2-part lecture on ‘beauty of math,’ social movements

This year’s Alejandro Roces Professorial Lecture was divided into two sessions where professors discussed the “beauty of math” and social movements in the country. 

The morning session last Feb. 10 featured Dr. Jose Maria P. Balmaceda, Professor Emeritus at the University of the Philippines Diliman Institute of Mathematics and an academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology since 2008. His lecture, “More than Numbers: Reflections on the Purpose, Power, and Beauty of Mathematics,” explored mathematics as a way of thinking that develops clarity of thought, precision of language, and disciplined imagination, and examined the discipline through its history, practice, and applications. Dr. Balmaceda earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and previously served as UP Dean of the College of Science from 2011 to 2017. He is a three-time recipient of the UP Diliman Gawad Tsanselor. 

The afternoon lecture was delivered by Dr. Teresa S. Encarnacion Tadem, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at UP Diliman, whose research focuses on Philippine political economy, technocracy, civil society movements, and political theory. Her lecture, “Social Movements and Philippine Politics: Confronting the Challenges to Democracy and Development (2001–2025),” examined the role of social movements in the country’s democratization and development process over the past two decades. 

“Social movements from 2001 to 2025 have continued to pursue their advocacies for democratic governance and redistributive socioeconomic policies under a patrimonial state characterized by the dominance of political dynasties,” said Dr. Tadem. She identified six strategies employed by these movements, including obtaining government positions through elite alliances, strengthening the Left through networks and coalitions, forming global coalitions, institutionalizing government-social movement cooperation, engaging in legislative processes, and seeking solutions through international agencies. Despite this, she also outlined five key challenges that persist: the continuing dominance of political dynasties, weak electoral leverage and perverse resource mobilization, the tension between cooptation and cooperation with government, the absence of a feasible left alternative amid a divided Left movement, and the military harassment and killings of left activists. 

The lecture was followed by an open forum where students and faculty raised questions on the political dynasty bill, the Left, and the conditions for genuine reform. 

“As Roces said, understanding should not only be sharp; it should also have heart,” said Dr. Mario Maranan, chair of the Far Eastern University Institute of Arts and Sciences (FEU IAS) Department of Political Science. Maranan encouraged the audience to “question, to connect, and to carry these ideas back to your classrooms, offices, and communities.”  

“If there is one thing you can take away from this… may it be deeper questions and a braver devotion for the nation,” said Maranan. 

The lecture series is one of FEU IAS’ ways of honoring the legacy of Roces—a writer, educator, and public servant known for championing Philippine culture, sharp thinking, and fearless engagement with public issues. Organizers describe it as “an invitation to think more deeply about how power works in our country and how we as citizens, and as Tamaraws, can help shape a more just and democratic future, continuing the [Roces] tradition of critical, relevant, and courageous scholarship.” 

The eighth of the series was part of FEU's 98th foundation week celebration under the theme “Brave in Diversity.”