthood?
JRV: I wasn't interested in these God things until college. Hindi nga ko nagsisimba noon madalas, sorry ha. I also had a girlfriend then, so I could not decide. After graduation, I got an invitation to go to Davao. Those were turbulent times in Davao but for me, that was an occasion to disengage, to be alone and to ask, saan pupunta ang buhay ko. It's not 'yung oh mayroon kang text message galing sa Diyos, pinapapasok ka, there's no such thing. There's always this fact, it's never pure and you have to catch yourself and be honest kung bakit ito pinili mo? Hindi ganun kasimple 'yun. Sometimes, there's a risk.
AIMING HIGHER FOR ATENEO
SCB: You studied in universities abroad so you have seen how things work out there. But how would you compare the power system here?
JRV: You know what it is, were locked into this mode of teaching eh. A university is also a place where you generate new knowledge and that means research. Wala pa tayo dun pero darating din tayo.
I still think we need to form and teach our people. We have lots of very good teachers but very few researchers who generate new knowledge, which is what the university should also be doing. But it's very difficult because your income is really generated from your tuition. Walang budget 'yung research. Pagbabayarin niyo 'yung estudyante para makapag research 'yung teacher? Mahirap pang isipin 'yun. And usually for the research institution, you try to get funds outside. Ang gobyerno naman walang pera because they don't consider it an investment. Companies have their own R&D department. So it's really a challenge to generate new funds for research.
SCB: Apart from making Ateneo a research-centered university, what are the other initiatives under your watch?
JRV: Actually, I have three strategic concerns. One is mission identity - understanding who you are. Second is nation building, and third is environment and development. On the nation-building part, we already said this, we were an elite institution, and we've been in a sea surrounded by poverty. Minsan sinasabi ito ay eskuwelahan ng mga mayayaman, ang gagara ng mga suot, mga kotse. So the question is, what's the point? Hindi ako nagpari para dito lang, para payamanin 'yung mga mayayaman. That will not sustain me, that will not sustain the Jesuits.The challenge always is to let the Ateneo matter in the lives of our people, especially in the lives of others. How do we translate that rhetoric into love for others?
SCB: But how do you concretize these goals?
JRV: For me, nation building means defeating poverty, hindi reducing. Defeating poverty for us means providing access to services for the poor, like education, health, water, housing. Reform government and politics. Promote love of country. We're reforming governance and politics with the School of Government. These are the institutions that will affect structures in the country.
SCB: You also talked about a sustainable campus...
RJV: Dapat it's clean and it's nice in our own backyard. Actually, it's nice when there are no students (laughs)! We have to contend with our impact and our footprint. We cause the traffic, along with Miriam and the other schools! How do we solve it? Is it unsolvable? We have to work on our own institution.
We've sort of begun with these. We've started the plan on pedestrianizing the campus. We're trying to encourage people to bike or walk to where they're going. Maglalakad kaya ang mga Atenista? Malabo ba (laughs)? Pipilitin natin. Dadagdagan natin ang traffic para mapilitin silang maglakad. We want to do something about parking. We don't appreciate it because we have so much land. Pero at La Salle, they appreciate land. Here, we have 7.5 hectares, and we have horizontal parking lots. Cost that at real estate prices here. Should we not be paying?
SCB: Then you have to change an entire culture...
JRV: Yes. It's affecting mindsets of those who will one day lead. You guys will someday lead this country, that's what they told us when we were young. We were told that we were the hope, we were the future. And now that we're here, what are we doing (laughs)? Are we still the hope or are we going to pass this on to you?
I'm hopeful because Ateneans I know are now leading much of government, even the Church! (Manila Archbishop) Chito Tagle was from here, batch '75! Summa cum laude pa 'yun. CEOs, captains of industry, and we were trained to lead. And should we not therefore lead this country out of the muck it is in? I've always thought that not in my generation will we get First World status. But maybe in one generation pa.
Even in the peace process, Ateneans are involved! Talks with the NDF (National Democratic Front), the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), the Atenistas are there! Of course, right now two Ateneans are also fighting, Noynoy and (Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato) Corona (laughs)! Dalawang Atenista, katabi ko pa naman nung investiture ko (laughs)! Nakalimutan ko pang i-cite si Corona. Inadvertenly lang ha! May listahan ako usually eh, pero ang dami nila! Members of the Cabinet, Ambassadors, members of the Judiciary, tapos Chief Justice katabi ko! Seven days later, at the UAAP games, I had to say sorry to the Chief Justice (laughs).
SCB: Speaking of the UAAP, how comfortable are you with the Ateneo's chances of scoring a five-peat?
JRV: Well, we're aiming. We want to work hard to get that. The prospects, well, Greg Slaughter is still there. There's the Semerads. Just to set things straight ha, people think we poached them from San Beda. We don't do that (laughs). They chose.
SCB: What's your leadership style?
JRV: I've noticed from my last six years in Cagayan that I'm not a command and control type of guy. I like to empower a team, I like delegating. Kapag malaki, hindi mo kaya lahat. That's my style. It really comes also from teaching. It taught me to inspire and validate people. Not all, but certain individuals will be able to do the job. That's my style.
SCB: How different is your style from your predecessor's?
JRV: Fr. Ben's style is different. He is more hands-on and so many units report to him directly. Hindi ko kaya‚ 'yun. I lose track, I forget. I like to be involved in a few major projects. I tend to be a big picture guy, not a details person. That's a weakness because you also need to know the details. I know the details in some projects, but I tend to say "What's the big picture here? What's the story?" Minsan I get impatient in meetings. But I see that people are adjusting to my style now.
I think it comes from my training as a climate scientist. I think in terms of years, I'm thinking in centuries. I see institutionalization, I see structures, I see the horizon. But you have to also attend to the day-to-day. I'm the pilot, but every now and then I have to go down to the engine room to fix things myself, but I'd rather stay on the bridge and direct the ship.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADVOCATE
SCB: How is Ateneo de Cagayan, your former school?
JRV: It wasn't affected by typhoon Sendong but it's one of the leaders in the rehabilitation and relief efforts. May sistema na sila, sanay na sila eh sa disaster risk.
SCB: Was this something that you anticipated, being a climate change advocate?
JRV: That has been my advocacy since the 1990s but no one was listening, until of course Al Gore. That's where I really salute the media kasi I was a scientist with good ideas but you have to package it and present it in a way that people will understand and appreciate.
People don't see it or appreciate that because it's in the future. My work is the future, kasi climate. Hindi naman ako si Madam Auring na may crystal ball but we have models to guide us. And the models tell you to some extent na dito tutuyo, dito dadami ang tubig, dito iinit, dito lalamig. What do you do? Publish a paper. And you have to translate, what is the implication for agriculture? What is the implication for services? That's not clear for someone who is a scientist. Scientists would have to work with other disciplines.
SCB: Was it frustrating for you not to have anyone listening?
JRV: Yeah, minsan paulit ulit. When I began it was sort of alarmist and depressing eh, telling the world it's going to end. Lalo na Pinoy very fatalistic. So I want to change that with what's hopeful. It's going to happen, what can we do now? I'd rather pool my energies in helping people adapt already.
SCB: What's your stand on the K to 12?
JRV: We have to make this work. It's difficult, but we will have to make it work. We might even initiate. Naghihintayan kasi eh. Legislation will not happen. Politicians are understandably concerned with their own lifetimes. Someone has to make painful decisions. Kung gagawin ito ng Ateneo, malulugi tayo. Sasabihin, matagal pala sa Ateneo, dun na lang ako sa iba. We might lose revenue from that. But we have to because of global currents, because of regional currents.
In 2020, APEC will implement professional mobility. Ibig sabihin wala nang borders 'yan. Tatanungin ka kung ilang number of years ka, 10 years ka lang. 'Yung mga Koreano, Indonesians, sa region lang natin lahat 12. Lugi na tayo. Two years older gagraduate 'yung mga bata nila, tayo hilaw pa.
The other thing is we'd like to push this idea - that when you're 18 years old, after K to 12, you can be hired. You don't have to go to college. University is research, it is a higher order of thinking. If you're going to be HRM or call center, do you still need four years? Bakit mo sasayangin 'yun? In a sense, matipid nga eh. Pero nasa isip kasi natin na kailangan makatapos ang anak natin ng kolehiyo. I honestly agree that this is the better system, and we have to make it work. It's good for the country, it's better.
CHILLING OUT
SCB: When you're not being a priest and president of the Ateneo, what do you do?
JRV: I actually like to watch movies. I like stories. To unwind, I just watch something mindless. When things are so tiring, I just go to our TV room kasi airconditioned, at kahit na telenovela, I watch. And it helps! I notice the gear shifting helps me cope. When I come back, I'm refreshed. I listen to music, I play music, I have a piano in my office. That's where I de-stress and decompress. Doon ko nilalabas. I also play sports but I have not had the time to go and play.
SCB: What's the latest movie you watched that you really liked.
JRV: Kumuha lang ako ng DVD at nakuha ko‚ 'yung kay John Travolta na "Basic". But the last movie that moved me was "Avatar".
SCB: Kasi very pro-environment?
JRV: (Laughs). Hindi naman (laughs)! Techie. I saw it in 3D. Someone gave me an original DVD din. I've seen it several times na. Anything mindless that will take my mind off the work. I would usually look at science, that excites me. I write poetry. My Christmas cards are poems that I wrote. I write homilies. I labor over my homilies because I only have 10 or 11 minutes to get you. I get good feedback. I post it on Facebook. You can go to my page, just search Fr. Jett Villarin. That's my fan page (laughs).
SCB: You maintain the Facebook page?
JRV: (Laughs). Created by students. Hindi nila inaamin, until sinabi nung Student Council na sila gumawa. Tinanong ko kung bakit nila ginawa, sabi nila kasi kapag ako daw ang nagsabi lahat sumusunod (laughs).
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