
A Filipina, originally from Bislig City, Surigao del Sur but now makes Dumaguete City as her home, has been recognized in the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology, considered one of the most comprehensive online dictionaries of hymnology, featuring composers, authors, hymns, and works related to church music worldwide.
Dr. Jean Cuanan-Nalam is the fourth Filipino to be included in this prestigious publication, joining the ranks of notable figures Dr. Elena Maquiso, Dr. Francisco Feliciano, and Manoling Francisco.
The dictionary highlights her significant contributions to Cebuano anthems and liturgical responses that reflect the theology, doctrines, and cultural identity of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP).
Influenced by the hymns of Dr. Elena Maquiso, which are rooted in folk tunes, Nalam has carved her own niche by blending traditional and contemporary styles. Her compositions are lauded for harmonizing musical meter with Cebuano speech accents and tonal nuances. From unison pieces to multi-part harmonies, her choral arrangements cater to the diverse needs of Cebuano UCCP church choirs, while her congregational songs feature accessible rhythms and melodies that resonate with worshippers.
Nalam’s academic journey began at Silliman University, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in1996 and a Master of Music in Music Education in 2002. She completed her Ph.D. in Church Music and Worship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2022, making history as the first Filipino to achieve this distinction. Nalam is a faculty member of Silliman University’s Divinity School.
Meanwhile, the Dean Salvacion Huising Jardeleza Memorial Scholarship was launched recently at the SU Moot Court, Villareal Hall, College of Law through Hon. Justice Francis H. Jardeleza to honor the memory of his mother who spent a number of years as a high school student in Silliman during the pre-war period.
The scholarship is awarded to a qualified law student, covering P40,000 per semester until he or she finishes law school.
In his message, Hon. Justice Jardeleza talked about his mother and how he would hear stories about Silliman from her who had spent two years in the campus and another two years at St. Scholastica College in Manila.
“My mother was a very devout Catholic, but may napansin ako noong maliit pa kami [I noticed something when we were kids]. She was receiving two kinds of religious materials. One from Catholic and another from Protestant publications [Silliman].”
While the Catholic church was not as inclusive as it is now, according to Jardeleza, “My mother brought us in an atmosphere of religious toleration.”
Hon. Justice Jardeleza was appointed as the 173rd Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on August 20, 2014. He served the Office until his retirement in September 2019.
Prior to his appointment as Associate Justice, he was Solicitor General of the Philippines and elevated the quality of representation by his Office by introducing capacity building programs to lawyers and aggressively recruiting top graduates of law schools. In his capacity as Solicitor General, he appeared before the Supreme Court numerous times to argue cases that challenged the Constitution, including the Cybercrime Law and the Reproductive Health Law. | NWI